Attachment_Q&A_4_Sept_18.pdf

Question

Number

Reference Question Response PWS

Reference

1 Volume II. Past

Performance

RFP Page 42 of

59, Para (4) (ii)

Pursuant to SBA regulations applicable to Alaska Native Corporations

(ANC), an ANC’s subsidiaries may utilize the ANC’s common management and common administrative services, without being considered affiliated for size purposes. At the discretion of the government, this rule also applies to past performance, wherein subsidies of an ANC may use the past performance of its sister subsidiaries as past performance of the bidding subsidiary when responding to a solicitation. Will the past performance of sister subsidiaries of the bidder be considered for the purpose of evaluating the past performance of the bidder?

An affiliate's past performance will not be considered when evaluating the contractor's past performance.

Only the offeror's past experience will be considered in the evaluation.

If an Offeror has no relevant experience or past performance history, the Government will evaluate the offer for affirmatively stating so. In the case of an offeror without a record of relevant past performance or for whom information on past performance is not available or so sparse that no meaningful past performance rating can be reasonably assigned, the offeror may not be evaluated favorably or unfavorably on past performance (see FAR 15.305

(a)(2)(iv)). Therefore, the offeror shall be determined to have unknown past performance. In the context of acceptability/unacceptability, "unknown" will be considered

"acceptable."

N/A

2 Reference RFP

Page 15, PWS

Para. 1.6.25.5

PWS Para. 1.6.25.5 states that “The Contractor shall collect a DNA record for all U.S. citizen Contractor and subcontractor personnel traveling to the USSOUTHCOM AOR and shall have arrangements for storage of the DNA-referenced specimen through a private facility or arrange for the storage of the specimen by contacting the Armed

Forces Repository of Specimen Samples for the Identification of

Remains…. In addition, U.S. citizen Contractor and subcontractor personnel shall comply with the requirements of DODI 3020.41, Enclosure 3, paragraph 8.b., or its successor.”

Response 1: Paragraph 1.6.25.5 is not applicable to GTMO. The paragraph has been deleted in its entirety.

Response 2: Paragraph 1.6.25.5 is not applicable to GTMO. The

Question 1: Can the government please confirm that this is a requirement? Would dental records be accepted as a substitute?

Question 2: If the contractor uses the Armed Forces Repository of

Specimen Samples to store the DNA samples, will the cost of this be borne by the Contractor or the government?

Question 3: Upon contract completion, are the DNA samples discarded?

Response 3: Paragraph 1.6.25.5 is not applicable to GTMO. The

3 Reference RFP

Page 15, PWS

Para. 1.6.7.4 and

Pages 14-16, RFP Paragraphs

1.6.25, 1.6.25.6 and 1.6.26

Para. 1.6.7.4, “Security Clearance Requirements,” states that “All

Contractor employees performing work in support of this contract be

U.S. citizens and shall have been granted a SECRET security clearance or higher from the Defense Industrial Security Clearance Office.

Additionally, at least one Contractor employee shall possess an adjudicated TS/SCI security clearance. All security clearances shall be active in the Joint Personnel Adjudication System (JPAS) and must be maintained while performing work under this contract. The security requirements are in accordance with DD Form 254 Department of

Defense Contract Security Classification Specification. DD Form is attached as Exhibit XXX and will be provided to the Contractor by the

Government.”

Question 1: Para. 1.6.7.4 requires that all contractor employees possess a Secret-or-higher security clearance; however, elsewhere in the RFP

(reference RFP Paragraphs 1.6.25; 1.6.25.6; and 1.6.26) there is mention of Third-Country Nationals (TCNs) and Local Nationals

(LNs) being required on the contract. Please clarify what security clearance requirements will apply to TCNs and LNs.

Question

Question 2: The “Exhibit XXX” referenced above was not provided with the solicitation documents. Will the government please issue the referenced DD Form?

Response 1: Per paragraph 1.6.7.4, “all contractor employees performing work in support of this contract shall be U.S. citizens.”

Description of policies that apply to

TCNs and LNs are accurate, but do not indicate, imply, or require TCNs and LNs to be employed under the terms of the contract.

Response 2: PWS Paragraph

1.6.7.4 is updated to reflect Exhibit

B-DD 254 is added to the solicitation as Exhibit B and will be updated after award.

Para.

1.6.7.4

4 Reference Page

16, Para. 1.6.7.6

Question 1: Please confirm that all employees will definitively be issued CACs.

Response: Yes, all employees will require a CAC to perform their duties and must be eligible for CAC issue per paragraph 1.6.7.6.1.

Para.

1.6.7.6.1.

