Amendment__1_(Q&A)_-_PEPSE_Solicitation_AID-SOL-OAA-17-000006_-_4.20.17.pdf

Amendment #1 (Q&A) to Solicitation AID-SOL-OAA-17-000006 entitled, Promoting Excellence in Private Sector Engagement (PEPSE)

Issuance Date: Thursday, April 20, 2017

Deadline for submitting 2 round Questions: Monday, April 24, 2017 by

12pm (Washington, DC local time)

Closing Date and time for submission of proposals: Friday, May 5, 2017 by

12pm (Washington, DC local time)

Amendment #1 (Q&A):

SECTION I: General Administration Comments:

1. Under Cover Page: Deadline for submitting Questions delete in its entirety:

● Wednesday, March 29, 2017 @ 12pm EST replace with:

● Deadline for submitting 2nd round of questions Monday, April 24, 2017 @ 12pm (Washington, DC local time)

Please note:

USAID reserves the right not to post responses to 2nd round questions.

2. Under Cover Page: Closing date and time for submission of proposals.

delete in its entirety:

● Closing Date and time for submission of proposals: Monday May 1, 2017 by 12PM (Washington, DC local time) replace with:

● Closing Date and time for submission of proposals: Friday, May 5, 2017 by

12PM (Washington, DC local time)

3. Under C.5 (pg 19) Key Personnel

a. Revised information regarding Key Personal provided under questions #40 of this

Amendment.

4. Under L.4 (pg 91) INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PREPARATION OF THE TECHNICAL and COST PROPOSAL

SECTION I – TECHNICAL PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS

a. Comment #3:

delete the following sentence:

● The written Technical Proposal is limited to 50 pages and shall be written in

English.

replace with the following sentence:

● The written Technical Proposal is limited to 35 pages and shall be written in English.

b. (bullet #6) should read the following:

● Demonstrated proficiency in preparing various types of documents and reports using computer software such as Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, and Google. Please note that Outlook is no longer a USAID Knowledge Management platform.

c. delete the following note, in its entirety:

● Note: The weight for each factor is measured in descending order of importance unless otherwise noted replace with the following comment:

● Each factor is weighted in descending order of importance; and all subfactors under each factor are weighted equally.

4. Under L.5 Section II - Price Proposal Instructions”

● Please see Attachment 1 of this document (pg 32) for “Additional information regarding L.5 Section II - Price Proposal Instructions”

SECTION II: CLARIFICATION

1. Under Section B.5 BUDGET and CONTRACT LINE ITEMS (pg. 10); also referenced in Section L.5 Table 1.1 (“Illustrative Budget table) has been revised.

2. Offeror’s is/are encouraged to provide the labor mix and LOE it determines is needed to fulfill the requirements and illustrative deliverables in section C.

3. Delete the table in its entirety; and replace with the following table below:

CLINs Personnel Base

Year 1 Base

Year 2

OY1

(Yr. 3)

OY2

(Yr. 4)

OY3

(Yr. 5) Total

Estimated Cost

CLIN #1: Key Personnel Key Personnel 1 Project Director 2 Senior

Communications & Engagement Lead

3 Technical Director CLINs Personnel Base

Year 1 Base

Year 2

OY1

(Yr. 3)

OY2

(Yr. 4)

OY3

(Yr. 5) Total

Estimated Cost

CLIN #2:: Concentration #1 Tasks 4 Task 01:

Community of Practice and Knowledge Management Support

4a Task 02:

Data Collection Analysis and Monitoring and Evaluation

4b Task 03 Training Knowledge Management

4c Task 04 Communications

CLINs 3: Concentration 2 5 Task 05 Private

Sector Engagement Technical support

500,000 500,000 500,000 500,000 500,000 2,500,000

6 Task 06 Private Sector Engagement Strategic Initiatives (SURGE)

500,000 500,000 500,000 500,000 500,000 2,500,000

* CLINs 4: Other related costs:

7 Travel 200,000 200,000 200,000 200,000 200,000 1,000,000

* 8 Subcontracts

* 9 example: Supplies/

Materials

*10 Event and Special Projects

* 11 ODC

TOTAL

ESTIMATED COST

* = line items and associated costs, listed under CLINs 4, are to be determined at the discretion of the contractor's proposal.

SECTION III: USAID RESPONSES TO POTENTIAL OFFEROR QUESTIONS

# Tech (T), Cost (C), or Admin (A), Evaluation Criteria

(EC)

RFP Section, Page

Question USAID' Response

1 C Section B.5, p.8

The RFP states that the labor hours for key personnel shall be 2080 hours. Does USAID envision that these hours will all be direct labor hours, or will holidays and leave also be included in the total number of billable hours?

The proposed 2080 labor hours includes holiday and leave days as well as any possible OPM related closures.

2 C Section B.7,

p. 11-12

The RFP states that Danger Pay will be paid to personnel who will be working Danger Pay locations. The RFP currently has a plug figure for travel, so bidders do not need to estimate the approximate number of days that personnel will be working in Danger Pay eligible posts.

Should bidders make estimates for the amount of Danger Pay to be proposed, or will USAID provide plug figures/estimates for the amounts of Danger Pay to be budgeted?

No, the bidder does not need to include Danger Pay as USAID will address this matter, if necessary. Revised illustrative table includes Plug figure line item to cover this request.

