1-20-2012 - NASS SF-30 A0003.docx

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT

PAGES

U.S. DEPT. OF HOUSING & URBAN DEV.

WESTERN FIELD CONTRACTING OPERATION

1670 BROADWAY

DENVER, COLORADO 80202-4801

Michael J. Mee

(303) 672-5266

R-DEN-02522

9B. DATED (SEE ITEM 11)

12/7/2011

10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NO.

10B. DATED (SEE ITEM 13)

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

is not extended

Offers must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended, by one of the following methods:

or, (c) By separate letter or telegram which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO BE RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR OFFER. If, by virtue of this amendment you desire to change an offer already submitted, such change may be made by telegram or letter, provided each telegram or letter makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA (If required)

13. THIS ITEM APPLIES ONLY TO MODIFICATIONS OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS,

IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NO. AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

AS SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103.(b)

IMPORTANT: Contractor is not is required to sign this document and return copies to the issuing office.

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION (Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

1) The purpose of this amendment is to:

a) Clarify past amendments

b) Modify the solicitation document

c) Extend the proposal due date

d) Incorporate the answers to questions submitted by offerors.

2) Amendment A0001 changed the proposal due date to 1/19/2011

3) Amendment A0002 changed the proposal due date to 1/26/2011

4) Change Section B, Task 8 to represent the addition of a Final Report and Task 1 to represent the deletion of the Emergency Releases. (NOTE: All CLINs have been renumbered to reflect the additional CLINs).

5) Change Section B, Task 1, CLIN 002 / CLIN 0028 / CLIN 054 / CLIN 081 and CLIN 109:

a) From an estimate of 2;

b) To an estimate of 3.

Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the document referenced in Item 9A or 10A, as heretofore changed, remains unchanged and in full force and effect.

(Signature of person authorized to sign)

BY

(Signature of Contracting Officer)

NSN 7540-01-152-8070

PREVIOUS EDITION UNUSABLE

30-105

STANDARD FORM 30 (REV. 10-83)

Prescribed by GSA

FAR (48 CFR) 53.243

R-DEN-02522 AMENDMENT A0003, Page 2

6) Change Section B, Task 3, CLIN 007 / CLIN 033 / CLIN 059 / CLIN 086 and CLIN 114:

a) From Quarterly (4);

b) To Semi-Annually (2)

7) Change Section B, Task 7 to represent the addition of “Provide Dry-Run Training Presentation”.

8) Change the title of Section C:

a) From “SECTION C – Description / Specification / Performance Work Statement”

b) To “SECTION C – Description / Specification / Statement of Work”

9) Section C, paragraph C.3.3. to represent the addition of the following sentence, “As noted in Section C.8.7.1.7. HUD will facilitate the reproduction of the training material”.

10) Change Section C, paragraph 8.1.1. in part:

a) From “During the course of this contract two major releases are anticipated per year, with the possibility of two emergency releases where the BRD would require updating based on system requirements….”

b) To “During the course of this contract two major releases are anticipated per year, with the possibility of one emergency releases where the BRD would require updating based on system requirements…."

11) Change Section C, paragraph 8.1.4. in part:

a) From “The contractor shall deliver quarterly updates for each system release (major and emergency) currently scheduled in each major system release (two times per year) and emergency release (two times per year) as the sub-system changes”.

b) To “The contractor shall deliver quarterly updates for each system release (major and emergency) currently scheduled in each major system release (two times per year) and emergency release (once per year) as the sub-system changes”.

12) Section C, paragraph 8.1.5.2.1. is changed:

a) From “Deliver the draft document, highlighting any changes NLT 180 days prior to a system release. The GTR, with input from the GTM, will provide written comments via e-mail to the contractor NLT 15 days after receipt of the draft document”.

b) To “Deliver the draft document, highlighting any changes NLT 180 days prior to a major system release and NLT 45 days prior to an emergency release. The GTR, with input from the GTM, will provide written comments via e-mail to the contractor NLT 15 days after receipt of the draft document”

13) Section C, paragraph 8.3.6.2.1. is changed:

a) From “Deliver the draft document NLT 10 days after each quarter”.

b) To “Deliver the draft document July 10th and January 9th of each calendar year”.

14) Section C, paragraph 8.7.1.7. is changed;

a) From “The training shall consist of a group-live seminar featuring PowerPoint presentation, case studies, group discussion, class materials brainstorming, quizzes, questions and answers (Q & A) and pre-course and post-course evaluations. It is estimated that the training material shall be not more than 100 pages per training session and that each training sessions shall not exceed 200 training participates.

Note: HUD will facilitate the reproductions and binding of the training material. The contractor shall allow at least 14 days for the training material to be duplicated.”

b) To: The training shall consist of a group-live seminar featuring PowerPoint presentation, case studies, group discussion, class materials brainstorming, quizzes, questions and answers (Q & A) and pre-course and post-course evaluations. The contractor shall ensure that all information presented is accurate and in conformance with the Interim PHAs Rule, PHAS scoring notices, etc. The contractor shall develop case studies, quizzes, and prepare a list of frequently asked questions with the answers provided by the GTR or GTM and incorporate them as part of the training. It is estimated that the training material shall be not more than 100 pages per training session and that each training sessions shall not exceed 200 training participates.

