ITS Questions Answers.xls
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- Total Information Processing Support Services Federal contract opportunity
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- TIRNO-09-R-00012
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| TIPSS-4 ITS Questions & Answers TIRNO-09-R-00012 | |||
| # | RFP Reference | Question | Response |
| 1 | B.1 (d), Pg B-2 | The RFP states 'The base period of performance is 12 months (TBD 2009 through TBD 2010)'. For labor rate pricing purposes, will the Government please clarify the anticipated start date of the period of performance. | March 1, 2010 is the anticipated start date. |
| 2 | B.2.1, Pg. B-4 | The Labor Category Rate Table in B.2.1 includes a section for Key Personnel Labor Categories; however, Attachment J.5, Labor Categories and Hours, does not include hours for these positions. Should offerors submit proposed labor rates and hours for the Key Personnel Labor Categories defined in their proposal? | Yes |
| 3 | B.2, Pg. B-4 | The Solicitation calls for Section B.2 to be "based on contractor site rates." However Section J, Attachment J.1.1 has the cost buildup for both govt site and cont site rates - to be filled out in accordance with the cost instructions in Section L. |
| Would the government like the HOURS column in Attachment J.1.1 for both CONT and GOVT site rate buildups to be filled in with the hours provided in Section J.5? | Yes | |||
| 4 | Section B.1 (d), Pg B-2 | The specific dates within the 10 year period of performance are currently marked as "TBD." For consistent pricing across bidders, could the Government please provide specific dates for the base and option periods? For example, "The base period of performance is 12 months (Dec 1, 2009 through Nov 30, 2010)." | See Amendment 1. | |
| 5 | Section B.2.1 | |||
| Labor Category Rate Table, pages B-4 – B-19 | Will the rates provided in the Labor Category Rate Table be used as ceiling rates in the contract or are they for evaluation purposes only? | See Response #19. | ||
| 6 | Section B.2.1, Labor Category Rate Table; pages B-4 -B-19 and J.5, Labor Categories and Hours, Pages J-29 - J-33 | Section B.2 references Section J.5 for the specific hours for each labor category. However, Section J.5 does not include labor hours for the Key Personnel Labor Categories. In order to provide consistent pricing for evaluation purposes, request that the government add the hours in Section J.5 for the Key Personnel Labor Categories | Offerors shall propose hours for the Key Personnel in accordance with their corporate solution for ITS. | |
| 7 | Section B.1(d), p. B-2 | Can the Government provide the estimated beginning and end dates for the Base Period of Performance and for each Option Period. | See Response to Question 4. | |
| 8 | Section B.1, page B-1 | Would the government please specify a start date (for evaluation purposes) to be used in preparing the pricing tables in Section B.2. An assumed start date for evaluation purposes will ensure that all bidders are evaluated fairly and consistently. | See Response to Question 4. | |
| 9 | B.5, page B20 | Please confirm that offerors are allowed to apply indirect rates to travel and ODCs per their disclosed practices. | Offerors shall apply indirect rates to travel and ODCs in accordance with normal disclosed practices. | |
| 10 | B.2 Contract Principal Task Area (Period of Performance TBD 2009 through TBD 2010) | Would the government please consider specifying the starting month for the period of performance, for the purposes of normalizing pricing in the evaluation model? | See Response to Question 4. | |
| 11 | Section B.2.1, Pg B-4 | Should we assume the contractor will propose labor rates and the number of hours for their corporate level personnel solution to be assigned to TIPSS-4 ITS and include those labor categories, rates and hours within Cost and Price Proposal? | See Response to Question #6 | |
| 12 | Section B.2, ** note, Page B-4 | The double asterisk note (**) states in the fifth line that the fixed fee proposed "may be negotiated up or down during task order performance depending upon the complexity of the requirement." This indicates that the fixed fee may change after the task order is awarded. Should it be revised to state: "may be negotiated up or down prior to final issuance of the task order depending upon the complexity of the requirement."? | See Amendment 1 | |
| 13 | Section_B_TIPSS-4_ITS.doc, Page B-2; Section B.1(d). | Does the IRS intend to award before 9/30/09 to create a start date conducive to the base period of TBD 2009? | See Response #1. | |
| 14 | Section_B_TIPSS-4_ITS.doc, Page B-3, Section B.2, "*For evaluation purposes, the estimated cost plus fixed fee presented in Section B.2 shall be based on the contractor site rates." | Section J.1.1 directs that pricing is to be provided both on basis of contractor site and government site, whereas Section B.2 indicates only contractor site prices will be evaluated. Many companies may have multiple customer site scenarios that may not be built into the rates, i.e. direct bill scenarios, mobile employees, subcontractor occupancy, would the IRS reconsider evaluation based on customer site rates. Will the government consider revising the proposal to evaluate both? | The Government plans to evaluate both contractor site and Government site indirect rates (which is why the Government requested pricing of both per Section J.1.1). However, since Government site rates are normally reduced, offerors are instructed to include contractor site rates in Section B.2 to show the maximum cost the Government could incur. | |
| 15 | Section_B_TIPSS-4_ITS.doc, Page B-4, Section B.2.1, "Labor Category Rate Table" | Does IRS anticipate that awardees will propose and charge hours at the contract level for corporate key personnel? | See Response to Question #6 | |
| 16 | Section B.2.1, J.5, Pg B-4, J-29 to 33 | Hours breakouts do not include hours for Corporate Level Management described in C.7 (such as a Program Manager, Business Manager, Quality Manager, etc.). Page B-4 lists corporate level personnel as a breakout but there is no corresponding breakout in the pricing template or in the hours table in J. Under TIPSS-3 we were directed to bill the Corporate Management (PMO) directly. DCAA has told us that the FAR requires us to directly bill the Corporate Level Management. Are these to be bid on top of hours presented? Should the Offeror provide its own labor categories for the Corporate Level Management? | See Response to Question 2. | |
