A02_-_Draft_Solicitation_Q A_Responses.xls
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- DRAFT SOLICITATION for Administrative Support Services Federal contract opportunity
- Solicitation number
- W911QX-17-R-0003
About this file
This draft solicitation is for administrative support services at the Army Research Laboratory. The services include areas such as program management, administrative support, security, graphics and visual information, and warehouse operations. The solicitation anticipates awarding multiple contracts as 100% small business set-asides. The incumbent contractor is Global Support Services with a contract value of $25 million. Questions regarding this draft solicitation must be submitted by November 11, 2016. This draft is not a request for proposals and proposals will not be accepted in response to the draft. A formal solicitation will be released later with an opportunity to propose at that time.
Draft Solicitation Question Responses
View the file
Other files for this federal contract opportunity
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| A02_-_Draft_Solicitation_Q&A_Responses_(Amendment_0001).xls | XLS spreadsheet | |
| A07_-_Draft_Solicitation.pdf | ||
| SAMPLE_TASK_PWS.pdf | ||
| APPENDIX_A_LABOR_CATEGORIES.pdf | ||
| BASIC_PWS.pdf | ||
| A04_-_Wage_Determinations.pdf |
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Text version
Draft RFP
| Question | Answer |
| Is this still anticipated as an 100% 8(a) competitive set-aside with multiple awardees? | Yes. |
| If there is an incumbent, can the Government, please provide the name of the Contractor, the current contract number and contract value? | Incumbent Contractor is Global Support Services, LLC, W911QX-13-C-0057, Contract Value: $25M. The anticipated effort is for the same requirement, however, the strategy is different. |
| If there is an incumbent Contractor, can the Government provide the same types of transition support as outlined in the draft Statement of Work (SOW) section C.3.3, Transition Plan, when the new contract is awarded? | The incumbent Contract requires a 30 day transition period. For the anticipated effort, the Contractor shall adhere to the basic PWS, section C.3.3. |
| Since the procurement is primarily services, why is the government requiring a cost plus fixed fee? Is the government intending to procure a lot of non-service items through the contract? Would the government consider changing the contract type from Cost-Plus Fixed-Fee to a Fixed Price IDIQ? | 1) It is in the best interest for the Government to utilize a CPFF contract type for this procurement. 2) Reference Section L Volume III e states "For proposal purposes, the Government's best estimate of material costs anticipated in performance of this effort is $22,000.00" 3) No, the contract will be a CPFF IDIQ with CPFF Task Orders. |
| Will the Government provide an Industry Day roster? | The Government will not provide an Industry Roster. |
| Draft RFP, Page 33, Clause 52.222-42: Can the Government please provide Monetary Wage-Fringe Benefits in the Statement of Equivalent Rates (Page 33)? As the vast majority, if not all of the labor categories listed in FAR 52.222-42 on page 33 of the solicitation are consider SCA labor categories subject to wage determination schedules and FAR 52.222-41 is incorporated by reference into the contract , should the applicable Area Wage Determination not be the basis for proposed direct labor rates? Can the Government please map those labor category titles in appendix A to the appropriate DOL Wage Determination document, so it is clear to industry which labor categories the Government considers SCA for pricing and compensation benefit purposes and which are considered exempt and up to industry to price accordingly? | Please reference the Wage Determinations and Task Order 0001 PWS attachments. |
| SCA Positions: Can the government provide the number of SCA and number of non SCA positions that are expected during the proposed period of performance? Will the government provide the current mapping for the SCA qualified labor categories to Department of Labor SCA categories? | 1) Anticipated number of SCA and Non-SCA positions is not available at this time. 2) Please reference Wage Determinations and Task Order 0001 PWS attachments. |
| CLIN 0003: Can you please clarify what CLIN 0003 DATA represents? What data is required at the TO level and how should it be priced? | CLIN 0003 is an informational DATA CLIN that is not separately priced. All contract deliverables are required on a task order level. The Contract Deliverables Requirements List (CDRLs) will be an attachment in Section J in the release of the formal solicitation. |
| Section K: Do you want the entire Section K returned with fill-ins completed? If so, how should we incorporate Page 26 – 52.204.20 Predecessor of Offeror (JUL 2016) which is not in Section K and would require modification to the file? | 1) Yes, Section K should be submitted with fill-ins completed. 2) Clause 52.204-20 will be included in Section K of the formal solicitation and should be filled in and submitted as well. |
| CPARS: Will the Government accept a current CPARS report in lieu of a past performance questionnaire? When are CPARS due - 60 or 30 days after the period is complete? | 1) The Government will not accept a current CPARS report in lieu of a past performance questionnaire. 2) CPARS are due yearly (the first evaluation is due one (1) year after contract award date). The Contractor has 60 days to review/comment on the evaluation. |
| DD 254: Will the final RFP have a DD254 at an IDIQ level or just the TO 0001 level? Is a draft DD254 available for bidder community review? If not, at what security level (DD254 Box 1a and 1b) will the DD254 be issued? | The formal solicitation will include the security requirements for this effort. The DD254 will be at the IDIQ level. In order to be eligible for this effort, the Contractor must have at least a Secret security clearance. |
| Does the management structure and approach submitted at the IDIQ level need to be repeated for the sample TO? | If the offorer is proposing a different managment structure and approach for TO 0001 than for the IDIQ, then yes.If not then no, it does not need to be repeated. |
| Do you expect 8(a) companies to have adequate staff on hand to fill all overarching contract labor categories prior to bidding on task orders? If a company is awarded a contract, does the Government expect it to compete for all task orders under the ARL program? | 1) Yes; Reference PWS Section C.4.2. 2) The Government will anticipate responses from each awardee, but each awardee is not required to compete for ALL task order RFPs. |