Note: HUD will facilitate the reproductions and binding of the training material. The contractor shall allow at least 14 days for the training material to be duplicated. The contractor shall coordinate the shipping/pick up of the training material with the GTR or GTM.

15) Section C, paragraph 8.7.2.6. is changed in part:

a) From “DRY-RUN TRAINING PRESENTATION -The contractor shall provide the GTR, and GTM with a dry-run training presentation NLT 60 days after the Post Award Conference. The GTR, with input from the GTM, shall provide written comments via e-mail to the contractor NLT five days after the dry run presentation. The contractor shall revise its training based upon the comments from the GTR.

R-DEN-02522 AMENDMENT A0003, Page 3

b) From “DRY-RUN TRAINING PRESENTATION -The contractor shall provide the GTR, and GTM and Program Office staff with a dry-run training presentation NLT 60 days after the Post Award Conference. The dry-run shall be conducted at HUD Headquarters. The presentations shall be videotaped and placed on the HUD website for broadcasting. The dry-run(s) is part of the process to ensure the presentations are well presented. The GTR, with input from the GTM, shall provide written comments as to its acceptability via e-mail to the contractor NLT five days after the dry run presentation. The contractor shall revise its training based upon the comments from the GTR. If the dry-run is not acceptable, the contractor shall present another dry-run, at no cost to the government.

NOTE: The GTR or GTM reserves the right to cancel, postpone, or reschedule the training at any time, or all of the 10 regional office/housing industry meetings, etc for a specific option period”.

16) Section C, paragraph 8.7.1.7. is changed;

a) Participant Evaluation and Evaluation Report - The contractor shall provide the Training Evaluation Form to all training participants. The Training Evaluation form shall be provided by the GTR or GTM to the contractor at the Post-Award Conference. The contractor shall collect the evaluations and prepare a report based upon the evaluations.

b) Participant Evaluation and Evaluation Report - The contractor shall provide the Training Evaluation Form to all training participants. The Training Evaluation form shall be provided by the GTR or GTM to the contractor at the Post-Award Conference.

17) Section C, paragraph 8.8.1. is changed in part;

a) From “To document the results of the Management Operations Review of Public Housing Projects, Form HUD-5834 or similar instrument and guidance book will be used to evaluate a PHA’s performance at the project level”.

b) To “To document the results of the Management Operations Review of Public Housing Projects, Form HUD-5834 or similar instrument and guidance book shall be used to evaluate a PHA’s performance at the project level. In addition to verifying the accuracy of the data being submitted to PIH-REAC, the purpose of the review is also to gather information for the purpose of developing the Management and Capital Fund PHAS indicators for future PHAS scoring notices”

18) Section C, Paragraph 8.8.4.2.2. is changed;

a) From “Meeting with PHA Executive Director and Staff (Entrance Conference) to explain the purpose of visit”

b) To “Meeting with PHA Executive Director or his/her designee and Staff (Entrance Conference) to explain the purpose of visit, to identify staff that shall assist the reviewer(s) in providing the necessary documentation to conduct the review, answer questions and facilitate the review process”

19) Section C, Paragraph 8.8.4.2.5. is changed in part;

a) From “Conducting an exit conference with PHA staff and local HUD Field Office staff to discuss observations, recommendations, conclusions and corrective actions identified in the draft report.

b) To “At the conclusion of the review, the reviewer(s) shall conduct an exit conference with PHA Executive Director or his/her designee/staff and local HUD Field Office staff to discuss observations, recommendations, conclusions and corrective actions identified in the draft report. A copy of the draft report shall be made available to the PHA at the exit conference and the local HUD Field Office staff.

20) Section C, Paragraph 8.8.4.2.6. is changed to add “Individual PHA Final Report – the final report with recommendations, concerns and corrective actions shall be delivered to the GTR, GTM, CO and the OFO POC NLT five days following completion of the on-site Management Operations Review”.

21) Section C, Paragraph 8.8.4.2.7. is changed;

a) From “Should the local HUD Field Office staff may not be physically available at the exit conference; a conference call with Field Office staff shall be conducted”.

b) To “Should the local HUD Field Office staff may not be physically available at the exit conference; a conference call with local HUD Field Office staff shall be conducted during the exit conference.

22) Section C, Paragraph 8.8.4.3. is changed to add “COMPREHENSIVE FINAL ANALYSIS REPORT – the purpose of the review is to gather information for the purpose of developing the Management and Capital Fund PHAS indicators for future PHAS scoring notices. The contractor shall analyze the data, and make recommendations for the development of the Management and Capital Fund PHAS indicators. Once all 200 on-site reviews are completed, the contractor shall deliver a report providing an analysis of the data, and recommendation to include description of individual scoring components for the development of the Management and Capital Fund PHAS indicators”.

23) Section C, Paragraph 8.8.6. is changed;

a) From “Deliverable – FINAL REPORT – deliver the report NLT five days following completion of the On-site Management Operations review”

b) To “Deliverable

8.8.6.1 - Draft Individual PHA Final Report - deliver the draft NLT the day of the exit conference. The GTR, with input from the GTM, shall provide written comments via e-mail NLT five days after receipt of the draft report.

