Q&A_Annex_to_Amt_01.pdf

RFP No. SOL‐167‐17‐000002; Kosovo Energy Security of Supply (KESS); Annex to amendment#01

Questions and Answers:

1. Page 13, C2, number 14, there is a call for “providing advice on increasing women’s participation in the energy sector policy development and assist in gender mainstreaming processes” – however there is not a labor category for a gender specialist, would USAID consider adding a Senior Short Term Technical Assistance (STTA) category so that Offerors could include other US Expatriate personnel that it deems necessary to implement the scope of work?

USAID Response: This is expected to be covered under the Capacity Building Advisor.

2. Could USAID elaborate on how KESS will complement and not overlap with the current REPOWER Kosovo project?

USAID Response: The current transaction support to the Government of Kosovo (GoK) on generation capacity development, in this case Kosovo C, will cease after KESS is awarded. In addition, REPOWER is conducting specific studies for the Kosovo C Environment and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) revision which may overlap in terms of timing but not over the activities.

3. P.15, C.5 states that the “The initial Job Order will include a logframe and sustainability analysis, and performance monitoring requirements ..” and Attachment 7 Initial Job Order states that “The logframe and sustainability analysis are attached to this Job Order.” Could USAID please provide these attachments?

USAID Response: USAID will not be providing logframe and sustainability analysis with the Job Order1. This has been removed from the RFP and Job Order 1.

4. Attachment 7 - Initial Job Order, can USAID please confirm that the following are not required at the proposal stage: PMP; Logframe; and Sustainability Analysis.

USAID Response: The Logframe and Sustainability Analysis are not required, though offerors should address the performance monitoring requirements as they relate to the technical approach for Job Order 1.

5. Page 13 – What constitutes mobilization for Job Orders on this contract? Is it 15 days to begin work on the Job Order, or 15 days to be in Kosovo?

USAID Response: It is within 15 days to be in Kosovo and start the work.

6. Attachment 5 – Job Order 1 states that “the PMP will be based on the KESS activity logical framework and activities proposed by the Contractor for achieving each of the objectives and outcomes (results)” and “the Contractor can propose changes to the activity logical framework (Log Frame) in the PMP, however, the activity’s purpose, objectives, results, and key outputs cannot be changed. Can USAID please provide a formal description of the objectives and outcomes (results) to use in developing the

PMP?

USAID Response: Please see the revised Job Order 1.

7. Initial Job Order: KESS-001

a. What is the definition of “local” in the description of “Local Project

Coordinator” and “local team members”? Is the requirement for local nationals or US-expatriates to reside in Kosovo for the remainder of the project?

USAID Response: “Local” stands for Cooperating Country National (CCN). The requirement is for Kosovar who resides in Kosovo.

8. Project Team: (i.e. Project Finance Advisor, Project Finance Legal Advisor, etc as outlined in the SOL)

a. Will this team reside in Kosovo for duration of project?

b. Will this team be stateside and only “mobilize” for specified Job Orders?

c. Per the SOL, estimated labor days are listed in M.4 “Cost Proposal

Evaluation” – is this the minimum or maximum days for each position?

USAID Response: The expat members of the team will mobilize only for specific Job Orders they are not to reside in Kosovo for the duration of the project.

The days listed in M.4 are estimates, not a minimum or maximum. They are there to help offerors prepare pricing.

9. The RFP allows 25 pages for the technical, which should present: “ … the technical approach and methodology the Offeror is to use in fulfilling the requirements of Job Order 1.” (pg. 67). However, Job Order 1 does not indicate any technical tasks or subtasks, but rather is administrative in nature. May Offerors present hypothetical technical tasks / subtasks in their bids, outlining how they would effectively administer them (a) - (h) in the Initial Job Order?

USAID Response: No, the Job Order is meant to be administrative in nature and is the foundation for management of the entire contract (e.g. system for mobilizing STTA quickly in country). Offerors should respond appropriately with their technical approach.

10. Could several of the positions identified in RFP as team members be revised to higher categories i.e. from junior to senior levels?

USAID Response: No.

11. Can USAID kindly confirm that the technical assistance under Job Order 1 is limited to the mobilization of the local team?