| It appears the format for the Basic IDIQ and the Sample TO 0001 are the same. If we are required to address the same requirements, why is the page count less for the TO response? | The requirements for TO 0001 are not the same for the Basic IDIQ. Section L.1 will be updated in the formal solicitation to include more specifics for each Set # 1 and 2. |
| Will the Government consider deleting FAR 52.219-8 clause, since this is a competitive 8(a) solicitation? | No, this clause will not be deleted. FAR Clause 52.219-8 is applicable to this procurement, as the contract amount is expected to be over the simplified acquisition threshold and the effort is for non-personal services, performed in the U.S |
| Are we to understand that there will be two pricing/cost submissions? The first a labor rate table providing fully loaded hourly rates for all positions cited in the PWS, as similar to a schedule style format; secondly, a fully priced task order concurrent with all the instructions provided in pages 68, 69, 70, 71, 72? | Yes. 1) Reference Section L Cost Volume "A labor rate table organized by year shall be submitted to include all potential labor categories and pay bands for the Basic PWS. The Contractor shall reference the attached Anticipated Labor Categories document for anticipated required labor categories for performance of this proposed contract." 2) Section L Cost Volume "A full cost proposal IS required in response to the Sample Task Order 0001 PWS." |
| In the timeline provided, there is no milestone regarding questions post-solicitation release. Will the Government entertain questions from the bidder community on the final official solicitation upon its release? | No, there will not be an official Q&A after the release of the formal solicitation, however IAW Section L, discussions may be conducted. |
| Regarding IDIQ On-Ramping procedures, does ARL intend to procure all Administrative Support Services through task orders under this solicitation in the future for: |
a) Other various ARL Administrative Support Services contracts currently in existence?
| b) Other various ARL Administrative Support Services work which is ancillary to contracts classified under other NAICS codes? Will ARL consider adding new potential contract awards to small business concerns, other than 8(a) concerns, if they meet the stated criteria? Does ARL intend to release Task Orders by directorate or some other methodology? | The Government may incorporate other ARL requirements, if the circumstances are appropriate | |
| Does ARL intend to set ground rules regarding the anticipated recruitment / poaching of other awardees’ personnel resources, or risk significant movement of personnel resources between directorates, especially when considering the long processing times for Secret Clearances? | No. | |
| Is the Army planning on awarding the three IDIQ's to different company's or to the same company? | Individual IDIQ contracts will be awarded to individual companies (no company will receive more than one base IDIQ contract). | |
| Would the Government please identify any Disaster Recover (DR) configurations, efforts, technologies, etc. that are in place to support the Continuity of Operations requirements? | Disaster Recover (DR) configurations, efforts, technologies, etc. are not in place. | |
| Are any certifications and licenses required for this procurement? | Please reference the Basic PWS, Appendix A, and TO 0001 PWS. | |
| What EPA policies are enforced at ARL? | EPA Policy information is not available at this time. | |
| Please provide a historical and anticipated schedule of "Key Events" to include purpose, duration, and areas affected. | Historical and anticipated schedule of Key Events is not available at this time. | |
| Regarding IDIQ Task Order Services, how many task orders per contract year do you anticipate? | The estimated number of task orders per contract year is at least three (3). | |
| RFP: Section I, Page 44, Clause 252.219-7009: Can the Government please clarify the rationale for why the 8a Direct Award clause would apply to a 8a Competitive IDIQ MATOC? | Clause 252.219-7009 is applicable to this contract as it is a required clause in 8(a) contracts. At time of award, the cognizant SBA offices for each awardee will be listed within this clause. | |
| DCAA Requirements: If a Contractor has not yet been audited by DCAA, will the Government accept a filled out SF-1408 form, instead of a DCAA letter? If a contractor does not have DCAA approved rates, can the contractor provide different supporting data for proposed rates, such as an independent auditor’s verification letter stating that it asserts that the company’s accounting system is acceptable to perform the prospective contract in accordance with the criteria of DCAA? If possible, could an explanation of indirects and accounting procedure satisfy this DCAA requirement? Are respondents required to have DCAA Forward Pricing Agreement? | To be eligible for a base award, the Contractor is required to submit a DCAA letter and DCAA approved rates (to include Provisional Billing Rates). Respondents are not required to submit DCAA Forward Pricing Agreements, but may do so within their proposal. |
Section L
| COMPANY QUESTION | GOVERNMENT ANSWER | |
| Section L, 1. Introduction, b. Set #2: Other than stating that Set #2 Sample TO 0001 contains 2 Volumes (Volume I-Technical and Volume III-Price), there is no detail as to how the technical and cost volumes should be completed. Can instructions for the volumes be added? | A revised Task Order 0001 PWS will be released in formal solicitation. | |
| Section L, 3, a. File Packaging: Offerors are to submit 2 Sets of proposal files, Set #1 and Set #2. The government wants all proposal files zipped into one file. Can the government confirm that sets #1 and sets #2 are zipped into one proposal file? | Correct. | |
| Section L, 3. Proposal Files, (ii) Volume II – Past Performance: This section states “Offerors shall submit the first page of Government and/or commercial contracts for the prime offeror and each major subcontractor in performance or awarded during the past three (3) years? Does this mean you want a copy of the completed SF1449 or SF 33 from each contract used as past performance? | Yes. | |
