Solicitation_Questions_and_Answers_(Final_KO-Customer_Approved).pdf

Customer and KO Responses to Contractor submitted Questions:

Contractor Submitted Question #1: Must the contractor already have a Secret Facility Clearance or will they be able to apply for one during the contract term?

Government Customer Response: They must have a secret clearance prior to assuming the job because the government facility where the contract will be performed is a secured facility.

Contracting Officer / Contract Specialist Response: The Contractor must have a Secret Facility Clearance on Day 1 of the Contract’s Period of Performance. The Contractor’s home facility does NOT need to be a Secured Secret Facility as almost all of the work for this contract shall be completed in Government Facilities that require a “Secret” clearance for access. Apologies for the misunderstanding on the DD256.

Contractor Submitted Question #2: Almost 100% of the contract performance will be conducted at the Government's Facility, why is the Secret Facility Clearance necessary?

Government Customer Response: The XVIII Airborne Corps KM office is in a secret facility so 99% of the contract performance being conducted will require a secret clearance.

Contracting Officer / Contract Specialist Response: This is a contractual requirement based on the customer needs. The Contractor must have a Secret Facility Clearance on day 1 of the Contract’s Period of Performance

Question references:

4.2 Secret Facility Clearance: The Contractor shall possess and maintain a SECRET facility clearance from the Defense Security Service. The Contractor’s employees, performing work in support of this contract, shall have been granted a SECRET security clearance from the Defense Industrial Security Clearance Office. The DD254 is provided as Technical Exhibit #4.

2.1.7 FACILITY CLEARANCE. A facility clearance (FCL) is an administrative determination that, from a national security standpoint, a facility is eligible for access to classified information at the same or lower classification category as the clearance being granted. The FCL may be granted at the Confidential, Secret, or Top Secret level. The FCL includes the execution of a Department of Defense Security Agreement (DD Form 441). Under the terms of the agreement, the Government agrees to issue the FCL and inform the Contractor as to the security classification of information to which the Contractor will have access.

Contractor Submitted Question #3: Would you be able to tell me if there is an incumbent contractor for this requirement? If so, could you please provide the contractor name and the contract number that was awarded?

Contracting Officer / Contract Specialist Response: All current contract information is a matter of public knowledge, and can be found at www.fpds.gov. Reference contract, W91247-15-P-http://www.fpds.gov/

Contractor Submitted Question #4: Has a contractor performed similar work to this for the government in the past? If available, please provide the incumbent contract number. I am hoping to find out if there is an incumbent contractor currently performing these services or if this is a new requirement. If there is an incumbent, could you please provide the contract number?

Contracting Officer / Contract Specialist Response: All current contract information is a matter of public knowledge, and can be found at www.fpds.gov. Reference contract, W91247-15-P-

Contractor Submitted Question #5: PWS 1.15.1.1, p. 30., “All SharePoint System Integration Specialists shall have current certifications on MCSA, .Net, ASP.Net, HTML, JavaScript, C#, and CSS software applications.” Given that the solicitation explicitly prohibits writing new software code (PWS 1.2.2 Scope: subparagraph a., p.22.), will the government clarify the requirement for all the programming language certifications?

Government Customer Response: While the solicitation “explicitly prohibits” writing new software code the requirement to enhance the functionality still exists. The government requires the MCSA or MCSE certification but will accept experience with .Net, ASP.Net, HTML, JavaScript, C#, and CSS software applications.

Contracting Officer / Contract Specialist Response: Please ensure that all offers reflect the Government Customer’s explicitly stated qualifications

Contractor Submitted Question #6: PWS 1.15.2.9, pp. 32-33., The table references PWS paragraphs that do not align with this solicitation’s PWS. There are two instances of PWS 5.2 listed in the table. There is no mention in the PWS of 5.1 and 5.5 outside the table referenced here. PWS 5.4 and the instance of PWS 5.2 at the bottom of the table are reference elsewhere in the solicitation. Request the government update the table, clarify the mapping of this solicitation’s PWS requirements to IAT requirements, and identify which of the functional categories must be addressed in vendor’s proposal.

Government Customer Response: There was two 5.2 accidently added but the 5.2 at the bottom of the table is the correct 5.2 which calls for an IT-II.

Contracting Officer / Contract Specialist Response: Apologies for any misunderstanding caused by the Typo.

Contractor Submitted Question #7: PWS 1.15.1.1, p. 30., “All SharePoint System Integration Specialists shall have current certifications on MCSA, .Net, ASP.Net, HTML, JavaScript, C#, and CSS software applications.” It is not normal to see certification requirements in programming languages. Is the requirement for certification on MCSA and experience with all or some of the other listed items? Request clarification.

Government Customer Response: The government requires the MCSA or MCSE certification but will accept experience with .Net, ASP.Net, HTML, JavaScript, C#, and CSS software applications.

Contracting Officer / Contract Specialist Response: Please ensure that all offers reflect the Government Customer’s explicitly stated qualifications

Contractor Submitted Question #8: PWS 1.15, p. 30., Special Qualifications. Will the government allow experience in lieu of certificates if proficiency can be demonstrated through work performed previously? Recommend the government allow 10+ years of understanding and use of SharePoint applications in lieu of Microsoft Certified SharePoint Solutions Associates (MCSA) certificate. Also, recommend the government accept 10+ years of technical experience with SharePoint and enterprise content management in lieu of Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE) certificate.

