IB08_RFP_Amendment_0004_Conformed.pdf

SEE ADDENDUM

(No Collect Calls)

W9124D19R0031 24-Sep-2019

b. TELEPHONE NUMBER

502.624.4962

8. OFFER DUE DATE/LOCAL TIME

02:00 PM 04 Nov 2019

5. SOLICITATION NUMBER 6. SOLICITATION ISSUE DATE

AUTHORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION

PREVIOUS EDITION IS NOT USABLE

STANDARD FORM 1449 (REV. 2/2012)

Prescribed by GSA – FAR (48 CFR) 53.212

(TYPE OR PRINT)

(SIGNATURE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER)

ADDENDA X ARE

26. TOTAL AWARD AMOUNT (For Gov t. Use Only )

23.

CODE 10. THIS ACQUISITION IS

SUCH ADDRESS IN OFFER

17b. CHECK IF REMITTANCE IS DIFFERENT AND PUT

BELOW IS CHECKED

TELEPHONE NO.

W9124D9. ISSUED BY

18b. SUBMIT INVOICES TO ADDRESS SHOWN IN BLOCK 18a. UNLESS BLOCK

7. FOR SOLICITATION

INFORMATION CALL:

a. NAME

JAMES D GNAGIE

2. CONTRACT NO. 3. AWARD/EFFECTIVE DATE 4. ORDER NUMBER

(TYPE OR PRINT)

30b. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER 30c. DATE SIGNED 31b. NAME OF CONTRACTING OFFICER

30a. SIGNATURE OF OFFEROR/CONTRACTOR 31a.UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

1 27a. SOLICITATION INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-1. 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-3. 52.212-5 ARE ATTACHED.X

25. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA

1. REQUISITION NUMBER

20.

ADDITIONAL SHEETS SUBJECT TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SPECIFIED.

OFFEROR TO COMPLETE BLOCKS 12, 17, 23, 24, AND 30

SOLICITATION/CONTRACT/ORDER FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS

ARE NOT ATTACHED

27b. CONTRACT/PURCHASE ORDER INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-5 IS ATTACHED. ADDENDA ARE ARE NOT ATTACHED

(BLOCK 5), INCLUDING ANY ADDITIONS OR CHANGES WHICH ARE

SET FORTH HEREIN, IS ACCEPTED AS TO ITEMS:

. YOUR OFFER ON SOLICITATION

28. CONTRACTOR IS REQUIRED TO SIGN THIS DOCUMENT AND RETURN

% FOR:SET ASIDE:UNRESTRICTED OR X

SMALL BUSINESS

17a.CONTRACTOR/ CODE FACILITY

OFFEROR CODE

MISSION AND INSTALLATION CONTRACTING CMD

MICC FORT KNOX

BLDG 1109B STE 250

199 6TH AVE

FORT KNOX KY 40121-5720

18a. PAYMENT WILL BE MADE BY CODE

RATED ORDER UNDER

DPAS (15 CFR 700)

13a. THIS CONTRACT IS A

13b. RATING

CODE15. DELIVER TO CODE W58FGZ 16. ADMINISTERED BY

12. DISCOUNT TERMS11. DELIVERY FOR FOB DESTINA-

TION UNLESS BLOCK IS

MARKED

SEE SCHEDULE

14. METHOD OF SOLICITATION

RFQ IFB RFPX

U S ARMY RECRUITING COMMAND HQ

U S ARMY RECRUITING COMMAND HQ

BLDG 1307 3RD AVE

FORT KNOX KY 40121-5000

TEL: 502-624-8638 FAX:

FAX:

TEL: 502-624-2153 SERVICE-DISABLED

VETERAN-OWNED

SMALL BUSINESS

X 8(A)

HUBZONE SMALL

BUSINESS

SIZE STANDARD:

$16,500,000

NAICS:

541611

OFFER DATED

29. AWARD OF CONTRACT: REF.

DELIVER ALL ITEMS SET FORTH OR OTHERWISE IDENTIFIED ABOVE AND ON ANY

COPIES TO ISSUING OFFICE. CONTRACTOR AGREES TO FURNISH AND

EMAIL:

TEL:

31c. DATE SIGNED

SEE SCHEDULE

SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES/ SERVICESITEM NO. QUANTITY UNIT UNIT PRICE AMOUNT

24.22.21.19.

WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS (WOSB)

ELIGIBLE UNDER THE WOMEN-OWNED

SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM

EDWOSB

32g. E-MAIL OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE

SOLICITATION/CONTRACT/ORDER FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS

(CONTINUED)

PAGE 2 OF100

ACCEPTED, AND CONFORMS TO THE CONTRACT, EXCEPT AS NOTED: ______________________________________________________

32a. QUANTITY IN COLUMN 21 HAS BEEN

RECEIVED INSPECTED

32b. SIGNATURE OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT

REPRESENTATIVE

32c. DATE 32d. PRINTED NAME AND TITLE OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT

REPRESENTATIVE

32e. MAILING ADDRESS OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE 32f . TELEPHONE NUMBER OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE

37. CHECK NUMBER

FINALPARTIALCOMPLETE

36. PAYMENT35. AMOUNT VERIFIED

CORRECT FOR

34. VOUCHER NUMBER

FINAL

33. SHIP NUMBER

PARTIAL

38. S/R ACCOUNT NUMBER 39. S/R VOUCHER NUMBER 40. PAID BY

41a. I CERTIFY THIS ACCOUNT IS CORRECT AND PROPER FOR PAYMENT

41b. SIGNATURE AND TITLE OF CERTIFYING OFFICER 41c. DATE

42a. RECEIVED BY (Print)

42b. RECEIVED AT (Location)

42c. DATE REC'D (YY/MM/DD) 42d. TOTAL CONTAINERS

STANDARD FORM 1449 (REV. 2/2012) BACK

Prescribed by GSA – FAR (48 CFR) 53.212

AUTHORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION

PREVIOUS EDITION IS NOT USABLE

SEE SCHEDULE

20.

SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES/ SERVICES

21.

QUANTITY UNIT

22. 23.

UNIT PRICE

24.

AMOUNT

19.

ITEM NO.

W9124D19R0031

Section SF 1449 - CONTINUATION SHEET

Administrative Support Services

Questions and Answers

Q.1. What is the existing contract number, incumbent, and dollar value?

A.1. No Reference: W9124D19C0004, Choctaw Defense Services, $12,290,883.00

Q.2. Under existing contract, where are the Program Manager and Assistant Program Manager positions located?

A.2. No Reference: This information is proprietary to the incumbent contractor.

Q.3. The sentence "Magnitude is defined as, number of performance locations greater than or equal to 100 locations;

and greater than or equal to $20 million across contract life cycle" seems to be more for a large business than an 8a and we would like to confirm that this is accurate.

A.3. Reference: Addendum 52.212-1, D.2.c Subfactor 3; This is accurate.

Q.4. What does this statement mean in Exhibit 7 - “The government requires one General Clerk II at each of the 268 locations and three assistant program managers to supervise the 268 General Clerks II by region.” There are references to 2 assistant program managers required while this statement says 3 assistant program managers.

A.4. Reference: PWS para 1.6.11.2; The Government requires One (1) Program Manager and Two (2) Assistant Program Managers.

Q.5. What does this statement mean in Exhibit 7 - “The government requires one General Clerk II at each of the 268 locations and three assistant program managers to supervise the 268 General Clerks II by region.” Define the region you are referring to in this statement. What locations are each assistant program manager expected to supervise?

A.5. Reference: PWS TE 3; The language "by region" is removed. The Government is not responsible for determining the locations for the APM.

Q.6. Service computation date is very important to pricing considering the large number of FTEs and to keep all bidders on same bidding level. This work has been contracted out for many years and it is impossible to guess how long each incumbent employee has been in place. Please provide continuous service date for each position so we can bid appropriately.

A.6. Reference: PWS para 1.6.20.; Contractor shall secure the list of the incumbent employees to include the anniversary dates of employment for the incumbent employees. Contractor shall provide the awardee and the Government the list of incumbent employees to include the anniversary dates and minimize disruption caused during transition.

Q.7. Do you require a transition plan?

A.7. Reference: PWS para 1.5; The Government does not require a transition plan.

Q.8. Can the program manager provide support via contractor site/remote?

A.8. Reference: PWS para 4.2; Yes.

Q.9. For subfactor 3 (past performance), can you clarify the requirement to be acceptable? Does the past performance contract value need to be greater than $20M and support over 100 locations to be rated as acceptable?

A.9. Reference: Addendum 52.212-1, D.2.c Subfactor 3; The Government does not believe that additional clarification is warranted for subfactor 3 (Experience). The requirements stand as stated.

Q.10. Can you confirm that the PM needs to have 10 years of Army experience? Can we substitute specific Army experience for federal PM experience in the same functional area?

A.10. Reference: PWS para 1.6.11.1; The PM needs to meet the requirements of PWS para 1.6.11.1.

Q.11. The Wage Determinations are for 2015, we are now in 2019. Where are the various Brigades located, in an effort to compile pricing?

A.11. Reference: PWS TE 6; 1st Brigade - Fort Meade, MD; 2nd Brigade - Red Stone Arsenal, AL; 3rd Brigade - Fort Knox, KY; 5th Brigade - FT Sam Houston, TX; 6th Brigade - Nellis AFB, NV.

Q.12. Can we utilize past performance information from our subcontractor teaming partner?

A.12. No Reference: Past Performance is not being evaluated.

Q.13. Please clarify if the contract value is for a IDIQ and/or BPA or limited to a single Task Order?

A.13. Reference: Addendum 52.212-1, A.1.; The Government anticipates a single award of a Firm-Fixed-Priced contract from this solicitation.

Q.14. Can you use multiple task orders on an IDIQ or BPA as a single reference to show locations and dollar value?

A.14. Reference: Addendum 52.212-1, D.2.c; The Government will not accept aggregated IDIQ or BPA orders/calls to establish locations of dollar value.

Q.15. There are two different requirements for phase in. Page 45 (30 days) and Page 52 (two weeks) of the solicitation calls out 30 days and 2 weeks, respectively, for phase in. Request the Government provide clarification as to the phase in requirement.

A.15. Reference: PWS para 1.5 & 1.6.20; The phase-in period is 30 days.

Q.16. Is there a Microsoft Excel template the Government would like offerors to use to present their full pricing detail?

A.16. Reference: Addendum 52.212-1, C.2.a; The Government will not provide a template for pricing.

Q.17. Please confirm that subcontractors are required to submit the same level of pricing detail as prime contractors.

A.17. Reference: Addendum 52.212-1, D.3; Subcontractor, if applicable, shall submit pricing detail correlating to that required herein. Should subcontractor information be considered proprietary, subcontractor information shall be submitted to the KO and CS.

Q.18. Technical Exhibit 3 states “General Clerk II labor hours cited herein are predicated on a 1,560 Productive hour

– man-year.” Does this mean that the maximum productive hours worked at each location for a General Clerk II is 1,560 hours?

A.18. Reference: Technical Exhibit 3; 1,560 is the maximum number of productive hours the Government requires for a General Clerk II.