USAID Response: Yes.

12. Would USAID consider allowing CCN/TCNs for STTA positions set forth in Section B.4 or does the budget structure only allow for expats to be proposed in the various labor categories?

USAID Response: No. CCNs/TCNs are governed by Section B.4(c).

13. Pages 6-9 – It is the Offeror’s contention that in order to successfully implement the scope of work that senior level individuals are needed for most of the categories listed in Section B.4(a) that are at the currently listed as Junior and Mid – would USAID consider readjusting those categories or does the Offeror have flexibility to bid at the level it deems best to implement the scope of work?

14. To ensure consistency across offerors’ budgets, can USAID please provide the anticipated duration for Job Order 1 and a fixed euro to dollar exchange rate?

USAID Response: The Job Order 1 is for the entire duration of the activity and will be in

USD. We do not have a fixed exchange rate.

15. Would USAID consider providing an estimated cost range for Job Order 1?

USAID Response: No, offerors are expected to propose it given the requirements.

16. Page 9 – Section B.4(b) refers back to itself. Can USAID confirm that this should refer to Section B.4(a)?

USAID Response: Section B.4(b) should refer to Section B.4(a). RFP has been updated

17. Page 9 – Can USAID confirm if Section B.4(c) pertains to subcontractors, or only the prime contractor? If it pertains to the subcontractors, do they need to propose their own multipliers, or do they need to use the prime contractor’s multiplier?

USAID Response: The multiplier must be applicable to the subcontractor if the prime contractor is utilizing the subcontractor to provide LOE per Section B.4(c). If not using the subcontractor to provide LOE, then Section B.5 is applicable.

18. Page 14 – In Section C.4, USAID identifies two positions i. Home Office and Other Management and Administrative Support Officer and j. Administrative Support Officer, however on pages 6 to 9 and page 71, there is only Home Office Support - Junior. Is the bullet j. Administrative Support Officer a local personnel outside of the US expatriate pool? For the Home Office Support, typically this position is not a single junior level personnel but a combination of personnel at Senior, Mid, and Junior levels.

Can Offerors propose multiple levels for this labor category?

USAID Response: No. It is expected that the support mentioned in the question is covered in the multiplier and the fully burdened rates. The Administrative Support is meant as the local support provided in Job Order 1, which is why there is no separate labor category, since it is all CCN support.

19. Page 62, 63 – Section L.5 states that the proposal must be accompanied by a signed cover letter, but Section L.6 states that in the Technical Proposal, Offerors may include either a cover letter or an executive summary. Can USAID confirm that the cover letter can be submitted separately from the executive summary in the Technical Proposal?

USAID Response: Please see the amended RFP.

20. Page 63 – Section L.6 states that Offerors should provide CVs for all personnel. Does “all personnel” refer to candidates for the labor categories from Section B.4(a), or from Job Order 1, or a combination of both? As section B.4(a) is for US expatriates from the prime contractor only, would CVs be shown for CCN/TCN and US subcontractors as well?

USAID Response: CVs are only needed for the personnel on Job Order 1, please see amended RFP.

21. Page 63 – Can an acronyms list be added to the list of documents not counted against the page limit?

USAID Response: No

22. Page 63 – The technical proposal instructions state that charts and graphs can use 10-point font. Can USAID confirm that tables can also be in 10-point font?

USAID Response: Confirmed, please see amended RFP.

23. Page 64 and Attachment 4 - Can you USAID provide direction on how to cost the Local Project Coordinator as described in attachment 4 and other local administrative staff such as a Translator, etc. that the Offeror deems necessary to implement the SOW? The instructions given are to provide salary information and a fixed multiplier, but it also refers “each labor category and level set forth in Section B.4(b)”. That section provides seniority guidance for the expatriate labor categories, which are already fully loaded.

USAID Response: The language in Section L has been modified. Since CCNs/TCNs are paid their actual salary plus a fixed multiplier, offerors are to provide the fixed multiplier for the overall contract. Offerors will also propose the actual salaries for the local staff as part of the requirement for Job Order 1.

