SAQMMA14R0042 _Questions_and_Answers_(Round_1).pdf

Question & Answers (Round 1) SAQMMA14R0042

Links Section A Section B Section C Section D Section E Section F Section G Section H Section I

Section J Section K Section L Section M Attachment 1 Attachment 2 Attachment 3 Attachment 4 Attachment 5

Attachment 6 Attachment 7 Attachment 8 Attachment 9 Attachment 10 Attachment 11 Attachment 12 Attachment 13 Exhibit 1

Exhibit 1a Exhibit 2 Exhibit 2a Exhibit 3 Exhibit 4 Exhibit 4a Exhibit 4b Exhibit 5

Section B

B-1

Reference: B.4.2.5 Uniforms, page 11 of 178; H.8.4 Uniforms, page 75 of 178; Exhibit 2, TO 002 Food Services RFP and SOO, para 6.0, sub-para Food Worker Health, Sanitation and Hygiene, footnote 3, page 26 of 30

QUESTION: RFP Section B.4.2.5 infers uniform costs are allowed. RFP Section H.8.4 infers uniform costs are not allowed.

Will the Government please clarify the ambiguity between the three references?

Answer: The Contractor shall provide uniforms to its food workers. With the exception of TO-002 food workers, it is for the Contractor to determine whether or not employees will be provided with uniforms.

As discussed in Section B.4.2.5 of the IDIQ RFP, all costs associated with uniforms shall be included in hourly labor rates (see Sections B.4.2, L.16.4.2.3, and Attachment 8).

B-2

Reference: Pg 8, Section B.1, paragraph #2, and pg 16, Section C.1, paragraph 3

QUESTION: Please clarify if Camp Alvarado and Herat (including Camp Kodiak) are included in the initial scope of locations to be covered.

The RFP indicates the locations to be covered are “Kabul Embassy Complex, which includes the Kabul Embassy Compound (East and West) and the sites currently known as Camp Eggers, Camp Seitz and Camp Sullivan.

Limited services will also be required initially in Herat.”

However, pg 16, Section C.1, paragraph 3, indicates “DOS sites within Kabul include the US Embassy compound (East and West), Camp Eggers, Camp Seitz, Camp Sullivan and Camp Alvarado. Additional Mission Afghanistan sites may include, but are not limited to, the following: Consulate General Herat and supporting facilities (including Camp Kodiak)”.

Answer: The scope of the locations covered by ALiSS includes any and all locations in Afghanistan. The task orders to be awarded in response to this RFP require performance in Kabul and Herat. Within Kabul, services are required at the Embassy, Camp Seitz, Camp Sullivan, and Camp Eggers. (Camp Eggers services are built into the task orders as options to be exercised once the camp is fully constructed.) In Herat, the TO-005 required individuals will be working at the Consulate General.

Section C

C-1

Reference: C.5 Standard Work Week, page 44 of 178

QUESTION: The holiday schedule posted is for 2013. Will the Government please provide the 2014 schedule?

Answer: The link cited in Section C.5 has been updated. The link will take offerors to the 2014 schedule.

C-2

Reference: C.4.1.4.1 General Embassy Support Services and C.4.1.4.2 Regional Security Office (RSO) Support Service, pages 37 and 38 of 178

QUESTION: Regarding the augmentation positions listed as General Embassy Support Services in the referenced paragraphs.

Are any of these positions deemed critical where on-compound housing will be provided by the USG?

Answer: Critical personnel are identified at the task order level. The task order will identify whether the support services personnel are deemed critical or not.

C-3

Reference: C.4.1.3.1.2

QUESTION: C.4.1.3.1.2 Capabilities by Type – “All primary care providers shall hold current credentials in trauma care (e.g. ATLS, CALS or equivalent) and cardiac care (ACLS or equivalent).” Do Physician Assistants or Nurse Practitioners require ATLS?

Answer: Yes.

