CMS_responses_to_questions_8-27-15.xlsx
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- Strategic Partners Acquisition Readiness Contract (SPARC) IDIQ Federal contract opportunity
- Solicitation number
- RFP-CMS-2016-SPARC
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Sheet1
| CMS responses to questions submitted to RFP-CMS-2016-SPARC | ||||
| Note: CMS has removed duplicate/similar questions from the spreadsheet | ||||
| RFP section | Page Number | Reference Title | Question | Response from CMS |
| General | CMMI | If we are a Small Business, then is it mandatory for us to have a CMMI certificate to be considered eligible for award? | Section M states that " offerors possessing acceptable (as described in Section L) CMMI appraisals will fare better than offerors without CMMI appraisals. |
Offerors possessing more highly rated acceptable (as described in Section L) CMMI appraisals will fare better than offerors with lower rated acceptable CMMI appraisals. CMS will evaluate any additional certifications submitted by the offeror for consideration as well as the offeror’s justification as to how the certification will lead to increased process excellence and quality across the contract. Those offerors with certifications that are deemed beneficial to CMS will be given more credit under this factor. Certifications must be current and valid at the time of submission and held by the business unit that is proposing under this procurement." Also there maybe CMMI requirements at the task order level.
| General | If a firm is bidding as a Prime, then can it go as a sub for another Prime? | No restrictions should be assumed on a contractor's ability to subcontract or be a subcontractor. | ||
| general | Please confirm that the rate agreements/sealed packages are for the prime only. | CMS confirms that rate agreement will be need for the prime contractor but no mention of sealed bids is made in the RFP. Proposal submission will be made by means of electronic means to the SPARC mailbox mentioned in the RFP. | ||
| general | We are bidding as both a WOSB and SDVOSB. Is there a specific way CMS would like us to indicate this? | Please address this in the cover page and email submission | ||
| General | Will CMS expect the option to purchase software through the IDIQ? | No; but possibly through task order awards. | ||
| All | General | All | Could CMS please specify exactly what they are expecting to be submitted from the Prime bidder subcontractor partners as it pertains to the Technical and Business Proposal Volumes? | The RFP describes which information is to be submitted from subcontractors. |
| Section B Supplies or Services and Prices/Costs | SECTION B – SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS | |||
| B.2 | F.2 Ordering Period | What are the expected number of awardees per Pool (i.e., Small Business and Unrestricted)? | This will be determined based on the proposals received and their classifications. There is no pre-determined number of awards. | |
| B.2 | 6 | For cost estimating purposes, would the Government provide an anticipated contract start date? | Please assume the start date of August 16, 2016 | |
| B.2 | 6 | Can a contractor propose rates solely for CONUS work and omit rates for OCONUS if the contractor has no interest in OCONUS work? | The offeror should propose their maximum ceiling rate for a T&M task order. | |
| B.6 | 7 | How will fee (CPFF, CPAF, CPIF) be calculated? | At task order level | |
| B.10 | Small Business Reserve Threshold | Section B.10 of the RFP states that the Small Business Reserve Threshold for task orders will be set at $29M. The offeror assumes that Small Business will still be able to bid on task order's above the $29M threshold. | Small Business will still be able to bid on task order's above the $29M threshold. | |
| B.10 – Small Business Reserve Threshold | 7 | CMS has established a pre-determined small business reserve dollar threshold. All orders estimated to be less than $29M (including options) will be reserved for small business pool. The government reserves the right to set side orders over 29 million on a task by task basis. | Will all contractors (both Small and Full & Open) continue to have visibility into all task orders or will Small Business only have access to review these tasks? | Task orders set-aside for small business will only be posted to small business concerns under the IDIQ. |
| RFP | 7 | How and when are incentives applied? | On a task order basis | |
| B.10 Small Business Reserve Threshold | a) How will the Government determine the estimated value of task orders in order to compete under the Small Business Pool? b) Will the Government conduct market research to inform the estimated contract value in advance competing task orders under the Small Business Pool? c) Will task orders be competed under the Small Business Pool solely on the basis of the estimated task order value? d) If a Task Order has an estimated total value of $29M with a total period of performance of 12 months, will they still compete that task order under the Small Business Pool? e) What is the annual task order value threshold for task orders that will be competed under the Small Business Pool? f) Is the Small Business Reserve threshold applicable to task orders ordered by other HHS OPDIVs (i.e., non CMS customers)? g) Can awardees in the Small Business Pool compete for any task orders under the SPARC Program (i.e., task orders competed in the Unrestricted Pool)? | a) An Independent Government Cost Estimate (IGCE) b) The government will conduct market research c)Yes d) Yes e) There is no annual value threshold, the threshold is for the total value of the base contract, including options. F) Yes g) Yes | ||
| Section C Description/Specifications/Work Statement | SECTION C – DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/WORK STATEMENT | |||
| C.2 Purpose | 8 & 98 | CMS refers to types of subcontractors in several ways (major subcontractor (p8) & significant subcontractor (p98)? Question - Please clarify the multiple reference to "subcontractor" (i.e. Major, Significant) or should they be considered the same? | They should be considered the same. | |
| Section G – Contract Administration Data | SECTION G – CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA | |||
| G.4 | Indirect Cost Rates (Sep 2014) | On page 20, is the reference to “Dept. of Defense:” a typo? | no | |
