Amendment 1 SAQMMA11R0001 QAs.docx

SAQMMA11R0001: Amendment A001 Questions and Answers (Q&As)

1. Q: Is there an incumbent for this solicitation? If so, what is the company name, contract duration and contract value?

A: This 8(a) competition follows a 5-year contract (SAQMPD05C1206) for similar effort awarded to Catapult Technology, Ltd. of Bethesda, MD. This current contract has an approximate value of $60M and expires 2/21/2011. Catapult Technology has graduated from the 8(a) program.

2. Q: In the interests of not unduly limiting competition, would the government consider relaxing the requirement so that: (1) The listed certifications are preferred but not required at time of contract award, or (2) Certifications are not required at time of contract award but the exercise of future option years is dependent upon obtaining certifications over an agreed-upon time frame?

A: No, the ISO requirements remain. However, by Amendment A001 to the solicitation, the requirement is clarified to be satisfied by the contractor team as a whole, not necessarily just by the prime contractor.

3. Q: The solicitation indicates questions must be received within 10 days of the RFP release. The solicitation did not indicate calendar or business days to allow for the offeror to surmise the actual date required. Please confirm the actual date for the questions.

A: The 10-day period for questions is calendar days, making the deadline close-of- business (5:00pm) on Monday, November 8, 2010.

4. Q: In the solicitation documentation, the Appendix C.4 - Network Topology FINAL.pdf document has nothing in the actual PDF in terms of a VISIO file. Could it be possible to get the actual VSD file from you?

A: The file is here: It requires Microsoft Office Visio Viewer 2007 (12.0.6513.5000) or later for viewing. The latest viewer supported by Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 5 through 8 can be downloaded and installed from the following link:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=f9ed50b0%2Dc7df%2D4fb8%2D89F8%2Ddb2932e624f7

5. Q: Appendix C.3 refers to circuit information, where may we see this information?

A: This information may be seen by prior appointment only via email request to David R. Marr, Contract Specialist, at marrdr@state.gov.

6. Q: There are several appendices (B.4, C.5, D.5, and E.4) that address facility locations and corresponding personnel at these locations. Are these Government personnel supported by this contract? Are any of these personnel contractors working under this contract?

A: All listed sites are government-run sites to be supported by this contract effort. Note that in appendices B.4, C.5, D.5 and E.4, second tab, “Field, Residence and Satellite” sites are currently supported by four regional contractor technicians.

7. Q: How many Full Time Equivalent personnel are working on this contract currently?

A: Seventy-eight (78) contractor FTEs.

8. Q: What is the primary place(s) of duty for contract employees?

A: The primary place of duty for contractor personnel will be State Annex 20 (SA-20) at 1801 N. Lynn Street in Arlington, VA.

9. Q: Are any of the contract employee positions located OCONUS as a primary place of duty?

A: No, all contract employee primary duty locations are located in CONUS.

10.Q: The RFP instructions Section L provide maximum page count for some proposal sections but not others.

a. Technical/Management Proposal Volume I (Page count not specified) Page 51 Tab 1 L.8.1 Cover Letter/ Exec Sum (3 pages) Page 51 Tab 2 L.8.2 Program Management/Quality Control Solutions (100 pages) Page 51 Tab 3 L.8.3 Contractor WBS (Page count not specified) Page 52 Tab 4 L.8.4 Organizational Structure and Staffing (Page count not specified) Page 52 Tab 5 L.8.5 Key Management Personnel (Page count not specified) Page 52 Tab 6 L.8.6 Quality Control Plan (Page count not specified) Page 53 Tab 7 L.8.7 Ability to Recruit, Train, and Retain High quality Personnel (10 pages) p. 53 Tab 8 L.8.8 Transition Plan (5 pages) Page 53 Tab 9 L.8.9 Agreements (Page count not specified) Page 53 L.8.10 Past Performance (8 pages) Page 54

Please confirm page counts or unlimited pages where not specified.

A: The RFP is amended in Section L.8 to show the following:

Technical/Management Proposal Volume I Tab 1 L.8.1 Cover Letter/ Exec Sum (Page Limit 3) Tab 2 L.8.2 Program Management/Quality Control Solutions (100 pages) Tab 3 L.8.3 Contractor WBS (Page Limit 50) Tab 4 L.8.4 Organizational Structure and Staffing (Page Limit 25) Tab 5 L.8.5 Key Management Personnel (No Page Limit) Tab 6 L.8.6 Quality Control Plan (Page Limit 50) Tab 7 L.8.7 Ability to Recruit, Train, and Retain High quality Personnel (10 pages) Tab 8 L.8.8 Transition Plan (5 pages) Tab 9 L.8.9 Agreements (No Page Limit) Tab 10L.8.10 Past Performance (8 pages)

11.Q: Instructions for Volume I call for Tabs 1-9 with corresponding paragraphs L.8.1 through L.8.9. There is no Tab 10 but there is a paragraph L.8.10 Past performance with a page limit of 8 pages. Should there be a Tab 10 for Volume I? Page 54 A: Yes. Please see the response to questions nos. 10 and 22.

