FEWSNET7_RFPQ As_11.4.2016.pdf

FEWSNET 7 – Questions with Responses for SOL-OAA-16-000189

1. The NAICS code for the FEWS NET 7 small business set aside portion (restricted) for SOL-OAA-16- 000189 was changed under Amendment 02 from 541712 - Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology), to 541990 – All other Professional, Scientific and Technical Services. Based on our understanding of the work to be performed, as defined in the RFP and TASK Order 1 (Pillar 2 RFTOP) that the original designation of the 541712 NAICS code correctly corresponds to the scope of work to be performed under the restricted portion of the contract, especially in light of the fact that “computer systems design and related services; management, scientific, and technical consulting services; [and] scientific research and development services” are all expressly excluded from 541990. A more appropriate NAICS code, based on the Scope of work issued under the RFPTO for Pillar 2 would be 519130 – Internet Publishing and Broadcasting and Web Search Portals – 1,000 employees.

The revised NAICS code gives an undue competitive advantage to the current incumbent contractor, and restricts competition of other qualified small businesses. Was this change in response to an offeror’s question, or was this an internal decision that was documented? In either case, we ask that the decision to change the NAICS code for the restricted small business set aside be explained.

Answer 1: The original NAICS code of 541712 for the Restricted contract was modified by USAID on October 12, 2016 to 541990. The 541712 NAICS code reflects a primary emphasis on laboratory or other physical research and development. The Restricted portion of the FEWS NET 7 RFP does not call for a primary focus on “laboratory or other physical research and development”. Furthermore, the NAICS code for the restricted portion has a size standard limitation of $15 million, which does not favor the incumbent.

2. Can you please explain the Partial Small Business set aside?

Answer 2: Please refer to “Section C.3.4 Pillar 2 - FEWS NET Learning and Data Hub (Restricted to Small Business set-aside)” on page 49 of the RFP for an explanation of the small business set-aside activities under this IDIQ.

3. Section F.10 on page 80 provides authorization for a five-day workweek. For the purposes of the case study budget, may Offerors assume that a six-day workweek may be authorized for short-term expatriate personnel while in-country?

Answer 3: No

4. Section H.3, on page 89 (and within the cover letter), identifies 937 as the Authorized Geographic Code for the FEWS NET 7 IDIQ. The use of this code may restrict the inclusion of regional partners in neighboring geographies whose status is not “least developed country” in supporting FEWS NET tasks.

To fully utilize existing local capacity, would USAID consider the use of a 935 Geographic Code for the FEWS NET 7 IDIQ?

Answer 4: The use of geographic code 935 will be determined at the TO level.

5. Section K.6, on pages 152-153, it appears that a formatting error perhaps disrupted the order of the content for the definitions, resulting in a lack of clarity for our small business partners seeking to self-certify their status. Would USAID kindly revisit this section and clarify the definitions?

Answer 5: This duplicate section was removed. Please see Section K.5 of the RFP.

6. Section L.8.1, on page 175, notes that Section 508 Technical Standards Vendors Checklist should be included with the cover letter, yet on the following page, the list of annexes includes the Section 508 Technical Standards Vendors Checklist. Please confirm where this checklist should be included.

Answer 6: We have updated Section L.8.1 to remove this requirement from the cover letter. Please make sure to include the Section 508 Technical Standards Vendors Checklist as an annex to the technical proposal.

7. Section L.8.1, on pages 175-176, lists several annexes for the Technical Proposal that are also included in the annexes for the Cost Proposal (Section L.9, on pages 189-190). Several of these items are typically only included as part of the Cost Proposal. Further, Offerors are required to submit these same items as part of their cost proposal. Could USAID please confirm that the following should be provided only as part of the Cost Proposal:

a) Disclosure of Lobbying Activities;

b) Small Business Subcontracting Plan;

c) Prime and Major Subcontractor Percentage of Work Overview; and

d) Contractor and Major Subcontractor Policy for Workday, Workweek, and Paid Absences?

Further, please confirm that the following should only be provided as part of the Technical Proposal:

a) Letters of Commitment for major subcontractors and key personnel

b) Resumes/CVs of key personnel

Answer 7: We have updated the list of technical and cost proposal annexes in Section L.8.1 of the RFP.

However, please note that the subcontracting plan is required in the technical and cost proposals for large business offerors.

8. Section L.9.6., on page 197 (and elsewhere in the RFP), states that the “Offeror must demonstrate definitive commitments to subcontracting with Small Businesses, including a description of the size and complexity of the work that will be contracted.” Would USAID please clarify what is meant by “definitive?” At this point in time, the number, volume, and timing of task orders to be released remain unclear. It is also unclear how future tasks will be allocated by Pillar. Additionally, the broad potential scope of technical tasks which fall under the 13 technical areas in Pillar 3 makes it difficult to predict what technical skillsets will be most in demand over the life of the IDIQ.

Answer 8: Letters of commitment from subcontractors and key personnel are considered “definitive” commitments. Additionally, for future work, USAID recommends identifying a teaming structure that corresponds with the offerors’ technical response and highlights areas that are set aside for small business partners. These activities should be reflected in the subcontracting plan and allocated to certain small business socio-economic categories based on market research. In regards to future task orders and how this correlates, please see the response to Question 10.