Section H

H-1

Reference: H.30 Pre-deployment Counter Terrorism Training, page 108 of 178

QUESTION: Will the Government please clarify if ANs and TCNs hired in country, e.g. incumbent personnel, must attend Pre-deployment Counter Terrorism Training if they do not possess a certificate?

If yes, do they have to return to CONUS to obtain the training?

Answer: All AN and TCNs must complete the FAR 52.2215-19 identified training, as discussed in Section H.30. The Government does not require that these individuals return to CONUS to obtain the training. It is for the Contractor to find and provide said training.

H-2

Reference: H.23.2.1 Task Order Management Plan (TOMP), page 99 of 178

QUESTION: Sub-para c. Personnel plans includes a requirement to identify staffing in the proposal by country of origin. This requirement does not seem to be realistic since the recruitment and vetting process does not start until contract award. We will conduct pre-award recruiting and labor research with local labor brokers for availability of qualified labor.

Will the Government remove the requirement to identify labor in the proposal by country of origin?

Answer: No. It is the Government’s goal to ascertain the resources required for conducting background investigations. The Government understands that the staffing breakdown as proposed in the offeror’s response may change after award.

H-3

Reference: Section H.30 Pre-Deployment Counter Terrorism Training, page 108 of 178

QUESTION: Section H.30 defines the required Pre-Deployment Counter Terrorism Training and notes that, “All personnel must adhere to the requirements of FAR 52.225-19, Contractor Personnel in a Designated Operational Area or Supporting a Diplomatic or Consular Mission Outside the United States.” It further defines that the following:

AN and TCN contractor personnel expected to be in country less than 45 days are required to complete the High Threat Security Overseas Seminar (HTSOS, TS401). This training covers several topics, including how to perform defensive/counterterrorist driving maneuvers.

Please clarify if your intention is that all ANs and TCNs be required to have training in defensive/counterterrorist driving maneuvers.

Answer: Contractor employees are not required to take defensive driving maneuver training. The requirement for FACT training, which included defensive driving maneuver training, has been removed from the RFP. Contractors are, however, required to ensure that they fully comply with the training requirements presented in FAR 52.225-19.

See Amendment 1.

H-4

Reference: Section H.30 Pre-Deployment Counter Terrorism Training, page 108 of 178

QUESTION: FAR 52.225-19 also requires attendance at a High Threat Security Overseas Seminar (HTSOS, TS401).

Does every candidate need to attend or be certified in the NTSOS, TS401 course?

Answer: The FAR does not require that Contractor employees take OT401. The contract requires that Contractor AN and TCN employees that are in country for less than 45 days take OT401. This course is only required for those that will be in country for less than 45 calendar days.

H-5

Reference: H.13.3 and Exhibit 1 -TO 001, Para 5.3.1 (pg 13 of 15)

QUESTION: Security Evacuation Plan. Section H.13.3 states that evacuation plan will be required as part of TO

001. TO 001 SOO para 5.3.1 states that evacuation plan requirements shall be addressed in the proposed

SOW.

Will the Government please clarify submittal requirement?

Answer: The SOW must address the requirement that an evacuation plan be provided and reviewed/updated yearly. The formal evacuation plan is due within 60 days of contract award.

H-6

Reference: L.15; H.23.2.1

QUESTION: TOMP instructions in H.23.2.1 states "Resumes do not count against page limit." Would the Government confirm whether the resumes in this proposal submission, Volume 1 Technical Proposal: Task Order Response will be counted against the 30 page limit for each Task Order Management Plan? Will Letters of Intent be excluded from the page limit?

Answer: The Government confirms that resumes do not count against the 30 page limit, however, there is a 2 page limit per resume. H.23.2.1 has been amended to state the following: “Resumes and letters of commitment do not count against the 30 page limit. However, resumes shall be limited to 2 pages (1 double sided page) each.”

