SAQMMA16R0222_A007.pdf

SAQMMA16R0222 – OTTAWA TELECOMMUNICATIONS

AMENDMENT A007

ATTACHMENT A

The solicitation for the Telecommunications Services for U.S. Embassy Ottawa is hereby amended as follows:

1. Remove pricing table

• SAQMMA16R0222, Attachment A, Pricing Tables

• SAQMMA16R0222, Attachment B, TORP 1, Attachment A Pricing Tables

• SAQMMA16R0222, Attachment B, TORP 2, Attachment A Pricing Tables and replace with the pricing tables provided with this amendment A007

2. At the Request For Proposal (RFP) for the IDIQ contract, at Section 2.2.27, List of Attachments, add Attachment F – Technical Requirements for Internet Data Circuits for U.S.

Mission Canada, 1 page.

3. At Attachment B to RFP for IDIQ contract, TORP Task Order 1, after page 33, add Attachment F – Technical Requirements for Internet Data Circuits for U.S. Mission Canada, 1 page

4. Add the minutes from the pre-proposal conference held on May 5, 2016, 2 pages.

5. Add the presentation slides from the pre-proposal conference held on May 5, 2016, 23 pages.

6. Add the questions and answers from the pre-proposal conference held on May 5, 2016, 6 pages.

All other terms and conditions remain unchanged.

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR INTERNET DATA CIRCUITS FOR U.S. MISSION CANADA

This is high-end, professional grade service that differs from residential, dial up service.

Enterprise Network Management (ENM) requires dedicated (not shared or bundled) Internet bandwidth, 24/7, “always-on” with unlimited usage.

Also, ENM prefers fiber optic, terrestrial connectivity. In order to achieve high quality performance, the following parameters must be included in a vendor’s Service Level Agreement:

• Latency <=200ms

• Packet Loss <=.5%

• Availability of 99.9%.

Technical specifications and requirements for a local Internet Service Provider access circuit to the U.S. Embassy or consulate location:

a) /28 subnet static Public IP addresses for VPN equipment, network mask, and default gateway IP address.

b) ISP interface connectors: RJ-45 with 10/100BaseT interface.

c) ISP availability: "Always on".

d) ISP connection must NOT repeat NOT use Network Address Translation (NAT).

e) ISP must permit all IP protocols (including but not limited to UDP, TCP, and IPSEC) to transit without filters or proxies. Unfiltered access to the Internet is required without ISP firewall blocking.

f) ISP must permit installation of Customer VPN encryption devices on circuit.

g) ISP must permit ping and trace route traffic from 169.252.0.0/16 and 169.253.0.0/16 to the ISP connection (RJ45 10/100BaseT router interface which terminates Customer VPN encryption device).

These are the specifications that the ISP must meet for connectivity.

SAQMMA16R0222- OTTAWA TELECOMMUNICATIONS

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Office of Acquisition Management

SAQMMA16R0222 OTTAWA

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Pre-proposal Conference

SAQMMA16R0222 - OTTAWA TELECOMMUNICATIONS AMENDMENT A007

INTRODUCTIONS

SAQMMA16R0222 - OTTAWA TELECOMMUNICATIONS

PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE

U. S. Department of State Participants

• Contracting Officer

Todd Paynter

• Program Officer

Marcia Henke

• Designated COR

David Wolf-Hudson

• Network Engineer

Timothy Yu

• Information Systems Officer

Demian La Madrid

• Evaluation & Assistance Division Director

Paulette Donnelly

• Deputy Information Officer

Amgad Milad

• Information Program Officer

Jon Akin

• Telephone Technician

Don Papineau

• Contracting Specialist

Alma Andico

• Contracting Officer

Kellie Reifstenzel

• Program Analyst (Contractor)

David Ziemba

Ground Rules

• Please mute your microphone

• Speaker phone - volume control

• Questions

Purpose

•Communicate requirements

•Resolve concerns

•Design review

SOLICITATION

REQUIREMENTS

SAQMMA16R0222 – OTTAWA TELECOMMUNICATIONS

PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE

Terms and Conditions of Contract

• IDIQ Common Themes

All or nothing?

