Q and A Answered Sheet.pdf

1. In Volume 3: Key Personnel (Pg 4 / Pg 63), the RFP outlines that certain labor categories designated as key personnel are essential to the Human Capital Support services under this contract. The proposal submission requires: Signed and dated letters of commitment for each key personnel accepting employment on the contract, and Resumes not exceeding five (5) pages for each individual. I would appreciate further guidance on the definition of “key personnel” in this context. Specifically, given the RFP’s mention that the awardee may subcontract these positions, should the individuals for whom we provide signed agreements and resumes be limited to those overseeing the project, with an emphasis on their experience in identifying, hiring, and managing subcontracted workers? Or is it required that we submit documentation for the specific individuals who will be performing the hands-on work, even if those roles may be subcontracted at a later stage? If the latter, is it expected that the awardee should have conditionally hired these individuals in advance of the contract award? Furthermore, given the potential time lapse between proposal submission and contract award, how much flexibility is afforded to awardees if individuals offered conditional employment were to pursue other opportunities before the contract is finalized? Additionally, could you provide any specific guidance on the information required for subcontracted individuals if subcontracting forms part of our delivery plan? Finally, I would appreciate any available insight regarding salary expectations for the positions referenced in the agreement. The labor categories designated as key personnel are deemed essential to the work being performed under this contract. Amendment 004 outlines updated terms and conditions for key personnel, including the instructions for substitution of key personnel. See the clause at H-2. You must provide a signed letter of commitment and a resume for each individual, prime or sub, proposed to fill a key personnel position. This solicitation will not impose any salary expectations and/or restrictions. Please adhere to the instructions and evaluation criteria for the cost/price volume. Lastly, there is no prohibition on subcontracting the positions designated as key personnel.

2. Is the minimum number of past performance questionnaires two or three? Please refer to section L, page 63. “The offeror’s proposal submission must include a minimum of three completed past performance questionnaires to enable proper evaluation.”

3. Being that the RFP is for commercial services, can you confirm that Cost Accounting Standards doesn’t apply? This acquisition is exempt from Cost Accounting Standards since the Government intends to award a firm-fixed price (FFP) contract on the basis of adequate competition.

4. Please clarify if the base number represents the number of hours worked in a year. If it does not represent the number of hours worked in a year, what does the base number represent? It should be a full time employee equivalent. 40 hours a week for 52 weeks is 2,080 hours. Offerors may propose full-time equivalents (FTEs) based on the company’s standard practices, however.

5. Please clarify if the unit price represents the hourly rate. If it does not, what does the unit price represent? The unit price represents the total value of each contract line item (CLIN).

6. If GPO desires to convert a contractor personnel to a direct employee of GPO, would we include that rate under purchase requisitions of the pricing table? GPO has no desire to convert any contractor personnel to a direct employee of the agency.

7. For potential contractor personnel that would work off-site, does the local need to be in the local DMV area? Remote work can be performed outside of the of the DC/MD/VA area.

8. For contractor personnel that would work off-site, would they be furnished government issued equipment? If so, what type of equipment would be included? GPO provides equipment based on the job. Typically, contractors serving in a support role for HCO will receive a laptop, a monitor, a keyboard, a mouse, and a printer.

9. Please provide the Performance Guarantee that is mentioned on page 61, under General Instructions for the Preparation of Proposal. This requirement has been removed.

10. Who is the incumbent? This information was posted in an amendment on SAM.gov. Please check the special notice for 040ADV-24-R-0057-001 on SAM.gov.

11. What has been the spend on the current contract? We have posted an amendment on SAM.gov.

Please check the special notice for 040ADV-24-R-0057-001 on SAM.gov.

12. When does GPO anticipate completing its evaluation and notifying respondents of its recommended awardee(s)? The contract is anticipated to start 03 February 2025. GPO intends to make award in late January to enable a seamless transition

13. Will respondents be disqualified or adversely impacted during the evaluation process if they were to submit exceptions to GPO? Offerors must comply with the solicitation instructions. Offerors who advance to the competitive range may be allowed to enter into discussions with the Government.

14. If government-mandated costs or expenses are enacted during the contract term, will respondents be allowed to request rate increases to cover these higher rates? This contract will be performed at a firm-fixed-price. Use of a fixed price contract is standard for commercial services. There are minimal allowances for adjusting the contract price after award.

15. Will the Government please confirm how many resumes and letters of commitment must be submitted for the Key Personnel Positions identified in RFQ Section H.3? The table in H-3 accurately reflects the number of key personnel designations for two different labor categories for three FTEs total. Offerors must provide a resume for and a letter of commitment for each individual proposed to as key personnel. Offerors may propose more than the total of number of key personnel established in this solicitation.