8.8.6.2 - Final Individual PHA Report - deliver the final report NLT three days after receipt of GTR comments.

8.8.6.3. - Draft Comprehensive Final Analysis Report - deliver the draft NLT 20 days following the completion of the last on-site review. The GTR, with input from the GTM, shall provide written comments via e-mail NLT 10 days after receipt of the draft report.

8.8.6.4. - Final Comprehensive Final Analysis Report - deliver the final report NLT two days after receipt of GTR comments.”

R-DEN-02522 AMENDMENT A0003, Page 4

24) Section C, change the Contract Deliverable Requirement list (CDRL) to reflect the deliverable changes referenced above.

25) Section H, paragraph H.3, add clause, “Access to Controller Unclassified Information”.

26) Section H, paragraph H.4, add clause, “Preservation of, and Access to, Contract Records”.

27) Section I, paragraph I.2.14, add clause, “HUDAR 2452.237-75 - ACCESS TO HUD FACILITIES (NOV 2005) (DEVIATION)”

28) Section I, paragraph I.2.15, add clause, “HUDAR 2452.239-70 - ACCESS TO HUD SYSTEMS (NOV 2005) (DEVIATION)”

29) Change Section L. Paragraph L.11.4 :

a) From “PROPOSALS ARE DUE NOT LATER THAN 2:00 PM (DENVER TIME) ON 1/16/2012”.

b) To “PROPOSALS ARE DUE NOT LATER THAN 2:00 PM (DENVER TIME) ON 1/30/2012”.

30) Change Section L, Paragraph 12.2.1. is changed;

a) From “Relevancy - The offeror shall prepare and submit a chart clearly identifying contracts for the same or similar services (e.g. rigorous statically sampling and modeling) performed in the last 3 years prior to submission of quotation. The chart shall conform to and provide all the information as shown in the chart attached to this solicitation announcement.”

b) To “Relevancy - The offeror shall prepare and submit a chart clearly identifying contracts for the same or similar services performed in the last 3 years prior to submission of quotation. The chart shall conform to and provide all the information as shown in the chart attached to this solicitation announcement.”

31) Change Section J by adding:

a) Attachment J.3. PIR1 MASS Indicator Tool, Users Guide

b) Attachment J.4PIR1 PHAS Score Adjustments

32) Incorporate the answers to questions submitted by offerors.

R-DEN-02522 AMENDMENT A0003, Page 5

NASS BUSINESS SUPPORT

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

1. QUESTION: Has this contract been previously issued? If so, when was it awarded, who was this contract awarded to, and what was the contract number?

ANSWER: This solicitation is a follow-on requirement to contract C-DEN-02469 which was awarded on 9/24/2010 to IFED2 as a short term contract (1 year with 1 6 month extension) valued at $2,034,000, to enable HUD to issue this solicitation. Offerors are advised not make assumptions regarding the magnitude or value of C-DEN-02469.

2. QUESTION: Is the incumbent able to rebid this requirement?

ANSWER: Yes

3. QUESTION: How many FTEs currently support the existing contract?

ANSWER: The current contract provides for no more than 5 employees on-site. The number of contractor staff working at is facility to complete the contract requirements is proprietary and not releasable. Offerors proposal is to be based on its firms labor mixes and labor costs needed to achieve success in performing the requirements stated in the solicitation and not based upon a competitors’ business approach.

4. QUESTION: Does HUD have an estimate for FTEs for this new requirement?

ANSWER: Yes, but the Independent Government Cost Estimate (IGCE) is not releasable. Offerors proposal is to be based on their firms labor mixes and labor costs needed to achieve success in performing the requires stated in the solicitation.

5. QUESTION: What have been the incumbent¹s historical staffing levels for this effort? If possible, please break down by labor category.

ANSWER: Each contract stands on its own and this solicitation does not mirror the current contract. The current contract provides for no more than 5 employees on-site. The number of contractor staff working at its facility to complete the contract requirements is proprietary and not releasable. Offerors proposal is to be based on their firms labor mixes and labor costs needed to achieve success in performing the requires stated in the solicitation and not based upon a competitors’ business approach

6. QUESTION: What have been the incumbent¹s historical staffing levels per the eight solicitation task areas? If possible, please break down by labor category.

ANSWER: See answer to question number 5.

7. QUESTION: How many FTE are currently staffing the incumbent contract? Please provide the level of effort (in hours) for the base year and each option year of the incumbent contract.

ANSWER: See answer to question number 5.

8. QUESTION: Please provide the spending (in dollars) against this contract for the base year and each option year of the incumbent contract. If possible, please break down by task area.

ANSWER: See the answer to question number 1.

9. QUESTION: Is the existing contract similar in scope and size?

ANSWER: No, each contract stands on its own and offeror are advised to provide a proposal that addresses its firm’s ability to successfully perform the stated requirements.

10. QUESTION: In section 8.5.1.2.7 by data collection are you also referring to an extract transform and load tool (ETL)?

ANSWER: All tools will be built using Microsoft access, excel, SharePoint, etc. All necessary data needed for such tools will be available and the ETL components are developed and maintained by various IT teams (both contractor and governmental)

11. QUESTION: In section 8.6.2 is the contractor responsible for moving the score data from the source system into the reporting warehouse or the data is already in the reporting warehouse?