3 A Section I Contract Clauses, Table

A AIDAR

Clauses, p. 61

There is an apparent conflict between

FAR 52.219-14,

Limitations on Subcontracting, which requires a prime contractor to perform at least 50% of the cost of the contract incurred for personnel with its own employees, and 13 CFR 125.6 which requires the prime contractor not to pay more than 50% of the amount paid by the government to it to firms that are not similarly situated.

Which of these standards will USAID enforce under the prime contract?

This question is unclear and no further information can be provided by USAID at this time.

4 A Section 52.216- 24, p. 65,66

FAR 52.216-24,

Limitation of Government Liability, and FAR 52.216-25, Contract Definitizati on, are both included in full text in the solicitation and apply to letter contracts. Is a letter contract contemplated here?

Letter contracts are not contemplated for this award.

5 A Section 52.222- 42, p. 72 Secti on 52.222- 17, p. 61

FAR 52.222-42,

Statement of Equivalent Rate for Federal Hires, is included in full text in the solicitation. In addition, 52.222- 17, Nondisplacement of Qualified Workers is incorporated by

These clauses 52.222-17 – Nondisplacement of Qualified Workers (May 2014) and 52.222-42 - Statement of Equivalent Rates for Federal Hires (2014) are required and therefore will be enforced if applicable.

reference. Both of these clauses relate to the Service Contract Labor Standards. Does the government anticipate that the Service Contract Labor Standards will apply to the resultant prime contract?

6 A Section 52.246-11,

p. 63

52.246-11, Higher- Level Contract Quality Requirement, is included in full text in the solicitation but is not completed.

This clause is supposed to identify what higher level quality standards are going to apply to the contract.

Examples of higher level quality standards in the regulations are: ISO

9001, ASQ/ANSI E4,

ASME NQA-1, SAE

AS9100, SAE

AS9003, and ISO/TS 16949, and product or process specific quality standards such as SAE AS5553.

Is a higher-level quality standard going to apply and, if so, can you please identify?

At this time USAID does not have higher-level quality standards to insert in the clause 52.246-11. However, if during the performance of the contract such higher-level quality standards are needed, this clause will be enforced.

7 T Section F.4.2,

p. 26

On page 26, the RFP states in addition, all hard copy materials submitted in accordance with this clause must have, attached as separate cover sheet, the

This is a required request in accordance to the AIDAR Clause 752.7005 Submission Requirements for Development Experience Documents(Sept 2013) on page 25 F.4.2.

name, organization, address, telephone number, fax number, and internet address of the submitting party. Is this a hard copy requirement?

8 C Section B.5, Budget and Contract Line Items, p. 10

Could USAID clarify if the LOE for the sub letter under CLINs 04a-04e all fall under the same overall CLIN and if CLIN 04 (Private sector engagement strategic initiative) shall include STTA and surge support?

Please see the revised Budget table above.

9 C Section F. 4.3.

Contract Financial Reporting, p.

Point 3 on the top of

p. 28 requires contractors to break down contractor employees’ salaries and track employees to their GS equivalent. Since offerors will be providing such information in its original cost proposal and the fixed hour rate in accordance with FAR

16.601 could USAID kindly provide more information about this reporting requirement as compensation and benefits will be in accordance with contractor's’ established policies?

F.4.3. Contract Financial Reporting, pp.

27-28, point 3 states:Pg. 28 - Delete this sentence in it entirety:Quarterly reporting encompassing breakdowns of contract employee salaries and benefits, travel, ODC costs, and indirect costs with each contract employee tracked as a GS equivalent for reporting purposes. and replaced with the following language:The contractor is required to submit a detailed budget that breaks down expenses via a quarterly report (to include travel cost, ODC, as well has labor hours). Additional detailed reporting requirements will be established post-award with the Contracting Officer’s Representative

A Section L.3, Receipt of Proposals and Delivery Instructions,

a) 1., p. 90

Per page 90. “Format for the technical proposal must be in Microsoft Office Word format”, as pg.

2 references

USAID confirms the submission of the technical proposal must be submitted in PDF. Please note… all references to Technical Proposal submission, throughout the entire solicitation, require the document to be submitted in

“Proposals (including all attachments and appendices) must be submitted electronically to Contract Specialist Nayo Tolb ert at ntolbert@usaid.go v using only PDF formats”, can USAID please confirm that the submission of the technical proposal must be in

PDF?

PDF

A Section L.4, INSTRUCTIO

NS FOR THE

PREPARATIO

N OF

THE TECHNIC

AL AND COST

PROPOSAL, 2,

p. 91

Per pg. 91 “The technical proposal shall include at minimum: 1. A table of contents with page numbers indicated.

2. A succinct 1-2 page executive summary.”, and per

pg. 91 “[The following items are not included in this page limitation]:App endix attachments that contain information (e.g., “letters of availability, executive summary) ”. Can USAID please confirm that the executive summary is not included in the page count of the technical proposal?

USAID confirms the executive summary is not included in the page count.

C Section B. 8, Labor Rates and Labor Categories, The RFP states, “the labor category rate must also be presented in an unburdened hourly format. The unburdened rate should show the rate paid to an individual for Labor category plus indirect cost such as Fringe Benefits, Overhead, Facilities Capital Cost of Money, General and Administrative as well as Fee or Profit.” Given that the offeror will propose fixed rates for each proposed labor category for a T&M type contract can USAID remove this requirement?