| G.4 | 16 | Has CMS set any ceiling on allowable fees? | Set on a task order basis based off of FAR requirements | |
| G.4 | 16 | Has CMS set any ceiling on Indirect Costs? | No | |
| G.4 | 16 | The labor categories provided do not necessarily cover all potential needs. More specifically, it is very likely that subject matter experts are necessary to supplement project teams on a task order basis. Those subject matter experts may be only available at labor rates not covered by the base contract. Will CMS allow new labor categories to be added - on a task order basis - provided there is sufficient justification proposed by the contractor? | labor categories can be added at the task order level, but additional labor categories should not be proposed at the IDIQ level | |
| G.4 | 16-20 | Does anything in Section G.4 require a response from a bidder in their submission to the SPARC RFP? | RFP Amended. Section G and H are not to be include in proposals | |
| G.4 | 16-20 | In the “INDIRECT COST ‘CEILING’ RATES” table, how many out-years should be included? | RFP Amended. Section G and H are not to be include in proposals | |
| G.4 & L.15 #2 | 16 & 100 | "Indirect Cost Rates" & "Business Proposal Instructions" | Does the government want contractors to submit this information with the proposal or after award? If during proposal, is this information required from potential subcontractors as well? Section L.15 states to complete Section G where applicable. |
| Would the government specify which clauses in Section G, and which subclauses (if not the entire clause) it expects the contractor to provide in their proposal versus at contract award (or thereafter)? | RFP Amended. Section G and H are not to be include in proposals | ||||
| G.4 A.1 | 16 | If CMS determines that the requirement for backup cost and price details are required, will they allow subcontractors to submit that data directly to CMS under separate sealed cover? | No | ||
| G.4 a.1.ii, Interim Billing Rates, L.15.8.d.(1), Business Proposal Instructions | 16, 104 | If the offeror does not have Government approved indirect rates, and follows the directions in G.4.a on Page 16, the offeror would submit interim rates which would be validated by a formal indirect rate proposal 6 months after contract award. However, Page 104 indicates that a Provisional Rate Submission package should be included with the Business Proposal. Could the Government please clarify how an offeror without Government approved indirect rates should proceed? | RFP Amended. Section G and H are not to be include in proposals | ||
| G.4, G.6, L.12.b, L.15.2 | Indefinite Quantity FAR 52.216-22 | Section G.4 and G.6 indicate that Accounting and Appropriation Data is to be completed at the time of award; however, Section L.12.b and L.15.2 state the business section should include Section G. Does this include the submission of table G.4? | The RFP has been amended to clarify. | ||
| G.4.(a)ii / L15.(8).d.(1) / Page 102 | Page 16 | G.4.(a)ii / Page 16 L15.(8).d.(1) / Page 102 | In case of Interim Billing rates, billing rate proposal need to be submitted to CMS within 6 months of contract award. Whereas L15. 8.d.1 talks about provisional indirect rate submission package to be prepared. Can CMS please clarify at what point the provisional indirect rate submission package will need to be submitted to CMS. | The package is to be submitted with proposal, if applicable | |
| G.4.2.a) | Pg 17 | The reference states “Indirect Cost Ceiling Rate(s) established (as applicable) for this contract are in accordance with FAR 42.707…” Please confirm that this section is not applicable to offerors with established indirect cost rates as recommended by, or submitted to, the offeror’s Cognizant Federal Agency. | Confirmed | ||
| 19 | Schedule of Services and Supplies | Please clarify the list of GFS included in the transition. SOW J.2.1.6 conflicts with SOW J.1.4.6 and 1.4.3. | This will be specified at the task order level. | ||
| G.5 / | Page 20 | G.5 / Page 20 | Can CMS please clarify that for non-cost reimbursable contracts the offeror will have an opportunity to bill travel costs, per-diem costs, cost of materials and reallocation costs as part of the price proposal, which means they are not included in the final rates proposed at IDIQ level? | All fixed price task orders will assume all direct and indirect cost are included in the pricing. | |
| G.10 | Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR)/Government Task Leader (GTL) | The referenced solicitation section includes “… and (6) providing technical direction in accordance with Section G-13”. Please confirm that the reference to Section G-13 should be G-11. | CMS has amend the final RFP to read G11 | ||
| G.12 | 23 | Section G - Contract Administration Data | Please confirm if the COR and the Contracting Officer will provide consent to add a new subcontractor after prime contract award. We may want to add a new subcontractor to our team in order to better support a task order. | CMS will provide consent for additional subcontractors at the task order level. | |
| G.12 | 23 | The SPARC solicitation requires subcontract consent with FAR 52.244-2. Did the government intent to require subcontract consent at the SPARC IDIQ level, or at the Task Order level? | At the task order level | ||
| G.12 Subcontract Consent | 23 | Does the RFP intend to required subcontractor consents at the IDIQ level, as outlined in section G.12? Traditional negotiation memorandums require specific task activities and proposed subcontractor award amounts, this is information contractors would not have privy to without sample task orders or privy into future task orders. Please clarify. | Yes | ||
| G.12, Subcontract Consent | Is this submission required with the IDIQ proposal, when proposing a Task Order, at such time as a potential subcontractor is identified, or at some other point in the contract life cycle? | The submission is required with the IDIQ proposal, and at such time a potential subcontractor is identified | |||
| G.12 and FARClause 52.244-2 | 23 | Can an Awardee assume the Government consents to/approves of subcontractors included in the Awardee’s proposal and no further action is required to secure consent? a. Can an Awardee assume consent is given for said subcontractors to perform on any task order awarded under SPARC? | Subcontract consent will be given on a task order basis | ||