9. Section L.9.6., on page 197, lists USAID’s current small business goals as “an overall small business goal of 23% to small businesses, with 5% of this for small disadvantaged businesses, 5% of this for women-owned small businesses, 3% of this for service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, and 3% for HUBZone small businesses.” These goals, as stated in the RFP, are inconsistent with the FY2016 subcontracting goals listed in the USAID Small Business Subcontracting Plan Template provided in Section J.3, which present a total goal of 20%. Is the new overall goal on page 197 for FY2017, or is this a specific goal set for FEWS NET 7? We respectfully request that USAID clarify these goals and either amend the template, or instruct Offerors to amend the template as required.

Answer 9: The overall small business goal for FY2016 is 20%, not 23%. This has been corrected in Section L.9.6 of the RFP.

10. Section L.9.3, on page 191, USAID requests that “the Offer provide a prime and subcontractor ‘percentage of labor overview’ chart to identify the anticipated labor utilization for primate and all subcontractors” to be presented in the template provided in Section J.6. Would USAID please confirm whether this percentage of labor overview chart is meant to be provided as a companion solely for the case study budget and based solely on the actual case study budget, or if the attachment in Section J.6 is meant to be completed based on estimates for all potential awards under the IDIQ as a whole?

Answer 10: The chart is meant to be completed based on estimates for all potential awards under the IDIQ as a whole. Offerors should evaluate the entire scope of work for the portion in which they are proposing (Pillars 1, 3, and 4 or Pillar 2 or Pillars 1, 2, 3, and 4) to determine the percentage of labor of anticipated labor utilization.

11. Section L.9.3.a), on page 191, instructs Offerors to “use the unburdened ceiling daily rates proposed for its IDIQ in the case study budget.” Would USAID please confirm that these rates apply only to expatriate labor to be presented (the illustrative Senior-level Home Office Food Security Analyst, and the four senior-level international subject matter experts)? Please confirm that the FSN ceiling would apply for the senior-level local subject matter experts, and that we should therefore use the unburdened maximum of the FSN scale for Ethiopia (in line with instructions to budget based on Ethiopia and Addis Ababa costs).

Answer 11: Please see Section B.8.1(a) - B.8.1(d) for information on how Ceiling Daily Rates are applied. Actual FSN rates at the TO level will vary based on location of the work to be performed and should be unburdened rates. For the case study, Offerors should use market research based on Ethiopia to determine labor rates.

12. Section L.9.3(1)(d), on pages 191-192, lists acceptable supporting information for labor rates and one item is “historical biodata forms used (within the past three years).” Would USAID also please consider accepting current biodata forms as supporting information for labor rates? This is particularly relevant for consultants who have worked with other contractors and might not have access to their historical form or those who have not completed a biodata form in the past three years.

Answer 12: Yes, submitting current biodata forms will be accepted when justifying labor rates for proposed labor categories.

13. Section L.9.3.3(c), on page 192, under Travel and Transportation (All Offerors), states that “Offerors must state the number of days of per diem used for each labor category, the LOE factor (if applicable), and the per diem rate.” It goes on to instruct that “If this per diem rate includes a blended rate, please provide the breakdown of how the blended rate was calculated.” Please confirm that for the Case Study, Offerors may utilize other than Addis Ababa per diem rates (as instructed in the instructions on page 179) for any anticipated travel outside of the capital city.

Answer 13: Yes, but proposed per diem should be in accordance with the RFP instructions and within DSSR regulations.

14. Regarding the case study budget, would USAID please provide an estimated ceiling or range for this activity?

Answer 14: No.

15. Section L.9.10, on page 198, indicates that each subcontractor must provide a letter of commitment;

whereas, Section L.9.11(a) indicates that a letter of commitment is required only from major subcontractors. Could USAID please clarify whether all subcontractors or only major subcontractors are required to provide a letter of commitment?

Answer 15: Letters of commitment should be submitted for major subcontractors.

16. Regarding Section L.9.13, for budgeting purposes, could USAID please clarify how many senior-level personnel might need to obtain a facility access clearance?

Answer 16: Assume a maximum of four personnel who need to obtain facility access clearance.

17. Can you provide the list and contact information of the attendees who were at the most recent Industry Day?

Answer 17: Please visit FBO.gov for a list of attendees. This can be found in the archived portion of the search under SOL-OAA-15-000067.

18. Would the Government consider a related NAICS code to increase the Small Business size to $27.5M -- 541511 Custom Computer Programming Services, 541512 Computer Systems Design Services, or 541519 Other Computer Related Services?

Answer 18: Only the stated NAICS code for the Restricted contract of 541990 will be considered.

19. The current NAICS code unduly limits Small Business competition, so with an anticipated ceiling of $100M, the Government may not have access to otherwise qualified offerors with experience managing contracts of this size, including subcontractors and Technical Task Orders.

Answer 19: Only the stated NAICS code for the Restricted contract of 541990 will be considered. Small business offerors may subcontract outside of this code where they see fit.

20. Are separate Branding and Marking plans required for the Pillar 2 Task Order included in J.11 and the Pillar 2 IDIQ referenced on page 49?

Answer 20: Only a single Branding and Marking Plan is required (see page 252, Section D.3).

21. Does USAID envision a separate visual identity for the Pillar 2 Learning and Data Hub?

Answer 21: No.

22. Can USAID clarify whether the EIT Accessibility checklist on page 55-56 should be completed before award? It appears the form is requiring an assessment of software that has yet to be created, e.g.

the data portal.

