Approved_-_Questions_and_Answers.pdf

School Bus Transportation Services

Solicitation Number SKU200-17-Q-0008

Questions and Answers

No. Question Answer

1 Under ‘1.4 Definitions’ reads that the model of all Buses must be “2015 or newer”, which means 3-year old as of 2017.

Is this model criterion applicable to each of the 4-optional years or Contractor can use

2015-model Buses for entire 5-years of this project?

2015 model can be used for the entire duration of the contract.

Please refer to “Statement of Work – paragraph B.

Equipment to be provided by the Contractor” for more details

2 Under Clause 3.5.1 reads that …..”The

Government has the option to increase and/or decrease the number of Vehicles required subject on the actual number of students for each scholastic year.”

The above statement causes confusion & uncertainty regarding the actual number of

Buses & support staffs required per year. It is essential to know the “minimum number of

Buses required for standard services” in order to offer accurate price that committed to the minimum number of Buses & Service.

There is NO minimum number of buses required.

As per the solicitation, the Government estimates between 70 – 100 students to be transported on a daily basis to all the schools combined during the school year “2017-2018”. Though the Government cannot determine the exact number of passengers in advance and the number of passengers may vary each school year, the services shall be provided at the rates specified in the pricing section of this contract.

Based on historic data, below two tables shows number of students and the number of buses that were utilized in the past three (3) years under the current School Bus contract:

Number of Buses

Year Bus Description Quantity of buses used

2014 - 2015 Standard Bus 7

Mini Bus 4

2015 - 2016 Standard Bus 7

Mini Bus 4

2016 - 2017 Standard Bus 8

Mini Bus 4

Number of Students

Year Number of

Students

2014 - 2015 81

2015 - 2016 62

2016 - 2017 72

3 Could you reconfirm the minimum number of

Buses required for standard services during the scholastic year is 15?

There is NO minimum number of buses. Quantities mentioned in the standard services are estimates only.

Actual number of required buses depends on the actual number of students for each scholastic year.

See answer to question number 2

4 As mentioned at Page 20 Section 7 (E)

Subcontracting Services. Can a Contractor make a Joint Venture (JV) with other firm and perform the Contract

No.

The Contractor shall not subcontract or make a Joint

Venture with other firms to perform services under this contract.

5 Should we provide the details of all the

Drivers & Monitors while submitting the price quote

No.

The contractor shall forward all details to COR after contract award and notice to proceed letter.

6 Is there a specific norm for the Drivers &

Monitors Nationality while performing the

Contract?

There are no restrictions on the nationalities of the drivers or monitors. However, they do have to pass the RSO security background check.

7 Who is the incumbent contractor currently performing in this project, what is the duration of the current contract and the total awarded amount including all options?

Current Contractor’s name

El-Hoss Eng Transport

Co. (HETCO)

Current Contract

Duration

August 2012 – August

Current Contract

Awarded Amount

USD$ 1,030,000

8 Is price escalation for option years 1-4 acceptable?

Yes

9 How can the price be adjusted to the increase in the price of fuel in future years?

This contract type shall be a firm-fixed price contract type for standard services in accordance of the

Statement of Work.

10 Mobilization period required to scale up the operation; how long notice will be given?

Refer to 1.3 “Notice to Proceed”

11 What Notice period will be given scale down the operation?

Refer to 1.3 “Notice to Proceed”

12 (Ref- clause 3.1 to 3.9)

What is extended price?

How one does understands how to price it?

Extended price is:

Your charges per day x 176 “the estimated number of school days”

13 (Ref- clause 1. Statement of work)

Please clarify minimum two round trips, maximum 60 round trips

This is for additional/emergency services

14 Staff Accommodation

Standard accommodation offered to all employees of the company is in compliance with local laws. Is this acceptable?

Refer to SECTION 3 - INSTRUCTIONS TO

OFFERORS – Volume IV “Housing and Recruitment plan requirement”

15 The Building owners have not made available Refer to SECTION 3 - INSTRUCTIONS TO to us the building plans. What is expected of us here?

OFFERORS – Volume IV “Housing and Recruitment plan requirement”

16 Recruitment Plan

Recruitment will be as per Kuwaiti & third country laws. Is this acceptable?

Refer to SECTION 3 - INSTRUCTIONS TO

OFFERORS – Volume IV “Housing and Recruitment plan requirement” and Paragraph J under Other Terms and Conditions

17 (Ref- clause Section 2 CONTRACT

CLAUSES) Page No 24-29

Many of these are specific to the US. How are we expected to tick in the box if they are not applicable?

Section 2 (page 24 -37) is applicable for overseas.

Therefore, Contractors shall comply with the FAR clauses listed. Contractors are not required to tick any box

18 Can the USG please confirm that offerors will only be responsible for children while they are on the bus?

Yes.

They will be responsible for the children from the pick-up in the morning to the school (inside school).

Afternoon they will be responsible to pick up the children from school and drop them to their houses or embassy (children under 13 years old need to have someone at home to receive the child, in case that no one is at home the monitor needs to inform the COR and the monitor/driver will drop the child off at the embassy)

19 p5. 1.4

"Unauthorized Passengers – Unauthorized passengers are not permitted on the bus. This includes children, spouses, relatives, employees, friends or others who are not U.S.

