RFP QandA num_200-360_v1_1.pdf

Questions and Answers for the Connections II RFP

Page 1 QTA010ABA0023 August 05, 2010

# RFP Section Redacted Question Redacted Answer 200 Section J

Comm & Networking Sample

Task

Which Networx contractor(s) have been selected by the customer agency?

Scope of work is specified in Sample Task‘s SOW. Any assumptions made by offeror that supports proposed solution need to be documented.

201 B.1.1 C.1.2 F.3

The Final RFP makes explicit reference to the Continental United States (CONUS) as the Place of Performance with respect to rates being submitted with proposal, with rates for Outside the Continental United States (OCONUS) to be proposed after contract award. It further states CONUS as the minimum geographic requirement, with services within foreign countries to be proposed on a task order basis based on contractor ability. Sometimes there can be confusion about what constitutes CONUS and

OCONUS.

Question: Can the Government please confirm whether AK and HI are to be considered CONUS?

Question: Can the Government please clarify the status of American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, Saipan, and the remaining Northern Mariana Islands in terms of CONUS/OCONUS?

Alaska and Hawaii are included in the minimum geographic scope. Sections B and C will be amended to reflect this.

202 OA&M Sample Task Order

4.e

The sample task states that the IT resources are GFE based; on this basis will the successful contractor be responsible for the operation and administration of these GFE‘d IT systems and supporting network?

The vendor is ―….to assume total control and responsibility for the operations, administration and maintenance support of all voice communications systems..‖ Scope of work is specified in Sample Task‘s SOW. Any assumptions made by offeror that supports proposed solution need to be documented.

203 OA&M Sample Task Order

3. (Table)

Can the Government please confirm that the current systems at the 972 locations do have remote access and the remote access devices are Government owned and currently in place?

Scope of work is specified in Sample Task‘s SOW. Any assumptions made by offeror that supports proposed solution need to be documented.

204 OA&M Sample

3. (Table)

Can the Government please confirm that the average resolution time for a MAC service order is 3.5 hours?

Our experience has shown a longer resolution time.

Scope of work is specified in Sample Task‘s SOW. Any

205 OA&M Sample

Can the Government please confirm the number of trouble tickets per month is 10.1? Based on 33,600

Scope of work is specified in Sample Task‘s SOW. Any

Page 2 QTA010ABA0023 August 05, 2010

3. (Table) users (voice lines) wouldn‘t it be more? solution need to be documented.

206 B.4 Mandatory Labor Categories Table B-9 & J.1

Labor Categories Table J-1.

There appears to be a discrepancy between Table B-

9. Mandatory Labor Categories lists Quality Assurance Engineer – Jr & Telecommunications Engineer – Jr with Table J-1. Labor Categories Quality Assurance Engineer – Entry and Telecommunications Engineer – Entry.

Q) Would the Government please confirm the correct term for each labor category type as either Jr or Entry?

The correct labor term for the two labor categories is ―Entry‖.

Section B (Table B-9) will be amended to reflect the changes.

207 B.1.1 Pricing of Orders

The Government requires equipment and labor prices for each year of the ten-year period.

Q) Would the Government please clarify if each of the Sample Task Orders (Section J.4) is to be priced for each year of the ten-year period or just a single year?

As stated in the RFP, Labor Prices are submitted for the full term of the contract. Equipment items proposed and priced under the Sample Task Orders will form the initial Equipment Catalog for offerors who receive a Connections II contract award. Equipment prices proposed and awarded stay in effect for the life of the contract as stated in Section B.1.1.

208 L.22.7 Volume 6:

Price

Would the Government please provide the format (Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, etc.) required to provide the Price volume for labor, equipment and Sample Task Orders? Note: The GSA Connections proposal used a Government-developed MS Access database with specific instructions to insert prices per Section B tables.

Section B‘s pricing tables reside only in the Hosting Center.

An offeror desiring to submit a proposal must gain access to the Connections Hosting Center. Potential offerors were instructed – both at initial RFP release on July 2, 2010, and again with the releases of Amendment 3 on July 22, 2010 and Amendment 4 on July 30, 2010 that:

―All potential Connections II offerors are advised to submit their Connections II Hosting Center (CHC) applications as soon as practicable. The process for obtaining the necessary certifications for access to the secure web portal can take up to three (3) weeks. Connections II proposals can only be submitted electronically via the CHC”.

209 L.22.7 Volume 6:

Price Labor – Provide loaded hourly rates only for the labor categories specified in Section B.4, Table B-9 and described in Section J.1, Table J-1. Additionally, the Offeror shall utilize the labor categories specified in Section B.4 required to be necessary in the delivery of its proposed solution for each of the sample task orders.

Q) Would the Government accept vendor suggested

Use of the specified labor categories are required. Any additional labor category proposed as part of the sample task orders not already identified in Section J.1 will also be added to a vendor‘s catalog upon receipt of a Connections II contract award. Section B‘s Labor Category B-Tables and Section L will be amended to reflect this change.

In the post-award environment, products or services

Page 3 QTA010ABA0023 August 05, 2010 labor categories in addition to the specified labor categories?

proposed in response to a task order request that is not priced by a pre-existing contract line item will be considered an Un-Priced CLIN. Awardees may propose such items.

Price reasonableness of the overall task order will be determined by the Ordering Contract Officer (OCO) based on standards in FAR 15.4.

