Technical_Question_and_Answer_Form_-_11.18.15_FINAL.xlsx
XLSX spreadsheet 29 KB Posted
- Attached to
- NOAA Office of Education Support Services
- Solicitation number
- ST-1330-16-RP-0170
About this file
Technical Questions and Answers
View the file
Other files
Show all 18
On GovTribe
Work with this file
- Download the original file
- Contacts named in this file
- Similar government files
- Ask GovTribe AI about this file
Text version
Tehcnial Questions
| Office of Education Support Services |
| RFP ST-1330-16-RP-0170 |
| Interested Parties Question/Comment Form |
| Question Number | Page No. | Section | Paragraph | Question | Comment | Answers | |
| 1 | Since when have these incumbent contractors been providing these services to NOAA OED? | NOAA's Office of Education has three Contractors that provide support services, the Contractor names and number of years that service was provided to date follows: Brillient Corporation (One Year); Federal Working Group/Varone Consulting Group (Three Years); TechGlobal, Inc. (Three Years) | |||||
| 2 | 8 | C.1 PWS | 2 | How many positions are expected to be at NOAA Silver Spring facility? Please list these positions at NOAA Silver Spring facility. | NOAA Office of Education in Silver Spring, MD expects to have seven (7) positions full-time that follow: Outreach and Education Program Specialist V; Outreach and Education Program Specialist II; Administration Specialist III (Qty = 2); Database Developer I; and Communication Specialist I; and, Facilitation/Consultant II. | ||
| 3 | 8 | C.1 PWS | 2 | How many positions are expected to be at Washington DC NOAA facility? Please list these positions at DC NOAA facility. | The Washington, DC office expects to have six (6) positions that follow: Education Strategic Planning Specialist III; Education Strategic Planning Specialist II; Web Designer/Developer II; Education Program Evaluator III; Media Specialist IV; and, Finance Accounting. There is a one position that is expected to be shared between the two offices, Education Program Evaluator III. | ||
| 4 | 11 | C.1 PWS | 6.1 | Typically how many telephone calls and visitors are handled on a daily basis? | The average number of telephone calls is ten per month. The number of visitors is zero to one or two on a daily basis. However, the number increases during NOAA Education events and programs (e.g., NOAA student scholar orientation and symposium weeks). | ||
| 5 | 16 | C.1 PWS | 6.1 | Typically how many grants are issued annually? | Approximately ten new awards annually. | ||
| 6 | 16 | C.1 PWS | 6.1 | What system or SW application is used to manage and track the Grants? | NOAA Office of Education in Washington, DC developed a customized system using Microsoft Access. | ||
| 7 | 16 | C.1 PWS | 6.1 | Will the Government provide training in the use of Grant Management System? What is the duration and format of this training? When will it be provided? | NOAA Grants Online provides training for it's system: www.corporateservices.noaa.gov/grantsonline/gol_training.html | ||
| 8 | 40 | L | Tab C | Will the Government provide office for the Contractor Program Manager in Washington DC or the Springfield facility? | NOAA's Office of Education does not have a need for a Contractor Program Manager. | ||
| 9 | 40 | L | Tab C | Can the Contract Program Manager be located off-site at the Contractor Facility? | NOAA's Office of Education does not have a need for a Contractor Program Manager. | ||
| 10 | 40 | L | Tab C | Which labor categories are considered Key Personnel? Where are they located? | NOAA's Office of Education has not identified labor categories as Key Personnel. | ||
| 11 | 40 | L | Tab C | The Pricing Matrix does not include the Contract Program Manager title? How should we submit the cost of this labor category? | NOAA's Office of Education does not have a need for a Contractor Program Manager. | ||
| 12 | Can you tell us names of subcontractors? | The current three Contracts are with the following: Brillient Corporation; Federal Working Group, Inc.; and, TechGlobal, Inc. | |||||
| 13 | What was the overall value of the last award? | The overall value was less than $10M | |||||
| 14 | Please describe in detail labor categories in matrix. | Please include required education level, years of experience, duties. | See attachment B. | ||||
| 15 | 40 | L.1. | Tab C | Which position(s), role(s), labor category(is), or otherwise are considered Key Personnel? | No Key Personnel requirement is specified. | No key personnel were identified for this requirement. | |
| 16 | 42 | L.1. | Tab F | Is there a separate 90-day transition for each task order or just for the overall contract? | Each task order. | ||
| 17 | n/a | How many task orders are anticipated? Do you expect one each year for the overall contract or will there be separate ones by mission area? | The Government estimates one task order after award and another task order within six months after award. | ||||
| 18 | 40 | L | Tab C: Mgt Plan | Please specify which positions are "key personnel" positions | No key personnel were identified for this requirement. | ||
| 19 | 18 | C | Section 6.12 - Subsection 1.7 | In regards to the statement "Integrate web-based systems (applications and databases) within NOAA Information Technology infrastructure" what type of databases are being used by the Office of Education (e.g., Oracle, SQL Server, Access, etc.) | Student and Performance Measures Tracking System: As of November 13, 2015, there are less than 5,000 records. The Microsoft 2008 SQL Server relational database system. | ||
