Amendment_000001_-_Data_Library.docx
DOCX document 40 KB Posted
- Attached to
- Maintenance and Oversight of the CMS Data Element Library Federal contract opportunity
- Solicitation number
- RFP-CMS-2015-150741
About this file
Amendment 1 to RFP - industry questions and Government responses to RFP
View the file
Other files for this federal contract opportunity
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| Amendment_000002_-_Data_Library.pdf | ||
| SF-30_Amendment_2.pdf | ||
| Cost_Summary_Template_150741.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet | |
| Data_Library_SF-30_Amendment_000001.pdf | ||
| J.4_Past_Performance_Questionnaire.docx | DOCX document | |
| RFP-CMS-2015-150741.pdf | ||
| Attachment_1_-_Statement_of_Work.pdf | ||
| Attachment_2_-_Schedule_of_Deliverables.pdf | ||
| Appendix_A_-_CMS_Assessment_Data_Element_Library_Governance_Framework.pdf | ||
| SF-33_RFP_150741.pdf | ||
| J.1_Consent_to_Subcontract.docx | DOCX document | |
| J.3_Compliance_Program_Attestation.docx | DOCX document |
Show all 12
On GovTribe
Work with this file on GovTribe
- Download the original file
- Contacts named in this file
- Similar government files
- Ask GovTribe AI about this file
Text version
RFP-CMS-2015-150741
Amendment 000001 Responses to Solicitation Questions and Solicitation amendments
Amendment Number 1 is issued to transmit Industry Questions and Government Responses. As a result of the attached questions and answers, there are no changes to the Statement of Work or Schedule of Deliverables.
Section L.12, Technical Proposal Instructions, third paragraph, is hereby revised to read:
The Technical Proposal is limited to a maximum of 25 single-sided pages (not including blank page dividers), single-spaced, on 8 1/2-inch by 11- inch size paper, using no smaller than 12-point font in Microsoft Project or Microsoft Word with 1-inch margins (top, bottom, left and right), preferably Times New Roman font. Support documentation such as timelines, project plans, management plans, resumes for primary and key staff, and past performance documentation (chart or other format) shall be submitted as an appendix to the 25-page written technical proposal, and will not count against the 25-page technical proposal limit.
The date and time of proposal submissions remains unchanged, due to CMS on or before 1:00 PM local time, Baltimore, MD, on Thursday, June 18, 2015.
END OF AMENDMENT
Attachments:
Attachment 1 – Solicitation Questions and Answers (included below)
Attachment 1: Solicitation Questions and Responses Proposal Instruction Questions:
QUESTION SUBMISSION
| Section and Title: | L.11 General Proposal Instructions | |
| Page #: | 79 | |
| Question: | Some operating systems and printer drivers alter the number of pages or layout of documents. In order to confirm the responses print correctly would CMS prefer more than one option for printing proposals? Will the Government allow for the submission of Adobe PDF files in addition to the required Microsoft Office 2007 version of the files? | |
| Answer: | Dependent upon your operating system, please submit the proposal(s) with the page limit as requested and specified under TabL.11, with a not to exceed page limit for the technical proposal of 25-pages, please. The requested format is via a Word document. |
| Section and Title: | L.11 General Proposal Instructions | |
| Page #: | 79 | |
| Question: | Would CMS consider excluding the past performance section from the page restrictions to allow offerors more page allocation to address the remaining technical factors? | |
| Answer: | Past performance information (proposed chart as found on page 86) may be submitted as part of the appendix. See amendment change to Section L.12, above. |
| Section and Title: | L.12 Technical Proposal Instructions | |
| Page #: | 80 | |
| Question: | This section states: "Support documentation such as timelines, project plans, management plans, and resumes for primary and key staff shall be submitted as an appendix". Aside from the resumes are there any specific documents you are expecting to see as they are not specifically called out. | |
| Answer: | The project management plan and any only supporting documentation may go into the appendix, and it is up to the offer to determine what to submit. |
| Section and Title: | L.12 Technical Proposal Instructions | |
| Page #: | 80 | |
| Question: | There is a reference to project plans outside the page count. Is it CMS’ intention to have offerors submit full blown project plans outside of the 25 page limit, and in addition to those areas as specified in Section L? | |
| Answer: | Offerors may submit a high level project plan and include in the appendix. |
| Section and Title: | L.12 Technical Proposal Instructions, Tab 2 | |
| Page #: | 82 | |