| G.17 | 25 | "Service of Consultants/Subcontractors" | Does the government want contractors to submit the information required by FAR Clause 52.244-2 Subcontracts at the time of proposal for all potential subcontractors? Section L.15 states to complete Section G where applicable. |
| Would the government specify which clauses in Section G, and which subclauses(if not the entire clause) it expects the contractor to provide in their proposal versus at contract award (or thereafter)? | RFP Amended. Section G and H are not to be include in proposals | ||||
| G.17 | 25 | Service of Consultant/Subcontractors | Is the black line at the end of the page an intentional redaction or should this text be visible (and what is that text)? | No text has been redacted. | |
| SECTION H – SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS | |||||
| H.1 | Special Contract Requirements 1st paragraph | The RFP does not ask for resumes and Letters of Intent of Key personnel. Please confirm our understanding. At the IDIQ level, proposal response, the offerors are not required to provide neither resumes of key personnel nor letters of commitment. | At the IDIQ level, the offerors are not required to provide resumes of key personnel nor letters of commitment. | ||
| H.1 | 27 | "Key Personnel HHSAR 352.242-70" | Does the government want contractors to submit this information at the time of proposal or after award? Section L.15 states to complete Section H where applicable. |
| Would the government specify which clauses in Section H, and which subclauses(if not the entire clause) it expects the contractor to provide in their proposal versus at contract award (or thereafter)? | RFP Amended. Section G and H are not to be include in proposals | ||||
| H.1 J.2 | Although Sections H and J.2 mention Key Personnel requirements, there are no proposal instructions to include key personnel resumes. Please confirm that identifying Key Personnel applies only at the Task Order level. | CMS will only need key personnel resumes at the task order level. | |||
| H.1 KEY PERSONNEL HHSAR 352.242-70 (JAN 2006) | 27 | Can the Government confirm that there need be no Key Personnel identified for the purpose of this RFP response? | Confirmed | ||
| H.1KeyPersonnel | 27 | Section H.1 Key Personnel (p 27) –states “Key personnel will be established at the task order level for this contract”. Please confirm that there are no Key Personnel to be required at the contract/IDIQ lev. | Confirm no key personnel will be required at the IDIQ level. This is the over arching contract level that task order will be placed under this contract. The task orders will have funding, detailed statements of work and personnel needs. | ||
| H.3 | Special Contract Requirements | Provided at Attachment J.6, is a recommended PCI Financial Disclosure Template. The template is not required to be submitted; however, the information requested in the template shall be submitted. The statement is ambiguous. Can we assume that submission of Attachment J.6 template is applicable post award only, and furthermore the contractor is required to submit this template only if there is OCI/PCI? | The template, along with the information requested in the template, is only to be submitted for task orders under the SPARC IDIQ contract. | ||
| H.3 | Does CMS require that forms for Organizational and Personal Conflicts of Interest (OCI/PCI) be completed for each subcontractor and included in the prime’s proposal response or only after award and within five (5) business days of the identification of the new apparent OCI/PCI event? | J.5 and J.6 will be amended in the final RFP to show that they were for informational purposes only and to be used at the task order level only | |||
| H.3 | H.3 first paragraph; and L.15, paragraph 6 | In Section L.15, paragraph 6 (Conflict of Interest Plan) it states "The offeror shall provide disclosure information as required by Section H.3…", however the introduction to Section H.3 states "Post Award Business Ethics, Conflict of Interest and Compliance (Mar 2015) (applicable at the task order level only)". Please specify what "disclosure information", if any, in Section H.3 is required to be included in the IDIQ Business Proposal, Section L.15. paragraph 6 (Conflict of Interest Plan). | Conflicts of Interest Disclosures would only be at the task order level. | ||
| H.3 | 6 | Clause H3 states that it applies only at the task order level. H3(c) states that Attachments J5 and J6 are expected to be submitted after award of a contract. Can you please clarify when you want these documents from subcontractors? | On a task order basis. | ||
| H.3 | 6 | Regarding Attachment J5, per FAR 52.203-13, there are a number of compliance-related requirements for subcontracts that are over $5M and 120 days long. Can you please clarify what you need from subcontractors that will not be subject to 52.203-13? | Attachment J.5 is not required to be submitted with the IDIQ proposal. | ||
| H.3 | 48 | ` | Does CMS require that forms for Organizational and Personal Conflicts of Interest (OCI/PCI) be completed for each subcontractor and included in the prime’s proposal response or only after award and within five (5) business days of the identification of the new apparent OCI/PCI event? | Only on a task order basis, not with the submission of IDIQ proposal. | |
| H.3 | 28 | 1) Please confirm that PCI forms are not required in connection with the response to the IDIQ contract, but rather will be completed on a task by task basis when a specific statement of work is present. | Confirmed. | ||
| H.3 & L.15 #6 | 28 & 100 | "Post Award Business Ethics, Conflict of Interest and Compliance" & "Conflict of Interest Plan" | Section H.3 indicates that OCI requirements are applicable only at the task order level; however, L.15.6 requires that we submit an OCI plan with our proposal. Will CMS please clarify if the OCI plan is due with the proposal? If not, we respectfully request that the requirement be removed. | RFP Amended. Section G and H are not to be include in proposals | |
| H.3 d | 34 | The prime Contractor is responsible for avoiding, neutralizing and mitigating all actual, potential, or apparent OCIs/PCIs of its Subcontractors, in accordance with this clause. Therefore, the prime Contractor shall flow-down H.1 Business Ethics, Conflict of Interest and Compliance, of this contract in all subcontracts. For Subcontractors, wherever the term Contractor” is used, insert “Subcontractor.” The referenced clause H.1 is “Key Personnel” in the contract. The only reference to “Business Ethics, Conflict of Interest and Compliance” is attachment J.5. Did the Government mean to reference J.5 in clause H.3? | CMS chooses not to respond to this question. | ||
