Q and As (Draft RFP).pdf

Questions and Answers DRAFT RFP N00421-23-R-0004 - Mission Systems Engineering (MSE)

Question Response

Q1: Is the Government providing an escalation for this year over year. Offerors and their Subcontractors shall address escalation on labor for the Base Year (Section L, para 3.3.1.1.2.1) and for Years 2 - 5 (Section L, para 3.3.1.2) and shall provide rationale for the specific escalation rate used utilizing Attachment C2. They shall also provide company historical escalation rate actuals for the last three (3) years. In accordance with Section L, para 3.3.1.2.1, "Offerors, including Subcontractors, that propose less than 3.2% escalation without historical escalation rate actuals that support the lower rate, will be considered unrealistically low and will have their proposals adjusted by the Government to apply an escalation that is consistant with the historical rates or 3.2% annually over the five (5) year ordering period."

Q2: RFP Part C, Section 1.2.1: Please confirm Attachment T2 embedded instructions may be deleted once the responding content is inserted to provide bidders space to adequately convey how the resources meet the requirements within the page limitation.

The formatted tables within the T2 attachment shall remain intact. However, instructions as to how to complete each of the tables/sections may be deleted.

Q3: Does the contractor have the ability to bid less hours than the Government estimate provided in B-3 Labor Hours paragraphs or Para

3.6.1 Labor hours? If so, this provides the incumbent a greater advantage.

A1: The contractor does not have the ability to bid less hours than the Government estimate provided in B-3 Labor Hours paragraphs or Para 3.6.1 Labor hours. For evaluation purposes, the Offeror shall propose the labor categories and hours by location as outlined in the chart located in Section L, para 3.6.1, utilizing Attachment C1.

Q4: Attachment 1, DD-254, Block 9 refers to C5ISR while PWS/SOW utilizes C6ISR throughout. Please clarify.

The DD254 will be updated at award.

Q5: Industrial Support Facilities; is this space required to be cleared for classified material?

The Government cannot be certain that a future requirement for industrial support facilties to be cleared for classified materials will not exist. At this time, it is not a requirement.

Q6: Should contractor expect to perform Alteration Installation Team (AIT) work to support shipboard installation of the systems for UCA, SURFMOD, etc.? Recommend including AIT and other shipboard installation statements to allow for this type of work.

The MSE contract does not include shipboard installation requirements. The Government declines to include this tasking in this solicitation.

Q7: What period (days) does the Government anticipate from Award to Start of contract performance?

The anticipated POP will start 01 MAR 24.

Q8: Reference DD-254, Block K – Other; Is SIPRNET required at the contractor’s facility? If it is, and the contractor does not currently have SIPRNET connectivity, will the Government provide a grace period for the contractor to obtain SIPRNET Access at contractors site from contract award?

The DD254 provides all required information. DD254 requirements are required upon commencement of the POP. However, we do not foresee a requirement where SIRPNET is required at the contractor's facility.

Q9: What are the CSWF requirements for each category? Recommend placing the requirements with table in para 3.2.2.1.

CSWF requirements will not be needed for the labor categories unless otherwise stated or provided.

Note: Some of the questions have been edited/sanitized to protect identity of sender as much as possible.

Q10: Section 3.3.1.5 and CDRL A016 address delivery of technical drawings but does not address data rights nor any requirement to utilize a DD FORM 2554-1 a Technical Data Package (TDP) Option Selection Worksheet (OSW).

Should data rights be addressed within the SOW/CDRL? The terminology data rights appears in two places and not required with any "shall" statements that are overt that this reviewer found.

All technical data fully generated under the resulting Contract will have Unlimited Rights per DFARS clause 252.227-7013. Unlimited Rights should allow the Government the ability to offer the necessary data for future competitions as required.

Q11: Para 3.3 –

a. Sample Task – Recommend limiting to 10 Pages. Incumbent is favored with extensive page count where a competitor will not have “exact” experience or knowledge to detail process or procedure.

b. Key Personnel – Recommend limiting each resume to 3 pages. 5 pages is in excess and favors the incumbent.

The Government does not concur.

Q12: (Section 3.3.1.4) The Government typically produces a Systems Engineering Plan (SEP) while the contractor/OEM produces a Systems Engineering Management Plan (SEMP) which informs the SEP. Recommend change PWS/SOW verbiage to state "The Contractor shall assist by providing support to the Government’s development of a Systems Engineering Plan (SEP) by delivering a Systems Engineering Management Plan (SEMP). (CDRL A013).”

SOW paragraph has been updated.

Q13: Paragraph 3.3.1.3.5 has the contractor supporting system engineering reviews, without having a listing of C6ISR equipment or systems this could impose an OCI on a large company. Will an OCI plan be acceptable for mitigation for a company with several divisions or business groups?

OCI Clause included. If the offeror has determined a possible OCI may occur they may submit an OCI plan for evaluation.

Q14: Does an interim clearance meet the criteria for para 3.2.2.1? Pursuant to para 3.2.2.1 of the PWS and the table provided, "All personnel shall have the appropriate DoD Security Clearance Level or Interim Clearance IAW the chart below. " The column header states "DoD Security Clearance Level (Interim Clearance Acceptable)."

Q15: Sample Tasks – As the sample tasks are not provided, which is reasonable, it must be stated that if the sample tasks are to specifics of efforts ongoing the current incumbent will certainly have the advantage.

The sample tasks should be focused on the domain and overall knowledge of how to perform or go about solving a complex problem but should not be so specific that it provides the incumbent a significant advantage.

No response required.

Q16: Recommend that the Key General and Operations Manager (Program Manager) be budgeted FTE hours.

The Governement declines to increase the labor hours.

Q17: Para 2.2 – PPQA, if the contractor has a CPAR can a PPQA also be submitted if desired.

If a CPAR is available, a PPQA should not be provided.

Q18: $2.5-$3M in ODCs were executed per ordering year on the current contract. The ODC ceilings suggested in this DRAFT RFP are nearly half this amount. Will there be even more ODC requirements in the next five years? We recommend an ODC ceiling of $20M.

The Government will not increase the ODC ceiling.

Q19: Will the Government provide all referenced documents by DVD or identify a reading room with all applicable documents?

The Government will make them available by email upon request.

Q20: Will there be an industry day prior to the final RFQ? A general NAWC Industry Day is scheduled for 18 April 2023; however, there will no breakout sessions. There is no plan to hold an Industry day specific to this requirement.

Q21: It is recommended that an FMS CLIN be added. Support has been provided on the current contract under an FMS CLIN.

The Government declines to add the CLIN at this time.

Q22: Regarding the subject draft solicitation, specifically relating to OCI, is the following correct? The Suppliers/Contractors identified in Attachment 07 “OCI List” are not automatically precluded from submitting a proposal in support of this effort; however, they are automatically subjected to the restrictions in 5252.209-9510 (e) – any of which could potentially preclude the Supplier/Contractor from receiving an award.

That is correct. Contractors are not automatically precluded from submitting a proposal; however, they are subject to the restrictions in accordance with NAVAIR 5252.209-9510.