Attachment 0010-Q and A_Solicitation W52P1J-22-R-0049_Castle Keep.pdf

# Question Reference Answer 1 Given your inclusion of ISO as an equivalent to CMMI as an acceptable “proposed methodology to deliver software products”, would the Government accept ISO

9001:2015 in lieu of CMMI Level III Services since many of the Quality Management processes, artifacts, and outcomes at the organizational and project level are the same and both emphasize continuous process improvement?

Attachment 0003

Section L.2.1.5, page

L‐8, para 6

No, the Offeror shall have the CMMI Level III Services certification as ISO 9001:2015 is not exactly the same as

CMMI.

2 Request confirmation that the offeror’s Team (prime and/or subcontractor) are evaluated as a Team to meet the CMMI Level 3 evaluation criteria?

Section A, page 2, para 4(1)

No, the Offeror's team will not be evaluated together.

The Prime Offeror must have the CMMI certification.

3 Request clarification of the CMMI evaluation criteria for the Phase 1 Go/No Go evaluation. Does an offeror that has been previously CMMI Level 3 certified and follows the CMMI Level 3 process qualify as a “Go” for this evaluation criteria?

Section A

Section L.2, page 2

L‐6, para 4 (1)1

No, the Offeror must have the certification at the time the proposal is submitted.

4 Would the Government consider requiring proof of a TS

Facility Clearance for Phase 1 and waive the requirements to have SCI at Phase 1 and instead make it required prior to contract start?

Section L.2 Phase 1 of Evaluation –

Go/No Go

Submission

Requirements

Offerors MUST have have TS/SCI elgibility and facilitities clearance that can support this requirement from the start of the contract. The Government will NOT waive the SCI requirement.

5 Since the Non‐Government Advisors are required to

“execute an agreement with each

Offeror that states that they will (1) protect the

Offerors' information from unauthorized use or disclosure for as long as it remains proprietary and (2) refrain from using the information for any purpose other than that for which it was furnished,” will the Government provide the contact information for VM3 so offerors can contact about Non‐

Disclosure documentation between both parties?

Solicitation W52P1J‐

22‐R‐0049, page 3 &

4, para 13

Yes, Amendment 0001 provides the contact information for VM3 corporation within the A narrative and one (1) additional company listed below:

Sabine Solutions, Inc

(571) 332.9960

6904 Victoria Drive, Unit B

Alexandria, VA 22310

6 Will the Government confirm that offerors are allowed to submit Past Performance References from teammates?

Attachment 0004

Volume III – Past

Performance, para 1

Yes, verbiage has been added to Section L.3.2. that allows the Offeror to submit one (1) additional reference for a significant subcontractor. Reference section L.3.2 for additonal information.

Questions & Answers ‐ Castle Keep Implementation and Sustainment

Solicitation W52P1J‐22‐R‐0049

7 Attachment 4 states that the Base IDIQ and Task Order

Price Factor will not be “scored or rated” yet section

M.2 states that Volume I, Volume II, and Volume III are significantly more important than both price factors

(Volume IV and V) which suggests that even though they are not scored or rated they are part of the evaluation process. Can the Government confirm pricing is evaluated against the offerors?

Attachment 004

M.4 Price Factors, page 8, para 1

The Government will evaluate an Offeror's Total

Evaluated Price as proposed on the Price Matrix as stated in Attachment 4, Section M.4. The Price Factor will not be scored or rated.

8 Since Price Factors for Volume IV and V are not “scored or rated” factors, should the competition type be changed to a Best Value competition rather than using the trade‐off process?

Attachment 0004

M.4 Price Factors, page 8, para 1

Best Value and Trade‐off are one in the same. Award will be made to the Offeror whose proposal offers the best overall value to the Government. This will be determined by using the trade‐off process described in

FAR 15, as supplemented by the Defense Federal

Acquisition Regulation Acquisition (DFARS), and the

Army Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement

(AFARS).

9 Will the Government provide MOU’s, DD254, etc. to maintain SCIF and JWICS terminal access for contractor personnel at contractor location?

Attachment 0003

Section 5.9.2, page

34, page 1

A DD254 was provded as Attachment 0008 of the solicitation and will be finalized upon contract award.

10 Will the Government accept contractor facilities with eligible access to SCIF and JWICS Terminal Access if sponsorship and accreditation by award of CASTLE KEEP would allow for contractor facility to have SCIF and

JWICS terminal access?

Attachment 003

Section 5.9.2, page

34, para 1

The offerer should have the necessary eligibility and

FCL to support the contract from day 1. Otherwise, if the government has to sponsor it for their facilities to get FCL, then it detracts time away from vendor's ability to provide cleared workspace on day 1. The current state of the project has the system in the classified target environment and will require the vendor to pick it up from day 1.

11 With the requirement for IOC in FY22 and FOC in FY23, will the Government provide the current status of the

CASTLE KEEP program?

Attachment 003

Section 3, page 16, para 1

System is in development and undergoing DoD Risk

Management Framework review for production release. Follow‐on capabilities will be released iteratively for production.

12 Since IOC consists of “An Authority to Operate (ATO) for the production environment and application software [which] is issued by the Department of the

Army (Intelligence) – Information Management (DAMI‐

IM) Authorizing Official.” and given the requirement for

IOC by FY22, does the Government require CASTLE

KEEP to achieve an IATT and ATO NLT 30 September

2022?

Attachment 003

Section 3, page 16, para 2

Castle Keep currently has an ATO‐C for test and integration only and is pending review for an ATO‐C for production.

13 In reference to the Master’s and Bachelor’s degree educational requirements, will the Government allow for additional years of experience to substitute for educational requirements in the personnel qualifications (e.g. 4 years of experience is the equivalent of a Bachelor’s degree)?