No, USAID cannot remove this requirement. The excel cost proposal must show both burdened and unburdened hourly rates. The clarification purposes, the offeror must create two (2) separate tabs in their excel document; for containing the burden hourly rate and the other containing the unburden hourly rate.

C Section C.3.1.

Events and Special Projects, page

Can USAID confirm if offeror should budget for all ODCs required for events (e.g. venue rental, refreshments, Audio Visual Equipment, etc.)?

Yes, the Offeror is required to include ODC related costs for event related activities.

Please see question #72 for additional and new details regarding event requirements.

C Section F.12, AIDAR

Biographical Data for 752.7001 (July 1997), page 30 and Section I, Table A

AIDAR

clauses, page

AIDAR 752.7001

Biographical data clarifies that this clause “is to be inserted in all USAID cost reimbursement contracts.” Given that the offeror will propose fixed rates for each proposed labor category for a T&M type contract can USAID remove

AIDAR 752.7001

from section F.12 and Section I?

This is a required request in accordance with AIDAIR 752.7001 BIOGRAPHICAL DATA FOR 752.7001 (JUL 1997) In sections:

“ F- Deliveries or Performance” and “Table A AIDAR Clauses” are required and USAID will enforce the clause.

C Section L.5, Section II- Price Proposal, Note 06 states, “The maximum escalation rate for this contract shall be no more than two (3) per cent per year above salaries and accepted ceiling rates.” Can USAID confirm it meant to state the following, “The maximum escalation rate for this contract shall be no more than three

(3) per cent per year above accepted ceiling rates”?

The escalation of these salaries shall not raise the overall Total Estimate Amount of the Contract.

A Page 1 Page one of the RFP states that there are currently two incumbents, SSG Advisors and Dexis Consulting Group.

We ask USAID to provide the contract numbers for both previous incumbents for research purposes.

The contract numbers are:

Dexis Consulting Group: AID-OAA-C-14- 00055

SSG Advisors: AID-OAA-I-14-00028

T,C Page 1 How many incumbent contractors from the SSG Advisors contract will need to be transitioned to the new contract?

The contractor will have the authority to evaluate which positions from the incumbents staff best supports the offeror's technical approach after award of the new contract during the handover process.

T,C,A Page 1 How many incumbent contractors from the Dexis would need to be transitioned to the new contract?

The contractor will have the authority to evaluate which positions from the incumbents staff best supports the offeror's technical approach after award of the new contract during the handover process.

T,C,A Page 1 Is the incumbent contract for SSG Advisors still active, and if so, when is it set to expire?

USAID confirms the SSG Advisors contract is still active.

One task order under the incumbent contract for SSG is still active. Task Order #2 will expire in May 2019.

T,C,A Page 1 Is the incumbent contract for Dexis still active, and if so, when is it set to expire?

USAID confirms the Dexis contract is still active The incumbent contract for Dexis expires on Sept 30, 2017.

C Section B. 5, On page 9 of the RFP USAID asks contractors to provide fixed hourly rates that include wages, overhead, general and administrative expenses and profit;

however, Budget Table 1, does not standardized labor categories for CLINS 04a-04e & 04, but ask offerors to propose both labor category staff, as well as the proposed Level of Effort and hours/year. In order to ensure fair and equal evaluation of price among all 8(a) bidders, we ask USAID to set LOE ceilings for CLINS 04a-04e & 04.

USAID has determined it is in the best interest of the solicitation to have the offeror(s) determine the appropriate LOE to support their technical and cost proposal.

C Section B. 5, In order to ensure a fair and equitable pricing evaluation among all 8(a) bidders, we ask that USAID provide an updated Budget Table 1 that includes a consultant line item for STTA, as well as an overall ceiling for all STTA anticipated under this contract.

See the revised Illustrative Budget table above . The STTA information and supporting plug figures are captured on the revised table above under Clin Task 05 Private Sector Engagement Technical SupportClin Task 06 Private Sector Engagement Strategic Initiatives (Surge)

C Section B. 5, Please confirm Note 3 applies to CLIN 04 In Budget Table 1

See revised Illustrative Budget table above.

only.

T Section L.4, In order to fully understand the current state of the materials and to ensure continuity of operations and information in use under this contract, will USAID provide a listing of the primary materials in use, and any activities that are currently mid-stream and will command immediate attention during the contract transition?

No. The requested information is considered proprietary information. Therefore, it will only be discussed with the successful offeror upon issuance of the new contract in order to ensure continuity during the transition period.

T Section L.4, In order to fully understand the IT and KM platforms in use that will need to be transitioned, we ask that USAID provide an inventory of the websites, IT hosting, cloud-based services, software, and KM platforms that have been developed and are currently in use under the SSG Advisors and Dexis incumbent contracts that will need to be harmonized and consolidated in order to reduce duplication of systems during transition.