16. Cf. Section L.2.d.ii Volume 4 and Section M.2.2.2, in order to reduce administrative burden on Government personnel will the Government please consider accepting CPARS reports in lieu of past performance questionnaires (PPQs) for ongoing or recent efforts? The PPQ is mandatory.

CPARS is considered supplemental information.

17. Cf. Section F.1, will the Government please clarify the extent to which the requested services can be performed remotely vis-a-vis on-site at the GPO Central Office? The Medical Technician is the only position that is required to report on site.

18. Cf. Section C.5, will the Government please confirm whether it will consider proposed candidates for the Human Capital Specialist (Recruiting and Staffing) role who have completed all necessary training for Delegated Examining Unit (DEU) certification but who have not obtained certification or whose certification is expired, or must all candidates hold current DEU certification? Candidates for Human Capital Specialist (Recruitment and Staffing) must hold a current DE certification.

19. Will GPO accept experience equivalency to education requirements? Yes

20. Regarding the Human Capital Specialists (Transaction and Assistant roles) job-specific skills, knowledge, and abilities section, will equivalent experience with other non-federal governmental systems be acceptable? No

21. Section C, Statement of Work (SOW), 4 – Applicable Documents, page 16. We note “collective bargaining agreements may also be applicable to the individual task order services provided.”

What is the number of active collective bargaining units at GPO and what percentage of the workforce are in these units? This is used solely as a reference tool.

22. Section C, Statement of Work (SOW), 4 – Applicable Documents, page 16. We note “collective bargaining agreements may also be applicable to the individual task order services provided.”

Please provide all relevant collective bargaining agreements in order for offerors to be able to adequately include these costs in our proposal. This is used solely as a reference tool.

23. SOW, 5 - Human Capital Specialist (Recruitment and Staffing), Page 17. We note the Recruiting and Staffing Essential Duties and Responsibilities includes “Develops Merit Placement Plans and ensures compliance with federal laws and Agency Merit Promotion Plan.” Will the Contractor be responsible for developing staffing guidance for GPO which may require a higher level of Staffing Support? Contractors are not responsible for developing staffing guidance.

24. General Staffing - Q1 – Is the Tentative Job Offer, the end point in the process for this position?

Yes, for the recruitment and staffing position. Q2 – Does GPO follow the OPM 80-day hiring model or something different? GPO uses the OPM 80-day model as a guide. Q3 – What is GPO’s time to hire model and current time to hire numbers and can these details be shared? We do not have that data available at this time. Q4 – Since this is FFP, can you share the volume of staffing actions each Specialist is expected to manage? Offerors should propose full-time equivalents. Q5

– Additionally, in the event the number of staffing actions exceed this volume, is there a strategy that you can share? The Government does not intend to pay an overtime premium. The work will be balanced to accommodate the number of FTEs under each labor category.

25. SOW, 5 - Human Capital Specialist (Recruitment and Staffing), Job Specific Knowledge/Skills/Abilities (KSAs) and Educational Experience, pages 18-19 and Human Capital Specialist (Classification), Job Specific KSAs, page 26. On page 18, we note the 4th bullet, “Comprehensive operational knowledge of OPM Classification Standards, Federal Classification and Position Management, organizational Development and realignments.” is also included in the HC Specialist (Classification) KSAs on page 26. Q1 – Is the classification experience and work requirements required for both positions; or is it only required for the HC Specialist (Classification)? These job specifications only apply to the HC Specialists - Classification

26. SOW, 5 - Human Capital Specialist (Recruitment and Staffing), Educational Experience, pages 18 and Human Capital Specialist (Classification), Educational Experience, page 26. We also note in Educational Experience HC Specialist (Classification) position the requirement of “Classifications Experience and knowledge working with Government classification standards.”

However, this is not included for the HC Specialist (Recruitment and Staffing) position. Q1 – Can you confirm if this experience is required for both positions or just required of the HC Specialist

(Classification) position? The requirement of knowledge working with Government classification standards is just for the classification personnel.

27. SOW, 5 - Human Capital Specialist (Classification), Essential Duties and Responsibilities and Educational Experience, pages 25-26. In review of the Essential Duties and Responsibilities of the HC Specialist (Classification), it appears the duties include both senior and journeyman level of work. For example: “Providing expert advise and support with implementing new technologies in reference to classification tools; Developing a PD database; Leading special projects; reviewing organization structures; developing responses to OPM Classification Appeal requests from OPM.” We also note the Educational Experience requires a bachelor's degree plus two years of relevant full-time experience the last five years that includes experience and knowledge working with Government classification standards.

Q1 – If the requirements do include both journeyman and senior level work, is the expectation to provide a staffing mix of both Journeyman and Senior Classification Specialists to take on the more complex duties? Classifiers will use Monster and will not need to develop a PD database.

