Technical Evaluation Criteria_JRR PR Support_ (FINAL 2026-06-24).pdf

SECTION L - INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS

Volume Format Page Limitation Volume I – Technical Submission MS Word 2007 or higher 25 Page limit

Volume II – Past Performance MS Word 2007 or higher 4 Page Limit total

(1-page matrix plus 1 page per reference) Volume III – Price Submission MS Word 2007/MS Excel 2007 or higher 15 Page limit

Additional format requirements for quotes to Volumes I, II and III must be as follows:

• Elaborate formats, bindings or color presentations are not desired or required.

• Key personnel resumes, Performance and Risk Assessment Surveys, Charts, Graphs, Tabs, Diagrams, Tables, Photographs, Drawings, Title Page, Table of Contents, Covers for Volumes, Glossary of Terms/Abbreviations and Acronyms, Indices, section dividers, Volume I, (b) Tab 2 – Technical Approach, and section dividers are excluded from the page limitation.

(1) Quote Content:

a. Volume I – Technical Capability: The Technical Capability volume shall be clear, concise, and include sufficient detail for effective evaluation and for substantiating the validity of stated claims. Legibility, clarity, and coherence are very important. The Technical volume shall be organized according to the following general outline:

(a) Tab 1 – Management Approach: Provide your detailed management approach to satisfying the requirements of the contract. In addition to your approach, include the following:

– A detailed organizational chart with management roles and responsibilities that clearly identifies the reporting structure of the team;

– Discuss the risks identified with the execution of simultaneous tasks, and the risk mitigation plan/approach proposed;

– Provide a detailed narrative describing your process for managing and controlling team members in multiple functional areas, to include subcontractors; and

– Management Controls: The Quoter shall fully describe the management control system that will be used to:

• effectively plan, deploy and control resources

• account for and collect costs for the contract

• accomplish multiple and complex contract tasks simultaneously

(b) Tab 2 – Technical Approach: Provide your detailed technical approach to satisfying the requirements of the contract. In addition to your approach, include the following:

– Provide a detailed narrative describing your technical approaches and strategies proposed for satisfying all the activities listed in section 3 of the PWS.

– Clearly indicate any activities that cannot be supported by your strategy, and why they cannot be supported.

– Identify all assumptions upon which your approach/solution is based, and the rationale supporting the assumption (i.e., why do you believe the assumptions are valid).

– Discuss technical alternatives considered and why the proposed alternative was chosen.

– Provide any other explanations or supporting data (matrix, charts, or other graphics) determined necessary for the Government to fully understand your methodology and approach.

– Thoroughly describe your firm’s physical resources and the facilities available to fulfill the technical requirements of the PWS.

- Privacy Plan: Quoters shall provide a privacy plan appropriate for protecting any personal data and shall ensure the privacy plan is compliant with all the requirements (the HHS IS2P, NIST 800-122, and NIST SP 800-53) at Solicitation Section H - Article H.7.A.20. Your privacy plan must include the following in addition to what is required above:

• Identify your information categorization and explain how it will ensure the identification of the PII requiring protection.

• Provide a narrative detailing your existing system risk assessment.

• Provide a narrative discussing your existing internal corporate policy that addresses the information protection requirements of the PWS.

• Identify any revisions, or development, of an internal corporate policy to adequately address the information protection requirements of the PWS.

• Provide a narrative explaining how the security and privacy controls of NIST

Special Publication 800-53, latest version, involving the encryption of transported information will be implemented. Your narrative must alleviate any security concerns involved when PII is to be physically transported to or stored at a remote site.

• Provide a narrative explaining how the NIST Special Publication 800-53, latest version, security and privacy controls requiring authentication, virtual private network (VPN) connections and other technical safeguards will be implemented.

• Provide a narrative explaining how the NIST Special Publication 800-53, latest version, security controls enforcing allowed downloading of PII will be implemented.

• Provide a narrative identifying measures that will ensure contractor/subcontractor compliance with safeguarding personally identifiable information (PII) and security and privacy controls in the NIST 800-53.

• Ensure that the responses in your privacy plan are commensurate with the size and complexity of the contract requirements based on the System Categorization specified in Solicitation Section H - Article H.7.A.20.

• If any of the security measures required in Solicitation Section H - Article H.7.20 & 23 cannot be followed, the Quoter must provide a detailed equivalent security strategy to provide similar protection of the content.

(c) Tab 3 – Teaming Arrangement and Technical Experience: Quoter shall demonstrate experience, qualifications, and availability of the resources necessary for successful performance. In addition to your approach, include the following:

– Describe your teaming arrangement (i.e., utilization of subcontractors), specifying both the work and work area allocated to each team member relative to Section

3.1 of the PWS. Provide a corresponding list of labor categories and hourly proposed for this effort: this list must be the same as the hours and labor categories listed in your price submission (do not include pricing).

