Draft RFP Questions and Answers.xlsx
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- ROHS-23-00005
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Questions
| Number | Document Name | Section | Page Number | Paragraph Number | Question | Response |
| 1 | Draft RFP | C.4.2.3 | 16 | 1 | What are current systems used in the contact center for case management and eligibility? | Currently, DHS does not receive EAP and Work-Life services from a single contractor, and each contractor operates and maintains their respective contact (call) center in accordance with the terms and conditions of their respective contract. For this acquisition, DHS will require the contractor to comply with all security requirements, including operating a FedRAMP authorized, cloud-based software as a solution (SaaS). |
| 2 | Draft RFP | C.3 | 9 | 5 | Please define micro and macro linkages, and how they are established and managed. | DHS expects the Contractor to establish and manage connections and linkages with community resources in accordance with industry best practices and the Contractor's business partnerships. |
Micro: The Contractor must have knowledge of the availability and quality of resources in order to connect or link a client for appropriate treatment.
Example: An EAP clinician needs to know where to recommend a client for inpatient alcohol treatment that focuses on law enforcement officers. Additionally, the EAP clinician must understand the client's health benefits. The EAP clinician will then provide individual case management for the client after inpatient treatment.
Macro: The Contractor must have knowledge of appropriate community resources that are available to the organization or individual.
Example: Access to camps, childcare, or eldercare services.
3 Draft RFP C.4.2.3 16 1 Can the government provide past 2-3 years of phone and digital contact volume information (inbound, outbound, and AHT)? Offerors are hereby advised that utilization rates for the past three years are unique due to the pandemic and do not represent historical utilization rates. Notwithstanding the aforementioned, Offerors are also advised that utilization rates may drastically fluctuate due to unknown factors. During the past three years there was a reduction in utilization up to 80% for some services.
The following utilization rates are for FY21:
1) Initial Requests for Assistance-21,667
2) Clinical Cases-6559
3) Training sessions-362
4) Management Consultations-585
5) Worklife Consultations-6890
| 4 | Draft RFP | C.4.16 | 30 | 1 | With measure effectiveness of Absenteeism, Presenteeism, Work Engagement, Work Distress, and Life Satisfaction, is there a tool already developed or does the contractor need to develop one? | Currently, DHS does not receive EAP and Work-Life services from a single contractor, and each contractor collects and analyzes data in accordance with the terms and conditions of their respective contract. For this acquisition, DHS will require the contractor to comply with all data reporting requirements. |
| 5 | Draft RFP | C.4.3.1 | 17 | 1 | From a staffing perspective, how are the roles defined and compensation structured? | The contractor shall develop its staffing model and maintain adequate staff to meet DHS's requirements and provide compensation in accordance with its compensation plan. |
| 6 | Draft RFP | C.4.17 | 30 | 1 | How will the supplemental services (fulfillment) impact call volume? Is this new? | Supplemental services are not new and volume is based on utilization. |
| 7 | Draft RFP | NA | NA | Will a clearance of Public Trust be required for this contract? | Yes | |
| 8 | Draft RFP | C.4.1.6 | 13 | 1 | In order to ensure fair competition and encourage more bidders, will the government consider removing the FEDRAMP Certification Compliance requirement? | The Government will not consider removing the FedRAMP certification compliance requirement at this time. |
| 9 | Draft RFP | L | 139 | L.6.3.2 | Will the Government consider increasing the Technical Approach page limitation from 30 pages to 35 pages to allow offerors sufficient space to provide a compliant and compelling solution to each of the 18 Task Areas, including sub-tasks, in Section C as required by the proposal instructions? | The Government will not consider any changes to page limitations at this time. |
| 10 | Draft RFP | L | 144-147 |
and 148 L.8.1.1 through L.8.12 and
| L.8.6 | Section L.8.6, Relevant Experience, states: "the term "Offeror" is inclusive of the Prime Offeror, predecessor companies, key personnel, subcontractors, and teaming partners." Can the Government please confirm this definition of "Offeror" applies throughout the solicitation? | The term "Offeror" as defined in Sections L.8.6 and L.8.7 are specific to evaluating relevant experience and past performance. | |||||
| 11 | Draft RFP | L | 140 | L.8.6 | Would the Government consider adding two pages for a total of 3 pages per Relevant Experience in order for offerors to provide a narrative that articulates how the work is relevant to Sections C.4.2 through C.4.13? | The RFP has been amended increasing the page limitation for a total of three (3) pages per project. | |
| 12 | Draft RFP | L | 139 | L.6.3.2 | Will the government allow illustrations (e.g., graphs, charts, diagrams, tables, etc.) and their content to be in a font size smaller than 11-point font? | The RFP has been amended to reflect all illustrations and their content shall be eye-readable without the intervention of specialized equipment or a computer. | |
| 13 | Draft RFP | C | 29 | C.4.15 | Can the Government please confirm whether days or weeks referenced in the PWS, such as in C.4.3.7 Follow-Up and C.4.15 Client Satisfaction Surveys are business days or calendar days. | The RFP has been amended to reflect all referenced milestones and deadlines are in calendar days. | |
| 14 | Draft RFP | C | Many | Many | Several PWS paragraphs identify the number of sessions per client per issue. Please clarify if this is within a calendar year, contract period of performance, or in perpetuity. |
The RFP has been updated to reflect that clients have up to twelve (12) months to receive all benefits prescribed therein Section C from date of contract award, resetting thereafter for an additional twelve (12) months and continuing to reset every twelve (12) months throughout the life of the IDIQ contract.