They will be expected to review organizational structures and draft responses to OPM Classification Appeals, should the agency receive any. For your note, GPO is currently utilizing the Monster PD database. However, this requirement may change if the Human Capital Office deems it necessary to switch to another PD database. Q2 – What is the workload volume for Classification Specialists at GPO? Contracted personnel should expect to perform at the level of a full-time equivalent. Q3 - How many federal staff are on the classification team sharing this responsibility? The team is staffed with three federal civilian employees.

28. SOW, 5 - Medical Technician (Administrative Support), Essential Duties and Responsibilities, page 27. We note “The work is performed in Human Capital’s Medical Services unit where medical documents are seen and maintained.” Q1 - Does the Medical Services Unit have a physical location; and if so, in what city and state? This information is provided in the solicitation at Section F-1 Place of Performance. Q2 - Generally, the duties of this position could be performed remotely, if there is an onsite requirement, what is the frequency for the Contractor to be physically present to perform the duties? Only the Medical Technician is required to be physically present at the worksite. Q3 - What are the specific duties that can be performed remotely and what specific duties must be performed onsite (if required)? The Medical Technician must perform all duties onsite. All other support services can be performed at a remote location.

29. We also note the “administrative and clerical duties involving different, unrelated processes and methods; maintains knowledge of conferences, appointments, trips, telephone calls, and reminds supervisor of such commitments; composes correspondence of a routine and non-technical nature based upon oral instructions, brief notes, information.” Q1 – Can you confirm if there is one or more supervisors this position provides administrative support to? The Medical Technician supports one supervisor and one lead nurse.

30. SOW, 5 – Contractor Required, Human Capital Senior Transactions Specialists, pages 19-21, Human Capital Junior Transactions Specialists, pages 21-22, Human Capital Assistant (Transactions Processing), pages 22-25. Can you confirm what is the education and minimum years of experience required for these three positions? Isn’t this in the SOW already? This is now included in the SOW.

31. Section F, Delivery or Performance, 4 - Deliverables and Delivery Schedule, Deliverables for Talent Acquisition – Recruiting Specialists, page 29, and Deliverables for Classification

Specialists, pages 30-31 We note similar Deliverables for the Talent Acquisition – Recruiting Specialist and Classification Specialist positions. Q1 – Does the Talent Acquisition – Recruiting Specialist position also have a deliverable to “Complete classification of PDs and/or desk audits” like the Classification Specialist position? Or is this deliverable only required of the Classification Specialist position? Only the Classification Specialist will submit this deliverable.

32. Section F, Delivery or Performance, 1 - Place of Performance, page 28. In the place of performance, we note the work can be performed remotely or in-person at the GPO Central Office. Q1: Can you provide the frequency and which key personnel are expected to report to the central office? See previous response.

33. Section F, Delivery or Performance, 2 - Period of Performance, pages 28-29. If the base period is to start 15 November 2024, what is the anticipated award and start dates? The contract is projected to start 03 February 2025. Award is expected to occur in late January.

34. Section F, Delivery or Performance, 4 - Deliverables and Delivery Schedule, pages 29-31. We note the requirements to “List all outputs/outcomes with specific due dates or timeframes. Include media type, quantity, and delivery point(s). State due dates in terms of calendar days after award.” Q1 – Can you confirm the delivery schedule for the types of deliverables listed for each position after award? Q2 - How soon after contract award is the kickoff to occur? It is the Government’s desire to schedule a kick-off prior to the start date of the contract.

35. Section F, Delivery or Performance, 4 - Deliverables and Delivery Schedule, pages 29-31. We note the requirements to “List all outputs/outcomes with specific due dates or timeframes. Include media type, quantity, and delivery point(s). State due dates in terms of calendar days after award.” Q1 – Can you confirm the delivery schedule for the types of deliverables listed for each position after award? See the section H.2. Q2 - How soon after contract award is the kickoff to occur? It is the Government’s desire to schedule a kick-off prior to the start date of this contract.

36. Section F, Delivery or Performance, 4 - Deliverables and Delivery Schedule, Deliverables for Talent Acquisition – Recruiting Specialists and Transactions – Assistants, page 29 and 30. We note the deliverables for “Lunch & Learn sessions” and to “Provide lunch and learns as well as presenting information during New Employee Orientation.” However, these sessions are not listed in the essential duties and responsibilities for these two positions. Q1 – Can you confirm the audience of these sessions and what training the contractor staff is to develop and provide?

The contractor staff will not develop content but will be asked to present content at new employee orientation. The contractor may be asked to deliver lunch and learns. The projected audience consists of Agency Supervisors.