| 17 | Section B.1(d), p. B-2, General | States "The base period of performance is 12 months (TBD 2009 through TBD 2010)" with similar language for Option Years 1 through 9. Would the Government provide an estimated start date for the Period of Performance for the purposes of pricing, given the requirement for pricing to be valid for 240 days? | See Response to Question 1. | |
| 18 | Section B.2, P. B - 3, Contract Principal Task Area | Please confirm that the Government expects this Section to be completed based solely on the Contractor Site rates and that a separate version based on Government Site rates is not required. | Section B.2 shall be priced using the contractor site rates, however, the offeror's proposal shall also include Government site rates as instructed in Section L.14. | |
| 19 | Section B.2.1, P. B - 4, Labor Category Rate Table | We understand that these tables will not be populated until the time of award. However, will the Government clarify how these tables will be populated using the cost data submitted by the Offeror? Will these rates represent only the Prime Contractor fully burdened rates, or will they represent the composite fully burdened rate based on the allocation of the RFP hours across the entire team? Or does the Government expect to see a separate set of tables for the Prime and each Subcontractor? In addition, please clarify how these rates will be used in the pricing of future Task Orders, both Firm Fixed Price and Cost Reimbursable Task Orders | The rates in the Labor Category Rate Table shall include fully burdened composite rates of the entire team. However, the offeror's supporting schedules shall provide enough detail to clearly identify the individual cost elements/rates used to arrive at the fully loaded rate, including the rates proposed by team subcontractors. The Government will use these rates as a basis for negotiation of firm fixed price and cost reimbursable task orders subject to contract terms and conditions. | |
| 20 | Section B.5, P. B - 20, Travel Pricing | Please confirm that there is not a requirement to estimate Travel for the IDIQ award and that travel will be addressed only on the individual Task Orders. | Correct | |
| 21 | Section B.2, Pg B-3 |
Section J.5, Pg 29 Section L.14, Tab B Pg L-20/21 Section B.2 Note * states "For evaluation purposes, the estimated CPFF presented in section B.2 shall be based upon the contractor site rates."
Section L.14 Tab B last sentence states "Fully loaded hourly rates and total estimated cost/price should be proposed for the Government Site and the Contractor Site for each year of contract performance..."
Section J.5, Labor Categories and Hours, identifies all hours allocated by contract year for the program.
| Would the Government provide a breakout of the total hours identified in Section J.5 by Government Site and Contractor Site in order to meet the requirements of both Sections B.2 and L.14? If not, please specify how the Government wants the breakout of the 10 million hours to be priced? | The offeror shall use the hours specified in Section J.5 to estimate both the contractor site and Government site costs. | |||
| 22 | SECTION B.2.1 | How does the Government intend to use the tables starting at B.2.1 after Contract Award? The RFP speaks to CPFF and FFP Task Orders while the tables starting at B.2.1 appear to make this a Time and Materials contract. | See Response to Question #19 | |
| 23 | Section B.2.1, Page B-5 and ff. | The table shows a labor category for a Junior IT Administrative Specialist. The description for this labor category is not included in Section C.9. Please provide a labor category description for this position. | Corrected. See amendment 1 | |
| 24 | Section B.2.1, Page B-5, Section C.9, Pages C-7 and ff. | The table in Section B.2.1 shows a labor category for a Junior IT Administrative Specialist. The description for this labor category is not included in Section C.9. Please provide a labor category description for this position. | Corrected. See amendment 1 | |
| 25 | Section B.1, Pg B-2 | It is stated in the RFP that the TIPSS-3 contract is due to expire in October of 2010. The TIPSS-4 contract's base period of performance is 12 months TBD 2009 -TBD 2010. Seeing as there is a possible overlap, will transition services be required within the principle task areas during that base year? | Transition will be handled at the task order level for each specific project. It is the Government's intent to have an overlap to provide sufficient time to compete new task orders for existing work and provide time to transition from the incumbent contractors if necessary. | |
| 26 | Section B.1, Page B-2 | For pricing purposes, would 1/1/10 be an acceptable start date? | See Response #1. | |
| 27 | Section B.2.1, Page B-4 | Is there a requirement to provide FFP rates for the 10 year period of performance? No sample pricing was provided and the RFP does not seem to elaborate on FFP. | No, the only difference between FFP and CPFF from a cost perspective is the fee/profit. | |
| 28 | Section B.2.1, Page B-4 | If FFP rate tables are requested, should contractors provide detailed backup to support these rates? | No additional rate tables are required. See Response to Question #27. | |
| 29 | Section B.2.1, Page B-4 | If FFP tables are required, should the contractor provide on-site and off site tables? | See Response to Question #28. | |
| 30 | Section B.2, Page B-3 | Question: Since we are submitting cost estimates for both government and contractor sites, shouldn’t the cost estimates for government site also be evaluated? Particularly since a large portion of work performed under TIPSS-3 and presumably under TIPSS-4 will be at the government site? | See Response to Question #14 | |
| 31 | Section B.2 Page B-3 | Should we assume that Offerors are free to assign their own CLIN numbering or will the government provide CLIN numbering definition prior to the due date of the proposal? | Yes, offerors are free to assign their own CLINS for evaluation purposes. Prior to award, the Government will provide the CLINS. Based on the number of key personnel proposed the CLINS may be different for each offeror which is why the Government did not specify in the RFP. | |