Q.19. Technical Exhibit 6: The DOL WD Revisions referenced in the exhibit appear to be outdated when a review of DOL’s Area Wage Determination’s is performed. Will the Government please advise if the WD Revisions referenced in Technical Exhibit 6 will be updated to reflect the latest revisions or if the Revisions cited in TE 6 will remain in effect?

A.19. Reference: Technical Exhibit 6; The Government will update Tech Exhibit 6, but it’s up to the Offeror to make sure they use the most up to date wage determinations from the Department of Labor.

Q.20. Technical Exhibit 6: There are several WD’s that provide for more than the 10 Holidays recognized in Section

1.6.3 in the PWS. Should the offeror maintain the 1,560 productive hours for each General Clerk II where additional holidays are accounted for in the referenced WD? Or should 1,560 productive hours remain the standard?

A.20. Reference: Technical Exhibit 3; 1,560 is the standard for productive hours for each part time General Clerk II.

Q.21. When General Clerk II’s are on scheduled leave or are on sick leave, will the Contractor be required to provide a fill in?

A.21. Reference: PWS para 5.16.2; Vacancies in excess of 10 days shall result in an invoice deduction for each excess day in an amount equal to the current SCA Wage Determination average across all locations for the General Clerk II, applicable to the contract period of performance at time of non-performance.

Q.22. PWS 5.16.2 and Technical Exhibit 1 reference that the “contractor shall man all 268 locations and fill vacancies within 10 work days” and “Vacancies that exceed 10 consecutive days will be deducted from that months invoice IAW FAR Clause 52.212-4(a); extended vacancies or a significant number of vacancies will be used to substantiate objectives ratings of performance in CPAR.” – What is the mechanism to deduct vacancies from the Monthly invoice? Will it be based on planned productive hours at the site? Or will it be based on the site’s daily bill rate? If we are required to provide pricing within the SF1449 – Schedule based on Monthly rates, should offerors include a monthly rate breakout by site, by period to support the total monthly rate?

A.22. Reference: PWS para 5.16.2; Vacancies in excess of 10 days shall result in an invoice deduction for each excess day in an amount equal to the current SCA Wage Determination average across all locations for the General Clerk II, applicable to the contract period of performance at time of non-performance.

Q.23. Can the government please provide a specific definition for "otherwise unable to perform duties?..." DOL requires that some employees earn up to 4 weeks of vacation based on their tenure on this contract. Is the government requiring a temporary back fill if the an employee takes vacation for more than 10 days? The Uniform Services Employment and Reemployment Act protects a Service Member's employment when activated. The government is requiring the offeror to back fill a vacancy and/or absence in 10 days. If a Service Member is activated for 30 days or less does the Government require the 10 day backfill? This would include employee on-boarding, training, and the Government approved suitability request completion. The temporary hire would have limited time to complete required on-boarding activities.

A.23. Reference: PWS para 5.16.2; Yes, any position left vacant for 10 days or longer must have a replacement.

Q.24. Given the fact that this is not a personal services contract, USAREC has 5 brigades and the number of people on this contract requiring management (268) are in 268 different locations, how does the Government propose that two APM's and one PM is an appropriate employee to management ratio? Typical ratios of management to staff employing industry best practices are 20:1 for administrative organizations.( https://louisvilleky.gov/sites/default/files/mayors_office/employee_manager_ratio_3-21-19_final_1.pdf

A.24. Reference: PWS 1.6.11.2; The onus remains with the offeror to determine the approach most suitable to meet the requirement based on their technical approach.

Q.25. The Government's proposed management structure does not allow an adequate supervisory workforce to support the needs of hundreds of people across the United States who do not have immediate supervisors in their locations. The specificity of the PWS and the LPTA assessment criteria placed on this contract limit vendors from proposing industry best practices when the Government specifically asks and requires this in Technical Capability Factor One. Would the Government consider updating the requirements for contract management to reflect industry best practices for employee to management ratios?

A.25. Reference: PWS 1.6.11.2; The onus remains with the offeror to determine the approach most suitable to meet the requirement based on their technical approach.

Q.26. Can the Government please advise where in the proposal Bidders should include the Cover Letter, 1449 and Representations and Certifications required in the solicitation?

A.26. Reference: Addendum 52.212-1, C.2.b.ii; The cover letter is not required. The specific location for the SF 1449 and FAR Clause 52.212-3 is within C.2.b.ii (Pricing).

Q.27. DOL requires that some employees have up to 4 weeks of vacation. Is the government requiring a temporary back fill if an employee takes vacation that is over 10 days?

A.27. Reference: PWS para 5.16.2; Yes, any position left vacant for 10 days or longer must have a replacement.

Q.28. The Uniform Services Employment and Reemployment Act protects a Service members employment when activated. The government is requiring the offeror to back fill a vacancy and/or absence in 10 Days. If a service member is activated for 30 Days, the PWS requires the offeror to backfill the position in 10 days. This would include drug screening, training, and the government approved suitability request. Which means that the temp hire would barely be finished with all onboarding activities only to lose the position in 30 days. Can the government define the difference between absent and vacancy? At what point is a protected position (FMLA-12 weeks, USERRA- up to 5 years, DOL Vacation-up to 4 weeks) considered vacant? Is there specific set time that an absent employee’s protected position is considered vacant?

A.28. Reference: PWS 5.16.1 & 5.16.2; Absenteeism is defined as when a contract employee is physically not present to perform the specific tasks as outlined in the PWS. Vacancy is defined as any Contractor personnel quits, terminated, or is otherwise unable to perform duties.

Q.29. The drug and alcohol policy require a plan to Identify Drug and Alcohol related offences. Can the Government verify that it requires a drug screening test (e.g. Uranalysis), as well as a background screening? Also, can the government clarify how far back the background should cover (e.g. If there is a DUI offense 19 years in the past, would that person not be suitable)?