37. Section F, Delivery or Performance, 5 – Notification of Deliveries, page 31. We note “All Specialists are to document their work on the online Human Capital dashboard, and SharePoint site as required. Contractors are required to meet with management on a regular basis (as scheduled) to discuss assignments and deliverables and attend all staff meetings as directed.” Q1

– Can you please provide which management and which contractor staff are required to regularly meet with management? It depends on what position the contractor holds. Contractor staff will meet with government team leads and/or supervisors regularly as part of their day- to-day activities to discuss assignments, provide status updates, and report on work. They will also meet with Agency hiring managers to discuss recruitment/hiring assignments and/or status updates of assigned work.

38. Q1 - Can you confirm if the contractor staff are to report directly to a Federal Supervisor in the HC Talent Acquisitions and Transactions Unit and provide the required support through this supervisor? This is contract for non-personal services. Work assignments will be given to the contractors by federal supervisors and team leads. All support will be provided by their team lead, supervisor or COR.

39. Q2 – Are offerors allowed to bid their own staffing model in line with method of delivery of services? No. Please adhere to the solicitation instructions and the Government’s defined requirements.

40. Q3 -Are offerors able to recommend other labor categories/positions as needed based on our delivery model? Yes.

41. We note the current incumbent’s information provided in Amendment #040ADV-24-R-0057-001.

And understand that this solicitation consolidates HCO support services under two separate contracts. Q1 – Can you share what is the ceiling value anticipated for this new contract? This information will not be provided.

42. We note the current incumbent’s information provided in Amendment #040ADV-24-R-0057-001.

And understand that this solicitation consolidates HCO support services under two separate contracts. Q1 – Please provide the period of performance for these contracts. 1. 040ADV-20-F- 0047 – POP: April 1, 2020 to November 15, 2024. 2. 040ADV-22-C-0119 – POP: October 01, 2020 to November 15, 2024.

43. Will submitting our subcontractor's past performance impact the evaluation process? The Government will evaluate the prime contractor’s past performance. The Government will evaluate the prime contractor’s past performance. The prime offeror may submit the subcontractor’s past performance as supplemental information in the Past Performance Volume.

The Government will only evaluate PPQs/past performance references for the prime offeror.

44. Can we submit the past performance of state, local and commercial clients? How will that impact the evaluation? Yes.

45. Can we provide a replacement to a key personnel if they are not available after the award? Yes.

Refer to the amended clause for key personnel.

46. What is the policy regarding the replacement of key personnel? This is addressed in the amended key personnel clause.

47. What is the wage determination number we need to consider for each position? See the attached updated wage sampling.

48. Volume 5: Cost/Price Proposal P63, how do we need to provide the pricing as there are certain deliverables and sub deliverables provided? You will submit pricing for full-time equivalents.

49. Volume 5: Cost/Price Proposal P63, how will the agency pay, will pricing be deliverable based on completion of deliverable or on hourly basis? Deliverables are not separately priced. Offerors must propose a total firm-fixed price for the services and personnel scheduled under each CLIN.

50. Volume 5: Cost/Price Proposal P63, The Offeror shall propose fully burdened labor rates for the base period and all options As per the statement above we have to provide fully burdened labor rates for the base period and all options but as per pricing template we have to provide firm fixed cost, please clarify how do we have to proceed with pricing? This requirement will be removed.

No fully burdened rates should be proposed under this volume.

51. Volume 5: Cost/Price Proposal P63 Evidence of Responsibility: The may obtain and consider information concerning the offeror’s evidence of responsibility, in accordance with MMAR

9.104. Could you specify what the contractor is expected to provide in this section? There is no deliverable. This is a general disclaimer.

52. Volume 2: Technical/Management Approach P62, Do we need to provide any technical approach for task areas given under Section 5 - Contractor Is Required To Perform The Following from page # 17 – page # 27? This section has been updated. Offerors should adhere to the instructions.

53. Volume 2: Technical/Management Approach P62, Do we need to provide the technical solution or is the government expecting only the Technical/Management Approach. Offerors should adhere to the instructions.

54. Volume 4: Past performance P63, The offeror’s proposal submission must include a minimum of three completed past performance questionnaires to enable proper evaluation. MINIMUM STANDARD OF ACCEPTABILITY: The minimum standard of acceptability is met when the Offeror provides minimum of two (2) and a maximum of five (5) references of their choice of projects of similar contracts in size, scope and complexity. Could you clarify the exact number of past performance questionnaires and references a contractor must submit to meet these standards?

The correct number is three (3). The amendment corrects this statement.

55. Section L, P63, 14.d.i., Clarity – Past Performance, the requirements for Volume 4 are somewhat vague, with no indication of whether offerors are to provide contract data and relevance information within that volume. That information would enable the Government to conduct a more full and fair evaluation of proposals than relying solely on PPQs. Would the Government please confirm that offerors should provide, within Volume 4, contract data and narratives that address contract relevance? Clarification is given in the amendment.