It will be critical that the successful offeror’s staff have USAID e-mail accounts in order to access USAID internal documents and knowledge sharing platforms, including but not limited to Google docs, spreadsheets and excel spreadsheets. All staff must be able to collaborate with USAID via Google collaboration platforms, including Google docs -- via an official company e-mail address. The requested information is considered proprietary information. Therefore, it will only be discussed with the successful offeror upon issuance of the new contract in order to ensure continuity during the transition period

T Section L.4, USAID asks that offerors limit their technical proposals to 50 pages;

however, USAID has a precedent, in collaboration with OSDBU, of setting page limits for small business procurements of this magnitude and scope between 15 and 20 pages (e.g.:

SOL-OAA-15-000006

(15 pages); SOL-

OAA-16-000189 (20

pages). A technical proposal of this size, favors the incumbents, places an undue burden and strain on bid and proposal resources for an 8(a) firm. We ask that USAID reduce the limit of the subject proposal to between 15 and 20 pages.

The page limit has been revised. The new page count is 35.

T L.4.2 Factor 2 Management Plan/Staffing Plan/Instituti onal Capacity and Key Personnel

In order to ensure incumbent contractors that will be offered the right of first refusal on the consolidation and transition to the new contract do not lose their current level of benefits, we ask that USAID provide the current Grade and Step Equivalents for all incumbent staff, and also provide the minimum benefits currently offered to incumbent staff by Dexis and SSG Advisors.

This is proprietary information and will only be shared with the successful Offeror.

C B.5, p 9 The RFP states that “the offerors should provide costs for direct materials, subcontract, and other direct costs as applicable.” Could USAID please confirm that offerors may propose, as part of the Budget Table 1, an additional CLIN for subcontracts, which are expected to be Firm Fixed Price, rather than T&M?

See revised illustrative budget table above. No, this is a T&M contract, there are no firm fixed price line items.

Offerors may propose the usage of subcontractors .

C B.5, p 11 The RFP states that “services are dependent on demand and are TBD,” and, on p. 94, “ODCs will be required as necessary per the direction of COR.” To help ensure consistency of estimates among Offerors, could USAID please suggest a plug figure for Other Direct Costs as USAID has done for Travel?

ODC should be determined by the contractor please identify and price accordingly. The referred sentences have been removed from the solicitation.

B.6 Travel and Other Direct Costs page 11 delete: ODCs will be required as necessary. The Contractor will be reimbursed at cost and shall not exceed the established ceilings’ without prior Contracting Officer approval. The U.S. dollar costs allowable shall be limited to reasonable, allocable, and necessary costs determined in accordance with FAR 52.216-11 and AIDAR 752.7003 Documentation for Payment. L.5 Section II- Price Proposal p. 94 Note 08 delete: ODCs will be required as necessary per the direction of COR. The Contractor will be reimbursed at cost and shall not exceed the established ceilings’ without prior Contracting Officer approval. The U.S. dollar costs allowable shall be limited to reasonable, allocable, and necessary costs determined in accordance with FAR 52.216-11 and AIDAR 752.7003 Documentation for Payment.

C L.5, p 94 The RFP states that (emphasis added) “the maximum escalation rate for this contract shall be no more than two

(3) percent per year above salaries and accepted ceiling rates.” Could USAID please confirm that Offerors may utilize 3% as the maximum annual escalation rate for the proposed fully burdened labor rates?

Yes, Offerors may utilize 3% as the maximum annual escalation rate for the proposed fully burdened labor rates.

A M.1, p 97 The RFP states that “the government will make awards based on the offeror’s hard copy proposal rather than the electronic version.” Whereas, the RFP cover page states that “proposals are due electronically.” Can USAID please confirm whether Offerors need to submit an electronic proposal only?

USAID confirms all responses to the solicitation must be submitted electronically. Please reference section L.3 a. RECEIPT OF PROPOSALS AND DELIVERY INSTRUCTIONS pp. 89-

90. Section M1. p. 97 General Information letter g. The following language is deleted in its entirety: The government will make awards based on the Offeror’s hardcopy proposal rather than the electronic version.

A L.4.2, p 92 The RFP states that Key personnel “… resumes will not be included in the 5 page limit.” Can USAID please confirm that resumes won’t be included in the 50 page limit?

USAID confirms resumes are not included in the 35 page limit. See Section L.4 Instructions for the preparation of the Technical and Cost Proposal

T C.5, p 20 The RFP states that the proposed Technical Director’s experience should include “Minimum of

(7) years or more of progressively responsible work experience in managing complex projects of similar size and scope to the project outlined in this scope of work.”

Can USAID clarify if the ‘size and scope’ pertains to the overall project or only concentration two, technical advisory support?

The Technical Director will be held accountable for managing all the technical activities described in the scope of work. Therefore, his/her expertise should pertain to the overall project; which includes activities under Concentration 1 and Concentration 2.

EC M, p 98 The evaluation criteria Factor 1 states that “the technical proposals will be evaluated based on the evaluation factors which are considered equally for each of the factors listed above”.

However, some of the factors listed are cross-cutting while others are specific to individual tasks/sub-factors.

For example, “the extent to which the Offeror demonstrates an ability to support data collection and analysis, ensuring its utilization for program decision making” seems to only be applicable to sub-factor 1b: data

This question is unclear and no further information can be provided by USAID at this time.

collection, analysis, monitoring and evaluation. Can USAID please specific whether each bullet point on page 28 is required for each sub-factor or only applicable to the relevant sub-factor?

C B.5, p11 As this program is envisioned to be highly demand driven, can USAID provide targets or plug figures for the amount of budget that should be set-aside for on demand activities vs the estimated budget for on-going activities?

No, USAID cannot provide plug figures for demand driven versus on going activities.