ANSWER: No, the contractor is not responsible for moving the scores data. Some of the data is already in the reporting warehouse and this process is ongoing as scores are generated each month.

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12. QUESTION: Are there any plans to consolidate all the data manipulations/store procedures into a robust ETL tool?

ANSWER: All ETL related components are development and maintained by various IT teams and not part of this contract. The tasks related quality assurance of Data warehouse is part of this contract

13. QUESTION: What type of database is the reporting warehouse?

ANSWER: Oracle 11g

14. QUESTION: Will the MicroStrategy tool be pulling data from a single reporting warehouse or as long as the report requirement gets satisfied, it doesn’t matter?

ANSWER: It does not matter, they are just attributes made available to users.

15. QUESTION: What level of security clearance will be needed for the contractors working on the project?

ANSWER: HUD requires clearance at the unclassified level and will perform all necessary clearances of the contractors’ personnel for access to the HUD facilities and systems. Related security clauses are located in Sections H and I.

16. QUESTION: How long does the government anticipate for security clearances?

ANSWER: Approximately 60 to 75 days. The effective date of the contract will be established after the completion of the security clearance

17. QUESTION: Section 8.3.1 states that “The contractor shall work with…HCVP SharePoint site software for tracking the status of appeals, petitions, waivers, and JCVP, including dissemination to the appropriate PIH-REAC subsystems.” Is the contractor expected to host a Share Point solution? Is there an existing SharePoint solution in place? Are there any extensions of modifications of this SharePoint solution that could be considered proprietary by non-HUD agents?

ANSWER: The contractor will be required to create share point site within the HUD infrastructure.

18. QUESTION: Section 8.3.3 states that “The contractor shall update the…overall PIH-REAC QA Plan.” Will non-NASS individuals be providing input into requested changes to the PIH-REAC QA Plan?

ANSWER: Yes

19. QUESTION: Will the NASS GTR ultimately have authority in determining prioritization and implementation of proposed changes to the PIH-REAC QA Plan?

ANSWER: NASS GTR/GTM will coordinate with appropriate HUD staff to provide input.

20. QUESTION: Section 8.4.1 states that the Annual Report will include progress on achieving “NASS Management Performance Goals.” Can HUD provide an example of the current NASS Management Performance Goals?

ANSWER: The primary goal is to publish the PHAS scores in a timely manner and to perform quality assurance of the scores to ensure they are accurate. Additional goals to be provided during the contract performance.

21. QUESTION: Section 8.4.2 states that the contractor shall prepare “ad-hoc reports and conduct analyses utilizing REAC secure system, micro-strategy, the Date Warehouse and the Reporting Server, and any other systems to produce the report(s)”. Will Micro-strategy Report Developer tools be provided to the contractor?

ANSWER: Yes.

22. QUESTION: Can access to “other systems” be provided using data connection such as Open Database Connectivity (ODBC)?

ANSWER: Yes, contractor will need to follow HUD security protocol for such connectivity.

23. QUESTION: Can HUD estimate the approximate percentage of ad-hoc report data elements that are available in the Data Warehouse at the required level of aggregation?

ANSWER: Majority of the key data elements should be populated in Micro Strategy by contract award. This is ongoing project and enhancements will be made during future system releases.

24. QUESTION: For Section 8.6.1.2, can HUD provide the technical specifications of the current “PHAS SCORE DATABASE”?

ANSWER: Technical specifications and User Manual will be available with this amendment.

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25. QUESTION: Is this tool currently operational?

ANSWER: Tools for producing PHAS scores, business analysis are available and in production

26. QUESTION: Are there any known enhancements that are required for this tool? If so, can HUD provide examples of those required enhancements?

27. ANSWER: There will be ongoing enhancements and maintenance item during the performance of the new contract as noted in Section C, paragraph 8.5.1.2.

28. QUESTION: Section 8.8.2 states that the Contractor will provide a “detailed estimate of the contractors travel costs, itemized by review location session.” Would an estimate providing a total estimated travel at a review location session level of granularity be considered acceptable for this task item?

ANSWER: Each review location must be itemized so that the detail may be reviewed prior to approval by the GTR.

29. QUESTION: For Section 8.8.4.2.3, Is it acceptable to request documentation and identify staff required to answer questions prior to the Entrance Conference described in Section 8.8.4.2.2?

ANSWER: Contractor will need to consult with local HUD Field Office, PHA and GTM/GTR in advance of the visit.

30. QUESTION: Section 8.8.4.2.5 states that the on-site management operations review and assessment closing conference will include discussions of “recommendations, conclusions, and corrective actions identified in the draft report. The corrective action must include detailed cause, solutions, or recommended action plan at AMP level and at a PHA level. The report must also describe how systems, controls, policies, and procedures will be adjusted or changed to assure overall management improvement for the Housing Authority.” Is it expected that the contractor or the PHA staff will be responsible for identifying the corrective actions necessary for the observations noted?

ANSWER: The contractor staff with the local HUD Field Office support staff will need to identify corrective actions based on observations and provide solutions and recommendations to HUD.

