final_questions_for_amendment_0613.docx

1. QUESTION - You indicated this will be a single award Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity with a base and four option years, including a sample task order for a real requirement, and using firm fixed price task orders.

A) Please describe the rationale for both the single award to a small business on a requirement of this scale and for the IDIQ vehicle.

ANSWER: This question is not relevant to the submission of proposals in response to this solicitation. It has been determined that 1) a single award is the best choice for this requirement and 2) Market Research has indicated that a small business there is a reasonable expectation that offers will be obtained from at least two a concerns that are competitive in terms of quality and delivery and award will be made at fair market prices capable of performing the requirement.

B) Please confirm whether the sample task order will be a sample only or whether it will be awarded as the first task order.

ANSWER: The Task Order that is attached is not a sample and will be awarded when the IDIQ is awarded. Offerors must submit a proposal for award of the IDIQ contract and the task order found at Attachment #2.

2. QUESTION - What professional standards does the Government envision the reports on the lender reviews will follow? For example, will they be compliance audits, agreed-upon procedures, Yellow Book performance audits, or consulting reports?

ANSWER: All PARRIS review reports must comply with American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) standards. The degree of attestation required for Specialty Review reports and Agreed Upon Procedures reports will be specified in the task order RFP. The Contractor is required to submit standard PAR or Target and Full Review Reports that comply with would typically fall under AICPA Professional Standards- Consulting Services type reviews. Specialty reviews “Task 5” and Agreed Upon Procedures “Task 9” reviews will be performed as requested, discussed and approved by SBA and/or the lender. These higher degrees of reviews or audits involving financial statement, forensic reviews and/or fraud, waste and abuse reviews will be indicated to the contractor and the degree of attestation will be agreed upon in the task order request for proposals.

3. QUESTION- Please provide the system architecture and/or design document or description for any existing first generation tracking system, so that offerors can provide their best solution to the next generation system.

ANSWER:

SBA interprets that this question relates or may relate to Task 1 in the tracking of delegated lender processing and expiration dates as well as Task 10 items including the PARRiS Document Management and workflow tracking solution (PDMS) that includes tracking and administration of PARRiS Delegated Reviews, PAR’s, PTR’s, PFR’s and other Reviews; the Delegated Lender Authority Management System (DLAMS); and Corrective Action Tracking System (CATS).

Currently, SBA uses Dropbox as a tool for PDMS. DLMS is facilitated by FoxPro, Excel, SAS-BI Tool and the SBA –PIMS system. CATS is an Access database. SBA is currently maintaining the data. The current methods used to maintain the data do not provide the capabilities sought by SBA.

The SBA is not currently using a virtual data room solution. We anticipate the contractor providing an existing commercial off-the-shelf solution (COTS) that will be configured so as to integrate the current tools and implement the Contractor’s proposed COTS solution. Virtual Data Room and deliverable tracking Solutions utilized in the industry for such agencies as HUD, FDIC and Federal Home Loan Bank include: Interlinks, First Financial Network, The Debt Exchange (DebtX) and Real Capital Markets (RCM) amongst others (refer to regulatory/federal credit agency websites for internet based listing of contract and service providers) as well as Client/Audit Management solutions utilized in the public accounting industry.

Respective Items and requirements referenced in Task 1, and Task 10 are anticipated by SBA to be met based on the Contractor using COTS and already existing tools/solutions. Some solutions may require some customizing and configuration for implementation specifically for SBA. The customizing and configuration specifically for SBA is anticipated in the Contractor’s response/pricing referenced as CLIN 0010 - Task 10 of the Task Order 0001- Attachment 2. SBA does not anticipate the contractor building a system for SBA. SBA does not anticipate owning a system at conclusion of the contract. SBA does anticipate owning the data.

4. QUESTION - Please provide the system architecture and/or design document or description for the risk data warehouse, so offers can best incorporate these standards and data requirements into their proposals.

ANSWER – The risk data warehouse is already established. and is part of the L/LMS contract lead by Dunn and Bradstreet. Data mining is facilitated by use of SAS programming and report writing. SBA also refers to our BI Tool in the delegated authority work flow. The BI Tool is programmed in SAS and is a capability that the offeror will find beneficial to accessing our Risk Data Warehouse.

SAS (Statistical analysis system), is a software suite developed by the SAS institute for advanced analytics, business intelligence data management and predictive analytics.

5. QUESTION - Please provide a list of travel requirements (locations, any levels of effort expectations on the sample task order), so offerors can appropriately estimate travel costs for the nationwide reviews.

ANSWER – Please see section 12 of the amended solicitation for further information on travel.

6. QUESTION - So that potential offerors can develop the best solution for their offers, please provide draft evaluation criteria and any associated ranking or weighting system.

ANSWER – Please see section 59 of the amended solicitation.

7 - QUESTION - Please provide a list of anticipated labor categories and their experience, education, certification, and responsibility requirements.

ANSWER – Please see section 11 of the amended solicitation.

8. QUESTION - Does the Government anticipate that the contractor will assist OCRM with the selection of lenders for review using the SBA risk weighting model?

ANSWER – The Government anticipates that the Contractor will use SBA’s risk weighting model to recommend lenders for review.9. QUESTION - So that potential offerors can develop the best solution, please provide the expected past performance criteria. What type of experience will be preferred (e.g. relevant reviews of lenders through non-federal agents such as credit unions or banks, performance reviews for regulatory/oversight agencies)?

ANSWER – Please see section 59.1.3 of the amended solicitation.