Government Customer Response: The Government requires the MCSA or MCSE certification but will accept experience with .Net, ASP.Net, HTML, JavaScript, C#, and CSS software applications. The government will not accept 10+ years in lieu of an MCSA or MCSE certificate.

Contracting Officer / Contract Specialist Response: Please ensure that all offers reflect the Government Customer’s explicitly stated qualifications

Contractor Submitted Question #9: PWS Technical Exhibit 3, p. 53., Tasks associated with each labor category in the table are not found elsewhere in the solicitation. For example, SharePoint Content Management/PM- (MCSE) (PWS Sections 1.15.1.2 & 5.1.1.1) where 5.1.1.1 is not found or defined. Request clarification.

Government Customer Response: SharePoint Content Management PM PWS Section 1.15.1.2 found on page 30 and 5.1.1.1 was a typo and was supposed to be 5.1.1 User Support Maintenance/Updates referenced under Part 5 Specific Tasks.

Contracting Officer / Contract Specialist Response: Apologies for the typo in the PWS. Please submit offers IAW the Government Customer’s Response.

Contractor Submitted Question #10: PWS 1.11.3 Hours of Operation. Does the government anticipate any OCONUS travel?

Government Customer Response: The Government does not anticipate any OCONUS Travel.

Contracting Officer / Contract Specialist Response: In the unlikely event the Government requires OCONUS Travel, a Change Order can be made to add additional funds to the Contract as needed.

Contractor Submitted Question #9: PWS p. 10., “Evaluation criteria consist of two (2) evaluation factors. The offers shall be evaluated under the following evaluation factors: a. Factor 1: Mission Capability, b. Factor 2: Price.” Will the government accept each factor as a separate volume and sent as an email with each volume as its own attachment? Please confirm that the SF1449 and the reps and certs should be included in pricing volume or provide guidance as to where to include?

Contracting Officer / Contract Specialist Response: The Government will accept both factors as one (1) volume or two (2) separate volumes with the information requested in the SF1449 and

Reps - Certs submitted in the Mission Capability Volume. You can submit both volumes as the same or separate attachments, its up to you.

Please make sure your PDF document titles attached to your email however contain no special characters (letters and numbers) only as this will cause MICC Fort Bragg IT Security Settings to block the PDF attachments, in your email.

Contractor Submitted Question #9: PWS 1.12.2, p. 27., Common Access Card Issuance:

“Contractor personnel shall be required to obtain a CAC at least ten (10) work days prior to start of Base Contract Period or prior to performance under this contract, whichever comes first.” As it will not be possible to obtain a CAC for any new hire prior to award, and award is within seven days of start of base contract period, request the government clarify when CACs will be required for new hires.

Contracting Officer / Contract Specialist Response: CAC is required as described in the PWS;

new hires will need to have a CAC card on day one of Contract Performance. I was able to obtain a CAC card within one day of starting work at this Base. If there are problems obtaining a CAC card before the beginning of this Contract’s Period of Performance, please contact the Government Customer and we will work with you to expedite this process.

Contractor Submitted Question #10: The attached DD254, Item 1. Clearance and Safeguarding indicates that Safeguarding is required of the contractor in support of this effort.

That would indicate that the contractor will be possessing Secret classification information at their facility. This does not go along with the solicitation as all work appears to be performed on base at Fort Bragg.

Please confirm that there is no safeguarding requirement at the contractor's facility, and that a non-assuming contractor that holds a Top Secret facility clearance would be able to perform this work.

Government Customer Response: All work is done at Fort Bragg in our Secret Facility which requires that all the contractors have a minimum of a US Secret security clearance. There is no requirement to safeguard classified information at the Contractors facility as all work should be done at the government location whether at Bragg or another CONUS mission site. A non-assuming contractor that holds a US Top Secret security clearance would be able to perform this work and enter the government facility with the proper documentation (e.g. JPAS) sent to the security officer ahead of their arrival.

Contracting Officer / Contract Specialist Response: The contractor must have a Secret Facility Clearance on Day 1 of the Contract’s Period of Performance. The Contractor’s home facility does NOT need to be a Secured Secret Facility as almost all of the work for this contract shall be completed in Government Facilities that require a “Secret” clearance for access. Apologies for the misunderstanding on the DD256.

Contractor Submitted Question #10: Are there currently 5 incumbent employees?

Government Customer Response: No, currently there are 3 employees

Contracting Officer / Contract Specialist Response: All current contract information is a matter of public knowledge, and can be found at www.fpds.gov. Reference contract, W91247-15-P- 0039.

Contractor Submitted Question #11: Will a proposal be deemed “unacceptable” with less than five (5) FTE as suggested in paragraph 1.15.1.1?

Government Customer Response: Yes, it would be unacceptable because the requirement for five FTE stems from the current inability to SCRUM or execute larger projects with 3 personnel.

Contractor Submitted Question #12: Is there a SCA/WD applicable to this contract?

Government Customer Response: There is not an applicable SCA/WD for this contract.