A.29. Reference: PWS 1.6.17; The government does not specifically require a drug test. However, the contractor is responsible for conducting background screenings in accordance with paragraph 1.6.17.

Q.30. Under evaluation criteria Factor 1 it states; "The proposed management and technical approach that meets the capability to achieve each performance objective and standard that reflects the best industry and/or commercial practices, standards, and procedures for all specific tasks identified in the PWS will be rated acceptable." The industry best practices reflect that the span of control ratio (supervisor to employee ratio) at the higher levels is between 1:20-1:30 supervisor to employee ration. The government minimum requirement is apx. 1:89 for 3 APMs and 1:134 for 2 APM's. Is there a reason why there is such a discrepancy between the Government’s span of control ratio and the industry best practices? Also, we see a significant risk that the GCII will be forced into a "personal services" type of relationship since they work in such close proximity and alone with the Recruiting Companies and have such a high span of control ratio. Is there a mitigation plan on from the Government to mitigate this risk?

A.30. No Reference: The government has made an independent determination regarding the management employee optimal ratio. The government does not disclose its internal deliberations.

Q.31. PWS section 1.6.11.4 states; "Optimized Program Management Requirement: To achieve full program outcomes, greater organizational cohesion and a more engaged workforce it is necessary to mandate an optimized program management approach. Therefore, program management needs to be broken down by Brigade, which will require two assistant program managers to be distributed as identified in the technical exhibit. The qualifications for these two assistant program managers shall be the same 1.6.11.2." Section 1.6.11.4 states that optimized program management is mandated. TE3 does not stipulate which brigades should be with under specific APMs or which how they should be grouped together. With the government mandating an "optimized program management approach" offeror's will not be able to offer "industry best practices" that have appropriate span of control ratios. Could the government please clarify if wants "best practices" or the "mandated optimized program management approach?”

A.31. Reference: PWS 1.6.11.4; The onus remains with the Contractor based on their assessment of work and their anticipated technical solution.

Q.32. Contractor Travel. We noted historical travel estimates in Technical Exhibit 7 but no specific place to include costs for travel in the bid pricing. We recommend that the government include a yearly CLIN for travel and for evaluation purposes require bidders to include $10,000 in that CLIN per the Technical Exhibit 7 yearly estimate.

A.32. Reference: Technical Exhibit 7; The Government will not include a separate travel CLIN for this immediate action. The Contractor shall include their estimated travel cost based on TE 7.

Q.33. Addressing PWS Tasks in the Bidder Proposal. The solicitation D.2. Factor 1: Technical Capability page 12 notes “The Offeror shall address as specifically as possible the actual methodology used for accomplishing the PWS tasks” however the specific instructions for Technical Capability includes only Subfactor 1:

Management/Administration and Subfactor 2: Staffing Plan and Subfactor 3: Experience. None of those subfactor instructions require the bidder to address all the PWS tasks. Additionally in Evaluation page 14 just Subfactor 1:

Management/Administration and Subfactor 2: Staffing and Subfactor 3: Experience are evaluated. Please confirm that the Factor 1 Technical Capability proposal submission does not require the bidder to directly propose and approach for all of the PWS tasks.

A.33. Reference: D.2.a. Subfactor 1; The offeror shall clearly describe how they intend to manage a disperse workforce to ensure standardization and quality of services; timely identification and resolution of issues; and their approach to ensure uninterrupted service through employee turn-over and personnel absence to meet the performance standards as outlined in PWS paragraph 5.16.1, 5.16.2, and the Performance Requirements Summary.

Q.34. Magnitude Definition. Per D.2.c. Subfactor 3: Experience page 13 provides a definition of “similar magnitude” of experience submitted with “Magnitude is defined as, number of performance locations greater than or equal to 100 locations; and greater than or equal to $20 million across contract life cycle.” Very few small business bidders in the required NAICS 541611 - Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services will have past performance on contracts with 100 locations or greater. We respectfully request that the government set this value to a more realistic number such as 60 locations. This will also allow the government to receive a broad set of proposal submissions which otherwise without the change would be restrictive and result in a severely limited competitive bidder pool.

A.34. No Reference: The magnitude definition will remain the same.

Q.35. Magnitude as a Portfolio. Per D.2.c. Subfactor 3: Experience page 13 provides a definition of “similar magnitude” of experience submitted with “Magnitude is defined as, number of performance locations greater than or equal to 100 locations; and greater than or equal to $20 million across contract life cycle.” Can offerors submit a portfolio of experience that shows performance at greater than 100 locations across their contract experience to meet this requirement?

A.35. No Reference: No

Q.36. Magnitude from the Team. Instructions and Evaluation note that the Government will evaluate the offeror’s experience in projects of similar magnitude. Typically the term Offeror means the bidding team and not just the prime contractor solely. Please confirm that the magnitude requirement can be met by the offeror as a team and not solely by the prime bidder.

A.36. No Reference: The offeror shall include experience data of its proposed teaming arrangements, joint ventures, and subcontractors.

Q.37. Additional Evaluation for Subfactor 3: Experience. Page 13 notes “Offeror shall demonstrate practical experience in management and operations of an administrative services program across a large geographical footprint.” Please confirm that this requirement may be met by contract(s) that don’t also necessarily meet the magnitude definition earlier.

A.37. Reference: Addendum 52.212-1 D.2.c.; The proposal shall include rationale on how the effort meets the similar magnitude to the work required by the PWS. Magnitude is defined as, number of performance locations greater than or equal to 100 locations; and greater than or equal to $20 million across contract life cycle.