| Section L, 3. Proposal Files, (iv) Volume IV – Solicitations, Offer and Award Documents and Certifications / Representations: By stating that we must fill-in and sign without modification, does this mean you would like us to sign and complete all fill-ins in the PDF solicitation and return the entire solicitation to you? | Yes. | |
| Section L, 3. Proposal Files, (ii) Volume II – Past Performance: How many past performance examples are required of the Prime? How many past performance examples are required of the sub/JV? | No more than five (5) for the Prime and no more than five (5) for the sub/JV (Reference Section M.2.c.). | |
| Section L, 3. Proposal Files, (b) Content Requirement: Can the Government confirm that the Summary Section/Brief Abstract is not part of the page count? Can the Summary Section/Brief Abstract be contained on one of the “i, ii, iii” pages like the cover and TOC so it is not included in the page count? Can you confirm that the actual response to the proposal requirements and evaluation criteria is what you refer to above as the “Narrative” discussion? Will the Government please clarify if the maximum page limit is 10 or 10 + 5 for each major subcontractor? Will the Government confirm we are to just submit the first page of the contracts referenced in the submitted past performance volume or do we submit ANY contract awarded within the past three years that are the same or similar to the requirements set forth in the soliciation? | Confirmed, the summary can be contained on one of the volume pages and not included in the page count. First page of the contracts will suffice. Maximum page limit is 10. | |
| Past Performance: Is there a restriction on the number of PP contracts that can be submitted – within the page count? | No more than five (5) for the Prime and no more than five (5) for the sub/JV (Reference Section M.2.c.). | |
| Section L, Past Performance: It states that the Government will focus its inquiries on the offeror’s (to include Major Subcontractors and Joint Venture Partners) record of performance as it relates to all solicitation requirements. It later states that if a Joint Venture is NOT assigned, then the Government will evaluate the Prime offeror. These requirements seem to contradict. To clarify, will the Government accept and review the Past Performances of both the Prime and it’s Major Subcontractor(s) in a non-Joint Venture teaming agreement, as it is traditional in most RFPs? Are subcontractors required to submit a sealed bid? | 1) The Government will evaluate the Prime Contractor and the Subcontractors in a non-Joint Venture proposal. 2) Subcontractors are not required to submit a sealed bid; they may be submitted with the Prime's offer. | |
| Is "Technical Documentation" part of (3) Section 3-Subfactor (c); or is it a stand alone section providing guidance on how to address Volume I and II requirements? | Technical Documentation is part of Section L.3.i Volume I - Technical. | |
| Technical Documentation requirements numbers 9) and 13): In both requirements, Offerors are instructed to describe local area employment markets. What is the government seeking? Information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics on employment metrics including unemployment rates, wages for specific labor categories and forecasted economic measures? | The Government requests that in their proposal, the Contractor conveys an understanding of the marketplace in relation to their ability to recruit/retain employees. | |
| Volume III – Cost, (c) Indirect Cost/Overhead Rates: If Subcontractor performance will be on a time and material cost basis, is it necessary to provide documentation to substantiate indirect expense rates? | The Contractor must provide documentation to substantiate indirect expense rates, in accordance with FAR 15.404-3. | |
| Section L, 1. Introduction: This section references an ASSIST2Industry account in which Prime Contractors can set up accounts for subcontractors for the purpose of responding to ENs. Later on this same page it mentions that AMRDEC SAFE will be used for "Any pages that are changed (as a result of negotiations or proposal revisions); will both systems be used post solicitation closing? | Proposals shall be submitted through AMRDEC. ASSIST2Industry will be used during the proposal evaluation and source selection process, as noted in Section L.1 of the solicitation. | |
| Section L, 1. Introduction: The section requires that each offeror provide the first page of each contract referenced in sections 1 and 2 of the volume. Does the Government have a preference as to where the contract cover pages are placed in the volume and will these count against page count? | Contract cover pages should be placed in the past performance section and are not part of the page count. | |
| Section L: The section requires that each offeror provide letters of commitment for all major Subcontractors for their past performance to be considered. Does the Government have a preference regarding where in the volume these letters are placed? | Letters of Commitments should be placed in past performance section and are not part of the page count. | |
| Section L: This section states "Offerors shall submit the first page of Government and/or commercial contracts for the prime offeror and each major Subcontractor in performance or awarded during the past three (3) years, from the issue date of this RFP, that is the same as or similar to, the scope, magnitude, and complexity of the work described by this solicitation." Can the Government clarify if it wants all contracts or only those provided as past performance citations? | The Government requests all contracts that are provided for the past performance evaluation. | |
| Section L.3.ii.2.b: This section requires provision of data concerning all manufacturing warranty returns. Does this clause apply to this effort? | Yes, it is the Government's intent to include this requirement in the final solicitation. | |
| Section L.3.ii.4: This section contains the sentence "Informaton should be included in the files described above." This sentence can be interpreted more than one way. Can the Government clarify its intent with regard to placement of the information in question? | Information should be included as part of the Section L.3.ii.2. | |
| Section L.3.ii.7: Small Business Participation Past Performance is not normally required for small business set-asides. Will this requirement be deleted in the final RFP? | Yes, this will be deleted in the formal solicitation. | |