31. QUESTION: Has HUD identified a set of acceptable corrective actions for expected observations to be identified?

ANSWER: Contractor will need to work with HUD policy staff and the local Field Office staff to identify acceptable methods and approach

32. QUESTION: Has HUD identified an expected set of observations to be identified in the course of testing?

ANSWER: No. Observations are identified during the course of the on-site review.

33. QUESTION: Section 8.8.5 states that “disagreements in the report will require the PHA to provide documentation…to the local Field Office Director.” Is the contractor expected to provide any support to the Field Officer Director other than remedying errors and omissions discovered during the exit conference?

ANSWER: The contractor must be able to support its observations and provide documentation to the local HUD Field Office Director. Any files created during the review will need to be submitted to the local Field Office

34. QUESTION: Is the Field Office Director the final authority on what is ultimately identified as an error?

35. ANSWER: No. The contractor will finalize the final report in consultation with the local HUD Field Office and submit the final report to the GTR/GTM where it will be reviewed and forwarded to the local HUD Field Office for follow-up action.

36. QUESTION: Section L.3 states “FAR 52.216-01 - TYPE OF CONTRACT (APR 1984) The Government contemplates award of an Indefinite Quantity – Indefinite Delivery contract with pass through of actual travel expenses.” Does the government intend to award an IDIQ contract award to a single vendor or multiple vendors?

ANSWER: The government will award one contract to one offeror.

37. QUESTION: Section 8.5 – Task 5 refers to MicroStrategy. What version of MicroStrategy is NASS currently running?

ANSWER; Version 9

38. QUESTION: Which software components of MicroStrategy are currently licensed and installed at PIH?

ANSWER: The details on various components are not available now; HUD CIO staff is finalizing these details.

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39. QUESTION: Section 8.5 – Task 5 refers to MicroStrategy. Is the NASS Business Support contractor expected to install MicroStrategy software on one or more HUD application server(s) and administer configuration settings and setup the Architect (metadata) layer, or is this a NASS IT function?

ANSWER: No. This is handled by PIH IT team.

40. QUESTION: The acquisition strategy for this procurement is unclear. Fixed pricing FAR clauses are referred to in sections E-1, G-1, I-1 and K-2. In addition the suggested summary pricing model includes a “proposed fixed fee.” The RFP further states in I.2.4 that the government is seeking an indefinite quantity award which is supported by the pricing in section B that is requested “by the each.” Is the final award for this contract intended to be Single award IDIQ, Single award Fixed Price, Cost-plus Fixed Fee, Multiple award IDIQ or single/multiple award BPA?

ANSWER: To clear up any confusion, the words “proposed fixed fee” has been removed from the form, leaving the word “profit”. As noted in the Section B, Price Schedule, we have numerous items with differing estimates. Each CLIN is priced as a fully burdened per unit. HUD will pay the contractor based upon the unit price times the units ordered.

41. QUESTION: Sec 8.8.6 – Magnitude - There are estimates of 2 staff members needed for reviews for Small, Medium and Large PHAs. Can we get some clarity on how the Level of Estimate for 8.8.6.1, 8.8.6.2 & 8.8.6.3 were deduced by the government?

ANSWER: These are estimates. Offerors proposal is to be based on their firms labor mixes and labor costs needed to achieve success in performed in the requires stated in the solicitation

42. QUESTION: Will HUD provide copies of any existing training materials?

ANSWER: Yes, however, the contractor will be required to draft and help develop new training materials in accordance with contract requirements and latest PHAS rule.

43. QUESTION: Task 7 states that each training session is “not to exceed 200 training participants” (page 32). Most field office facilities are only able to accommodate a maximum of 50 to 60 participants in a classroom style setting. Will the contractor also be requested to procure space for the training at a hotel or conference center and therefore should such costs also be included in the estimated travel expenses associated with Task 7?

ANSWER: No, the contractor will not be required to procure space for the training. HUD staff will identify space and the appropriate facility for each training location.

44. QUESTION: Task 7 calls for an estimate of 14 training session; one session in each of the 10 HUD regions, and a dry-run training presentation to the GTR and GTM. Where will the dry-run session be held and does this count as one of the 14 training sessions?

ANSWER: The dry-run will be conducted at HUD Headquarters and may need several runs until it is finalized. The presentations will be videotaped and placed on the HUD website for broadcasting. The dry-run(s) is/are part of the process to ensure the presentations are well presented.

45. QUESTION: Under Factor 2 Past Performance, section 12.2.1 states that the offeror shall “prepare and submit a chart clearly identifying contractors for the same or similar services (that employed rigorous statistical sampling and modeling) performed in the last 3 years…” Please identify which deliverables requires statistical sampling and modeling as it is unclear in the solicitation

ANSWER: The statement “(e.g. rigorous statically sampling and modeling) has been removed from the solicitation via this amendment. The offerors are to “identifying contracts for the same or similar services performed in the last 3 years prior to submission of quotation.”

46. QUESTION: Task 3 and Task 4 refer to HCVP (Housing Choice Voucher Program) SharePoint site, processing, reports, etc. Please provide more details and examples related to the HCVP work that is expected to be completed under this effort?

ANSWER: These are ad-hoc requests to be performed and to include element in the REAC QA Plan whose details will be provided during the contract performance period.