56. Section L, P63, 14.d.i., Clarity – Past Performance, the RFP requires resumes and letters of commitment for Key Personnel. There are 15 designated Key Personnel; the total staffing is 19.

To provide additional information that would enable the Government to select the Offeror with the most highly qualified Key Personnel and optimal staffing, would the Government please confirm that it will allow Offerors to submit more than the 15 required key personnel resumes and LOCs (i.e., multiple candidates for the various key personnel positions)? The requirement for key personnel has changed. Offerors may submit resumes for the total number of FTEs designated to perform as key personnel.

57. The RFP states, “All contractor’s personnel engaged in this contract must provide a non-disclosure agreement before the award and start date of employment,” and the NDA form was included on the SAM.gov posting. Could the Government clarify whether these NDA forms need to be included in the proposal for each key personnel and/or completed before contract award?

The NDAs must be signed prior to contract award.

58. Section L.2.d stipulates that the proposal “shall be submitted as an Adobe PDF portfolio…when proposal submissions are received, the Government should only see one portfolio file,” whereas Section L.3 states that offerors should submit their proposal “with attachments with Microsoft Office Word (*.doc or *.docx), Microsoft Office Excel (*.xls or *.xlsx), or Acrobat Reader (*.pdf) formats in Microsoft Windows environment. No single e-mail shall exceed 5MB.” Could the government clarify the instructions for file submission? You will submit an Adobe PDF portfolio that combines multiple file types. Instructions on how to create a PDF portfolio can be found online.

59. Section L.2.d.ii states that “the offeror’s proposal submission must include a minimum of three completed past performance questionnaires to enable proper evaluation,” whereas Section M.2.2 states that “the minimum standard of acceptability is met when the Offeror provides minimum of two (2) and a maximum of five (5) references of their choice of projects of similar contracts in size, scope and complexity.” Could the Government please clarify the requirements for past performance? The solicitation amendment corrects the statement. A minimum of three completed PPQs must be received by the Government to enable evaluation.

60. Section L.2.d.ii, Volume 5 states, “The cost/price proposal shall include narrative to explain the basis for cost/pricing and the total price proposed. The price in the proposal must be referenced as cited under SECTION BSUPPLIES/SERVICES AND PRICE.” Could the Government clarify what other documents or information are required as part of the cost proposal? The amendment captures the response to this question.

61. According to the table listing Key Personnel, all of the required positions are identified as key except the two (2) Sr. Transaction Specialists and two (2) Junior Transactions Specialists. Can the government confirm that is accurate? The number of key personnel has been reduced to two labor categories. Please see the amended solicitation.

62. Approximately how many vacancies does GPO fill annually? GPO fills approximately 161 vacancies annually.

63. Are contract employees required to travel to Washington, DC during the security or badging processes? The Medical Technician is the only contractor required to be on site.

64. According to the Proposal Preparation Instructions, vendors are required to submit a minimum of three (3) completed past performance questionnaires (PPQs) to enable proper evaluation. Will vendors receive additional consideration for submitting more than the minimum number of PPQs? Similarly, is there a maximum number of PPQs vendors may submit? No additional consideration will be given to vendors that submit the maximum number of PPQs, which is five (5).

65. Is the government interested in retaining some or all of the existing (incumbent) contract personnel under this new contract? Offerors may propose use of the existing contractor personnel.

66. Will responses to all firm questions be published on the SAM.gov website? Yes. All responses to offeror questions will be posted on SAM.gov via a solicitation amendment.

67. Will one firm be awarded for all searches or will there be multiple awardees? The Government intends to award one contract as a result of this solicitation.

68. Are the positions you're looking to fill intended to be direct hires or contract roles? This is an ongoing requirement for human capital support services.

69. Do you have a vision for how you'd like to launch the searches, including the order of priority for the most critical positions? This question is unclear.

70. Are there salary ranges available for the positions you have listed? If so, will those be provided?

There is no information to provide.

71. Volume 4 states that references should be submitted directly to the Contracting Officer and Contract Specialist. Does that mean these should be submitted separately from the PDF Portfolio and included in the PDF portfolio? Yes.

72. Are the tables from Section B required in the cost proposal?/price? Yes. Offerors must fill in the total unit price line of each CLIN.

73. The RFP states that the proposal should be submitted in a PDF Portfolio. If the total size of our proposal exceeds 5MB, would it be acceptable to break the portfolio into multiple parts to email separately? Is there a limit on the number of emails we can send? Should we include a specific sequence or labeling format for multiple emails to ensure they are correctly assembled? Yes, the Offeror may de-consolidate the final proposal submission into multiple PDF portfolios if the portfolio exceeds 5MB. Please minimize the number of proposal submission emails, however. Be sure to submit all required files for evaluations.