– Provide a sample of a Journal program where similar services were provided by your team: Include a recent (within six (6) months) sample journal program to demonstrate the quality and superiority of your approach.

The sample should include the name of the client agency or company, period of performance, a brief description of the program/publication, and relevance to the proposed contract.

– Provide detailed resumes for key personnel only. Provide a narrative describing each non key personnel team members skills and qualifications. Your descriptions must include sufficient information to demonstrate that the team reflects the professional/job experience, skills/qualifications, and educational/training levels that are necessary to perform the requirements of the

PWS.

b. Volume II – Past Performance: The Past Performance volume shall be clear, concise, and include sufficient detail to demonstrate the Quoter possesses the relevant technical experience required to successfully perform the contract requirements. The Quoter shall submit the following information:

(a) Tab 1 – References: The Quoter shall provide a minimum of three (3) references.

- A list of three (3) references with who like or similar services has been provided within the past three (3) years. The past performance references must include contract number, dollar value, specific points of contact, phone number and e-mail address. Contracts listed may include those entered into by the Federal Government, agencies of state and local governments and commercial concerns.

Quoter may also submit past performance information regarding predecessor companies, key personnel who have relevant experience or subcontractors that will perform major or critical aspects of the requirement when such information is relevant to the instant acquisition. For the purposes of this solicitation, a "major subcontract" is defined as supplier, distributor, vendor, or firm that furnishes supplies or services to or for a prime contractor.

- Quoter shall submit sufficient past performance information to demonstrate the depth and breadth to successfully satisfy all Task Areas. It is incumbent upon the contractor to present the past performance information in such a manner and in sufficient detail to ensure the Government clearly understands the information provided.

- Submissions should explain the aspects of the contracts/references that are deemed relevant to the effort. Include a discussion of significant achievements or explain past problems considered to be relevant to the efforts, as well as past efforts to identify and manage program/project risk. In describing contractual effort and the past performance, include specific details of performance as follows and as applicable:

• actual measured quality or reliability versus specified levels or standards;

• management performance in meeting schedules and milestones;

• cost control;

• organizational conflict of interest;

• responses to technical direction; and

• customer satisfaction.

(b) Tab 2 – Reference Information: The Quoter shall include for each reference:

- Project Title

- Description of the project

- Contract/task order number and, if applicable

- Total contract value and type of contract

- Government Agency/Organization

- Contracting Officer’s name and telephone number.

- Current status, e.g. completed and/or if in progress start and estimated completion dates.

- Name of company being referenced

- PWS paragraphs that the reference applies to Key personnel (please highlight those individuals who worked on the relevant project (s) and are being proposed for this effort).

- A brief narrative of why you deem the reference to be relevant to this effort.

c. Volume III – Price Submission: The price submission must be clearly marked “Volume III, Price Submission”. The price volume shall be organized according to the following general outline:

(a) Tab 1 - RFQ Documents. The contractor must submit the following documents as part of the RFQ Document:

1. Point of Contact: The Quoter shall provide the name, title and telephone number of the company/division point of contact regarding decisions made with respect to your quote and who can obligate your company contractually.

2. Cover Letter: This statement page shall also include the following information:

Company Name/Address:

DUNS #:

Cage Code:

Federal Tax ID:

Point of Contact:

POC Phone/Fax/E-mail:

3. Representation, Certifications, and Other Statements of Quoter – In accordance with provisions FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-- Commercial Items, IF YOU INTEND TO SUBMIT A QUOTE, YOU MUST: (1) Go to the Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA) and complete the Representations and Certifications. Offerors must access ORCA through the System for Award Management (SAM) at http:// www.sam.gov; and (2). Complete, and INCLUDE as part of your price quote.

4. Subcontracting Plan: THIS PART IS NOT APPLICABLE TO SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS. The Quoter shall submit a written Subcontracting Plan that separately addresses subcontracting with small business concerns, IAW FAR 52.219-9. The written response shall address the extent; complexity and variety of the work small businesses are to perform in support of this requirement.

(b) Tab 2 – Price Quote. The contractor shall submit the following documents as part of the Price Quote:

1. Contract Price Summary & Breakout: In addition to the format provided at

Article B (pages 2, 3, and 4) of this solicitation document, Quoters shall complete the following tables for evaluation purposes. The labor categories must include a listing of all anticipated labor categories that may be used in performance of the contract and the hourly prices must be inclusive of labor, escalation rates per year, fringe, overhead, other direct costs, G&A, and fee/profit. The categories http://www.sam.gov/ shall be consistent with the written portion of the technical submission. The labor categories listed in the table are cited as examples.