Whose terms apply?

Insurance

DBA

Liability

• TORP Common Themes

What are the service requirements?

What are network requirements?

Transition period

Alternate proposals

Instructions to Offerors

• IDIQ Common Themes

Compliance checklist

Page limitations

Bullet list of capabilities

Pricing tables

SAM

https://www.sam.gov/portal/S

AM/#1#1

• TORP Common Themes

Assumptions

Page limitations

Pricing tables TORP 1

Pricing tables TORP 2 file://washdc.state.sbu/stateshares/AProfile$/_Desktop/ZiembaDE/Desktop/SAQMMA16R0222/SAQMMA16R0222 Attachment_A_Pricing_Tables.xlsx https://www.sam.gov/portal/SAM/#1#1 https://www.sam.gov/portal/SAM/#1#1 https://www.sam.gov/portal/SAM/#1#1 file://washdc.state.sbu/stateshares/AProfile$/_Desktop/ZiembaDE/Desktop/SAQMMA16R0222/SAQMMA16R0222 Attachment_B_TORP 1 Attch_A_Pricing Tables.xlsx file://washdc.state.sbu/stateshares/AProfile$/_Desktop/ZiembaDE/Desktop/SAQMMA16R0222/SAQMMA16R0222 Attachment_C_TORP 2_Attch_A_ Pricing Tables.xlsx

Evaluation Criteria

• IDIQ

Factor 1: Technical Proficiency

/ Approach as demonstrated in proposals for IDIQ contract, Task Order 1 and Task Order 2.

Factor 2: Management Plan

Factor 3: Experience and Past

Performance

Factor 4: Price

• Factors 1, 2 and 3 when combined are significantly more important than Factor 4.

• TORP Criteria

TO 1

Factor 1: Technical Proficiency /

Approach

Factor 2: Price

Factor 1 is significantly more important than Factor 2.

TO2

Lowest price

Technically acceptable

Certifications and Representations

• Required for IDIQ

• Offerors should read the certifications and respond appropriately

Solicitation Schedule

• Proposal due date

• Phased evaluation

• Evaluation of proposals

• Source selection

• Contract award

• Debrief unsuccessful offerors

Questions

WORK REQUIREMENTS

PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE

Background for Requirement

Several different types of telecommunication services are required throughout Mission Canada.

Multiple procurement instruments have been utilized in the past to procure these services.

Multiple issues have been identified:

Too many different vendors providing identical types of service;

Duplication of services or procurement of unnecessary services;

Complicated procurement process;

Delays in procurement of services and payment of invoices.

Goals and Objectives

Centralized management of all telecommunication services

Simplified invoicing

Consolidation of telecommunication services

Centralized vendor management

Centralized procurement planning for telecommunication services

Requirements of Scope of Work

• IDIQ SCOPE OF WORK INCLUDES:

Comprehensive network connectivity integration support;

Unlimited Local and long distance service within Canada;

Unlimited Telephone service to U.S. and fixed pricing for calls to international locations;

MPLS network;

Landline voice and fax service;

ISDN PRI service (full and partial)

Internet / data services

Mobile service plans

• MPLS SCOPE OF WORK INCLUDES:

Fully redundant mesh MPLS private cloud and all associated services.

Support for an integrated voice, data and video conferencing network.

Must support all eight current locations, plus optional future sites as identified in TORP1.

Fiber connectivity is required wherever possible.

Services to be provided include: data (Internet); local and long distance service within Canada and long distance to U.S.; free, unlimited local and long distance calls within Canada and U.S.; SIP trunking; video conferencing over IP; international calls outside U.S.

and Canada; IP-to-IP calling between U.S. Embassy and consulates.

Static Public IP addresses on CE routers.

24-hour customer service.

• MOBILE SERVICES SCOPE OF WORK INCLUDES:

4G/LTE mobile service must be supported as priority service whenever available. 3G/2G must be supported when 4G/LTE is not available.

All current landline and mobile service telephone numbers must be ported to new vendor.