10. QUESTION - Most agencies have experienced significant losses in the past few years and are implementing tools for early detection of problems and monitoring steps taken by servicers and internal agency staff to mitigate potential losses. Is Loss Mitigation monitoring a factor in performing the Risk Oversight contract, and if so how will that be incorporated into the contract.

ANSWER – Yes, loss mitigation is included in the PARRiS framework.

11. QUESTION - Please confirm that the NAICS code reference to Offices of Certified Public Accountants (541211) is not intended to preclude small businesses with relevant specialized modeling, analytics, and risk management expertise from responding as a prime. Would the Government consider changing the NAICS code on this solicitation to encourage greater competition among other types of small businesses with relevant specialized expertise?

ANSWER – This procurement is set aside for competition among small business concerns. The prime contractor must submit a self-certification that it is a small business concern for the NAICS code assigned to this procurement, which is NAICS code 541211. FIRMS THAT DO NOT HAVE THE NAICS CODE 541211 ARE NOT PRECLUDED FROM PROVIDING A PROPOSAL NOR FROM BEING SELECTED FOR AN AWARD

12. QUESTION- The solicitation refers to various types of report deliverables related to the reviews discussed in each section, for example, “proprietary reports,” “specialty review reports,” “formal written report and analysis,” “loan agent review reports,” and “agreed-upon procedures reports.” Please confirm that these reports are all consulting-type reports and not reports as required in conjunction with an engagement performed by a Certified Public Accountant in accordance with Generally Accepted Auditing Standards.

ANSWER – See the answer to question 2.

13. QUESTION - Does that suggest that the prime contractor must be a CPA firm? What does it mean to have “industry accounting designation”, if it’s not a CPA firm? This directly affects our discussions with various parties on teaming arrangements. Is it possible to provide an answer at this time?

Does the Small business Prime have to be a CPA firm or will a large business CPA firm Teaming Partner/Subcontractor qualifies?

ANSWER – The Solicitation does not require that the small business prime contractor be a CPA firm; however, this is small business set-aside procurement, and as such, the prime contractor must provide a self-certification that it is small for the NAICS code assigned to this procurement and must satisfy all staffing and minimum qualifications required in the amended Solicitation. FIRMS THAT DO NOT HAVE THE NAICS CODE 541211 ARE NOT PRECLUDED FROM PROVIDING A PROPOSAL OR FROM BEING SELECTED FOR AN AWARD

14. QUESTION - The Instructions to Vendors for Factor 1: Technical Approach states: “FACTOR 1 (NOT TO EXCEED 35 PAGES combined for both the Base and Task Order - THIS INCLUDES ALL CHARTS, PICTURES, DIAGRAMS, ETC.).” Further, “Offeror(s) shall describe all means, methods, processes, and procedures it will use to perform the work outlined in the PWS.” Will the Government consider providing an additional 10-15 pages of page count to allow offerors to effectively describe our means, methods, processes, and procedures for all 21 IDIQ and Task Order-related Tasks indicated in the Performance Work Statement? Our concern centers around achieving this requirement in enough detail for a true best-value determination to be provided within the original 35 pages allocated for both Sub-factors 1A and 1B.

ANSWER – Yes, the page limit for the Technical Approach was increased from 35 to 45 pages.

15. QUESTION - Please confirm that eligible bidders must be PCAOB registered firms, and that non-PCAOB firms are not eligible for award, and that award to a non-PCAOB bidder is protest able event.

ANSWER - The Solicitation does not require that the small business prime contractor be a CPA firm; however, this is a small business set-aside procurement, and as such, the prime contractor must provide a self-certification that it is small for the NAICS code assigned to this procurement and must meet all other requirements as described in the Solicitation. FIRMS THAT DO NOT HAVE THE NAICS CODE 541211 ARE NOT PRECLUDED FROM PROVIDING A PROPOSAL OR FROM BEING SELECTED FOR AN AWARD BASE ON BEST VALUE BASIS.

16. QUESTION - Given the highly restrictive nature of the definition of NAICS code 541211, it is highly likely that this requirement will significantly restrict the amount of small businesses that will be able to meet this requirement. Therefore, to maximize competition and still meet the spirit of the qualifications required by the RFP, we recommend that you consider substituting NAICS code 541219 and/or 541611. Their respective definitions are as below.

ANSWER – No question was posed. .A- FIRMS THAT DO NOT HAVE THE NAICS CODE 541211 ARE NOT PRECLUDED FROM PROVIDING A PROPOSAL OR FROM BEING SELECTED FOR AN AWARD BASE ON BEST VALUE BASIS.

17. QUESTION: If SBA only considers bidders with NAICS 541211, can this requirement be met through the collective proposed Contractor team (either the Prime and/or Subcontractor can fulfill this requirement)?

ANSWER: The prime contractor must submit a self-certification that it is a small business concern for NAICS code 541211. OFFERORS RESPONSE TO FACTORS 2 AND FACTOR 3 WILL USED TO DETERMINE WHICH OFFERORS PROPOSAL MEETS OR EXCEEDS THESE REQUIREMENTS.

18. QUESTIONS - Please clarify what do you mean by “the Contractor must have industry accounting designation” – is this industry designation required by the Prime alone, or can it be fulfilled by the collective proposed Contractor team (either the Prime and/or Subcontractor can fulfill this requirement)?

ANSWER – Please see section 4 of the amended solicitation.