| 15 | Draft RFP | C | 15 | C.4.2.1 | C.4.2.1 states: “…a toll-free, dedicated telephone number issued to each DHS Component which participates in this IDIQ contract. At the conclusion of the IDIQ contract, ownership of the toll-free telephone numbers/lines will be transferred to DHS. Components may port their existing toll-free phone lines to the Contractor, and the same provisions will remain.” | ||
| Can the Government confirm that current toll-free numbers allocated to each DHS Component will be available for porting to the contract awardee during the transition period? Or will the contract awardee need to establish new toll-free numbers to be assigned to each DHS Component? | The RFP has been updated to reflect that the Contractor is required to establish one toll-free dedicated number for DHS, and may be required to establish different phone numbers (or take ownership of an existing phone number) per DHS Component. | ||||||
| 16 | Draft RFP | C | 22 | C.4.12 | Please confirm the training delivered to DHS Managers and Supervisors can be virtual training. | Training may be conducted virtually, in person, or a combination thereof, and will be specified at the task order level. | |
| 17 | Attachment J.4 | N/A | N/A | N/A | Attachment J.4 contains a formula error in cell H43 (for CLIN 0005), H74 (for CLIN 0006), H103 (for CLIN 0007), and H140 (for CLIN 0011). These cells should contain the Government’s estimate for the respective CLINs. Please revise accordingly. | The subtotal for CLINs X005, X006, X007, and X011 are the average of all proposed labor rates and will be included in the Total Evaluated Price for award purposes. | |
| 18 | Draft RFP | C | 10 | C.4.2.1 | Toll-free Number: Is there an existing toll-free dedicated telephone number and if so, will this number be available to the contractor during transition to coordinate transfer, so it is operational on the first day of performance? | The RFP has been updated to reflect that the Contractor is required to establish one toll-free dedicated number for DHS, and may be required to establish different phone numbers (or take ownership of an existing phone number) per DHS Component. | |
| 19 | Draft RFP | C | 10 | C.4.2.5 | International Toll-Free Number: Is the International Toll-Free number established and will it be available to the contractor during transition to coordinate transfer, so it is operational on the first day of performance? | The RFP has been updated to reflect that the Contractor is required to establish one toll-free dedicated number for DHS, and may be required to establish different phone numbers (or take ownership of an existing phone number) per DHS Component. | |
| 20 | Draft RFP | C | 17 | C.4.3.1 | Affiliate Counselor Network, states "The Contractor shall maintain a large network of affiliate counselors, ensuring coverage in all locations where DHS employees work and live". Can the Government please provide a list of cities and states by component where DHS employees work and live? This is needed to ensure we have an adequate number of counselors to provide services within 15 miles of the employee's work or home. | The RFP has been amended to include DHS's employee count by city, state, and country. | |
| 21 | Draft RFP | C | 17 | C.4.3.1 | Remote Locations: Can the Government please provide a list of remote locations, by component, city, and state? | The RFP has been amended to include DHS's employee count by city, state, and country. | |
| 22 | Draft RFP | C | 17 | C.4.3.1 | Can the Government please define and identify what it considers are large metropolitan areas? | A metropolitan area is one that contains 50,000 or more inhabitants. | |
| 23 | Draft RFP | C | 17 | C.4.3.1 | Can the Government please provide the number of employees and family members to be supported by component at each DHS work site and where they live? This is necessary to ensure we have an adequate number of counselors to provide services at each location. | The RFP has been amended to include DHS's employee count by city, state, and country. | |
| 24 | Draft RFP | C | 17 | C.4.3.2 | Initial Face-to-Face Counseling: Are there any restrictions to where counselors will meet clients for face-to-face counseling? | In-person (i.e., face-to-face) counseling shall be conducted in accordance with industry best practices, applicable federal and state regulations, and with the consent of the client. | |
| 25 | Draft RFP | C | 17 | C.4.3.2 | Initial Face-to-Face Counseling: Is in home face-to-face counseling authorized? | Please see response to Question 24. | |
| 26 | Draft RFP | C | 17 | C.4.3.3 | For telehealth services, are there any prohibited virtual platforms the contractor can use? | The Contractor shall provide telehealth services in accordance with industry best practices, applicable federal and state regulations, and comply with all DHS information technology and security requirements. | |
| 27 | Draft RFP | C | 17 | C.4.3.3 | For telehealth services, are clients authorized to use their Government computer and are they authorized to receive services during their normal work day? | Clients may be authorized to use government-furnished equipment. Clients may also be authorized to receive services during their official tour of duty. | |
| 28 | Draft RFP | C | 18 | C.4.3.5 | Short-term Counseling/Problem Solving: For planning purposes, can the Government please provide historical data on the number of six sessions 60-minute EAP sessions vs 12 session 60-minute EAP sessions? | The number of 6-sessions and 12-sessions utilized are not tracked. |
The below utilization categories are what DHS currently has available:
Historic Utilization (Oct 20-Sep 21) *Initial Requests for Assistance- 21,667 *Clinical Cases-6559 *Training sessions-362 *Management Consultations-585 *Worklife Consultations-6890
| 29 | Draft RFP | C | 22 | C.4.12 | Task 12: Training: Can the Government confirm that the twelve (12) one-hour national training presentations and the four (4) EAP presentations aimed at managers and supervisors is administered remotely through video conferencing? | Training may be conducted virtually, in person, or a combination thereof, and will be specified at the task order level. |
| 30 | Draft RFP | C | 22 | C.4.12 | Task 12: Training: Can the Government identify who the audience is for the nine (9) presentations and confirm that these monthly presentations will be administered remotely through video conferencing? | The audience for these presentations will be DHS employees and/or eligible family members. |
| 31 | Draft RFP | C | 22 | C.4.12 | Task 12: Training: Can the Government please confirm who attends the twelve (12) national conferences? | The audience for these presentations will be DHS employees and/or eligible family members. |
| 32 | Draft RFP | C | 22 | C.4.12 | Are the trainings identified in Task 12 given to each component/agency separately or together? | The RFP has been amended to identify which training sessions apply to DHS as a whole and to individual DHS Components. |
| 33 | Draft RFP | C | 25 | C.4.13.1 | Elder Care Support: Can the Government please provide the minimum qualifications for the highly qualified professional care manager (PCM)? | The Government expects all Care Managers to meet one of the four minimum requirements as prescribed by the National Academy of Certified Care Managers (NACCM) at https://www.naccm.net/about-certification/eligibility/. |
The Government expects all Senior Home Safety Specialists to be certified by Age Safe America (https://agesafeamerica.com/certifications/).