| Section L.3.iii.b - Cost/Direct Labor Cost: References the technical factor and past performance. Is there a requirement to address either of these in this section with the Direct Labor Categories of the Cost volume? | Cost data should logically associate with the technical submission. | |
| L.3.iii.b - Cost/Direct Labor Cost: Are LOI’s required for all positions in the labor categories or only for key positions? | Letters of Commitments are required for the Basic PWS and Task Order 0001 PWS personnel. Please note, a revised Basic PWS and TO 0001 PWS will be released with the formal solicitation. | |
| Section L.3.ii.1.e: Will the Government describe the position of Pre-Award Monitor ((ii)(1)(e))? The past performance proposal instructions on p. 66 state “Relevant efforts are defined as services/efforts that are the same as or similar to providing the duty descriptions detailed for each labor category. Relevancy will be further evaluated based on services/efforts that occurred at a Government laboratory, an Army facility, or any location.” But the evaluation criteria on p. 81 specify magnitude of effort as a consideration in rating past performance relevancy. Will the Government provide clarification if magnitude of effort is both a direction in the past performance instructions and an evaluation factor? | ||
| Note: A bidder within the $15MM size standard for this procurement will likely not have past performance of similar magnitude to this $45MM effort. | A revised Section L.1.b will be included in the formal solicitation. | |
| Referencing Past Performance: Can the government clarify the number of past performances to submit for the Prime and for Major Subcontractors? What thresholds will ARL use to determine the applicability of past performance in terms of size and scope? Should the offeror submit past performance information for both the offeror and subcontractors? If there is a lower limit for relevant past performance in terms of contract value for the prime, what is that figure? | 1) No more than five (5) for the Prime and no more than five (5) for the sub/JV (Reference Section M.2.c.), 2) Threshold information is not available, 3) Yes, the offeror should submit past performance information for both the offeror and subcontractors, 4) There is no lower limit. | |
| Section L.3.ii Past Performance: Can the Government please further clarify what is meant by the “offeror” in the reference text and whether the offeror could include major subcontractors as defined by the DRFP? | The Offeror is the Prime. All Subcontractor data should be a part of the offer. | |
| Section L.2-3: Will the Government consider raising the page count to 50 pages so that all required information can be included in a clear and concise manner and still ensure completeness and compliance? | No. | |
| Section L.2: Nowhere else in the RFP does the Government discuss Letters of Intent, Contract Work Breakdown Structure, Letters of Commitments and Resumes. Are these artifacts required to ensure a compliant and complete proposal that would cause the Government to rate the proposal higher according to the evaluation criteria? | Yes. | |
| Section L.3.i.2.ii & iii: Is the Government asking that a complete recruitment and retention plan be developed and included in the offeror’s technical volume? | Yes, recruitment and retention plan is to be developed and included in the offeror's technical proposal. A revised Basic PWS and TO 0001 PWS will be included in the formal solicitation. | |
| Section L.3.i.3: Given the current page count limitations, will the Government allow the offerors to reference a past performance citation in the PP volume, as part of the examples in an effort to save space? | Yes. | |
| Section L.3.i: Is the Government requiring that each offeror develop and submit with the proposal a complete QASP in a contractor determined for all Government surveillance methodologies, performance requirements and metrics associated with the IDIQ MATOC RFP and Basic PWS, or a QASP that only describes the surveillance methodologies and performance requirements IAW paragraph C-13. Is it the Government’s intent to select the best QASP proposed and use a Government tailored version of that QASP for awarded contractor’s surveillance? Please clarify. | The Government will evaluate the QASP in accordance with Section L.3.i. | |
| Section L.3.ii: How many past performance citations are required/allowed of the prime 8a offeror and how many are required/Allowed of each major subcontractor? Will the Government also consider a prime offeror to include their major subcontractors (10% or higher contribution to the effort) if a copy of a fully executed teaming agreement is included in the proposal? Can the Government please provide guidance on the minimum and maximum number of citation required to meet the evaluation criteria for this effort? | 1) No more than five (5) for the Prime and no more than five (5) for the sub/JV (Reference Section M.2.c.). 2) No, the Government will not consider a prime offeror to include their major subcontractors. 3) No more than five (5) for the Prime and no more than five (5) for the sub/JV (Reference Section M.2.c.) | |
| Section L, 3.ii: Can the Government please clarify when the past performance questionnaires are due to the KO? | Past Performance questionnaires are due on the Request for Proposal (RFP) closing date. | |
| Section L, 3iii: Will the Government please provide a standardized pricing workbook with detailed instructions to ensure standardization of the data elements being proposed? | Standardized pricing workbook is not available by the Government. | |
| Section L.3.iii.b: 1) Can the Government please explain what is meant by being “-5% higher in price”? Higher in price than what? 2) Can the Government please explain how this SSA discretion capability will be put into effect? It would be appreciated if the Government could provide an example using hypothetical prices from multiple offerors to facilitate understanding. Can the Government please clarify the basis and where offerors should obtain the information for the following DRFP requirement: The Offeror shall list contractor furnished supplies and equipment with unit and total costs, and the basis of the proposed costs (quote, purchase order, historic price, estimate, lease, etc.). | 1) 'Higher in price' refers to +/-5% higher than what was estimated for this effort, but is an amount that is determined as reasonable and realistic. 2) A revised TO 0001 PWS will be provided in the formal solicitation, to include materials, equipment, etc. | |