19. QUESTION - Is Alternate Project Manager synonymous with the Project Operations Coordinator or are they two separate roles/positions? If they are separate roles, are three positions (Project Manager, Alternate Project Manager, and Project Operations Coordinator) all considered key personnel and SBA requires a copy of their respective resumes included in the proposal?

ANSWER – Three of the key personnel include the Project Manager, the Alternate Project Manager and the Project Operations Coordinator. Please see section 11 of the amended solicitation.

20. QUESTION - Task 1B - Is the individual 7(a) Lender Profile Assessment (LPA) required to be developed for every 7(a) lender (~4,500)? If not, can SBA give an estimated number of LPAs required each year? In addition, are full LPAs required (e.g. the comment and recommendations boxes need to be complete), or in some cases, the system generated data will be sufficient?

ANSWER – No, an LPA is not required for every 7(a) lender each year; however LPAs are required for each review conducted. SBA expects the Contractor to include its input, comments, and recommendations in each LPA.

21. QUESTION - Task 1B - In Attachment Exhibit 6, the “7(a) Delegated Authority Renewal Process Flow Chart” includes the process step “CT/FA analyzes Lender eligibility for renewal”. Can SBA describe the tasks that the contractor is required to perform as part of this process?

ANSWER – Please see Task 1A of the amended solicitation for more information about the tasks involved in the delegated authority renewal process.

22. QUESTION - Task 10 - It is our understanding that Task 10: Management Workflow and Tracking Systems doesn't include the redesign and rebuild of new data systems, but that the contractors are being tasked to assume the currently existing PDMS, DLAMS, and CATS systems and perform non-material enhancements to support lender oversight activities within the first 30 days of the contract (the 30-day timeframe is specified on page 17 in the Deliverable description of Task 10C). Please confirm this is the correct interpretation.

ANSWER – Please see section 9.10 of the amended solicitation.

23. QUESTION - Task 10 - The RFP states CATS is currently an Access database. What is the current platform supporting the other two systems – PDMS and DLAMS? Further, who is currently responsible of maintaining the data systems and where are they hosted?

ANSWER – The current platform for PDMS is Dropbox. The current platform for DLAMS is FoxPro, Excel, SAS- BI Tool and the SBA –PIMS system. SBA is currently maintaining the data. The current PDMS and DLAMS do not provide the functionalities required in this Statement of Work.

24. QUESTION - Task 10 - The RFP asks for the Contractor to “implement a solution that serves as a Virtual Data room”. Does a version of this Virtual Data Room already exist within SBA’s IT environment? Is the contractor being asked to take over the maintenance and provide enhancements to a currently existing Data Room, or to establish a new virtual infrastructure? If a version of this Virtual Data Room already exists, can SBA please describe the current system/process for SBA staff and 7(a) Lenders to store, manage, and analyze lender review-related documentation?

ANSWER – The SBA is not currently using a virtual data room solution and instead is using several different systems to manage the data. Please see the answer to question 23 for more information on the current PDMS and DLAMS. SBA seeks a contractor that will provide access to a commercial off the shelf solution for the virtual data room.

25. QUESTION -Task 10- If SBA would like to receive a Contractor approach for a redesign and rebuild of its current lender review related systems, could the timeframe of the design and re-build extend beyond the 30 days from contract award?

ANSWER – SBA does not seek a Contractor that will design, build, or develop its current systems.

26. QUESTION - Task 10 - Does SBA have existing systems/software licenses for its IT infrastructure development that it uses as an Agency? If yes, can SBA specify what the current systems/software are? Also, does SBA expect the Contractors to assume those with limited updates?

ANSWER – Yes, SBA has access to the systems that are currently used to manage its data. The current PDMS and DLAMS do not provide the functionalities required in this statement of work. The current platform for PDMS is Dropbox. The current platform for DLAMS is FoxPro, Excel, SAS- BI Tool and the SBA –PIMS system. 3.

27 - QUESTION - Task 13A - In the second paragraph under task 13A, it says “the Contractor shall define two groups for sampling loan elements to list and test…” Which two groups are referred to? Can you please specify?

ANSWER – Please see section 9.14 of the amended solicitation.

28. QUESTION - Task 14A -Are the recommendations for improvement the Contractors made in the oversight review report to be communicated by the SBA officials (e.g. FAs) to the lenders? Are the Contractors expected to lead the communication?

ANSWER – The Contractor will draft recommended written communications with the lenders, which will be reviewed and approved by SBA officials. The Contractor will be responsible for transmission of approved communications.

29. QUESTION - Task 16 - Does task 16 require the Contractor to provide an internet marketing platform and related IT support or the Contractor is asked to use an established/existing platform?

ANSWER – SBA seeks a Contractor that will provide access to a COTS solution for asset marketing, as described in section 9.17 of the amended solicitation.

30. QUESTION - Staffing - the second paragraph on page 25, it says that “below is the minimum list of key staff titles”, and the section goes on to list 11 (including the Alternate Project Manager) staff titles. Does the word “key” in the second paragraph of this section imply that SBA wants all 11 positions listed in the staffing section to be denoted as “key personnel”?

ANSWER - The key personnel positions listed in section 11 of the amended solicitation. Please see section 11 for further information about those positions. Please provide the resumes for all proposed key personnel.

31. QUESTION - Staffing - In the second paragraph on page 25, it says “below is the minimum list of key staff titles and qualifications SBA considers necessary to accomplish the first Task Order or similar Tasks if the requirement were divided between two functions: PARRiS Review activities and Administrative support for Delegated Lender Authority activities…” Only the minimum staff requirement for function 1 is listed below. Is there any staffing requirement for function 2 – “administrative support for Delegated Lender Authority activities”?