| 34 | Draft RFP | C | - | C.1 | Can the government provide an employee count for Outside Continental US (OCONUS) by territory or country? | The RFP has been amended to include DHS's employee count by city, state, and country. |
| 35 | Draft RFP | C | - | C.4.1.3 | Are DHS Enterprise Architecture Compliance policies, standards, and procedures publicly accessible, or is access needed to review these requirements? | The RFP has been amended adding links to all publicly available documents. Any documents that are not publicly available will be shared with the Contractor after contract award. |
| 36 | Draft RFP | C | - | C.4.1.6 | Please confirm that a FedRAMP Authorization is only needed for the cloud-based infrastructure hosting the IT solutions (AWS) and is not needed for each individual IT component solution used to provide services (call center, case management system, website). | A FedRAMP authorization is only needed for the cloud-based infrastructure hosting the IT solution. |
| 37 | Draft RFP | C | - | C.4.1.6 | Please confirm that FedRAMP and not FedRAMP+ (for DoD with IL2 - IL4) is required. | The Government confirms that FedRAMP and not FedRAMP+ is required. |
| 38 | Draft RFP | C | - | C.4.11 | Please provide the number of group interventions conducted annually. Can these interventions be conducted virtually? | DHS does not currently track the number of group interventions conducted annually. Group interventions may be conducted virtually or in-person, and will be prescribed at the task order level. |
The below utilization categories are what DHS currently has available:
Historic Utilization (Oct 20-Sep 21) *Initial Requests for Assistance- 21,667 *Clinical Cases-6559 *Training sessions-362 *Management Consultations-585 *Worklife Consultations-6890
| 39 | Draft RFP | C | - | C.4.12 | Can the government confirm that training materials can be contractor branded? | The Contractor may brand training material with the approval from the Government. |
| 40 | Draft RFP | C | - | C.4.12 first para | Are the referenced training related to the IDIQ or future task orders? | All training shall be conducted at the task order level. |
| 41 | Draft RFP | C | - | C.4.12.1 to C.4.12.6 | Please confirm what training is aligned to the banks of hours described and whether the training outlined in this section includes all the subsequent sections. | The RFP has been amended to identify which training sessions apply to DHS as a whole and to individual DHS Components. |
| 42 | Draft RFP | C | - | C.4.12.1 to C.4.12.6 | Please confirm whether all training can be conducted virtually or in person. | Training may be conducted virtually, in person, or a combination thereof, and will be specified at the task order level. |
| 43 | Draft RFP | C | - | C.4.12.5 | Is training for specialized groups in addition to the training numbers outlined in C.4.12. | The RFP has been amended to reflect the training for specialized groups is in addition to the training prescribed therein Section C.4.12. |
| 44 | Draft RFP | C | - | C.4.13.1.c | Would the government consider allowing unlimited elder care support to be conducted virtually instead of requiring one in-person per year per employee? | No. Geriatric assessments and home safety inspections need to be conducted in-person and on-site. |
| 45 | Draft RFP | C | - | C.4.14.13 | Currently, a free tax filing service is included in one of the DHS components through a separate contract. Is it the government’s intention to retain the vendor that provides this service? | In accordance with DHS policy, all DHS Components shall obtain EAP and Work-Life support services from the IDIQ contract unless a waiver is approved. |
| 46 | Draft RFP | C | - | C.4.14.4 | Can the government provide health coaching utilization and the average number of sessions completed? | DHS does not currently track the health coaching utilization or average number of sessions completed. The below utilization categories are what DHS currently has available: |
Historic Utilization (Oct 20-Sep 21) *Initial Requests for Assistance- 21,667 *Clinical Cases-6559 *Training sessions-362 *Management Consultations-585 *Worklife Consultations-6890
| 47 | Draft RFP | C | - | C.4.14.4 | Is there a limit to the number of health coaching episodes a member can have in one year? | As prescribed therein Section C.4.14.4, the Contractor shall provide one initial assessment and up to twelve (12) follow-up sessions, which resets thereafter for an additional twelve (12) months from date of contact award. |
| 48 | Draft RFP | C | - | C.4.17.2 | Can the government provide the number of participants in management consultation, transition counseling, work-life services, legal, financial consultation, critical incident responses, group intervention, and training annually? | DHS does not currently track participation for each individual category. |
The below utilization categories are what DHS currently has available:
Historic Utilization (Oct 20-Sep 21) *Initial Requests for Assistance- 21,667 *Clinical Cases-6559 *Training sessions-362 *Management Consultations-585 *Worklife Consultations-6890
| 49 | Draft RFP | C | - | C.4.17.6 | Please confirm that the contractor’s website can be co-branded with the contractor's name and component-specific branding. | The Contractor may brand training material with the approval from the Government. |
| 50 | Draft RFP | C | - | C.4.2.1 | Industry-standard Average Speed of Answer (ASA) is usually 30 seconds. Would the government consider a 30-second ASA? | As prescribed therein Section C.4.2.1, "all calls shall be initially answered within 15 seconds and the Contractor shall manage the volume of calls to keep waiting time to less than one minute." Additionally, "all warm transfer wait times to other counselors shall be kept under 60 seconds." |
| 51 | Draft RFP | C | - | C.4.2.1 | Can the government provide the average number of EAP service requests submitted through the member website? | EAP service requests is a combination of telephonic and web-based requests. |
The below utilization categories are what DHS currently has available:
Historic Utilization (Oct 20-Sep 21) *Initial Requests for Assistance- 21,667 *Clinical Cases-6559 *Training sessions-362 *Management Consultations-585 *Worklife Consultations-6890