210 L.22.5 nd para

Ref: ―The references must be for work completed within the past five (5) years from the date of the RFP‖: will the Government also accept Past Performances that are ongoing? (i.e., ―…for work ongoing or completed within the past five (5) years from the date of the RFP‖). The current language would appear to rule out otherwise relevant contract work (and notably, on our current Connections contract). In addition, changing the language to include ongoing contracts would be consistent with the requirement in Vol. 2: Corporate Experience (L.22.3) that requires the offeror to provide a ―narrative describing experience performed within the past five (5) years.‖

Work completed in the past 5 years on an ongoing contract is acceptable, provided the offeror has performed a minimum of one (1) year. Section L was amended (Amendment 4) to reflect this.

211 L.22.6.g, Vol. 5: Demonstration that offeror is otherwise qualified & eligible to receive an award under applicable laws & regulations.

Question: How does the offeror ―demonstrate‖ eligibility in this case?

See Section L, Amendment 4.

212 M.2.1, Vol. 1 (p.

M4) vs. Section J

Differing statements about sample task evaluation criteria.

Section M states that the Government will evaluate sample tasks based on both technical and management approach while Section J provides a mixed set of evaluation guidelines as indicated in the notes below.

Section M: ―This evaluation will include the proposed technical and management approach to the sample task.‖

Section J:

The evaluation criteria is specified in Section L. Section J will be amended to remove the evaluation guidelines.

Page 4 QTA010ABA0023 August 05, 2010

Task 1: No statement about evaluation criteria (J-58)

Task 2: No statement about evaluation criteria (J-60)

Task 3: ―This Sample Task Order will be evaluated on the viability of the offeror‘s Technical Approach and Management Approach‖ (J-64)

Task 4: ―The sample task will be evaluated from a technical standpoint only‖ (J-67)

Question: Would the Government please clarify its intention with respect to criteria for evaluating each of the four sample tasks?

What is the Government‘s plan on setting up the construction type services: i.e., cabling acquisition and using the Davis Bacon wages or SCA on special construction requirements under FAR Part 36?

Services falling under DBA or SCA will be determined by the Ordering Contracting Officer post-award at the task order level. See Sections C.1.3 and G.3.1.4.

214 We are wondering why GSA has selected the NAICS code of 517110

(Telecommunications Carriers) vs. 517911

(Telecommunications Resellers). Doesn‘t

517911 (Telecommunication Resellers) meet the GSA Connections II requirements more closely; if so would GSA consider changing this NAICS code to 517911?

No.

215 Section J Sample Task 1

Obviously we can provide several manufacturer solutions with dramatically different prices for this sample task. What criteria should the offeror consider for selecting a proper solution to this sample task order?

Scope of work is specified in Sample Task‘s SOW. Any

216 Section J Sample Task 1

Is it possible to provide multiple Technical

Responses based on different prevalent

The Government expects the offeror to propose a competitive solution applying industry best practices and using equipment and resources best suited for the

Page 5 QTA010ABA0023 August 05, 2010

VoIP Solution in the market? requirements. Any assumptions made by offeror that support the proposed solution need to be documented.

217 Section J Sample Task 1

May the offeror provide a generic technical response to Sample Task I with a price proposal from multiple OEM manufacturers for VoIP solutions in the market?

The Government expects the offeror to propose a competitive solution applying industry best practices and using equipment and resources best suited for the requirements. Any assumptions made by offeror that support the proposed solution need to be documented.

218 Section J Sample Task 1

Question 1.2.9: would the Government please clarify its intent on the backup and recovery section. Does the Government want a working live backup live system in the case of a catastrophic failure in

Washington? Should it be complete with backup PSTN gateways? The way the section reads now, it could be interpreted as a backup of database and configuration to be loaded into a new system at the time of a failure.

The Government expects the offeror to propose a competitive solution applying industry best practices and using equipment and resources best suited for the requirements. Any assumptions made by offeror that support the proposed solution need to be documented.

219 Section J Sample Task 1

Question 1.2.4.2: No PSTN specifications are given for the remote offices: should they be PRI, Copper COT?

Scope of work is specified in Sample Task‘s SOW. Any

220 Section J

Question 1.2.4.1: Is the voicemail solution considered to be ―part of the VOIP system‖ or to be configured for the ―backup site‖?

The phrase ―…such as numbering…‖ in section 4 g is not exclusive, but descriptive. Vendor‘s proposed solution is not prescribed. Scope of work is specified in Sample Task‘s SOW. Any assumptions made by offeror that supports proposed solution need to be documented.

221 Section J Sample Task 1

Question 1.2.4.1: Do any Analog devices require Caller ID?

Scope of work is specified in Sample Task‘s SOW. Any

222 Section J

Questions 1.2.4.1, 1.2.4.2, 1.2.7: Are any analog telephone sets required?

Scope of work is specified in Sample Task‘s SOW. Any

223 Section J Drawing ID E-122-Level 1 - Existing break- Wall outlets. See answer to #128.

Page 6 QTA010ABA0023 August 05, 2010

Sample Task 2 out boxes are identified on the drawings as triangles inside boxes. There are a number of large triangles as well. Are these to be considered as break-out boxes as well?

224 Section J Sample Task 2

General Question - Is the cabling environment to be considered plenum or non-plenum listed?

Scope of work is specified in Sample Task‘s SOW. Any

225 Section J Sample Task 2

Section 1.2.1 - Is the cabling to be Category

5e or Category 6?

Scope of work is specified in Sample Task‘s SOW. Any assumptions made by offeror that supports proposed solution need to be documented.

226 Section J Sample Task 2

Drawing ID E-122-Level 1 - Provided drawings are said to be drawn ―NTS‖. To ensure outlet locations are within distance compliance of 295 feet maximum horizontal distance for UTP cabling, the offeror needs a scale for the drawing. Would the

Government please provide a scale?