24. Page 64, 3. How should the Offerors go about preparing the budget for Job Order 1 – Should it be a standalone budget with its own personnel, US Expatriate, CCN and US Subcontractor separate from other costs?

25. Page 67 – The use of the $5 M as a floor for projects for past performance makes sense.

However, capping projects at $25 million makes for a rather limited range. Would USAID consider removing the top limit?

26. Page 67 – The numbered bullets provide instructions for projects that are not present in CPARS. Does USAID require anything from Offerors for those projects that are listed in CPARS?

27. Page 71 – Is our assumption correct that the table provided in Section M.4 is for evaluation purposes only, and USAID is not ordering these LOE days at this time?

Should Offerors present a table in their budget with this calculation completed?

USAID Response: Correct. Offerors may present the table in their budget with the completed calculation, though USAID will independently verify.

28. Page 67 – The definition of a major subcontractor is 15% of total proposed costs, however, it is unclear how our total costs are to be calculated as it is our understanding that we presenting only fixed daily rates for personnel and a budget for job order 1. Can USAID please clarify?

USAID Response: Using the figures in the table in Section M.4, offerors can calculate their own total evaluated price. If a subcontractor is proposed to provide services (LOE, materials, etc.) in excess of 15% of the total evaluated price, then that subcontractor meets the definition of “major subcontractor”.

29. Page 64 – Section L.7(b)(1) states that Offerors “must propose fixed daily rates for all

U.S. expatriates for each labor category and level set forth in Section B.4(b)”. Are we to propose candidates for every seniority level for each labor category (i.e., senior, mid and junior), or just the seniority levels indicated in Section B.4(a)?

USAID Response: Please propose candidates only for the level specified in section B.4(a)

30. Section L.7 (b) Proposed Costs/Prices (2): P. 64. “The Offeror must propose fixed daily rates for all U.S. expatriates for each labor category and level set forth in Section B.4(b) of this RFP.” Would USAID consider allowing offerors to provide fixed daily rates at the senior, mid and junior levels for each category under section B.4 (a) considering that the job orders are unknown and to maximize flexibility for implementation?

USAID Response: No, please see question 29.

31. Do the fixed daily rates in section B.4 apply to all forms of expatriate labor, including home office, long term field office and consultant labor?

USAID Response: Yes. Section B.4(a) refers to U.S. personnel whereas Section B.4(c) refers to CCN/TCN labor.

32. Page 6 – Section B.4(a) states that “Subcontractors are covered under ‘Materials’.” Is our assumption correct that they are not bound by the fixed daily rates and labor categories of Section B.4(a)?

USAID Response: In accordance with FAR 16.601 subcontractors too would have fixed daily rate. Kindly see the amended RFP.

33. Attachment 5/7 – Section J refers to the Initial Job Order as Attachment 5, but the attached file’s header and footer refer to it as Attachment 7. Can USAID confirm that this is the correct document?

USAID Response: As the file name of the attachment states, it is attachment 5.

34. Office and Residence:

a. Does USAID provide office space for the duration of this contract or is the contractor expected to acquire and furnish office space?

b. Does USAID provide staff residence for contractors in a designated location or is the contractor expected to provide local lodging?

c. Will USAID furnish any computers for contractor use?

USAID Response: No, USAID will not provide any of the above mentioned support.

35. Overall Contract Questions:

a. What is the anticipated contract award date?

b. What is the anticipated amount of time from contract award date for Job

Order 1 to be issued?

c. Will there be future rounds of Q&A after this initial round?

USAID Response: The anticipated award date is May 2017. Award and Job Order 1 will be issued together.

Yes, there will be another round of Q&A.

36. I am wondering if an incumbent exists for the potential requirement: Kosovo Energy

Security of Supply (KESS) Activity outlined under SOL-167-17-000002. If so, could you please provide the following information?:

a. Vendor name

b. Contract number

c. Value

d. Date of award

e. Expiration date

USAID Response: This is a new requirement.

37. Would USAID consider the application of Geographic Code 935 for this Activity to allow for participation by a broad range of implementing partners?

USAID Response: No

38. The RFP states that the positions Commercial Expert and Economist are level AC Junior. Often, transactions are driven and even closed by commercial specialists.