| 52 | Draft RFP | C | - | C.4.2.1 | Can the “out-bound telephonic follow-up contacts" also be accomplished by email outreach? | No |
| 53 | Draft RFP | C | - | C.4.2.1 | Is follow-up required for just counseling cases or all EAP requests? | The Contractor shall follow-up with clients on all counseling cases and any EAP requests that may need a follow-up. |
| 54 | Draft RFP | C | - | C.4.2.1 second para | Can the government clarify what "keep waiting time to less than one minute" when the previous sentence indicates "all calls shall be answered within 15 seconds"? | As prescribed therein Section C.4.2.1, "all calls shall be initially answered within 15 seconds and the Contractor shall manage the volume of calls to keep waiting time to less than one minute." Additionally, "all warm transfer wait times to other counselors shall be kept under 60 seconds." |
| 55 | Draft RFP | C | - | C.4.2.3 first para | Besides social security numbers and birthdates, is there other Personally Identifiable Information (PII) information contractors should not collect from a caller? | Section C.4.2.3 states "The Contractor shall not collect any other data from clients unless approved in writing by the COR." |
Following contract award, the Contractor shall collaboratively develop the intake script with each participating DHS Component.
| 56 | Draft RFP | C | - | C.4.3.1 | Will the government provide employee count by zip code to complete a provider geo access report? | The RFP has been amended to include DHS's employee count by city, state, and country. |
| 57 | Draft RFP | C | - | C.4.5 | Can the government provide the number of Dept of Transportation (DOT 49 CFR Part 40) regulated referrals annually? | DOT regulations cover the entire transportation industry and do not require EAP referrals; rather, the individual seeks out a substance abuse professional on their own. However, DHS employees are subject to DOT testing and are also covered by the Executive Order, therefore, they receive EAP referrals like any other federal civilian employee and would be part of the overall total. |
| 58 | Draft RFP | C | - | C.4.5.1 | Can the government provide the number of Drug-Free Workplace (DFWP) referrals annually (exclude DOT 49 CFR Part 40 referral) | The DFWG referred the following number of cases annually to EAP: |
2022-54 cases 2021-47 cases 2020-15 cases 2019-27 cases
| 59 | Draft RFP | C | - | C.4.6 | Please provide locations and the number of hours per week (full or part-time) the government would like for onsite EAP services. | EAP and Work-Life support services shall be provided as prescribed therein each task order thereunder the IDIQ contract. |
| 60 | Draft RFP | C | - | C.4.7 | Are the surveys and focus groups an internal process for DHS? What role does the EAP vendor play? | The Government may require the Contractor to develop, conduct, or facilitate surveys and/or focus groups as a part of providing enhanced management consulting services as prescribed therein each task order. |
| 61 | Draft RFP | C | - | C.9 | Can the government limit the signed NDA to dedicated employees? Would the government accept a corporate-level NDA for the prime and subs? | All dedicated contractor personnel shall sign an NDA. A corporate-level NDA is permissible for the prime and all teaming partners. |
| 62 | Draft RFP | L | - | L.8.1.1 | Regarding the link to an active EAP and Worklife website, can the government clarify whether they want a link with login information to experience the site like a member or simply a link to a public-facing, active website? | The RFP has been amended to reflect that the Offeror shall provide as a part of its proposal a sample link to a website to experience the website like a member. |
| 63 | Attachment J.4 | N/A | N/A | CLIN 0004-9004 | For EAP and Work-Life Services, can the government clarify “(32 Hours Per Month)”? | The 32 Hours Per Month is elective per component. If elected, on-site counseling would be available 32 hours per month to that component. |
| 64 | Attachment J.4 | N/A | N/A | CLIN 0006-9006 | Can the government clarify: "Enhanced Management Consultation Services (contractor site)”? | The RFP distinguishes for certain CLINs labor rates for services rendered at the government site versus services rendered at the contractor site. |
| 65 | Attachment J.4 | N/A | N/A | CLIN 0007-9007 | Can the government clarify "Enhanced Management Consultation Services (government site)”? | The RFP has been amended accordingly to clarify what Enhanced Management Consultation Services are. |
| 66 | Attachment J.4 | N/A | N/A | CLIN X002, X003, X012 | For CLIN X002, X003, and X012, would the government consider a tiered pricing approach based on the population? The benefit to the government is a cost savings as the population increases. | The Government will not consider a tiered pricing approach at this time. |
| 67 | Attachment J.4 | N/A | N/A | CLIN X008 | Would the government consider changing the UNIT measurement on CLIN X008 from “Per Employee” to “Per Visit?” The benefit to the government for this is only paying for each use as opposed to paying for every employee to have the availability to use Back-Up Dependent Care. | The RFP has been amended accordingly. |
| 68 | Draft RFP | G | - | G.2.5.1 | Will the three key personnel be required to be dedicated full-time to DHS? | The Government expects that all Key Personnel will be available to successfully meet all requirements prescribed therein Section G.2.5. |
| 69 | Draft RFP | G | - | G.2.3 | Will the government authorize decentralized ordering and Task Order management? | DHS Ordering Contracting Officers are authorized to award and administer task orders thereunder the IDIQ contract to meet their program office's specific requirements. |
| 70 | Draft RFP | G | - | G.2.3 | Will the IDIQ CO provide the contractor with a list of authorized Ordering Contracting Officers? | A list of authorized Ordering Contracting Officers may be provided to the Contractor after contract award. |
| 71 | Draft RFP | N/A | N/A | General | Will the government consider adding FAR 52.216-4 Economic Price Adjustment - Labor & Material? | The RFP has been amended adding FAR 52.216-4. |
| 72 | Draft RFP | N/A | N/A | General | If an applicant is on the GSA Schedule for the same services, do they need to stick to the quoted amounts on the schedule, or can they go off schedule? | Offerors are not required to limit proposed prices to any other contract vehicle's awarded labor rates. |