Q.38. Total Staffing. Technical Exhibit 6 Staffing shows 268 General Clerk II staff required. Technical Exhibit 6 Locations has 267 locations listed and not 268. Please clarify if one of the locations has multiple staff. The alignment of the locations and SCA wage determinations is extremely important for proper bidder SCA Wage Rate pricing by location. Please clarify.

A.38. There are multiple positions located at Fort Knox, Kentucky IAW Technical Exhibit 6.

Q.39. RCTG CO EUROPE. Page 72 in Technical Exhibit 6 for Locations is missing the DOL WD # and Revision # for RCTG CO EUROPE.

A.39. No Reference: There is not a Department of Labor Wage Determination for RCTG CO Europe.

Q.40. Will the Government allow the use of an11x17 fold out counting as 2 pages?

A.40. No Reference: No.

Q.41. Will there be any travel from large stations to smaller stations?

A.41. Reference: PWS para 1.6.13; Travel between large and small stations is not required.

Q.42. Is there any requirement for the contractor to complete SOFA documentation for the OCONUS positions or will the government do this?

A.42. Reference: PWS para 1.6.5.1 through 1.6.5.1.ii; SOFA compliance is the responsibility of the contractor.

Q.43. PWS para 1.6.13 Contractor Travel: Contractor personnel are only required to travel to the Battalion and Company Headquarters, to in-process, obtain identification cards, and/or attend training. The PM shall obtain travel approval from the COR two weeks prior to the travel date. Will expenses be Government reimbursed or at contractor expense?

A.43. Reference: Addendum 52.212-1, A.1.; The Government intends on awarding a Firm-Fixed-Price contract and not a cost reimbursable contract.

Q.44. Does the Government desire resumes for key personnel?

A.44. No Reference: The Government does not require resumes for key personnel.

Q.45. Will key personnel resumes be excluded from page count?

A.45. No Reference: The Government does not require resumes for key personnel. Yes, the resumes will be included in the page count if they are submitted with the Offeror’s proposal.

Q.46. Does the Government intend to award this contract as LPTA or as Fair, Reasonable and Balanced? We recommend the later as this provides stability to the contract and supports uninterrupted service through low employee turnover.

A.46. Reference: Addendum 52.212-1 A.1.; In accordance with FAR 15.101-2, this acquisition will utilize the Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) source selection procedures for an awardee selection.

Q.47. Technical Exhibit 7 shows TDY funds for training. There is no training on the systems that personnel have to maintain spelled out anywhere within the document. Who provides training and where is it held? Par 4.2 says the contractor will provide all training? What training does the Government require us to provide?

A.47. Reference: PWS 4.1; The Contractor shall furnish all supplies, qualified personnel, management, supervision, equipment, office supplies, facilities, identification badges, training and services required to perform work under this contract that are not listed under Part 3 of this PWS.

Q.48. Will the Government please confirm whether the Program Manager is required to be within 50 miles of USAREC Headquarters, provided that the Contractor will fund travel for onsite meetings as required if not? If allowable, please approximate how many onsite meetings are anticipated throughout the course of one year (i.e. 1 meeting/month).

A.48. Reference: PWS para 4.2; The Government prefers that the PM be located within a 50 mile radius from USAREC Headquarters, Fort Knox, Kentucky.

Q.49. With respect to statement “…approach to ensure uninterrupted service through employee turn-over and personnel absence to meet the performance standards as outlined in PWS paragraph 5.16.2 and the Performance Requirements Summary,” the first half of the statement appears to conflict with the second half, as the Performance Requirements indicates vacancies are acceptable provided they do not last more than 10 business days.

“Uninterrupted service” also conflicts with expectation that contractor will only provide 30 hours of support each week for each location. Please confirm contractor is not required to provide “uninterrupted service” for all days/office hours of the contract, and it is acceptable if someone needs to call in sick without a standby replacement.

A.49. Reference: PWS para 5.16.1; The Government recognizes that personnel will be absent. The Government’s goal is uninterrupted service. The Government has made allowance for limited absence and vacancy and has created a disincentive for extended absences and vacancies. The government is modifying para 5.16.1 Work Schedule Attendance to address these concerns in part.

Q.50. Can the Government please confirm how many locations currently have incumbent staff in place?

A.50. Reference: Technical Exhibit 6; At any given time there are 260-268 incumbent staff on-site.

Q.51. Can the Government please clarify that all Contractor personnel (268 General Clerk IIs) are not required to travel to the Battalion and Company Headquarters to in-process? This would result in significant travel expenses to onboard a General Clerk at a location not near Battalion or Company HQ.

A.51. Reference: PWS para 1.6.13; Contractor personnel are not required to travel to Battalion HQ to in-process.

Q.52. Does the Government intend to evaluate the appropriateness of both the labor categories and labor classification for the work being performed to ensure adequate qualifications and skills for employees?

A.52. Reference: Addendum 52.212-2 a. Subfactor 2; The Government will evaluate the proposed staffing, labor mixes and productive labor hours per classification per period of performance to validate the offer is in correlation to PWS TE 3, which includes both full-time equivalents as well as part-time positions.

Q.53. “Provide information on contracts and/or subcontracts that clearly demonstrate experience in performing work that meets the similar magnitude to the work required by the PWS. The proposal shall include rationale on how the effort meets the similar magnitude to the work required by the PWS. Magnitude is defined as, number of performance locations greater than or equal to 100 locations; and greater than or equal to $20 million across contract life cycle. The offeror shall include experience data of its proposed subcontractors, if the subcontractor is proposed to perform more than 10% of the services under this action. If no subcontractors are intended, provide affirmative statement of that fact. Experience shall not go back farther than three (3) years from the date of receipt of proposals.” Question: For the government to define the experience to not go back further than three (3) years severely limits competition and gives a significant unfair advantage to the incumbent contractor. Would the government consider changing this experience requirement to not go back further than five (5) years instead of three (3)?