12.Q: Volume II, Technical Solution does not have a page limitation, is this correct? Page 55 A: This is correct. Volume II has no page limit.

13.Q: Does the 2 page limit on the KMP resumes include letters of commitment? Page 53 A: No. Letters of commitment shall be no more than 1 page. Included with a resume, which has a 2-page limit, it would make each individual package no more than 3 pages.

14.Q: In Section L.8 you mention Key Management Personnel and in L.9 you mention Key Technical Personnel. Are these the same individuals?

A: No. These are not necessarily the same individuals.

15.Q: Vol I instructions (page 50) direct that the SF 33 and amendments be included there, but they are also to be included in Vol III (page 57). Do you want them in both places?

A: No, not in both places. The SF-33 solicitation cover page and signed amendments should be included in Volume III only. The solicitation is amended to correct this.

16.Q: Vol I instructions (page 50) direct that the Reps and Certs. Section K be included there but they are also to be included in Vol III (page 57). Do you want them in both places?

A: No, not in both places. The Reps and Certs information should be provided in Volume III only. The solicitation is amended to correct this.

17.Q: RFP Section L.3, Paragraph Status of Property Management System, Page 49. Should the offeror include this information in Volume III Pricing/Cost?

A: Yes, information regarding the status of offeror’s property management systems should be provided in Volume III, Pricing/Cost. The solicitation is amended to request this.

18.Q: RFP Section L.5, Paragraph Letters of Commitment (Subcontractors), Page 49. Should Letters of Commitment (Subcontractors) be included after the Section for Joint Venture Partnerships in Volume III Pricing/Cost?

A: Yes, subcontracting letters of commitment should be provided in Volume III, Pricing/Cost after the section for Joint Venture Partnerships. The solicitation is amended to correct this.

19.Q: RFP Section L.6, Paragraph Information to Support Consent to Major Subcontractors, Page 49. Should the Information to Support Consent to Major Subcontractors be included after the Section for Letters of Commitment in Volume III Pricing/Cost?

A: Yes, Support Consent to Major Subcontractors should be provided in Vol III, Pricing/Cost after the section for Subcontracting Letters of Commitment. The solicitation is amended to correct this.

20.Q: RFP Section L.7, Paragraph Proposal Preparation Instructions and Formatting, Page 50. Should the Certification Statement “The Offeror shall provide a certification that the hardcopy version of the proposal is exactly the same as the electronic version” be included as part of the Cover Letter?

A: Yes, the solicitation is amended to request that this certification be included in the Cover Letter submitted in Volume I.

21.Q: RFP Section M.5.2(e), Paragraph Program Management/Quality Control Solution. Page 62. The referenced section refers to the Risk Assessment and Mitigation Plan (RAMP); however, this is not referenced in Section L. Should the offeror add Tab 10 – RAMP to Volume I?

A: No. Offeror’s RAMP should be included in Volume I’s Tab 2 - Program Management/Quality Control Solution as part of the 100 pages for that tab.

22.Q: RFP Section L.8, Paragraph Technical/Management Proposal (Volume I), Page 51 and Section L.8.10, Paragraph Past Performance, Page 54: Section L.8.10 refers to the Past Performance section as part of Volume I. Should the offeror add Tab 11 - Past Performance?

A: No, Past Performance information as requested in Para. L.8.10 (p.54) should be provided as Tab 10 to Volume I. The solicitation is amended to add Tab 10 - Past Performance to Para. L.8 for inclusion in Volume I. See also the response to question no. 10.

23.Q: RFP Section L.7, Paragraph Proposal Preparation Instructions and Formatting, Page 50. The Volume I will contain the signed Standard Form 33 and RFP Amendments, Section K Representations and Certification, points of reference of Past Performance, and Joint Venture/Subcontractor agreements as applicable. The SF 33 and Amendments, Section K Representations and Certifications, and Joint Venture partnerships are shown in Sections L.10.4-L.10.6 on in Volume III on Page 57. Should the offeror assume that these sections should remain in Volume III and be removed from Volume I? Should the offeror add points of reference of Past Performance to the Past Performance Tab? Does the Government wish to have Agreements in Volume I Tab 9 and in Volume III (as stated in L.10.6 Joint Venture Partnerships, Page 57)?

A: Amendment A001 deletes the requirement to include the SF-33, amendments, and Section K Reps and Certs in Volume I. They remain required in Volume III. As indicated, Agreements should be in both Volume 1, Tab 9 and in Volume III under Joint Venture Partnerships.

24.Q: RFP Section L.8.3, Paragraph Contractor WBS, Page 52. Should the offeror assume that there are no page restrictions on this section?

A: No, there is a 50 page limit for Vol. I, Tab 3. See answer to question no. 10.