Must offer mobile service plans to cover voice/text only; data only; and voice/data/text for Smartphones, cell phones, tablets and USB internet devices.

Unlimited voice calls within Canada and U.S. with no roaming or long distance toll charges.

International roaming travel packages must be available for purchase.

Unlimited data plan for mobile devices is preferred with minimum requirement of 2GB per subscriber line per month.

DESIGN REVIEW

PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE

Network Design Requirements

• Current Network Design

• Conceptual Network Design

SAQMMA16R0222 - OTTAWA TELECOMMUNICATIONS AMENDMENT A007

file://washdc.state.sbu/stateshares/AProfile$/_Desktop/ZiembaDE/Desktop/SAQMMA16R0222/SAQMMA16R0222 Attachment_F_CurrentMPLSNetworkDesign.pdf file://washdc.state.sbu/stateshares/AProfile$/_Desktop/ZiembaDE/Desktop/SAQMMA16R0222/SAQMMA16R0222 ConceptualNetworkDesign.pdf

Network Design Requirements

• Technical Specs Required for MPLS:

/28 subnet static Public IP addresses for VPN equipment, network mask, and default gateway IP address.

Interface connectors: RJ-45 with 10/100BaseT interface.

Connection must be set for “always on”.

Network Address Translation (NAT) is not allowed.

All IP protocols must be permitted to transit without filters or proxies. Firewall blocking is prohibited.

Must permit installation of customer VPN encyrption devices on circuit.

Must permit ping and trace route traffic from 169.252.0.0/16 and 169.253.0.0/16 to ISP connection (router interface which terminates customer VPN encryption device).

PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE 05/05/2016

Question & Answer Session 1

Question 1. The pricing tables are requested to be in Canadian dollars (CAD). Is it correct to assume that invoices should also be in CAD or are U.S. dollars (USD) acceptable?

Answer: No, USD is not acceptable for invoices. Invoices are required to be in CAD.

Question 2. We understand that the price quote must reflect Canadian currency. Would the Government accept U.S. currency for billing?

Answer: No. The contract will require invoices be prepared in Canadian currency.

Question 3. Can you take a new round of questions over email?

Answer – No further round of questions will be entertained.

Question 4. IDIQ Section 3.7.1 states that bidders must provide detailed responses to the bullet list. This is a list of the combination of TORP 1 requirements and TORP 2 requirements and a Management Plan. The IDIQ has a 50-page limit, as does TORP 1. If TORP 1 takes 50 pages, how can we answer the management plan and the TORP2 items? Is it possible in the IDIQ to refer to the detail answers in TORP 1 technical response? Can I attach the response to TORP 1 to the IDIQ response or point to it in the compliance matrix?

Answer – In the solicitation for the IDIQ contract, at Section 3.7, the table providing instructions for preparing the technical proposal and the cost proposal, the Contract Technical proposal consists of the following volumes:

• Volume 1 –titled: Contract Technical Proposal, page limitation of 50 pages,

• Volume 1a – titled: Attachment B: Task Order 1 Technical Proposal, page limitation of 50 pages (as identified in TORP 1)

• Volume 1b – titled: Attachment C: Task Order 2 Technical Proposal, no page limitation (as identified in TORP 2)

Attaching TORP 1 Technical Proposal to the Contract Technical Proposal (Volume 1) or pointing to TORP 1 Technical Proposal in the compliance matrix for the Contract Technical Proposal would be satisfactory.

Question 5. Amendment A005, Attachment A, Question 5, the answer to Volume 1b refers to a Section 3.1.6 of TORP 2. TORP 2 does not have a Section 3.1.6. Did you mean section 3.1.3?

Answer – Yes.

PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE 05/05/2016

Question & Answer Session 2

Question 6. Amendment A005, Attachment A, Question 8, the answer has the address for a “DCR” listed at 46 Rockliffe Road, Ottawa, Ontario Canada K1M 0A1, Telephone: 613-688- 5326. This address is not mentioned anywhere else in any document. Is this a core site or optional site and what are site network requirements around bandwidth and QOS profiles?