C B.5, p11 For budget purposes, we would kindly request clarification from USAID/CTP on how to estimate LOE and costs for demand driven tasks. Based on knowledge of the requested tasks may offerors develop a budget the considers a mix of the discrete illustrative tasks outlined under section C.

1. The first question is unclear and therefore USAID will not provide a response to this question.

2. Yes, the offeror may develop a budget that reflects the labor mix needed to meet the requirements in section C.

A M1 p. 97 In the RFP, Best Value is defined as “the offer that results in the most advantageous solution for the Government, in consideration of technical, price, and

Please re-read to section M in its entirety as additional information about how price will be evaluated is discussed there.

other factors”. As section M only includes technical evaluation factors, can USAID please elaborate on how price will be evaluated to determine best value?

A n/a Does the incumbent contractor have non-expendable property or other equipment that it will pass along to the PEPSE contractor?

At this time there is no anticipated plan for the incumbent to pass along non-expendable equipment.

T C.5 Key Personnel (page 19)

In most places, the RFP requires the key personnel positions of Project Director, Senior Communications & Engagement Lead, and Technical Director. However, on page 19, the RFP reads: “During the offering phase, the contractor should propose specific individuals to fill the key personnel positions of Project Manager, Communications Manager and a Technical Director…” Please confirm that these positions are one and the same.

C.5 Key Personnel p. 19 delete: During the offering phase, the contractor should propose specific individuals to fill the key personnel positions of Project Manager, Communications Manager, and a Technical Director who will manage and direct the overall contract.

and replace with During the offering phase, the contractor should propose specific individuals to fill the key personnel positions of Project Director, Senior Communications & Engagement Lead, Technical Director who will manage and direct the overall contract. Project Director, Senior Communications & Engagement Lead, Technical Director who will manage and direct the overall contract.

T F.4 Reports and Deliverables or Outputs (page 26)

On page 26, the RFP states that “The contractor must in the start-up phase of the award submit 1 original copy, 1 electronic copy of the

USAID confirms during post award the COR will request paper copies of deliverables in addition to electronic copies for work plans and report as appropriate.

Implementation/Wo rk Plan.” Please confirm that USAID will request paper copies of deliverables in addition to electronic copies.

T F.4 Reports and Deliverables or Outputs (page 26)

In the table on page 26 of the RFP, we read that the Annual Report is “due 30 days after the end of the year.” Please confirm that this refers to the contract year and not the calendar year.

Annual reports are due 30 days after the end of the period of performance for each year (contract year).

T F.6 Place of Performance (page 29)

The RFP states: “The place of performance is Metropolitan Washington, DC area and overseas (Latin America & Caribbean, Africa, Asia, Europe & Eurasia, & Middle East). The contractor may work remotely. The contractor personnel shall work at Contractor’s facilities. The contractor shall ideally be located in the DC area. The contractor however must be available and accessible to participate in meetings at CTP offices on a regular and recurring basis.

There should be a core representation by the contractor based in a location near or adjacent to

The place of performance is in Washington DC and overseas (Latin America & Caribbean, Africa Asia, Europe and Middle East). All three key personnel and core representation of the contractor must be based in a location near or adjacent to CTP's offices located in the Ronald Reagan Building (1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW) in Washington, DC in order to accommodate timely and effective collaboration of work. Core representation is defined as 75% of Concentration 1 staff will be based in the DC office (and of course allow for situational telework). The contractor must be available and accessible to participate in meetings at CTP offices on a regular and recurring basis. The contractor may have personnel who are located outside of the DC area and who work remotely as long as all of the work is accomplished in a timely and efficient manner.

CTP’s offices.” Please clarify if the contractor “may work remotely” or if the contractor “shall work at Contractor’s facilities.” Please also confirm if the office/representatio n must be located in Washington, DC or in the Washington, DC area, including Maryland and Virginia.

A H.4 Security Clearance (page 46)

Please confirm that offerors must be eligible to receive (and maintain) a Facility Security Clearance (FCL) upon award and are not required to hold a secret-level clearance at the time of proposal submission.

H.4. Security Clearance pp. 46-47. The offeror(s) must be able to receive a Facility Security Clearance at time of award. The offeror(s) are not required to hold a secret-level clearance at the time of proposal submission or time of award.

T,C L.3 Receipt of Proposals and Delivery Instructions (page 90)

Instruction (a)4 reads: “The sections and annexes in the technical and cost proposals must be tabbed and listed in the table of contents.” Please clarify what is meant by the reference to “tabbing.”

“Tabbed “means clearly labeled.

T L.4.3 Factor 3

- Past Performance (page 93)

Please clarify if offerors may submit past performance reference of subcontractors, which may be evaluated toward Factor 3.

The offeror must submit 3 past performance statements for their organization and 3 past performance statements for each subcontractor identified at time of proposal. See attachment J.1 for additional information submission.

T M.2 Technical Evaluation Factors (page 98)

Please share with offerors the weighting for each of the three evaluation factors listed. Is Factor 1 more important than Factors 2 and 3 or are all three factors weighted equally?

Please reference L.4 which states the following: Note: The weight for each factor is measured in descending order of importance; and all subfactors under each factor category are weighted equally.

T L.4 Instructions for the Preparation of the Technical and Cost Proposal (page 91)

Please confirm that the 1-2 page Executive Summary is excluded from the 50-page limitation in the Technical Proposal.