ANSWER – No, there are no required key personnel or minimum qualifications requirements for the administrative support staff.

32. QUESTION -Staffing - In the fifth paragraph on page 25, the organization chart is required to be included in the proposal. Does SBA expect the bidder to propose additional/non-key staff in the organization chart in addition to the ones identified under Task Order one?

ANSWER – The organizational chart must show all key personnel and it is within the discretion of the contractor whether it is necessary to include non-key personnel. The organizational chart must be detailed enough to provide a clear picture of the organization’s command structure, leadership, and the relationship between all units that will be performing work associated with this contract.

33. QUESTION - Key Personnel - Does SBA expect a copy of filled information in response to 51-54 (Key Personnel, Authorized Individual, Company’s Place of Performance, and DUN’S Number) to be included in the proposal? If yes, which section should it be included? In addition, does “Authorized Individual” refer to the Project Manager and Alternate Project Manager or individual(s) with signature authority?

ANSWER – Yes, please provide the information requested in sections 51-54 in the Technical Approach section of the proposal. “Authorized Individuals” are individuals who are authorized to enter a contract with the Government on behalf of the Contractor.

34. QUESTION - Factor 3 - The intro says that the narrative is limited to 5 pages, but later, under Tab A – Prior Experience, it says the page number is 3 pages. What is the specified page maximum for the past performance narrative? In addition, are the page limits per project/contract or for the entire past performance narratives (with the exclusion of the past performance matrix)?

ANSWER – The prior experience narrative cannot exceed 5 pages. The completed past performance chart (the blank chart is at Attachment #2) does not have a page limit but cannot include more than 10 references.

35. QUESTION - Tab B - Past Performance - Can you please confirm that the past performances can be contract(s) that were:

ANSWER – Please see section 59.3.1 of the amended solicitation.

36. QUESTION: Pricing - Does SBA expect this solicitation to be a single award or multiple awards?

ANSWER – This is a single award contract.

37. QUESTION–Pricing - Is SBA requesting Firm Fixed pricing on each and every of the tasks listed in the RFP, or a full rate card for the IDIQ and Firm Fixed pricing per deliverable for the first Task Order?

ANSWER – Yes, this is a firm fixed price contract. The vendor is to provide proposed labor categories and rates for some CLINS and fixed per month prices for other CLINS. In response to a Task Order Request for Proposals, Offerors must submit a proposed level of effort if the task order includes CLINS with labor category pricing. Once the task order price is negotiated and finalized it represents the firm-fixed price for the deliverables associated with that task order. And the labor categories and rates will be incorporated into the parent IDIQ and utilized for the life of the IDIQ contract.

38. QUESTION - Pricing - If SBA is looking for Firm Fixed pricing for each and every tasks, we have the following questions/proposed solutions for this RFP’s respective sections.

- Section 9.2 - There are numerous activities that could be included in Task 1A and 1B and some of the tasks are variable in terms of volume; however, SBA is asking for a monthly fixed price. Is it possible the SBA provide at least a staffing model that all bidders could price based on standard labor categories and number of FTE’s per labor category for a comparable price comparison across bidders?

ANSWER – Please see revised section 6 of Part II of the amended solicitation.

39. QUESTION - Section 9.3 - The Deliverable description states that “Each PTR will result in a formal proprietary report of varying size and scope”. Since SBA cannot identify the scope of work to be done under this task, would the SBA consider converting pricing for this task to Time &Materials instead of fixed price or provide more specific criteria that will support a firm fixed unit cost for this?

ANSWER – No, the pricing will not be converted to time and materials.

40. QUESTION - Section 9.5. - Under the Deliverable definition, the RFP states that the deliverable will be defined at the task order level. Additionally, there are not well defined requirements within the description of the task to allow for a fixed unit pricing of the task (i.e. these reviews “may” include fraud and forensic accounting analysis). Since the government has not provided specific enough scope to provide fix unit pricing, will the government consider switching this task to a Time & Materials based task (or even a non- priced task since this is not part of the first task order)?

ANSWER – No, SBA is not converting this to a time and materials contract.

41. QUESTION - Section 9.6. The description of this task states “The contractor shall perform partial compliance and/or credit review of loans limited to a specific area as defined in the task order.” Since the government has not provided a specific scope for the task, will the government consider converting this to a Time & Materials based task (or even a non-priced task since this is not part of the first task order)?

ANSWER – No, SBA will not convert this to a time and materials contract.

42. QUESTION - Section 9.7. - The one sentence description of the requirement of this task is insufficient to provide a firm fixed price unit cost. Additionally, the deliverable description states that the deliverable will be defined at the task order level. Since the government has not provided a specific scope for the task, will the government consider converting this to a Time & Materials based task (or even a non-priced task since this is not part of the first task order)?

ANSWER – No, SBA will not convert this to a time and materials based contract.

43. QUESTION - Section 9.8. - The requirement for this task states that “In addition, if requested by the SBA, the Contractor shall confirm information given by the loan agent to the lender. This could include a visual observation of the loan agent’s place of business, verification that a business actually exists on a loan referred by the loan agent, and/or verification of any loan documents provided for the SBA loan.” This requirement is currently ambiguous and does not lend itself to fixed price unit pricing. Since the government has not provided a specific scope for the task, will the government consider converting this to a Time & Materials based task (or even a non-priced task since this is not part of the first task order)?