5 Reference RFP

Section B.4, Consideration and Payment;

Section G.8, Task Order

Funding/Task

Order Content;

Section G.9, Task Order

Procedures; and

Section I.4, Ordering (OCT

1995)

Question 1: Can bidders provide pricing based on amounts that are lower than the data included in Volume III instructions “b” 1 through

6?

Yes N/A

6 Reference Page

38, Para. (3i)

Offer

Organization

Question 1a: The instructions in this section state that “For ease of reference, Offerors shall cross-reference each section within each volume with the PWS section it is addressing.” Please clarify if this means offerors should include a cross-reference matrix within their proposals as a separate section, or if it is acceptable to state the referenced PWS section in the header or text of the proposal that addresses that PWS section.

Question 1b: If the former, please advise where in the proposal the cross-reference matrix should be included.

Response 1a: It is acceptable to state the referenced PWS section in the header or text of the proposal that addresses that PWS section within the PWS.

Response 1b: The Cross-reference matrix shall be included in Volume

I - Technical Capability.

N/A

7 Reference Page

41, Section C, Management

Proposal

“The offeror shall also describe the degree of local autonomy granted to the contract manager, any relationship to a parent organization, and any decisions or approvals that will be made outside the local organization. Descriptions of local autonomy shall also include as a minimum, identification of the organizational and geographical placement of authority to: negotiate contract modifications; release completed work and vouchers to the Government; reassign work in response to varying workloads; hire, dismiss, promote, and demote personnel; select, administer, and terminate subcontracts; and provide training.

Question 1: Please clarify what is meant by “identification of the organizational and geographical placement of authority” (italicized in the paragraph above). Should offerors state where in the company’s organizational structure the contract manager fits in, and where (i.e., the city) the individual will reside and work?

Response1: Yes. The organizational structure should define the lines of authority, levels of decision authorities, and location of personnel for the corporate office and the local office (GTMO).

Response 2: Passports are required for travel to NS Guantanamo Bay.

Visas are not. Requirements for travel to GTMO can be found in the

Electronic Foreign Clearance Guide at https://www.fcg.pentagon.mil/fcg.cf m). The government will authorize use of AMC flights at standard tariff

N/A https://www.fcg.pentagon.mil/fcg.cfm https://www.fcg.pentagon.mil/fcg.cfm

This section also states that “The offeror should consider the complexities of traveling and obtaining access to GTMO when preparing the management proposal.”

Question 2: What assistance, if any, will the government provide in obtaining visas and facilitating travel to GTMO?

rates. Letters of Authorization will be managed through SPOT once the

Contractor has been awarded the contract.

8 Reference Page

42, Section E(i), Quality Control

Plan

Section E(i) requires that “The offeror shall describe the proposed inspection system, including the frequency of inspections, the titles of the individual(s) who shall perform the inspections, and their organizational placement.”

Question 1: By “proposed inspection system,” does the government mean an online system, such as a database, software application, or platform or other secure site, or does it refer to the methods and processes the contractor will employ to ensure quality control standards are met?

It is the methods and processes the contractor will employ to ensure quality control standards are met.

N/A

9 Reference Page

44-45, Sections

(iii)(a)(2-4) and

(iii)(c), Volume

III – Price;

Appendix 5, PWS Pricing;

Appendix 6, Pricing

Narrative; and

Exhibit B/Table

D-1, Contract

Value

The instructions for Volume III, Price, state the following:

(2) Include pricing for all proposal elements sorted by PWS section.

Submit Appendix 5, PWS Pricing.

(3) Be traceable to Volume I – Technical Capability by disclosing the basis of all projections, rates, ratios, percentages, and factors in sufficient detail to facilitate the evaluator’s understanding and ability to mathematically verify the prices proposed in Table D-1 “Contract

Value.” Excel spreadsheets are the preferred format.

(4) Include a narrative portion that explains in detail all judgmental elements of price projections, and pricing and estimating techniques.

Submit Appendix 6, Pricing Narrative.

(c) The price offer shall be submitted in one volume labeled Volume

III-Price. Scanned spreadsheets are not considered electronic format.

Microsoft Word and Excel spreadsheets are the preferred formats.

Question 1a: In reference to the italicized text in (2), (3) and (4) above, please confirm that pricing should be submitted using both Appendix 5 and Appendix 6.

Question 1b: Regarding the reference to “Table D-1, Contract Value,” should the correct reference be to Exhibit B, Contract Value &

Funding? If not, please provide the correct Exhibit B.

Response 1a: Yes

Response 1b: Table D, Contract

Value is deleted.

Response2: Table D-1, Contract

Value is deleted.