Answer 22: Yes, the completed EIT Accessibility Checklist is required as an annex to the technical proposal. Please see Section L.8.1.

23. Does USAID consider FEWS NET to be a third party website?

Answer 23: Yes.

24. In Section B of the Pillar 2 Task Order on page 232, USAID states that the estimated cost, fixed fee, and obligated amounts of the RFTOP Pillar 2 Hub are "TBD at time of award", but in F.6.2.2 (b) (1) on page 75 of the RFP it states "when issuing CPFF task orders, the TOCO must state in the task order the total estimated cost-plus-fixed-fee, which is the total amount of the task order and the maximum the contractor may be paid."

Answer 24: “TBD” amounts will be finalized at award; however, USAID has amended the solicitation to include a price range for Pillar 2 Task Order 1. Please see the amended solicitation’s cover letter for more information.

25. Can USAID clarify the two line items (6E and 8) for training? Is this a duplicate or should specific types of training costs, e.g. transportation, meals, etc., be allocated to each line item?

Answer 25: This has been resolved in Section J.10.

26. Can USAID clarify whether Pillar 2 staff should plan on co-locating with Pillar 1, or should the Pillar 2 offeror budget for a separate office?

Answer 26: Pillar 2 offerors must budget for a separate office.

27. Can USAID clarify whether an offeror without a G&A can budget home office financial administration costs to recover costs associated with subcontractor financial management? We understand that this cost is distinct from broader IDIQ technical management, which must be recovered through an indirect rate.

Answer 27: Yes, if there is not a NICRA already in place, Offerors may include specific line items for these segregated costs with an LOE that corresponds to the amount of effort this particular contract will require of these line items and comply to the requirement of the RFP regarding firms without NICRA.

28. Should offerors responding to Pillar 2 include costs associated with international travel in their Task Order 1 budget?

Answer 28: The offeror should propose travel costs in accordance with its technical approach..

29. Can USAID provide a ceiling price for the Pillar 2 Task Order 1?

Answer 29: USAID has amended the solicitation to include a price range for Pillar 2 Task Order 1.

Please see the amended solicitation’s cover letter for more information.

30. Should the offeror provide a certificate of current cost or pricing data with the proposal submission?

Answer 30: No.

31. Pursuant to FAR part 52.219-14, limitations on subcontracting, should the labor distribution chart described on page 192 of the RFP present an annualized labor distribution or a single distribution for the life of the contract?

Answer 31: Please refer to Attachment J.6 for instruction on completing the Percentage of Work Overview Chart.

32. Can USAID please confirm that the labor categories requested on pages 16, 26-30 are consistent with the key personnel qualifications on pages 247 - 250? The key personnel positions Knowledge Management Specialist, Home Office Web Manager, and Home Office Data Manager are highlighted as mid-level on page 16, although the qualifications on pages 247-250 indicate more senior-level staff.

Answer 32: USAID has amended Key Personnel positions and qualifications in the solicitation. Please see Section B.8 for additional information.

33. Can offerors responding to the Pillar 2 Task Order propose ceiling daily rates for senior, mid, and junior-level specialists for all labor categories? It is anticipated that senior and junior-level staff may be required on a short-term basis to support specific Pillar 2 activities.

Answer 33: The RFP has been updated to expand the labor categories to give Offerors the flexibility to propose other levels of full-time, permanent staff. Offerors needing short-term support should plan to use consultants and other types of short-term labor.

34. The illustrative labor categories listed on B.8.3('c) include the phrase "Home Office" for categories 16-23. In the task order, these same labor categories appear in section C.5 of the Pillar 2 Task Order without the phrase "Home Office". Can USAID clarify whether it anticipates staff working under the Pillar 2 Task Order in these labor categories will operate out of the offeror's home office?

Answer 34: Pillar 2 Task Order staff should operate in the specified place of performance of the task order.

35. Must staff working under labor categories 16-23 listed in section B.8.3(c) operate out of the offeror's home office as opposed to the Pillar 2 office?

Answer 35: See Question 34.

36. Section B.8 states that "Contractors will not be authorized to bill USAID directly for IDIQ management costs under this IDIQ or under task orders." However, in section B.8.1, all offerors are instructed to provide CDR's for the Home Office IDIQ Deputy Contract Manager and the Home Office IDIQ Contract Assistant. Can USAID clarify the intended role of these staff and whether their work is directly billable under the IDIQ or task orders?

Answer 36: The IDIQ Deputy Contract Manager and the Home Office IDIQ Contract Assistant are only billable under Task Orders. Individual roles and responsibilities are described in Section B.8.2.

37. USAID states in the RFP on pages 247 and 248 that a Master's Degree is required for the Hub Director and Knowledge Management Specialist, would USAID accept additional years of experience in lieu of such a degree?

Answer 37: Section C.5 of the RFTOP has been updated to allow this flexibility for the Hub Director.

38. Can USAID clarify the difference between the Management Approach Section and the Management Plan Annex? What is the difference between these two sections?

Answer 38: Basic organizational charts should be included in the main text of the Management Approach Section (and counted as part of the page count). Additional details on the organizational structure or management approach should be included in the annexes (page 181, 4th paragraph, last two sentences).

39. On page 188 of the RFP under Past Performance information, it states “If proposing a teaming arrangement, Offerors may provide up to three (3) past performance for each major subcontractor, in addition to the three (3) provided for the Offeror.” Are non-major subcontractors allowed to provide past performance?

