Section J_Attachment J - TORP 002 Instructions (FMS I) (Final).docx

OPR Operations Support Services TO-002

TASK ORDER PROPOSAL REQUEST INSTRUCTIONS

This task order proposal request (TOPR) provides fair opportunity to all OPR Operations Support Services IDIQ awardees.

The Department of State requests you submit a proposal in response to the attached TO-002 Statement of Work.

The purpose of this Task Order is to provide the Bureau of Administration, Office of Operations (A/OPR) with contractor personnel necessary to support its programs. The Contractor shall provide qualified personnel to assist the Office of Facilities Management Services (FMS). Most of the positions are located in the Washington DC metropolitan area, but a few positions are also located in other facilities throughout the United States (e.g., Charleston, SC; Williamsburg, KY; Portsmouth, NH; and others).

The Contractor shall support this effort with the appropriate infrastructure to provide for logistics support for its employees and subcontractor employees. A key task is to ensure that proper staffing levels are maintained at all times.

1.0 PROPOSAL VALIDITY PERIOD

The Offerors shall certify that their proposals remain valid for a minimum period of 90 days after submission.

2.0 Proposal Due Date

Offerors shall assume the full and total responsibility of insuring that the offer is received by 16:00 p.m. EST on August 24, 2022 at the following email: carrollJB@state.gov and brownea1@state.gov.

Proposals shall be marked as follows:

· Email subject line: “Proposal – OPR Operations Support Services, TO-002”

· The cover page of each volume shall include the following:

· “Proposal – OPR Operations Support Services, TO-002”

· “Source Selection Sensitive”

Failure to adequately plan for a timely delivery of the electronic proposal may result in the contractor being excluded from consideration of award.

3.0 Proposal Response

The Offeror shall include all information required by in the task order request. The Government reserves the right to eliminate from the competition any proposal that fails to include all requested information.

The Government will not pay for any proposal costs incurred by the Offeror or any costs attributed to the proposal preparation.

It is the Offeror’s responsibility to ensure the completeness of their proposal. Evaluation of a proposal will be conducted only on the basis of the information contained within it, and the Government will not assume that an Offeror possesses any capabilities beyond what is specified in their proposal.

The proposal shall be clear, concise, and include adequate detail for substantiating the validity of stated claims. Simply repeating or paraphrasing the requirements as stated in the solicitation document (stating the Offeror can and/or will meet the requirements without a detailed description of how the work will be done), is not acceptable and may cause the Government to reject the proposal as technically unsatisfactory.

3.1 Discussion Response

Should the Government hold discussions, those within the competitive range will be allowed an opportunity to respond to the Government’s evaluation comments (e.g., significant weaknesses and deficiencies), and provide its final proposal revision. All changes within the proposal must be clearly documented (e.g., red font or highlighted in yellow). A summary sheet documenting all changes within a volume shall be provided as an attachment to each volume. Unless exceptions are specified within the discussion letter provided by the Government, the instructions (e.g., page count, font size, etc.) contained in this task order request are applicable to proposal revisions.

Any and all substantive changes (i.e., revisions) are to be made within the body of the proposal document. In the event that the Offeror were to dispute an evaluation comment, the Offeror is allowed one page (single-sided) for each of the Government presented evaluation comments to contest the Government’s findings.

Revision documents shall be documented with the revision submission date.

4.0 Proposal Preparation and Formatting Instructions

Volume 1: Technical Response (Factor 1) Volume 2: Business Response (Factor 2) and Price Response (Factor 3)

ONLY WORD and PDF READABLE DOCUMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED for Factor 1 (Volumes 1), Factor 2 (Volume 2), and the narrative response to Factor 3 (Volume 2). All documents must be in a searchable format. For Volume 2, Factor 3, the Offeror shall also include the completed EXCEL attachments. A PDF copy of the Excel attachment is not acceptable. The Offeror shall not hide or lock any rows, columns, or cells that contain proposed data in any of the required Excel attachments. Excel formulas shall be provided within the document.