25.Q: RFP Section L.8.4, Paragraph Organizational Structure and Staffing, Page 52. Should the offeror assume that there are no page restrictions on this section?

A: No, there is a 25 page limit for Vol. I, Tab 4. See answer to question no. 10.

26.Q: RFP Section L.8.5, Paragraph Key Management Personnel, Pages 52 - 53. Should the offeror assume that there are no page restrictions on the section that specifies: “Identify the minimum qualifications and experience of the proposed Key management personnel. Provide a staffing plan that describes the experience of proposal key personnel and how the project will be staffed to meet the performance standards contained in the Work Statement and attachments…” A: Yes. There are no page limits on that section.

27.Q: Section L.8.6, Paragraph Quality Control Plan (QCP), Page 53. Should the offeror assume that there are no page restrictions on this section?

A: No, there is a 50 page limit for Vol. I, Tab 6. See answer to question no. 10.

28.Q: RFP Section L.9, Paragraph Volume II: Technical Solution, Pages 55-56; SOO; and Appendices 1-A through 1-E. The SOO document shows an Organizational framework based on Operations, Systems Integration, Security, and the Office of Foreign Missions. Appendices 1-A through 1-E SOO documents show a Service Delivery framework based on Cross Functional Services. The RFP Section L instructions only refer to Operations, Systems Integration, and Security (Office of Foreign Missions is missing) but do not address the Service Delivery SOOs. Would the Government prefer the offeror develop the PWS, SLAs, and Technical Approach based on the Service Delivery framework (Appendices 1-A through 1-E)? If so, would the Government consider restructuring Volume II Technical Solution to correspond to the Service Delivery framework identified in Appendices 1-A through 1-E?

A: The offeror is expected to develop the PWS, SLAs, and technical approach based on the Service delivery framework (Appendices 1-A through 1-E). The government will not restructure Volume II, Technical Solution.

29.Q: Appendix 1-A, Cross Functional Services Paragraph 1.1 Cross Functional Services Overview, Page 1. Figure 1 shows an Additional SOO area, Application Services (sub-set). Would the Government please provide the SOO document for this area?

A: The Applications Services (Sub-Set) identified in figure 1 is intended to be managed on a Time and Material (T&M) emergent task basis. No SOO document is currently available for the Applications Services (Sub-Set).

30.Q: RFP Section L.10, Paragraph Pricing/Cost Proposal (Volume III), Pages 56-58. Should the offeror assume that there are no Tabs for this section?

A: Offerors are encouraged to present their Volume III information in a clear and organized manner. However, no Tabs are prescribed or prohibited for doing so.

31.Q: Proposals are due Dec 06, 2010 1:00 pm Eastern, with questions to be submitted by November 8th. That provides less than 30 days for the government to respond to questions and vendors to adjust their proposal, if needed. Will the government consider an extension on the submission date?

A: Amendment A001 extends the date and time for when proposals are due to 20 December 2010, 1:00 p.m. local time.

32.Q: For Volume 1, Tab 2- the Program Management/Quality Control Solution has a page limit of 100- should this have read 10?

A: No, a page limit of 100 is correct for Vol. 1, Tab 2.

33.Q: Page Limits B-:Volume I: Technical Proposal lists some page count restrictions but is silent on others. Is your intent to leave these submission lengths to the discretion of the bidder?

A: No. Please see the government’s answer to question no. 10.

34.Q: Personnel Resumes: In Volume 1 Tab 5 and Tab 6 - both reference Key Technical Personnel resumes as (2pg per resume). Do you want resumes in both volumes or does skill summary suffice for Vol 1.

A: As indicated, resumes for Key Management Personnel should be provided in Vol. 1, Tab 5. Resumes for Key Technical Personnel should be provided in Vol. II, Tab 6.

35.Q: Corporate Facility Clearance- If the company currently has an interim TS clearance with anticipation of final upon or shortly after award, is that acceptable?

A: The DD-254 of the solicitation requires a Top Secret facilities clearance “prior to contract performance.” This does not mean that an offeror must have a Top Secret clearance at time of award. The government may delay or limit the awardee’s contract performance and/or payment until such time as all contract security requirements are met. Currently, an interim TS facilities clearance would be acceptable for award and for contract performance up to the point of SCI access requirements.

36.Q: RFP Section L.8.7, Paragraph 2, Page 53 shows paragraph c. requirements but doesn’t have paragraph letters a. and b. requirements. Were those accidentally left out? Are there additional requirements that should be listed?

A: There are no a. and b. requirements, but the para. c. requirement for retention statistics remains. The solicitation is amended to correct this.

37.Q:How many contractor personnel are needed for this effort? What are the required positions for this contract, and the qualifications for each position?

A: This information should be provided in the offeror’s proposal, based on the offeror’s technical and management approach/solution.

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DS Network.vsd

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Field Site Router

MPLS BGP WAN

Site 2 7606

T3

T3 7606

T3 7603 H3/0/0

OpenNet Lan Users:11

PC:10

Encryptor

LAN Switch