| Section L.3.iii.II.e.ii: Can the Government please clarify the basis for the following DRFP requirement: Any additional travel proposed for activities related to the performance of the proposed contract shall be detailed in the proposal, and the following information shall be provided: the trip’s purpose, departure/arrival points, number of persons traveling, number of trips, trip duration, and proposed costs (airfare, car rental, per diem, and other expenses). In addition, the Offeror shall discuss the basis for the proposed costs, pricing methods, and, as applicable, its policy on travel. The Offeror shall indicate whether the proposed trips are priced to take advantage of advance booking or other discounts. | Reference ODC/Travel plug numbers provided in section L.3.iii.e (ODCs). | |
| Section L, 3.iii.Iie.iii: Travel requirements will be limited to CONUS and possibly some overseas locations, but none that would require Danger Pay or DBA insurance. Please clarify? | Correct. Danger Pay or DBA Insurance is not applicable to this effort. | |
| Section L.2-3: Is the Acronym List page(s) also excluded from the page count? | Yes. | |
| Submission requirements: Will the government consider allowing a font size for graphics no smaller than 8 point type in the Arial font family and a font size for tables no smaller than 10 point type in the Arial font family? Will the Government accept a previous Microsoft Word version as long as that version is compatible with Microsoft Office 2013? | Please reference Section L.2 of the solicitation. |
Section M
| COMPANY QUESTION | GOVERNMENT ANSWER |
| Section M, Factor 2 Past Performance: Is the requirement for Past Performance 10 Pages total or per Past Performance Reference submitted? Can the Government provide clarification of the extent a prime contractor may use Subcontractor Past Performance? For example, if an 8(a) is a new entity and does not have the requisite past performance, can subcontractor past performance suffice for evaluation purposes? Can a contractor provide Past Performance other than relevant to the Army that is similar in size, scope and relevancy to the PWS requirements? | There is a 10 page maximum for the Past Performance volume. Subcontractor Past Performance can be provided as part of that package. |
| Section M, 2. Past Performance Evaluation Approach (c): Offerors are instructed to submit the first page of Government and/or commercial contracts for prime offeror and each major Subcontractor in performance or awarded during the past three (3) years from the issue date of this RFP. Is there a limit to the number of contracts to be submitted, because for a large business that will be performing as a subcontractor on this effort, that could be dozens of contracts. | No more than five (5) for the Prime and no more than five (5) for the sub/JV (Reference Section M.2.c.) |
| TECHNICAL EVALUATION APPROACH, FACTOR I & SUBFACTORS, Subfactor (a): Management & Personnel. Availability: Does this requirement apply to positions covered by the Service Contract Act (SCA) who are covered by Executive Order 13495 Nondisplacement of Qualified Workers Under Service Contracts “Right of First Refusal.” If so, will the Government make available a list of incumbent employees assigned to those positions? | No, an incumbent list of employees is not available at this time. |
| Joint Ventures: How does the Government define new corporate entities? For new corporate entities such as Joint Ventures that have no financial statements - are financial statements from the partner companies acceptable? | 1) New corporate entities is defined as Approved Army/DoD Mentor Protégé Agreements, Joint Venture and Teaming Arrangements. 2) Yes. |
| Section M: Will the Government be providing a standard response spreadsheet for entering costs in the final solicitation or are offerors expected to use their own format? | Contractor's format will be accepted. |
| Section M: If contractor support is used in the evaluation process, will their company be unable to compete for this contract due to Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI) issues? | Correct, if Contractor support is used in the evaluation process, their company will be unable to compete for this anticipated contract due to OCI issues. |
| Section M: Can the Government define "of a similar nature"? Did the Government mean similar to the requirements of the PWS? | "Similar nature" is defined as comparable work. |
| Section M: If two (2) companies have a SBA approved Mentor Protégé Agreement and a SBA approved Joint Venture in place to respond to Government procurements, will the Government accept this relationship in the same vein as an Army Approved Mentor Protégé as discussed in the Draft PWS? | Yes, the Government will accept SBA agreements. |
| Will there be a separate evaluation process for the actual TO vs the IDIQ level proposal? | Yes, reference Section L.1 in the solicitation. |
| Section M: How much (percentage) past performance must have been executed by the offeror? Can the team composition make up a large percentage of the past performance? | The Government will evaluate the offer inclusive of associated offerors. |
| Will the government accept past performance at a different agency? | Yes. |
| Section M: How will the Government determine which contract awardee gets the first Task Order? Can a company be awarded the basic IDIQ while not be deemed best value for the Task Order? | The Evaluation Criteria in Section M will determine the awardees. Yes, a company may be issued a base contract, without being awarded the first TO. |
| Section M, C.1: Can the Government please clarify whether a management plan is required to be developed and submitted as part of the offeror proposal or only the management and personnel requirements as stated in section L. | Yes, a management plan is required as part of the offeror's proposal. |
| Section M, C.1.b.II: Can the Government please clarify their intent for the QASP being a subcomponent of the retention plan and why the modified is outside of page count while the Retention Plan is inside page count? | 1) The purpose of the QASP as a subcompenent of the retention plan is to further define how the Contractor shall meet the requirements of the retention plan. 2) The QASP is outside the page count, as it's a TO deliverable. |