| 20 | 18 | C | Section 6.12 - Subsection 1.7 | In regards to the statement "Integrate web-based systems (applications and databases) within NOAA Information Technology infrastructure" what type of platform and technology are the websites implemented in (e.g., Microsoft .Net, etc.) | Microsoft.Net | ||
| 21 | Labor Category question | Pricing Matrix Spreadsheet | Will the Finance/Accounting labor category specifically be used for the Education Council budget support? If not please advise what budget support this part-time resource would be providing, would it be for the entire Office of Education budget life cycle support? | The support is sought for the Office of Education at the Washington, DC office. | |||
| 22 | Labor Category question | Pricing Matrix Spreadsheet | For the labor categories where it states the quantity as 2 and the total hours as 2080, is the assumption that this would be for 2 separate full-time resources who are each working 2080 hours or are they two part-time resources working 1040 hours each? | The quantity is two resources working 2,080 hours. | |||
| 23 | Labor Category question | Pricing Matrix Spreadsheet | Are the reflected hours entered into the Pricing Template (2080) an accurate representation of the level of effort required for this IDIQ or should it be 1880 which includes 10 government holidays and 3 weeks of personal time off? | The hours are 2080; the standard used by NOAA acquisitions. | |||
| 24 | Pricing Matrix | Should the total hours for the Education Program Evaluator III and the Administrative Specialist III be 4,160 instead of 2080 | The spreadsheet indicates that the quantity for each of these positions is 2, but the hours indicate 1. Please clarify. | The quantity is two resources working 2,080 hours. | |||
| 25 | 6 | B | 3 | Will all duties described in the SOW be included in one task order after award? If not, how many task orders does the government expect to issue and at what approximate interval? | The Government estimates one task order after award and another task order within six months after award. | ||
| 26 | 11 | PWS | 6.1.8 | Please indicate the type of activities that would require stenography, shorthand and dictation. | One example is for the purpose of capturing responses to request for program information. | ||
| 27 | 11, 14, 18 | PWS | 6.1.5, 6.5, 6.12.2 | Data base and web activities are listed in several performance areas. What formal process does OED have for configuration and change management of data bases and web page updating. Is this responsibility spread over several labor categories? Please identify the lead labor category for these activities. | The NOAA IT Help Desk supports and maintains the server of which the Office of Education databases reside. The NOAA Web Operating Center supports the hosting environment for all NOAA web sites including NOAA Office of Education web sites. | ||
| 28 | 12 | PWS | 6.2.7 | Please describe the current methods for evaluating education activities and quantification of effectiveness of programs. Please identify metric and measures. | NOAA education programs are evaluated via performance measures. The Education Strategic Plan 2015-2035 has a section titled, Evaluation and Monitoring: http://www.oesd.noaa.gov/leadership/edcouncil/docs/2015-Strategic-Plan-FullText.pdf | ||
| 29 | 13 | PWS | 6.3 | Please provide information on the NOAA Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) framework as it applies to this program. | See Attachment C | ||
| 30 | 14 | PWS | 6.4.9 | Please describe the revenue generating activities and how the revenue is accounted for and managed. | The Contractor will work with Bay-Watershed Education and Training grantees to help identify other appropriate sources of revenue (funding) to continue projects after the NOAA funding has ended (e.g., other federal, state, or private funding). The grantees not the Contractor are ultimately responsible for securing such funding. This funding will not be managed or accounted for by the Contractor or the federal government. | ||
| 31 | 16 | PWS | 6.8.5 | Please describe how you currently calculate the equivalent monetary value of print and television coverage. Do have a service providing this calculation? Is the cost of this service paid through this contract as an ODC? | NOAA's Office of Education does not perform this task. | ||
| 32 | 16 | PWS | 6,8,6 | Please identify the current performance measures used for print media design and how the press efforts are assessed. | NOAA's Office of Education does not currently perform this task. | ||
| 33 | 16 | PWS | 6.8.7 | Please provide the estimated number of special media event support efforts per year. Will this require surge or temporary staffing? | The number varies from year to year but on average two (2) to three (3) per year. No temporary staffing is required. | ||
| 34 | 40, 41, 48 | L and M | Tab C: Management Plan | ||||