Answer 39: This portion of the past performance evaluation will be based on the Prime Offerors and major subcontractors past performance, therefore, there is no requirement to submit this information.

40. On page 176 of the RFP, “Annex H. Table of Relevant Corporate Experience” is listed to be included as a tab in the Volume 1 Technical Proposal. On p.186 L.8.3 sub-factor 2.1, it states “In addition, as an appendix (no page limit), Offerors must submit a table of corporate experience (including major subcontractors) in website development and operations according to the following guidelines.” In the 3rd paragraph on page 187, the RFP states, “As an appendix (no page limit), Offerors must submit a table of corporate technical experience (including major subcontractors) in managing complex data sets.” Can USAID confirm that the table of corporate experience in website development and operations, and the table of corporate experience in managing complex data sets should be included in the Technical Proposal as Annex H or should these tables be a separate annex?

Answer 40: These tables constitute Annex H.

41. What is USAID’s expectation for the transition of services from the incumbent? Will activities be incorporated as part of subsequent task orders issued under the IDIQ?

Answer 41: For the unrestricted, see Section C.7 page 55. For the Restricted, see sub-factors 1.3 and 1.4 on pages 185-186.

42. What is the process for obtaining data sets from the FEWS NET 7 Learning and Data hub (Pillar 2) in the execution of activities under Pillars 1, 3 and 4? Can USAID confirm whether implementers are expected to set up intermediate data repositories and analytics tools to support the analysis to be executed under Pillar 3?

Answer 42: Implementers will have full online access to the FEWS NET Data Warehouse to obtain data sets and perform certain visualizations. Pillar 1, 3, and 4 implementers will likely need to make other arrangements to obtain any other data and analytical tools required to complete their work.

43. Would USAID provide details on the specific data sets that currently exist in the FEWS NET data warehouse that will be available to build upon by the IDIQ vendors?

Answer 43: See page 52, paragraph 4, for a list of the data domains included in the Data Warehouse.

44. Does USAID have any preferences for any standard or preferred tools and technologies (e.g., standard database software, reporting tools etc.) to be utilized by the vendors in the execution of their work under the various pillars?

Answer 44: Off-the-shelf software and tools are preferred and new and/or innovative techniques are encouraged with prior approval.

45. Would USAID please clarify the minimum expected LOE for the IDIQ Contract Manager, so as to allow bidders to make comparable assumptions about indirect costs as we prepare cost proposals?

Answer 45: USAID is relying on the industry to propose realistic and adequate LOE for the above mentioned position.

46. Could USAID please confirm that items referenced in the main text or hyperlinks will be used in the case study as part of its review?

Answer 46: Most of the items referenced in the main text or hyperlinks are provided to Offerors as useful context.

47. Could USAID please give offerors the opportunity for a developer or an IT person to do a preliminary evaluation and assessment of current FEWS NET systems, processes and data? The incumbent (and expected competition) does not provide access to the system thereby limiting the extent that competition can reflect process and system specifications in their bids.

Answer 47: Offerors will not be allowed the opportunity for a developer or an IT person to do a preliminary evaluation and assessment of current FEWS NET systems, processes and data; however, additional information is provided in responses to questions243 and 244 and Section C.2.4.2 of the RFTOP has been updated to include this information. USAID believes that this provides the necessary information to allow all Offerors to fairly compete.

48. C.3.1.4 Cross-Cutting Themes, page 43: the RFP states that “The Contractor must ensure that its entire technical staff in the field and in Washington, D.C. completes IPC Level 1 training, with key staff achieving IPC Level 2 certification.” Is it expected that contractor personnel complete the training before the bid or upon award of the IDIQ and task orders? If after award, we would like to confirm that the cost of IPF certification training is a billable project expense.

Answer 48: Training may occur after award, and staff training costs are billable.

49. C3.1.4 Cross Cutting Themes, p. 44: RFP states “USAID will provide a list of initial locations for field coverage at the TO level.” Would USAID please provide this list?

Answer 49: The list will be provided when the Task Order for Pillar 1 is issued.

50. Section C.9.1, page 55: The IDIQ contract manager is a key personnel position and “will have the responsibility and authority to administer and manage the IDIQ.” However, page 15 (section B.8) indicates that the contractor will not be authorized to bill USAID directly for “IDIQ management cost under this IDIQ or under task orders.” Could USAID please clarify how these key personnel costs should be applied?

Answer 50: Costs for the IDIQ Contract Manager should be recouped through indirect costs.

51. Section J.11, page 225: Major subcontractor is considered as a partner whose cost exceeds 20% of the Offeror’s total proposed cost. Since the IDIQ does not have a budget, would USAID please clarify how this is to be calculated? Would USAID please consider changing the definition to be “A major subcontractor is considered as a partner whose share of one or more anticipated task orders is expected to exceed 20% of the Offeror’s total proposed cost” or “…whose share of work under one or more of the pillars is expected to exceed 20%...” to better reflect a substantial projected technical role in an uncertain multi-award IDIQ environment?

Answer 51: “Major subcontractor” means a subcontractor whose proposed cost exceeds 20% of the anticipated work under the IDIQ, per Section J.11(b).

52. RFP page 176: There are certain duplications between the annexes for the technical volume and cost volume. Therefore, would USAID please confirm the annexes A. B. C. E. F. K. G. are part of the cost proposal given the cost-related nature of these attachments; these are most often part of USAID cost proposals.