| Section M: Can the Government provide a more detailed requirement for the Sample Task Order 0001 through which to base our approach IAW the three evaluation subfactors. | A revised Task Order 0001 PWS will be released in formal solicitation. |
| Section M: Section M reference states that the Government will evaluate IAW “this plan”, but does not appear to provide the plan being referred to. 1) Can the Government please clarify what plan is be referred to and provide a copy of the plan? 2) The DRFP refers to the form”s” and questionnaire”s” in Appendix D, yet only the PPAQ form/questionnaire is provided in Appendix D. Can the Government please provide the other forms and questionnaires that are referenced elsewhere in Section L (e.g. the Past Performance Description form that is described but not provided). Provide a form will ensure a consistent and standard method through which proposals can be consistently evaluated. | 1) "This plan" refers to the entire evaluation plan that is Section M. 2) Draft RFP updated to reflect only Past Performance Questionnaire language. PP Questionnaire will be a revised attachment in Section J of the formal solicitation. |
Basic PWS
| COMPANY QUESTIONS | GOVERNMENT ANSWER |
| PWS C.3.5: The current admin contract requires pre-employment physicals for new employees, but not for incumbent hiring’s, nor does it require termination physicals. Does the Government anticipate the same requirement or will the Government require pre-assignment and termination physical examinations as described on page 4 of the draft SOW (Section C.3.5, Safety/Medical Requirements)? If some positions do not require pre-assignment physical examinations, can you please provide a list of these labor categories? | 1) The Contractor is required to provide personnel with pre-assignment and termination physical examinations. Incumbent hires with a prior health screening do not need to repeat pre-employment physical examination. 2) All labor categories require pre-assignment physical examinations, unless the incumbent hire has a prior health screening, as noted above. |
| Could the Government please clarify that the on-site Program Manager is a billable position to the base IDIQ, even without any Task-Orders? | No positions are billable to the base IDIQ. A PM would only be operating under a TO. |
| Is there a minimum TO amount/FTEs for this Program Manager requirement? For example, if the TO consists of only 1 FTE, are the contractors still required to staff 1 full-time, onsite Program Manager? | The Government will solicit TO proposals that will require at least one (1) PM FTE. |
| PWS C.3: How will performance results or status be communicated back to the contractor? How will contractor corrective actions be reported? | CPARS Submissions and coordination with the COR and TO COR. |
| PWS C.4.2: Are additional key personnel to be required on a per TO basis? If, so can the Key Personnel categories be identified in the final RFP? | A revised Task Order 0001 PWS will be released in the formal solicitation |
| PWS C.3.5.4: Will safety certification and qualifications be specified by position by TO as they do not appear to be identified in Appendix A Job Descriptions? Or are they considered to be covered by the general safety training identified in sections C.3.5.6 through C.3.5.10? | A revised Task Order 0001 PWS will be released in formal solicitation and will include Safety section. The Contractor shall adhere to the safety requirements in the base PWS and TO 0001 PWS. |
| PWS C.3.5.3: Does the 24 hour reporting requirement include weekends? | No. |
| PWS C.3.2.1: If documents are produced by the contractor from material provided by the customer, who is responsible for determining the appropriate classification markings? | Contractor is responsible for determing the appropriate classificiation markings. |
| PWS C.4.7: Mandatory Training, states that “contractor personnel may be required to attend training sessions pertaining to technical projects.” Will Contractor personnel be paid to attend this mandatory training, or is the Contractor expected to absorb these mandatory training attendance costs as a part of its indirect rates? | Contractor will bill training hours as direct under contract performance. |
| PWS C.4.8 Surge Requirements: Is historic data available to provide Offerors with a rough order of magnitude estimate of the number of surge hours to be expected in a typical year of performance, or will some common example surge scenarios be provided in the RFP? Given in-processing time-frames, how does the government expect the contract to staff surge requirements within four hour notices? Is the Government expecting the contractor to carry these resources in anticipation for the task? How often do such surge periods occur within any given year of performance? | Current incumbent is Global Support Services, LLC, W911QX-13-C-0057, however historical data is not available. |
| PWS C.6 Place of Performance: This section lists three primary sites where performance will be accomplished, two at Aberdeen Proving Ground and one in Adelphi. Section C.4.3 states there is only one (1) onsite Program Manager. To which particular site does this one (1) Program Manager report daily? What are the travel expectations for the Program Manager to travel to the other main site(s), as these primary locations are approximately 60 miles apart? | A revised Basic PWS and Task Order 0001 PWS will be released in formal solicitation. |
| PWS C.12 Travel: Can the Government provide Offerors with any historic data pertaining to the typical amount of travel required during an average year of performance of the contract, to enable Offerors to provide more accurate travel cost estimates in their bids? | Current incumbent is Global Support Services, LLC, W911QX-13-C-0057, however historical data is not available. Please also reference ODC/Travel plug numbers provided in section L.3.iii.e (ODCs). |
| PWS C.4.2.1: Does the following sentence mean the 30-day clock for a position vacancy is suspended during the time ARL takes to evaluate the proposed candidate for the open position? Please clarify: “The number of days a candidate is under review and consideration by ARL shall not count toward s the Vacancy Period.” | Yes. |