ANSWER: No, the Government will not convert this to a Time and Materials task.

44. QUESTION - Section 9.9. - Has the SBA already prepared the Agreed Upon Procedures for these reviews? If so, can it provide these procedures? The extent of the procedures will have an impact on unit pricing. If SBA is unable to provide the Agreed Upon Procedures to be performed, it is not possible to provide firm fixed unit pricing for the task. Since the government has not provided a specific scope for the task, will the government consider converting this to a Time & Materials based task (or even a non-priced task since this is not part of the first task order)?

ANSWER: No, the Government will not convert this to a Time and Materials task.

45. QUESTION - Section 9.1.-9.20 Similar to questions for Tasks 6-9, the RFP does not provided the necessary detail to provide a fixed price quote for Tasks 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, and 20. Will the government consider either converting these Tasks to Time &Materials based tasks (or even non-priced tasks since they are not part of the first task order)?

Answer: No, the Government will not convert this to a Time and Materials task. Refer to Attachment 1 Pricing Sheet in this Amendment.

46. QUESTION - Pg. 18 and 24 – Pricing for tasks (Task 13, 14, 18, 19, and 21) is labeled as “not separately priced.” If SBA is requesting Firm Fixed pricing for each and every of the tasks in the RFP, which task number should these respective tasks be priced under?

ANSWER: Tasks 13, 14, 18, and 19are part of the Task 1, Task 2 , Task 3, Task 4, Task 5, Task 8 and Task 9 reviews - pricing for these tasks should be incorporated as a portions of each of these mentioned tasks.. Task 21 should be part of the pricing on Task 1. Refer to the Attachment 1 Pricing sheet per this amendment.

47. QUESTION - In Attachment 3 (“ATTACHMENT_3_Task_Order_0001.docx”), the unit of issue for Task Order 1, CLIN002 – 0004, is different from those listed under base year in Form 1499 (see below for details). Can SBA please clarify quantify for task 2, 3, and 4 under the Task Order 1?

ANSWER: The estimated quantities for tasks 2, 3, and 4 are listed in Attachment #1.

48. QUESTION - Under Attachment 3: 0002 Task 2 – PARRiS Analytical Review Each/300, 0003 Task 3 – PARRiS Targeted Review Each/50 0004 Task 4 – PARRiS Full Review Each/30 ANSWER: The numbers of estimated quantities required are detailed on the Task Order.49. QUESTION - SF1449 3&4 Option Year 1, Task 9 - Agreed Upon Procedures were not listed as a task. Is this correct?

ANSWER- Please see section 9.9 of the amended solicitation.

50. QUESTION - SF1449- Item 10 Base Year - Task 10 - Management/Tracking System: For other costs related to hosting and data storage, should those be included in an ODC pricing line item?

ANSWER - CORRECTED ON THE REVISED SOLICITATION AMENDMENT

51. QUESTION - SF1449 3 -Travel - Are we to propose a travel line item for base period and each option year?

ANSWER – A travel line has been added to the amended Task Order

52. QUESTION - Part II- IDIQ Pricing Schedule -Under #6-Labor Rates, the column entitled Option Increase appears to suggest Government wants us to enter a Percentage increase for each option year. Should those be in separate columns for each option year?

ANSWER - CORRECTED ON THE CURRENT AMENDMENT. To clarify, the Government is not requesting an increase for each option year, but if there is an increase, please note the percentage of the increase in the column entitled “Option Increase.”

53. QUESTION - Part III-SOW; Task 1B- Regarding "tracking of SBA portfolio trends and performance via a dashboard", does the dashboard already exist or is development of the dashboard part of the scope of work?

ANSWER – Yes, the dashboard exists and no, it is not within the scope of this contract to develop the dashboard. Please see Task 1B of the amended solicitation for further information.

4. QUESTION - Part III-SOW; Task 1B - Regarding "development of a solution that provides data and business analytics to support organizational strategic goals", are there specific software or product suites that SBA wants to use or has currently, or is it entirely up to the Offeror?

ANSWER – No, there are no specific software or product suites that SBA prefers.

55. QUESTION - Part III-SOW: Task 10, 9.10 - Regarding the systems described, could the Government identify which software product is used with each of the systems?

ANSWER – See answer to question 26.

56. QUESTION - Part III-SOW: Task 19; Task 21, Section 8.3 Quality Control Plan- Since the draft Management Work Plan, Quality Control Plan and Transition Plan are to be included in the proposal and the Government is requesting a detailed plan for each of these areas, will Government increase the page limits for the Technical Approach and Management Plan from the existing 35 pages to 60 pages or exclude these Plans from the page limit?

ANSWER – The page limit for the Technical Approach has increased from 35 to 45 pages. The draft Management Work Plan, Quality Control Plan, and Draft Phase In / Phase Out should be submitted with the proposal and is part of the 45 pages. =

57. QUESTION - Does the Government anticipate one or multiple contract awards?

ANSWER – This is a single award contract.

58. QUESTION - Can the executive summary be excluded from the overall 45 page count?

ANSWER – The executive summary is excluded from the overall 45-page count See Amendment for the change.

59. QUESTION - Due to the depth, breadth, and complexity of both the Technical Submission and Price Information volumes, would the Government be amenable to extending the proposal due date by one week?

ANSWER –Proposals are due by 10:00 am Mountain Time on June 23, 2014. Please see section 58 of the amended solicitation for further information.