Answer 52: Please refer to the response provided to Question 7.

53. Would USAID please provide a revised list of annexes for both technical and cost volume proposals?

Answer 53: Please refer to the response provided to Question 7.

54. Section L.2 ( d ) page 165: Per the instructions in Section L.2 of the RFP at the notation listed, the offer expiration date should be listed on the solicitation cover sheet. Please provide the requested proposal validity period or specify if Offerors are to propose a date of their choosing.

Answer 54: Proposals should be valid for no less than 12 months from the RFP closing date.

55. Section H.39, page 123: Would USAID please clarify how the sub-contracting consent differs from the Information to support consent to subcontracts required by the section L.9 on page 190?

Answer 55: Section H.39 is updated at the award to indicate the subcontractors that have been approved by the Contracting Officer. To obtain consent to subcontract, the Offeror must submit the information requested in section L.9.

56. Section J.15, page 140: Other attachment for all offerors: Would USAID please confirm that the last hyperlink (J.15. RFTOP Pillar 2) refers only to SB and to not to all offerors bidding for unrestricted portion of the IDIQ?

Answer 56: The Pillar 2 RFTOP is available as information to all offerors, though it is restricted to Small Business.

57. Section L.7 (d) 2), page 171: RFP states that the CD ROM submission must be in both Adobe Acrobat PDF and MS Word. Would USAID please confirm that only the technical proposal and the budget narrative portion of the cost proposal must be submitted in both PDF and MS Word formats, as there are certain sections of a cost proposal that are not available in MS Word format, e.g. approved NICRAs, employee biographical data sheets, etc. Please also clarify that the budget itself may be submitted in MS Excel only.

Answer 57: Confirmed.

58. Section L.7. e) 1), page 172: Would USAID please provide the name of the OAA point of contact for delivery the technical and cost proposal packages to Federal Center Plaza 301 4th Street lobby?

Answer 58: This section has been updated in the RFP.

59. Section L.8.1 page 174: Would USAID please clarify what the following sentence means: “…pages must not be reduced form”.

Answer 59: Pages should be submitted at the full-page view to ensure legibility of text and content.

60. Section L.8.1 (4) page 174: Per the instructions for font size in Section L.8.1 of the RFP, 11 pitch is required for this response. Would the government consider a smaller – yet readable – font size (e.g. 9) for tables and graphics?

Answer 60: Yes, only for tables and graphics.

61. Section L.8.1 page 175 and 176: The RFP lists (p. 175) as “not included in this page limitation” “Other requested annexes (see below, including page limits where specified).” The annexes listed below this (on (p. 176) refer to Annex O. “Other requested annexes (alphabetize as needed)”. Annex O provides no additional information, and does not provide page limits. Would USAID please clarify what is requested in Annex O “Other requested annexes”? Are offerors permitted to add annexes they believe will strengthen the proposal under the Other Requested Annexes” section? If so, is there a page limit for this annex?

Answer 61: Annex O is for requested annexes as identified throughout the RFP. Materials beyond those necessary to present a complete and effective proposal are not desired.

62. Section L.8.2 page 178: Case Study Response: Please confirm that the technical response, work plan, and budget are only for Y1.

Answer 62: Confirmed.

63. Section L.8.2 3 Sub-factor 3.1 (a) 1. page 182: The short form provided in the RFP does not allow for all the items listed in these Past Performance requirements. Will the government be releasing a revised short form to accommodate these items for compliance or may an offeror alter the short form?

Answer 63: The short form should not be altered by offerors. Please complete each short form by providing only the requested information. Information requested in L.8.2.3 Sub-factor 3.1(a) 2 should be provided utilizing the Past Performance Matrix (Attachment J.8).

64. Section L.8.2: Small Business Subcontracting Plan (p. 184: (ii) (b) Would USAID please substitute “and/or” for “and” to read “Include a subcontracting plan that demonstrates definitive commitments with Small Business, Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business, HUBZone Small Business, Small Disadvantaged Business, and/or Woman Owned Small Business” so as to allow Offerors to select qualified SB providers from some but not necessarily all of these subgroups?

Answer 64: No.

65. Section M.2.2 Table, Factor 3 page 203: Similar to the question on Section L.8.2 3 Sub-factor 3.1 (a) 1, page 182: Per the RFP Technical Evaluation Factors listed in the table in M.2.2, not all of the Factor 3, Past Performance requirements are included in the PPR short form. Will the government be adjusting the form to conform for compliance?

Answer 65: The government will not be adjusting the short form. The short form is utilized to evaluate Sub-factor 3.1 (a). The past performance matrix is used to evaluate sub-factor 3.2. Any additional information requested that is not included on these forms can be added as an annex to the technical proposal.

66. Would USAID please clarify the discrepancy between page 202: “Under Factor 3, sub-factor 3.1 is the most important and the other sub-factors are equally weighted”, and page 206 where the RFP states that “all sub-factors [sub-factors under the Factor 3] are of equal importance”?

Answer 66: The referenced statement on page 206 refers to all items under Sub-factor 3.1, not all Sub-factors under Factor 3.

67. Section B, page 184: USAID asks bidders to provide a list of the ten most recent SF-294s for the past 3 years. Would USAID please allow Offerors to submit SF-294s forms for the past 5 years?