H-7

Reference: Section H.23.2.1.d. - Logistics Management Plan of Task Order Management Plan

QUESTION: Would the Government confirm that vehicle maintenance and facilities maintenance will be provided by companies currently under contract to DOS for those responsibilities? Are vehicle and facilities maintenance service requirements priced for this solicitation?

Answer: The Government currently has contracts in place for vehicle maintenance and facilities maintenance. Facilities maintenance is not included as a part of this solicitation.

With regards to vehicle maintenance, as stated in Section L.16.4.2.3.2, offerors are to provide a labor skill mix, which includes hourly rates, based on the presented draft PWS (Attachment 10). This will be used in the future for the negotiation of the vehicle maintenance task order which the Government intends to award within the base year.

H-8

Reference: H.26 Laws and Regulations

QUESTION: In reference to Para. H.26.1, Governing Law states that the contract shall be governed by the laws of the United States, Para H.26.2 Labor, Health and Safety Laws and Customs states that the contractor shall comply with all local labor laws. Will United States laws take precedence in case of conflict with local laws?

Answer: Unless a specific exception is provided to the Contractor from the Contracting Officer in writing, the Contractor shall at all times abide by host country laws. Should the US Government laws and regulations be more stringent than the host country laws, the Contractor will be required to meet both host country and US Government stated requirements.

Should the host country and US Government laws/regulations be contradictory in nature, the Contractor shall present the concern to the Contracting Officer.

Section J

J-1

Reference: Section J

QUESTION: Section J list of Exhibits identifies Attachment 6 (Offeror Information); when will Attachment 006 be issued to Offerors?

Answer: Attachment 6 was posted on FBO on May 28, 2014.

Section L

L-1

Reference: L.15.1, Task order requests

QUESTION: Page 149 of 178 references Task Order 003: Fire Protection Services (See Exhibit 3), however the documents that were posted on 28 May 2014 do not include Exhibit 3. Would the government please provide Exhibit 3?

Answer: The task order, and related documents, has been posted as a part of Amendment 1.

See Amendment 1.

L-2

Reference: L.16.3.2, Past Performance

QUESTION: “PPQ responders will submit evaluations as directed in Exhibit C.” Will the Government please provide Exhibit C?

Answer: The solicitation language has been changed to say “…as directed in Attachment 5.”

See Amendment 1.

L-3

Reference: L.15 General Proposal Instructions, Vol 1 page 146 of 178; Exhibit 3 TO-001 – PEO RFP and SOO, para 8.2 SOW, page 6 of 15

QUESTION: This question applies to each TO response requirement.

Vol 1 page limitation is 30 pages per TO. Exhibit 1, TO-001, para 8.2 states SOW page limitation is 24. Please confirm the 24 page SOW is not included in the 30-page limit for each TO response.

QUESTION: Task Orders 001 and 002: The table in L.15 indicates that the page limit per task order in Volume 1 is 30 pages. However, the instructions for the TOMP in H.23.2.1 identify the page limit as 30 pages AND the task orders identify an additional 24 pages for Statement of Work. Would the Goverment please confirm that the total number of allowed pages for each TO in Volume 1 may exceed 30 pages?

Answer: The SOW is excluded from the cited 30 page task order limit. Section L.15 now includes the following language: “Additionally, there is a page limit of 24 for the SOW, for task orders requiring one.

This allows for a maximum of 54 pages for responses which include the TOMP (30 page limit) and the submission of a SOW (24 page limit).”

L-4

Reference: L.15 General Proposal Instructions, Vol 1 page 146 of 178; Exhibit 3 TO-001 – PEO RFP and SOO, para 8.2 SOW, page 6 of 15

QUESTION: Vol 1 TO Response instructions do not address SOW submission as part of the TO Response submittal.

Please advise where in the Technical Proposal should the 24-page SOW be included?

Answer: Within the task order technical response, the Offeror shall provide the SOW after the TOMP.

Offerors shall provide tabs clearly separating the sections. Section L.15 has been amended to specify the order.