| H.3 | 28 - 35 | The RFP discusses conflicts of interests in several places, but most extensively in Clause H.3. We note that Attachment J-1 Description of Services includes four service areas with the potential of creating conflicts of interest per FAR 2.101 for any of the three reasons identified in the chart on RFP page 31. These service areas are the typical Government project management/Advisory and Assistance services identified below: · Initiation, Concept, and Planning Services · Requirements Services (when not combined into a larger multi-task effort including delivery)· SCA Services · IV&V Services The first two service areas may be performed by HHS, as stated in attachment J-1, sections J.1.1 and J.1.2, respectively. The third and fourth service areas above are the subject of the “Conflict of Interest Exclusion” paragraph on Attachment J-1, page 6, which describes the potential conflict and prohibits the performance of certain other services on the immediate project/task order or any other project within the department that may interact with the SPARC task order. This second (and broader) exclusion is often very difficult to determine until the conflict actually arises. Many ID/IQs avoid this potential for conflict by separating these four services from product delivery services (described in the remaining J-1 service areas), usually through a Lot 1/Lot 2 mechanism that allows contractors to declare their area of interest. We believe applying that approach to SPARC would benefit both CMS and offerors; but in lieu of this type of contractual protection, we would like to exclude the four service areas above from our bid and concentrate on product delivery services. If we voluntarily limit our participation in this manner and do not submit corporate experience or past performance for the four service areas above, (1) would we be deemed non-compliant, and (2) would we be evaluated lower than competitors who are willing to risk a post-award OCI/PCI situation only on the basis of responding to fewer service areas? | All past performance must be submitted with no limitations on subject matter. When task orders are released and they present a conflict then CMS understands if a company would not submit a proposal or would provide am mitigation plan for the conflict. | ||
| H.3 | 31 | Is the redaction of the left side of the “types of OCIs/PCIs” table intentional or should the text be visible (and what is that text)? | CMS has not redacted information for the OCI/PCI table. | ||
| H.3 | 31 | Please confirm that Attachments J.5. and J.6 are not required to be submitted with the offerors proposal and are merely provided for informational purposes and may be required by the successful awardees post award in accordance with Section H.3. | J.5 and J.6 will be used at the task order level only. | ||
| H.3, AttachmentJ-5, | Page 28 and Attachment J-5 | If the offeror has no actual or perceived OCI/PCI to disclose pre-award, please clarify that the only conflict of interest information required for the business proposal consists of an Organizational Conflict of Interest Plan that: · Identifies and addresses potential conflicts of interest · Describes the offeror’s plan to monitor compliance with OCI/PCI requirements · Describes procedures used to mitigate potential conflicts. | Confirmed. RFP Amended. Section G and H are not to be include in proposals | ||
| H.3.d | 34 | Section H.3.d it states “Therefore, the prime Contractor shall flow-down H.1 Business Ethics, Conflict of Interest and Compliance, of this contract in all subcontracts”. Please revise as Section H.1 in RFP is titled Key Personnel. | An amended RFP will show the change to H.3 instead of H.1 in the Business Ethics Clause | ||
| H.3c | 34 | Question: Could the government clarify whether each subcontractor must submit their own Conflict of Interest Plan, or the Prime will include subcontractor stipulations in their own Conflict of Interest Plan? | RFP Amended. Section G and H are not to be include in proposals | ||
| H.8 | Does the following apply to the proposal for the IDIQ, or to subsequent TORP responses: In preparing a proposal to meet this requirement, particular attention should be given to:• System Security • Confidentiality of Information • HIPAA • Privacy Act • ACA | RFP Amended. Section G and H are not to be include in proposals | |||
| H.9 | 42-43 | Is there any restriction to the classification level of classified work done (Secret, TS, TS/SCI, Q, etc.) done on the CMS SPARC vehicle? | Classification level will be on a task order basis, if applicable. | ||
| H.13.1 | 48 | Small Business On-Ramping to Unrestricted Pool, H.13.2, | Will SBs certify their SB status at the end of each contract year of performance in order to remain in their SB track, or to be considered for the Unrestricted Pool? Or is this to be reported at the end of each SB’s fiscal year? | CMS chooses not to respond to this questions. | |
| H.13.1 – | 48 | On-Ramping | Regarding the statement: “…SPARC SB Contractors outgrowing their small business size status under their existing SPARC SB Contract,” can CMS confirm that SB recertification is not required until year 6, as mentioned during the Industry Day Q&A? | CMS chooses to not respond to this question | |
| H.13.2 – | 48 | Small Business On-Ramping to Unrestricted Pool | Regarding the statement: “For those SPARC Small Businesses (SB) who no longer certify as a small business for their respective SPARC SB Pool…,” can CMS reaffirm the clarification provided in the Industry Day that SBs will not be required to recertify their SB designation until year 6 and would remain eligible to bid on any SPARC TORP set-aside for the small business pool originally awarded to the SB until recertification? | CMS chooses to not respond to this question | |
| H.13.2 B74 | What evaluation criteria will be applied to determine whether to on-ramp a SPARC small business Contractor to the Unrestricted Pool? For example, will they be required to submit an SDB Subcontracting plan? | SPARC Small Business Contractor's would only be on- ramped to the unrestricted pool if their size status changes. | |||