Response 3a: Appendix 5, has been revised. Appendix 6 can be submitted in PDF or Microsoft

Word. 52.212-1(4)(iii) Volume III, Price is revised through this amendment to reflect these changes.

Response 3b: Appendix 5 has been revised and shall be submitted as an

Excel Spreadsheet with all corresponding backup pricing tabs.

Response 4: Yes.

Appendix 5 and 6.

Exhibit B.

Question 2: In reference to the italicized text in (3) above, can the government offer additional detail as to what offerors are expected to provide in terms of the “basis of [their] projections, rates, ratios, percentages, and factors” – i.e., are sources/references required or just formulas in Appendix?

Question 3a: With regard to the italicized text in (c) above, the instructions for Volume III state that “the price offer shall be submitted in one volume labeled Volume III-Price.” However, the italicized text in (3) above states that Excel spreadsheets are the preferred format, but that offerors should also include a narrative portion using Appendix 6.

Please clarify if Appendix 5 should be provided in Excel and Appendix

6 and Exhibit B/Table D-1 in Word/PDF, or if offerors may submit

Appendix 5, Appendix 6 and Exhibit B/Table D-1 all in one PDF document.

Question 3b: If one consolidated PDF document is acceptable, should offerors also submit their back-up pricing using Appendix 5?

Question 4: Should the information required for the Volume III price narrative be submitted according to the outline provided in Appendix

6?

10 General

Questions on

RFP

Question 1: Will the government be hosting a site visit?

Question 2: Does the Right-of-First Refusal provision apply to all incumbents currently serving on the contract?

Question 3: Due to the very high-security and high-publicity nature of this contract, would the government consider awarding the contract based on the Best Value Trade-Off method instead of LPTA?

Response 1: No

Response 2: No

Response 3: No

11 RFP page #38 of

RFP paragraph

#(3) (i)

Question: What is the correct Technical Capability Page Limit? The table on RFP page #38 exhibits that the Technical Capability Page

Limit is 40. But this table also shows the total of Proposal Part A.

Staffing Plan: 12 pages; Proposal Part B. Incumbent Capture Plan: 5 pages; Proposal Part C. Management Proposal: 20 pages; Proposal Part

D. Phase-In Plan: 5 pages; equals 42 pages.

The correct page limit is 42. The

Technical Capability table page limit in 52.212-1(3) Offer

Organization is corrected through this amendment.

N/A

12 Volume III –

PRICE

Question: Will the Government provide housing for contractor personnel while at Guantanamo Bay (GTMO) Cuba?

Yes. All housing expenses shall be included in the Offeror’s Firm-

RFP page #44 of

RFP paragraph

#(b)

Fixed price CLINS 0002, 1001, 2001, 3001, and 4001.

13 Clause 52.219-4 Will the Government consider the inclusion of FAR Clause 52.219-4

Notice of Price Evaluation Preference for HUBZone Small Business

Concerns to be incorporated in the solicitation?

Response: No. FAR Part 19 does not apply to contracts performed outside the United States.

14 RFP page #5 of

RFP paragraph

ITEM NO 0005

Where should pricing for Instructors’ seminar services be placed within the RFP response?

Should pricing be included in CLIN 0005 entirely; with hourly rates inputted in sub-CLINs 0005AA through 0005AG and a 0 (zero)

QUANTITY? Or should pricing be itemized (separated) throughout sub-CLINs 0005AA through 0005AG, with QUANTITY inputted from

Appendix 1; then rolled (added) up to produce (equal) amount in CLIN

0005?

Response 1: CLINS 0002, 1001, 2001, 3001, and 4001 shall include all labor costs and any other costs associated with the performance of the PWS such as relocation costs, housing, utilities, school tuition, overhead, G&A, Fee, etc.

Response 2: Appendix 1, Historical

Workload estimates will be used as a basis for the total QUANTITY of

CLIN 0005. CLINS 0005AA

though CLIN 0005G quantities shall equal the total amount of CLIN

0005. Appendix 1 has been revised through this amendment.

15 RFP page #5 of

RFP paragraph

ITEM NO 0005

Question: If contractor Instructors are not able to conduct a seminar, due to a hurricane or any act beyond the Instructors’ control, how does the vendor invoice their full-time hours? As stated in [pervious question], we wonder if the Government’s intention is for the contractor to invoice the Instructors’ billable Firm Fixed Price hours in the Library Management CLIN (CLIN 0002, 1001, 2001, 3001, 4001).

Refer to 52.212-4 Addenda in the solicitation. CLINs 0002, 1001, 2001, 3001, and 4001 are Firm-

Fixed Price CLINs.

CLINs 0005, 1004, 2004, 3004 and

4004 shall be invoiced on a monthly basis for actual seminar hours.