Font: The Offeror shall use Times New Roman font (size 12) or Calibri (font size 11) for all but narrative found in tables. Font in tables shall be in the above identified fonts, but no less than size 10.

Page Size and Margins: The Offeror shall use only standard letter size paper (8.5” x 11”), and margins shall be set to no less than 1” top and bottom margins, and .75” side margins.

Page Limitations: Page limitation are identified under section 5.0. The below shall not count against page limitations.

· Cover page

· Table of contents

· Glossary of acronyms and abbreviations

The Offeror shall note that the Government will not review any pages in excess of the specified page limits. For example, if the specified page limit is 10 pages and the total count exceeds 10 pages, then the Government will not evaluate any information in the proposal beyond the 10th page.

Cover page: For each volume the Offeror will include a cover page. The cover page shall include the following:

· Identify volume number, IDIQ number, task order number (e.g., TO-002), Offeror’s name, Offeror’s DUNS number, name of point of contact and their email address, mailing address, and telephone number.

Page Numbering: The Offeror shall include page numbers.

Volumes: The Offeror shall submit two separate volumes. Volume 1 shall include the Offeror’s response to Factor 1. Volume 2 shall include the Offeror’s response to Factor 2 and 3. These shall be provided as separate electronic files.

The Offeror shall mark proprietary data by page(s), paragraph(s) and sentence(s). Do not generalize.

Proposals not received in accordance with these instructions may be considered unacceptable and rejected. Also, failure to furnish current and complete information requested in this task order request for proposal may cause a proposal to be determined unacceptable and rejected.

4.1 Task Order Request Amendment

The Government reserves the right to amend the terms and conditions of the task order request for proposals at any time before or after receipt of proposals. If the Government amends the task order request for proposals, the Government will so advise all parties receiving it, or all Offerors that have not been eliminated from the competition (if the amendment is issued after the established time and date for receipt of proposals).

5.0 Technical and Business/Price Response

5.1 Volume 1: Technical - Management (Factor 1)

The Offeror shall provide a Management Plan showing how they will meet the requirements of the contract. The Management Plan will define how the Offeror will ensure timely, professional and high-quality performance and achievement of deadlines.

The offeror shall address the below within their factor 1 response.

· Executive Summary

· Subfactor 1: Organization & Management

· Subfactor 2: Quality Control Plan

5.1.1 Executive Summary

Page limit: Two pages single-sided (1 pages double sided)

Provide an executive summary of the company’s proposal highlights of that proposal. Particular proposal advantages should be emphasized.

5.1.2 Organization and Management

Page limit: Ten pages single-sided (Five pages double sided)

The proposal must be complete, clear, and demonstrate a thorough understanding of the program management needs via its responses to the below elements.

The response shall address the following:

A. Provide organizational and functional charts to show responsibilities from the corporate management through the Project Manager, to include names, titles, email addresses and telephone numbers on or immediately below the chart. Describe how the corporate and contract staffing will perform the contract and control work quality. If the offeror is proposing subcontractors, their part should be displayed and discussed as well. The chart shall also demonstrate the interface with the CO and COR.

B. High turnover and long vacancy periods are detrimental to the OPR mission. Two key elements, which successful performance under this task order hinge on, are (1) the contractor’s ability to find, in a timely manner, qualified individuals; and (2) to retain said individuals. The offeror shall discuss their specific recruiting plan for this task order, and how they intend to retain personnel under this task order. The Offeror shall explain how the plan will motivate and foster recruiting and retention of employees throughout the life of the task order. Specific details on annual increases, bonus and incentive programs offered by the Offeror shall be provided (e.g., frequency, type of incentive employed, paid time off, etc.).

C. The Offeror shall provide a comprehensive explanation detailing how they expect to accomplish the start-up and transition (as applicable), to include recruitment timelines, steps to acquire all necessary licenses, permits, insurance, staff, clearances, passports and visas, and training of staff.

The Offeror shall note that only ten of the positions identified under this task order is provided under the incumbent contract. The remaining three positions are new.