Scale drawings are provided as part of the RFP. The note ―Not to Scale‖ refers only to the width shown for the cable trays.

227 Section J Sample Task 2

General question - If the offeror has no drawing scale, are we to assume fiber optic cabling is to be installed horizontally to each end-user location?

Scale drawings are provided as part of the RFP. The note ―Not to Scale‖ refers only to the width shown for the cable trays.

Scope of work is specified in Sample Task‘s SOW. Any

228 Section J

Section 1.2.2.a. indicates that only the 1st floor is to receive new cabling. Is this a correct inference to draw?

Scope is limited to end users on the first floor as stated in Task Order. Scope of work is specified in Sample Task‘s SOW. Any assumptions made by offeror that supports proposed solution need to be documented.

229 Section J Sample Task 2

1.2.1.b & 1.2.4.d.ii.1: Are existing patch panels to be used in the new cable plant design? If so, how many are assumed to be in place in each TR?

Scope of work is specified in Sample Task‘s SOW. Any assumptions made by offeror that supports proposed solution need to be documented.

230 Section J Sample Task 2

Sample Task 2 section 1.2.2 ―Scope‖ section ―a‖ that says ―The contractor is only

Page 7 QTA010ABA0023 August 05, 2010 responsible for connectivity between the

Telecommunications Rooms (TRs) and the end user locations on the first floor that are associated with a breakout box under the raised floor; networking between end user locations and with services outside the building is out of scope there is a reference to wire only the TRs to the user location on the ―first floor only‖‖, is this statement correct?

solution need to be documented.

231 Section J Sample Task 2

Drawings indicated that the site has two floors so you are asking only for design and pricing for only first floor?

Scope is limited to end users on the first floor as stated in Task Order. Scope of work is specified in Sample Task‘s SOW. Any assumptions made by offeror that supports proposed solution need to be documented.

232 Section J Sample Task 2

Please explain what the information on section 3 ―Description-Building layout‖ part iii that provides vertical distance between floors if we are only to price the first floor.

Scope of work is specified in Sample Task‘s SOW. Vendor‘s proposed solution is not prescribed. Any assumptions made by offeror that supports proposed solution need to be documented.

233 Section J

What does GSA mean by ―Given only the information in this task order, what is the response to a customer who demands five nines (99.999%)‖? Are you asking for redundancy built into our design?

Scope of work is specified in Sample Task‘s SOW. Any assumptions made by offeror that supports proposed solution need to be documented.

For Past Performance citations: is it acceptable to supply citations from bona fide subcontractors on the offeror‘s team?

Yes.

For Past Performance citations: may the offeror use one contract citation for multiple solution types?

See Section L

For Past Performance citations: may we submit the past-performance form to the COTR to fill out?

See Section L.

237 Sample task prices For pricing the sample tasks, are we to provide ceiling How price strategies are developed and submitted are the

Page 8 QTA010ABA0023 August 05, 2010 price vs. actual? responsibility of the offeror.

238 Sample task prices If actual, then will those prices be used after award for the CLIN we have priced on sample tasks?

Prices proposed in response to the RFP shall be the offeror‘s contract line item prices upon contract award.

Section L will be amended to reflect this.

239 Sample task prices If yes, will GSA requires us to publish our actual price for sample task as CLIN price for the life of contract?

Prices proposed in response to the RFP shall be the offeror‘s contract line item prices upon contract award.

Section L will be amended to reflect this.

240 Sample task prices If we must use the ceiling, may we provide a discount percentage that would not be made public for our sample tasks cost proposal?

No. Prices proposed in response to the RFP shall be the offeror‘s contract line item prices upon contract award.

Section L will be amended to reflect this.

241 Sample task prices On sample tasks where do we input the quantity information for the design on our pricing submission?

Will the Web portal have capability of allowing us to enter quantity of materials in the sample tasks?

Quantity information would be included (e.g., BOM) in your technical/management solution of the sample task orders.

242 Will the Government allow a dash (-) in the CLIN structure for equipment (this will significantly enhance the readability of equipment CLINs)?

The Hosting Center will automatically insert the dash (-) in the CLIN structure.

243 Cost proposal submission via GSA Web Portal: will this be based on manual entry of CLINs or will the portal support batch upload—i.e., comma delimiter file or CSV?

The Hosting Center does support batch upload of CSV files.

244 H.5 RFP paragraph H.5 lists small business subcontracting requirements. Are the requirements shown as percentages of the subcontracted value or of the total contract value?

Percentages are for the total value of the work subcontracted by the vendor.

245 G.5.1.2, paragraph 3

This paragraph indicates, ―No relocation, travel, per diem expenses, or travel time will be allowed by the government for placing contractor personnel at permanent assignments.‖ However, paragraph 5 reads as follows: ―Normally the government will not reimburse any costs associated with the relocation of contractor personnel. For special circumstances, reimbursement may be authorized by the order.‖ Will the Government reimburse contractors for costs

Relocation expenses of contractor personnel under special circumstances are at the discretion of the OCO.

Page 9 QTA010ABA0023 August 05, 2010 associated with relocation of contractor personnel?