| PWS C.4.2.2: When the COR performs the tasks described in this section, is the 30-day clock for the Vacancy Period also suspended in the same manner as described in section C.4.2.1, Vacancies? Does section C.4.2.2 constitute “days a candidate is under review and consideration by ARL”? Please clarify. In the event of a vacancy that extends beyond 30 days, does the Government expect a contractor to pay twice the direct labor rate? | 1) Yes. 2) Yes. 3) In the event a vacancy extends beyond the 30 days, the Government will notify the Contractor of a reduction in fee via modification equivalent to two (2) times the original un-incurred direct labor rate for each hour beyond the 30 days allowed. |
| PWS C.7.2 Extended Work Hours: Does the following phrase from this section of the draft SOW mean that Extended Hours are to be treated differently from overtime (which typically pays workers time and a half per each hour of overtime worked): “Any services performed by Contractor personnel that extend beyond the eighty (80) hours in a bi-week calendar month is considered extended and shall be billed at non-premium rates”? Does this in turn mean overtime is prohibited on this contract? Please clarify. | All extended work over eighty (80) hours for an employee must be approved by the TO COR. A revised Basic PWS will be included in formal solicitation. |
| Key Personnel: Can/Will the key personnel be directly billable to the contract? Which positions are considered key personnel? And, which positions require resumes to be submitted with the proposal? | The Government won't dictate how the Contractor bills, but presumably the Key Personnel would bill direct costs for hours, directly supporting the effort. |
| FTEs: Can the Government provide any historical data regarding the current number of FTE’s supporting this contract for pricing purposes? | Current incumbent is Global Support Services, LLC, W911QX-13-C-0057, however historical data is not available. |
| PWS C.3.1 (Basic Directorate Support Services): Will there be an equal share of Task Orders for all Labor Categories or will one type of support (i.e. Program Management, Administrative Support) be more prevalent under the IDIQ? | Task Orders and the labor categories on each TO will be based on ARL's need going forward. |
| PWS Section C.4.3.2 Key personnel: Contractors are required to ensure that the Project Manager meets the education and experience requirements. If a proposed Project Manager (PM) has been with DoD and performed PM roles for more than 5 years, can that work experience be substituted for the educational background requirement with the understanding that the PM completes the PMP examination within 90 days of contract award? Additionall, the draft PWS states the Program Manager must have a Bachelors degree from an accredited school. If the proposed PM has a Bachelors degree from a non-accredited school but holds a Masters degree from an accredited school, is this sufficient to meet the requirement? | 1) No, work experience cannot be substituted for the educational background requirement; 2) Yes, updated Basic PWS will be included in formal solicitation. |
| PWS C.5 Security clearance requirements: Is the Government open to allowing a Contractor to be the Prime of this contract even though they do not have a Top Secret Facility Clearance at this time? Will the Government accept obtaining of clearance after award? Would the Government sponsor a Top Secret clearance? Will the subcontractor be required to have Facility Clearance prior or after award? | Only Secret security clearance is required on this effort and a revised Basic PWS will reflect that requirement in the formal solicitation. |
| PWS C.3.5.7 Personnel Protective Equipment (PPE): It is stated that the Contractor shall provide basic required industrial PPE for Contractor employees. Not all companies will purchase PPE for their employees. Rather, as a condition of employment, companies will require employees to purchase their own PPE that is not furnished by the employer. Recommend the wording of the statement be changed to read, “Contractor personnel shall be required to utilize the basic required industrial PPE in accordance with current ANSI and OSHA standards and as necessary to fulfill the specific Government requirement.” Are OSHA reporting policies followed? | 1) The Contractor shall provide basic industrial PPE for Contractor employees. The Basic PWS language will not be revised to reflect recommendation. 2)Yes, OSHA reporting policies are to be followed for this effort. |
| PWS C.12 Travel: This section states "Contractors shall consider the use of non- refundable tickets when efficiency and mission requirements allow." Can each individual travel request require the Government to specify whether or not non-refundable tickets are to be used? | Travel will be executed in accordance with FAR 31.205-46. Travel selections shall take into consideration economy and convenience for the Government, unless otherwise justified. |
| Basic PWS C.2: Provides a list of the required support and C.3 identifies three possible locations. Can the Government clarify which of the positions identified in C.2 will be located at which of the locations identified in C.3? | Position locations will be defined in the subsequent Task Orders. A revised Task Order 0001 PWS will be released in formal solicitation. |
| Basic PWS, section C.3.2: The first paragraph of this section states "The Management Plan…". Is this meant to convey that the contractor is being asked to provide a "Management Plan" as a CDRL? The second paragaph of this section addresses "key personnel". Can the Government clarify if the contractor is to identify who it considers a key person or if the Government will specify wwhich positions are to be considered key. For example, the PWS for the sample task that was included with this solicitation does not address key personnel. Does that imply there are no key personnel associated with this task? | 1) Yes, Management Plan is a CDRL. A revised A revised Basic PWS, Task Order 0001 PWS, and CDRLs will be released in formal solicitation 2) Key Personnel is included in the Basic PWS section C.4.3. |
| PWS C.3.5.2: Can the Government define which positions are "testing designated positions"? | Testing designated positions will be identified in future TO RFPs. |
| PWS C.4.5: This section indicates specific information to be contained in the contractor's recruitment and retention plan. Section L.3(i) of the Draft Solicitation provides different guidance on what the plan is to provide. Which guidance is the contractor to follow? This section states that the "recruitment and retention plan" is to provide "labor rates and pay bands". Section L.3(iii) of the draft solicitation states that the Cost Volume of the proposal is to provide labor rates and pay bands. Does the Government want this information in both the Technical and the Cost Volumes of the proposal? | 1) Yes, the Government wants the recruitment and retention plan to describe how the proposed labor rates and pay bands will support recruitment and retention of qualified employees. 2) The labor rates and pay bands information should be in both the Technical and Cost Volumes of the offeror's proposal. |