| 73 | Draft RFP | C | - | - | Does an applicant need to be NIST 800 certified prior to applying and if they are, does that favor them in the selection process? | No, Offerors are not required to be NIST 800 certified prior to submission of their proposals. Once a contract award is made, the Contractor shall be required to obtain an Authorization Decision and comply with all applicable Federal and DHS-specific information technology and security requirements. |
| 74 | Draft RFP | C | - | - | Do all subcontractors need to be NIST 800 certified? | The Contractor and all of its teaming partners, including subcontractors, shall comply with all applicable Federal and DHS-specific information technology and security requirements. |
| 75 | Draft RFP | C | - | - | Can drug and alcohol testing be subcontracted? | The Contractor is not required to conduct drug and alcohol testing thereunder the IDIQ contract. |
| 76 | Draft RFP | C | - | - | How will drug and alcohol testing be handled if outside of the continental U.S? | The Contractor is not required to conduct drug and alcohol testing thereunder the IDIQ contract. |
| 77 | Draft RFP | L | - | - | Are teaming agreements acceptable? | Yes, teaming arrangements are permitted in accordance with FAR Subpart 9.6. |
| 78 | Draft RFP | L | - | - | Do the key people need to be in place at the time of the bid? | Offerors shall include therein the proposal signed commitment letters for all key personnel. |
| 79 | N/A | N/A | N/A | General | Who is the incumbent? | DHS receives EAP and Work-Life support services through an Inter-Agency Agreement with HHS's FOH, and contracts with Deer Oaks and Espyr. |
| 80 | N/A | N/A | N/A | General | What is the current pricing model for the current contract? | The Government will not disclose the current pricing model of any of its contracts for EAP and Work-Life support services. |
| 81 | N/A | N/A | N/A | General | What has the utilization been on the current contract for: Training, Crisis response, Counselling | Please see response to Q3. |
| 82 | N/A | N/A | N/A | General | What are the current "stats" for utilization (i.e. reason codes)? | Please see response to Q3. |
| 83 | Draft RFP | C | - | - | If not requited to be NIST 800 certified prior to bidding will DHS provide funds to support in certification? | The first task order awarded thereunder the IDIQ contract will require the Contractor to obtain an Authorization Decision. The task order will obligate funds for this purpose. |
| 84 | Draft RFP | C | - | - | What is the estimate on how many safety sensitive drug and alcohol test need to be conducted each year, based on past usage? C2.1 Paragraph 8 | The Contractor is not required to conduct drug and alcohol testing thereunder the IDIQ contract. |
| 85 | Draft RFP | B | - | - | How many staff are stationed outside of the U.S. (OCONUS)? Sec B.2 | The RFP has been amended to include DHS's employee count by city, state, and country. |
| 86 | Draft RFP | B | - | - | When will the labor categories be listed? B5.2 Paragraph 2 | The labor categories identified therein Section B.5.2 shall be the labor categories proposed by the Successful Offeror. |
| 87 | N/A | N/A | N/A | General | Will the categories have to follow the Davis Bacon Act? | The Government does not anticipate the Davis Bacon Act applying to any labor categories. |
| 88 | Draft RFP | C | - | - | Under section C.3 it states: DHS HQ intends to place the initial Task Order against the resultant IDIQ to procure Information System Security Compliance Services in order to obtain an Authorization Decision (AD). Once DHS grants an AD and DHS agrees the system is available for use in production, DHS and its Components will be able to procure other EAP services as described at the task order level. |
| Does this task order apply to paying for the cybersecurity compliance of the contract to the awardee? | The initial task order will be funded accordingly depending on the Contractor's evaluated and awarded information technology enterprise architecture. | ||||||
| 89 | N/A | N/A | N/A | General | For planning purposes, what would be the initial task order that would be issued after award of the contract? | The initial task order awarded thereunder the IDIQ contract is for DHS to assess the Contractor's information technology enterprise architecture in accordance with DHS's Authorization Decision (AD) process. | |
| 90 | Draft RFP | C | - | - | How many dependents are covered by this contract? C.3 | DHS does not track the number of dependents of personnel. | |
| 91 | Draft RFP | C | - | - | Do you have a list of where on-site (C4.6) clinicians need to be located? | On-site clinicians shall be determined at the task order level. A list of all potential specific locations cannot be provided at this time; however, Offerors are advised that potential locations may be in any of the countries or states listed therein Attachment J.6 | |
| 92 | Draft RFP | G | - | - | Will task orders be issued for individual events, such as crisis response, training. trauma response and other unscheduled events? | Task orders may be awarded for individual events, reoccurring events, or a combination thereof. | |
| 93 | Draft RFP | C | - | - | If an employee is in the military, (C14 13.1 (e) is the first line of EAP assistance with the contractor and not the military? | First line service for active duty, uniformed personnel is military services. Civilian employees assigned to a military component will use EAP. | |
| 94 | Draft RFP | C | 20 | C.4.8 | TASK 8: PEER SUPPORT CONSULTATION SERVICES Page 20 section C.4.8: Are we able to utilize on-demand credentialed mental health coaches as a variation of peer-to-peer support? While our mental health coaching service is not technically peer-to-peer support, it follows major components of that model such as: | ||
| o | someone being there as a point of connection for a member 24/7/365...many of our members describe their interactions with their coach like chatting with a friend | ||||||
| o | empathetic listening | ||||||
| o | creating a safe, confidential environment to share feelings and struggles | ||||||
| o | setting goals together and then empowering members with tools to reach those goals | ||||||