246 B.1.3 and G.5.2 B.1.3 indicates that the Associated Government Fee

(AGF) will be determined after contract award and will be added to items proposed by the contractor at that time. G.5.2 indicates that the AGF is 1.5% and reads, ―On all Task Orders, regardless of Order type, Contractors are required to include the Associated

Government Fee for Contract Access in the Contract

Line Item Number (CLIN) as part of the price to the customer for all Loaded Hourly Labor Rates, Equipment prices and for any un-priced CLINs proposed in a task order proposal. For un-priced

CLINs, such as equipment, travel, per diem, etc., bills shall reflect the contractor's actual expense for the item plus General and Administrative costs (G&A - the only allowable mark-up), and will include the

Associated Government Fee for Contract Access.‖

Based on these statements, we assume that the AGF should not be added to the total price for evaluation of the IDIQ proposal but rather should be added to individual task order proposals. Please confirm.

Proposed prices shall not include the Associated Government Fee (AGF). The AGF will be applied to all contract line items after contract award (see Section B.1.3 and G.5.2). Section L will be amended to reflect this.

247 H.30.2 This paragraph reads ―Connections II labor categories are considered bona fide executive, administrative, professional labor and generally exempt from the

SCA. To the extent that any labor is subject to the

SCA and within scope of a task order, the OCO must identify such work on the task order and apply wages in accordance with FAR 22.10, Service Contract Act

Wage Determinations. The Connections II contract does not include wage determinations or all applicable flow-down clauses for labor categories subject to the

Service Contract Act. Each task order must be tailored to include the appropriate clauses and wage

Yes.

Page 10 QTA010ABA0023 August 05, 2010 determinations.‖ Based on this language, we assume that, if the SCA applies to an individual task order, the applicable wage determination(s) will be incorporated into the Government‘s request for task order proposal and that contractors will have the opportunity at that time to propose appropriate labor categories and rates that meet or exceed the applicable wage determination direct labor rates and health and welfare requirements. Please confirm.

248 M.3 This paragraph indicates, ―The Price Evaluation consists of an assessment of the reasonableness of proposed labor and equipment pricing.‖ How does the

Government‘s price evaluation methodology take into account, if at all, the total proposed prices for the sample tasks?

Section M details the government‘s evaluation methodology.

249 M.3 Paragraph M.3 further states that ―proposed labor rates will be compared with an Independent

Government Cost Estimate (IGCE) and assessing the extent to which proposed rates and prices fall into a reasonable range around the midpoint for each item.‖

What is the basis for the IGCE? Does the Government plan to utilize a pricing model for evaluation that assigns hours to each labor category and allows calculation of a total evaluated price? Or does the price evaluation consist solely of a comparison of each proposed rate to the IGCE?

Section M details the government‘s evaluation methodology.

250 Sample Task Order #4, para 1 (a)

Are services intended to be transitioned "like-for-like" with no major service type or bandwidth changes?

Scope of work is specified in Sample Task‘s SOW. Any assumptions made by offeror that supports proposed solution need to be documented.

251 Sample Task Order #4, para 1 (a)

Has Agency X made their Networx Fair Opportunity decision? If so, is the new Networx vendor the same or different than the current incumbent FTS2001 vendor?

Scope of work is specified in Sample Task‘s SOW. Any assumptions made by offeror that supports proposed

252 Sample Task Order Will Agency X be providing facility space and IT Scope of work is specified in Sample Task‘s SOW. Any

Page 11 QTA010ABA0023 August 05, 2010

#4, para 1 (a) resources (Internet access, computers, database licenses, etc.) for the transition team?

assumptions made by offeror that supports proposed solution need to be documented.

253 Sample Task Order #4, para 1 (a)

Will the transition team be given access to Agency X's circuit/order entry system or will the team submit requests directly to Agency X's Designated Agency Representative (DAR) for processing?

Scope of work is specified in Sample Task‘s SOW. Any assumptions made by offeror that supports proposed solution need to be documented.

254 Sample Task Order #4, para 2 (Table)

Will Agency X be responsible for registering their own Agency Hierarchy Code (AHCs) with the applicable vendor?

Scope of work is specified in Sample Task‘s SOW. Any assumptions made by offeror that supports proposed solution need to be documented.

255 Sample Task Order #4, para 2 (Table)

Will the other technical requirements for the inventory (Circuit ID's, existing TSP #'s, POCs, toll free numbers, etc.) be provided by Agency X or vendors or is the transition team expected to research this information?

Scope of work is specified in Sample Task‘s SOW. Any assumptions made by offeror that supports proposed solution need to be documented.

256 Sample Task Order #4, para 2 (Table)

Several of the circuits listed have TSP listed as a requirement. Is TSP for Provisioning, Restoration, or both?

Scope of work is specified in Sample Task‘s SOW. Any assumptions made by offeror that supports proposed solution need to be documented.

257 Many large corporations sign teaming agreements with subcontractors during the pursuit phase and do not sign subcontracts until the business is won. It is particularly difficult to sign contracts for an IDIQ, because it is impossible to tell which of the sub contractors will be used and to what extent until a particular task order emerges. Would signed teaming agreements meet the requirement for ―signed contract agreements‖ mentioned in the Government‘s answer above?

GSA will accept Contractor Team Arrangements as that term is defined in FAR 9.601(2) and in accordance with the policy set forth at FAR 9.603.

258 I read this to note that Past Performance References can be a combination of Prime Contractors and Sub- Contractors experience. Is that correct?

Yes.

259 To submit a response as prime, the Past Performance requirement reads as if all references need to come from the Federal Government in each of the Solution Sets. Is that Correct?

No.

260 Will various State and/or Commercial accounts throughout the U.S. of similar projects be accepted?

Yes.