74. SF 1449, Page 28, Section 8 Section F Delivery or Performance. The solicitation mentions that work can be performed remotely or at GPO's Central Office. It makes the designation between Remote and In-Person with key personnel being included under In-Person. Are all key personnel expected to be in-person at GPO's Central Office? All positions are remote except for the Medical Technician. The Medical Technician must report onsite.

75. SF 1449, Page 28, Section 8 Section F Delivery or Performance. For those employees allowed to work remotely, is it 100% remote? If not, what's the expected breakout of remote vs. in-person?

See previous response.

76. SF 1449, Page 38, Section 2 Key Personnel: The Table in Section 3 lists 15 total Key Personnel Positions. Are all personnel key? Or are there non-key personnel also providing support on the contract? The labor categories not listed in the Key Personnel sections are considered non-key personnel.

77. SF 1449, Page 61 Proposal Instructions. If any of the Representations, Certifications, and Other Statements of Offerors in Section K are already completed in a bidder's SAM record, can we omit those Section K requirements? Yes.

78. SF 1449, Page 69, Section 3 Key Personnel. Lists 4 position labor categories required as key personnel. Is only one (1) resume required for each of the 4 key personnel labor categories? Or is a resume required for all 15 positions? A resume is required for each individual proposed as key personnel. A minimum of three (3) resumes should be included in Volume 3.

79. I just wanted to confirm that all the required documents for this solicitation should be submitted to you directly before the required deadline? We have prepared a strong proposal and want to make sure we are submitting it correctly. Any information you can provide is greatly appreciated.

Thanks. Please refer to the instructions for submission of proposals.

80. Amendment 040ADV-24-R-0057-001 indicates that the services in the RFQ are a consolidation of HCO support services currently being performed across 2 contracts: 040ADV-20-F-0047 and 040ADV-22-C-0119. Are the consolidated services with staffing levels outlined in the Solicitation, section SOW, page 16 of 70 under “2. Scope” (6 HR Specialists; 2 SR Transactions Specialists; 2 JR Transactions Specialists; 2 Transactions Assistants; 6 HR Specialists Classification; and 1 Medical Services Technician) the same as what are covered through the 2 incumbent contracts? The amended solicitation maintains the FTE count at current staffing levels.

81. Can GPO confirm the contract numbers? We can find no record of these contracts or their scope.

The contract numbers were posted in Amendment 0001. The contract records are not stored in any government repositories.

82. What type of monthly reporting is provided to summarize work performed across the 19 roles? GPO will keep track of work through the HC Dashboard. A variety of ad hoc reports can be made available from GPO’s dashboard and Monster Classification system to summarize monthly work. Additionally, standard reports processing work are generated at regular intervals by NFC .

83. Can the GPO provide any details on the volume of staffing actions and classification actions?

Each employee should expect to perform at the level of an FTE.

84. Is West Street Strategy currently performing under the two contracts or have the contracts ended and if so when did they end? Yes. Both contracts will be extended to 03 February 2025.

85. It indicates that work can be performed remotely or at GPO’s Central Office. Are all positions eligible for remote working? Are any positions required to be performed onsite? See previous response.

86. What specific knowledge of GPO’s Infrastructure and Oversight activities is expected from the offerors? As written only an incumbent would have that level of knowledge? This language has been removed and updated.

87. Does this statement mean that we cannot use any subcontractor resumes or does it mean we just need to define who is a sub and who is a prime on the resumes? Please provide clarification.

Offerors are not prohibited from proposing subcontractors as key personnel.

88. Is there a specific date of when the PPQs need to be submitted? All PPQs must be received by the proposal closing date and time.

89. The due date of October 14th is Columbus Day and a Federal holiday. Would you like to make the due date on Tuesday, October 15th? Action has already been taken to extend the proposal due date.

90. How many government employees currently support the Talent Acquisition, Classification, Transaction Processing, and Records Management functions and would be the counterparts to individuals on this contract? 1) TA: 8 government employees, 2) Classification: 3 government employees, 3) Transactions: 5 government employees. Government Publishing Office is currently hiring to fill out vacancies.

91. Are any government employees DE certified? Yes.

92. There are multiple references to SOPs. Which areas (classification, staffing, records management, medical) have developed SOPs such that a new person could quickly learn and follow the GPO process? There are standard operating procedures (SOPs) in each area. Contractors will work with team leads and supervisors to learn the GPO processes.

