Answers_to_PreSol_Questions,_11_Apr_2019.pdf

Pre-Solicitation Questions and Responses for:

W912DW19R0020, $85.0M Multiple Award Multi-Discipline Architect-Engineer (A-E) Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Contracts, Seattle District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Question 1: For other-than-small business firms, if a Section F project is submitted from a subconsultant will that project be evaluated equally to the experience of the prime firm?

Response 1: Other-than-small business responses for Section F projects present Prime/JV experience. Subconsultant projects are not equal to Prime/JV experience. Reference the following excerpts from the synopsis for other-than-small business criteria (emphasis shown with italic font and underline):

- “Selection of the other-than-small business A-E firms will be based on the following primary criteria, listed in descending order of importance, first by major criterion and then by each sub-criterion, if applicable. Experience and qualifications of the Prime/Joint Venture (JV) A-E firm will be considered.”

- “Primary Criterion A - Specialized experience and technical competence of the Prime/JV firm in a broad range of military and non-DoD projects, in descending order of importance:”

- “Prime/JV firms will be evaluated for experience and competence. The basis of the evaluation will be the information in Sections F, G, and H of the SF330.”

Question 2: If we submit Past Performance ACASS or PPQ's they are often 4 to 5 pages each project. Is it possible to exclude them from the 80 page limitation?

(FROM THE RFP) The SF330 shall have a total page limitation of 80 printed pages with Section H limited to fifteen (15) pages, and Part II is excluded from the 80 printed page limit.

Primary Criterion E - Past Performance on DoD and other contracts with respect to cost control, quality of work, management/business relations, and compliance with performance schedules. CPARS is the primary source of information on past performance. CPARS will be queried for each Prime/JV submitting an SF330. Each project in Section F of the SF330 shall include project owner's contact information.

The offeror may also include past performance information (Past Performance Questionnaires) for the 10 example projects described in Section F. If deemed appropriate by the Selection Board (Board), performance evaluations for significant team subcontractors will also be considered. The Board may seek information on past performance from other sources. If there is any conflict in past performance records, CPARS is the official record.

Response 2: PPQs provided for the 10 example projects described in Section F are excluded from the 80-page limitation.

Question 3: Clarification. Does this mean that we can use any project which was awarded in the last 5 years, even if it is not complete? Does this wording allow us to use it even if it is not complete yet?

(FROM THE RFP) "A maximum of ten (10) projects awarded to and/or completed by the Prime/JV no more than 5 years prior to submission, including joint ventures and teaming partners, shall be shown in Section F."

Response 3: Projects awarded to and/or completed by the Prime/JV in the last 5 years are acceptable, even if it is not completed. The synopsis also states: “Completed projects by the Prime/JV and its subconsultants on a military installation and those requiring anti-terrorism/force protection (AT/FP) criteria knowledge may be evaluated more favorably for this criterion.”

Question 4: Clarification. Is there an earlier deadline before 4/22 (when the proposal is due) to submit questions?

(FROM THE RFP) Submit questions, in writing only, to Debbie A. Knickerbocker (Contract Specialist) at debbie.a.knickerbocker@usace.army.mil. Questions must be submitted no later than 2:00 pm Pacific Time on 22 April 2019 and must contain the solicitation number in the subject line of the e-mail.

Response 4: Corrected as follows: “Questions must be submitted no later than 2:00 pm Pacific Time on 16 April 2019 and must contain the solicitation number in the subject line of the e-mail.”

Question 5: Clarification. The last page of the SOW states that the "place of performance: Seattle District USACE (WA, OR, ID, and MT). Is Oregon included as well in Criterion C for climate and geological conditions?

(FROM THE RFP) Primary Criterion C - Knowledge of the Locality. The Board will evaluate the Prime/JV's familiarity with local NWS conditions, specifically demonstrated knowledge and experience with the following: Master planning criteria for NWS military installations and historic building preservation Design impacts of differing climate and geological conditions in WA, ID, and MT.

Response 5: The criterion remains as stated in the synopsis. The range of climate and geological conditions in WA, ID, and MT are sufficient for our evaluation.

Question 6: Are projects in the resumes in Part E limited to a particular time frame? Or does USACE prefer to see projects which represent the individual's full range of relevant experience?

Response 6: Qualifications of an individual are not limited to a particular time frame. Relevant experience as a team member in the proposed key role and for one or more of the 10 example projects is preferred.

Question 7: We were going over the above referenced RFQ and under #3: SELECTION CRITERIA, it states, “Firms are not allowed to submit for groups which do not match their firm size. For the purposes of this procurement, a concern is considered a small business for NAICS 541330 if its annual gross receipts are $15 million or less.” Our question is, does this criteria pertain to the prime proposer only, or does it apply to our subconsultant team as well?