Embassy students. This also includes transferring students from bus to bus without the knowledge of the dispatchers or the director. Parents requesting a ride on the bus must receive advance approval from the COR, Bus Coordinator, Raquel Sarmiento."

Can the USG please define the timing in which "advance approval" will be requested, granted, and communicated to the offeror?

COR will notify the contractor as soon as updates are available. This should be communicated to the contractor within 24 hours

20 p6, 3.4.1

Can the USG elaborate on the process that will be used by the USG to request additional/emergency services?

Please refer to Statement of Work – paragraph 3

“Funding/Ordering”

21 p14, I.A.6(b)

This question needs to be address when the SY2017-

2018 begins. We don’t know if the employees will

Can the USG elaborate on who at each school will be able to instruct drivers and monitors?

remain the same.

22 p14, I.A.6(b)

Can the USG elaborate on whom within the

USG's team will be able to instruct drivers and monitors?

The COR has the authority to instruct drivers and monitors.

23 p14, I.A.6(b)

Will parents be able to instruct drivers and monitors?

Parents are not allowed to instruct the drivers.

However, parents may inform monitors in case a child is sick.

Monitors are required to update COR immediately with any parents instructions.

24 p14, I.A.6(b)

How will drivers/monitors be able to determine if an instruction is appropriate?

This is particularly relevant due to the differences in cultural norms between

Westerners and locals/TCNs.

If a driver is given an instruction forcefully enough they may feel compelled to comply even if they do not think it is appropriate depending upon the status and position of the person giving the instruction.

If the driver/ monitor believes that there is a problem, they should contact the COR for advice.

25 p14, I.A.6(c)

When schools close early due to inclement weather, the Contractor shall ensure students are picked up within one hour after the decision has been announced that the schools will close.

How/when will this decision be communicated to the offeror?

The COR will notify the monitor as soon updates from schools are available

26 p14, I.A.6(e)

"Bus drivers shall not transport unauthorized passengers, unless this is approved by the

COR.

Can the USG please define the methods in which approval will be communicated to the offeror?

COR will notify the contractor by phone and text messages.

27 p14, I.A.6(f)

The Contractor shall stress to the drivers to obey all traffic rules and instructions of

Embassy officials when driving on Embassy

Drivers will need to follow all regular rules of traffic they would normally follow when driving in Kuwait.

property

Can the USG provide a list of all applicable traffic rules to be obeyed while on Embassy property?

28 p15, B.1.

These buses must be in very good working condition and must be equipped with heavy duty A/C…

Can the USG provide any more specifics to this requirement? Specific BTU? Compressor size? Temperature range?

Air conditioning specifications as found on:

1. For standard buses as found on Toyota Coaster or equal

2. For mini buses as found on Toyota Hiace or equal

29 p21, I

What is the QASP requirement with respect to the offeror's proposal?

Refer to “OTHER TERMS AND CONDITIONS” paragraph I “QUALITY ASSURANCE AND

SURVEILLANCE PLAN (QASP)”

30 p21, J.1.

If an offeror does not intend to recruit anyone for this project (already employed all needed personnel) and does not provide housing to our personnel are recruitment and housing plans still required?

Contractors must state in their proposal wither they intend to recruit anyone and/or they do or do not provide housing accommodations. Housing plan and recruitment plan is only required if the contractor intends to recruit and provide housing accommodations. Refer to Section 3 – Volume IV

“Housing and Recruitment Plan”.

31 p39, (8)

Can the USG please elaborate on the specific routes required to be provided with our proposal in light of the fact that exact stops are not yet known.

Contractors are required to provide in their proposal two rout options from the Embassy to the four designated schools listed in the solicitation

32 What are the normal hours of operation or start and end time for standard services?

Refer to Attachment 5 “General Orders”. While pick-up and drop-off timing is not mentioned in the solicitation, timing should be in consistent with each school calendar/start and end day.

The estimated Pick-up in the morning to the school should start approximately at 05:30am, and drop off till

05:30pm

33 Is the Contractor provided housing for workers is mandatory requirement in this

Contract? Normally other labor elect to stay with their own choice of accommodation as part of the contractor offer compensation packages/ inclusive housing is this acceptable?

No it is not mandatory. Offerors are required to state in their proposal wither they are or they are not providing housing accommodations as per SECTION 3 –

SOLICITATION PROVISIONS - 52.212-1

Instructions to Offerors

34 What are the acceptable nationalities to be employed in these Contracts?

There are no restrictions on the nationalities of the drivers or monitors. However, they do have to pass the RSO security background check.

35 Would the DBA Workers Compensation insurance to be obtained thru DOL authorized insurance provider can be substituted by a

Local insurance provider?

No. Refer to SECTION 3 - SOLICITATION

PROVISIONS - ADDENDUM TO 52.212-1

36 Would the driver and adult monitor be allowed to leave the school premises after dropped of students during morning time?

And return for pick up within specified time?

Contractor busses needs to depart the school after dropping the children at school.

37 Will the security inspection check for Busses be perform at the US Embassy compound prior to the pickup time of students only?

And or how frequent?

The security inspection will take place each time a bus enters the Embassy Compound. The buses will not be inspected as they depart the compound.

38 Is there any preference to the Monitor’s gender?

No preference.