261 Section L.22.5 & Section J, Section L states, ―NOTE: A past performance questionnaire is included in Section J. Offerors are

Amendment 03 (posted Thursday, July 22, 2010) changed the date in Section J to September 7, 2010.

Page 12 QTA010ABA0023 August 05, 2010

Attachment 3 responsible for distributing the customer past performance questionnaire to each reference with the request that the customer reference complete and return the questionnaire to the GSA Procuring Contracting Officer not later than the due date for offers.‖ Section J, Attachment 3, states ―Please return this questionnaire by email directly to the GSA Procuring Contracting Officer at the address below no later than August 20, 2010.‖

Are the Questionnaires due to the GSA Procuring Contracting Officer on August 20 th or not later than the due date for offers?

262 Section L.22.5 and Section M.2.4

Section L states, ―The offeror shall submit its Past Performance Volume electronically – according to the instructions provided in Section L.20 and L.21.‖ Section M does not state how the Past Performances will be evaluated; instead, it discusses the questionnaires and PPIRS primarily.

Could the government provide more evaluation criteria for the Past Performance section of our response similar to that in Section J, Attachment 3?

No.

263 Section M.2 Section M states, ―The Technical Evaluation comprises four factors: Sample Tasks, Corporate Experience, Management Approach, and Past Performance. These factors and their associated sub-factors are summarized in the accompanying table and described in the subsections below.‖

Can the government please provide the ―accompanying table‖?

There is no ―accompanying table‖. Section M will be amended to reflect this.

264 Section J, Attachment 1, Operations, Administration, and Management

(OA&M) Sample

Is the government asking for a transition plan to assume total control and responsibility of the OA&M support of all voice communication systems, AND, a plan to execute this task over the prescribed period of performance?

Page 13 QTA010ABA0023 August 05, 2010

Task Order, 1.a.

and 2.e.

265 Section J, Attachment 1, Operations, Administration, and Management

(OA&M) Sample Task Order, 1.a.

Task summary 1.a. states, ―The telecommunications services contract for a large Government agency is expiring and the agency is seeking new bids for providing these telecommunications services for the agency‘s nationwide network.‖

Can the government please clarify if the telecommunications services and infrastructure for the large Government agency is centrally managed or distributed?

Scope of work is specified in Sample Task‘s SOW. Any assumptions made by offeror that supports proposed solution need to be documented.

266 Section J, Attachment 1 Operations, Administration, and Management

(OA&M) Sample Task Order, 3.

In the OA&M Description table, the second row denotes the ―Number of Voice Lines‖ is ―33,600.‖

Can the government please clarify whether a ―line‖ is the equivalent of a ―station‖ or a ―trunk?‖

Scope of work is specified in Sample Task‘s SOW. Any assumptions made by offeror that supports proposed solution need to be documented.

267 Section J, Attachment 1 Operations, Administration, and Management

(OA&M) Sample Task Order, 4.b.vi.

Can the government please clarify if the telecommunications transition is an ―analog only‖ transition or is it a mixed environment consisting of both ―analog‖ and ―VoIP‖?

Scope of work is specified in Sample Task‘s SOW. Any assumptions made by offeror that supports proposed solution need to be documented.

268 L.22.5 Would GSA allow the client-focused business unit of an offeror to complete and submit the required Past Performance Questionnaire for one or more companies, especially small businesses, who are subcontractors to the offeror who is also the Prime contractor on relevant projects?

No.

269 L.22.2.4.2.(c) Ref. "... provide for each sample task un-priced level of effort, labor mix, and bill of materials/equipment":

Would the Government consider eliminating the un-priced level of effort, labor and bill of materials/equipment from the page limit of this volume?

No.

Page 14 QTA010ABA0023 August 05, 2010

270 If we decide to bid as a Prime for CONNECTIONS II, will this preclude us from accepting subcontractor opportunities from other Primes who are bidding on this project as well? Will this be considered a conflict of interest?

No. See Section H.8.

271 If we don't have all the labor categories listed on Section B (Supplies or Services and Prices), can we quote strictly on what we have on our existing GSA Schedule and not quote on the labor categories we don't have? Is this allowed or will this preclude us from bidding?

You must bid all mandatory labor categories. How price strategies are developed and submitted are the responsibility of the offeror.

272 L.22.3, Volume 2:

Corporate

Experience, 2 nd paragraph, last sentence

The RFP States, “A contract agreement between prime offeror and subcontractor must be submitted to verify availability and commitment of subcontractor resources.”

Question:

A contract agreement between the prime offeror and subcontractor would not exist until after contract award. Would the Government accept a sample sub contract and a signed letter of commitment from each subcontractor?

No. GSA will accept Contractor Team Arrangements as that term is defined in FAR 9.601(2) and in accordance with the policy set forth at FAR 9.603.

273 J.4 Attachment 1 (Section J.4 OA&M

– 3. Requirements.

b.Performance.vi -

The RFP States, “Provide a business case analysis for applying VoIP technology upgrade to the voice network which includes estimates for the total cost of ownership. ” Question:

Is it the Government‘s intent to provide the number of voice PBX systems supporting the 972 voice network locations, and the number of personnel serviced by each PBX for providing a cost estimate for VoIP conversion.

Scope of work is specified in Sample Task‘s SOW. Any assumptions made by offeror that supports proposed solution need to be documented.

274 Amendment 3 Section J

Would the GSA please confirm that the only change in Amendment 3 to Section J is on page J-71? (August 20,2010 is now September 7, 2010)

Yes. However, further amendments may have changes.

275 Amendment 3 Section H

The offeror is unable to find any changes in Amendment 3 to Section H, although there are indications (change bars) that seem to indicate changes to H.21, H.28, and H.31.