Attachment 001

Section 3.1.10.1, page 20, para 1

The following language has been added to PWS Section

1.3.2.3 "The Government will consider relevant experience in lieu of a degree."

14 There are inconsistencies with the requirement for the resumes of the key personnel. In Section M‐ Key

Personnel it states that “Resumes will be considered to represent the qualifications proposed and not an intention to provide a specific person.” In Attachment

001 under Key Personnel, it states “When key personnel are used as an evaluation factor in best value procurement, an offer can be rejected if it does not have a firm commitment from the persons that are listed in the proposal.” Yet section L.2.1.1 states “If submitted, resumes will be considered only as representations of the qualifications proposed and not an intention to provide a specific person.” Can the

Government confirm that Key Personnel resumes are required, and if so, are representative only?

Attachment 0001‐

PWS Appendix A‐

Definitions

Attachment 0004

Volume I Section I, page 5, para 1

Resumes are NOT required but may be submitted. The

PWS language stated at Attachment 0001‐Performance

Work Statement_Base IDIQ_Castle Keep at PWS 1.3.2.7.

and PWS 3.1.10. have been revised. Appendix A:

Definitions, page 36 stating "When key personnel are used as an evaluation factor in best value procurement, an offer can be rejected if it does not have a firm commitment from the persons that are listed in the proposal" has been DELETED.

15 If resumes are required, will the resumes be counted against page count in Technical Approach Volume I?

Attachment 003

Section L.2.1.1, page

L‐7, para 1

Resumes will NOT be required and if submitted will not count towards the Offeror's page count for Technical

Approach Volume I.

16 Since there are inconsistencies that will need to be addressed and questions not due until 15 JUN 2022, and since no questions will be answered until the release of an amendment and there is a Government

Holiday on 20 JUN 2022, will the Government consider extending the submission deadline to 8 July 2022?

Attachment 003

Section L.1.1.3, page

L‐3, para 1

The solicitation closing date is extended to 7:00 A.M.

Central Standard Time (CST) 05 July 2022.

17 Please clarify the page limitations for Volumes I and II.

Are they 25 pages each (for a total of 50 pages) or 25 pages total together?

L.1.2 TABLE 1, page L‐

25 pages total together

18 Would the government consider removing the CMMI

Level 3 requirement or changing the requirement to allow for the team (Prime or sub) to have the CMMI

Level 3 certification and have offerors provide a detailed software quality management process that is more in line with modern software Dev processes?

L.2 PHASE 1 of

Evaluation, page L‐6

No, the Prime Offeror must have the CMMI certification.

19 Would the government consider changing the CMMI

Level 3 Certification to: “Offerors application development life cycle will align itself with Agile or

Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI), and ensure that products, processes, and procedures are completely in line with the Institute of Electrical and

Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the International

Organization for Standardization (ISO) for all aspects of the application development lifecycle”?

L.2 PHASE 1 of

Evaluation, page L‐6

No, the Government stands firm with the Prime Offeror having the CMMI certification and no changes will be made to the solicitation regarding certifications.

20 Is the current contractor using Agile or CMMI Dev methodologies in their delivery?

L.2 PHASE 1 of

Evaluation, L‐6

The Government will not disclose this information.

21 Section L instructions and the Base IDIQ PWS requirements appear to contradict each other regarding whether resumes are required in the proposal. Will the government please clarify whether resumes are required and, if so, for which labor categories they are required?

L.2.1.1 Key

Personnel & Base

IDIQ PWS 3.1.10.

Personnel

Qualifications, page

L‐7 &

PWS p. 20

Resumes will NOT be required but still can be submitted, the PWS has been revised as stated in

Question 14.

22 If resumes are included, are they exempt from the page limitations for their respective volumes?

L.2.1.1 Key

Personnel & Base

IDIQ PWS 3.1.10.

Personnel

Qualifications, page

Yes, resumes submissions will NOT count towards the

Offeror's page count.

23 “The contractor shall provide support between the hours of 0600 hours and 1800 hours Monday through

Friday.” Given this requirement, will the government define what coverage will be needed and in what capacity (remote, online, or SCIF) during these times to allow the offeror to better develop a staffing plan and shift schedule?

Base IDIQ PWS

Section 1.10. Hours of Operation, page

Work will be conducted via remote, online, and/or SCIF.

Offerer will need to provide necessary support as defined by the governement requirements during these core hours.

24 Is our assumption correct that the government is asking the contractor to support capture of evolving requirements, development of business processes and new functionality in addition to supporting existing operations, bug fixes, and quality assurance of existing functionality?

Base IDIQ PWS

Section 3.

Requirements, pages

16‐28

Yes

25 Is the price for a secure working space to be built into our staff rate structure pricing?

Attachment 005

Base IDIQ and TO

Price Matrix, Sheet 1

Yes

26 How is the contractor to determine the government’s determination of breakout of type of funds (i.e., O&M versus RDT&E)

Attachment 005

Base IDIQ and TO

Price Matrix, Sheet 1

The Offeror does not need to determine the

Government's determination of breakout of types of funds (i.e., O&M versus RDT&E). The name of the CLINS are only the CLIN names and not necessarily what type of funds will be used for those specific CLINs.

27 Is the base period assumed to be pricing for 12 months even though Task 01 is 6 months?

Attachment 005

Base IDIQ and TO

Price Matrix, Sheet 1

Yes, the base period for the IDIQ contract is 12 months as stated in Attachment 0003, Section L.1.1.2. and

Attachment 0004, Section M1. Best Value Continuum.

The Offeror shall price the base period for an annual value (12 months) to equate to a monthly value for each period and CLIN even though Task Order 01 is 6 months. The matrix will be used to calculate the total amount for Task Order 01. The monthly cost is the amount the Government will utilize when issuing a Task

Order.