LABOR CATEGORIES

PLUS

HOURS, HOURLY RATE, AND MATERIALS

Base Period Option 1 Option 2 Option 3 Option 4

Hour s Price

Hour s Price

Hour s Price

Hour s Price

Hour s Price

1. Project Manager $ $ $ $ $

2. Business Analyst $ $ $ $ $

3. Communications Manager $ $ $ $ $

4. {Add Categories if needed} $ $ $ $ $

5. Hardware, internet access, etc. N/A $ N/A $ N/A $ N/A $ N/A $

LABOR CATEGORIES PLUS TOTAL (HOURLY RATE * HOURS)

Base Period Option 1 Option 2 Option 3 Option 4

1. Project Manager $ $ $ $ $

2. Business Analyst $ $ $ $ $ 3.Communications Manager $ $ $ $ $

4. {Add Categories if needed} $ $ $ $ $

5. Hardware, internet access, etc. $ $ $ $ $

GRAND TOTAL $ $ $ $ $

2. Pricing Methodology: The Quoter shall provide background information, other than the pricing data that is required concerning its pricing methodology. This information might include details of the methodology applicable to your quote.

The data would be used by the government to better understand their pricing.

SECTION M - EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD

ARTICLE M.1. FAR CLAUSE 52.212-2 EVALUATION--COMMERCIAL ITEMS (OCT 2014)

(a) Basis for Award. The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), as supplemented by the Health and Human Services Acquisition Regulation (HHSAR) will be used to evaluate the quote and award this requirement. The major evaluation factors for this solicitation include Factor 1: Technical Capability (which encompasses four (4) sub factors: 1 – Management Approach, 2 – Technical Approach, and 3 – Teaming Arrangement and Technical Experience), Factor 2: Past Performance, and Factor 3: Price.

Although the technical capability factor is of paramount consideration in the award of the contract, past performance and price are also important to the overall contract award decision. All evaluation factors other than price, when combined, are significantly more important than price. The Government will utilize a tradeoff approach to determine the Quoter who provides the best value to the Government. One (1) award is intended as a result of this solicitation.

The evaluation will be based on the demonstrated capabilities of the prospective Contractors in relation to the needs of the project as set forth in the SOLICITATION. The merits of each submission will be evaluated carefully. Each submission must document the feasibility of successful implementation of the requirements of the SOLICITATION. Quoters must submit information sufficient to evaluate their submission based on the detailed factors listed below.

1. FACTOR 1 - TECHNICAL CAPABILITY: The Government will evaluate the technical submission to ensure it is acceptable or higher. Each submission will be rated utilizing the ratings defined below (price excluded). Technical Factor evaluation provides an assessment of the Quoter’s capability to satisfy the Government’s minimum requirements.

a. Sub factor 1 – Management Approach: The Quoter’s submission shall be evaluated to ensure they demonstrate:

- Management’s ability to meet the objectives of the contract;

- A comprehensive organizational structure that clearly demonstrates how the requirement will be managed to successfully execute the contract requirements; and

- An efficient and effective approach for managing and controlling team members in multiple functional areas, to include subcontractors that demonstrate a low risk to the Government in executing the contract requirements.

b. Sub factor 2 – Technical Approach: The Quoter’s submission shall be evaluated to ensure they demonstrate:

- Approaches/solutions, strategies, alternatives, and assumptions which are considered feasible and practical and are compatible with technologies described in the PWS;

- Approaches/solutions, strategies, alternatives, and assumptions that are clear and precise and are considered to reflect low risk and demonstrate an understanding of the requirements;

- A concise and clear approach to accomplish the Government’s requirement; and

- Experience that demonstrates they possess a clear understanding and familiarity with the work needed to successfully execute the requirements of the PWS;

- The ability to support multiple, complex tasks simultaneously; and

- The ability to successfully execute the approach proposed.

c. Sub factor 3 – Teaming Arrangement and Technical Experience: In order to be considered acceptable the Quoter’s responses must at a minimum demonstrate:

- An acceptable teaming arrangement which included the work/work area allocated to each team member.

- Their ability to provide the services that comply with the technical requirements of the

PWS.

- Experience that demonstrates they possess a clear understanding and familiarity with the work needed to successfully execute the requirements of the PWS;

- Appropriate utilization of non-labor resources and work flow prioritization of effort;

- Ability to consistently provide the requested services for a scientific research journal.