L-5

Reference: L.15 Vol. 3 Instructions, page 146 of 178

QUESTION: Please confirm page limit is 2 pages (1 double sided, versus 1 page (2 double sided).

Answer: The solicitation language has been changed to say “2 pages (1 double sided page)”.

L-6

Reference: L.15 Instructions, pg 148 of 178

QUESTION: Instructions say “All Volumes shall be in no less than a 12 font; Times New Roman; 1-inch margins on all sides…” Can bidders use a font size for tables and graphics as small as 8 point Arial for graphics and 9 point Arial for tables?

Answer: Section L.15 has been amended to allow for size 10 point font on tables, graphs, headers, and footers.

L-7

Reference: L.16.3.2, Attachment 5

QUESTION: Do Past Performance Questionnaires count against the 120 page limit of Volume 1? Each is a minimum of 6 pages. Ten must be submitted, for a total of 60 pages minimum.

Answer: No, the PPQ do not count against the page count. PPQ responses are submitted independently of proposals. Section L.15 now includes the “Past Performance Questionnaire (PPQ ) responses” under the excluded sections list of Volume 3.

L-8

Reference: L.16.5.6.2 and L.16.2.1.3.1

QUESTION: Volumes 2 and 5 contain the exact same wording and requirement to provide Licenses and Permits.

Can bidders cross-reference between Volumes 2 and 5 so as to not include the info in both volumes?

Answer: The duplicated language has been removed from L.16.5.6.2.

L-9

Reference: L.15

QUESTION: Section L requires the use of binders with "heavy duty steel ball and socket ring mechanism." As there are many types of binders with varying descriptions that may fit this description, can the Government clarify if there is a specific type of binder desired? A specific example of a brand/type or a photograph of the required type of mechanism would be helpful.

Answer: The Government is not requesting a particular brand. The Government believes this type of binder to be available from numerous manufacturers. The goal is to avoid problems with loose pages.

L-10

Reference: L.15

QUESTION: In the table in para. L.15, Volume 6, is the Table of Contents excluded from the volume page limit?

Answer: Yes. Section L.15 language has been amended to show that the table of contents is excluded from the Volume 6 page count.

L-11

Reference: L.15; L.15.2

QUESTION: For all volumes: Is the front matter other than the table of contents included in the page count?

This would include the title page, list of tables and figures, glossary of acronyms and abbreviations, and cross-reference matrix.

Answer: Section L.15.2 states that the cross-reference matrix does not count against the page count.

Additionally, the Government has changed Section L.15 to show that title pages and any presented glossaries of acronyms and abbreviations are excluded from the page count.

L-12

Reference: L.16.2.1.3.1

QUESTION: Para. L.16.2.1.3.1 requires submission of all valid local licenses and permits; would the Government consider exempting these from the volume page limit?

Answer: Yes. Section L.16.2.1.3.1 language has been amended to include the following statement:

“Copies of contractor held licenses and permits shall be provided as an attachment to the volume, and shall be excluded from the page count.”

L-13

Reference: Section L.16.2.1.1

QUESTION: Would the Government please confirm the page limit for Tab A - is this 5 pages for the cover letter and executive summary combined; or 5 pages for the executive summary only?

Answer: The 5 page limit is for the cover letter and executive summary combined.

L-14

Reference: Section L.16.2.1.1

QUESTION: Section L.16.2.1.1 states, "The Executive Summary and history is limited to 5 pages and will be an attachment to the summary." Should this be corrected to "will be an attachment to the cover letter"?

Answer: Section L.16.2.1.1 has been amended as follows: “The Executive Summary and history is limited to 5 pages and will be an attachment to the summary.” The executive summary is provided within the cover letter.

Attachment 7, Pricing Table

A7-1

Reference: Attachment 7

QUESTION: Does the Government intend to negotiate fixed fee for CPFF associated equipment and material after award? If the fixed fee is not planned to be negotiated after award, recommend Offerors provide a fixed fee rate rather than an actual fixed fee.