| H13.3 | If an offerors proposal is initially written to address certain task areas, can additional task areas be added post award? That is, will there be ramp on provisions? | If an offeror is awarded the SPARC IDIQ, they are eligible to proposal on all task areas at the task order level. | |||
| H13.3 | 48 | Does the Government intend to solicit task orders solely within a single group of awardees (e.g. a task order competed only among HUBZone prime contract holders)? How will an OCO determine what group in which to solicit task order proposals? | Yes, for individual task orders. Market Research | ||
| SECTION I – CONTRACT CLAUSES | |||||
| I | 53 | Clause 52.234-4 “Earned Value Management System”. Will this be implemented on a task order by task order basis? | Yes, EVMS will be implemented on a task order by task order basis. | ||
| I.1 | The solicitation does not contain FAR 52.222-41. Please confirm that the solicitation is administratively or otherwise exempt from the requirements of the Service Contract Act? | Confirmed | |||
| I.1(a) | 52 | FAR Clause 52.215-10, Price Reduction for Defective Certified Cost and Pricing Data is included in the solicitation. Question: If certified cost and pricing data has not been requested in this solicitation response, and there is anticipation of adequate competition for the IDIQ – Does that make this FAR clause only applicable at the task order level and not at the IDIQ level? | yes applicable only at task order level | ||
| I.1(a) | 52 | FAR Clause 52.215-12 Subcontractor Cost and Pricing Data is included in the solicitation. Question: If certified cost and pricing data has not been requested in this solicitation response and there is anticipation of adequate competition for the IDIQ – Does that make this FAR clause only applicable at the task order level and not at the IDIQ level? | yes applicable only at task order level | ||
| I.1 | 53 | RFP Page 53 / Subsection I.1. It appears that there is an inconsistency regarding the requirement for CFA certification of Contractors’ Earned Value Management Systems. Specifically, RFP Page 53 / Subsection I.1, Clauses Incorporated by Reference, Part “a)” references FAR Clause 52.234-4, Earned Value Management System, May 2014, part (b) which allows contractors with compliant, but not yet CFA certified EVM systems to perform work given they follow a particular set of requirements while Section J-1, Statement of Work, Page 35, Subsection J.4.1, Earned Value Management, states: “The Contractor shall be certified by a Cognizant Federal Agency (CFA). The certification must be for the functional organization performing the work on the task order.” Question: Please clarify which requirement for Earned Value Management Systems will be followed. | EVMS will be implemented on a task order basis. For IDIQ purposes, FAR 52.234-4 will be followed. | ||
| 51-55 | Clauses Incorporated by Reference | The following FAR Clauses do not reference the latest version of the clause: |
a) 52.222-21 - Prohibition of Segregated Facilities (April 2015)
b) 52.222-26 - Equal Opportunity (april 2015)
c) 52.222-50 - Combating Trafficking in Person (March 2015)
d) 52.232-25 - Prompt Payment (July 2013; not July 2014)
e) 52.232-33 - Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer - System for Award Management (July 2013; not July 2014)
f) 52.237-10 - Identification of uncompensated OT (March 2015)
| An amended RFP will show the date changes to the most recent clauses. | |||||
| I.11 | On page 60 it states "Large business prime contractors serving as memebers in the HHS Mentor-Protégé program are eligible for HHS subcontracting plan credit", listed in the RFP under subsection, I.11. Will the government provide credit for prime contractors serving as memebers in the SBA mentor protégé program given that the HHS mentor protege program has been under a moratorium since 2012? | No | |||
| SECTION J – LIST OF ATTACHMENTS | |||||
| J | In Section J, for the list of attachments, there is an asterisk on J-5 and J-6 with no explanation. Please explain. | will be amended in the final RFP to show that it was for informational purposes only and to be used at the task order level only | |||
| J | Can the goals and the $’s be represented in a table format for base and option years instead of the format currently in the attachment a. Total estimated dollar value of ALL planned subcontracting, i.e., with ALL types of concerns under this contract is _____ ____ (Base Period - if options apply). FY ___1st Option FY ___2nd Option FY ___3rd Option FY ___4th Option $ _____________ $ _____________ $ _____________ $ _____________ | Please use the form provided and do not alter it. | |||
| J | J.1.3 and J.1.4 | Design Services and Development Services | We are not clear on the numbering of sub-services categories. Could the Government restructure numbering within J.1.3 and J.1.4 to ensure offerors are compliant with numbering the SOW sub-service categories in their response? | CMS will update Section J.1 | |
| J.1 | Pg 5 | Constraints | "Contractors currently providing Program Management services on another CMS contract will not perform services under the SPARC IDIQ." Please clarify what is considered Program Management services and whether this restriction applies only at an individual Task Order and not all services performed under the SPARC IDIQ. | CMS does not wish to exclude a contractor based on services currently being provided. CMS restriction of program management services will only be at the task order level. | |
| J.1 | Conflict of Interest Exclusion | Are there current SCA Services or IV&V Services contracts that would preclude task order participation of these contractors on new SPARC task orders? For example: on the ACA Marketplace Testing Support Team MTST, will that contractor and its subcontractors be precluded from any Marketplace development work? | This will be determined at the task order level. | ||
