QUESTIONS_RESPONSES.pdf

Solicitation W15QKN-16-R-0002 Personnel Life-Cycle Support (PLS)

Solicitation Questions Received/Responses

PERSONNEL LIFE-CYCLE SUPPORT (PLS)

SOLICITATION W15QKN-16-R-0002

SOLICITATION QUESTIONS RECEIVED/RESPONSES

17 FEBRUARY 2017

The following are the responses to all questions received by the closing time of 12:00pm

(Local Time for Joint Base MDL, New Jersey) on 09 November 2016 (as stated in

Solicitation W15QKN-16-R-0002).

Table of Contents General………….……………………………………………..…………...........2-3

SF33…………………………………………………………..………………….3-6

Attachment 0001……………………………………………..………………...6-15

Attachment 0002…………………………………………..………………….15-16

Attachment 0004………………………………………..…………………….17-19

Attachment 0005………………………………………..…………………….19-23

Attachment 0006……………………………………..……………………….23-24

Attachment 0009…………………………………..………………………….24-45

Attachment 0010…………………………..……………………………………..45

Attachment 0011……………………………………………..……………….45-47

Attachment 0012……………………………………………..……………….47-50

Attachment 0013………………………………………………………..…….50-51

Attachment 0020…………………………………………………………..….51-52

Attachment 0021……………………………………………………………...52-82

Attachment 0024……………………………………………………………...82-83

Attachment 0026……………………………………………………………...83-84

Attachment 0029……………………………………………………………...84-93

Attachment 0031……………………………………………………………...93-94

Attachment 0032………………………………………………………………

Attachment 0036……………………………………………………………...94-95

Attachment 0037………………………………………………………………

Attachment 0038………………………………………………………………

Attachment 0039………………………………………………………………

Attachment 0041………………………………………………………….....96-168

Attachment 0042…………………………………………………………...168-172

Attachment 0043………………………………………………….………..172-173

Attachment 0044…………………………………………………………...173-176

Exhibits A - D………………………………………………………………176-177

GENERAL:

1. Answers to Questions, Industry Day 9 Sep 2015 Worksheet; Answer #11: "The Government will revise the final RFP to allow for submission of CPARS or PPIRS in lieu of the questionnaire if the

Past Performance reference has a current CPARS or PPIRS report.”: The final RFP does not appear to allow submission of CPARS or PPIRS for current work. Will the Government consider revising the requirement for a past performance questionnaire when a current CPARS or PPIRS reference can be included?

RESPONSE: No, the Government is now requiring that a Past Performance Questionnaire must be completed and submitted.

2. N/A: Will the Government allow small businesses to respond to less than three of the task orders?

RESPONSE: No.

3. General and Administrative Question: In our attempt to aid evaluators with proposal submissions we would like to provide a glossary of acronyms in front of the files for the Factors and Subfactors and also provide an appendix with a Compliance Matrix to aid in evaluation. Will the government allow us to provide these two separate items outside of the page restrictions?

4. Assuming the Government releases their answers to contractor submitted changes and amends the PLS solicitation, we are requesting that we have four weeks from release of the final answers to incorporate the required changes into our response.

RESPONSE: Adequate time will be provided for proposal submissions.

5. N/A Q. Will the government extend the due date by a minimum of 20 working business days

(January 20, 2017) to allow time for Offerors to complete compliant proposals based on needed clarifications and answers to questions?

6. Will the Government provide contract value for the current sample task orders along with names of current incumbents?

RESPONSE:

a. Sample Task A: Total task order value is $24,318,673.03. The incumbent contractor is General Dynamics Information Technology Inc.

b. Sample Task B: Total task order value is $12,322,701.34. The incumbent contractor is Armed Forces Service Corporation (AFSC).

c. Sample Task C: No incumbent.

SF33:

7. SF 33 : When do the current contracts expire ?

RESPONSE: The current contracts expire 30 December 2017.

8. N/A; SOL_SF33_W15QKN16R0002_21OCT2016; N/A; Since a subcontractor is unable to directly contact their Prime to obtain past performance from the COR; will the Government send past performance questionnaires to the COR on behalf of subcontractors who are not eligible to obtain proof of past performance from their Prime?

RESPONSE: No The prime contractor is responsible for providing all proposal information.

9. N/A; SOL_SF33_W15QKN16R0002_21OCT2016; N/A; Will the government provide a list of task orders issued on the current HR Solutions contract with names of incumbent contractors and contract price?

RESPONSE: Yes, a .pdf file with a list of task orders issued against HR Solutions 4th generation IDIQ contracts is located on the HR Solutions web-site. To access the list go to:

https://www.HRSolutions.army.mil, click on the "Site Map" link in the upper tool bar and then click on the "4th Generation Task Orders" link.

10. SF33 paragraph H-10: Since Service Contract Act (SCA) compliance is required, does FAR

52.222-17 Non-displacement of Qualified Workers also apply?

RESPONSE: FAR Clause 52.222-17 applies and has been added to the SF33.

11. Attachment/Exhibit Number SOL_SF33_W15QKN16R0002_21OCT2016 Document Title SF33

Page Number 3. Question The RFP states that a minimum of 6 contracts will be given to small businesses? Do you have a projected number of task orders (TO) under this contract that will be set-aside for these small businesses or will all TO be full and open competition?