Answer 67: No

68. Section L.9, page 190: Would USAID please provide the template for a Certification regarding trafficking in person compliance plan required for an Offeror as part of the cost volume submission?

Answer 68: There is no template for a certification regarding trafficking in person compliance plan.

Please see FAR 52.222-56 for requirements to satisfy this certification requirement.

69. Would USAID please confirm that letters of commitment are required only from the major subcontractors?

Answer 69: Confirmed.

70. Section L.9.2, page 190, IDIQ Rates: Would USAID please confirm that offerors also need to propose rates for junior staff in addition to senior- and mid-level labor, consistent with the required categories for unrestricted and restricted awards in the tables on pp. 16-24?

Answer 70: The labor category table in Section B.8 has been updated to provide Offerors greater flexibility in the levels that they propose. Offerors should propose for positions with a “$” in the box and are not required to propose rates for those boxes with an “X”.

71. Section L.9.3, page 194, Exemptions for small business offerors only: Would USAID please clarify for how many years back a SB should provide audited financial statements or reviewed financial statements?

Answer 71: Small businesses should submit two (2) years of audited or reviewed financial statements.

This information has been incorporated into Section L.9.3.

72. Section L.9.9, page 198, Evidence of Responsibility: Would USAID please confirm this information is part of annexes under the cost volume submission?

Answer 72: Confirmed.

73. Section L.8.1 (p. 176) specifies as annexes to the Technical Proposal several items that contain cost information. Specifically, it lists Annex B, Small Business Subcontracting Plan and Annex C. Prime and Major Subcontractor Percentage of Work Overview. Would USAID please reallocate these annexes to the Cost Proposal volume so as to maintain the distinction between technical and cost factors of evaluation?

Answer 73: Please see the response provided to Question 7.

74. Section L.8.1 (p. 176): Please clarify what is requested in Annex C Prime and Major Subcontractor Percentage of Work Overview given that there is no budget submission (only labor category matrices) for the IDIQ.

Answer 74: Please see response to Question 10.

75. Section L.8.1. (p. 176): Please clarify what is to be provided in the Small Business Subcontracting Plan, since this is normally prepared with budget information and reflects an actual work plan, rather than prospective task orders that have not been developed or provided to Offerors bidding on this IDIQ?

Answer 75: Offerors should create a teaming structure that corresponds with their technical proposal.

The small business subcontracting plan should highlight the technical areas or services that will be set aside to small businesses. This can be identified by services and projected costs. If specific small businesses have not been identified, USAID recommends conducting market research to identify appropriate socio-economic small business set asides.

76. Section L.9.3, page 190: USAID requires offeror to complete the Cost/Price Matrix (Attachment J.10). The RFP states that “The cost/price matrix serves as the basis for final ceiling daily rates, overhead, and fee that will be bound in the final contract. The offeror must submit a completed cost/price evaluation matrix pursuant to the template set forth in Attachment J.10 and an accompanied budget narrative.” In the same section RFP further states “Offeror must also provide a prime and subcontractor “percentage of labor overview” chart (see Attachment J.6) as an annex to the Cost/Business proposal identifying the anticipated labor utilization for the prime and all subcontractors.” Section L.8.1 (p. 176): Please clarify what is requested in Annex C Prime and Major Subcontractor Percentage of Work Overview given that there is no budget submission (only labor category matrices) for the IDIQ?

Answer 76: Please see response provided to Question 10.

77. Section L.9.12, page 199, Legislative Reporting Information: Would USAID please clarify what “provide the following information in a separate page” means? Should offerors provide this information separate to the cost proposal, or it should be part of the cost volume, but in a separate dedicated annex?

Answer 77: Offerors should include this information in the cost volume as a separate dedicated annex.

78. Would USAID please confirm the employees’ biographical data sheets (form 1420) are only required for the key personnel (1 person)?

Answer 78: Confirmed. Only CVs are required for illustrative candidates presented for the Case Study.

79. Section B.6 (p. 14) says that “the Government reserves the right to utilize non-monetary incentives” under CPIF or CPAF awards. Can USAID please provide some examples of non-monetary incentives that might be used?

Answer 79: Non-monetary incentives depend on the program/project that is being performed and will be addressed at the task order level.

80. Although a small grants program is envisioned under task orders, can USAID confirm that the contractor will follow the thresholds for individual grants to U.S. and non-U.S. organizations as defined by the Grants Under Contract (GUC) authorizing language of ADS 302.3.4.13 and ADS 303, respectively, and not those thresholds defined in section C.4 of the RFP?

Answer 80: The thresholds in C.4, as stated, will prevail.

81. Can offerors also include CDRs for Years 6 and 7 in the event that task orders extend beyond Year 5?

Answer 81: No.

82. Section H.45 discusses restrictions against disclosure. These restrictions may be in conflict with project communication campaigns and submission of reports to the Development Experience Clearinghouse (DEC), as described in F.11. Could USAID please clarify?

Answer 82: This special provision has been amended. See the amended RFP for further details.

83. Section L.8.1, Volume I Technical Proposal (p. 176), stipulates that the Disclosure of Lobbying Activities be presented in the Technical Proposal as an annex. However, Section L.9.4.c (p. 196) stipulates that the Disclosure of Lobbying Activities be presented in the Cost Proposal. Can USAID kindly confirm that the Disclosure of Lobbying Activities is to be presented in both volumes as an annex?

Answer 83: Please see response provided for Question 7.