| J.1 | Conflict of Interest Exclusion | Any contractor (and its subcontractors) serving in the role of SCA Services or IV&V Services Contractor/Provider to CMS through SPARC is prohibited from soliciting, proposing, or being awarded any project management, quality assurance, software design, development, or other manner of planning, design, development, or implementation phase activity on the project/task order. This exclusion likewise extends to any other project within the Department that may interact with or otherwise provide services to the SPARC task order. As written, it appears that Government intends to prohibit the SCA and IV&V Services contractors and subcontractors from performance on any other SPARC services task orders. a. Is this correct? b. If not, could the Government clarify the nature of the COI exclusion? | This will be determined at the task order level. | ||
| J.1 | Conflict of Interest Exclusion | The government states “Any contractor (and its subcontractors) serving in the role of SCA Services or IV&V Services Contractor/Provider to CMS through SPARC is prohibited from soliciting, proposing, or being awarded any project management, quality assurance, software design, development, or other manner of planning, design, development, or implementation phase activity on the project/task order. This exclusion likewise extends to any other project within the Department that may interact with or otherwise provide services to the SPARC task order.” As written, it appears that Government intends to prohibit the SCA and IV&V Services contractors and subcontractors from performance on any projects within Department that communicate with or have any intersection with the SPARC SCA Services or IV&V Services Task Orders. a. Is this correct? b. If not, could the Government clarify the nature of the COI exclusion? c. Could the Government also clarify the term “Department”? Does Department mean CMS or HHS as a whole? | This will be determined at the task order level. | ||
| J.1 | Constraints | Contractors currently providing Program Management services on another CMS contract will not perform services under the SPARC IDIQ. · Does CMS mean that if, for example, a contractor is providing PMO services on the Exchanges, then that contractor is ineligible to perform SPARC services on the Exchanges, but may perform SPARC services on other task orders? · PMO activities are an integral part of any task order and more effective contractors are those that provide mature PMO services in conjunction with mature system development, integration, and operation services. Can CMS clarify the intent of this statement? · Does this also apply to subcontractors doing work with Prime contractors on Program Management tasks at CMS? · Is this restriction limited to contractors that would provide program management services in relation to SPARC IDIQ? | This will be determined at the task order level. | ||
| J.1 | The RFP appears to enable participation by offerors that do not possess a CMMI appraisal (RFP Section M.2.c - " Note: offerors possessing acceptable (as described in Section L) CMMI appraisals will fare better than offerors without CMMI appraisals") .How will contractors without an appropriate CMMI appraisal be allowed to compete for or participate on any SPARC task orders? | Additional CMMI requirements will be provided at the task order level. The requirement is task order specific. | |||
| J.1 | Does this refer to any contractors who are providing Program Management support for any projects currently at CMS? | OCI will be determined at the task order level. | |||
| J.1 | 5,6 | The RFP establishes constraints and a conflict of interest exclusion regarding the performance of Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) and Security Control Assessments (SCA) on project/task orders for which a contractor has responsibility. Would a prime contractor be allowed to allocate IV&V and SCA activities on a project/task order on which it has responsibility to a subcontractor if the prime can establish a separation of activities and, therefore, mitigate conflict of interest? | This will be determined at the task order level. | ||
| J.1–Description of Services | 6 | This section states: "The Contractor shall provide the deliverables (artifacts) as defined in the individual Task Order’s Statement of Work (SOW)." Must the Contractor use CMS/HHS templates for documentation? | Yes, as applicable | ||
| J.1–DescriptionofServices | 5 | This section states: "The Contractor shall ensure that its products and artifacts are in the same format or a format compatible with CMS or HHS OPDIV processes and tools. The Contractor shall be responsible for ensuring that the artifacts and products can be incorporated automatically and integrated seamlessly into CMS or HHS OPDIV processes and tools." Please define "same format" in the context of "products and artifacts." Does "same format" refer to documentation formats, coding languages, or operating systems? | CMS uses DOORs and other similar formats. Contractors must deliver all electronic documents in a version that is compatible with CMS standard desk top tools such as MSWord etc. | ||
| J.1–DescriptionofServices | 5 | This section states: "The Contractor shall not use any proprietary processes, hardware, software, etc. unless approved by CMS or HHS OPDIV." What is the approval process for proprietary processes, hardware, and software? | This will vary depending on the specific circumstances. The CMS Contract team as well as the Technical Review Board will have roles in this determination. | ||
| J.1–DescriptionofServices | 5 | This section states: "The following constraints affect SPARC Prime Contractor eligibility to compete for tasks in a specific category: … “SPARC IDIQ Contract tasks are subject to Software Engineering Institute (SEI®) Capability Maturity Model Integration® (CMMI®) level requirements. Therefore, contractors who do not possess independently prepared SCAMPI appraisal results assessed at the appropriate CMMI level for a given task will be restricted from performing the work." Please confirm that subcontractors do NOT need a SCAMPI appraisal, even if they are tasked with core software/system life cycle tasks. | Correct. As long as the prime maintains its certification(s) and monitors the subcontractors work. The prime is responsible for all work performed by subcontractors under any task order. | ||