93. For the Recruitment and Staffing personnel as well as the Classification personnel, what is considered the equivalent combination of education/experience to a Bachelor’s degree and two years of relevant full-time experience? Any combination of experience and education that totals 6 years.

94. According to the SOW, all six staffers must be DE certified. For the staffing function, it is common to have only one DE certified team member in each team, including contractors and government employees. Will the government reduce the number of staffing specialists who require a current DE certification? No

95. There is a reference to developing a PD database. Does any database or library currently exist, or will the PD database be developed from scratch? No database building is necessary at this point.

Classifiers will utilize the Monster classification system. However, this requirement may change if the Human Capital Office deems it necessary to switch to another PD database.

96. Please further explain which positions are Remote and which are In-Person. According to the SOW, the In-Person personnel are “the Key Personnel assigned to report to the Central Office.”

Are all Key Personnel assigned to the Central Office? If not, which positions and how many of them are assigned to the Central Office? If personnel are not assigned to the Central Office, are they remote? Section F was be amended. See previous response.

97. For In Person, is this hybrid, like 2-3 days a week in office, or 100% on site? See previous

98. How long does it take for an individual to receive a moderate-risk public trust clearance from GPO? Can individuals begin work while they are waiting for clearance? A "Moderate Risk Public Trust" is not a clearance. The contractor can be pre-cleared while the background investigation is being conducted and can begin work. The investigation can take approximately 60 to 90 days to complete.

99. Under Supervision of Contractors Employees, it states “If the contractor needs to be sponsored by GPO to receive DE certification or other certifications, GPO will pay the initial feeds and will be reimbursed by the contracting company.” Given this information, may qualified staffers who are required to be DE certified obtain the certification though GPO sponsorship after award? GPO will not pay the cost for obtaining the DE Certification or other certifications. Contractors must possess the DE Certificate by the time they submit their applications. GPO will sponsor the contractor if they need their certification renewed during the POP.

100. “The contractor shall designate an Administrative-Coordinator to be the first line of contact for the contractor employees and serve as a focal point for administrative matters.” Is this a funded or unfunded role? Does this individual need to have human resources expertise? Would this individual need a badge and clearance? Could this role be fulfilled by one of the 19 individuals on the project? COR will help support contractors on site.

101. The last sentence under Supervision of Contract Employees states that for days in which training is necessary, GPO will not be required to pay for labor hours. This is an FFP contract, so paying for labor hours isn’t applicable. How will GPO address training days on a FFP contract? If GPO elects to provide training to contractors, it will be treated as work hours/days.

102. Given rare but realistic factors out of our control that impact staff, such as illness, death, and other emergencies, combined with labor market conditions in which it can take 30 days to recruit for and fill a position, will the government consider allowing 30 days Key Personnel to be replaced rather than two weeks? YES

103. Contract termination for default or convenience as a possible consequence of not replacing key personnel within two weeks strikes us as extreme. Will the government remove this termination language? The clause has been updated.

104. Are bidders required to include sign copies of SF30s for amendments in Volume 1? Yes.

105. d. Proposal Preparation Instructions on page 62 reference submitting one file - a PDF portfolio. 3. Submission, modification, revision and withdrawal of proposal instructions on page 63 reference attachments in Word, Excel or Acrobat reader. It also mentions that multiple emails may be sent to accommodate file size. Please clarify what file types and numbers are acceptable for submission and if multiple emails can be used if necessary. Offerors may submit files in Adobe PDF and Microsoft Excel format.

106. Regarding Volume 3: the requirement to provide 15 key personnel resumes in a proposal is unusual and excessive compared to similar bids for human capital services. It would be rare for businesses other than the incumbent to have fifteen individuals who are able to honor their signed commitment letters for a start date that is two months away. Will GPO consider reducing the number of key personnel resumes to five? The solicitation amendment updates the key personnel provisions and the number of key personnel. See the Section H.

107. Regarding Volume 4: PPQs are being sent directly to GPO. What content is required to be provided within a Volume 4 submission? The amendment captures the response.

108. Regarding Past Performance Factor 2, the minimum standard of acceptability is met when the offeror provides a minimum of two (2) and a maximum of five (5) references. The instructions for the Past Performance Volume, Volume 4, state the offeror’s submission must include a minimum of three completed past performance questionnaires. Please clarify the number to submit. Also please confirm that “reference” and “past performance questionnaire” mean the same thing in this context. See previous response.

109. Regarding Past Performance Factor 2 Minimum Standard of Acceptability, states “The Offeror must provide for each reference the reference’s company name, POCs, address, contract information to include phone number and email address, project description, dollar value and period of performance.” Does a completed PPQ satisfy this requirement? Yes

110. Is this a new opportunity or a re-compete? If this is a re-compete who is the incumbent and what was the value of the award amount? See previous response.