A.53. No Reference: No.

Q.54. The Government will evaluate the offeror’s experience in projects of similar magnitude. Offeror shall demonstrate practical experience in management and operations of an administrative services program across a large geographical footprint. Magnitude is defined as, similar in number of performance locations greater than or equal to 100 locations; and greater than or equal to $20 million across contract life cycle. Question: Is government evaluating how recent the experience reference is?

A.54. Reference: Addendum 52.212-1, D.2.c., Which states in part, “Experience shall not go back farther than three

(3) years from the date of receipt of proposals.”

Q.55. Will the government please clarify whether the government or the contractor will be required to provide workstations to include, desk, chair, phone, computer, keyboard and monitor for the Program Manager and the Assistant Program Managers?

A.55. Reference: PWS para 4.2; The Contractor shall provide an office for the PM and APM. To include, desk space, telephones, computers and other items necessary to maintain an office environment.

Q.56. The Contractor shall furnish all supplies, qualified personnel, management, supervision, equipment, office supplies, facilities, work attire, identification badges, training and services required to perform work under this contract that are not listed under Part 3 of this PWS. Question: Please define what the government is requesting the Contractor to provide in regard to “work attire”. Is the government requesting the contractor to provide uniforms such as company provided polo shirts with company logo?

A.56. Reference: PWS para 4.1.; “Work Attire” is deleted. The Contractor shall furnish all supplies, qualified personnel, management, supervision, equipment, office supplies, facilities, identification badges, training and services required to perform work under this contract that are not listed under Part 3 of this PWS.

Q.57. USAREC Manual URL provided of : https://span.usarec.army.mil/sites/HQ/Publications- Library/SitePages/Home.aspx does not work. Question: The link does not work; can the government please prove updated working URL link or provide the USAREC manuals referenced?

A.57. Reference: PWS Part 6; The URL is changed to https://recruiting.army.mil/forms_pubs/.

Q.58. Question: For the best interest of the government, would the government consider allowing industry to propose their own level of adequate supervision?

A.58. Reference: Addendum 52.212-1 D.2.b. Subfactor 2; The offeror shall clearly describe how they intend to manage a disperse workforce to ensure standardization and quality of services; timely identification and resolution of issues; and their approach to ensure uninterrupted service through employee turn-over and personnel absence to meet the performance standards as outlined in PWS paragraph 5.16.2 and the Performance Requirements Summary.

Q.59. On page 69 under Technical Exhibit 3, Minimum Staffing Plan, it states “three assistant program managers to supervise the 268 General Clerks II by region.” However, under the Estimated Labor Hours in the chart on the same page, it lists only 3840 hours for Assistant PM, which is an equivalent to 2 APM for the contract. Please provide clarification on the level of effort for the APM.

A.59. Reference: Technical Exhibit 3; The Government requires One (1) Program Manager and Two (2) Assistant Program Managers. Assistant Program Managers Estimated Labor Hours equals 3,728.

Q.60. Are there are incumbent personnel and if so, can we get their positions and date of hire?

A.60. Reference: PWS para 1.6.20.; Contractor shall secure the list of the incumbent employees to include the anniversary dates of employment for the incumbent employees. Contractor shall provide the awardee and the Government the list of incumbent employees to include the anniversary dates and minimize disruption caused during transition.

Q.61. Are resumes and Letters of Intent required to be submitted for Key Personnel as part of the Technical proposal?

A.61. No Reference: The Government does not require resumes and/or Letters of Intent for key personnel.

Resumes and Letters of Intent will be included in the page count if they are submitted with the Offeror’s proposal.

Q.62. If this is a new requirement is it a consolidation of other existing contracts?

A.62. No Reference: This is not a new requirement.

Q.63. If this is a consolidation of contracts will there be displaced workers due to the consolidation? If so, what positions will they be filling?

A.63. No Reference: This is not a consolidation of contracts.

Q.64. Can the Government elaborate on the definition of the type of "maintenance" the Contractor is supposed to provide?

A.64. Reference: PWS para 5.10; The Government does not require the Contractor to provide maintenance to the Digital Training Management System (DTMS). The Contractor is required to maintain the unit and subunit training schedules within DTMS.

Q.65. If Digital Training is required, should an additional position be added to the Staffing Plan, since, for example, a Clerk II may not have the experience or IT designations to successfully complete the deliverable?

A.65. Reference: PWS para 5.10; "Digital Training" is a part of the system title "Digital Training Management System (DTMS)". The Government does not required "Digital Training."

Q.66. Experience. As stated, “Magnitude is defined as, number of performance locations greater than or equal to 100 locations; and greater than or equal to $20 million across contract life cycle“. Would 34 locations with $220 million in total contract value be acceptable? Essentially, is the contract value large enough to compensate for less locations?

A.66. Reference: Addendum 52.212-2, Subfactor 3; The Government will evaluate the offeror’s experience in projects of similar magnitude. Offeror shall demonstrate practical experience in management and operations of an administrative services program across a large geographical footprint. Magnitude is defined as, similar in number of performance locations greater than or equal to 100 locations; and greater than or equal to $20 million across contract life cycle.

Q.67. Is the total number of locations and contract dollar value cumulative across a company’s relevant experience set? Is it cumulative across the prime and subcontractors relevant experience set?

A.67. No Reference: No, it is not cumulative.