The existing positions are as follows:

As stated under IDIQ SOW section C.5.1, qualified existing personnel are to be given a Right of First Refusal. It is the Offeror’s responsibility to determine that these personnel are qualified under this contract, as requirements may have changed.

5.1.3 Task Order Quality Control Plan (QCP)

Page limit: Six pages single-sided (Three pages double sided)

The Task Order QCP shall describe how the Offeror will ensure the quality of the services for all locations where performance will occur under this task order. This is a component of the contractor’s larger Quality Control Plan. The QCP shall describe:

a. State if or if not, the Offeror has any industry certifications, e.g., ISO 9000, that apply to quality control/quality assurance. (This will not influence award.)

b. How the Offeror will monitor contract performance and compliance under this task order, when and how corrective action will be implemented, and how corrective action will be documented and used to prevent recurrences.

c. Responsibilities of the different levels of management and supervision in the quality review system. Identify those specific individuals responsible for QC within the organization.

d. How quality systems/procedures will be documented/archived.

e. The QCP shall include performance metrics, standards of performance, and methods of review employed to meet the specifications and requirements of the contract.

f. Include a description of how deficient performance identified will be followed up with corrective action.

g. Identify how records documenting inspections and any corrective actions will be maintained throughout the life of the contract.

h. Identify how the QC will differ, in any way, for the contractors proposed subcontractor(s) (as applicable).

i. The Offeror shall identify what mechanism it will utilize to ensure…

· personnel maintain their assigned daily and weekly schedules;

· high performance standards;

· personnel maintain require certifications and training, as applicable;

The Offeror shall not simply provide general statements on quality control concepts. The Government seeks to understand what measures and procedures will be taken under this task order.

Note: In accordance with IDIQ section 3.4, after award the Government may request for a copy of the Contractor’s complete quality control plan, to include the specific update related to the issuance of this task order. The proposed task order QCP shall be incorporated into the task order as Attachment 3, and the contractor shall integrate it into their larger contract QCP.

5.2 Volume 2: Business and Price (FactorS 2 & 3)

5.2.1 Business (Factor 2)

5.2.1.1 Cover Letter

Page Limit: Two pages single-sided (1-page double sided)

The Offeror shall prepare a cover letter signed and dated by a company officer authorized to legally bind the company.

The Offeror shall make a definitive statement as to whether or not any exceptions or assumptions were taken to any of the requirements, terms and conditions contained in the solicitation (technical and non-technical), and provide the page number in the volume(s) that specifically holds exceptions and assumptions.

Offerors are advised that taking exception to any of the requirements specified in this solicitation may result in the proposal being found nonresponsive. Since the Government reserves the right to award without discussions, offerors run the risk of their proposal being found nonresponsive as a result of exceptions to solicitation requirements. Offerors should utilize the Questions period (see Section 10.0) for clarification of Government requirements and any contractor assumptions should be handled by submitting a question/recommended change prior to proposal submission.

The Offeror shall make a clear statement that its offer is valid for at least 60 days beyond the proposal due date.

5.2.1.2 Subcontractors

Page Limit: Two pages single-sided (1-page double sided)

The Offeror shall identify any proposed subcontractors. They shall provide the subcontractor name, DUNS, facility clearance level, and identify small business program category (e.g. HUBZone) if any. The Offeror will identify the percentage of anticipated work assigned to each team member under this task order.

If the Offeror does not intend to use subcontractors for this task order, the Offeror shall clearly state this in their response.

5.2.2 Price (Factor 3)

The Offeror’s response to Pricing will include completed Excel documents (Attachment L), and a corresponding narrative response which speaks to the basis of the presented prices and responds to identified requirements below (Word or searchable PDF document). The narrative shall be a Word document or searchable PDF document.

Attachment L, Pricing Spreadsheet – CLIN Breakdown: The Offeror shall complete the Attachment L pricing spreadsheet for the base and all option years. All yellow highlighted rate cells shall include a rate. The contractor shall present labor rates at or below the IDIQ incorporated ceiling rates (IDIQ attachment C). Under no circumstances shall the labor rate (standard or overtime) exceed the ceiling rates. Proposal submissions which include rates above the IDIQ incorporated ceiling rate values may be rejected. The Government requests that the Offeror propose discounted rates.