- Qualified personnel that demonstrate the Quoter’s ability to successfully execute the requirements in the PWS based on qualifications, education levels, experience, knowledge and expertise of proposed labor categories. Appropriate labor categories and hours that demonstrate the Quoter’s ability to successfully execute the requirements in the

PWS;

Evaluation Matrix for Technical Evaluation Criteria: A Quoter must receive an adjectival rating of acceptable or above for each sub factor. Failure to meet the criteria will render the response not eligible for award.

RATING DEFINITION

Outstanding

The quoter has demonstrated that their technical capability is of high quality such that their performance is expected to result in superior achievement of the Government’s objectives and requirements with minimal risk. An “Outstanding” rating may indicate that the quoter’s technical approach contains strengths with no weaknesses.

Good

The quoter has demonstrated that their technical capability is of good quality such that their performance is expected to result in full achievement of the Government’s objectives and requirements with minimal risk. A “Good” rating may indicate that the quoter’s technical approach contains strengths with few weaknesses.

Acceptable

The quoter has demonstrated that their technical capability is adequate and of quality such that their performance is expected to introduce moderate risk but they are considered likely to produce performance results meeting the Government’s objectives and requirements. An “Acceptable” rating may indicate that the Quoter’s technical approach reveals a number of strengths, but also some weaknesses. Or no strengths or weaknesses.

Marginal

The quoter has demonstrated that their technical capability is barely sufficient and of poor quality such that their performance is expected to introduce a high risk that it would not achieve the Government’s objectives and requirements. A “Marginal” rating may indicate that the quoter’s technical approach reveals few strengths, and significant weaknesses.

Unacceptable

The quoter has not demonstrated that their technical capability is insufficient and of poor quality such that their performance is expected to introduce excessive risk, making it highly unlikely that performance would meet the Government’s objectives and requirements. An “Unacceptable” rating may indicate that the quoter’s technical capability reveals weaknesses that significantly exceed any strengths.

2. FACTOR 2 - PAST PERFORMANCE: The Government will assess the Quoter’s recent and relevant past performance as a measure of the Government’s confidence in the likelihood of the Quoter to successfully perform based on previous and current contract efforts. Recent past performance is defined as not more than three years from the RFQ release date; relevant in terms of size, scope, and complexity.

The submission will be evaluated on the following:

(a) Relevancy of information obtained from references provided by the Quoter, other relevant past performance information obtained from other sources known to the Government, and any information supplied by the Quoter concerning problems encountered on the identified contracts and corrective action taken.

(b) Relevancy of past performance to the PWS in quality of services; timeliness of performance and record of meeting schedules; ability to understand and resolve deficiencies in a timely manner with no adverse impact on the mission, general responsiveness to contract requirements and to technical direction; and, customer satisfaction.

Evaluation Matrix for Past Performance

RATING DEFINITION

Outstanding

Based on the quoter’s record of past performance, no issues, concerns, or risks have been identified or associated with receiving timely services and contract performance. Past performance surveys and the quoter’s experiences indicate that the Quoter is capable of significantly exceeding the requirements of the solicitation.

Good

The quoter’s record of past performance indicates there is very little risk associated with receiving quality products, timely services and full contract performance.

Past performance surveys and the quoter’s experience indicate the quoter is capable of exceeding the requirements of the solicitation.

Acceptable

The quoter’s record of past performance indicates that there is some potential risk associated with receiving quality products, timely services, and contract performance. Past performance surveys and the quoter’s experience indicate the quoter is capable of meeting the requirements of the solicitation.

Unsatisfactory The quoter’s record of past performance indicates it is likely to have problems meeting the requirements of the solicitation.

Neutral No past performance available for evaluation. quoter has asserted that it has no directly related or relevant past performance experience. Quote receives no merit or demerit for this factor.

3. FACTOR 3 - PRICE: Price will not be assigned an adjectival rating. The Government will evaluate each Quoters total price in the contract price summary sheet as well as the prices in the contract pricing matrix and hourly labor rates to determine if the Quoters’ prices are fair and reasonable utilizing price analysis techniques in accordance with the guidelines in FAR Part 13. For a price to be reasonable, it must represent a price to the Government that a prudent person would pay when consideration is given to prices in the market. Normally, price reasonableness is established through adequate price competition, but may also be determined through price analysis techniques as described in FAR 13.106.

As part of the price fair and reasonable determination, the Government will evaluate its option to extend services (see FAR Clause 52.217-8) by adding six (6) months of the Quoter’s last year’s total price. The Quoter shall not submit a price for the potential six (6) month extension of services period. The Government may choose to exercise the Extension of Services at the end of the performance period, utilizing the rates of that performance period.

(End of provision)