There was a small change in H.17.1.

Page 15 QTA010ABA0023 August 05, 2010

Would GSA please confirm that Amendment 3, Section H is unchanged from the final RFP Section H issued on July 2, 2010.

276 Amendment 3 Section J.3

Section L.20

Would the GSA please exclude the Subcontracting Plan from the Page Margin, Font, and Spacing Requirements?

No. However, as part of the Amendment 5 FBO posting, the referenced document will be posted in MS Word format.

277 Section J, Attachment 1 Sample Task

Orders , Customer Service and

Technical Support Sample Task Order

4. Submission Instructions and

Related Information, c.

Item 4.c. states ―The sample task will be evaluated from a technical standpoint only, as described in Section L.22.2 [Volume 1: Sample Tasks].

Would the GSA please clarify the requirements with respect to the Customer Service and Technical Support Sample Task? That is, does the Proposal for this task need to include responses to L.22.2 Item 2.

Management Approach (page L-10)?

The evaluation criteria is specified in Section L. Section J will be amended to remove the evaluation guidelines.

278 Amendment 3, Section L.22.4

Volume 3:

Management 2.

Program Management c)

Business Development

Amendment 3 excludes the Subcontracting Plan, the Supply Chain Risk Management, and Sustainable Equipment Services and Solutions Plans from the Management volume page count.

Would the GSA permit inclusion of the Marketing Plan as an appendix, excluded from the 50 page count Management volume?

No.

279 Amendment 3 Section L.22.4, 4.

Subcontracting

Plan

Amendment 3 excludes the Subcontracting Plan from the 50 page count limit for the Management Volume.

Would the Government permit the inclusion of the Subcontracting Plan as an appendix to the Management volume for consistency with the draft SCRM Plan and the draft Sustainability Plan?

Yes. Section L will be amended to reflect this change.

280 Amendment 3, Section B.1.1

Section F.6

Section I.2

Reference Sections B.1.1, which states all orders are to be priced FOB origin, and Section F.6, which indicates all deliverables are shipped FOB origin, freight prepaid. Pursuant to FAR 47.104-2, Fixed

See Section G.3.1(e), Amendment 5.

Page 16 QTA010ABA0023 August 05, 2010

Price Contracts, and Section I.2, FAR 52.247-1 of the RFP, shipping costs are direct allowable costs payable by the Government as a separate item on the invoice. Should offerors propose a single freight CLIN or will this be individually priced at cost on each task order with new CLINs? How should freight be billed?

281 L.22.5 What is GSA looking for as an answer to the following requirement:

“Percentage of total contract value performed by the contractor.”

Is GSA asking for the ratio of contract work performed by the Prime versus the subs? For example, the Prime contractor performs approximately 60% of the work and its subs perform the other 40%.

Or, is GSA asking for the percent of total contract work completed to date? For example, if the contractor has completed 4 years of a 5 year contract, then the contractor has performed approximately 80 % of the contract value work.

Or, is GSA asking for the percent of total contract work complete to date by the contractor?

For example, if Subcontractor ABC does approximately 20% of the total work and the contract is near the end of Year 4 of a 5-year contract, then the answer is 20% of 40% of the total contract value.

Sections L & J will be amended to state: ―The percent of total contract work complete to date by the contractor.‖

282 Section J Attachment 3

In an effort to facilitate the past performance questionnaire data, would the Government please provide the attachment in Microsoft Word format?

As part of the Amendment 5 FBO posting, the referenced document will be posted in MS Word format.

283 Is the contractor responsible for inflation adjustment?

Should our price(s) reflect inflation adjustment or it is GSA's responsibility to adjust our pricing to reflect inflation?

As stated in the RFP, prices are fixed for the full term of the contract by the contractor.

Page 17 QTA010ABA0023 August 05, 2010

284 Should we create a separate pricing table to include our rate with Davis Bacon wages or will this be called out on task orders? (i.e. Contractor to reflect Davis Bacon wages on their pricing as specified).

Services falling under DBA or SCA will be determined by the Ordering Contracting Officer post-award at the task order level. See Sections C.1.3 and G.3.1.4.

285 Amendment 3

Question 53

Answer to question #53 states, ―Section L specifies the file types required for proposal submission.‖

We could not find the file types in Section L.

Is it OK to submit PDF files?

The Hosting Center simply downloads whatever files the user designates to be downloaded. It does not do any checking of file types. Offerors can submit whatever file format they desire.

286 GSA CNX II Web Page

Frequently Asked Questions

(Updated 7/9/2010)

Question #3 asks, ―Are there Small Business ‗set-asides‘ for Connections II?‖ The answer states, ―No. The requirements of the CONNECTIONS II acquisition have been constructed in a manner that is very conducive to small businesses proposing and winning an award as a prime vendor.‖

Assuming there is no formal set aside, how many small business awards does GSA anticipate making?

The formal evaluation process will determine who receives a Connections II award.

287 B.3.1.1 Section B-3.1.1 states, ―Table B-1 defines the structure for the Equipment products description table.‖

Is a Bill of Materials (BOM) to match the Equipment products description table in B.3.1.1 (Table B-1) required for each and every sample task order?

If equipment is proposed for a Sample Task, a BOM is desired. The BOM should reflect the information captured in the Equipment products description table in B.3.1.1 (Table B-1). Any assumptions made by offeror that supports proposed solution need to be documented.