| Question: | Contradicting requirement for resumes: L.12 Tab 2 states - Therefore, resumes for all personnel for each requirement and task of the contract must be provided. However L.12 third paragraph down states - Support documentation such as timelines, project plans, management plans, and resumes for primary and key staff shall be submitted as an appendix. Is it the intention of CMS to have offerors submit resumes for all positions, or only those designated as “key” and the “Database Admin” marked as essential? | |
| Answer: | Offeror’s need only to submit resumes for the key and essential staff positions. |
| Section and Title: | L.12 Technical Proposal Instructions, Tab 3 | |
| Page #: | 83 | |
| Question: | This section seems to imply that a Gantt Chart/WBS is required to show tasks, durations, start date, sequence and timeline dependencies. Is a full Gantt Chart/WBS required? If so can it be considered as part of an appendix outside the page count of this section? | |
| Answer: | Offeror’s may submit a high-level walk through of the plan instead of a full Gantt chart, which may be included in the appendix. |
| Section and Title: | L.12 Technical Proposal Instructions, Tab 4 | |
| Page #: | 84 | |
| Question: | Question: Sub-bullet 1 under bullet 2 reads: “…compliance requirements of the with Technical Reference Architecture documents…” Is there any missing text between “the” and “with”, and if so, will | |
| Answer: | Please omit the term “with”. There was no missing text. |
| Section and Title: | L.12 Technical Proposal Instructions, Tab 4, b. Instructions | |
| Page #: | 86 | |
| Question: | We request that CMS exclude the required table under b. Instructions on page 86 as the prescribed format could make it difficult to present material in a way to conserve page count. Would the government consider allowing the contractors to provide a different format as long as all required information is provided? | |
| Answer: | Offeror’s may provide an alternate format as long as each column header and the relevant information is included as part of the alternative format. |
| Section and Title: | L.11 General Proposal Instructions | |
| Page #: | 86 | |
| Question: | Per the last paragraph on page 86, the RFP states only offerors and proposed subcontractors WITHOUT relevant Federal government past performance experience are expected to submit past performance questionnaires (PPQs). Does this mean offerors with relevant contracts are not required to submit PPQs? If this is the intent, would CMS please confirm? |
Does CMS have a minimum number of PPQs required (per the RFP, we already understand that the maximum is 3).
Answer: Offeror’s may submit relevant past performance to augment any information which CMS may not find via the CPARS/PPIRS system. If the same information can be found via the CPARS/PPIRS system, then a corresponding PPQ is not necessary. CMS does not have a minimum PPQ amount; however, offerors are encouraged to submit PPQs to the limit of three, as applicable.
Statement of Work Questions:
| Section and Title: | Section C – SOW, Section 1.A - Background | |
| Page #: | 1 | |
| Question: | The SOW states “CMS is completing development and implementation…”. Please clarify the status of the Library expected upon initiation of this SOW. | |
| Answer: | CMS anticipates the completion of the Library by late summer of 2015. |
| Section and Title: | Section C – SOW, Section 3.A – Basic Requirements | |
| Page #: | 10 | |
| Question: | The SOW states “Provide public outreach, trainings, manuals or other attributes that will enhance the successful use of the library.” Please clarify the expectations regarding outreach, trainings, and manuals including the number of expected trainings per year; whether trainings will be synchronous, asynchronous, or a combination thereof; and whether the learner audience is inclusive of CMS and all collaborators as listed on page 19, Section 5.A.1. Development of Rollout/Implementation Plan/Process Roadmap. | |
| Answer: | Response to question #1: “Please clarify the expectations regarding outreach, trainings, and manuals including the number of expected trainings per year; whether trainings will be synchronous, asynchronous, or a combination thereof…” |
The utilization of the CMS Data Element Library will be new to the Agency, HHS and the public. CMS is aware of the importance related to the educating those who will use the library so as to maximize its benefits and envisions various modalities for providing outreach as well as for providing the educational information, itself. Outreach could be in the form of listserves, vendor call announcements, use of existing Open Door Forums, etc. Educational and reference materials are envisioned in the form of print such as manuals, as well as downloadable webinar materials. Training is envisioned to come in the form of webinars.