| o | helping to identify other relevant resources available to the member and help connecting those dots | ||||||
| We are also currently developing a community support function in the form of groups and peer-to-peer. | The Contractor shall provide peer support consultation services to support DHS's peer support program as prescribed therein the task order. | ||||||
| 95 | Draft RFP | L | 147 | L.8.2 | Could you provide an example of the job title (s) you are looking for in this requirement? We would have a few different individuals assigned as main points of contact for the DHS account but they are primarily on the customer success, account management, and operations team. Then we will have a much larger team of mental health coaches, clinicians, and counselors (we have hundreds that are full-time W2 employees) that would provide support to DHS employees. This section mentions minimum education and accreditation requirements so we wanted to better understand what is considered key personnel as it relates here. | Offerors are required to identify and propose key personnel that can perform the requirements and have the minimum qualifications as prescribed therein Section G.2.5. | |
| 96 | Draft RFP | B | - | B.4 | You mention the funding of $26,000,000 at contract award coming from FY23 funds. Does that require one or more agencies to exercise prior to 10/1/2023 (the understood fiscal year)? |
Related, can you share the specific agency periods of performance with their current vendors? This will prepare the awarded vendor with a loose timeline for expected implementation, assuming option years are not exercised. The $26,000.00 is the minimum guarantee the Government is obligated for in the event the value of any one task order or combination of task orders does not exceed $26,000.00.
The Government anticipates awarding the IDIQ contract in FY23 with the first task order awarded thereunder shortly thereafter contract award.
| 97 | Draft RFP | C | C.4.2.5 | With International Clients, how does the government want to handle needs that go beyond a telephone conversation with a counselor? Is this a referral to State or will there need to be a plan in place to leverage in-country counseling resources? | The Contractor will need to develop a plan to leverage in-country resources. |
| 98 | Draft RFP | C | C.4.6 | Optional Onsite EAP Services. How will the government make a determination about both the need for this service and funding it? Will the awarded vendor work in tandem with DHS to determine needs across the agency? Is it safe to assume the $180,000,000 funding over the life of the project includes the opportunity for onsite EAP services? | All EAP and Work-Life support services, including mandatory and optional services, shall be identified, awarded, and provided at the task order level. The maximum order of $180,000,000.00 is inclusive of all services rendered thereunder the IDIQ contract at the task order level. |
| 99 | Draft RFP | C | C.4.1.13.1 | The Financial Consultation duration per issue has changed from prior iterations of this procurement. Previously, it was a 30-minute consultation. What factors did the government consider when changing this requirement? | DHS currently receives EAP and Work-Life support services from more than one contractor and the requirements vary from one contract to another. As such, DHS determined it to be in its best interest to require a 1-hour telephonic financial consultation per new issue to meet the collective needs of DHS. |
| 100 | Draft RFP | B | B.3 | Is this a new or existing requirement? If existing, can you provide the contract number and incumbent vendor name for this requirement? | DHS receives EAP and Work-Life support services through an Inter-Agency Agreement with HHS's FOH, and contracts with Deer Oaks and Espyr. |
| 101 | Draft RFP | B | B.4 | How much did DHS spend on EAP services? FY 22 and FY 21? | DHS spend for EAP services over the last three years is approximately $25M. Offerors are hereby advised that this historical data does not include all of the requirements and services prescribed therein Section C. |
| 102 | Draft RFP | C | C.1 | Can DHS provide zip codes of locations? We will provide a map to illustrate where service providers are in our affiliate network. | The RFP has been amended to include DHS's employee count by city, state, and country. |
| 103 | Draft RFP | C | C.4.6 | Does DHS currently have onsite clinicians with their current provider? | Some DHS Components currently have on-site clinicians. |
| 104 | Draft RFP | C | C.4.10.1 | Can you provide the number of Onsite response critical incident responses: FY22 and FY21 | DHS does not currently track onsite critical incident responses. |
The below utilization categories are what DHS currently has available:
Historic Utilization (Oct 20-Sep 21) *Initial Requests for Assistance- 21,667 *Clinical Cases-6559 *Training sessions-362 *Management Consultations-585 *Worklife Consultations-6890
| 105 | Draft RFP | C | C.4.14.1 | How many occurrences or the usage associated with Emergency Back-Up Dependent Care: FY22 and FY21 | Emergency back-up care is relatively new for DHS. Currently HQ, FEMA, CBP, USCIS, and CISA are participating. There has been increased utilization since the pandemic, as HQ has gone from 124 in FY21, to 180 in FY22, and is projecting 400 In FY23. Similarly, other Components have realized increased usage as FEMA had 125 visits in FY22 and is projecting 400 visits in FY23; CBP had 2,300 in FY22 and is projecting 3,700 visits in FY23; USCIS had 950 visits in FY22 and is projecting 1,450 visits in FY23; CISA recently launched their program and is projecting 100 visits in FY23. |
| 106 | Draft RFP | C | C.4.18 | Can you provide a copy of DHS’s Quarterly utilization reports: FY22 and FY21 |
I’m looking a geographical breakdown of EAP services across your locations
| Please see response to Q3. | ||||||
| 107 | General | N/A | N/A | N/A | What is the anticipated effective date of EAP services? | Please see response to Q96. |
| 108 | General | N/A | N/A | N/A | Please provide us with full utilization reports from the last 3 years along with current rates? | The below utilization categories are what DHS currently has available: |