288 Amendment 3

Question #38

Question #38 refers to Section L.20, which states, ‖Reference to RFP requirements, heading and title (e.g. C.3.3 Supply Chain Management), are to be embedded in the proposal may be as small as 8 point font, with no reduction.‖ The answer to question #38 does not clarify whether RFP references are to include heading and title.

Do RFP references embedded in the offeror‘s proposal need to include the heading and title?

Yes, when RFP references are utilized.

289 Section J, This section states that the existing cable trays, empty Scope of work is specified in Sample Task‘s SOW. Any

Page 18 QTA010ABA0023 August 05, 2010

Attachment 1, Building/Campus Facility Preparation Sample Task Order racks, breakout boxes (MuTOA) are available for reuse. To properly determine their reuse in our design the offeror requests the following information:

1- What are the dimensions of the existing cable trays (width and depth)? This information is necessary to determine fill capacity of the existing facilities?

2- What is the manufacture and model information of breakout box (MuTOA)?

assumptions made by offeror that supports proposed solution need to be documented.

290 Section J, Attachment 1, Building/Campus Facility Preparation Sample Task Order

Is the area under the raised floor considered to be a return air plenum?

Scope of work is specified in Sample Task‘s SOW. Any assumptions made by offeror that supports proposed solution need to be documented.

291 Section J, Attachment 1, Building/Campus Facility Preparation Sample Task Order paragraph states that the breakout boxes (MuTOA) can handle up to 18 ports of mixed media or up to 36 fiber ports. What is the current configuration of the breakout box (MuTOA), how many copper RJ45 jacks and what category (CAT5, CAT6, etc.)?

Scope of work is specified in Sample Task‘s SOW. Any assumptions made by offeror that supports proposed solution need to be documented.

292 Section J, Attachment 1, Building/Campus Facility Preparation Sample Task Order

This section provides information to assist the offeror in calculating distances for cable runs. However, the drawings provided by the Government clearly state they are not to scale. Will the Government provide dimensions associated with the areas depicted on the drawings?

Scale drawings are provided as part of the RFP. The note ―Not to Scale‖ refers only to the width shown for the cable trays.

293 Section J, Attachment 1, Building/Campus Facility Preparation Sample Task Order

Will the Government provide information on the manufacture, model for the patch panels available for reuse? At a minimum provide information on the size of the patch panel (12 port, 24 port, 48 port, etc.) and the category classification (CAT3, CAT 5, CAT6, etc.).

Scope of work is specified in Sample Task‘s SOW. Any assumptions made by offeror that supports proposed solution need to be documented.

294 Section L.22.5 Section L.22.5 indicates that for past performance references: ―The references must be for work completed within the past five (5) years from the date of the RFP.‖ Please clarify whether offerors may submit references for projects (reasonably similar to work described in each Connections II solution type) that are currently in progress (i.e., not yet completed).

Work completed in the past 5 years on an ongoing contract is acceptable, provided the offeror has performed a minimum of one (1) year. Section L was amended (Amendment 4) to reflect this.

Page 19 QTA010ABA0023 August 05, 2010

295 Section B.3.2 At Field Name ―Min_Educ‖, the Field Description states ―Define the minimum level of experience‖.

Should that state instead, ―Define the minimum level of education‖?

Yes. Section B.3.2 will be amended to reflect this change.

296 Section C.1.1 The referenced paragraphs include the citation of GSA Order 4800.2D. Should the citation be GSA Order 4800.2F as cited in Section G.1, Page G.2?

Yes. Section C.1.1 will be amended to reflect this change.

297 Section C.3.4 For the Associated Government Fee (AGF) payments, a reference is made to Section G.5.1.3 [Additional Centralized Billing Requirements]. Is Section G.5.2 [Associated Government Fee] the correct reference?

Yes. Section C.3.4 will be amended to reflect this change.

298 Section I.2, Paragraph FAR

52.225-5, Sections I.11 – I.18

Can vendors take an exception and submit clearly identified non-TAA or non-BAA products for the Task Orders and after the contract is awarded?

No. For this acquisition the only non-BAA/non-TAA articles that are permissible are those already determined to be non-available. That term is defined at FAR 25.103(b) and 25.202(a)(2) and listed at 25.104.

299 Labor Categories, Attach J-8

Help Desk Support Service Specialist - Mid and Sr both have the same experience level. Was the Sr position meant to have a minimum of 6 years of experience?

There is no attachment J-8 in Section J. However, the experience level for the referenced labor category will be amended to 6 years.

300 Labor Categories, Attach J-8

Site Manager Positions - the likelihood of finding a HS graduate with a PMP or RCDD is fairly low for the Site Manager positions. Recommend that GSA either change the HS requirement to a BS or delete the desired certifications.

The HS education level is the lowest level acceptable.

Options for certifications are addressed in Section J, paragraph J.1.

301 Labor Categories, Attach J-8

Technical Writer/Editor - it is rare to find a professional, qualified technical writer/editor without a college degree; recommend GSA change the minimum education requirement for this category from HS to BS.

Pricing For comparable labor rates and material prices, please specify a fictitious contract start date for evaluation purposes. Note that the Operations, Administration, and Management (OA&M) Sample Task Order uses 1 October 2010.

The HS education level is the lowest level acceptable.

Any assumption made by the offeror that support the proposed solution need to be documented.

302 Section J Appendix I Task Orders

In the Sample Task for Building/Cable Facility Preparation, there are measurement references to both meters and feet. Example Section 3.a.iv, the vertical distance between floors is listed as 3.8

No. Scope of work is specified in Sample Task‘s SOW. Any

Page 20 QTA010ABA0023 August 05, 2010 meters, and in Section 3.e.i.1 racks are listed at 7‖ by 19.‖

Because most US manufacturers and distributors use the US measurement system, and converting from metric to the US standard requires additional time/effort (and expense), would GSA consider standardizing all measurement requirements on the US measurement system?

