EAP Solicitation - Amendment 1.pdf

Solicitation - W912HQ26S0025

Amendment 1

Questions and Answers

Question: Section 1.9.8.3 outlines requirements for counselors performing phone counseling.

Can the Government confirm whether these requirements apply to all call center staff, or only those providing clinical counseling services?

Answer: Qualified on-site Staff counselors. The government does not specify call center management or staffing requirements only that counselors are qualified on-site accordingly supporting individuals as outlined.

Question: Based on experience supporting USACE EAP programs across multiple locations, Districts and Centers have demonstrated variability in Task Order administration, including maintaining current, active orders. Can the Government clarify whether centralized oversight or standardized guidance will be implemented to ensure consistency in Task Order management across participating units, and how continuity of services will be maintained in the event of delays or lapses at the local level?

Answer: USACE is working with districts and divisions to reduce task orders to maximize cost efficiency. Each location has capability to seek services individually, however based on experience the IDIQ has provided lower cost with overall more accessible service capability. An HQ assigned POC has worked with divisional offices to standardize and localize coverage as well as POCs to simplify management.

Questions: Based on experience supporting USACE EAP programs across multiple locations, invoicing instructions and submission processes have varied significantly by District or Center, which have contributed to delays in payment processing. Can the Government clarify whether standardized invoicing procedures, formats, and submission requirements will be established across all participating units, and whether any centralized billing or payment coordination will be utilized?

Answer: USACE offices follow a standardized process however how that is organized in local districts and offices differs based on personnel and offices assigned with appropriate and required training. Intentions remain to localize in divisional contracts with simplified processes in management. I.E: 7 task orders district set may becom 1 task order for a division.

Question: Based on experience supporting USACE EAP programs, utilization rates have varied significantly across Districts and Centers, and covered populations have fluctuated over time. In light of potential workforce changes, can the Government clarify whether any mechanism exists to address material deviations in utilization or population from initial assumptions, or if offerors should assume full risk for such variability in their pricing approach?

Answer: Offices are utilizing IMD reviews to ensure appropriate accounting for personnel upon task order issuance. Utilization of services is variable to a number of reasons regarding environmental, social, and other inputs. The government provides resources available upon event occurrence and annually via resource capability training. Utilization fluctuations during those timeframes can be expected while overall utilization remains between 3-8% as is the national average.

Question: On the first day of contract performance, how many Districts and Centers are expected to participate in the program? What percentage of the total eligible Districts and Centers does that represent?

Answer: Currently USACE has 36 locations participating in the existing contract. These are aligned differently however in execution of district, division, lab contracts which as stated earlier are being worked to condense. There are roughly 36,000 employees within USACE and roughly 20000 of them covered under the IDIQ EAP contract. It is expected that the number will grow based on the internal appreciation of the current IDIQ with 2 divisions asking for all-inclusive contracts and onboarding of approximately an additional 8,000 employees within the year.

Question: Can the clarify how the EAP and Work-Life Program will be promoted across USACE Districts and Centers to encourage adoption of the contract at the organizational level, and whether Districts and Centers may elect to utilize the contract at any time during the period of performance or only at designated intervals?

Answer: EAP is a law required program. All entities are enabled to utilize programs that best cost support their locations. Promotion of this IDIQ occurs currently through the occupational health and safety programs and is incorporated to the ASOHMs and CESOHMs programs which is a certification for USACE locations. This IDIQ promotes ability to be certified in CESOHMs stages. Utilization can be elected at any time currently though expected forward movement will be ordering periods.

Question: Based on prior experience, levels of support and service intensity have varied across Districts and Centers. Can the Government clarify whether any locations are expected to require a higher level of support, more intensive service models, or more frequent interventions than the broader covered population, and how such variability should be accounted for in offeror staffing and pricing approaches?

Answer: Utilization varies as stated before based on environmental and social ongoings of regions. This much like is seen in any other EAP service nationally.

Questions: Under Section 6.0, Critical Incident Response Services, can the Government clarify whether any Districts or Centers maintain their own Critical Incident Stress Management resources or teams, and how those capabilities are expected to interface with contractor-provided services? Additionally, should offerors assume that contractor support will be required for all incidents, or only when local resources are insufficient or unavailable?

Answer: USACE has a Critical Incident Stress Management/Response Program and teams’ enterprise wide. In the 5-year IDIQ this CLIN was never exercised. The expectation for CISM supports is resource referral and coordination with grounding techniques and PFA. Interaction with contractor provided services if requested would be coordination support of information to the clinicians responding for resource provision upon completion of CISM services.

Question: Section 6.0 of the PWS (Critical Incident Response Services) references “immediate” and “timely” response for on-site support. Can the Government clarify whether specific response time expectations (e.g., within 24 hours, 48 hours, or other defined timeframes) are required across all geographic locations, or if response timing will be determined on a case-by-case basis?

Answer: As stated earlier, this CLIN has not been utilized to date from the contractor. The response timeframe expectation is coordinated with locally requesting site often within 24 hours and does include the entire enterprise for the agency program but would only be expected of the contractor for participating and coordinated task order executions.

Question: Section 1.9.6 of the PWS requires the contractor to provide the COR with a list of verified/eligible candidates. Can the Government clarify whether this requirement applies only to newly identified or newly hired personnel, or also to existing staff already designated for contract performance at time of award?

Answer: This is a requirement for all personnel working on the contract.

Question: Section 1.9.8.5.2 (DoD and 4th Estate Wellness and Health Support Services) references support for populations that may already receive EAP services through other providers. Can the Government clarify the expected level of contractor involvement for these populations, how services are intended to be coordinated with existing EAP providers, and whether offerors should assume primary responsibility, supplemental support, or a referral-only role in these cases?

Answer: There is no duplication of EAP services.

Question: Section 6.3 of the PWS (On-Site Counselor Support / Related Costs) references vendor-provided on-site counselor support and associated “related costs.” Can the government define the term “related costs”? Can the Government clarify whether such support is intended to be fully encompassed within the fixed-price Critical Incident Support “JOB” CLIN, or if additional compensation mechanisms (e.g., travel, lodging, extended deployments) will be utilized for large-scale or multi-day events?

Answer: This support is in line with the CISS CLIN though it has not been executed in the last 5 years. It was requested to remain as an option. Related costs would be as stated in contractor response travel to support mission specific execution related to JTR and regulations related to mission guidelines at time of operational execution. TDY per JTR expenses would be covered as related costs.