111. If there is an incumbent for this RFP, are they eligible to bid on this contract? The incumbent has not been disbarred from bidding on US contracts, to the best of our knowledge.

112. What is the total anticipated dollar value for this contract? We will not provide this information.

113. What is the anticipated award date for this contract? See previous response.

114. Please provide the annual hours for the Key Personnel? Offerors must propose full-time equivalents. You may determine the annual hours based on your company’s practice.

115. What are the annual hours for the Labor Categories? These are full-time equivalents.

116. Does the Government require the NDA to be signed with proposal submission? See previous response.

117. Are there any restrictions on the number of Past Performances that the prime contractor must submit? Can subcontractors also present Past Performance? The Government will evaluate the prime’s past performance. Information on the subcontractor’s past performance may be provided as supplemental information.

118. Will the government manage the contract staff or do you expect us to provide a Project Manager. If we must provide a PM, please provide new CLIN. No Project Manager is needed.

119. Please clarify how many and what type of resources GPO seeks for this effort as there is a conflict between the top bullets in Section H 3 Key Personnel, page 40, which reads that it is a total of 15 TOTAL FTEs and the bottom paragraph in SCOPE Section 2/SOW Section 5 which states 6 HC Specialist (Recruiting and Staffing), 2 HC Sr Transactions Specialists, 2 HC Jr Transactions Specialists, 2 HC Assistant (Transactions Specialists), 6 HC Specialist

(Classifications), and 1 Medical Technician for a total of 19 FTEs The correct total is 21 FTEs.

The solicitation amendment adds two Classification Specialists.

120. Does GPO expect that additional resources outside those that are identified in the solicitation will be needed and modifications will be made to the contract in those cases? The solicitation establishes the Government’s current requirements.

121. Please clarify the submission instructions as one section (page 62 d.) specifies that we must deliver an Adobe Portfolio File and another section (page 63 3.b) specifies that an email with Word, Excel or PDF files – each of which should not exceed 5MB and must be unzipped – should be submitted. Adobe Portfolio allows you to upload multiple file types. See previous

122. The word “construction” appears multiple times in the solicitation, can you confirm that this is not intended to involve any construction activities? This is an error. It should have been “Human Capital Service.” See the green highlighted, P67, and 68. The solicitation amendment removes all construction references.

123. Is this a new or an existing follow on requirement? See previous response.

124. If it is existing, what is the current contract number and name of the incumbent contractor? See previous response.

125. Would you kindly confirm if this is an entirely new effort or is there an incumbent currently providing these services? If so, would you please provide the incumbent contract details? See Amendment 001 on sam.gov.

126. The solicitation indicates “Work can be performed remotely or at Government Publishing Office (GPO)’s Central Office.” Can the government please clarify if work will be performed remotely or at the GPO office? See previous response. Is it up to the Contractor to decide who works remotely or at the GPO office? Or will the Government indicate which roles must work from the GPO office? See previous response.

127. The solicitation indicates “In-Person: The key personnel assigned to report to the central office will be issued a badge….” Can the government please clarify which key personnel will be assigned to report to the central office? See previous response.

128. The solicitation indicates that “the offeror must attach 1) System for Award Management (SAM) registration information…” as part of Volume 1. Can the government clarify what they are looking for? An offeror must submit an electronic copy of SAM registration information. An offeror can download their company’s information from Sam.gov. Does a statement indicating that the Offeror’s Reps & Certs have been completed in SAM meet this requirement? An offeror’s company must be active at the time of submission.

129. How many hours constitutes a full time equivalent (FTE) (e.g., 1920, 1880, or 1872) personnel for this effort? The Offeror may propose full time equivalency based on the company’s practice.

130. Is there an incumbent? If so, who and what is the contract number? See previous

131. For the new award, is there any change to the award type, scope, and number of personnel? No major scope changes since adjusting the number of FTEs from 19 to 21.

132. Regarding this particular solicitation, do you have any job descriptions available for review as we prepare to submit our proposal? We are wanting to get the best idea of the position, so that we can be sure that our proposal and submission meet your requirements. See SOW updates in Section C.

133. Could you please provide details about the total contract value? See previous response.

134. Can you share information about the current vendor or contractor providing services for this contract? See previous response.

135. Can we show the past state & local performance? For past performance, an offeror may include references from state & local performance/government.

136. Based on your experience with the previous contract, what specific challenges or pain points were identified that we should be aware of as potential areas of focus? None.

137. Would you kindly confirm if this is an entirely new effort or is there an incumbent currently providing these services? If so, would you please provide the incumbent contract details? See previous response.

138. Is this a new or an existing follow on requirement? See previous response.

139. If it is existing, what is the current contract number and name of the incumbent contractor? See previous response.