Q.68. The Contractor shall develop a program that enacts a “No Tolerance” policy and includes a procedure for immediate elimination from employment under this contract. The Contractor shall develop a pre-hiring screening test. Is the contractor developed pre-hiring screening test required to be a urine/blood test performed by an accredited facility?

A.68. Reference: PWS para 1.6.17.; It is up to the contractor to determine their own pre-hiring screening test(s).

Q.69. C.2.b. Proposal Limitation: The Offeror’s proposal pages in excess of the limit shall not be evaluated. Page limits includes all appendices, charts, graphs, diagrams, tables, photographs, drawings, and other information provided in the proposal. Page limitation does not include the FAR provision 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items Alternate 1, cover letter, and table of content. The proposal shall not exceed the following page limits: C.2.d.i. Technical Capability: 20 pages, Please confirm the title page is outside of page count.

A.69. Reference: Addendum 52.212-1, C.2.b.; Page limits includes all appendices, charts, graphs, diagrams, tables, photographs, drawings, and other information provided in the proposal. Page limitation does not include the FAR provision 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items Alternate 1, cover letter, and table of content. The title page is included in 20 page limit.

Q.70. C.2.b. The proposal shall not exceed the following page limits: C.2.d.i. Technical Capability: 20 pages D.2.a.

Factor 1: Technical Capability will contain three parts: Element 1 Management Administration Element 2: Staffing Plan Element 3: Experience Would the government please provide a break down of page limits per element with the 20 page total limit of the volume to allow responses to be more consistently organized and therefore more fairly compared during evaluation?

A.70. No Reference: The government will not provide any breakdown of pages per subfactor.

Q.71. 1.6.11.4 Optimized Program Management Requirement: To achieve full program outcomes, greater organizational cohesion and a more engaged workforce it is necessary to mandate an optimized program management approach. Therefore, program management needs to be broken down by Brigade, which will require two assistant program managers to be distributed as identified in the technical exhibit. The qualifications for these two assistant program managers shall be the same 1.6.11.2. Are the “Brigade” APMs referenced in 1.6.11.4 in addition to the two APMs listed in 1.6.11.2?

A.71. Reference: PWS para 1.6.11.2; No. The Government requires One (1) Program Manager and Two (2) Assistant Program Managers.

Q.72. Is an APM expected to be staffed at all 6 Brigades?

A.72. Reference: PWS para 4.2.; The Contractor is responsible for determining the locations for the APMs.

Q.73. Is a Brigade APM expected to be staffed the Medical Recruiting Brigade (MRB)?

A.73. Reference: PWS para 4.2.; The Contractor is responsible for determining the locations for the APMs.

Q.74. FAR Provision 52.212-2 Evaluation – Commercial Item (a) The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. Award shall be made to a single Offeror who is deemed responsible in accordance with the FAR, whose proposal is judged by an overall assessment of the evaluation criteria and other considerations specified in this solicitation, represents the LPTA proposal. Please confirm the evaluation will take into consideration technical capability qualities that are more advantageous to the Government, therefore this is considered more of a Best Value evaluation rather than a pure LPTA.

A.74. Reference: Addendum 52.212-1 A.1.; In accordance with FAR 15.101-2, this acquisition will utilize the Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) source selection procedures for an awardee selection.

Q.75. “and completed at least a bachelor level degree from an accredited academic institution” Would the Government accept additional years of experience as a replacement for a Bachelor’s degree for all the key positions?

A.75. No Reference: No, the Government will not accept additional years of experience as a replacement for a Bachelor’s degree for all the key positions.

Q.76. (In regards to Phase In) The Contractor will need to secure the list of the incumbent employees to include the anniversary dates of employment for the incumbent employees. The DOL Wage Determinations require contractors to provide a certain amount of vacation tied directly to length of service. Length of services includes the whole span of continuous service with the present contractor or successor… Will the government provide the list of personnel to include anniversary dates of employment for the current incumbent employees? This list with anniversary dates will be needed to accurately price the required vacation; without this list an unfair advantage would be given to the current incumbent contractor.

A.76. Reference: PWS para 1.6.20.; Contractor shall secure the list of the incumbent employees to include the anniversary dates of employment for the incumbent employees.

Q.77. The DOL Wage Determination Revision #’s The Wage Determination Revision #’s listed are not the most current Revisions Should the most current Revision # be utilized for pricing reference or should the Revision number listed in Technical Exhibit 6 be used?

A.77. Reference: Technical Exhibit 6; The Government has updated the Department of Labor Wage Determinations. It is the Contractor's responsibility to utilize the most up to date wage determination provided at that time from Department of Labor.

Q.78. Location: RCTG CO Europe, APO, AE Please confirm that SCA and Wage Determination Clauses do not apply to OCONUS work.

A.78. No Reference: Department of Labor wage determinations do not apply OCONUS.

Q.79. Location: RCTG CO Europe, APO, AE Will the contract provide for a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) for personnel providing support in Europe?

A.79. Reference: PWS para 1.6.5.1 through 1.6.5.1.ii; SOFA compliance is the responsibility of the contractor.

Q.80. Location: RCTG CO Europe, APO, AE Will COLA & Housing allowances for OCONUS personnel be billed as an ODC to this contract or does it need to be built into the FFP labor cost?

A.80. No Reference: COLA and Houseing Allowances are not separately billed.

Q.81. Can the government provide insight on the average time the general clerks have been in their current role?

A.81. Reference: PWS para 1.6.20.; Contractor shall secure the list of the incumbent employees to include the anniversary dates of employment for the incumbent employees.

Q.82. Can the government provide additional information on how Factor 1 rating would be comprised? For example, at a minimum does the contractor need to achieve an “Acceptable” rating for 2 of the 3 subfactors to achieve an overall “Acceptable” rating?