Would USAID consider changing the level of these positions to AA Senior?

39. Would USAID consider adding a mid and Senior Home Office Support position to the labor categories, to ensure quality control and adherence to USAID standards across all job orders?

USAID Response: No. The requirement is for a junior level.

40. In Section L. 6, P. 63, USAID requests a “staffing plan and summary of proposed staffing resources listing qualifications and experience for all personnel.” To facilitate an effective presentation of information, can USAID please clarify if the staffing plan should name all of the STTA positions listed in B.4 and C.4, or provide qualifications and experience for personnel limited to Job Order 1?

USAID Response: Please provide information for positions under B.4 (these can be examples) and Job Order 1

41. Will USAID please clarify if CVs are required exclusively for Job Order 1 or if the offeror is required to provide CVs for all named STTA as well?

USAID Response: Please see Answer to Question #20.

42. Page 67 – The title of Part 8 states that biographical data sheets are for Key Personnel, but the body of the text states that they are needed for all personnel proposed in Job Order 1. Can USAID please clarify? Are biodatas needed only for the CCN/TCN staff, since their rates are based on their salaries, or would expatriates covered under the labor categories need to present biodatas as well?

USAID Response: Please see Answer to Question #20.

43. Concerning proposed staffing: Section C.4 lists 10 Team Member categories. The 5th bullet at the top of page 63 states that “CVs for all personnel” are required. Page 68 states that Offerors must provide biodatas for all personnel in the Initial Job Order. The Initial Job Order lists two position categories: Local Project Coordinator and other local administrative and management team members. Could USAID please clarify for which positions Offerors are required to submit CVs? If only for the two position categories listed in the Initial Job Order, how many CVs may Offerors present under the other local administrative and management team member category?

USAID Response: Please see Question #20.

44. P. 67 refers to “Employee Biographical Data Sheets for Key Personnel.” Can USAID please clarify which positions are key personnel?

USAID Response: The RFP has been amended.

45. Would USAID consider a blanket approval for a six-day workweek for STTA in the interest of maximizing impact of technical assistance through per diem cost savings as well as facilitating rapid startup of activities?

USAID Response: No, approval is on a case-by-case basis and the contractor will need to provide a business case to justify given that the recievers of the technical assistance (GOK) do not work a six day workweek.

46. Page 71 – How will a total contract value be established, as subcontractors and CCNs are excluded from the fixed daily rates, which form the basis of the evaluated price?

Can USAID offer an estimated budget range for this procurement?

USAID Response: Please see Section M for how a total evaluated price will be established. This will form the basis of the total contract value. No estimate is offered given that we have provided the estimated LOE to be ordered.

47. Would USAID consider providing a contract ceiling?

USAID Response: Please see Answer to Question#46.

48. Section B. 4, P.10. Is G&A, as well as overhead permitted in the fixed labor multiplier if this is how the contractor recovers indirect costs?

49. Is the fixed multiplier one uniform rate for years 1-4 or may the rate fluctuate based on forward projected prices?

USAID Response: Uniform.

50. Section B.5 (b). Other Direct Costs (Materials). In lieu of NICRA, the offeror kindly asks for confirmation that other forms of established indirect rate recovery will be permitted along with proper documentation? See Section L.7(4).

USAID Response: Yes, but the information in Section L.7(b)(4) must be submitted.

51. Pages 6-9, 13, 63 - Is it possible to bid a roster of staff for each labor category, given that per C.3 on page 13, the Contractor will be expected to field staff within 15 working days of the signed job order and in the Offeror’s experience highly qualified personnel are often booked on assignments in advance?

USAID Response: Yes, this can be part of your Staffing and Management Plan, but is subject to the page limitations. Please note that offerors are not required to bid a person for each category. Please see question #40.

52. To ensure the correct fixed daily rates mandated by the T&M contract are used in the cost proposal, can USAID provide an estimated start date for the contract?

USAID Response: May 2017.

53. Can USAID extend the proposal due date by two weeks to allow offerors to submit a more comprehensive response to the solicitation?

USAID Response: Yes, please see revised closing date.