Historic Utilization (Oct 20-Sep 21) *Initial Requests for Assistance- 21,667 *Clinical Cases-6559 *Training sessions-362 *Management Consultations-585 *Worklife Consultations-6890
| 109 | General | N/A | N/A | N/A | Are all services outlined in the DHS RFP document provided by the incumbent provider? | DHS receives EAP and Work-Life support services through an Inter-Agency Agreement with HHS's FOH, and contracts with Deer Oaks and Espyr. |
| 110 | General | N/A | N/A | N/A | Why are they replacing ComPsych? Are there service issues they are looking to solve, or they are at contract end (e.g., 5 year contract + 5 year options + 6 months extension)? | DHS does not currently receive EAP and Work-Life support services solely from one contractor. DHS determined it to be in its best interest to standardize its requirements. |
| 111 | General | N/A | N/A | N/A | What was the health fair attendance for the last few years – locations, number of days/hours and staffing? | DHS does not have attendance rates for prior health fairs and attendance will vary depending on the DHS Component. Offerors are advised that health fairs have been conducted virtually the past few years, but may be on-site as determined at the task order level. |
| 112 | General | N/A | N/A | N/A | Is there a separate services capabilities questionnaire? | The RFP does not reference a "Services Capabilities Questionnaire". |
| 113 | Draft RFP | N/A | N/A | N/A | Can you clarify that it is acceptable for non-licensed individuals to answer the phone as long as licensed counselors are available. There seems to be a variety of options, licensed, non-licensed and admin. |
Non-licensed contractor personnel may answer calls; however, the Contractor shall comply with all wait/transfer requirements and ensure all services are rendered by licensed personnel.
| 114 | Draft RFP | B | 2 | B.1 | Please confirm that appropriated funds are part of the DHS and not part of the EAP. | All task orders shall be funded with appropriations available for obligation purposes at time of task order award. | |
| 115 | Draft RFP | B | 2 | B.3 | they note a single award to an offeror; must all services be provided by the offeror (e.g., include emergency back-up dependent care)? | Yes, the Government will award a Single-Award IDIQ contract to the Offeror that can provide all the services and meet all of the requirements prescribed therein the RFP. | |
| 116 | Draft RFP | C | 5 | C.2.1 | Federal EAPs are established in accordance with the following public laws (PL): PL 79-658 authorizes the establishment of health programs to promote and maintain the physical and mental fitness of Federal employees; PL 91-616 and PL 92-255 requires Federal agencies to make available alcoholism and drug abuse programs to Federal employees. | ||
| a. | Please confirm that this statement references coordinating medical/behavioral benefits. | ||||||
| Yes. This statement references coordinating medical/health benefits. | |||||||
| 117 | Draft RFP | C | 6 | C.2.2 | Are there hard requirements in regards to the services for EAP vs blanket requirements? | ||
| a. | DHS 4300A Sensitive Systems Handbook | ||||||
| b. | NIST Special Publication NIST 800-53A Security and Privacy Controls for Federal Information Systems and Organizations. | ||||||
| c. | NIST Special Publishing 800-171r2 | ||||||
| d. | Department of Defense (DoD) Manual 5200.01, Volume 4, Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) |
The Contractor shall comply with all applicable sections therein DHS 4300A, Information Technology System Security Program, Sensitive Systems; NIST Special Publication 800-53A, Assessing Security and Privacy Controls in Federal Information Systems and Organizations: Building Effective Assessment Plans; NIST Special Publication 800-171r2, Protecting Controlled Unclassified Information in Nonfederal Systems and Organizations; and, DoD Manual 5200.01 Volumes 1-3, in addition to all requirements prescribed therein the RFP and resultant IDIQ contract.
| 118 | Draft RFP | C | 13 | C.4.1.6 | a. | Do affiliates need to meet FedRamp requirements? | |
| b. | Is FedRAMP certification or Federal ATO required to qualify? | ||||||
| c. | Is Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2 required? | ||||||
| d. | Is cloud required as defined in Federal Cloud Computing Strategy? | ||||||
| A service hosted on a FedRAMP authorized service (IaaS/PaaS) does not translate to the hosted service (SaaS) also being authorized. Hosted SaaS Cloud Service Offerings (CSO) must receive individual FedRAMP authorization for use in the federal government. This is also strictly tied to whether, or not, government data or government system information (network info) is being leveraged by any cloud service on behalf of government (this also includes 3rd party services leveraged by other FedRAMP authorized cloud service providers on behalf of government). The Contractor shall follow DHS data leaving the boundary to determine if a service needs to be FedRAMP authorized. | |||||||
| 119 | Draft RFP | C | 15 | C.4.2.1 | How much call volume is expected for bandwidth under the following expectations? “The Contractor’s telecommunications infrastructure shall be capable of supporting additional call volume, due to surge in the event of a major disaster.” | This can not be predicted. The Contractor shall be prepared to scale their infrastructure to meet international, national, state, and local needs. | |
| 120 | Draft RFP | C | 16 | C.4.2.2 | Define “Key Personnel” and expectations of this position. | The Government expects that all Key Personnel will be available to successfully meet all requirements prescribed therein Section G.2.5. | |
| 121 | Draft RFP | C | 16 | C.4.2.3 | As part of our services, we would have to collect other data in order to provide services. Is this a hard requirement? | ||
| a. | “The Contractor shall NOT collect any other data from clients unless approved in writing by the COR.” | ||||||
| b. | “The Contractor shall NOT collect names, social security numbers (SSNs), or birthdates.” | ||||||
| If the Contractor requires to obtain data other than what is prescribed therein Section C.4.2.3, the Contractor shall acquire approval from the Government, including any Personally Identifiable Information (PII). | |||||||