| 32 | Section B.1, Page B-2 | The RFP states in B.1: “Offerors will be evaluated on a cost reimbursement (CR) and fixed price (FP) basis.”, and “These task orders will utilize the various types of Fixed Price and Cost Reimbursement contracts.” While in J.5, the title for the table reads: “LABOR CATEGORIES AND HOURS – TIPSS-4 ALL – CPFF”. How will the Government evaluate offerors on a fixed price basis if the fully loaded labor rates provided are CPFF rates? Should the offer submit a FP rate table? | See Responses to Questions #19 and #27 | |
| 33 | Section B.2.1, Pg B-4 | Table in Section B.2.1 contains space for Key Personnel. Can the Government please define the labor categories associated with Key Personnel, as well as the number of hours expected? If these hours are going to be used as part of the evaluation of our pricing, could the Government also update Attachment J.5 to reflect this? | See Response to Question 2. | |
| 34 | Section B.2, Pg B-3 and Attachment J.1.1 | Will the Government be providing detailed CLIN numbers for all labor categories? | See Response to Question 31. | |
| 35 | Section B.2.1, Pg B-4 | The Labor Category tables shown in Section B.2.1 shall be completed at the time of award using data submitted in the offerors Cost/Price proposal. Which rates will be taken in consideration: Prime or Subcontractors? | See Response to Question #19 | |
| 36 | Section C.7; Pg C-6 | For an IDIQ contract such as TIPSS 4 ITS Key Personnel usually include positions such as Project Manager, as well as positions reporting to the Program Manager. However, The Section Heading ("Corporate Level Management" ) as well as language such as "...corporate level personnel solution to be assigned to TIPSS-4 ..." could be interpreted as positions in the corporate management structure higher than the TIPSS 4 Project Manager (i.e., indirect corporate management positions). Please clarify if the intent of this section is to propose key personnel such as a Project Manager, that directly lead and manage the TIPSS 4 ITS contract, and who have the authority to negotiate and make binding decisions for the company or corporate management (usually in indirect positions). | For the corporate level positions the Government is looking for the offeror's solution for management at the contract level, these are the positions that are higher than the task order level project management position(s). | |
| 37 | C.7, Pg C-6; G.9, Pg. G-16; and L.12.4.2, Pg.L-17 | Section C.7 discusses requirements for Corporate Level Key Personnel. |
Section G.9 mixes Corporate Key Personnel and Task Order Key Personnel in the same requirement ( ".... offeror’s proposal will identify key personnel to be assigned for participation in the performance at the corporate level and task order level ..." Emphasis added).
Section L.2.4.2 requires Key Personnel "...managing the ITS contract."
| Please clarify if Offer's proposal must identify at this time just "Corporate Level Key Personnel..managing the ITS contract" or "Corporate Level Key Personnel" and "Task Order Key Personnel" . | The offeror shall submit corporate level key personnel resumes only. See Amendment 1. | |||
| 38 | Section C.3, Scope of Contract page C-4 | This section states that COTS hardware or software may be included in a task order if it is integral and/or incidental to the support functions being performed. Will the Government define what is considered integral and/or incidental? | The definition of COTS hardware or software that is integral and/or incidental will be defined by each specific task order level requirement. The task order level Contracting Officer will make that determination based on the requirement. | |
| 39 | Section C.3, Scope of Contract page C-4 | The first paragraph states that TIPSS-4 may be used by other Federal agencies other than DoD. If other Federal agencies use TIPSS-4, will the other agencies have to pay a fee and if so, how much is the fee? | Yes, other federal agencies will be required to pay a fee for using the TIPSS-4 contract. That fee will be determined by the inter-agency agreement between the IRS and the agency prior to using the contract. | |
| 40 | Sections C.9.1.24 and C.9.1.25, pages C-4 and C-5 | The IT Administrative Specialist labor category is repeated. Should the C.9.1.25 be Junior IT Administrative Specialist? | Corrected. See amendment 1 | |
| 41 | Section C.9.1.25, Pg C-15 | The title for both C.9.1.24 and C.9.1.25 are each listed as "IT Administrative Specialist." We believe that the title in C.9.1.25 should be "Junior Administrative Specialist." Could the Government please confirm that our understanding is correct? | See response to question # 40 | |
| 42 | Section C.9.1.25, page C-15 | Should the title be Junior IT Administrative Specialist? | See response to question # 40 | |
| 43 | Section C.4.3¸ p. C-5 | To ensure an accurate understanding of the applicable scope of work and associated pricing, please specify the specific standards that offerors will be required to comply with. E.g, Which Internal Revenue Manuals, IRS documents, Acquisition Bulletins (AB), American National Standards and Technology (NIST) standards, and Federal Information Processing (FIPS) publications. | The scope and standards are defined by the TIPSS-4 ITS RFP. | |
| 44 | Section C.8, pp. C-6 to C-7 | Résumés shall be submitted for all Task Order Key Personnel that identify the education and experience required. The task order Project Manager is always considered key personnel. Please confirm that the Task Order Project Manager will be Key at the Task Order level and therefore the required resume should be submitted at that time. | See response #37. | |
| 45 | Section C.9, pages C-7 - C-19 | C.9.1.5 IT Specialist and C.9.1.6 Junior IT Specialist appear to contain identical descriptions. Can the Government please elaborate on the differentiating qualifications or responsibilities between these two categories? | See Amendment 1. | |
| 46 | Section C.9, pages C-7 - C-19 | C.9.1.8 IT Technician and C.9.1.9 Junior IT Technician appear to contain identical descriptions. Can the Government please elaborate on the differentiating qualifications or responsibilities between these two labor categories? | See response # 45. | |