| Factor 2 - Management Approach | The SOW does not designate any key personnel, but information on key personnel are requested in Section L, i.e. resumes, and evaluated in Section M. Can the Government confirm that the Contract Program Manager is key and that there are no other key personnel? | NOAA's Office of Education has not identified labor categories as Key Personnel. NOAA's Office of Education does not have a need for a Contractor Program Manager. | |||||
| 35 | 42, 49 | L and M | Volume II - Price Proposal | ||||
| Factor 4 - Price | The RFP requests a significant amount of travel and bidders will be at a loss as to how to price it in without more detail as to the number of trips and destinations, or a not-to-exceed (NTE) amount. Can the Government provide a amount for travel to be included in the ODC line? | NOAA's Office of Education estimates $6,000 for travel and training. | |||||
| 36 | 49 | M | Factor 4 - Price | Section M says the price evaluation will examine "Proposed rates per the labor category descriptions stated in the SOW." The SOW does not contain any labor category descriptions. If the government provides the degrees, years of experience, etc. for each labor category, they will be able to easily compare the pricing of each bidder and determine the best value. Can the government provide information regarding the required qualifications for each labor category? | See Attachment B. | ||
| 37 | Pricing Matrix | Do the labor categories defined in the pricing matrix currently provide all of the work as described in the Performance Work Statement? | Yes. | ||||
| 38 | Pricing Matrix | Does the Level of Effort described in the pricing matrix reflect the current staffing levels? | Yes. | ||||
| 39 | Pricing Matrix | Can the Government provide the educational experience and years of experience for the listed labor categories? | See Attachment B. | ||||
| 40 | 8 | C | PWS | What's the number of resources currently in place to support the PWS requirements. | Fourteen | ||
| 41 | Pricing Matrix | Can the offeror propose additional labor categories that they deem appropriate? | In our experience, given the broad scope of the PWS contractor may need more than the 12 labor categories listed. | Yes. | |||
| 42 | 40 | L | Management Plan | Is the Contract Manager the only key personnel? | The technical and management qualifications of the Contract Manger and other key personnel | NOAA's Office of Education does not have a need for a Contractor Program Manager. | |
| 43 | 15 | 6.8 | Print media | What are the current working relationships you have? | Can we refresh current relationships, or create new, and if so, are there any preferred target media channels? | NOAA's Office of Education does not have current working relationships. | |
| 44 | 17 | 6.11 | Exhibit Program Coord | Who is the contractor for the Sphere? | The Science on a Sphere is installed. So, there is no current Contractor. | ||
| 45 | 18 | 6.12 | DB analysis and support | What is the type of database to be analyzed and supported and the size? | Student and Performance Measures Tracking System: As of November 13, 2015, there are less than 5,000 records. The Microsoft 2008 SQL Server relational database system. | ||
| 46 | 19 | 6.14 | Facilitation & Coaching | What is type of facilitation and coaching required, the professional level of the recipients, the number of recipients, single or simultaneous and confidentiality if any? | The type of facilitation includes executive coaching and communication skill training. The training may be provided for up to seventeen persons as a group. | ||
| 47 | 49 | M.2 | Evaluation Factor 4 - Price | The labor category descriptions stated in the SOW do not match the labor categories in the pricing matrix…how do the labor categories in the pricing matrix map to the labor category descriptions in the SOW? | See Attachment A. | ||
| 48 | Does each functional area noted in Section 6 of the RFP represent one full time equivalent position? If not, please estimate level of effort historically needed for each functional area. | See Attachment A. | |||||
| 49 | 6.6 | In Task 6.6., how many video products have historically produced per year? How many podcasts? How many podcasts? | None. This position has not been filled for the past several years but there may be a future need. | ||||
| 50 | In Task 6.10, how many grant reviews are expected per year? Approximately how many grants are reviewed per year? How many total grantees? | Information on the grant activity and opportunities is provided on the web sites referenced in Section 4 Background specifically for the NOAA Environmental Literacy Grants Program and the NOAA Bay Watershed Education and Training Program. | |||||
| 51 | 6.12 | In task 6.12, is the Student and Performance Tracking System a customized system or based upon a collection of the shelf products? | The Student and Performance Measures Tracking System is a customized system. | ||||
| 52 | 6.14 | In task 6.14, please provide additional detail on the level of effort needed for this facilitation and coaching. In other words, how many trainees are expected? Are the trainings held at a Government facility? Are the coaching sessions in a group or one-one? | The type of facilitation includes executive coaching and communication skill training. The training may be provided for up to seventeen persons as a group. | ||||
| 53 | 6.15 | In task 6.15, how many total Exhibits are expected to be designed and fabricated over the course of the year? | NOAA's Office of Education expects zero (0) to three (3) exhibits. | ||||