RESPONSE: The Contracting Officer will issue a request for information for each task order requirement requesting capability statements to determine small business interest and capacity. Evaluation of capability statements will determine whether or not the task order requirement will be set aside for small business.

https://www.hrsolutions.army.mil/

12. Solicitation-SF33_W15QKN16R0002; Page 4 of 103: Number 13 states that “The PWS for TOs will identify ODCs/Material costs (if any)…”, yet Section B requests pricing at the IDIQ level for Cost Reimbursable CLINs for ODCs / Materials / Travel for each period. Will the

Government please remove the requirement to provide pricing at the IDIQ level for Cost

Reimbursable ODCs/Materials/Travel for each period or provide a number for evaluation purposes?

RESPONSE: Section B of SOL_SF33 specifies the Price/Cost of Cost Reimbursement –

ODC/Material/Travel will be determined at the task order level. Offerors are not required to submit pricing for this CLIN.

13. SOL_SF33_W15QKN16R00002_21OCT2016, Page 37: Regarding paragraph H-2 Required

Insurance, will the contractor be able to provide a cost proposal for the additional insurance requirements at the task order competition level when such insurance is required?

14. N/A; Solicitation Document – SOL_SF33; Page 40 (Section H-8, paragraph 2): Will the

Government please define “adequate time” for task order responses to be completed such as a range between 5 to 30 days depending on the complexity of the requirement?

RESPONSE: Adequate time will be determined at the task order level. Typical proposal response time under the current 4th generation IDIQ contracts is 14 calendar days.

15. SOL_SF33_W15QKN16R0002_21OCT2016; Page 41, Para H-9: How does the Government anticipate to conduct it's on and off ramping? With the contract base being 5 years, can a vendor be off-ramped during that time?

RESPONSE: See procedures outlined on pages 41 and 42 of the SF33. Yes, a contractor can be off-ramped during the five year Base Period.

16. SOL_SF33_W15QKN16R0002_21OCT2016; Page 41, Para H-9: If a vendor outgrows the

NAICS code as a small business, would it be required to recertify as a large business during the first option year? Additionally, would a vendor that outgrows the small business NAICS code be off-ramped, or would they retain their contract, but only eligible to bid on full and open competition?

RESPONSE: In accordance with FAR 19.301-2(b)(3)(i), a contractor that represented itself as a small business concern before contract award must rerepresent its size status for the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code in the contract upon the occurrence of any of the following: For long-term contracts— Within 60 to 120 days prior to the end of the fifth year of the contract. Contractors who rerepresent their business status as a large business after the fifth year under the MA IDIQ would retain their contract but would no longer be eligible to participate in small business set-asides.

17. Exhibit # N/A; Solicitation Document (RFP); Pages 41 & 42: In regard to Dormant Status, if a company is granted dormant status and cannot resolve the performance or contract issue within the timeframe given, will the Government issue re-compete that work amongst the remaining contract awardees? Does not being able to resolve the issue in the allotted timeframe prevent the company from being able to compete on other Task Order Proposals?

RESPONSE: A company placed in dormant status will not compete in future task order competitions until they come out of dormant status. The company in dormant status is expected to continue performance of their existing task orders and work to correct any performance issues they may have. If the company is not able to correct performance issues, the Government may pursue remedies under FAR Part 49 for that requirement.

The company may be ramped-off as a result of systemic poor performance.

18. SOL_SF33_W15QKN16R0002_21OCT2016.pdf, Page 44: After reviewing Section I, we noted several clauses have recently been updated. Are we to use the dates listed or will you update

Section I? Clauses noted with revised dates are:

FAR

o 52.204-10 Reporting Executive Compensation and First-Tier Subcontract Awards

(OCT 2016)

o 52.204-13 System for Award Management Maintenance (OCT 2016) o 52.219-8 Utilization of Small Business Concerns (NOV 2016) o 52.244-6 Subcontracts for Commercial Items (NOV 2016)

DFAR

o 252.203-7003 Agency Office of the Inspector General (SEP 2013) o 252.204-7000 Disclosure of Information (OCT 2016) o 252.204-7012 Safeguarding Covered Defense Information and Cyber Incident

Reporting (OCT 2016)

RESPONSE: All clauses contained in Solicitation W15QKN-16-R-0002 are the latest versions.

19. Attachment/Exhibit Number SOL_SF33_W15QKN16R0002_21OCT2016 Document Title SF33

Page Number 63. Question The RFP states, “No subcontract or modification thereof placed under this contract shall provide for payment on a cost-plus-a-percentage-of-cost basis, and any fee payable under cost-reimbursement type subcontracts shall not exceed the fee limitations in

FAR 15.404-4(c)(4)(i).” Can a prime contractor markup rates from subcontractor? Do prime and subcontractor management and administrative costs count as “profit margin” or can markups be applied after those costs?

RESPONSE: Contractors are responsible for proposing in accordance with all terms and conditions of the Solicitation.

20. N/A, Solicitation Document, page 100: The RFP states: “NOTE: SECTION L - "PROPOSAL

SUBMISSION" IS ATTACHED AS ATTACHMENT 0049 (SECTION J).” QUESTION:

Please confirm that this reference should be to Attachment 0041 rather than to Attachment

0049.

RESPONSE: The reference incorrectly stated Attachment 0049. The correct reference for

Section L is Attachment 0041.

21. Section L-17; Solicitation SF 33 W15QKN-16-R-0002; page102: Please confirm that Section L-

17, Notice of Earned Value Management System, only applies to individual task orders and there is no EVMS requirement at the IDIQ level.

RESPONSE: As stated in the SF33 (page 69), “This clause [Notice of Earned Value

Management System] is only applicable at the Task Order level.” The SF33, Section L-17 has been revised to also state, “This clause is only applicable at the Task Order level.”