Plug Figures: Due to the difficulty of estimating certain values, the Government has provided for non-proposed estimates (plug figures) for travel (CLIN x025) and training (CLIN x026). These values must be used, as specified, when computing the overall task order values and proposed costs.

Price Proposal Narrative The Offeror shall discuss, at a minimum, the following:

· Indirect Costs: State in the Price Proposal narrative the basis of estimate for the proposed indirect rates. This shall be provided in a narrative format, not simply within an Excel sheet. Indicate whether the proposed indirect cost rates have been evaluated by any Government audit agency. If the rates have been evaluated, provide the audit report numbers, audit agency telephone number and the Government representative’s (i.e., auditor or administrative contracting officer) name and telephone number.

· The basis of the overtime rates. The Offeror shall confirm that as presented in their IDIQ response, they are paying overtime to their employees, and provide the basis of the overtime rate.

· The price narrative must fully explain any and all zero-dollar entry for any CLIN or the CLIN price proposed by the Offeror in Attachment L.

· The basis of the other direct cost (ODC) proposed rates presented by the Offeror in Attachment L.

6.0 EVALUATION CRITERIA

The Government anticipates one task order award resulting from this task order proposal request, and will award the prospective task order to the responsible using the Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) evaluation process.

The Government may award the task order on the basis of initial offers received, without discussions. In award without discussions, any proposal (i.e., technical or price) that contains assumptions of any nature that is identified as a significant risk or weakness, may not be eligible for award. Therefore, each initial offer should contain the Offeror's best terms from a price and technical standpoint. The Government does, however, reserve the right to elect to make award with discussions.

Factor 1 (Technical – Management) is more important than Factor 3 (Price). The Business response (Factor 2) is a pass/fail evaluation. Within Factor 1, the relative importance of subfactors in descending order of importance is Organization and Management (subfactor 1), Quality Control Plan (subfactor 2).

In accordance with FAR 16.505(b)(1)(v)(A)(2), if applicable, the Government will assess the potential impact of this Task Order award on other Task Orders held by the Offeror.

The evaluation of non-cost factors is an assessment of the proposal and the Offeror’s ability to perform the prospective task order successfully. Subjective judgment based on professional expertise on the part of the Government is implicit in the assessment of non-price factors. The Contracting Officer shall determine what trade-off between non-price factors and price promises the greatest value to the Government. Therefore, the Government reserves the right to award to other than the lowest offered price. As non-price factors, when combined, of the Offeror’s proposals become more equal, the price factor may become more important and/or the determining factor.

6.1 Evaluation Criteria: Factor 1, Technical -Management

The proposal must be complete, clear, comply with the requirements of the task order request, demonstrate a thorough understanding of the requirements and demonstrate the ability to perform the prospective contract successfully in the area of this factor.

See Section 7.0 for evaluation rating system.

6.1.1 Executive Summary

The Government will review to ensure the Offeror has complied with the stated section 5.1.1 requirements.

6.1.2 Organization & Management

Subfactor 1

The proposal must address all Section 5.1.2 elements.

A. The Government will evaluate the structure to ensure that it is clear related to work and communications flow through the organization (to include any subcontractors).

B. The Government will evaluate the recruiting and compensation plan response to assure that it reflects a sound management approach and understanding of the contract requirements. The response should indicate the capability of the proposed compensation structure to obtain and keep suitably qualified personnel to meet mission objectives.

C. The Government considers a smooth transition and continuity of services to be critical to the DOS mission. The Plan shall address the elements of the transition and shall be as complete as possible, thorough and realistic. The plan should anticipate problems that could be encountered and address how they would be resolved. The Offeror must illustrate a comprehensive approach to transitioning the program from the current incumbent, if applicable. The Transition Plan will be evaluated to determine the Offeror’s ability to identify the tasks that will be performed during transition and to accomplish them successfully.