| 47 | Section C.9, pages C-7 - C-19 | C.9.1.24 IT Administrative Specialist appears to contain a portion of the description consistent with the Telecommunications Engineer labor category presented in the DRFP. Please confirm the actual description of the IT Administrative Specialist labor category and whether it does include "Communications concepts integrated with computer systems and applications for total systems solutions. Provides integrated with computer systems and applications for total systems solutions. Provides technical guidance to computer systems analysts and telecommunications/communications specialists." | Labor category descriptions and standards are as described in the RFP. | |
| 48 | Section C.9, pages C-7 - C-19 | C.9.1.25 IT Administrative Specialist appears to be a repeat of C.9.1.24 IT Administrative Specialist. Did the Government intend C.9.1.25 to be Junior IT Administrative Specialist? | See response # 40. | |
| 49 | Section C.9, pages C-7 - C-19 | C.9.1.24 IT Administrative Specialist and C.9.1.25 IT Administrative Specialist: Please elaborate on the differing qualifications or responsibilities between these two labor categories. | See response # 40. | |
| 50 | Section C.9.1.24 & C.9.1.25, Pgs C-14 & C-15 | Did the government intend to have two labor categories for IT Administrative Specialist or should C.9.1.25 be identified as a Junior IT Administrative Specialist? | See response # 40. | |
| 51 | Section C.8, Pg C-7 | Resumes shall be submitted for all task order key personnel that identify the education and experience required… The final determination for contractor personnel selections will be made by the task order level Contracting Officer, based on the required experience qualifications demonstrated in their resume. Does the government intend to have the task order level Contracting Officer make final determination for contractor personnel selections only for key personnel or for all personnel working on the task order? | Refer to Section C.8 | |
| 52 | Section C.8, Page C-7 | The second sentence of this Section states: Labor categories are not limited to any one functional area and represent the minimum requirements. (bold added) Most of the labor categories include a wide list of requirements for which it would be difficult to find individuals who meet EVERY one of them. Would the Government consider removing "minimum" from the sentence and replacing it with "general"? It would then read: "Labor categories are not limited to any one functional area and represent the general requirements." | Labor category descriptions and standards are as described in the RFP. | |
| 53 | Section_C_TIPSS-4_ITS.doc, C.9.1.25 IT Administrative Specialist | Please confirm the title for this labor category should be "Junior IT Administrative Specialist". | See response to # 40. | |
| 54 | Section_C_TIPSS-4_ITS.doc, Page C-7, Section C.8. | Please confirm that this paragraph refers to key personnel only. | See Amendment 1. | |
| 55 | Section C.9, Pg. N/A | There is no labor category for support to the Project Manager. Will the IRS add a Project Management Support labor category for task-level administration for duties such as WBS, reporting, tracking of hours and dollars, E300, etc? | Labor category descriptions and standards are as described in the RFP. | |
| 56 | Sections C.9.1.4, C.9.1.7 Pg C-8, C-9 | The Senior IT Specialist and Senior IT Technician descriptions are the same. What is the difference between the 2 labor categories? | See Amendment 1. | |
| 57 | Sections C.9.1.5, C.1.5.6, C.9.1.8, C.9.1.9 Pg C-8, C-9 | The IT Specialist, Junior IT Specialist, IT Technician, and Junior IT Technician descriptions are the same. What is the difference between the labor categories? | See response # 56. | |
| 58 | Section C.9.1.14, C.1.9.35, Pg C-11, C-18 | The System Architect description states the SA gets information from the "information engineer(s)". The description of Information Engineer is specific to security. The SA deals with many areas including security and should not be restricted to security only. Will IRS broaden the SA description to get information from all IT and Business personnel? | See Amendment 1. | |
| 59 | Section C.9.1.24, Pg C-15 | The second paragraph seems unrelated. Is it supposed to be in here? If not, the description of C.9.1.24 and C.9.1.25 are the same. What is the difference? | See response # 40 | |
| 60 | Section C.9.1.25, Pg C-15 | C.9.1.24 and C.9.1.25 are both IT Administrative Specialist. Should C.9.1.25 be Junior IT Specialist? | See response # 40 | |
| 61 | Section C.1.9.35, Pg C-18 | This description is specific to security only, but an Information Engineer deals with all aspects of the Software Development Life Cycle. Will IRS broaden the description to include the full life cycle? | See response # 58 | |
| 62 | Section C.7, p. C-6, Corporate Level Personnel | States "Offerors shall identify a corporate level personnel solution to be assigned to TIPSS-4 ITS, provide their résumés, and describe their roles, responsibilities and relationships to the contract." Please confirm that the Offeror may propose corporate-level personnel to support this program with labor categories, roles, and responsibilities proposed by the Offeror and in a number proposed by the Offeror. | Yes, the offeror may propose corporate level personnel to support this program with labor categories, roles, and responsibilities proposed by the offeror and in a number proposed by the offeror. | |
| 63 | Section C.9, P.C - 7 to 19, Task Order Labor Category Descriptions | There is very little difference in the Senior, Mid, and Junior level position descriptions. For example, the only difference between the Senior IT Specialist and the IT Specialist is that the Senior position "provides high level functional and IT analysis" and the IT Specialist provides "functional and IT analysis". In addition, there is no difference in the IT Specialist and the Junior IT Specialist position descriptions. Could the Government provide clarification to the distinction between the different levels such as Years of Experience or Educational Requirements that can be used to accurately estimate the cost of these resources? | See Amendment 1 | |
| 64 | SECTION C.6 | Given the duplication in the ITS and SB SOWs, how will the Government determine whether a particular task will be released under ITS or SB post award? | Task order placement is at the discretion of the Government. | |
| 65 | Section C.9.1.25, Pg C-15 | Please clarify if labor category C.9.1.25 should be a Junior IT Administrative Specialist. Also is the labor category description accurate? | See response # 40. | |