ATTACHMENT 0001:

22. Attachment 0001; Basic – Performance Work Statement (PWS) Page All: Due to the succession of multiple holidays during this proposal period, we kindly ask for an extension of one month

23. ATTACH 0001; Basic PWS; N/A; Will the Government pay for travel for PMFs?

RESPONSE: The Government will provide $2,000 for attendance at the first post-award meeting as the minimum guarantee. The Government will not pay for travel for attendance at any subsequent Program Management Forums (PMF).

24. Attachment 0001; Basic PWS; Paragraph 1.2; page 9 of 53; and Attachment 0041; Section L;

Proposal Submission; Volume I – Technical Factor- Subfactor 5 - Staffing Approach; (c); Page

10 of 22; and Attachment 0004 Basic Labor Categories Description: “Offerors shall include a personnel qualification matrix identifying the appropriate skills and experience to accomplish the

PWS objectives? Are the objectives to be accomplished those listed in PWS Section 1.2? If so, could the Government provide additional information on how it expects Offerors to respond given the nature of the objectives? If no, what are the specific objectives? Also, the basic labor categories listed in Attachment 0004 provide the years of experience, education parameters and knowledge, skills and abilities that accumulate given for each skill level. Could the Government further explain what it expects from the Offerors submission of material that appears to be already well defined? Would the Government consider removing this requirement from Sub-factor 5?

RESPONSE: The requirement for a summary of qualifications and personnel qualification matrix for the basic IDIQ is eliminated from Attachment 0041, Section L Proposal

Submission, Factor 1-Technical, Subfactor 5, Staffing Approach. A summary of qualifications is still required for each sample task. Attachment 0041; Proposal

Submission (Section L) language for Subfactor 5 - Staffing Approach is revised.

25. Attachment 0001, Basic PWS, Section 3.1 – Proposal Submission. Subsection a). The government requires that timely proposals be submitted for 50% of the TO requests issued in the mission area suite. Please confirm that a “mission area suite,” “missions essential list,” and

“mission essential functions” all mean the same thing.

RESPONSE: These terms do not have the same meaning.

a. The mission area suite is a term used by HR Solutions to categorized IDIQ contracts based on the operations they support. The Mission Area Suite for this requirement is the Personnel Life Cycle Support Services multiple award IDIQ contracts.

Attachment 0001 Basic PWS section 6.2.1 is revised to include this definition.

b. The Mission Essential Contractor Services List satisfies the requirement of

DFARS 252.237-7023, Continuation of Essential Contractor Services (Oct 2010).

Attachment 0037 provides the fill-ins for this clause.

c. Mission essential functions are the necessary tasks within the PWS that must be accomplished in order to meet the Army or program’s minimum objectives.

26. Attachment 001; Basic PWS; Page 14 of 53; 2.2.1.6.4 Counseling is defined as “Providing education and counseling resources for Soldiers, civilian personnel and their family member, e.g., substance abuse, stress, etc. and other job related problems.” Please confirm that providing education and counseling resources for employees, e.g., substance abuse, stress, etc. and other job related problems in the private sector is comparable and qualifies as a relevant corporate experience.

RESPONSE: Providing substance abuse, stress and other job related problems in the private sector is relevant corporate experience.

27. ATTACH 0001; Basic PWS; Page 16; Will the government give Contractors a list of the sites where the Contractor will have to provide facilities?

RESPONSE: Requirements are not known at the Basic IDIQ level. This information will be provided at the task order level.

28. Attachment 0001; – Basic Performance Work Statement (PWS); Section 2.6 Contractor

Travel and Other Direct Costs; Page 17: This section states that no material handling fees or

G&A allocations are allowable on travel costs. Material handling and G&A are allocable and allowable expenses per our CASB Disclosure Statement as accepted by our DCMA Corporate

Administrative Contracting Officer (CACO). Our rates for the material handling and G&A costs are also in our DCMA approved FPRA. We believe these costs should be reimbursed by the

Government according to FAR clause 52.216-7, Allowable Cost and Payment, as referenced in the solicitation, Section I – Contract Clauses, I-162 on page 47. Would the government explain how an offeror can proceed under the RFP reference for not allowing these indirect costs to be invoiced and reimbursed and not be subject to a non-compliance finding under Cost Accounting Standard

402 - Consistency in Allocating Costs Incurred for the Same Purpose. [Note this question also refers to Attachment 0009, Sample A PWS, page 16, section 1.17; Attachment 0021, Sample B

PWS, page 14, section 1.17; and, Attachment 0044, Sample C PWS Template, page 14, section

1.15.1]

RESPONSE: As stated in Section L, “No profit, material handling fees, or General and

Administration (G&A) is allowable on travel costs”. DCAA was contacted, the CAS-B expenses are ceiling rates. Therefore, Offerors will not be subject to a non-compliance finding.

29. Attachment 0001; Basic – Performance Work Statement (PWS); Page 17 of 53: Section 2.6

Contractor Travel and Other Direct Costs indicates “No profit, material handling fees, or G&A is allowable on travel costs.” However, the Solicitation Document; Page 4 of 103: indicates that contractors, under T&M TOs “may apply a material handling rate in accordance with DCAA approved/provisional rates.” Please advise why the same application of approved/provisional rates on travel does not apply for FFP TOs.

RESPONSE: Under FFP Task Orders, travel and other authorized charges will be billed against a cost no fee CLIN type. All associated burdens should be included in the Offeror’s

FFP.

30. Attachment 0001; Basic PWS; pages 19 – 20: Section 2.8.3 Post Award and In Process Review

(IPR) Meetings states the contractor shall attend a post award contract or TO meetings convened by the contracting activity or the HR solutions program management office in accordance with

FAR 42.5. Item Number 0008, Supplies/Services requires a Firm Fixed Price for a Post Award

Conference.

