FAS_Sources_Sought_QA_Final.pdf

Item No. Source Sought Notice

USDA-FAS-APPDEV-071316

Questions Due Date: 07/15/16 @ 4pm.

Responses Due Date 07/20/16 @ 4pm.

Industry Questions Government's Reponses 1 Whether companies from Outside USA can apply for this? No

(like, from India or Canada) 2 Whether we need to come over there for meetings? Yes 3 Can we perform the tasks (related to RFP) outside USA? No

(like, from India or Canada) 4 Can we submit the proposals via email? Yes

Given that the response is due within 6 days, is there any opportunity to extend the response due date? The responses due date will not be extended.

Do we have to respond to all 6 categories listed in the PWS? Can we respond only to 3 or 4 areas of focus? Yes

How detailed should the response be for the PWS? Is there a limit on the number of pages? See item 5 of the FBO posting description

Can we team up with another small business to combine resources and past performances as we respond to this notice? Yes

Do all past performances need to be with Federal government agencies?

Given that we are a small business, can we include individual experiences as part of the past performance? All professional experience will be considered

10 Is there a template for past performances? See attached

Does USDA FAS expect any (or all) of the roles to be performed onsite at USDA facilities? Yes

Can USDA FAS define (even loosely) the expectations around the division of labor between the contractor and the Government personnel as part of the IPT?

Most IPT teams are at a minimum 75% contractor and 25% government personnel, however this may vary depending on the task

For the application modernization effort, does USDA FAS anticipate leveraging the same technology listed in the "Development Environment" section of the Scope? Our would USDA FAS be open to other technologies?

FAS is currently utilizing the technology defined, however we are open to recommendations for future technologies

"Follow FAS standards for construction on new systems and modifications made to existing systems" - Is there any existing documentation that could be provided around FAS standards?

FAS is working on updating its documentation, however we do follow best practices in agile development

Can USDA FAS provide any more detail into the application's Certification and Accreditation (C&A) requirements?

All applications have to be appropriately documented with corresponding security controls to receive departmental accreditation

16 Is the sources sought only open to potential 8(a) companies? Yes

Can an alternate solution be used besides TFS for project management and source control? No

Does Department of Agriculture intend to award the contract to only one vendor to provide all the required services/consultants? No

Is there an incumbent contractor currently providing services listed in this for this Sources sought Notice? There are several incumbents currently providing these services

Could you please provide the details of the incumbent contractor, including the award amount/ number of consultants for base and all option periods? No - This is irrelevant at this point in time.

What is the % of onsite/offsite mix for the incumbent? Is facility clearance a requirement for off-site work?

Unless otherwise negotiated, 100% onsite with approved telework options

Is the current contractor’s performance satisfactory to the Department of Agriculture? Yes

23 Is transition of incumbent staff to the new contractor allowed? Yes 24 Does the incumbent qualify for the re-compete? Yes 25 Please provide the number of current consultants by labor category. This is irrelevant at this point in time.

Can you please provide the current consultants bill rate on the current contract by labor category?

The bill rate for each labor category is proprietary and will not be released.

Does the current contract use the same labor categories as mentioned in the Performance Work Statement?

The labor categories are a mixture of several contracts currently providing these services

28 What has been the yearly spend on these service during FY 14, FY 15 and This is irrelevant at this point in time.

29 Is there any budget limitation for this project?

Funding will be requested for each requirement, and a RFQ will be issued when funding is secured.

Would the experience of the consultant(s) with DLA proposed be considered in lieu of firm’s experience? Experience can be with the prime or the subcontractor

Can we expect a consolidated ‘questions & answers’ document with answers to all questions from vendor community against this Performance Work Statement? Yes

32 Can we use subcontractors for this project? Yes

If we are subcontracting, is there a limit on how many companies we can partner with to provide the required resources?

No. However, FAR 52.219-14 Limitations on Subcontracting will apply, if a solicitation is issued and a contract is awarded

Can prime contractor use the subcontractor’s references/past performance information as prime’s own? See question 30

Can Ardent as prime contractor use the key personnel from the subcontractor? Yes

Is it mandatory for the Key Personnel of the approved vendor to have the experience in technologies mentioned under C.4 Scope (Development Environment)? Yes

Are we expected to use the number of hours/labor categories specified in Section C.5.1.8 for the purpose of the resource load/requirements? No

Can services be rendered remotely by connecting through secure VPN connection or is the vendor expected to be in attendance at DOA's premise in person? See question 21

39 Is it possible to release this solicitation as an 8 (a) set-aside? To Be Determined 40 When is the solicitation expected to be released? To Be Determined 41 Can DOA please clarify the basis for award / evaluation criteria? This will be included in the solicitation, if issued.

42 What is the anticipated date of award? To Be Determined

Regarding this sources sought, would you consider for an EDWOSB or a WOSB set aside? CDI is an SEI-CMMI-DEV ML3 organization with the skills necessary to complete your task. Our software engineering processes are agile and have been assessed to be of sufficient structure and quality. To Be Determined

Are you planning on the work being accomplished at contractor facilities or government facilities? Work will be accomplished at the government facility

Will you provide a sample task that would be accomplished within the scope of this contract? This will be included in the solicitation, if issued.

46 Is this new work or continuation? Both 47 If continuation, who is the incumbent? Several Incumbents

48 If continuation, what contract vehicle was used? Different contract vehicles

Where will the work be performed (contractor site or client site) - if client, where? See question 44

You mentioned in FBO announcement this sources sought is to determine if there are eligible 8(a) companies. We are a prime on the GSA 8a STARS II contract. Would you consider using the STARS vehicle for this procurement? To Be Determined

I can see this is listed as 8(a) but I didn’t see if partnering was allowed for the qualifications? Yes, and see answer to question 33

I am wondering if an incumbent exists for the USDA FAS Application Development requirement and if so, could you please provide the vendor and the corresponding contract number? See question 47 and question 48

Sheet1