| 122 | Draft RFP | C | 17 | C.4.2.5 | In reference to international employees, please identify the full list of countries that EAP services would be required along with the number of lives outside of the United States. | The RFP has been amended to include DHS's employee count by city, state, and country. | |
| 123 | Draft RFP | C | 17 | C.4.3.1 | Are we required to have an affiliate network world-wide with resources living in each country and speaking multiple languages besides English and Spanish? | ||
| c. | “The Contractor shall maintain a large network of affiliate counselors, ensuring coverage in all locations where DHS employees work and live.” | ||||||
| i. | “U.S. overseas employees and their eligible family members stationed elsewhere must be able to talk with a counselor 24/7 via telephone by either calling an international toll-free number, or calling the Contractor collect.” | ||||||
| No, the Contractor is not required to have resources living in each country and speaking multiple languages other than English and Spanish. | |||||||
| 124 | Draft RFP | C | 20 | C.4.6 | Please clarify expectations for onsite EAP clinicians. Specifically number of locations, number of hours per week, and number of clinicians at each location. | All EAP and Work-Life support services, including on-site clinicians, shall be identified, awarded, and provided at the task order level. | |
| 125 | Draft RFP | C | 20 | C.4.6 | Please clarify the meaning of “optional” in regards to onsite EAP services. | Some DHS Components may choose to have an EAP clinician(s) physically located onsite at a specific location(s) to provide services. | |
| 126 | Draft RFP | C | 21 | C.4.8 | Please provide your definition of “peer support member”. | A Peer Support Member (PSM) is a trained and certified DHS employee performing a collateral duty to assist DHS employees and eligible family members in need of support. | |
| 127 | Draft RFP | C | 21 | C.4.9 | can you provide more detail on Transition counseling and expectations for this. | For example, the Contractor may be required to provide transition counseling services when a DHS Component goes through an organizational change that may have a major physical, psychological and/or geographical impact on DHS personnel. | |
| 128 | Draft RFP | C | 27 | C.4.14.1 | Emergency Back-up Dependent Care: How is this provided today? What are the locations, number of days/hours and staffing utilized in the last several years? | See response to Q105. | |
| 129 | Draft RFP | C | 28 | C.4.14.3 | Tax Filing Support and Consultation: How is this provided today? What are the locations, number of days/hours and staffing utilized in the last several years? | Currently, the USCG utilizes this service. Due to the complex nature of this service, particularly at the state-level, DHS does not track the requested data. | |
| 130 | Draft RFP | C | 32 | C.4.17.7 | In providing EAP services, a number of these controls do not apply. Are they still required? | ||
| d. | “Contractor will ensure that the mobile application complies with DHS security requirements” | ||||||
| The Contractor shall comply with all DHS policies and procedures as prescribed therein the IDIQ contract, including providing a mobile application. | |||||||
| 131 | Draft RFP | G | 52 | G.2.5.3 | Is the Contractor required to follow all DHS policies and procedures or will the Offeror's policies and procedures be accepted? | ||
| e. | “The contractor shall ensure that all documentation leverages approved templates, forms, regulations, and methods. | ||||||
| f. | The contractor shall continuously update all security documentation, as necessary, to ensure that all information is current and that the templates, forms, regulations, and methods stay current with updates and changes in appropriate laws, regulations, mandates, directives, policies, or controls applicable towards a U.S. Federal Department / Agency throughout the lifecycle of the system. | ||||||
| g. | The contractor shall work with stakeholders to assign resources and establish timelines to ensure the successful Security Authorization of a system. | ||||||
| h. | The contractor shall ensure that all Security Authorization documentation is delivered in a timely manner and will not negatively impact the Authority to Operate (ATO) or system go live date. |
| i. | The contractor shall document all relevant NIST Publications (continuously current version), Office of Management and Budget (OMB) A-123 security controls, and DHS ”4300A/B/C (continuously current version) security controls, hardening / configuration guidance, and/or applicable departmental practices and procedures. | ||||||
| The Contractor shall comply with all DHS policies and procedures as prescribed therein the IDIQ contract. | |||||||
| 132 | Draft RFP | K | - | K.1 | Is this a form to be completed? If so, can it be provided in PDF to better understand the question and answer options? | Offerors can convert the file from word to PDF and submit the attachment in PDF. The RFP has been amended to clarify this. | |
| 133 | General | N/A | N/A | N/A | The stated NAICS Code for this opportunity is 624190 - Other Individual and Family Services, Size Standard (5-Year Average Annual Revenue) of $16.0 Million. Based upon the requirements for this opportunity, and availability of small business partners with directly relevant skills and experience for this work, we are respectfully requesting that the following NAICS code with a higher Size Standard be allowed for small business subcontracting as either the primary NAICS code or as a secondary approved NAICS code. We understand the following NAICS code has been used in the past for this contract. |
| • | 541612 - Human Resources Consulting Services, Size Standard (5-Year Average Annual Revenue) of $29.0 million. | |||||
| The Government does not intend to make any changes to the NAICS code prescribed therein the RFP at this time. | ||||||
| 134 | Draft RFP | L | 144 | L.7.7 | The draft RFP states “Contractor Team Arrangement” means an arrangement in which two or more companies form a Partnership or Joint Venture to act as a potential Prime Contractor (see FAR Paragraph 9.601(1)); or, a potential Prime Contractor agrees with one or more other companies to have them act as its Subcontractor(s) under a specified Government contract or acquisition program (see FAR Paragraph 9.601(2)).” |
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