A.82. Reference: Addendum 52.212-2 a.; Factor 1 is comprised of three (3) non-price subfactors that shall each receive a separate rating, which shall subsequently be considered in a roll-up rating at the Factor-level which supports acceptability or unacceptability. A rating of “Acceptable” must be achieved for an Offeror to be considered for award. Ratings of “Unacceptable” will not be given further consideration.

Q.83. As this is a Firm Fixed Price contract, with adequate competitive offerors, will the government consider removing the quoted text from Section D.3 Factor 2: Price? Can the offeror submit the CLIN Schedule in SF1449 together with a detailed breakdown of FTE hours and Fully Burdened Labor Rates by SCA or exempt labor category in Excel format to satisfy the Price requirement?

A.83. No Reference: The Government relies upon the criteria as stated in the solicitation. The Government has considered removing the language in D.3 Factor 2 and makes no changes. The offeror may submit the CLIN schedule and SF 1449 together subject to the page requirements and changes to the solicitation C.2.b.ii. Price.

Q.84. If the government decides not to remove the text in Question 1, can the government clarify how the offeror shall present the proposed exempt and non-exempt fringe benefits? In the price rational narrative PDF to describe the fringe benefits or to show detailed numeric values of the fringe benefits in the Excel spreadsheet?

A.84. Reference: Addendum 52.212-1, D.3 Factor 2; The government does not require any information regarding fringe benefits for exempt employees. Fringe benefits for non-exempt employees shall be detailed in D.3. Factor 2.

Q.85. The dates on the CLINs do not match the dates associated with the corresponding CLINs on Pages 3 through

8. Please clarify the period of performance for each CLIN.

A.85. Reference: RFP Delivery Information; The periods of performance for all CLINs are correct.

Q.86. Can the government add one more location to meet the 268 wage determination locations?

A.86. The government will add one location to meet the 268 Wage Determination locations in Technical Exhibit 6.

That location is Houston Central Recruiting Company, located in Houston, TX 77084-5063, in 5th Recruiting Brigade.

Q.87. Can the government specify the City and Country of the APO location in Europe for purpose of COLA info?

A.87. Reference: Technical Exhibit 6; The APO location in Europe is Heidelberg, Germany.

Q.88. Can the government confirm that there will be no escalation for the SCA location positions for all Option Periods? If not, can the government provide the escalation rate for all Option Periods?

A.88. No Reference: Escalation is at discretion of the offeror. As each option period is exercised the prevailing wage decision shall be incorporated and awardee afforded opportunity for adjustment as appropriate.

Q.89. Please confirm that Personnel Strength Report concerns military staff strength, not contractor strength.

A.89. No Reference: The Personnel Strength Report only concerns military staff strength.

Q.90. Is this contract covered by the Indian Incentives Program?

A.90. Reference: FAR clause 252.226-7001; Currently, the contract is not covered by the Indian Incentives program.

Q.91. XX 52.222-43, Fair Labor Standards Act and Service Contract Labor Standards--Price Adjustment (Multiple Year and Option Contracts) (AUG 2018) (29 U.S.C. 206 and 41 U.S.C. chapter 67). [Shows marked as applicable] Please confirm that it is the intent of the government is offerors shall not escalate the proposed rates for the outyear.

A.91. Reference: FAR clause 52.222-43; Escalation is at discretion of the offeror. As each option period is exercised, the prevailing wage decision shall be incorporated and awardee afforded opportunity for adjustment as appropriate.

Q.92. 252.232-7998 Supplier Self-Service Pilot. Insert the following provision in solicitations selected for potential inclusion in the SUS pilot: SUPPLIER SELF-SERVICE PILOT (DEVIATION 2018-A000l) (DEC 2017) Please clarify how this program works with an FFP type contract.

A.92. Reference: DFARS provision 252.232-7998; Please inquire with your legal counsel the legal application of this provision.

Q.93. The technical exhibits states there are 268 General Clerk II positions, however there are only 267 Wage Determination. Could the government clarify?

A.93. The government will add one location to meet the 268 Wage Determination locations in Technical Exhibit 6.

That location is Houston Central Recruiting Company, located in Houston, TX 77084-5063, in 5th Recruiting Brigade.

Q.94. Can the government revise the relevancy requirement for Experience, to be a contract that is $20M or more OR with 100 locations or more?

A.94. Reference: Addendum 52.212-1, D.2.c.; The Government will not revise Subfactor 3.

Q.95. Is there a minimum number of project references to be submitted as part of Subfactor 3?

A.95. Reference: Addendum 52.212-1, D.2.c.; There is not a minimum number of project references to be submitted as a part of Subfactor 3.

Q.96. Is there a maximum number of project references allowable for Subfactor 3?

A.96. Reference: Addendum 52.212-1, D.2.c.; There is not a maximum number of project references to be submitted as a part of Subfactor 3.

Q.97. The solicitation states “Magnitude is defined as, number of performance locations greater than or equal to 100 locations; and greater than or equal to $20 million across contract life cycle.” Does this mean that a contract reference MUST contain 100 or more performance locations to be deemed relevant?

A.97. Reference: Addendum 52.212-1 D.2.c.; Magnitude is defined as, number of performance locations greater than or equal to 100 locations; and greater than or equal to $20 million across contract life cycle.

Q.98. Does Executive Order (EO) 13706, Establishing Paid Sick Leave for Federal Contractors, apply to the General Clerk IIs under this contract?

A.98. Reference: FAR clause 52.212-5; FAR clause 52.222-62, Paid Sick Leave Under Executive Order 13706 is applicable to the this contract action.

Q.99. Are there any significant changes to this contract from the current contract?

A.99. No Reference: There are changes that are being made.