USCA18Q0029_QnA_final.pdf

USCA19Q0029 HR Services Q&A P a g e | 1

USCA19Q0029 HR Services Questions and Answers

June 19, 2019

Question: Is this a follow-on to an existing effort?

Answer: Yes, with some additional requirements.

Question: Who is the incumbent contractor? What is the current contract number / value?

What are is the current effort / staffing levels?

Answer: The current effort is under BPA Call USCA18BPAC2036, serviced by STG International. The total 18 month value of this award is $1,854,695.02. The current effort is the end of a six (6) year requirement. The current number of full-time staff on the effort is 11, which includes: Personnel Asst=3, Personnel Clerk=1, Retirement Specialist=2 (1 judge specific 1 staff specific), Personnel Security Asst=1, Personnel Security Spec=2, Employee Development Spec=1

Question: We could not find the Past Performance Questionnaire / Past Performance Questionnaire missing.

Answer: Attached to this message and uploaded to FBO now.

Question: Section B - Supplies or Services and Prices/Costs - CLIN NO.: 0001: Task III A.1 - Personnel Retirement Benefits, CLIN NO.: 0002: Task III A.2 - Judges Retirement Benefits. The solicitation lists Personnel Retirement Benefit Services (RBS) which includes Judges Retirement Benefits (JRB). Does the government intend the RBS and JRB tasks be performed by the same project personnel?

Answer: Execution details are determined by the contractor. We would prefer one retirement specialist in Task A 1 and one in our Task A 2.

Question: Section III. Services; III. A. Retirement Benefits Support; III. A.1. Personnel Retirement Benefits C-2 Project Management - Historically, under this task, the number of retirements processed is approximately 125. - Does this mean it is anticipated the number is approximately 125 annually?

Answer: Correct. The requirement for this task is approximately 125 retirement packages per year.

Question: The contractor shall provide a single project manager - Does the government anticipate the Project Manager position to be full-time and billable?

Answer: This is not a personal services contract. The project manager I sneeded to discuss workload and projects assigned to the contractor’s personnel. The project manager is not required to be on-site.

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Question: Section III. A.1., Page 12, The RFQ states “The contractor shall serve as the primary contact for local court unit human resources representative for Judiciary employees nearing retirement”. What is the servicing population? How many benefit specialists currently perform this task?

Answer: This requirement is for an estimated 125 retirements packages per year.

Question: Will office space and computers/equipment be provided for employees? If so, for office space for how many personnel as well as computers/equipment for employees?

Answer: Office space and necessary equipment will be furnished for all on-site staff.

Question: Will employees be able to work remotely at any given time during the contract?

Answer: No

Question: The solicitation states that the intent is to award a contract using GSA Schedule 738X SINS 595 5 and 595 21, which we hold. However, I have also noted that this required was posted to Feb Biz Ops as a full and open requirement. Is the solicitation open to any bidders or only schedule holders?

Answer: As indicated in the solicitation, only holders of Schedule 738X with the appropriate SINS are eligible for award.

Question: Was <this RFQ> emailed to all 738X schedule holders or a subset of schedule holders?

Answer: The RFQ was emailed to selected schedule holders of the appropriate SINs. It was also posted on FBO to ensure that all eligible participants have the opportunity to respond.

Question: Would AOUSC consider making this opportunity a small business set-aside?

Answer: The Administrative Office of the US Courts is not subject to the Small Business Act.

Question: Will the Government consider adding a CLIN to cover the cost of a Project Manager?

Answer: No.

Question: Section L, L-3, B, page 22: For staff qualifications is the AOUSC looking for resumes? If so, can the resumes be excluded from the page count? For staff qualifications is AOUSC looking for a synopsis or bio that covers the items list in the RFQ for each staff recommended? If so, can this information be excluded from the page count?

Answer: No. Resumes / bios should not be included.

Question: Was this posted on eBuy? It looks like it’s not in there but we should be able to see it if posted it.

Answer: No, this was not posted on eBuy.

Question: Section III. A.1., Page 12, Could the government provide the name of the retirement calculation systems/software?

Answer: GRB

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Question: Section III A.2, Page 12, Historically, under this task, the number of judge retirements processed on an annually basis is 2500. How many benefit specialists currently perform this task? Are all retirement estimates and applications processed electronically?

Answer: The language in the requirement is changed with the RFQ modification. There are approximately 250 new retirement packages per year. All retirement packages are processed electronically. The majority of the work for this group is other support of retirees, and the inquiries population is approximately 2,500 annually. There are 4 retirement specialists in the Judges group including one contracted retirement specialist. The contracted personnel will be responsible for approximately 65 retirement packages and 825 inquiries annually.

Question: Section C-3, Page 15, How long is the security process to clear new contractor personnel?

Answer: (NOTE: It is REQUIRED in accordance with Clause 7-20 Security Requirements that any vendors quoting on this contract have cleared personnel required PRIOR TO BIDDING. It is assumed that this question refers to those contractors on other contracts whose clearances will be processed as task work under this contract.) For a basic background check to be performed by contractors under this task, the time has historically been approximately a week. The complete background investigation process is new, and we cannot estimate the duration of that process.

Question: Section L-1, Page 20, The RFQ states “It is the intent of the Government to award a single contract from this solicitation without discussions utilizing GSA Schedule 738X SINS 595 5 and 595 21.” Does this mean the vendor must possess both SINS 595 5 and 595 21 in order to bid on this RFQ, or can the vendor have either 595 5 or 595 21?

Answer: The requirement is for EITHER SIN 595 5 or 595 21.

Question: Section L-3, Page 21, The RFQ states “A complete quote is comprised of three sections”. Is that a typo and it should state a complete quote is comprised of four sections.?