Answer: The Offeror shall propose the fixed fee for the CPFF items as part of their proposal submission.

The Government will not consider a fee rate.

Attachment 8, Labor Table

A8-1

Reference: Attachment 8

QUESTION: Are Offerors permitted to add columns to the table to distinguish between different types of labor (e.g. field vs. home office; full-time vs. project) and the provider of the labor (e.g. prime or subcontractor)?

Answer: No. No additional columns shall be added.

Exhibit 1, TO-001: PEO (includes EXH 1a questions)

E1-1 Question E1-1 will be provided in the next posting of questions and answers.

Answer:

E1-2

Reference: Exhibit 1 - PEO RFP & SOO; 8.2 of Task Order Request and 4.0 of SOO

QUESTION: Can the Government clarify whether the SOW required in 8.2 of the Task Order Request and the Performance Work Statement required in item 4 of the SOO are the same requirement or separate requirements? If separate requirements, will the Government provide instructions for what is required in the Performance Work Statement? If a PWS is required, would the Government consider increasing the page count to 30 pages? In addition, it is assumed that the reference to Iraq in 4.0 of the SOO should be Afghanistan.

Answer: Exhibit 1 language has been amended to correctly reference the SOW and Afghanistan.

See Amendment 1.

E1-3

Reference: Exhibit 1, TO-001, Pg 3 of 15

QUESTION: TO-001 Program Executive Office states, "...fixed fee....CLIN x006 under CLIN x010." CLIN x010 is not on the chart of CLINs on pg 2 of 15 nor is it on Attachment 7. Please clarify whether CLIN x009 should be used in accordance with pg 5 of 15 and Attachment 7.

Answer: Exhibit 1 language has been amended to correctly reference the equipment CLIN in the under the Fixed Fee CLIN.

Exhibit 2, TO-002: Food (includes EXH 2a questions)

E2-1 Question E2-1 will be provided in the next posting of questions and answers.

E2-2

Reference: TO-002, paragraphs 8.1-8.4

QUESTION: Task Order 002, Food Services: In addition to the TOMP (8.1) page limit of 30 pages and the Statement of Work (8.4) limit of an additional 24 pages, is there a separate/additional page limitation for the Operations Plan (8.2) and Transition Management Plan (8.3)? Are these sections page limited, and, if so, what are the page limits for each section?

Answer: The solicitation has been amended to show a page limit of 24 for the operations plan, and a page limit of 24 for the Transition Management Plan. See Sections 8.2 and 8.3 of the TO-002 RFP, and Section L.15 of the IDIQ RFP.

Exhibit 4, TO-004: Medical (includes EXH 4a and 4b questions)

E4-1 Question E4-1 will be provided in the next posting of questions and answers.

E4-2 Question E4-2 will be provided in the next posting of questions and answers.

Answer:

E4-3 Question E4-3 will be provided in the next posting of questions and answers.

Answer:

E4-4 Question E4-4 will be provided in the next posting of questions and answers.

Answer:

E4-5 Question E4-5 will be provided in the next posting of questions and answers.

Answer:

E4-6 Question E4-6 will be provided in the next posting of questions and answers.

Answer:

E4-7 Question E4-7 will be provided in the next posting of questions and answers.

Answer:

E4-8 Question E4-8 will be provided in the next posting of questions and answers.

Answer:

E4-9

Reference: Exhibit 4

QUESTION: On TO-004, Fixed Fee CLIN 8, the Government directs fee to be set for CLIN 004 (Food Provisions), 005 (Food Supplies), and 006 (Equipment). Should this be revised to CLINs 4 (Medical Supplies) and 5 (Equipment)?

Answer: Yes. Exhibit 4 has been corrected to remove references to food provisions.

See Amendment 1.

E4-10

Reference: Exhibit 4, header

QUESTION: In the file named Exhibit 4(a) should the references to TO-006 in the header and elsewhere be changed to TO-004?

Answer: The exhibit references have been corrected to display “004”.