| 66 | Section C | Will the Government please clarify whether, for compliance purposes, offerors are to respond to all requirements in Section C. For example, the list of Task Order Labor Categories provided in Section C.9 are necessary for pricing purposes and for planning purposes, but based on the instructions provided in Section L, it is unclear where the offerors should respond in their proposals. | Offerors shall propose in accordance with instructions in Section L | |
| 67 | Section C.9.1.24, C.9.1.25, Pages C-14, C-15 | The labor category and description for the IT Administrative Specialist (C.9.1.24) is duplicated in C.9.1.25. Please clarify the labor category and description for C.9.1.25. | See response # 40. | |
| 68 | Section C.9.1.31, C.9.1.32, Page C-17 | The labor category description for the Senior Business Process Re-Engineering Specialist (C.9.1.31) is the same as that for the Business Process Re-Engineering Specialist (C.9.1.32). Please clarify the differences between the two positions. | See Amendment 1. | |
| 69 | Section J.5, Pages J-30, J-33 | |||
| Section C.9, Pages C-7 through C-19 | The list of labor categories in Section J.5 shows a labor category for a Junior IT Administrative Specialist. The description for this labor category is not included in Section C.9. Please provide a labor category description for this position. | See Response # 40 | ||
| 70 | Section C.6, Pg C-6 | I see that there are new scope items for the following: |
a. Communications/Change Management
b. Enterprise Life Cycle Management
| But I do not see labor categories outlining the skill sets associated with these items. Is it assumed that these scope items will be performed within one or several of the following labor categories outlined in the RFP: Business Subject Matter Experts, Sr Business Process Reengineering/Business Process Reengineering, and/or Senior IT Specialists/IT Specialists? | Please propose your technical solution using the labor categories as specified in Section C of the RFP. | |||
| 71 | Section C.8, Page C-7 | Section C.8 requires the contractor to “obtain and store resumes for all personnel who work or have previously worked on the task order.” Does this requirement pertain to only T&M task orders where the Government is paying a certain rate for a certain qualification or does it also pertain to CPFF and FFP task orders as well? Please clarify. | This requirements applies to all task orders regardless of contract type. | |
| 72 | C.8, G.9 and L.12.4.2 | Each of these sections states that we are to provide resumes for task order key personnel. We assume the government is expecting resumes to be submitted with the proposal, however, until the actual task orders are known, it's difficult to determine which positions will be considered key. Please provide information as to exactly which positions the government would like resumes to be submitted with the proposal and how many resumes per position. | See Amendment 1. | |
| 73 | Section C.9.1.24 and C.9.1.25, pgs C-14 and C-15 | C.9.1.24 and C.9.1.25 both list "IT Administrative Specialist" as labor category heading. Is C.9.1.25 supposed to be the Junior Administrative Specialist description, which is the only labor category missing in comparison to the labor category tables in Section B pages 4-19? | See response # 40 | |
| 74 | Section C.9.1.25, page C-15 | Should the title be Junior IT Administrative Specialist? | See response # 40 | |
| 75 | Section C.9.1.25, page C-15 | "C.9.1.25 IT Administrative Specialist" should that read "C.9.1.25 Junior IT Administrative Specialist"? | See response # 40 | |
| 76 | Section C.8, Pg C-7 | Are there any minimum education and years of experience requirements associated with each labor category? | See response # 63 | |
| 77 | Section C, page C-15 | Should paragraph C.9.1.25 have a "Junior" in the title to be consistent with Attachment J-5? | See response # 40 | |
| 78 | Section C.7 Page C-6 | |||
| The section states: “Offerors shall identify a corporate level personnel solution to be assigned to TIPSS-4….” It further states: “These proposed solutions shall have the authority to negotiate…” | Please provide criteria as to how the government intends to accurately compare each offeror's proposal response given both the number and skill set/experience of personnel proposed will vary greatly between offerors. | Offerors will be evaluated based on the requirements in Section M. | ||
| 79 | Section C.9.1.4 through C.9.1.9, Pages C-8 , C-9 | The labor category description for the Senior IT Specialist (C.9.1.4) is the same as that for the Senior IT Technician (C.9.1.7). The labor category description for the IT Specialist (C.9.1.5) is the same as that for the IT Technician (C.9.1.8). The labor category description for the Junior IT Specialist (C.9.1.6) is the same as that for the Junior IT Technician (C.9.1.9). Please clarify the differences. | See Amendment 1. | |
| 80 | Section C.9, Page 7 | Are there a specific number of years of experience required for each labor category? | Labor category descriptions and standards are as described in the RFP. | |
| 81 | Section C.9, Pg C-15 | Should C.9.1.25 be labeled as Junior IT Administrative Specialist ? | See response # 40 | |
| 82 | Section E.1, Pg E-2 | |||
| Section I.2, Pg I-5, I-6 | The RFP states that task orders will utilize various types of Fixed Price and Cost Reimbursement contracts. However, the RFP also includes Time and Material and Labor Hour terms. We request that the Government consider the removal of the Time and Materials contract terms if it does not intend to use Time and Material task orders as follows: Remove reference to FAR 52.246-6 (Section E.1), FAR 52.232-7 (Section I.2), and FAR 52.243-3 (Section I.2). | The Government reserves the right to issue T&M task orders. | ||
| 83 | E.2, page E-2 | Acceptance Time. Fifteen days for acceptance/rejection and then five days to accept the resubmission. |
Question:
| The government has provided 15 days to perform initial deliverable acceptance. In order to keep project schedules and critical path items moving quickly, we suggest that it would be in the Government’s best interest to make the acceptance period be between five days and 15 days based on individual TOs deliverables. | The suggestion is noted. | |||