303 Section C.3.4 This section describes two means of invoicing, direct billing and centralized billing. Connections I had the same instructions for billing, however, only direct billing has been allowed in Connections I.

Will Connections II require both forms of billing?

Yes. Connections I also required both forms of billing

304 Section J.1 Labor Categories

For some labor categories, expensive equipment or material are required in order for the laborer to complete the job. For example, if you are completing an outside plant task order, you need a backhoe to dig the trenches. In other cases, asphalt and landscape restoration is required.

How should the contractor account for machinery, such as a backhoe? Should this be shown as an ODC or included in the G&A associated with a specific job classification in the same way that small tools and trucks are included?

Such items will be considered an ―un-priced item‖ if within scope of the contract. Price reasonableness will be determined based on standards in FAR 15.4.

305 Section C.2.2.1 Communications and Networking

Equipment Types

Table C-2 indicates that ―The following table is representative of the types of equipment and related software that the contractor shall be capable of providing for the Communications and Networking solution type.‖ We assume that only equipment relevant to the associated sample task (e.g., Communications and Networking) should be priced.

Is our assumption correct that only relevant sample task equipment (as outlined in Tables C-2 through C-

Equipment items proposed and priced under the Sample Task Orders will form the initial Equipment Catalog for offerors who receive a Connections II contract award.

Scope of work is specified in Sample Task‘s SOW. Any

Page 21 QTA010ABA0023 August 05, 2010

5) should be priced? For the equipment and software not utilized in the Sample Task Orders, will the Government indicate where bidders should demonstrate this capability?

306 Section J, Attachment 1 Sample Task

Orders

Section 2.a states that the contractor shall provide the hardware and software for the VoIP solution at both the main and remote offices.

Does the VoIP solution need to be Joint Interoperability Test Command (JITC) certified if connecting to a Department of Defense network?

The Government expects the offeror to propose a competitive solution applying industry best practices and using equipment and resources best suited for the requirements. Any assumptions made by offeror that support the proposed solution need to be documented.

307 Section J, Attachment 1 Sample Task

Orders

Section 2.b discusses the Remedy system for the government‘s trouble ticket and service request process for Government Furnished Equipment (GFE).

Is the Government requiring the vendor to have access to Agency Remedy system(s)?

Scope of work is specified in Sample Task‘s SOW. Any assumptions made by offeror that supports proposed solution need to be documented.

308 Section L.22.2 Subsection 3, Additional Information, indicates that ―The offeror shall provide a response to any additional questions specified in the sample task description set out in Section J.6 [Sample Task Orders].‖ However, Section J.6 is listed as ―Conformance Checklist.‖

Would the Government indicate where ―Additional Information‖ is listed in Section J?

Section L was amended to correct the reference.

309 Section L.30 and C.2.1.2 - C.2.1.12, C.3.5, C.3.6, C.3.8, and C.3.9

The RFP states that ―The requirements for each volume are set forth in general terms in this section;

detailed instructions are provided as Detailed Proposal Instructions in Section L.30. Failure to follow format and composition directions will adversely impact proposal evaluation.‖ It is assumed that Section L provides the outline structure for the responses, and that C requirements are to be addressed within this outline, as is common procurement practice. However, in some cases, the Government has indicated which C sections must be addressed within the context of L (e.g., L.30.4.3.

Customer Support Systems references the associated

There is no Section L.30 in the solicitation. We believe you are referencing Section L.22. The Section C references identified should be addressed – if applicable to your proposed solution – in your Sample Task volume.

http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0oG77PqoUNMQnIA3UJXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTEzaWh2bDRhBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMQRjb2xvA2FjMgR2dGlkA0g0OTVfMTI3/SIG=11damqtfn/EXP=1279587178/**http%3a/jitc.fhu.disa.mil/ http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0oG77PqoUNMQnIA3UJXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTEzaWh2bDRhBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMQRjb2xvA2FjMgR2dGlkA0g0OTVfMTI3/SIG=11damqtfn/EXP=1279587178/**http%3a/jitc.fhu.disa.mil/

Page 22 QTA010ABA0023 August 05, 2010

Section C.3) However, there are many C requirements that do not have clearly delineated L sections associated with them, including Sections C.2.1.2 through C.2.1.2-C.2.1.12, C.3.5, C.3.6, C.3.8, and C.3.9.

To ensure consistency in instructions and ease of evaluation for the Government, and because the placement of responses to these requirements could impact proposal evaluations, would the government indicate where it requires C.2.1.2 through C.2.1.12, C.3.5, C.3.6, C.3.8, and C.3.9 to be addressed within the context of the Section L Volume proposal structure?

310 Section D.5 The RFP provides that ―All contractor-owned equipment, accessories, and devices located on Government property shall be dismantled and removed from Government premises by the contractor, at the contractor‘s expense, within 90 calendar days after contract expiration, or as mutually agreed by the Government and the contractor.‖

Is the Government referencing the overall Connections II contract expiration or individual task order expiration?

Task Order expiration. Section D will be amended to reflect this.

311 Normal Business Day (Various

Sections)

Sec. C.2.19 – Warranty Service, pg. C-5 – ―The contractor shall provide to the government a point of contact for the warranty during the Normal Business Day (8AM – 5PM Local Time) or for a longer…