| PWS C.7: This section requires the contractor to provide a telework plan. Can the Government please confirm that this is a CDRL and that it is not a part of our proposal? This section states that "part-time positions are anticipated." Will the individual TO's specifiy which positions are considered part time? The statement "any services performed by Contractor personnel that extend beyond the eighty (80) hours in a bi-week calendar month is considered extended and shall be billed at non-premium rates" appears to conflict with clause 52.222-2 of the draft solicitation. That clause states "The use of overtime is authorized under this contract if the overtime premium cost does not exceed $0.00 or the overtime premium is paid for work", such as "indirect-labor employees such as those performing duties in connection with administration, protection, transportation, maintenance, standby plant protection, operation of utilities, or accounting". Can the Government clarify the conflict? | 1) Yes, the telework plan is part of the Management Plan CDRL. A CDRLs attachment will be included in the formal solicitation. 2) Yes, the TO PWS will specify which positions are part-time and full-time. A revised TO 0001 PWS will be included in the formal solicitation. 3) The contents (dollar amount) of FAR 52.222-2 will be furnished at time of award. |
| PWS C.9: This section indicates that the monthly report is to provide information such as "Is the job progressing on schedule", "What is the percent of completion", and "What is the dollar value completed". Can the Government clarify if this information pertains to specific tasks within TO's? This section requires the contractor to submit all reports and deliverables "to the COR for inspection and acceptance." Other sections of the PWS make a distinction between the "COR" and the "TO COR" (e.g. C.9.1). Can the Government clarify if "COR" as used in this section is the COR or TO COR? | All reporting will be done at the Task Order level. A revised Basis PWS and Task Order 0001 PWS will be released in formal solicitation. |
| What are the restrictions on Government computers? (Contractor owned SharePoint sites, etc)? | Government computers may be used to acccess Contractor owned SharePoint sites. |
| Referencing PWS C.4.2: Are rapid support turnaround task order requests competitive in nature? That is, does more than one IDIQ prime have to submit for evaluation? Referencing PWS, section C.3.5.8 Hazardous Conditions: Are there any other company insurance requirements to insure employee's and companies that work in hazardous environments? Will all the labor categories be working in the Hazardous Conditions described in the PWS or only certain ones? Referencing PWS, section C.4.2.1 Vacancies: The number of days a candidate is under review and consideration by ARL shall not count towards the Vacancy Period. What is the average number of days during the candidate consideration period? Referencing PWS, section C.4.3 Key Personnel: Will the key personnel, nominated in the proposal, be required to start on contract day one or does the offer has the liberty to change key personnel if needed? Referencing PWS, section C.3.2: Will the government provide a list of examples of functions considered to be inherently governmental functions for this contract in order that the contractor may successfully manage performance and its personnel? | Surge Task Order RFPs will be competitive, if time allows, unless there is an exception to fair opportunity under FAR 16.505(b)(2). |
| PWS requires PM, Supervisors, Team Leads but these labor categories are not included in Appendix A and Sample PWS. Will the govt. pay for hours worked by these employees? | Yes, the Government will pay for all billable hours. |
| Referencing Key Personnel: Is identifying the Program Manager sufficient as "key personnel" or does the government desire vendors to “include supervisors, team leads, Task Order Leads or any other mix based on the proposed management plan.” | The offeror shall propose adequate management and personnel in accordance with Sections L and M of the solicitation. |
| If a candidate has an MBA, does the candidate for the PM position ALSO require a PMP, or is the MBA sufficient to meet the requirements of the labor category? Additionally, if the PMP is required in addition to the MBA, is it acceptable to attain the PMP within 90 days of contract award? | A revised Basic PWS will be included in the formal solicitation, however referene Basic PWS C.4.3.2. |
| Is the Transition Phase of the new contract anticipated to be 30 calendar days in duration? If not, what is the anticipated duration of the Transition Phase? Will the Government please provide the rulesets and roles for the workflows and approvals to allow the offeror to adequately assess the effort required to complete this during phase-in? | 1) Yes, the transition phase of the new contract is 30 days; 2) No, the Government will not provide rulesets and roles. |
| Considering this is a multiple award contract, how will the Government safeguard against contractors hiring employees who are already on staff under another awardee (in order to avoid the 30 day penalty)? | The Government does not have Safeguard procedures currently in place and does not get involved with the hiring practices of Contractors. |
| If the contractor is responsible to provide supplies, materials, equipment and property required for performance at their own expense, unless otherwise documented as provided by the Government.", what is the extent of this financial responsibility? Is this limited to elements that we bring in, or does this extend to refresh or augmentation of the customer equipment? Is there a list of property (equipment and material) the contractor is expected to furnish? Or an average annual cost of the contractor furnished property (equipment and material)? | Reference Basic PWS C.11. A revised TO 0001 PWS will be in the formal solicitation, to include any necessary Contractor supplies/materials/equipment. |
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