| 84 | Section_E_TIPSS-4_ITS.doc, E.2 INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE/DELIVERABLES | Please define a "federal business day". | Federal business days are Monday through Friday (excluding federal holidays) that the U.S. Government is open for business. | |
| 85 | Section_E_TIPSS-4_ITS.doc, Page E-3, Section E.2(a) | When proposing a task order, Contractor will need to know how to bound the amount of rework expected and the time within which the Government may provide comments on deliverables. Will the Government establish a firm timeline for providing Final approval? | Offerors will comply with the terms and conditions as described in the RFP. Additional task order requirements will be contained in the task order PWS/SOW. | |
| 86 | F.6 SUBMISSION OF CORPORATE REPORTS, FIGURE 1 TIPSS-4 SCHEDULE OF REPORTING REQUIREMENTS, Page F-6 | The table on page F-6 lists "Electronic Subcontracting Reporting System (Section F.11.2) | ||
| F.11.2 on page F-9 is called SUMMARY SUBCONTRACT REPORT on Page F-9, please verify the table on page F-6 should be the same. | RFP stands as written. | |||
| 87 | F.8 TIPSS-4 TASK ORDER (TO) STATUS REPORTS, Page F-7 | |||
| States: (a) TIPSS-4 requires standard Task Order Status Reports for all task orders administered by the IRS. ...Subparagraphs F.9.1 and F.9.2 describe the types of reports required for each task order type." | Sub paragraphs F.9.1 and F.9.2 do not exist in the RFP, please verify that the language in F.9 covers the requirement or provide additional information for offerors. | See Amendment 1 | ||
| 88 | Section_F_TIPSS-4_ITS.doc, Page F-3, Section F. 5 (b) | COB is now defined as 4:00pm. In TIPSS-3 it was 4:30pm. However the standard work day as defined in H.10 is 5 pm. Would the Government establish 5pm as COB. | For purpose of delivery, all deliverables shall be made by 4 PM unless otherwise specified in the task order. Please see Amendment 1. The language regarding the standard work week in Section H.10 will remain as written. | |
| 89 | Section_F_TIPSS-4_ITS.doc, Page F-5, Figure 1 | The Contractor Accounting Period Reports states that the due date is 10 federal business days after contracts award ….. And it also says that a copy should go to the CO and COTR. Which COTR would it go to? | There is only one COTR identified, the task order COTR. | |
| 90 | Section_F_TIPSS-4_ITS.doc, Page F-8, Section F.8.1© | Is there any way to determine if remaining allocated funding is available for use in the next option period? Could this be stated within the award documents? | This will be determined by the task order contracting officer for those task orders that are of a nonseverable nature. | |
| 91 | Section_F_TIPSS-4_ITS.doc, Page F-6, Table 1 row "Bi-Annual Subcontracting Reports" text: "30 federal business days after the close of each calendar period (CP). |
Dates due:
April 30 (CP 10/01-3/31) October 30 (CP 4/01- 9/30)"
| Also, F11.1, F11.2 | The delivery dates specified in the table (April 30 and October 30) are actually 30 calendar days after the end of the CP, not 30 Federal business days, but the language specifies 30 Federal business days. Which is correct? | See Amendment 1. | ||
| 92 | Section F.3, Pg F-2 | SB RFP states "No orders may extend more than 5 years after the expiration of the Basic Contract. Order options, if included at the initial issuance of the order, may be exercised after the expiration date of the Basic Contract." but the ITS RFP does not have this clause. Why does ITS not have this clause? Can you please clarify this statement as it is difficult to understand? | See Amendment 1. | |
| 93 | Section F.4, P. F - 3, Place of Performance | States "A large percentage of the work under this contract will be performed in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area." Should the Offeror base Contractor Site and Government Site rates on the Washington, D.C. market labor costs? | Yes, the offerors should base the rates on the Washington D.C. area labor costs. | |
| 94 | Section G.9 Key Personnel, Page G-16; Sections C.7 and C.8, pages C-6 and C-7; and Section L.12.4.2, page L-17 | Section G.9 states that “The offeror shall identify Corporate and Task Order Level Key Personnel for assignment to TIPSS-4, as described in Section C-7.” It further states that “The offeror’s proposal will identify key personnel to be assigned for participation in the performance at the corporate level and task order level…” Section C-7 states, in part, that “Offerors shall identify a corporate level personnel solution…” Section C-8 discusses Key Personnel identified at the Task Order Level. Please confirm that Section G relates to the task order award processes and only Corporate-Level Key Personnel resumes are to be submitted in response to Section L.12.4.2. | See Amendment 1. | |
| 95 | Section_G_TIPSS-4_ITS.doc, Page G-5, Section G.4.3 | In addition to the Lead COTR for each task order, will there be a designated Lead COTR for TIPSS-4? | No. | |
| 96 | Section_G_TIPSS-4_ITS.doc, Page G-9, Section G.6 | Our time and expense system is done electronically. There aren't any paper timesheets for compliance with the stated requirement for documentation. Will labor reports suffice? | Yes, subject to prior system approval by your cognizant Federal Agency. | |
| 97 | Section_G_TIPSS-4_ITS.doc, Page G-9, Section G.6 | While we understand the need to have monthly billing vs. weekly, daily or semi-monthly, some events may require a second invoice in a given month (e.g.:an option year is exercised). In special circumstance may the vendor provide a 2nd invoice during the month. | No, offerors will comply with terms and conditions in Section G of the solicitation. | |
| 98 | Section G.6, Pg G-9 | Does IRS really want the Contractor to provide time sheets for all work done under each voucher? A task with 25 people, working 4 weeks in the accounting period, means the Contractor would submit the voucher and 100 time sheets. The email with the voucher and supporting documentation will then be too large to be transmitted through the IRS Security Firewall, forcing the Contractor to provide the documents in hard copy. We are concerned that having COTRs review time sheets could violate the personal services rules. Or is IRS just stating that IRS can ask for this documentation as needed? | The task order Contracting Officer and COTR will determine the level of detailed that is required to perform receipt and acceptance. The contract specifies the level that may be required based on the specific task order. | |