47. QUESTION: Paragraph 8.8.6, Magnitude under Task 8 On-site Management Operations Review and Assessment provides time estimates to complete the review. Are these time estimates only associated with the expected days a review team will be on-site (at the PHA) or does this time also include pre and post-site work (such as report writing)?

ANSWER: This duration are primarily onsite visit, additional time will need to be allotted for planning and other report preparation activities

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48. QUESTION: Paragraph 8.1.4 indicates estimated emergency releases two time per year while Paragraph 8.2.2.2 indicates UAT for emergency releases only once per year. Please clarify the following: Are the emergency releases mentioned in Paragraph 8.1.4 and 8.2.2.2 the same releases? What is the total number of emergency releases in a year (one or two)? Please clarify the total number of UAT to be supported for emergency release in a year.

ANSWER: The emergency releases are one and the same. The total number of emergency releases in a year is one and will have a companion UAT.

49. QUESTION: What role, if any, will the contractor play in actual data collection from PHAs?

ANSWER: The contractor will verify the accuracy of the PHA data submitted to HUD and will document and collect any data that is contrary to what was submitted.

50. QUESTION: Is the Resident Assessment Sub-System still in effect? Is it still required by PHAs?

ANSWER: The Resident Assessment Sub-System has been suspended and will be re-addressed in future PHAS scoring notices.

51. QUESTION: Section 8.1.5.3: The solicitation indicates two (2) major releases and two (2) emergency releases. What constitutes a ³quarterly update of system releases²? Is this an update to the BRD?

ANSWER: It is an update of the BRD and the NASS Business Requirements Matrix.

52. QUESTION: Section 8.2.2.2: Under Section 8.1.4 and Section 8.1.5.2 the number of emergency releases is identified as two (2) whereas in this section (8.2.2.2) the number of emergency releases is identified as one (1). Is this correct or a typographical error? Please clarify the number of emergency releases.

ANSWER: This is a typographical error. The number of emergency releases is one.

53. QUESTION: Section 8.3: There are a few references to HCVP (including Section 8 only). Are these references synonymous with SEMAP?

ANSWER: The reference to HCVP is for ad-hoc tools and QA plan only. They are not synonymous with SEMAP.

54. QUESTION: Section 8.3.1: Approximately how many appeals are processed each month? How many petitions? How many waivers? How many HCVP? How many FYE changes? How many PHA consolidations? How many MAL? Other documents (please specify)?

ANSWER: An average of 15 appeals per month and this amount will vary based on scores issued. Petitions consist of and average of 5 per month and will vary based on scores issued. Waivers and average of 10 per month and will vary based on other factors such as natural disasters, etc. HCVP – no appeals or waivers processed through NASS. FYE changes average approximately 10 per quarter, and PHA Consolidations an average of two per quarter. One MAL every quarter; however, due to factors that may impact the MAL, such as waivers, SPD (Small PHA Deregulation), MTW (Moving To Work), etc., the MAL may need to be updated three to four times each quarter.

55. QUESTION: Section 8.3.4: Which HUD stakeholders (e.g., headquarters staff, field office staff, PHA staff, etc.) have access to the NASS SharePoint software system? Do stakeholders add documents directly to the NASS SharePoint software system? If yes, which stakeholders?

ANSWER: All of the above have access to the NASS SharePoint software system. HUD Field Office staff and Headquarters’ staff add documents directly to the NASS SharePoint software system.

56. QUESTION: Section 8.3.4: How many documents are current stored in the NASS SharePoint software system for PHAs? How many documents are generally added to the NASS SharePoint software system per month?

ANSWER: No aggregate count is available as far as how many documents are currently stored. No count is available as to the number of documents added per month. Most of the document updates will be done by HUD staff as needed.

57. QUESTION: Section 8.3.4: Is the contractor responsible for adding documents to the system? If yes, is the contractor responsible for adding all documents to the system or a subset of the documents? If the latter, how many documents per month is the contractor responsible for adding?

ANSWER: All contract deliverables will be updated by the contract staff; other documents will be added by HUD staff and the contractor is responsible for designing and maintaining such SharePoint site.

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58. QUESTION: Section 8.4.2: Section 8.4.3 details a process where the government makes a request, estimates the LOE, then allows the contractor to reply and perhaps revise the LOE. Is this process the same for 8.4.2?

ANSWER: The process is the same.

59. QUESTION: Section 8.4.2 L: This section states, Task 4 AD-HOC MANAGEMENT REPORTING CAPABILITIES As directed in writing by the GTR, the contractor shall prepare ad-hoc reports and conduct analyses utilizing REAC secure system, micro-strategy, the Data Warehouse and the Reporting Server, and any other systems, to produce the report(s). Can the government estimate how many of these ad hoc reports they intend to do per time period or perhaps the number of ad-hoc reports that have been done in the past?

ANSWER: Please refer to the solicitation. The estimates are located in Section B, Supplies/Services, Price/Cost as well as Section C, Descriptions/ Specification / Statement of Work.

60. QUESTION: The selection pool appears to be 200 PHAs. Does this mean 200 PHAs and all their Asset Management Projects (AMP) are to be evaluated and one report issued for all the findings at the PHA and for each AMP or will 200 AMPs be selected from 200 PHAs or is there some other selection methodology?