Answer: DCR is the Deputy Chief of Mission residence. It is co-located with the Chief of Mission Residence (CMR). The DCR is an optional site and the requirements are the same as the CMR.

Question 7. From a TORP 1 network requirement perspective what is different from the services that are in place today.

Answer - Not much, bandwidth requirements will be increasing, there are some optional sites that are optional because they are not currently up now, but it’s pretty much the same services we are currently being provided.

Question 8. Amendment A005, Attachment A, Question 8, what is the current address for GSO Warehouse

1747-B St-Laurent Blvd, Ottawa, ON K1G 3V4

Question 9. For the 90 day transition period, is that for the transition for only for the core MPLS sites listed in TORP 1, Attachment 1 pricing?

Answer- Yes, the optional sites will be covered later, at a time to be determined.

Question 10. ADSL is listed for pricing. Can you verify how many connections will be used related to internet access?

Answer – ADSL may be covered on a future task order. It is included in IDIQ because we may want it in the future but it is not covered in either of the TORPs presently.

Question 11. The requirement is for a network based firewall but there is also requirements for ADSL, can you verify if ADSL will be used for internet access

Answer –ADSL will not be a part of MPLS network service requirements. ADSL data circuits may be covered on future task orders but will be a separate requirement from our MPLS network..

Question 12. The pricing table includes a ceiling price of $10,000 per month for long distance however; the requirements state that unlimited long distance must be provided.

Answer – Our strong preference is for unlimited long distance calling within the U.S. and Canada. The $10,000 per month is to cover anything that is not part of the unlimited calls, i.e., calls made to locations outside of the U.S. and Canada

Question 13. For International calling, is it expected that it is a fixed rate for all locations or per country?

Answer – The offeror should propose what they are able to offer.

Question 14. The U.S. Consulate General, Montreal, the new office, has no civic address defined anywhere, what is it and when is the expected move date?

Answer – The civic address is 1134 Rue St. Catherine West, Montreal, Canada H3B 1H4.

The move is not expected to occur until the middle of next year.

Question 15. Please clarify Attachment A Pricing Table 2 – What are expected in the Product Service CLIN column

Answer – The offeror must identify the CLIN services the offeror is capable of providing and offering.

Questions & Answers Session 3

Question 16. Amendment A005, Attachment A, answer to Question 137 states that the use of Network Address Translation (NAT) and firewalls for public IP addresses is prohibited. Would the Department of State consider a solution that proposes the use of a network based firewall with an IP permit and “any-any” rule set between internet VRF and customer VRF without performing any network address translation?

Answer – The Department of State requires public static IP address at customer edge at each of the Canadian locations. No NAT or firewalls shall be deployed for that subnet.

Question 17. If we provide a firewall that does not perform any NATing, will that be acceptable?

Answer – No, there will be no NATing and no firewalls.

Question 18. MPLS networks are typically isolated from the internet. Can you please explain how you access internet from MPLS without a firewall?

Answer –The solution for internet access will be a part of the offeror’s proposal. The proposed solution must include providing routable static IP addresses on the customer edge router and shall identify how the Offeror proposes to connect the MPLS cloud to the internet.. See network design requirements slide.

Question 19. Follow-up to question 18, the question was more with respect to physical connectivity and routing than IP addressing.

Answer – The physical connections that are expected are actually on the edge router provide RJ-45 interface that is connected to the Department of State encrypter. That encrypter must have a routable static IP address that is out to internet. How the offeror is going to get the Department of State out to MPLS network is the solution the contractor has to connect us through that routable static IP address. Routing happens within the MPLS cloud. The Department of State has no visibility to that. What is required is Routable static IP address on the edge so The Department of State can be out to the internet. Within the offeror’s solution for the MPLS network and how the Department of State get out to the internet from the edge is the contractor’s network side of it.

The physical connectivity and routing should be a part of the offeror’s solution. Physical connectivity shall be made through RJ-45 interface connected to the Department of State encryption device.

Question 20. SF 1449, block 17a, Facilities Code; for Canadian companies, what do we fill-out in Block 17a since we do not have a U.S. tax identification number

Answer – if you do not have a U.S. tax id number, leave the field blank.