Response 7: Small business criteria applies to the Prime/JV submitting the SF330. The Prime/JV may include team subconsultants in the SF330 submittal from any small business or other-than-small business category. Small business set-asides require performance of at least 51% of the work by the small businesses team.

Question 8: Under both the Small Business and Other Than Small Business Criteria “Primary Criterion A” paragraph 3. Experience in all phases of design including:” ITEM “d” READS: “Design-Build-Build Contract,” I wanted to Clarify that this does Read Design/Build contracts or was not meant to read “Design-BID-Build” contracts? Just wanted to confirm it is not a typo. For this example are you looking for experience in design-build contracts?

Response 8: Primary Criterion A, 3.d. is a typographic error. The correction is “d. Design-bid-build contracts”.

Question 9: Under the Notice Type, this procurement is listed as a “Presolicitation”. In addition, in the text it states “Solicitation packages are not provided. This is not a request for proposal.” However, there is a response date listed and response criteria. Can we assume this is a full solicitation to respond?

Response 9: Selections for architect-engineer services under Public Law 92-582 (the “Brooks Act”) require the submittal of a SF330, Architect-Engineer Qualifications, as stated in Section 4, Submission Requirements.

Question 10: Will an Offeror be evaluated more favorably if they include 2 QAQC Managers?

If they include only 1 QAQC Manager will the SF330 be deemed compliant?

Response 10: Primary criterion B, professional qualifications, for small business Prime/JV and other-than-small business Prime states: “Provide a maximum of two (2) resumes for each of the Key Personnel disciplines identified below…” and Quality Control Manager is one of the required disciplines.

Primary criterion D, capacity of key disciplines, considers available capacity of key disciplines. The basis of the evaluation will be the information in Section H and Part II of the SF330, which identify the number of personnel designed quality control managers by the firm and requires that each individual employed by the firm identify by one function code.

Question 11: Per the solicitation, Responses must be coordinated with Part II, subpart 9, "Employees by Discipline". The SF330 Part II allows for 18 different disciplines to be listed. Are we to include only the disciplines listed on page 6 of 13 in the solicitation or can we include additional disciplines?

Response 11: Submit SF330 Part IIs for the Prime, Prime/JV, and team subconsultants. The number of personnel for the eleven (11) disciplines required in Primary Criterion B, and shown by the A-E in a Section H table summary, must be within one or more of the Part IIs submitted for the Prime/JV and team consultants.

Part II subsection 9, Employees by Discipline, shows the number of employees by discipline (see list of disciplines, code 01 – 62) for each firm and/or branch office by location. SF330 instructions for Part II, subsection 9 state “List no more than 20 disciplines” and “Group remaining employees under “other employees” in column b.”

Question 12: Please advise if the Section D org chart requirement is limited to an 11 point font restriction?

Response 12: For all SF330 sections, use no smaller than 11 pt. font.

Question 13: Please confirm that AIA and RA are understood as equivalent for the purposes of confirming professional registration for Architects. Meaning, if we list AIA and not RA will USACE Seattle deem our proposal non-compliant?

Response 13: Licensed architects must state the title used by the jurisdiction issuing their license, e.g., Registered Architect, AIA, or other, and the issuing jurisdiction. To practice architecture in the United States, you must have a license from a U.S. jurisdiction. The jurisdictions include the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The American Institute of Architects is a professional association for architects and emerging professionals, which reserves the designation of “AIA” for licensed members; it is not proof of licensure and does not identify the governing jurisdiction.

Question 14: Are copies of CPARS/ PPQs required for our Section F projects? If yes, can we included them in an appendix? Will they be included in the 80 page count?

Response 14: See Response 2.

Question 15: Questions are accepted until April 22nd, the same day as SF330s are due. Does this indicate an intent to extend the responses due date?

Response 15: See Response 4. The Government will not extend the due date.

Question 16: With regards to Volume of Work in Section H, some firms may have an extensive list so we ask that USACE Seattle consider the acceptance of a summary versus a lengthy table.

If a summary statement is not acceptable, will a summary table with just the contract number, excluding all of the various TO numbers and total award amount be accepted?

Will this table be excluded from the overall 80 page limit and can be listed in an appendix after the Part II section?

Response 16: A summary table with the contract number, title, and awarded value is acceptable. If the work is under an indefinite delivery contract, show the value of task orders awarded as a total sum for that contract in the past twelve months.

Question 17: Per the RFP - A completed project is defined as one in which the firm's performance of the work for which it was hired is complete. Also per the RFP - A maximum of ten (10) projects awarded to and/or completed by the Prime/JV no more than 5 years prior to submission, including joint ventures and teaming partners, shall be shown in Section F. Can firms submit a Section F project that has been awarded but not 100% complete?

Response 17: See Response 3.

Question 18: May a Section F project contain multiple task orders (TOs) if separate TOs were issued for subsequent phases of the same project?