60. QUESTION - What is the technical architecture of the PARRiS Document Management System (PDMS)?

ANSWER – See answer to question 23.

61. QUESTION - What technology is used currently?

ANSWER – See answers to question 23.

62. QUESTION - How many documents are stored in the current systems?

Answer: Approximately 20,000.

63. QUESTION - If a new integrated system is proposed, is data migration (migrating current documents) part of the scope?

ANSWER – Yes.

64. QUESTION - What kind of documents currently reside in the system? Is this an internet- or Intranet-accessed system?

ANSWER – Currently, lender and loan documents are stored in databases that are neither Internet nor Intranet accessible. Access will be provided post-award.

65. QUESTION- What is the technical architecture of the Delegated Lender Authority Management System (DLAMS)?

ANSWER – Please see the answer to question 23.

66. QUESTION - What technology is used currently?

ANSWER – See answer to question 23.

67. QUESTION - If a new integrated system is proposed, is data migration part of the scope?

ANSWER – Yes, data migration is considered within the scope.

68. QUESTION - Is this an internet- or Intranet-accessed system?

ANSWER – See answer to question 64.

69. QUESTION - What is the technical architecture of the Partner Information Management System (PIMS)?

ANSWER – The technical architecture consists of an Oracle database with cold fusion.

70. QUESTION - What technology is used currently?

ANSWER – See the response to question 23.

71. QUESTION - If a new integrated system is proposed, is data migration part of the scope?

ANSWER – See the response to question 67.

72. QUESTION - Is this an internet- or Intranet-accessed system?

ANSWER – See the response to question 64.

73. QUESTION - Would the SBA be able to provide a list of 7(a) data sources?

ANSWER – ,There are roughly eight to fifteen data sources. Access to these data sources and a full list of data sources will be provided post award.

74. QUESTION - How is the Lender Scorecard populated?

ANSWER – The Lender Profile Assessment utilizes data from a risk data warehouse, with a report writer using excel and SAS.

75. QUESTION - Attachment 1 What is expected out of the analytical review phase? Is 1200 units the expectation at the first level of identification and review?

ANSWER – Please refer to the Base Contract and Task Order Request for Proposals for an estimated amount.

76. QUESTION - Part II / Section 4 - Under the heading “IDIQ Pricing Schedule,” the solicitation states: “PRICE PROPOSAL FOR THE TASK ORDER SHALL BE COMPLETED ON THE TASK ORDER PRICING SCHEDULE AT ATTACHMENT 2. Price Proposal for the Task Order shall be completed on the Task Order Pricing Schedule on Attachment 4, Page and ALSO LOCATED ON ATTACHMENT 1 IS THE CONTRACT LINE ITEM (CLINS) STRUCTURE WITH QUANTITY ESTIMATES” The file named “Attachment 2” (which is called “Attachment 1” within the body of the attachment) is for “Prior Experience and Past Performance References.” The file named “Attachment 4” (which is called “Attachment 3” within the body of the attachment) is a Price Proposal Format for the Task Order. However, it appears that the correct Task Order Pricing Schedule is located within the file named “Attachment 3” (which is called “Attachment #2” within the body of the attachment). Could the Government please clarify which Attachment (by file name) should be used for Task Order pricing?

ANSWER - ATTACHMENTS AND LABELING HAVE BEEN CORRECTED IN AMENDMENT 0005

77. QUESTION - Part V / Section 59.1.1 The solicitation states: “NOTE: THIS FACTOR SHALL ADDRESS BOTH THE BASE IDIQ PARENT AND TASK ORDER 0001.” Are there separate page limit restrictions for IDIQ and Task Order 0001 responses? Do they need to be in separate tabs to separate out IDIQ and Task Order level responses?

ANSWER – Page numbering has been corrected in the amendment.

78. QUESTION - Part V / Section 59.1.3 / Tab B Relevant Past performance has a page limit of 5 in which 3 pages appear to be for the narrative. Does that mean that the Past Performance chart has a 2 page limit? This contradicts an earlier instruction that states: “the narrative is limited to 5 pages excluding chart.”

ANSWER – The past performance chart does not have a page limit but is limited to 10 references.

79. QUESTION - Part V / Section 59.1.4 The organization of the RFP instructions makes it appear that Factor 4: Pricing falls under Part I – Technical Submission, which we believe is inconsistent with previous instructions that state that Pricing is to be strictly contained to Part II – Business Proposal and Pricing Information. Could the Government please clarify whether this assumption is correct?

ANSWER - THE CURRENT AMENDMENT CLARIFIES THE EVALUATION OF PRICING AND HOW TO SUBMIT IT AT PARAGRAPH 59.1.4.

80. QUESTION - Part V / Section 60.6 - The instruction to offerors for this component of Part II – Business Proposal and Pricing Information states: “COMPLETE PARAGRAPH 5. OF PART 2 ON PAGES 5 AND 6. COMPLETE PARAGRAPH 6 OF PART 2 ON PAGES 6 AND 7.” However, Paragraph 5 of Part 2 corresponds to a Labor Rate table we’re requested to populate (the wrong page number is referenced). Paragraph 6 of Part 2 doesn’t appear to correspond to a specific deliverable to be filled out (and is also not on page 6 or 7). Could the Government please clarify what specifically needs to be filled out, and on what pages of the RFP (or any corresponding attachments) each submission deliverable can be found?

