DCGS-A_Capability_Drop_2__Questions_Answers_7-26-2019.pdf

DCGS-A Capability Drop 2 – Questions & Answers

1. Can you confirm which AWS Region that the Army plans on using for the demonstration? Specifically, can you confirm that the government will not be using the AWS GovCloud Region for the demonstration?

Answer: The CD 2 Product Demonstrations will take place on the Commercial Region of Amazon Web Services (AWS).

2. Since subscription pricing is inclusive of both the software license and annual sustainment, which CLIN would the Government recommend using for a solution that has subscription based pricing?

Answer: Please refer to the CLIN details on pages 17 and 19 of the solicitation, as well as the associated Statement of Work (SOW) paragraphs. The Government cannot make recommendations to Offerors on their pricing.

3. The current structure of CLINs 11 and 12 imply perpetual pricing, how is this intended to be different from the newly added perpetual CLINs 29 and 30 in the CLIN Pricing tab of the TEP worksheet?

Answer: The CLINs 0011 and 0012 request Offerors to price on an annual basis for the identified ranges. CLINs 0029 and 0030 request Offerors to price on a Perpetual basis, for the identified ranges during the base period and the option period.

4. Please consider adding SOW language for newly added CLINs 27, 28, 29, 30, so we can appropriately price solutions.

Answer: The necessary SOW language and references are already incorporated.

Please refer to Section B of the solicitation.

5. Would the Government consider soliciting a Small Business Set Aside for a portion of this work in lieu of a Full and Open large business procurement?

Answer: All necessary considerations and reviews have been conducted prior to the release of this solicitation. This acquisition is solicited as a full and open competition, allowing any business size to compete.

6. Product Demonstration Plan (PDP) / Attachment 0007 / 2.2.8 Support Analysis / PRD 37 / The Contractor shall provide a solution that automatically retrieves and filters search results based upon user access controls (e.g., security classification, security releasability, and classification control markings), including through a Cross Domain Solution.

Recommend updating the requirement to remove ambiguity: "The Contractor shall provide a solution that automatically filters search results based upon user access controls (e.g., security classification, security releasability, classification control markings) and whether the results were provided via a Cross Domain Solution."

Answer: The Government has reviewed; however, will not be making the recommended changes.

7. Product Demonstration Plan (PDP) / Attachment 0007 / 2.2.8 Support Analysis / PRD 74 / The Contractor shall provide a solution that processes and stores input data and output data free of contractor use restrictions (i.e. without imposing any contractor use restrictions on the input or output data) and exports all data input and output data in a Government-specified industry standard format.

Recommend updating requirement to remove the limitation that only the input and output data need to be unconstrained: “The Contractor shall provide a solution that processes and stores data free of contractor use restrictions (i.e. without imposing any contractor use restrictions on the data) and exports all data in a Government-specified industry standard format.”

Answer: The Government has reviewed; however, will not be making the recommended changes.

8. Product Demonstration Plan (PDP) / Attachment 0007. For Demonstration task #4, is the vendor expected to show Machine Learning on log data or is it expected to show Machine Learning on any data?

Answer: For Demonstration task #4, the vendor is expected to show any logs or data that can be utilized in current or future Machine Learning algorithms.

9. Product Demonstration Plan (PDP) / Attachment 0007. Do we need to show a VCAB export or import for the demo and what should be the expected max size if any?

Answer: VCAB Import and Export is not part of the Product Demonstration Plan.

10. Product Demonstration Plan (PDP) / Attachment 0007. What web browsers will be installed on the demonstration laptops and which ones are we expected to demo with?

Answer: Please refer to Appendix D of the Product Demonstration Plan for the browsers that will be installed on the demonstration laptops. The demonstration may take place in any of these browsers.

11. A01_-_Attachment_0003_-_Performance Requirements Document_DCGS-A CD 2_03JUL2019/2.4 Human Systems Integration/ PRD 78. (U//FOUO) The Contractor shall provide a solution that scores no less than 24 on each of the two the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) sub-scores, Perceived Usefulness (PU) and Perceived Ease of Use (PEOU), when based on multiple user scores the 90% Lower-Confidence Limit of the Mean TAM score shall be no less than 24./ Which version of the TAM Usefulness and Ease of Use scales will be used for the evaluation: the revised 10 item scales (Davis, 1989), the shorter six item scales (Davis, 1989), or the 4 item scales in TAM 2 (Venkatesh & Davis, 2000)?

Answer: The TAM Scale to be used is Davis, 1989, using 12 item scale.

12. Section L iv. Volume IV Past Performance Factor. The Government defines relevant efforts as those efforts that are essentially the same as or similar in scope and complexity (including Federal, State, and local government, and private) with a minimum of one (1) year of completed performance. The Government imposes a NAICS restriction on submissions of Federal past performance stating "Federal efforts must be within the NAICS code 511210." No similar restriction is imposed on State, local government and/or private efforts.

NAICS code 511210 defines an industry of software publishers. Parties that are NOT in the software publishing industry routinely perform work relevant in scope, complexity, contract type, value/dollar size, etc to CD 2 requirements. Additionally, Federal efforts not awarded with the NAICS code 511210 may also involve work same as or similar in scope and complexity to CD 2.

While a solicitation may need to be released with a corresponding NAICS code, it is highly unusual for the Government to assess relevancy of past performance through a NAICS code filter – as written, this requirement creates a less robust past performance assessment environment for the Government. This NAICS restriction was not stated in the CD1 RFP either.

As such, the NAICS industry restriction on federal efforts unduly limits the submittal of federal past performance submissions. Contractor requests the Government delete "Federal efforts must be within the NAICS code 511210” and evaluate relevancy of past performance based on stated similarity of scope, complexity and period of performance requirements.

Answer: The Government has reviewed; however, will not be making the recommended changes. The Government does not agree that this unduly limits submittal of Federal past performance, but rather focuses on those efforts specific to the market place the Government is soliciting under.