Response 18: Primary Criterion A, specialized experience and technical competence states: “…a "project" is defined as work performed at one site or at a single installation. An Indefinite Delivery Contract (IDC) is not a project. A project may contain multiple task orders or contracts if they are for multiple phases of the project at the same site or installation.” For example, a battalion headquarter complex design may be executed under multiple task orders to an A-E firm, but programmed as a single project by the Government.

Question 19: Are graphics and tables included subject to the 11 point font restriction?

Response 19: See Response 12.

Question 20: Are covers and tabs included in the 80 pages count?

Response 20: Covers and organizational tabs or dividers are not subject to the page count, and are encouraged for readability.

Question 21: Can you tell me if these services are currently being performed by a contractor? If so, could you please provide the incumbent name as well as the contract number?

Response 21: This services acquisition is a recurring process of Government replacement of contract capacity required for military and IIS workload. The prior acquisition was awarded for the services period of 2018 -2023 to three small businesses (W912DW-18-D-1008, -1009, and -1010) and three other-than-small businesses (W912DW-18-D-1011, -1012, -1013). For more information, view the FBO website.

Question 22: The solicitation states that the Small Business goal is for the “other than small business” contracts is 30% of total contract value. Normally on shared MATOC contracts, especially with 3 contracts set aside for Small Business, the metric is usually a percentage of the sub-contracted total as opposed to the overall percentage of the contract. Please confirm that you intended it to be 30% of the sub-contracted total.

Response 22: For each other-than-small business firm selected for negotiation of an IDIQ contract sharing the $85.0M capacity, the minimum total small business participation goal for this acquisition is 30.0% of the total contract value received by that firm. Each task order negotiated with the Most Highly

Qualified Firm(s) for a specific project requirement will include the small business participation goals by percent of value and socioeconomic category offered in the firm’s SF330 response.

Question 23: Regarding Criterion H - Since the volume of work list is multiple pages, can it be excluded from the 15-page limit for Section H?

Response 23: A table response for Secondary Criterion H, Volume of DoD Contract Awards in the last 12 months will not be part of the 15-page limit for Section H.

Question 24: The RFP was not clear on if we should only include the required disciplines in the RFP (table below) or can populate all 20 slots (if applicable) on Block 9 of the Part II?

Rationale is that a large firm, has additional capabilities that are applicable to IDIQs that go beyond the “required key disciplines” to be shown in the various sections of the SF330. We modify our SF330s as such to demonstrate our full depth and breadth of our capabilities.

A small specialty firm (that also meets the small business social economic categories) may not have staff that fall into these categories, however, their specialty will greatly benefit the overall team and project contributions during the execution of task orders on this contract. For example, a small environmental firm will not have Fire Protection Engineers.

With that said, to be compliant with this RFP, do we need to include the nine “required key disciplines” on all SF330 Part IIs even if it does not apply or is it acceptable that the firms only list the disciplines that apply to their firm?

Response 24: (This is the same response as in Question 11 of 4/9 question/response file).

Submit SF330 Part IIs for the Prime, Prime/JV, and team subconsultants. The number of personnel for the eleven (11) disciplines required in Primary Criterion B, and shown by the A-E in a Section H table summary, must be within one or more of the Part IIs submitted for the Prime/JV and team consultants.

Part II subsection 9, Employees by Discipline, shows the number of employees by discipline (see list of disciplines, code 01 – 62) for each firm and/or branch office by location. SF330 instructions for Part II, subsection 9 state “List no more than 20 disciplines” and “Group remaining employees under “other employees” in column b.”

Question 25: We are an architectural firm hoping to submit for the above referenced IDIQ. Since the NAICS Code for this solicitation is 541330 – Engineering Services, does that exclude us from being lead? If so, is there a way to change the NAICS code to the architectural code so that we may submit as lead?

Also, in 3. SELECTION CRITERIA, it states that firms with annual gross receipts of $15 million and over are not allowed to submit. Does that apply only to the lead firm, or to the sub-consultant team members as well?

Response 25: The primary industry classification code for the anticipated work is 541330. That does not prevent firms with other primary codes from competing. Although the Census Bureau only maintains one code for each establishment, which is based on their primary activity and updated every 5 years, firms can add additional codes to other websites. For example, prospective contractors for the Federal Government utilize the System for Award Management (SAM) to list multiple classification codes per establishment. Visit https://www.sam.gov/SAM website.

The SELECTION CRITERIA specifies that, to be classified as Small Business, the Prime’s annual gross receipts do not exceed $15 million. This is an SBA metric used to identify Small Businesses versus Large firms. If gross receipts exceed $15 million, the Prime firm is classified as other-than-small businesses (large firms). Both classifications have the opportunity to compete for contracts however, the submission requirements and selection criteria are specific to each Prime’s type of classification.

https://www.sam.gov/SAM