ANSWER: The PHAS will be selected based on their performance score and other criteria by HUD staff and all AMP’s for the PHA will be part of the review.

61. QUESTION: How will the selection of the estimated small, medium and large size PHAs be made? If risk based will the poor performing PHAs or troubled AMPs be more likely to be selected?

ANSWER: See response to questions 49.

62. QUESTION: Will the selection of PHAs be from all areas across the United States or concentrated in specific areas of the country?

ANSWER: Nationwide.

63. QUESTION: What is the time period that you must perform the 200 On-Site Management Operations Review and Assessment?

ANSWER: One year.

64. QUESTION: How many files and what documentation must be provided and or examined in connection with the On-Site Management Operations Review?

ANSWER: Whatever documentation the PHA has in its possession that confirms and verifies the accuracy of the data.

65. QUESTION: Will a Desk Review be required prior to the On-Site Management Review?

ANSWER: The contractor will need to coordinate with the local HUD Field Office staff to gather information already available in the Field Office files that will assist the contractor in conducting a PHA’s on-site management review.

66. QUESTION: Will the PHA be required to submit documentation to the contractor prior to the visit so that certain documents, forms and policies are reviewed prior to going to the On-Site Visit?

ANSWER: The contractor will need to coordinate with the local HUD Field Office and the PHA prior to the site visit. It is highly encouraged to have the initial work performed prior to the on-site visit.

67. QUESTION: Is there a questionnaire that will be required to be completed by the contractor that supports the HUD 5834?

ANSWER: Yes, this may be modified in the future. The ultimate goal is to develop the Management and Capital Fund PHAS indicators for future PHAS scoring notices.

68. QUESTION: What if the PHA Executive Director and staff are not available for the Entrance or Exit Conference? Does the visit have to be rescheduled? What if contractor shows up at scheduled time and they are not available?

ANSWER: The PHA Executive Director and/or his/her designee should be available for the Entrance/Exit Conferences. Such arrangements should be confirmed prior to any site visit. If the contractor shows up at the scheduled time and the PHA Executive Director or his/her designee is not available, the contractor will need to advise the local HUD Field Office and the GTR and GTM that the PHA Executive Director/designee/staff is not available.

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69. QUESTION: Is there guidance, which indicates the number of File reviews, REAC and Physical Inspection of Grounds and Vacant and Occupied Units, which must be done for each PHA or AMP? If so can you provide this information? Will it be determined by the GTR and GTM or REAC? Will the contractor have input in the methodology?

ANSWER: The contractor will develop such evaluation criteria in consultation with the GTR and GTM.

70. QUESTION: The tasks indicate “the report must also describe how systems, controls, policies and procedures will be adjusted or changed to assure overall management improvement for the Housing Authority”. The report will reflect observations, recommendations, conclusions and corrective actions. The requirement to describe “how systems, controls, policies and procedures will be adjusted or changed to assure overall management improvement for the Housing Authority” appears to be a HFA management requirement and can only be provided with the concurrence of HFA’s management how do you expect the contractor to handle this task requirement?

ANSWER: This requirement of HFA management is not tied in with any specific deliverable.

71. QUESTION: It appears a copy of the draft report must be provided at the Exit Conference, is this correct?

ANSWER: Yes. A copy of the draft report should be made available at the exit conference to the local HUD Field Office, the PHA Executive Director, GTR and the GTM.

72. QUESTION: If a draft copy of the report is not required at the Exit Conference, can the observations, recommendations, conclusions and corrective actions be discussed without a copy of the draft report?

ANSWER: The on-site visit must be documented in draft form and copies distributed as noted in the prior question.

73. QUESTION: What if management disagrees with the observations, recommendations, conclusions and corrective actions determined? Is this noted in the report?

ANSWER: If management disagrees with the observations, recommendations, conclusions and corrective actions, it must show proof that supports the PHA’s position at or prior to the exit conference, so that the correction may be made and noted in the draft report.

74. QUESTION: It does not indicate that the PHA Executive Director must attend the Exit Conference, since they must attend the Entrance Conference, is this correct? If they are required to attend, what if they do not attend must it be rescheduled?

ANSWER: The Executive Director or his designee is required to attend the Entrance and Exit Conferences. If they do not attend, the local HUD Field Office , GTR and the GTM must be notified.

75. QUESTION: It indicates that the local HUD Field Office staff may not be physically available at the Exit Conference; a conference call with the Field Office staff shall be conducted. When must this be conducted, prior to issuance of the report? What if the HUD staff is not available prior to the issuance of the report?

ANSWER: The conference call with the local HUD Field Office staff must be conducted at the time of the exit conference. The contractor will need to notify in advance, the local HUD Field Office Public Housing Director or his designee as to the date and time of the exit conference. The contractor will be responsible in notifying the GTM that the local HUD Field Office representative was not available for the exit conference.

76. QUESTION: It indicates errors and omissions discovered during the Exit Conference shall be remedied prior to the distribution of the final report. Does this mean if the contract determines a condition and criteria requiring a corrective action and management provides documentation which eliminates the condition and criteria then the report will be corrected prior to issuance, but if there is a disagreement in the report that is not remedied prior to issuance of the report then the PHA will resolve the issue with the HUD Field Office Director?