| Page 6 B.1, Page 8 C.2, Page 11 C.5, Page J-4 J J.1; Clarification Sought | “…Other Department of Health and Human Services Operating Divisions (HHS OPDIVs) may place orders under this contract as well.” And RFP Page 8 Section C.2 states ” “The objective of the Strategic Partners Acquisition Readiness Contract (SPARC) is to acquire services under a multiple award, Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ), performance-based contract for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and HHS OPDIVs.” etc. Question: Based on these references and several other references to OPDIV ordering procedures throughout the RFP and in Section J – can the Government consider updating RFP Page 11 Section C.5 Scope of Work to include OPDIVs as clearly stated in B.1 and C.2 (Objectives) that OPDIVs are in scope. C.5 currently reads as “The scope of work under the SPARC IDIQ Contract entails the planning, design, development, testing, implementation, operations coordination, and maintenance for CMS’ automated systems and business application software that integrate hardware, software, and communication technologies.” Question: Can the Government – to be consistent with the Objectives section of the RFP and Section J.1 – consider, instead, updating it to the following: (add “and HHS/HHS OPDIVs) – “The scope of work under the SPARC IDIQ Contract entails the planning, design, development, testing, implementation, operations coordination, and maintenance for CMS’ and HHS/HHS OPDIVs automated systems and business application software that integrate hardware, software, and communication technologies.” | The RFP has been updated to HHS/HHS OPDIVS. | |||
| Page 6, B.1; Page 8 C.2, Page 11 C.5, Page J-4 J J.1; Clarification Sought | “…other Department of Health and Human Services Operating Divisions (HHS OPDIVs) may place orders under this contract as well.” And RFP Page 8 Section C.2; Clarification Sought” “The objective of the Strategic Partners Acquisition Readiness Contract (SPARC) is to acquire services under a multiple award, Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ), performance-based contract for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and HHS OPDIVs.”. It is clear from the RFP and Section J (example sections cited above) that the objective of the SPARC IDIQ is to support CMS as well as HHS and all HHS OPDIV task orders. As HHS OPDIVs will also be issuing task orders on SPARC – we assume that past performance working on similar to the SPARC scope of work – HHS or any HHS OPDIV systems experience would be evaluated equally favorably as CMS systems experience and past performance by the Government. Question: Can the Government confirm this interpretation is the case. | Each past performance reference will be evaluated for relevancy. | |||
| J.1 | Sub section: Constraints. “SPARC IDIQ Contract tasks are subject to Software Engineering Institute (SEI®) Capability Maturity Model Integration® (CMMI®) level requirements. Therefore, contractors who do not possess independently prepared SCAMPI appraisal results assessed at the appropriate CMMI level for a given task will be restricted from performing the work.” Please clarify whether this constraint also applies to subcontractor firms proposed for a specific task? | In order to credit an offeror with holding a SCAMPI appraisal, the Prime contractor must have one under its organization’s name. | |||
| J.1 | 14 | This section states: "The product design must adhere to and be consistent with CMS/HHS’ systems architecture, security infrastructure, and architectural standards." If, in designing a product, the Contractor identifies an area of improvement in terms of CMS/HHS systems architecture, security infrastructure, and architectural standards, does CMS/HHS have a process in place for modifying its system infrastructure? If so, what is that process? | Please refer to the CMS XLC. | ||
| J.1 | 14 | This section states: "The product as designed must integrate and interoperate seamlessly with CMS/HHS software, hardware, and network and security infrastructure." What information will CMS/HHS provide to the Contractor to ensure that the Contractor can integrate and interoperate with CMS/HHS' entire infrastructure? | The necessary information can be requested through the contract support team for the specific task order | ||
| J.1 | 16 | This section states: "These activities are performed in accordance with the System Design Document to meet the requirements in the Requirements Document." If, in developing a product, the Contractor identifies issues with the System Design Document or the Requirements Document, what recourse does the Contractor have to address these issues? | Please refer to the CMS XLC. | ||
| J.1 | 16 | This section states: "The Contractor shall modify system and software products to rectify performance deficiencies identified during testing new development or major enhancements outside the boundaries of system maintenance." If the Contractor is testing a software product and identifies a system configuration issue, how will CMS/HHS address that issue? | Please refer to the CMS XLC. | ||
| J.1 | 17 | This section states: "The Contractor shall format and/or configure source code submitted so that it is compatible and in compliance with HHS Configuration Management processes, procedures, and tools to permit automatic uploading of these products into the HHS Configuration Management system." Please define the "HHS Configuration Management system." Specifically, is this system a versioning repository? If so, is the repository predicated on COTS software? | Yes, and Yes. The details will vary depending on the platform and hosting datacenter. Development contractors are also expected to have local Configuration Management processes, procedures and tools in compliance with the appropriate Acceptable Risk Safeguards control families. | ||
| J.1 | 19 | This section states: "The contractor shall utilize test automation where possible and file comparisons when executing regression tests." May the Contractor use test automation in other types of testing (e.g., user acceptance and implementation)? | Yes when appropriate. | ||
| J.1 | 22 | This section states: "The Contractor shall perform comprehensive Implementation Testing as directed in the Task Order SOW. Comprehensive performance and stress testing may vary given the type, size, and scope of the software/system product." Will the Contractor need to travel to conduct performance and stress testing? Or, will all systems be accessible from the Contractor's site of operations? | This will be determined at the task order level. | ||
| J.1 | 24 | This section states: "Compatibility Testing is testing to evaluate the application’s compatibility with the environment." What information on "the environment" will the Contractor receive? | This will be determined at the task order level. The contractor must identify the information required. All appropriate information will be provided as needed. | ||