Will the Government please clarify that item number 0008 is a separately priced Firm Fixed

Price activity to include labor and associated travel expenses from the post award and IPR meetings included in PWS Section 2.8.3.?

Will the Government please clarify PWS Section 2.8.3 Post Award and In Process Review

(IPR) Meeting? Can these meeting costs be included in the task order pricing? Will the travel costs associated with these IPR meetings be included as part of the reimbursable

ODC/Travel item number?

For pricing purposes, will the Government please provide assumptions concerning Item

Number 0008, Supplies/Services to include the number of expected contractor personnel in attendance, the number of meeting days and the location of the post award conference?

a. Contract Line Item Number (CLIN) 0008 is a firm fixed price separately priced

CLIN for successful Offerors to attend a post, base contract award meeting to satisfy the minimum guarantee requirement. Offerors are not required to submit pricing for this CLIN. Please see paragraph 9, Ceilings and Guarantees on page 4 of the SF33.

b. Subsequent Task Order award meetings or IPRs shall be specified on individual

Task Orders.

c. Offerors are not required to submit pricing for CLIN 0008. Awardees of a HR

Solutions 5th Generation IDIQ contract are responsible for determining the number of delegates representing their company at the Post-Award conference. The exact location and number of days of the Post Award conference has yet to be determined.

However, the government assumes the conference to take place at either Ft. Knox, KY or Ft. Dix, NJ. and last no longer than 2 days.

31. Attachment 0001; Basic PWS; Section 2.8.4 Contract and Task Order Management; Page 20 of

53 and Attachment 0041; Section L; Proposal Submission; Proposal Submission Instructions;

Page 2 of 22 and Volume I – Technical Factor- Subfactor 6 - Management Approach; Page 11 and 12 of 22; and Exhibit D; CDRL D001 Contract Mgmnt [Management] Oversight Report: As structured, Subfactor 6 Management Approach required Offerors to respond with management approaches in three (3) different ways: IDIQ PWS requirements, IDIQ contract, and Contract

Management Oversight Plan. The content of each have overlapping and repetitive elements that make it difficult for Offerors to be meet page constraints and be compliant when the Government uses ASSIST for compliance within subsections (i.e. risk and issue management verses risk and issue mitigation; managing multiple task orders verses manage multiple task order with performance at multiple locations, etc). Could the government clarify its intent and instructions to Offerors for this section? Is it the Government’s intent for Offerors to provide 3 major response areas to Subfactor 6? If the government wishes to keep the Section L, Subfactor 6 instructions as they currently appear, would the Government increase the page allocation not to exceed 20 pages?

a. It is not the intent that the Contract Management Oversight Report be the same as the response requirement outlined in Subfactor 6, Management Approach instructions. The name of the Contract Management Oversight Report called for in Basic PWS section 2.8.4 is corrected. The data item description OT-16-

10020 provides information on what should be included in this plan and is provided.

b. The Subfactor 6 - Management Approach section of Section L, Proposal

Submission is revised to clarify the requested information. Transition planning descriptions requested in paragraph c is eliminated and should be included in the Transition Management Process Plan.

32. ATTACH 0001; Basic PWS; Page 20; Continuity of Performance - Will the Government expect substitute employees for employees who are out of work and, if so, will the Government define when substitute employees are required?

RESPONSE: The Government requires the Contractor to meet performance requirements and to perform the tasks required under each task order. The Contractor will have flexibility in determining the most efficient and effective method to ensure continuity of services.

33. Attachment 0001; Basic – Performance Work Statement (PWS); Page 21: PWS paragraph 2.9.1 says “The contractor’s QC procedures shall address the areas identified in Attachment-

Performance Requirements Summary [Attachment 0006].” Half of the PRS (3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.10) appear to apply to task orders (TO), not the basic IDIQ contract. PRS 3.9 refers to

“subcontracting plan goals.” Small businesses do not submit subcontract plans. Would the

Government specify precisely which PRS should be included in the QCP Deliverable, perhaps delete those relevant explicitly to task orders, and defer to the PRS within TOs, e.g., in this instance Attachment 0013 TO A, Attachment 0024 TO B, and Attachment 32 TO C?

RESPONSE: IAW paragraph 2.9.1 of Attachment 0001, the “contractor shall develop, implement, and maintain an effective quality control (QC) program to ensure services are performed in accordance with this PWS and subsequent TOs.” All of the Performance

Requirements Summary (PRS) entries in Attachment 0001 apply to the base contract.

However, individual task order contractor management and quality control measures will also be measured IAW the base contract’s PRS table.

34. Attachment 0001; Basic – Performance Work Statement (PWS), para 2.9.2, p. 22: This paragraph states “A tailored TO specific QASP will be developed for each TO and will define how the performance standards will be applied, the frequency of surveillance, and the minimum acceptable quality levels.” The government has provided a QASP and PRS file for each of the sample TOs. However, the performance standards defined tables between the PRS and QASP files differ, per sample TO. Is there an intent to reconcile these or should the PRS file be ignored for each sample TO?

RESPONSE: The performance requirements listed in the Sample Task QASPs

(Attachments 0010, 0022, and 0030) are the same performance requirements listed in the

Sample Task PRS tables (Attachments 0013, 0024, and 0032). There is no need to reconcile these documents. A correction is made to the referenced PWS paragraph, under PRS #1, in the Sample Task B QASP. The QASP contains additional information not intended for inclusion in the PRS tables.

35. Attachment 0001; Basic - Performance Work Statement (PWS); Paragraph 2.12.3; Page 24:

This paragraph states that that "Contractors are prohibited from using their private company emails for Government business as defined in AR 25-2." Does this imply every contractor and subcontractor will be issued computer as government furnished equipment for use in every task order regardless of work location?