| 99 | Section G.9, Pg G-16 | Does this section get completed and submitted as part of Volume I? | No. See Binder 2B in Section L.9.1 and Section L.12.4.2. | |
| 100 | Section G.6, Page G-9 | Paragraph G.6 Voucher/Payment requires the incorporation of Receipts and timesheets for all invoices. a. Will the government consider removing the requirement as long as the Contractor maintains an Approved Billing System with DCMA? b. Will both requirements also be included on Firm Fixed Price task orders?c. Would the Government consider labor reports provided directly from a contractor’s MIS system in lieu of timesheets? | See Response #98. | |
| 101 | Section G.6.2,Pg G-13 | Is it correct to assume that subcontractors to the prime contractor would only need to provide a sealed package of cost details in the event that the subcontract agreement is of the cost type? | No, that is not a correct assumption. A subcontractor may provide a sealed cost proposal directly to the Government if they object to the release of proprietary data to the Prime (regardless of contract type). | |
| 102 | H.4 (a), Pg H-10 | The requirement states that the "Government will evaluate offers received on the basis of the contractor and its subcontractor(s) Self Validation or Plan, ANSI/EIA Standard-748A, Full and Core criteria." As the prime it is our intention to flow down all contractual requirements to our subcontractors. Since some small business subcontractors may not have EVM systems, will a certification from subcontractors that they will use the prime's time keeping system and therefore be part of the prime's EVM reporting be sufficient to demonstrate compliance with this requirement? | Subcontractors will certify that its system is compliant with EVMS. The prime and subcontractor system are different. In accordance with FAR Part 34.201 (d) EVMS requirements will be applied to subcontractors using the same rules as applied to the prime contractor. See Amendment 1. | |
| 103 | H.4 (a), Pg H-10 | The requirement states that the "Government will evaluate offers received on the basis of the contractor and its subcontractor(s) Self Validation or Plan, ANSI/EIA Standard-748A, Full and Core criteria." |
| We do not find a requirement in Section L to provide a plan or self validation for subcontractors, nor a mechanism for the Government to evaluate such. Please clarify the need/requirement for subcontractors to provide this with the proposal. | Subcontractors will certify that its system is compliant with EVMS. The prime and subcontractor system are different. In accordance with FAR Part 34.201 (d) EVMS requirements will be applied to subcontractors using the same rules as applied to the prime contractor. See Amendment 1. | |||
| 104 | H.29, Pg. H-34 | As stated, the requirements in H.29 (HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES/UNIVERSITIES (HBCUs)/MINORITY INSTITUTIONS (MIs)) apply to all ITS Prime Contractors. Please clarify if H.29 is required for Small Business ITS Prime Contractors. | Yes. If a SB prime is awarded an ITS contract, the expectation is that it would comply with the same RFP requirements as other offerors which are not prohibitive by law or regulation. | |
| 105 | H.31, Pg. H-35 | Requirements in H.31 (LIMITATION ON SUBCONTRACTING PLANS) are usually found in a restricted competition such as TIPSS 4 SB. Please clarify how FAR 52.219-14 applies to an Unrestricted completion such as TIPSS 4 ITS. | H.31 has been amended to state that this clause only applies to HUBZone Small Business firms bidding as prime contractors under the ITS RFP and electing the Price Evaluation Preference for evaluation purposes. See Amendment 1. | |
| 106 | Section H.25, Access to Government Property and Facilities, | |||
| page H-29 | This section states the contract-level key management personnel will complete and submit background investigation information. Will the IRS Procurement office provide access badges for the contract-level key management personnel to facilitate doing business under the TIPSS-4 contract? | Yes, up to two contract-level key management personnel. See Amendment 1. | ||
| 107 | Section H.4, Pg H-10 | The two (2) links to the Treasury EVM Guide listed in H.4 do not function. Could the Government please confirm that the entirety of relevant content is contained within the referenced Appendices (J.13, Appendix B; and J.14, Appendix C). If it is not entirely contained in the two appendices, would the Government please revise the URL links or provide relevant documentation via Q&A? | The Department of Treasury Guide and the Policy & Procedure 34.2 will be included in Section J. See Amendment 1. | |
| 108 | Section H.4, p. H-10 | Will a prime contractor's proposal be considered non-compliant if its subcontractors are not ANSI/EIA Standard 748A compliant when the prime is only subcontracting out labor resources to augment its own staff? Or, is compliance with the ANSI Standard only required for subcontractors when the prime contractor acquires end item products from its subcontractors? Add EVMS | Subcontractors will certify that its system is compliant with EVMS. The prime and subcontractor system are different. In accordance with FAR Part 34.201 (d) EVMS requirements will be applied to subcontractors using the same rules as applied to the prime contractor. | |
| 109 | Section H.30, p. H-35 | Can the Government clarify the language regarding indirect rates that have not been approved or audited by the Government in accordance with FAR 42.707? Does this include provisional, indirect rates that are currently scheduled for review and approval by DCAA or would be scheduled for review at the time of Contract Award? | Yes, offerors shall provide supporting documentation for indirect rates that have not been approved or audited in accordance with Section L.14. of the RFP. | |
| 110 | Section H.30, p. H-35 | We understand ceilings are desired for indirect rates but are not required. Will a proposal be deemed non-responsive if indirect ceiling rates are not proposed? | No | |
| 111 | Reference H.2.1 and H.2.2, page H-4 through H-6 | Please provide or clarify where we can locate section J attachment 7 & and attachment 8. | See Amendment 1 | |
| 112 | Reference H.2 – H.4, page H-3 through H-11 | The standards in these clauses/tables have not been checked. Will they be checked for the overall contract upon award and/or will they be checked only on a task order by task order basis? | These will be checked at the task order level. See Amendment 1. | |