| 54 | 11 | 6.1 | #5 | Are content management system web applications to be provided by NOAA? If so, may we learn which ones? | This is a NOAA-wide, application. Training will be provided on site, once the position has been filled. | ||
| 55 | 12 | 6.1 | #22 | "Marketing throughout the country" is a very broad task; could the Government provide more information on this? | Marketing of education products is primarily done at national conferences that take place throughout the country. Each year, NOAA's Office of Education pre-determines the conferences the office will be attending and, on occasion, the Contractor will be asked to participate and assist. | ||
| 56 | 12 | 6.2 | #2 | "Provide…strategic plans…" Does the use of provide mean that the contractor is to create strategic plans for education or will these be provided by the Government? | The Contractor is responsible for the delivery of the strategic plan with participation from NOAA Education stakeholders. | ||
| 57 | 12 | 6.2.5 | 5 | What technology tools are you using to reach target audiences to determine if our offerings are compatible with the systems in use at your partnering organizations and the nation's school systems? | NOAA's Office of Education usually relies on partners to identify such technologies. | ||
| 58 | 12 | 6.2.5 | 5 | Please give examples of your partnering organizations. | The following are NOAA's Office of Education partnering organizations: 1. National Science Teachers Association; 2. Laurence Hall of Science; 3. Smithsonian Institution; 4. major aquariums, museums, and science centers; 5. academia - universities, etc. | ||
| 59 | 12 | 6.2.7 | 7 | Please describe the specific methods for evaluating education activities. Is there a COTS product that you are using? | No. There is no a COTS production that used. | ||
| 60 | 17 | 6.11 | All | Will the exhibit coordinator be traveling to the trade shows and conferences? How many per year? Please provide guidance on the number of events the individual would support. | Yes. The exhibit coordinator will travel to trade shows and conferences. | ||
| 61 | 47 | Factor 1 | 3 | Please describe the nature of the risks currently being mitigated and managed. | Schedule risk. | ||
| 62 | Pricing Matrix | Is it acceptable to use "on site" pricing for these positions? | Yes. | ||||
| 63 | Pricing Matrix | Labor category descriptions appear to be missing. | See Attachment B. | ||||
| 64 | General Question | all | all | Does OED provide curriculum development to its partnering organization or the general public ? | No. | ||
| 65 | Section L of the RFP, Tab C: Management Plan, states that offerors must demonstrate | "The technical and management qualifications (in resume – no included in the page limit) and continuous availability of, and access to the Contractor Program Manager and other proposed key personnel," |
Apart from Program Manager, are there any other key personnel requirements specified by the Govt for this solicitation? Or is it up to the Offeror to propose appropriate key personnel based on our technical solution?
| No key personnel were identified for this requirement. | |||||
| 66 | Page 8 | /C1. Place of performance | What % of work is anticipated to be performed at NOAA locations versus contractor offices? | The percent of work is 97 percent at two NOAA locations. The remaining 2 percent are recruitment and site visits. | |
| 67 | Page 12/ | 6.2 education support | What is an average number of participants/attendees for a conference? | The number of participants/attendees varies greatly from a few hundred to over 10,000, depending on the conference. | |
| 68 | Page 13/ | 6.4 bay-watershed… | What is the $ volume of the grant program that is referenced in this section? How many grantees? | Information on the Bay Watershed Education and Training Program is provided on page 10 of the Performance Work Statement and on the B-WET web site: http://www.oesd.noaa.gov/grants/bwet.html | |
| 69 | Page 17/ | 6.11 exhibit program coordinator | What is the current LOE for the management of the exhibit? | Not sure of the question, please clarify. | |
| 70 | 18 | C | Section 6.12 - Subsection 1.7 | In regards to the statement "Integrate web-based systems (applications and databases) within NOAA Information Technology infrastructure" what type of databases are being used by the Office of Education (e.g., Oracle, SQL Server, Access, etc.) | The Microsoft 2008 SQL Server relational database system. |
| 71 | 18 | C | Section 6.12 - Subsection 1.7 | In regards to the statement "Integrate web-based systems (applications and databases) within NOAA Information Technology infrastructure" what type of platform and technology are the websites implemented in (e.g., Microsoft .Net, etc.) | MicroSoft.Net |
| 72 | Labor Category question | Pricing Matrix Spreadsheet | Will the Finance/Accounting labor category specifically be used for the Education Council budget support? If not please advise what budget support this part-time resource would be providing, would it be for the entire Office of Education budget life cycle support? | Yes. The Finance/Accounting labor category is to be used for the Office of Education, specifically the Washington, DC office. |
&P
Sheet1
File details come from the government source that posted it. Updated .