RESPONSE: Contractor employees with Government email accounts shall not use private company email accounts to conduct Government business. Attachment 0001, Basic PWS section 2.12.3 is revised to include “private email accounts”.

36. Attachment 0001; Basic - Performance Work Statement (PWS); Paragraph 2.12.5.1; Page

25: This paragraph states that "Replacement personnel shall have the same qualifications or higher." in reference to the Key Personnel. Please confirm this statement refers to the qualifications defined as knowledge, skills and abilities.

RESPONSE: This statement refers to the qualifications for the Contract Manager and

Alternate Contract Manager. Qualifications are listed in Attachment 0004, “Basic Labor

Cats Description”.

37. Attachment 0001; Basic PWS; Page 25 Section 2.12.5.1: For the CM and ACM will the government provide two billets to maintain the clearances?

RESPONSE: No, the Government will not provide two billets to maintain clearances.

Billets are not required for Secret clearances.

38. Attachment 0001; Basic PWS; Page 25 Section 2.12.5.1: Is the government asking all small businesses to hold 2 key personnel for one year with secret clearances waiting for award? Does the government intend for the key personnel to have a current investigation and be eligible for a clearance at time of award?

RESPONSE: Key personnel clearance is required at time of contract award. The

Government requires clearances prior to start of performance on this contract. Interim clearances are acceptable.

39. Attachment 0001, Basic PWS; Paragraph 3.1; page 27 of 53; and Attachment 0006, Basic PRS;

Section 3.1, Page 1: As written the metric for the performance standard and AQL for a) are different for each (50%/30% verses 70%/50%). Could the Government clarify its intent for performance of PWS 3.1?

RESPONSE: Attachment 0006 Basic PRS, page 1 has been changed to reflect a 50% standard with a 30% AQL Basic PRS is changed to reflect a 50% standard with a 30%

AQL.

40. Attachment 0001; Basic PWS; pages 27: Per 3.1 Proposal Submission, Performance Standards a)

AQL: The contractor submits a timely proposal for 30% of TO requests for proposals issued in the mission area suite. Will the Government please supply the number of TOs going through the vehicle?

RESPONSE: The Government cannot provide a definitive projection of future requirements. Historic HR Solutions IDIQ contract task order information is provided below:

IDIQ Generation Period of Performance Number of Task Orders

1st 1991 - 1998 Unknown

2nd Sep 98 - Oct 04 252

3rd Nov 04 - Sep 08 417

4th Dec 09 – Dec 17 200

41. Attachment 0001; Basic – Performance Work Statement (PWS); Page 28: The PRS in the PWS differ from the PRS in Attachment 0006, e.g., in the PWS, PRS 3.1 says “timely proposal for

50% of requests for proposals.” PRS 3.1 in Attachment 0006 says “timely proposal for 70% of requests for proposals.” Would the Government reconcile the two sets of PRS or, delete

Attachment 0006 and make Attachment 0001 the authoritative source, or delete from both 0001 and 0006 and make the PRS in Attachment 0002 basic QASP the authoritative source?

RESPONSE: Attachment 0006, Basic PRS is revised to reflect the standard of 50%.

42. Attachment 0001; Basic – Performance Work Statement (PWS); Page 31 of 53: Section 4.1

Security and Safety requires all key contractor personnel to obtain a minimum secret level clearance. Please confirm that a security clearance is not a requirement at the time of proposal submission so long as evidence is shown that clearances are in process.

Government requires clearances prior to start of performance on this contract. An interim clearance is acceptable. Attachment 0001 Basic PWS section 4.1 is revised to clarify.

43. Attachment 0001; Basic PWS; Page 31: What FCL is necessary to be awarded the IDIQ base contract?

RESPONSE: An FCL is not required for award of the IDIQ; however, the contractor must have applied for the required level of FCL. Award of this contract means award of the base IDIQ contract. The contractor must have received an FCL in order to participate in task order competitions with security requirements.

44. Attachment 0001; Basic PWS; Page 31: In Section 4.1 the Government states that "The contractor and any subcontractor must have or have applied for of the required level of Facility

Clearance (FCL), as dictated by contract performance/access requirements, prior to award of this contract. Contractors who have not received the appropriate FCL after contract award will not be eligible for award of a task order with security requirements until the FCL is received." Please clarify that a FCL is not required for award of the IDIQ.

a. An FCL is not required for award of the IDIQ; however, the contractor must have applied for the required level of FCL.

b. Award of this contract means award of the base IDIQ contract.

c. The contractor must have received an FCL in order to participate in task order competitions with security requirements.

45. Attachment 0001; Basic PWS; Page 31: Please confirm that the Key Personnel Clearance is required at time of contract award and not at time of proposal submission.

Government requires clearances prior to start of performance on this contract. An interim clearance is acceptable.

46. Attachment 0001, Basic – Performance Work Statement (PWS), Page 38: PWS, Paragraph 4.4.1, Transition Management Activities, Phase Out: Recommend a requirement for incumbent contractors to provide successor contractors a list of all incumbent personnel, their SCA

Anniversary Date, and whether any vacation has been paid to the incumbent employee since their last SCA Anniversary. This is a requirement in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and will aide in a smooth transition and ensure contractors are compliant with the FAR.

RESPONSE: Requirements for incumbent contractors is not part of the Solicitation. The incumbent’s current contract would address any requirements, to include FAR requirements, for the transition.

47. Attachment 0001; Basic – Performance Work Statement (PWS); Page 39: Understanding that contracts need to be accredited for SOFA status, will the Government assist in the accreditation process and will it cover the costs for subcontractors who are not covered by SOFA status?