The Executive Summary is not included in the 35 page. limitation.

T,C Cover Letter, p.3 L.3, p. 91

Please clarify: Early in the solicitation on page 3, the instructions indicate that the proposal (including all attachments and appendices) must be submitted electronically using PDF formats only. Later, in Section L.3., page 91, the instructions are for the Technical Proposal (Volume I) to be submitted in Microsoft Word format and the Cost/Price Proposal (Volume II) to be formatted in Microsoft Excel. Which instructions should the contractor follow to be in compliance?

The information on page 3 is correct.

Please note any reference to submit proposals in MS word format is inaccurate throughout the entire solicitation. All Technical Proposals when submitted must be in PDF format only.

T C.3.2, page 16 F.6, 30

Section C.3.2. of the solicitation, page 16, addresses the potential for international travel. While the proposed locations for international travel are listed in section F.6, page 30, can you provide any information on the proposed sites?

Also, if the proposed sites are located in areas of conflict, will security be considered the responsibility of the awarded contractor or provided by the government? Has the agency determined the amount and frequency of travel for key personnel?

Travel location and number of trips are in response to demand driven requirements and will be determined over the course of the contract.

Therefore, they are unknown at the time of the solicitation. A plug figure has been provided in the illustrative budget table to cover all anticipated travel cost In accordance with FAR 52.225-19 25.301- government support. The Generally, contractors are responsible for providing their own logistical and security support, including logistical and security support for their employees.

The agency shall provide logistical or security support only when the appropriate agency official, in accordance with agency guidance, determines that—(1) Such Government support is available and is needed to ensure continuation of essential contractor services; and (2) The contractor cannot obtain adequate support from other sources at a reasonable cost.(b) The contracting officer shall specify in the contract, and in the solicitation if possible, the exact support to be provided, and whether this support is provided on a reimbursable basis, citing the authority for the reimbursement.

A B.7, page11-

Since travel sites have not been identified specifically, may we have clarification on danger pay requirements and examples for this work?

In response to the danger pay question:

If the agency requires personnel to go to critical post countries the contractor will be compensated according to the rules and regulations applicable at time of request. Specific locations have not been identified.

A H.11, page 51 The net conference expense funded by USAID…” It appears that the word “NOT” is missing. Is it correct as presented, or, should “NOT EXCEED” the correct presentation.

Section H- Special Contract Requirements H. 11 CONFERENCE

PLANNING AND REQUIRED APPROVALS

(AUG 2013) of the solicitation is a AIDAR Clause. The language in the clause is written as stated in the solicitation and will not be changed. USAID will enforce the intention of the clause.

A H.4, page 46 Since the contract / award is designated as classified, does the offeror need to possess a Facility Security Clearance upon submission of the proposal? If not, will USAID sponsor the winning contractor for attaining a security clearance under this contract?

No, the offeror does not need to possess a Facility Security Clearance upon proposal submission, however the contractor must apply and be able to obtain the clearance immediately upon receipt of the contract. Upon receipt of the contract the contractor is held responsible for applying and processing the Facility Security Clearance.

A Section C.5- Key Personnel (Page 18) Section L.4.2 (Page 92) states that “the contractor should include biographic information demonstrating proposed candidates’ qualifications.” Secti on L.4.2 (Page 92) states that the Offeror will “identify the key personnel (see Section C.5) assigned to this contract and supply resumes and curriculum vitas (CVs) for key personnel only at time of award.” Please confirm that resumes and CVs of Key Personnel and non-key personnel are not required for the proposal submission.

Resumes and CVs of Key Personnel are required at time of proposal. Resumes/ CV’s for non-key personnel are not required for the proposal submission. However, a brief description for labor categories identified and responsibility are suggested.

T On page 50 There is a note to the offerors that key personnel must be able to obtain and maintain secret level clearance. This was included after Section H.5 and

Section H Special Contract Requirements: NOTE TO OFFEROR: KEY PERSONNEL (3) must be able to obtain and maintain SECRET LEVEL CLEARANCE is deleted in its entirety.

before Section H.6.

Should we assume that the note applies to “Section H.

Required Security Clauses”?

T Regarding L.4.3 P. 93

(Factor 3 – Past Performance). On page 100, USAID suggest in the line “USAID may use performance information obtained from other than the sources identified by the offeror/subcontract or” that past performance of a subcontractor can be used. Due to the specific nature of the requirements, it appears that under Factor 3, the current incumbent 8(a) contractor might have an advantage over other 8(a) Offerors. Would USAID allow the use of a subcontractor past performance as one of the three examples of relevant past performance history to enhance competition? Please confirm whether Offerors on the inclusion and evaluation of subcontractor’s past performance?

No, USAID will not allow the use of a subcontractors past performance as one of the three examples of relevant past performance history. The second question is unclear and therefore USAID will not provide a response to this question.

T n/a Would USAID consider allowing one or two more past performance above the three required?

No, the Offeror is required to submit a maximum of 3 past performances for the prime and each subcontractor identified in the proposal. USAID reserves the right to request additional information if determined it is needed.

T,Eval Section M 97, There are three (3) Factors and several Sub-Factors under Factor 1 and Factor

2. Section M states that “all sub-factors are of equal importance.” Are the three (3) Factors intended to have equal weighting, namely Technical Approach, Personnel, and Past Performance? Facto r 3 does not have a Sub-Factor for example, compared to six for Factor 1 and four under Factor 2.