Answer: CURRENT AMENDMENT CORRECTED THIS

81. QUESTION - Staffing

1) Are the Project Manager and Alternate Project Manager the only two Key Personnel that should be named? If no, what other key positions can be named?

ANSWER – No, there are other key personnel. See answer amendment for all key personnel.

2) If additional naming of Key Personnel is allowed, is there a limitation as to the number that can be cited?

ANSWER - No.

82. QUESTION - Per par. 59.1.2 of the RFP, resumes are required for the Key Management Team. Are all the positions cited in Section 11 of the RFP (beginning on Page 25 of the RFP) considered to be part of the Key Management Team?

ANSWER – See answer to question 29.

83. QUESTION - Is there a limitation on the total number of resumes that the Offeror may provide with the Proposal?

ANSWER – No.

83. QUESTION - Is the “Project Risk Analyst and Risk Systems SME” job description for one position or are you looking for two separate SMEs, a “Project Risk Analyst SME” and a “Risk Systems SME”?

ANSWER – The Solicitation does not require that the “Project Risk Analyst and Risk Systems SME” job description be assigned to one SME or separate SMEs.

84. QUESTION - Will resumes be part of the 45 page Technical Page Limitation or are they to be included in a separate “Tab”? (That “Tab” having no page limitations other than the limitation that individual resumes shall not exceed 2 pages?)

ANSWER – No. See paragraph 59.1.3. of the amendment for all changes.. 85. QUESTION - Prior Experience/Past Performance - Regarding par. 59.1.3 (Factor 3 – Relevant Prior Experience and Past Performance): The proposal first states the narrative is limited to 5 pages (excluding chart). Further below it states that the Prior Experience narrative is limited to 3 pages. Can you please clarify this discrepancy?

ANSWER - See paragraph 59.1.3. of the amendment

86. QUESTION - Also, in either event (3 or 5 page narrative), the page limitation seems to considerably limit the space to discuss prior experience and demonstrate relevant experience to the solicitation requirements. Will the SBA consider expanding the narrative page limitation?

ANSWER – The page number for the narrative is 5 pages.

87. QUESTION - Is there a page limitation with respect to the Prior Performance / Prior Experience chart (Attachment 2)?

ANSWER - The past performance is liminted to 10 references utilizing the chart at Attachment 2

88. QUESTION - Tab B (ii): Are past performances awarded more than three years, and not currently performing, to be included on the same Prior Performance/Prior Experience chart (Attachment 2) along with past performances awarded within the three prior years? If not, where are they to be referenced and is there a maximum number allowed?

ANSWER - See paragraph 59.1.3. for additional language in the current amendment.

89. QUESTION - The RFP limits the Offeror to naming 10 contracts on the chart (Attachment 2) but also notes that the exclusion of any contracts in that specified period may be grounds for a marginal or poor performance. Can you advise as to how to proceed in the event the contractor has more than 10 relevant contracts, in which case it appears that the Offeror will be forced to exclude references and be potentially penalized?

ANSWER – Tab A - Prior Experience - Narrative is further detailed in the amendment at paragraph 59.1.3. Past performance reference are limited to no more than 10 for the last 3 years.

90. QUESTION - Deliverables - Is the Quality Assurance Plan (“QAP”) to be included in the 45 page Technical Approach Limitation or does the QAP stand outside of that section and not count toward the 45 page limitation?

ANSWER – The 45-page limitation includes an overview of the QC/QA and the general approach to how deliverables will be timely produced, quality controlled, timely delivered and identifies who is responsible for Quality Control aspects of deliverables and production. The Draft QC/QA Plan is not be included in the 45-page limitation and is furnished at time of award. Once the project is implemented a final complete and detailed QC/ QAP can be documented in manual form. SEE AMENDMENT FOR CURRENT PAGE NUMBER COUNTS

91. QUESTION - If required with the Proposal, is the Draft Security Plan included in the 45 page Technical Approach Limitation or does the Draft Security Plan stand outside of that section and not count toward the 45 page limitation?

ANSWER – The 45-page limitation includes an overview and description of the general approach to the Security Plan along with identifying the IT Security Manager/Specialist. The Draft Security Plan itself is not included in the 45-page limitation. SEE AMENDMENT FOR CURRENT PAGE NUMBER COUNTS

92. QUESTION - Tracking System & Virtual Data Room - Can you please provide more clarification on the Management Workflow and Tracking System and Virtual Data Room including:

a. Is this one, two or three systems?

ANSWER – See answer to question 23.

b. What is the current system infrastructure(s) and programming language(s) used for these system(s)?

ANSWER - See answer to question 23.

93. QUESTION - PARRiS Document Management System (“PDMS”)

a) Is there a preferred platform for the document management system?

ANSWERNO, see the amendment for further details.

b) Can you please expand on how user access should the intent for the solution to be housed on the SBA premises or hosted by the Contractor?

ANSWER: Hosted by Contractor or COTS

c) Can you please provide an estimate of the number of lenders that will be accessing the system?

ANSWER – It is estimated that there may be as many as 4,500 lenders accessing the system.

d) Will multiple levels of permission be required for each role to limit/modify access to the data?

ANSWER - Yes

e) QUESTION - Is there a requirement for the lender to manage their authorized users or will that be centrally managed?

ANSWER – It is not required for the lender to manage their authorized users. f) Are there requirements that will restrict whether documents can be downloaded and do these activities need to be tracked?

ANSWER – Typically COTS solutions will have the required features.

g) Is there a requirement to track the versions of the documents that are uploaded to the site?