RESPONSE: In Accordance With (IAW) the Performance Work Statement (PWS), the

Government will designate a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) Point of Contact (POC) for task orders requiring performance in foreign countries. Any costs associated with obtaining SOFA clearances shall be included in the contractor’s Firm Fixed Price (FFP).

48. Attachment 0001; Basic – Performance Work Statement (PWS); Page 39: Will the Government assist the contractor in providing the required documentation to confirm eligibility of the contract and US staff for the various benefits available to invited contractors under the applicable SOFA

(i.e., DOCPER policies in Germany)?

RESPONSE: IAW the PWS, the government will designate a SOFA POC for task orders requiring performance in foreign countries. The contractor is responsible for coordinating with the SOFA POC to submit the required documentation to confirm contractor eligibility for various benefits to invited contractors.

49. Attachment 0001; Basic – Performance Work Statement (PWS); Page 39: Will location specific travel costs or allowances for contractor travel and approved dependents be reimbursable up to the levels recommended by the US Department of State Guidelines?

RESPONSE: Travel costs and allowances for contractor travel will be determined and authorized at the task order level and will not exceed levels recommended by the US

Department of State Guidelines.

50. Attachment 0001; Basic – Performance Work Statement (PWS); Page 39: Should SOFA or similar status not be available and host location work and/or residency visas are required (with associated legal fees), will the government reimburse the contractor and its subcontractors for these costs?

RESPONSE: All costs associated with SOFA accreditation or Visa’s should be included in the contractor’s FFP.

51. Attachment 0001; Basic – Performance Work Statement (PWS); Page 39: Should US staff become subject to host location taxation, will additional ODCs be reimbursed by the

Government for anticipated tax equalization (including tax vendor preparation fees to determine the applicable incremental tax burden)?

RESPONSE: No, for Firm Fixed Price task orders, all costs associated with host location taxation should be included in the Offeror’s firm fixed price.

52. Attachment 0001; Basic – Performance Work Statement (PWS); Page 39: It is our current understanding that services provided to the US Government will not be subject to VAT, or other applicable indirect taxes at the host location. However, if such taxes become due, will taxes be an allowable charge to be billed in addition to the contractor’s stated fees?

RESPONSE: No, for Firm Fixed Price task orders, the Value Added Tax (VAT) or any other applicable indirect taxes at the host location should be included in the Offeror’s firm fixed price.

53. Attachment 0001; Basic – Performance Work Statement (PWS); Page 41: PWS 4.7 makes reference to the Contractor Manpower Reporting Application (CMRA) which, according to

Exhibit D CDRL D003 is a basic IDIQ Contract deliverable. Attachment 0009, TO A, Attachment 0021, TO B, and Attachment 0044, TO C also make reference to the CMRA, all to be addressed in the TO proposals’ technical approach and deliverables per Exhibit D CDRL

D003. Since, unlike the QCP which will be unique to each TO, the CMRA is always the same, would the Government merely require, as a basic IDIQ Contract deliverable, a standard CMRA

Plan discussing the contractor’s generic approach to performing this task, and delete the redundant requirement from the Sample TOs/SOO?

RESPONSE: The Department of Defense requires specific reporting of labor hours executed under each task order for specific periods of performance. This requirement is applicable at the task order level only. Reporting at the base contract-level is not required.

54. Attachment 0001; Basic – Performance Work Statement (PWS); Page 39: PWS paragraph 4.4 addresses Transition Management which, according to Exhibit D CDRL D005, is a basic IDIQ

Contract Deliverable. Attachment 0041 also addresses, in Section 1.4, Transition Management as a requirement to be addressed in Sample TOs A & B proposals. Since the requirement in

Attachment 0041 is identical for each sample TO, as well as future competed TORs, would the government revise the Transition Management requirements to one Transition Management Plan as a basic IDIQ Deliverable and delete the requirement from the Sample TO proposals as well as the requirement in Attachment 0041, Volume I, Sub-factor 6, removing those redundant requirements from being included in their respective page limits?

RESPONSE: The Transition Management Process Plan for Basic IDIQ is different than the Transition Plan required for each Sample Task. The transition management plans called for in each sample task PWS apply only to specific task orders. The task order transition plans should address specific requirements of transitioning the task from one contractor to another and should address the requirements outlined in the transition paragraphs in the sample task PWSs. The transition management process plan required by base IDIQ PWS paragraph 4.4 is a description of the Offeror’s corporate process for management of transition, both entrance and exit, on all task orders. This would include the Offeror’s approach to all aspects of transition management to ensure seamless transitions and minimize disruption to on-going operations.

ATTACHMENT 0002:

55. Attachment 0002_QASP, Appendix 1 Surveillance Matrix AND Attachment 0006_BASIC_PRS:

These tables differ in content, and some content (QASP Inspections column) is incomplete.

a. Would the government please identify which table is applicable?

b. If the table to use is the one located in the QASP, can it be completed (particularly the

Standards)?

RESPONSE:

a. Both tables are applicable. Attachment 0006 Basic PRS is revised to reflect the language in the QASP.

b. The Standards/AQL and Inspection columns in the basic QASP are complete.

56. Attachment 0002_QASP, PP 23+, multiple tasks: Many of the “standards” statements are written as “Standard(s): a” or “Standard(s); b”; please clarify what standards are being referred to.

RESPONSE: Some performance requirements have multiple standards that address both quality and timeliness. Both standards apply.

57. Attachment 0006, Basic PRS and Attachment 0002, QASP:

a. Pg 1, Standard 3.1a) states “Provides a timely proposal for 70% of task order requests”; the PWS and QASP state 50%. Also, AQL states “The contractor submits a timely proposal for 50% of task order requests”; the PWS and QASP state 30%.