| J.1 | 31 | This section states: "Contractor shall obtain a COTS tool to satisfy the data request." If the Contractor has an internally developed alternative to a COTS tool, would HHS/CMS contemplate using it, provided the tool satisfies data request needs? | CMS will review and contemplate this; however, approval not guaranteed and the final decision will be made by CMS and may also require Technical Review Board review and approval in addition to the Contract team. | ||
| J.1 -Assumptions | The Contractor shall verify the quality of work products through formalized internal reviews and audits. • The Contractor shall communicate the plan and schedule these quality measures at project startup. Subsequently, the Contractor shall report monthly to HHS (or as specified by the HHS Contracting Officer) results of reviews and audits, including risks, issues, and plans to mitigate and/or rectify contributing factors. | Please clarify if the resources required to conduct Product and Process Quality Assurance (PPQA) audits will be billable to the government as part of the Task Order staff (using a proposed Program Manager or Program Analyst CLIN, for example), or of if they will be an overhead cost that must be accounted for in our pricing assumptions? | Requirements will be defined at the task order level | ||
| J.1 -Constraints | SPARC IDIQ Contract tasks are subject to Software Engineering Institute (SEI®) Capability Maturity Model Integration® (CMMI®) level requirements. Therefore, contractors who do not possess independently prepared SCAMPI appraisal results assessed at the appropriate CMMI level for a given task will be restricted from performing the work. | Are all major subcontractors required to have undergone successful SCAMPI appraisals? | |||
| No. | |||||
| J.1 | Is there a list of projects within HHS that interact with or otherwise provide services to the SPARC task order? | This will be listed at the task order level. | |||
| J.1, | Please confirm that the intent is to prevent OCI issues at the Task Order level and the Contractor would not to be disqualified from being awarded a position on the SPARC IDIQ as a result of the statement above. | Confirmed | |||
| J.1, | iii | Question: Could the government reconcile the differences in the SOW Table of Contents (specifically sections J.2-J.5) for clarity? | CMS will update the TOC. | ||
| J.1, Conflict of Interest Exclusions | 6 | Please confirm that this is different from the question/comment on constraints (Page 5). May we assume that COI limits participation to various tasks within SPARC that conflict one with another (ie. IV&V may not certifify work developed by the same team)? | Yes, this is correct. | ||
| J.1, Assumptions, page 5, first bullet on page | 5 | In this context, is HHS synonymous with CMS or the specific OPDIV that has executed the Task Order, or is this a contract-level report that goes to the CMS Contracting Officer or some specific office in HHS Headquarters? | The specific OPDIV who executed the task order | ||
| J.1, Constraints, page 5, second bullet | 5 | If an awardee of the IDIQ does not have CMMI certification in place at the time of proposal submission and/or award, does this constraint mean that they will not be able to compete for Task Orders until the appraisal is completed? | This would be determined on a task order basis. | ||
| J.1,Constraints | 5 | "Contractors currently providing Program Management services on another CMS contract will not perform services under the SPARC IDIQ." | |||
| If the PRIME is providing PMO services on any CMS contract then they may not be part of the SPARC IDIQ? If the PRIME's partner teams are providing PMO services on another contract, may they participate on the SPARC IDIQ? If the PRIME's partner teams are providing other (i.e. technical) services for a CMS program, may they participate on the SPARC IDIQ? | This will be evaluated as part of task order awards. | ||||
| J.1 Table 2 | 7 | Under Legislative and Executive Mandates References, the link to DHHS Directives and Regulations was changed to www.cms.gov. Please provide the appropriate link. | CMS will update the link. | ||
| J.1,ItemJ.9 | 38 | Regarding Attachment J.1, Item J.9 (page 38), there is a reference to a Table 1. However, there is no table labeled “Table 1” in the document. Please clarify. | CMS will update Attachment J.1. | ||
| J.1.1 | SOW 12 | Please clarify ‘Enhancement Concept’ dependency for Initiation, Concept, and Planning Services? | Enhancement entails initiation, concept, planning and release/monitoring. This type of change would add value to the system rather than addressing legislative changes. Additional details will be provided at the task order level. | ||
| J.1.2 | SOW 13 | Which requirements management tools are being used by HHS OPDIVS (other than DOORS)? | CMS also has the Enterprise Testing Center (ETC) which includes Quality Center, Quick Test Pro, and Load Runner. Although these are primarily testing tools, Quality Center includes the ability to store requirements and provide traceability from requirements to test cases and results. Other HHS OPDIVS management tools will be discussed at the task order level. | ||
| J.1.2 Requirements Services | Page 13 | For projects following the agile methodology, will it be acceptable for both functional and non-functional requirements to be collected and documented via user stories, which could be refined throughout project execution? | Although it would depend on a task order’s specific situation, from a general sense, it is acceptable for both functional and non-functional requirements to be collected and documented via user stories given that there is consensus with all stakeholders. | ||
| J.1.3 | There appears to be something missing in section J.1.3. The introductory paragraph in section J.1.3 indicates that there are 3 design tasks: Software Services; Database Services; and System Integration Services. Additional specifics for Database Services and System Integration Services are found in sections J.1.3.2 and J.1.3.3 respectively. However, there is no section for Software Services and section J.1.3.1 is not included at all. | CMS will update Section J.1 |
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