Please reference L.4 which states the following: Note: The weight for each factor is measured in descending order of importance; and all subfactors under each factor category are weighted equally.

A n/a Due to potential changes that might result from USAID’s responses to the questions on the RFP, would USAID consider providing a two-week extension to the proposal deadline?

USAID does not foresee significant changes as a result of the responses to the questions. Please see SECTION I:

General Administration comments regarding the revised closing date information.

C,A Page 12, B.8 It states "The labor rates are fixed for all contract year periods." Does this mean that the labor rates can be different for each contract year proposed but those rates will then be fixed for the life of the contract or, does this mean that there is one rate for all years proposed under each labor category?

Yes, the labor rates can be different for each contract year proposed but those rates will then be fixed for the life of the contract. Maximum allowable escalation rate of NTE 3% per annum. The escalation of these salaries shall not raise the overall Total Estimate Amount of the Contract.

C On page 93, L.5 Section II

The last bullet says to provide a table that identifies proposed Personnel and labor hours for each labor category. Do Offerors need to have "named" personnel for all categories and not just for the Key Personnel? For example, can we propose a new hire that is TBD?

No, offerors are not required to have staff identified for non-key personnel members. However, if candidates have been identified at the time of proposal submission, provide their names. The offeror must propose labor categories for positions under each task.

C,A Page 94, Note 06 states

"The maximum escalation rate for this contract shall be no more than two

(3) percent per year above salaries and accepted ceiling rates." Please clarify of if the maximum, escalation is 2% or 3%

Section L.5 SECTION II – PRICE PROPOSAL Note 06: Delete this sentence: The maximum escalation rate for this contract shall be no more than two (3) percent per year above salaries and accepted ceiling rates."

Replace with the following: The maximum escalation rate for this contract shall be no more than three (3) percent per year above salaries and accepted.

C n/a Please confirm that Offerors’ G&A indirect rate may be applied to all travel and ODCs per their respective USAID NICRAs. We understand that fee may not be applied to ODCs.

USAID honors the application of the rules as defined within the offerors NICRA.

A n/a Given that activities will be demand driven, please confirm that the contractor will have flexibility in the level of effort budgeted in Section B 5 and may reallocate LOE between labor categories within a CLIN or task and

USAID will provide guidance in this area post award.

across CLINs and tasks.

T Except for Key Personnel, the RFP is silent on whether Offerors are to define labor categories and levels, including minimum degree requirements, years of relevant experience, and experience equivalents for degrees (eg., A BA + 10 may substitute for an MA degree + 5 years). Without this framework, contractors will not have documented criteria for obtaining personnel approvals and may be subject to audit risks. Kindly consider providing explicit guidance around requirements of labor category levels.

The offeror has the flexibility to provide the labor mix and LOE to support its approach and to meet the requirements of the statement of work. The offeror must provide a description of the roles and responsibilities of every position proposed. In addition, the offeror must include the education and work experience for each position proposed.

Item f) in Section M.1 (page 97)

States that price proposals will be evaluated… using the factors described in this section. Price Proposals will be evaluated separately for each full and open and competition and small business set aside. As this is only an 8(a) set aside, kindly revise that language and clarify

M.1. GENERAL INFORMATION p.97 letters “d”, “e”, “f”, and on p. 101.

provide information price will be evaluated. In addition to the above, price proposals will be considered to determine if the price provided by offerors are fair and reasonable.

Please see Attachment 1 of this document for additional information/guidance regarding the L.5 Section II - Price Proposal of the solicitation.

how price proposals will be evaluated as there is nothing in Section M that otherwise addresses cost price evaluation criteria.

T Other than the information provided in the “Purpose, Objective and Background” sections of the solicitation is there other information you can share with the offeror regarding specific development goals and priorities for each of the countries within the scope of this solicitation?

Countries have not been identified in the solicitation as this is a demand driven project. As such, specific development goals and priorities for as yet undefined countries is not feasible.

A n/a Can we have access to a copy of CTP’s current capability building strategy and training plan?

No. The requested information is considered proprietary information. Therefore, it will only be discussed with the successful offeror upon issuance of the new contract in order to ensure continuity during the transition period.

T n/a Is there an expectation for the offeror to build a knowledge management system or repository to facilitate and institutionalize lessons learned and other information shared with the stakeholders and participants of the program?

This question is unclear and no further information can be provided by USAID at this time.

C n/a Does the budget include the cost for cultural change

This question is unclear and no further information can be provided by USAID at this time.

leadership or readiness and events other than learning and training activities?

A What is/are the last word(s) to complete the last sentence in section F.12 of the solicitation?

Section F Deliveries or Performances

F.12 AIDAIR 752.7001 BIOGRAPHICAL

DATA FOR 752.7001 (JUL 1997) p. 30 The last line of the paragraph,: The Contractor may reproduce additional copies as” is deleted and replaced with:

The Contractor may reproduce additional copies as as needed.

T n/a What was the average number of attendees for the Private Sector Engagement and the Diasporans in Development events in the past?

Past events included approximate numbers are as follows (future events are not limited to this):Please note all of the following events have historically been held in Washington, DC. Therefore, for the purpose of the Cost Proposal, price these events based on a Washington, DC locale.