Please clarify these metrics.

b. Pages 1-2, Standard 3.2a) and AQL state “Provides technically acceptable proposals…” Please clarify these metrics.

c. Pg 4, Standard 3.9a): The Standard does not define the measurement timeframe for this requirement, whereas the QASP provides a timeframe of “annually one year after

IDIQ award”. Please clarify the timeframe for this metric.

RESPONSE:

a. Attachment 0006 Basic PRS, page 1 has been changed to reflect a 50% standard with a 30% AQL.

b. Attachment 0006, Basic PRS is revised to reflect the language in the QASP for performance requirement 3.2

c. Attachment 0006, Basic PRS is revised to reflect the language in the QASP for performance requirement 3.9.

58. Attachment 0002 & 0006; QASP and PRS; Page 8 and 1: The QASP Appendix 1 states the contractor shall provide a timely proposal for 50% of task order requests for proposals issued in the mission area suite, however, the PRS section 3.1 states the contractor shall provide a timely proposal for 70% of TO requests for proposals issued in the mission area suite. Please clarify if the requirement is for 50% or 70%?

standard with a 30% AQL.

59. Attachment 0002; Basic – Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP); Row 3.10; Page 14:

Row 3.10 column Inspections indicates the contractor shall reimburse the Government for days missed. This corrective action seems to be applicable to FFP-LOE task orders, not FFP, CPFF or

T&M. Which task order types does this corrective action apply?

RESPONSE: This would apply to FFP and FFP-LOE type Task Orders. Attachment

0002, “QASP” (page 14), has been revised to state “days missed/performance not met”.

ATTACHMENT 0004:

60. Attachment 0004; Labor Categories/Descriptions; Page All: States “the labor categories annotated in Attachment 0004 are subject to the SCA.” How are the SCA Labor categories annotated?

RESPONSE: Attachment 0041 “Section L” has been revised to state the following “the labor categories in Attachment 0004 may be subject to the SCA”. The Department of

Labor (DoL) determines exempt or non-exempt labor categories. In accordance with

Attachment 0041 “Section L” (page 15), “Offerors shall use the Department of Labor Wage

Determination for Washington, D.C. in order to price their FFP fully loaded ceiling rate for the SCA covered labor categories”.

61. Attachment 0004; Labor Categories/Descriptions; Page All: Does a CACMAT SME equate to a

General Clerk (Mid-Level) and is that position Wage Determined?

RESPONSE: Deviations are applicable to task order solicitations only. As stated in

Attachment 0004, Labor Category Descriptions, page 2, last sentence of first full paragraph, specific experience substitutions for degree requirements will be specified in individual task orders. This is a performance-based task order requirement. Offerors have the flexibility to determine labor categories and staffing levels to support their proposed technical approach.

62. Attachment 0004; Labor Category Descriptions; 2; This attachment states “In some instances, experience may be substituted for education requirements.” Can the Government provide specific experience substitutions for degree requirements?

RESPONSE: This statement is applicable to task order solicitations only. As stated in paragraph, specific experience substitutions for degree requirements will be specified in individual task orders.

63. Attachment 004 – Labor Category Descriptions: QUESTION: May the offeror propose additional labor categories for the IDIQ?

RESPONSE: No, the labor categories that appear in Attachment 0004, Labor Cats

Descriptions, and their associated hourly rates will be incorporated into the basic IDIQ contracts.

64. Attachment 004 – Labor Category Descriptions: QUESTION: Will the offerors be able to suggest additional labor categories for future task orders?

RESPONSE: The labor categories provided in Attachment 0004 are general labor categories. Offerors may propose more specific labor categories depending on the individual task order requirement at the time of task order proposal, but shall map the proposed labor category to a contract labor category.

65. Attachment 0004; Basic Labor Category Descriptions: Are any labor categories included in

Attachment 0004 considered by the Government to be non-exempt?

RESPONSE: Attachment 0041 “Section L” has been revised to state the following “the labor categories in Attachment 0004 may be subject to the SCA”. The Department of

Labor (DoL) determines exempt or non-exempt labor categories. In accordance with

Attachment 0041 “Section L” (page 15), “Offerors shall use the Department of Labor Wage

Determination for Washington, D.C. in order to price their FFP fully loaded ceiling rate for the SCA covered labor categories”.

66. Attachment 0004; Basic – Labor Cats Descriptions; Page 2: This attachment states that

“contractors may propose labor categories that are not included below when responding to task orders”. Can contractors propose new labor categories on the IDIQ sample task orders, and if so what justification is required?

RESPONSE: No, offerors may not deviate from the labor categories identified in

Attachment 0004 on the sample task orders. Offerors may provide more specific descriptions of their proposed labor category, qualifications and experience in the sample task summary of qualifications. Special qualifications specified in Attachment 0021

Sample Task B PWS section 1.13 and Attachment 0044 Sample Task C PWS template section 1.12 must be included in the Offeror’s proposal.

67. Attachment 0004; Basic – Labor Categories/Descriptions; Page 6: The Counselor/Advocate labor category could be subject to two non-published wage determinations (WD 2013-0042 or WD

2013-0093). Will the government include these wage determinations as part of the solicitation package?

RESPONSE: Wage Determination Number 2013-0093 (Revision 11) is attached as

Attachment 0045. Wage Determination Number 2014-0042 (Revision 10) is attached as

Attachment 0046.

68. Attachment 0004; Basic Labor Category Descriptions; page 16: QUESTION: Would the

Government please allow for a specific number of years of additional relevant experience to be deemed equivalent to the “MA/MS degree in business, management, or a related field”?