ANSWER - Typically COTS solutions will have the required features.

h) Are there retention policies that need to be applied to the content?

ANSWER: Yes, there are the standard government retention policies. See paragraph 47.1 of the Solicitation.

i) Can you please estimate the anticipated volume of documents for an individual lender?

ANSWER: No, we cannot provide an estimate because the volume of documents may vary among lenders.

94. QUESTION - Delegated Lender Authority Management System (“DLAMS”)

a) Can you please provide an estimate of the number of lenders that will be accessing the system?

ANSWER: It is estimated that 4,500 lenders may access the system.

b) Will notifications be managed via email? If so, what is the email platform?

ANSWER: We anticipate a COTS solution that have the required features. . Please refer to question 24

c) What are the security requirements/roles?

ANSWER: Please refer to the IT security clause provided in the amended Solicitation at .

94. QUESTION - Corrective Action Tracking System (“CATS”)

a) Is it possible to review the data mapping diagram/information for the existing CATS Access based system?

ANSWER - No

b) Can we get a screen shot of the existing Access form that is used for data entry?

ANSWER: No, this is not available.

c) Can you please provide an estimate of the number of users that will be accessing the system?

ANSWER: 20 Government Users with the ability to expand plus contractor personnel

d) What is the security model? How are the SBA users and lenders managed/associated?

ANSWER: The CATS system is currently internal to SBA and the RBR Contractor. Users are limited to under 20.

e) Are there sample reports that we can review for additional detail?

ANSWER: No

f) Are there any third-party notifications or reports that need to be generated from the system?

ANSWER: Yes, we require that capability. Please see section BBB of the Amended Solicitation.

g) Do the communication notes need to be reported?

ANSWER: Yes, routine communication notes and tickler items must be reported. Please see section BBB of the Amended Solicitation.

h) Can you please provide more information regarding the ‘tickler’ system requirements?

ANSWER: We anticipate a COTS solution. Please see section Amended Solicitation for more information.

95. QUESTION Does the SBA expect to own all the systems/applications (PDMS/DLAMS/CATS) developed under this contract?

ANSWER – See the answer to questions 2 and 24.

96. QUESTION - Can you please provide an understanding on the requirements review, development, testing and implementation plan timeframes noted in the RFP for the various systems (PDMS/DLAMS/CATS)?

ANSWER – Please see the answers to questions 2 and 24.97. QUESTION - We noted language stating that all systems must be in place within 30 days from the contract award date. This timeline appears to be aggressive based upon the various requirements. Is SBA looking to accept a plan within the 30 day timeframe or requesting that all systems be up and running by that date?

ANSWER –Please see the answers to questions 2 and 24.

98. QUESTION - For several of the tasks on the Task Order (Task 1 - Technical Assistance, Task 8 – Loan Agent Review, Task 9 – Agreed Upon Procedure Review, Task 10 – Management Tracking System, Task 11, Analysis of Delegated lender Process, Task 16 - Asset Marketing and Due Diligence Services, Task 17 – Enforcement Support, Consulting and Portfolio Transition Services and Task 20 – Training) where it is broad service with no estimation of hours or level of effort being provided in the SBA Solicitation, could you:

a) Provide an estimation of hours and level of effort required to compete the tasks, and/or

b) Accept a blended hourly rate and a range of hours from the bidders to complete the tasks?

ANSWER - THE CURRENT TASK ORDER ONLY REQUIRES CLINS 0001, 0002, 0003 AND 0004 AND WE LIST THE UNITS UNDER EACH. THE DETAILS OF REQUIRED WORK ARE IN THE IDIQ PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT AND IN THE TASK ORDER.

99. QUESTION - Page 17 of the RFP: Task 10C: Corrective Actions Tracking System (CATS) cites a deliverable pertaining to a Draft Security Plan. This task and deliverable do not appear to be related. Can you please clarify the deliverable relationship or is this in error?

ANSWER – See the answer to question 89.

100. QUESTION - Page 24 of the RFP: Task 19: Management Work Plan (MWP). The first requirement of this task is that the contractor shall provide a “draft” MWP for the IDIQ and all subsequent Task Orders with their proposal. Can you please comment as to whether MWPs are required for Task Orders at this stage (with the proposal) when no Task Order have been issued?

ANSWER - There is a Task Order Request for Proposals included with this solicitation as Attachment # 2. Offerors are required to provide an MWP with their proposal for the IDIQ award and TO award.

101. QUESTION - If you do wish to see a Task Order MWP, will you be providing sample Task Orders on which to provide MWPs?

ANSWER – There is a Task Order Request for Proposals included with this solicitation as Attachment #2. This is not a sample request for proposals, and is an actual requirement.

102. QUESTION - We understand that SBA is requesting a wide range of services. We understand that the quantity of many of these services will be determined at the time of issuing a task order. However, the broad range of assistance requested and the lack of metrics for how to respond raises several questions.

Without a definition of how hours or more specific definitions of the services to be provided, how will SBA be able to evaluate the reasonability of the pricing provided?

ANSWER – Please see the Amended Solicitation for clarification on proposed pricing. SBA will determine whether the proposed pricing is reasonable based on a comparison with its Independent Government Cost EstimateACCOMPLISH

103. QUESTION - What will SBA do if the selected Contractor says its pricing for a specific type of assistance reflected certain assumptions which are different from those of SBA and are not clearly laid out in the RFP?

ANSWER - TYPICALLY ASSUMPTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN MAKING AN…