6.1.3 Quality Control Plan

Subfactor 2

The proposal will be evaluated to ensure that the Offeror has fully addressed all Section 5.1.3 requirements. The proposal must demonstrate a well-designed quality control program that will ensure performance requirements are met and reduce or eliminate the number of non-conformances.

6.2 Evaluation Criteria: Factor 2- Business

The proposal must be complete, clear, comply with the requirements of the task order request.

The proposal will be evaluated to ensure that the Offeror has fully addressed all Section 5.2.1 requirements.

The business response (Factor 2) is a pass/fail evaluation.

6.3 Evaluation Criteria: Factor 3- Price

The proposal will be evaluated to ensure that the Offeror has fully addressed all Section 5.2.2 requirements.

· Attachment L: The principle basis for evaluating price as a factor for award under this task order proposal request will be the evaluation of the reasonableness of each labor hour price CLIN and the resulting total proposed labor hour price value, as reflected in the combining of CLIN I19 (Standard hours total) and I34 (Overtime hours total), submitted in Attachment L. The Government does not commit to order or payment of these quantities and dollar amounts, respectively.

The total proposed labor hour price value (CLIN I19 + I34) will be used for purposes of determining the Lowest Price.

· Price Proposal Notes: The Government will review the offeror’s responses for reasonableness. The price narrative must fully explain every zero-dollar entry for any CLIN or the CLIN price may be considered not reasonable.

The Offeror shall ensure that all cells[footnoteRef:1] within these referenced attachments are filled. [1: Cells that must be completed by the Offeror are highlighted within the spreadsheet.]

The price factor is not scored; rather the Government will examine the completeness, accuracy, and reasonableness of all Offerors’ proposed prices and narrative response.

The applicable pricing information proposed in Pricing Attachment L will be used as the awarded pricing information if award is made without discussions, or will be used as the basis of negotiation if award is made with discussions.

The Government will use one or more of the proposal analysis techniques stipulated in FAR 15.404 to conduct the evaluation. No price analysis will be performed on proposals determined as non-responsive or if the technical proposal is determined to be technically unsatisfactory.

The Government does not commit to order or payment of the provided “plug‐figure” quantities and dollar amounts, respectively, nor does it commit to paying the proposed or evaluated labor and ODC CLIN.

6.3.1 Separate Charges

Separate charges, in any form are not solicited. For example, the Government will reject proposals containing any charges for failure of the Government to exercise any options. The Government shall not be obligated to pay any charges other than the contract price, including any exercised options.

7.0 Evaluation Ratings

The Government will evaluate Factor 1, and its subfactors, using an adjectival rating system. The Government will not use numerical weights or ordinal rankings in evaluating the technical proposals. The Government will assign an adjective, as defined below, based on the Offeror’s ability to support the Government’s non-price requirements. Once the adjective is assigned for each factor and subfactor (as applicable), an overall adjectival score will be assigned for the Offeror’s non-price proposal(s).

RATINGS FOR FACTOR 1

8.0 EVALUATION OF PERFORMANCE YEAR OPTIONS

The Government will evaluate offers for contract award purposes the total proposed price for the base period and all option periods. Evaluation of options does not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s).

9.0 QUESTIONS / COMMUNICATIONS REGARDING THE TASK ORDER

Prospective Offerors should submit any questions regarding this task order via email by 13:00 p.m. EST on August 1, 2022. Interested parties shall address all questions via email to: JoAnn B. Carroll, Contracting Officer and Earl A. Brown, Contract Administrator at carrollJB@state.gov and brownEA1@state.gov.

Unless it is specifically authorized elsewhere, communication concerning this task order with any other Government personnel, including contractor support personnel, is prohibited. If such contact occurs, the Offeror making contact may be excluded from award consideration.

10.0 Use of Non-Government Evaluators

The Government may acquire Contractor support services while performing technical and/or cost evaluations of the Offeror's proposals. Support contractors, if used, will be authorized access only to those portions of the proposal data and discussions that are necessary to enable them to provide advice on specialized matters or on particular problems.

In no event shall support contractors participate as voting members of any source selection board.

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