Question 21. Synchronous data circuit for VPN used to be called a Fastnet circuit. Is the requirement for a public internet or a private network (MPLS)? This will help us to price the item for CLIN 31.

Answer – Fastnet is an internal term, all you need to think about is it is a synchronous data line, anything identified as Fastnet in the pricing tables is not a part of TORP 1 and TORP 2 so it is not a part of the MPLS network. It may be a future requirement.

Question 22. Is Fastnet for private or public network?

Answer – public

Question 23. Amendment A005, Attachment A, the answer to Question 10 mentions Factor 1 - Technical Proficiency/Approach is demonstrated in proposal for the IDIQ contract, Task Order 1, and Task Order 2; however, Task Order 2 does not have a Technical Proficiency/ Approach section. Does this mean that the oral presentation will be the technical section for the response to Task Order 2

Answer The oral presentation will be a part of the technical proposal for TORP 2. The content requirements for TORP 2 Technical Proposal are found at Section 3.1.3.2.

Question 24. Will we get a transcript of all Questions and Answers provided on this call?

Answer - Yes, minutes of pre-proposal conference and Questions and Answers will be provided thru a posting to FBO.

Question 25. On the compliance checklist you provided, can we answer with “partially compliant” or must we only answer with comply not comply.

Answer – The response must be either compliant or not compliant.

Question 26. Which particular sections of the IDIQ should to be covered by the compliance matrix? For example, sections 2 and 5 do not seem to be relevant to the compliance matrix. Is our understanding is correct?

Answer – No, the compliance matrix should cover all sections of the IDIQ solicitation that contain requirements for the offeror’s response to the solicitation. Consider the compliance matrix as a checklist of proposal requirements that provide the offeror a means to confirm their proposal is complete.

Question 27. In technical response, we may have an alternate solution or may not be completely compliant with one or two of the sub bullets. Do we say we are non-compliant to the full section?

Answer – If the offeror intends to submit an alternate proposal it is highly recommended that the offeror submit a fully compliant proposal and submit an alternate proposal that clearly identifies the value the U.S. Government will receive from accepting the alternate proposal. The offer should note their compliance status with solicitation requirements.

Question 28. How detailed is the compliance checklist…by section number, or an actual line or by line compliance, I mean every bullet in every section?

Answer- The offeror’s compliance checklist should provide verification that offeror’s proposal complies with solicitation requirements, the solicitation citation of the requirement, and the proposal citation that provides evidence of compliance.

Question 29. In the event that a commercial offering does not meet the compliance, i.e., a field is not provided in the billing platform, will we be non-compliant?

Answer – The Contracting Officer may consider a proposal that does not comply with all solicitation requirements to be non-compliant.

Question 30. Amendment A005, Attachment A, question 84, workers compensation coverage in Canada is legislatively required by the Provinces. Please confirm if this equivalent coverage satisfies the DBA insurance stipulate in section2.3.

Answer- Refer to Amendment A005, Attachment A, page 15, provision 652.228-70, Defense Base Act – Covered Contractor Employees (FEB 2015). The information the offeror provides in this provision will assist the Contracting Officer in determining whether DBA coverage must be provided to contractor employees.

Question 31. What do you expect in compliance checklist for the pricing proposal? Please elaborate on the level of granularity– do you wish to map section 3.7.4 in the compliance matrix?

There are thousand plus requirements in the IDIQ and the price volume for the IDIQ – what level of detail do you require? – this remains unclear.

Answer – The compliance checklist for the pricing proposal should provide evidence of the offeror’s compliance with the solicitation requirements and should identify where, in the proposal, the compliance can be confirmed.

The offeror should read the solicitation requirements before completing a compliance matrix. The compliance matrix should address each solicitation requirement and identify, the solicitation citation for each requirement, the compliance status for each requirement, and the proposal citation that confirms the proposal is compliant with each requirement.

Question 32. In the compliance checklist –what is meant by the solicitation requirement versus the solicitation citation?

Answer- The solicitation citation refers to the section or subsection of the solicitation in which the requirement is identified.