ANSWER: If there is a disagreement in the report that is not remedied prior to the issuance of the report, the contractor will be responsible for providing the necessary documentation to the local HUD Field Office so that necessary follow-up by the contractor and the local HUD Field Office can be made to resolve the disagreement.

77. QUESTION: It does not indicate that the contractor has responsibility to follow up on any corrective action or a recommendation, is this correct?

ANSWER: The contractor in conjunction with the local HUD Field Office is responsible for follow-up on any corrective action or recommendation,

78. QUESTION: If follow up on a corrective action or recommendation is required what is the timeframe, responsibilities and protocol to be followed for the contractor?

ANSWER: The timeframe for closure of the corrective action is 30 days. See prior response with respect to responsibility.

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79. QUESTION: The task states “Deliver the report NLT five days following completion of the on-site Management Operations Review”, does this mean five calendar days or five business days? What is the impact if any of a holiday falling within the five days?

ANSWER: Calendar days. No impact if a holiday falls within the five days; however, if a deliverable is due on a holiday, the deliverable shall be considered due the next business day.

80. QUESTION: Five days does not seem an adequate timeframe to produce a draft report, quality control the findings and provide the PHA time to remedy conditions and criteria noted at the exit conference and if required provide the contractor with a “description of how the systems, controls, policies and procedures will be adjusted or changed to assure overall management improvement for the Housing Authority” and issue a Final Report. Performance Based Contractor Administrators in connection with HUD’s Section 8 Program conducting Management and Occupancy Reviews are allowed 30 days to issue a Final Report.

ANSWER: The contractor needs to staff accordingly to meet the five days requirement.

81. QUESTION: Will a contractor or subcontractor involved in this NASS Business Support project be excluded from working on any other semi-related subsystem areas (i.e., FASS, PASS, MASS, RASS, etc.)?

ANSWER: Please review and follow the instructions in Section I, paragraph 2.10, HUDAR 2452.209-70 - POTENTIAL ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST.

82. QUESTION: The level of effort is fairly well-defined in the solicitation. Why is there such a large gap in the minimum ($4,700,000) and maximum ($25,700,000) quantities and amounts? Is it anticipated that the level of effort may change substantially from the amount explained in the solicitation?

ANSWER: As noted in Section B,.2 HUDAR 2452.216-76 MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM QUANTITIES AND AMOUNTS FOR ORDER, the minimum and maximum represents the total for the base and all option periods, so the minimum would reference the estimate of only one performance period and the maximum would represented the estimated total value of all performance periods. Theses “estimates” may be adjusted based upon the awarded values.

83. QUESTION: Are the current documents that are identified in the RFP available for review (i.e. NASS Micro-Strategy Reprint Tool User-Manual., NASS Business Requirements Document (BRD)), etc.?

ANSWER: Yes.

84. QUESTION: What is the average number of PETITIONS, APPEALS, WAIVERS AND HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER PROGRAM (HCVP) PRODUCTION that REAC expects to receive on a monthly basis? Is there a period of time (i.e. end of quarter) that REAC receives more of these requests?

ANSWER: See the response to Question #54.

85. QUESTION: The RFP states that “the GTR will provide the contractor working space, computer equipment, office equipment, telephones, facsimile machines, administrative office material and supplies for NTE 6 contractor employees at 550 12th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20410”. Does that mean that the contractor is required to perform the work from HUD?

ANSWER: Yes. HUD will provide space and computers for no more than 6 contractor employees.

86. QUESTION: What platform does the NASS system use?

ANSWER: Oracle/I2EE with legacy in Sybase/Cold Fusion.

87. QUESTION: 8.1.1 has a reference to BRD following the “System Development Methodology (SDM) Policy.” Can you provide a copy of this policy?

ANSWER: It is available on the portal for all to view.

88. QUESTION: What is a typical number of requirements to be expected to be approved by the COTR for a quarterly release?

ANSWER: It varies from 100 to 500 requirements based on the size of the release or functionality delivered.

89. QUESTION: 8.1.2 says “The contractor shall prepare and deliver a monthly requirement matrix document highlighting any changes for each planned system release/future release.” Is it correct to assume that means there is an existing matrix that the contractor will inherit, to which requirement changes will need to be made? If so, what is the state of completeness and format/tool (e.g., pdf, ReqPro, Excel?) of the current BRD and matrix?

ANSWER: The Requirements Matrix is a working document and is updated on a monthly basis. The contractor will be required to maintain the matrix and update it accordingly to reflect any changes resulting from PHAS rule changes, BRD updates, etc.

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90. QUESTION: 8.2.1 - How many UAT representatives are expected to participate in each UAT cycle and where are they located if on-site support is expected during UAT execution?

ANSWER: The number depends on the release and the UAT representatives are expected to participate and be on-site to provide support.

91. QUESTION: How many key personnel should be included in the proposal response? What key personnel resumes would HUD like to see in the staffing plan?

ANSWER: The number of Key Personnel is the determination of the offeror. No resumes were requested so no resumes are to be submitted.

92. QUESTION: Under Factor 2: Past Performance, Section L.12.2.1 Relevancy, you talk about “similar…