| 113 | H.30, page H-35 and RFP Section L.14, page L-21 | Please clarify whether indirect ceilings are ‘encouraged’ (H. 30), or mandatory as suggested by RFP Section L.14, page L-21?” | Indirect rate ceilings are not mandatory. | |
| 114 | Section H.30, Pg H.35 & Section L.14 TAB C, Pg L-21 | Section H.30 Indirect Cost Ceiling Rates states, The Government seeks to incorporate indirect cost ceilings… Therefore, all offerors are encouraged to propose indirect cost rate ceilings. Accordingly, all proposed indirect cost rate ceilings will be contractually binding. Section L.14 TAB C states, … Whether its indirect costs have been recently approved... The offeror shall also clearly identify indirect rate ceilings and state the ceiling rate proposed (for cost reimbursement orders). Section H.30 appears to be voluntary in nature while Section L.14 appears to be prescriptive in nature. Will the government clarify whether they are directing contractors to establish indirect cost rate ceilings and state the ceiling rate proposed (for cost reimbursement orders)? | Indirect rate ceilings are not mandatory. The intent of Section L.14 is to provide clear instructions to those offerors that plan to use ceilings. | |
| 115 | Section H.4, Pg H-10 | Are all subcontractors under a prime required to either have a submitted plan or self certify? If the prime meets the EVMS criteria, but one or more of the subcontractors may not, does the team fail the EVM requirement? If Yes, this appears to be incongruous with the evaluation on the prime's own merit (such as with regards to past performance). | Subcontractors will certify that its system is compliant with EVMS. The prime and subcontractor system are different. In accordance with FAR Part 34.201 (d) EVMS requirements will be applied to subcontractors using the same rules as applied to the prime contractor. | |
| 116 | Section_H_TIPSS-4_ITS.doc, Page H-20, Section H-19 | Please confirm that "dedicated" means the key personnel individual is available for as much time as needed to fulfill project and program requirements, but not necessarily that the individual must perform full-time and exclusively on the program or project. It should be noted that some roles do not require full-time effort | This is up to the offeror's discretion. | |
| 117 | Section_H_TIPSS-4_ITS.doc, Page H-29, Section H.24 " | Please provide clarification on the types of meetings for which attendance is not billable | Meetings that will require the contractor and Government to gain any further clarifications/administration/close-out to the contract or task orders. | |
| 118 | Section H.2, J.7, Pg H-4, J-36 to J-46 | Section H.2 states that this section is applied at the task level. We assume the Contractor does not need to complete the tables in Section J.7 until after contract award, correct? | Correct. | |
| 119 | Section H.5.1, Pg H-12 | #6 states that after award, appraisals have to be done every 18 months, even though SEI states they are valid for 36 months. Will IRS change this requirement to match the SEI standard to reduce expenses for the Government and the Contractor? | For the purposes of the TIPSS-4 solicitation, the requirement is 18 months. Post Award requirements will be provided to all Offerors that are awarded a contract. | |
| 120 | Section H.30, P. H - 35, Indirect Cost Rate Ceilings | The RFP requests the offeror to propose indirect cost rate ceilings. How will these ceilings be reflected in the cost evaluation process, if at all? | See Response to Question #114. The ceilings will not impact the evaluation process, however, they will be contractually binding. | |
| 121 | Section H.30, P. H - 35, Indirect Cost Rate Ceilings | Do these indirect cost rate ceilings apply to the entire 10 year period of performance? | Yes | |
| 122 | Section H.30, P. H - 35, Indirect Cost Rate Ceilings | Is the requirement for Indirect Cost Rate Ceilings only for the Prime or are the subcontractors also required to propose Indirect Cost Rate Ceilings? | See Response to Questions #114 and #120. | |
| 123 | Section H.29 and J.11; Pages H-34 and J-72 | Comment: Section H-29 states that “Contractors are encouraged to establish and maintain an agreement (i.e., a teaming or subcontracting arrangement) with HBCUs and MIs throughout the life of the contract.” Question: Can the contractor submit a signed copy of a Teaming Agreement to be used as substitute for the form contained in Attachment J.11 to demonstrate its commitment? | Yes. See Amendment 1. | |
| 124 | Section H.32,Page H-35 | Paragraph H.32 entitled small disadvantaged business (SDB) participation states that “Contractors with SDB participation targets are required to report SDB participation. Any targets will be incorporated into and become part of any resulting contract. SDB concerns considered in the evaluation will be listed in the contract” Question: Are large business primes required to submit an SDB participation plan in addition to the small business subcontracting plan in response to this solicitation? | Yes, large business primes are required to complete the forms found in Section J.4.1 and J.4.2. | |
| 125 | Section H 5.1,Page H-12 | Comment: The RFP Section H.5.1 indicates the “Post-award Current Software Capability Rating” determined by a CMMI appraisal for which the commencement date of the appraisal on-site occurred within 18 months immediately preceding the due date of the initial PARM submittal for a given year. Question: Would the IRS consider extending the period to 24 months to better align the annual PARM submittal with the appraisal cycle while remaining within the SEI SCAMPI A three-year validity period. This should align the activities associated with the PARM and the SCAMPI A and result in an overall reduction in cost to the Contractor and the Government. | See question #119 for the response. | |
| 126 | Section H. 13, Page H-16 | Under RFP section H.13 Rolling Admissions, will the rolling admissions policy be used primarily to backfill small businesses that no longer qualified under the NAICS code and contractors who are no longer actively utilizing the TIPSS-4 Contract? Also, please confirm that the goal of Rolling Admissions would NOT be to continually add contractors and increase the overall number of contractors under the TIPSS-4 contract. | This is correct. |
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