RESPONSE: Deviations are applicable to task order solicitations only. As stated in paragraph, specific experience substitutions for degree requirements will be specified in individual task orders.

ATTACHMENT 0005:

69. ATTACH_0005; BASIC_LABOR_RATES; N/A; The Basic Labor rates excel spreadsheet provided by the government does not include specific sites (City, State, Country). Can the government give us more detailed direction to formulate the basic labor rates?

RESPONSE: Section L (page 15) states the following, “Offerors shall use the Department of Labor Wage Determination for Washington, D.C. in order to price their FFP fully loaded ceiling rate for the SCA covered labor categories”. This same region shall apply to

SCA exempt labor categories as well.

70. ATTACH_0005; BASIC_LABOR_RATES; N/A; Does the government recommend specific escalation rates for labor excluding SCA positions?

RESPONSE: The Government does not recommend specific escalation rates for labor.

Offerors will determine propose escalation rates.

71. Attachment 0005; PLS Basic Labor Rates. Spreadsheet provided is locked including all columns and rows. Can the government please provide a revised document that has unlocked cells to allow input under Fully Burdened Hourly Rates.

RESPONSE: Yes. In an effort to reduce mistakes in proposals, specific sections of the pricing spreadsheet are locked in order to ensure labor categories, hours, and formulas are not changed. Offerors may input labor rates. The formulas for escalation have been removed from Attachment 0005, Basic Labor Rates spreadsheet and Offeror’s may escalate hourly rates as they deem appropriate.

72. Attachment 0005_Basic_Labor_Rates, Q. The template is protected and read-only. However, escalation is allowed for Non-SCA labor categories while not allowed for SCA labor categories.

Will the template be modified to separate escalation for each type of labor category? Or will the government provide an editable version so we can separate accordingly?

not changed. Offerors may input labor rates. The formulas for escalation have been

73. Attachment 0005 – Basic Labor Rates; General Question: The cells in column D on both the

PLS Government Site Rates tab and PLS Contractor Site Rates tab are read-only, not allowing data entry for the Base Year 1 Fully Burdened Hourly Rate. Would the government provide a spreadsheet to allow for data entry?

RESPONSE: In an effort to reduce mistakes in proposals, specific sections of the pricing spreadsheet are locked in order to ensure labor categories, hours, and formulas are not changed. Offerors may input labor rates. Attachment 0005, Basic Labor Rates has been revised. The formulas for escalation are removed and this column is no longer protected.

74. Attachment 0005 Basic Labor Rates; and Attachment 0041; Section L; Proposal Submission;

Proposal Submission Instructions; Page 2 of 22 and Volume I – Technical Factor- Subfactor 2, 3 and 4 [Sample Tasks]; Section 1.2, Staffing Plan; page 8 and 9 of 22 and Attachment 0041;

Section L; Proposal Submission; Proposal Submission Instructions; Page 2 of 22 and Volume I –

Technical Factor – Staffing Approach [IDIQ level]; Page 10 and 11 of 22. Could the

Government clarify its intent of requiring Offerors to explain its staffing methodology; staffing levels, including management and any functions that will be subcontracted; labor mix, and use of junior, mid-level, and senior resources at both individual task order and IDIQ levels? What is being asked is a function of the PWS elements and levels of efforts/standards/operating conditions across undefined task orders. With regards to Subfactor 5, Staffing Approach, the

Government has not asked Offerors to propose overall staffing solution at the IDIQ level; rather the Government has provided in Attachment 0005, its estimate of the staffing levels to include use of junior, mid-level, and senior resources at government and Contractor sites. Could the

Government consider removing the duplicate requirement within Subfactor 5? If not, could the

Government provide additional detail on what it expects Offerors to address given the nature of the staffing at the MA IDIQ and Sample Task Order levels?

a. Attachment 0041, “Proposal Submission – Section L” has been revised. Offerors should explain how they intend to approach task order staffing from a management or planning perspective. It does not require the Offeror to provide specific staffing levels for the entire IDIQ effort.

b. The estimated hours provided at Attachment 0005 are based on historical data for evaluation purposes. They are not a firm projection of the hours planned to be ordered under this IDIQ contract. This is not considered a duplicate requirement to the information requested in Attachment 0005.

75. Attachment 005- Basic Labor Rates. Attachment 005 appears to be protected. Would the

Government release an unprotected version of the attachment or provide the password so the attachment can be updated?

RESPONSE: Yes.

76. Attachment 005- Basic Labor Rates. Attachment 005 includes values in each of the Estimated

Hours columns. Each entry of 1 million or more includes 7 decimal places. Should the offeror round those numbers to the closest hour?

RESPONSE: Attachment 0005, Basic Labor Rates has been revised to state all hours as whole number.

77. Attachment 0005 – Basic Labor Rates; General Question: The formulas for the escalated rates in both the PLS Government Site Rates tab and PLS Contractor Site Rates tab seem to be incorrect.

The formula calculates the prior year rate times the escalation rate [example, cell G3 = G$2*D3].

We believe the formula should be the prior year rate times the escalation rate plus one [example, cell G3 = (1+G$2)*D3]. Also, should the ROUND function be used [example, cell G3 =

ROUND((1+G$2)*D3,2)]. Would the government provide correct formulas or describe what is expected in the escalation rate field for correct calculations?

RESPONSE: The formulas for escalation have been removed from Attachment 0005, Basic Labor Rates spreadsheet and Offeror’s may escalate hourly rates as they deem appropriate.

78. Attachment 0005; Basic Labor Rates; Event Manager – Junior, Government Site hours. Option 2

(Cell W21): The hours in Option 2 are…