1. Private Sector Engagement Forum (PSEF): 2 events over the life of the contract: each event is approximately 100 people over three (3) days.

2. Diasporas In Development: (1 event annually over the life of the project) approximately 300 participants over a one (1) day event

3. Global Partnerships Week kick off event: (1 event annually over the life of the project) approximately 300 participants over a one (10 day event.

4. Relationship Manager (RM) Retreat: (1 event annually over the life of the project) approximately 75 participants over a one (1) day event.

A PEPSE is being solicited as an 8(a) set-aside. May I kindly ask you to confirm if the intention was for PEPSE to be released at a small business set-aside or an 8(a) small business set-aside?

The solicitation is for 8(a) set-aside businesses.

Attachment 1

Additional information to be inserted under the “Note” section of L.5 Section II - Price Proposal Instructions

Part 1 - Standard Form (SF) 33

The Offeror must submit the cover page (Section A) of this request for cost proposal [Standard Form (SF) 33, "Solicitation, Offer, and Award"], with blocks 12 through 18 completed, with an original signature of a person authorized on behalf of the Offeror to sign the offer.

Part 2 – Proposed Costs/Prices

USAID’s goal is to achieve low administrative costs and focus funds for technical implementation of the program. The offerors proposed daily rates, overhead, and profit will be bound in the final contract as serve as the final ceiling for daily rates.

Labor Costs

Offerors must propose unburdened rates for all labor categories proposed. May not propose unburdened ceiling daily salary rates higher than the USAID Contractor Salary Threshold (CST).

(1) The prime Offeror and each major subcontractor must propose ceiling indirect cost rates in accordance with their established NICRA. Only the prime Offeror's applicable ceiling indirect costs will be utilized for evaluation purposes in the Cost/price Evaluation. Major subcontractor indirect rates will be reviewed, but not factored in the Cost/price Evaluation.

(2) The prime Offeror must provide a narrative justifying the labor rates for each labor category proposed with supporting information such as historical biodata forms used (within the past five years), DCAA forward pricing agreements, other federal contract or orders (do not provide GSA rates, only final orders negotiated with the Government for a GSA order or BPA) (please provide award number and CO contact information and narrative providing the unloaded rate in accordance with Section B), market research support, and payroll records.

(3) The Offeror must also provide a Prime and Major Subcontractor Percentage of Labor Overview.

Note: Pursuant to FAR 52.219-14, Limitations on Subcontracting, small business prime Offerors proposing for a set-aside award are reminded that at least 50 percent of the cost of contract performance incurred for personnel must be expended for employees of the small business prime Offeror. As such, the Labor Distribution Chart must reflect that the small business prime Offeror is performing at least 50% of the effort.

Indirect Costs

The prime and all major subcontractors may propose lower overhead rates than their established Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA) and sign the letter found in ADS 300, Mandatory Reference for Best Practices Guide for Indirect Costing. Indirect rates proposed cannot be higher than the rates established in their Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA). Please read further instruction below if your organization does not have a NICRA.

Offerors may propose a single ceiling rate covering the term of award or a ceiling rate in each applicable contract year. If an annual ceiling rate is proposed, USAID will average the ceiling indirect rates and use that figure for evaluation purposes.

(i) The Offeror and each major subcontractor must include a complete copy of its most current NICRA or other documentation from its cognizant Government Audit Agency, if any, stating the most recent provisional indirect cost rates. The proposal must also include the name and address of the Government Audit Agency, and the name and telephone number of the auditor.

(ii) If the Offeror or major subcontractor does not have a cognizant Government Audit Agency, the proposal must include: Audited balance sheets and profit and loss statements for the last two complete years, and the current year-to-date statements (or such lesser period of time if the Offeror is a newly-formed organization). The profit and loss statements should include detail of the total cost of goods and services sold, including a listing of the various indirect administrative costs, and be supplemented by information on the prime contractor’s customary indirect cost allocation method, together with supporting computations of the basis for the indirect cost rate(s) proposed;

and

The most recent two fiscal year pool and base cost compositions along with derived rates, the bases of allocation of these rates and an independent certified audit by a certified accounting firm of these rates.

EXEMPTIONS FOR SMALL BUSINESS OFFERORS ONLY

All the above instructions apply to small business offerors. However, if the small business offeror does not have a NICRA, the proposal must include either Audited Financial Statements or Reviewed Financial Statements as defined below:

1. Audited Financial Statements provide the auditor’s opinion that the financial statements are presented fairly, in all material respects, in conformity with the applicable financial reporting framework. In an audit, the auditor is required by auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAS) to obtain an understanding of the entity’s internal control and assess fraud risk. The auditor also corroborates the amounts and disclosures included in the financial statements by obtaining audit evidence through inquiry, physical inspection, observation, third-party confirmations, examination, analytical procedures and other procedures. The auditor issues a report that states that the audit was conducted in accordance with GAAS, the financial statements are the responsibility of management, provides an opinion that the financial statements present fairly in all material respects the financial position of the company and the results of operations are in conformity with the applicable financial reporting framework (or issues a qualified opinion if the financial statements are not in conformity with the applicable financial reporting framework. The auditor may also issue a disclaimer of opinion or an adverse opinion if appropriate).

2. Reviewed Financial Statements provide a certified CPA accountant’s (referred to as “Accountant” or “CPA”…