Also, can all four sections be submitted as one electronic volume?

Answer: Correction – A complete quote is comprised of four sections. Section I – Management, Section II – Past Performance, Section III – Price, and Section IV – Required Documents. Quotes must be submitted in a minimum of two files: Sections I, III, and IV, and Section III Price separately. Alternately, Each Section may be submitted as a separate electronic file.

Question: Section L-3, Page 22, The RFQ states “The Transition Plan shall be structured to accommodate transition of all tasks in thirty (30) calendar days”. Will our proposed personnel be able to be cleared in enough time to support the 30-day transition requirement?

Answer: In accordance with Clause 7-20 Security Requirements, all personnel to be utilized on a resulting contract must have Tier II clearance PRIOR TO QUOTE SUBMISSION. No accommodation will be made for clearance times, and a successful bidder who lacks the cleared personnel on the effective date of the contract will be in violation of the contract terms.

Question: Section C-1 III.C, Page 15 Security Background and Investigations, There are two sets of numbers for Background Investigations (625 &1875) and Background Checks (3,350 &10,050). Are the first set of estimates for new hires and the second set for existing employees?

We ask to clarify if annual volume would be the sum of the two numbers.

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Answer: The total number of background investigations annually is estimated at 1,875, and the total number of background checks was 10,500.

Question: SOW - III.A.2 Judges Retirement Benefits, The solicitation requires the contractor to “Perform work to ensure requirements are met on a variety of human resources topics such as benefits, staffing, classification, employee/ management relations, performance management, and employee recognition.” Given staffing, classification, employee/ management relations, performance management, and employee recognition services are not related to retirement benefits, please clarify.

Answer: While not retirement benefits specific, these tasks “support various administrative, operational and /or analytical services under the judges retirement program” as noted int the first sentence of the section.

Question: SOW – III/HR Support Services, Is it correct to assume the historical workload numbers provided for the task areas are expected to stay relatively consistent throughout the period of performance of the contract?

Answer: Yes

Question: SOW - III.A.2 Judges Retirement Benefits, Please identify the specific type of “financial, administrative and/or project responsibility” knowledge the contractor providing Judge Retirement Benefits is required to have.

Answer: pay and benefit calculation experience as well as experience in the administration of pay and benefits

Question: SOW - III.D Employee Development Support, What Learning Management system(s) would be used by the contractor performing Employee Development Support?

Answer: Blackboard, Educe, Saba, SkillSoft

Question: SOW - III.D Employee Development Support, a) Please provide the nature (e.g., training registration, course content, training schedule, problems with the learning management system) of the help desk inquiries. B) By what method(s) (e.g., email, phone) are help disk inquiries received?

Answer: Help desk inquiries include those mentioned; registration, course content, schedule and LMS issues. Inquiries are received by phone and email.

Question: Quote Preparation, Section I Management, Please confirm “personnel job classification” is the 738X Labor Category that aligns to the position. Please clarify the statement “Each task in the Statement of Work must be addressed, and where position names are used, the task section in the SOW must be included for clarity.” Specifically, how is the offeror to address each task in the SOW with respect to staff qualifications?

Answer: Only labor categories from Schedule 738X shall be used. When presenting the Management / Staffing plan, quoters shall include number of personnel and labor categories with cross references to specific tasks in the statement of work. Clarity is required to show the contractor’s specific estimated effort to complete each task in the statement of work, and labor categories are required to permit evaluation of skills of personnel to be assigned to each task in the statement of work.

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Question: Quote Preparation, Section I Management, The solicitation states, “Quoters shall furnish, as a minimum, the following information for each position type: • Relevant work experience (tasks) • Work history experience • Duration of employment with contractor's organization”. Is this information required for specific individuals or are Offerors to provide the minimum qualifications for each position? Must all personnel be current employees of the offeror or are contingent hires permitted.

Answer: 738X labor categories are sufficient description of experience. If 738X labor categories are not listed for pricing purposes, experience and history is required to validate qualifications. In accordance with Clause 7-20 Security Requirements, all employees to be provided under a resulting contract require Tier II clearance when the contract begins. AOUSC takes no position on length of service with the contractor organization, but requires that all personnel required be available on the contract start date, and that all have active Tier II clearance on the day the contract begins.

Question: Will this opportunity be uploaded into e-Buy? If not, is the preferred submission method via email?

Answer: This opportunity will NOT be posted to eBuy. E-Mail submission of quotes is required in accordance with L-2 Quote Instructions.

Question: Reference: RFQ Section L-3 Quote Preparation, Paragraph (s) Section I.

Management, Page 21. Is the Executive Summary counted in the 20 page limitation for the Management proposal?

Answer: Yes. 20 pages inclusive of any Executive Summary

Question: Reference: RFQ Section L-3 Quote Preparation, Paragraph (s) Section I.

Management, Page 22. For the staffing qualifications requirements, can these be addressed with resumes and positions descriptions via an Appendix outside of the 20 page limitation?

Answer: No. Staffing qualifications must be included in the 20 page limitation. Key Personnel are not a component of this requirement, and resumes shall not be submitted.

Question: Reference: RFQ Section L-3 Quote Preparation, Paragraph (s) Section IV. Required Documentation, Page(s) 23 of 24. Our awarded unit prices on our GSA Schedule are on pages six (6) and seven (7) of our GSA Schedule. If we only provide the first five (5) pages, the pricing will not be included in our submission. Will the Government please allow offerors to submit our GSA Schedule in its’ entirety to ensure the pricing section is included?

Answer: No. Pricing shall be included in a separate section III, which has a separate page allowance. The first five pages are required to provide basic information including company name, GSA Schedule number, and the outline.