84. Section L.8.1, Volume I Technical Proposal (p. 176), stipulates that Percentage of Work Overview (Attachment J.6) be presented in the Technical Proposal. However, Sections L.9.3 and L.9.3.1.e (pp. 191 and 192, respectively) stipulate that this be included in the Cost Proposal as an annex. Can USAID kindly confirm that the Percentage of Work (Labor) Overview is to be presented in both volumes as an annex?

Answer 84: Please see response provided for Question 7.

85. Section L.8.1, Volume I Technical Proposal (p. 176), stipulates that Contractor and Major Subcontractor Policy for Workday, Workweek, and Paid Absences be presented in the Technical Proposal as an annex. However, Sections L.9 Volume II Cost Proposal and L.9.5.a (pp. 190 and 195, respectively) stipulate that this policy statement be included in the Cost Proposal. Can USAID kindly confirm that the Information Concerning Workday, Workweek, and Paid Absences should be presented in both volumes as an annex?

Answer 85: Please see response provided for Question 7.

86. Sections L.8.1, Volume I Technical Proposal (p. 176) and L.8.2.2 Sub-factor 2.5 (p. 182) stipulate that Letters of Commitment and CVs from key personnel be presented in the Technical Proposal as an annex.

However, Section L.9, Volume II Cost Proposal (p. 190), stipulates that key personnel letters of commitment and resumes/CVs be included in the Cost Proposal. Can USAID kindly confirm that letters of commitment and resumes/CVs for key personnel should be presented in both volumes as an annex?

Answer 86: Please see response provided for Question 7.

87. Page 175 of the RFP states that Management Structure Organizational Chart(s) are exempt from the page limitation for Technical Proposal. In addition, page 176 of the RFP states that the Management Plan (including detailed Organizational Chart) (not to exceed five (5) pages) should be included in Annex I.

However, when the Management Approach (Sub-factor 2.4) is discussed on page 181, the RFP states that “Basic organizational charts should be included in the main text (and counted as part of the page count).”

Would USAID please confirm that all organizational charts are excluded from the page limitation, as per pages 175 and 176?

Answer 87: Basic organizational charts are required as part of the main text. These can be elaborated upon in Annex I without a page limitation.

88. On page 176, the RFP lists “F. Completed SF-294” as an annex for Volume I Technical Proposal. Can USAID please confirm that this is where the offeror is to include the 10 most recent SF 294 forms from the projects required to be listed in Annex M. Past Performance per Section L under Sub-factor 3.2(3)(B)

(p. 184)?

Answer 88: Confirmed.

89. On page 179 for the case study, the RFP states, “As part of the separate Cost Proposal, estimate costs for the first year.” Can USAID please specify whether the case study is to be a one-year project only or if the estimate is to be for the first year of a multi-year activity?

Answer 89: The case study is to be a one-year project.

90. In L.9.3(a) the RFP states that the “Offeror must use the unburdened ceiling daily rates proposed for its IDIQ in the case study budget”. Can USAID confirm that this does not apply to local professional and administrative staff as listed in the case study (country office national staff, local subject matter experts, etc.)? If so, should local salaries be within the USAID Ethiopia local compensation plan similar to operations costs being based on the Ethiopia operating environment?

Answer 90: Please see response provided to Question 11. Unburdened ceiling daily rates apply to all labor. FSNs and TCNs should be proposed at rates determined by the Offeror; however, it is encouraged to use market research.

91. Section L.8.2, Sub-Factor 3.2: 3.B (p. 184), states that USAID would like a list of the 10 most recent SF-294 reports as well as “a copy of any similarly recent subcontracting reports if they were not submitted to the eSRS for the past three (3) years.” Can USAID kindly clarify this requirement? Should offerors submit copies of the 10 most recent SF294 Subcontracting Reports for Individual Contracts and a list of the 10 most recent subcontracting reports not submitted to the eSRS?

Answer 91: On page 184, paragraph (B), third line, “and a copy of any similarly recent reports” should read “or a copy of any similarly recent reports”

92. Section L.9 (p. 189) states, “Cost proposal must using a single-sided page and include a cost/budget narrative discussing the proposed costs for each line item.” Can USAID please confirm that this requirement applies to cost spreadsheets only and not to the cost/budget narrative?

Answer 92: Confirmed.

93. Section L.9.5 (p. 196) requests a copy of the offeror’s personnel policies. Could USAID please clarify whether this requirement also applies to offerors with prior federal contracting experience that have already submitted their personnel policies to USAID?

Answer 93: It applies to all offerors, regardless of prior federal contracting experience.

94. Cover Letter (p.1): The third paragraph of the first page of the cover letter suggests that Small Businesses must submit separate proposals for the Unrestricted and Restricted portions of the scope of work. Can USAID please confirm that this is only required IF the small business decides to bid on both the Unrestricted and Restricted and does not apply if the small business is only bidding on the Restricted portion?

Answer 94: Confirmed.

95. Billing IDIQ Deputy Contract Manager and IDIQ Contract Assistant (p.16): USAID has indicated these labor categories and ceiling daily rates (CDR) are required (page 16); however, the RFP also states (page 15) that Contractors will not be authorized to bill USAID directly for IDIQ management costs under the IDIQ or under task orders. Contractors must propose a centralized management structure that allows for recovery of IDIQ management costs, as part of its indirect costs. As USAID is requesting these labor categories with their CDRs, can we assume that successful offeror(s) can directly bill for the Deputy IDIQ Manager and Assistant?