| Response to question #2:”…and whether the learner audience is inclusive of CMS and all collaborators as listed on page 19, Section 5.A.1. Development of Rollout/Implementation Plan/Process Roadmap.” |
| The contractor should anticipate a learner audience that includes stakeholders such as CMS, as well as other public agencies, such as ONC, NLM, and private entities, e.g., vendors and providers. |
| Section and Title: | Section C – SOW, Section 5.B – Provider Support for Public Outreach | |
| Page #: | 20 | |
| Question: | The SOW states “produce provider training materials and website content for user access updates to the Library”. Please clarify which website will host this content and what website will be available for hosting Library related training materials. | |
| Answer: | CMS will create a public website where it can post materials. |
| Section and Title: | L.12.1 Technical Proposal Contents | |
| Page #: | 83 | |
| Question: | Please clarify the definition of 'essential staff' as it relates to the Database Administrator identified in Key Personnel. | |
| Answer: | For the purposes of this RFP, CMS defines essential staff as those necessary to successfully perform the tasks in the Statement of Work. Further, while a resume is sought for the essential staff, formal review process of this staff is not required post-award for a change to this position. |
| Section and Title: | C.1.B Purpose and Scope | |
| Page #: | Attachment 1 p. 7 | |
| Question: | Please clarify the separation of engineering duties between those defined in the scope of work and those performed by the 'technical support contractor'. | |
| Answer: | The CMS Data Element Library will receive technical/system support pertaining to technical upkeep within the HCQIS environment from the Information Systems Group contractor(s). Although the library will be in production, its production status will be new. For that reason, the SOW includes language pertaining to the Contractor possessing knowledge pertaining to the Library’s potential software update needs, and/or maintenance and upkeep, e.g., adherence related to the CMS XLC requirements, CMS’s IT processes and standard operating procedures (SOPs)); CMS’s Technical Reference Architecture (TRA); technical architecture processes as defined by the Healthcare Quality Information System( HCQIS) Information Systems Group (ISG) and the Office of Information Services so as to ensure continued compliance with the CMS Technical Reference Architecture TRA. The scope of work by the engineering duties related to the work under the SOW therefore would encompass the ability to identify and solve potential software needs of the library in the HCQIS environment. |
| Section and Title: | C.5.B Provider Support for Public Outreach | |
| Page #: | Attachment 1 p. 20 | |
| Question: | Please clarify "Establish and provide Library Help Desk support (tier 1-3)." Does this assume the use of existing CMS infrastructure (e.g. phone lines, web sites, etc.) for help desk support, or is this provided by the contractor? Will any additional contractors be involved in providing help desk support? | |
| Answer: | The Contractor would establish Help Desk support pertaining to the inventory/content within the library and how to navigate and utilize the library. CMS would establish the public website location where a helpdesk email box would be auto forwarded to the Contractor. It is anticipated that ISG support contractors would provide services pertaining to the environment in which the Library will live, therefore the Contractor would be expected to, when necessary, collaborate with such other support contractors, e.g., forward questions to them. |
General Question:
| Question: | Has a contractor performed similar work to this for the government in the past? If available, please provide the incumbent contract number; and, if unavailable to provide is it safe to assume this is a new requirement for the government? |
| Answer: | This is a new requirement. There is a contractor responsible for the data library development contract, but this contract will be for the maintenance of the data library and is considered new work. |
File details come from the government source that posted it. Updated .