Answer 95: Yes.

96. Senior Labor Categories (p.16): Beginning on page 16, section B.8.1 of the RFP presents a table for listing unburdened ceiling daily rates for Senior, Mid, and Junior staff. Under sections for the Restricted Offerors, the only Senior labor category is the Hub Director. Unlike the Unrestricted Offerors, there is no Subject Matter Specialists or similar labor category that the successful offeror could use to field Senior, Mid and Junior staff. Moreover, none of the other labor categories allow for the provision of Senior labor. Can USAID consider adding a “Subject Matter Specialist” to the Restricted portion that will allow the successful offeror to propose technical specialists across all levels of seniority that would benefit Pillar 2?

Answer 96: Yes; this portion of the solicitation has been amended.

97. Labor Category Level (p.24): Footnote 5 indicates that where an “X” is placed in a labor category, this level of position is not needed. We feel that this is too restrictive and request that USAID allow Offerors to include CDR’s for various levels of seniority within each labor category to allow for maximum flexibility and efficiency.

Answer 97: This portion of the solicitation has been amended.

98. Labor Categories Limited? (p.24): USAID indicates that “other labor categories that are not listed… may be required under task orders.” In our response to the Restricted Task Order, should we include “other” labor categories and their CDRs in the Labor Category Matrix?

Answer 98: If an Offeror responding to the restriction portion of the RFP deems that additional positions are needed based on the statement of work, they may add them.

99. Grants Under Contract (p.53): Does USAID envision the successful offeror under Pillar 2 to manage Grants or is this section relevant only to Unrestricted Holders of the IDIQ?

Answer 99: USAID does not envision Pillar 2 Offerors to manage grants under contract.

100. Delivery instructions (p.170): Many computers no longer have “compact discs,” making it difficult to copy the proposal onto a CD. Can we provide the electronic version as an email attachment or on a thumb drive, which can be delivered with the proposal?

Answer 100: No.

101. Type of Font (p.174): The instructions state “Do not use a type smaller than 11 pitch.” Did USAID mean font and not pitch, as pitch refers to the number of characters per inch and font refers to typeface and the size of a font as expressed in a point size?

Answer 101: USAID meant font, not pitch. This has been amended in the RFP.

102. Section 508 (p.175 / 176): On page 175, the RFP states that the technical proposal must include a signed and dated cover letter that states the following: (1) RFP number and name; (2) RFP issuance date;

(3) Name and address; (4) Acknowledgement of amendments; and (5) Section 508 Technical Standards Vendors Checklist. On page 176, the RFP states to include the following Annex: K. Section 508 Technical Standards Vendor’s Checklist. Can USAID please clarify if offerors should attach the Section 508 Checklist to the Cover Letter or include as an Annex?

Answer 102: Please see response to Question 6.

103. Annex: Cost Proposal (p.176): The Technical Proposal instructions calls for inclusion of several annexes that are typically included in the cost proposal. They include:

1. Disclosure of Lobbying Activities;

2. Small Business Subcontracting Plan;

3. Prime and Major Subcontractor Percentage of Work Overview; and

4. Contractor and Major Subcontractor Policy for Workday, Workweek, and Paid Absences.

Can USAID kindly review the list and adjust it, as necessary, to clarify which Annexes should be part of the technical proposal, and which should be moved to the cost proposal?

Answer 103: Please see response to Question 7.

104. Letters of Commitment and Staffing (p.176/190): Page 176 of the RFP lists two requirements for the Technical Proposal: “G. Letters of Commitment from Major Subcontractors” and “J. Staffing and Key Personnel (including CV…references, letter of commitment for key personnel). However, Page 190, which contains the requirements for the Cost Proposal, also includes the same requirement: “H. Letters of Commitment (subcontractors and TO key personnel).” Can USAID confirm that the letters of commitment from major subcontractors and key personnel should be included only in the Technical Proposal, and not both the Technical and Cost Proposals, by eliminating the requirement for “H” on page 190?

Answer 104: Please see response provided to Question 7.

105. Management Plan – Restricted Offerors (p.175/176/185): Pages 175 and 176 of the RFP present the Volume 1 Technical Proposal Instructions. Page 176 lists “I. Management Plan” to be included as an Annex not exceeding five pages. However, in the instructions to Restricted Offerors on Page 185, under section L.8.3 Content of Technical Proposal for Pillar 2, the instructions call for the “Response to the Institutional Capability, Management Approach, and Staffing portion” to be included in the body of the technical proposal and not to exceed 5 pages. Can USAID confirm that the “I. Management Plan” excluded from the page limit and called for as an Annex is not required in the Technical Proposals for Restricted Offerors pursuing Pillar 2?

Answer 105: The Management Approach is to be included in the technical proposal; the management plan may be annexed.

106. Draft First Year Work Plan (p.185/186/257/258) Pages 185 and 186 of the RFP call for a draft first year work plan for the website and the FEWS NET DATA Warehouse, respectively, to be included in Pillar 2 proposals. Can USAID please confirm that the draft first year work plan should be included as an Annex to the Technical Proposal, and that it does not count against the page limit?

Answer 106: The draft first year work plans may be included under Annex O, Other Requested Annexes.

107. Certification Regarding Trafficking in Persons Compliance Plan (p.190): The Certification Regarding…