A22._Attachment_11_-_Questions_&_Answers_-_Amendment_0002.pdf

Services in Support of Hazardous, Toxic and Radioactive Waste (HTRW) Investigations and Environmental Remediation Programs and Projects Managed by the St. Louis District

W912P9-17-R-0012

REFERENCE: RFP PAGE 79, SECTION L, INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS, PROPOSAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS, CONTENT REQUIREMENT, the RFP states: “All information shall be confined to the appropriate file. The offeror shall confine submissions to essential matters, sufficient to define the proposal in a concise manner, to permit a complete and accurate evaluation of proposals. Each file of the proposal shall consist of a Table of Contents, Summary Section, and the Narrative discussion. The Summary Section shall contain a brief abstract of the file. Proprietary information shall be clearly marked…”

QUESTIONS:

1) Can we assume that the term “file” is equivalent to “volume”?

ANSWER: No, this is an additional note to the instructions in subparagraph (i) File Packaging of the electronic copies of submissions.

2) Are Summary Sections intended to serve the purpose of introductions for each volume?

ANSWER: Yes, as long as the Summary Section also contains a brief abstract of the volume/file.

3) Do the Summary Sections count against the overall page limit for each volume?

ANSWER: Yes, the total page limit includes all components of each volume unless an exemption is stated

REFERENCE: RFP PAGE 31, SECTION C, PWS PART 3.8 CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL AND QUALIFICATIONS references "The Contractor shall not replace key personnel without prior approval of the Contracting Officer." Section 3.8 further identifies qualifications "that have historically been used to meet the contract requirements..." However, Section L does not provide a requirement for key personnel resumes nor does Section M provided evaluation factors.

QUESTIONS:

1) Does the Government consider those roles identified in Section C.3.8 to be key personnel?

ANSWER: Yes, with the exception of the Field Staff.

2) Will the Government evaluate qualifications for key personnel in the submittal?

ANSWER: No, the Government will not be evaluating qualifications for key personnel other than as may be described as part of the overall Technical Approach described in Volume II. Resumes are not requested and will not be evaluated.

3) If yes, then in which section will the Government evaluate qualifications for key personnel?

ANSWER: See answer to previous question.

4) Will the Government evaluate proposed organizational/management structure in the submittal?

ANSWER: No, the Government will not be evaluating proposed organizational/management structure other than as may be described as part of the overall Technical Approach described in Volume II.

5) If yes, then in which section will the Government evaluate Organizational/management structure?

ANSWER: See answer to previous question.

REFERENCE: RFP PAGE 114, SECTION M, EVALUATION FACTORS, TECHNICAL FACTORS, FACTOR 1, TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES, the solicitation states: “The Offeror shall present their technical approach to the components identified in the PWS. The Offeror must demonstrate the capability to perform environmental compliance, environmental monitoring, radiological and environmental investigations along with remediation verification services using on-site laboratory analyses relating to FUSRAP and HTRW or similar work with low-level radioactive contamination. Marginal levels could indicate a lack of understanding concerning mission requirements and may result in the entire proposal receiving an unfavorable rating and/or being eliminated from the competitive range.”

QUESTION: Is the PWS that government refers to in this Factor, the PWS provided in Section C or the SAMPLE TASK ORDER PWS in Section M?

ANSWER: Yes, the government is referring to the overall contract PWS in Section C which is applicable to the whole procurement. The task order PWS in Section M is a sample technical assumption (seed task order PWS) that applies only to the initial 12-month base period.

REFERENCE: RFP PAGE 81, PROPOSAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS, CONTENT REQUIREMENT, (1) PROPOSAL VOLUMES, PAGE LIMIT.

QUESTION: Will the government consider increasing the page count limit for Volume II from 30 pages to 45 pages to allow the offeror to provide complete answers to the evaluation factors?

ANSWER: No, complete answers to the evaluation factors must be provided within the allotted 30 pages.

REFERENCE: RFP, PAGE 85, SECTION L 1(iii) VOLUME III PAST PERFORMANCE, (4) SECTION 4 SUBCONTRACTS states "Offerors shall provide an outline of how the effort required by the RFP will be assigned for performance within the offeror’s corporate entity and among the proposed subcontractors. The information provided for the prime offeror and each proposed major subcontractor must include the entire company name, company address, CAGE Code, DUNS Number and type of work to be performed by citing the applicable Government PWS subparagraph number.

QUESTION: Is the PWS the government refers to in this section, the PWS provided in Section C or the SAMPLE TASK ORDER PWS in Section M?

ANSWER: Amendment 0002 addresses this concern.

REFERENCE: RFP PAGE 78, SECTION L, INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS, 1. SUBMITTALS, the RFP lists Volume IV as “Cost and Volume” and Volume V as “Small Business Participation”, yet elsewhere in Section L and Section M, Volume IV is identified as the “Small Business Participation Commitment” and Volume V as “Cost”.

QUESTION: Please confirm that Volume IV is “Small Business Participation Commitment” and Volume V is “Cost”.

ANSWER: Amendment 0002 addresses this concern.

REFERENCE: RFP PAGE 87, SECTION L, VOLUME SUBMISSIONS, (iv) VOLUME IV SMALL BUSINESS PARTICIPATION COMMITMENT, SECTION 1, SBPCD, (b) Past Utilization of Small Businesses, the RFP states: “(iii) If available, also include performance recognition documents received within the last five such as awards, award fee determinations, customer letters of commendation, and any other forms of performance recognition.”

QUESTION: In response to this Volume IV requirement, shall the offeror provide performance recognition documents related only to SB participation, or perhaps this requirement was intended to appear in Volume III, Past Performance Information and offerors shall provide all relevant performance recognition documents?

ANSWER: Amendment 0002 addresses this concern.

REFERENCE: PAGE 87, SECTION L, VOLUME V COST. (b) Exceptions to certified cost or pricing data requirements. The contracting officer shall not require certified cost or pricing data to support any action (contracts, subcontracts, or modifications) (but may require data other than certified cost or pricing data as defined in FAR 2.101 to support a determination of a fair and reasonable price or cost realism)—

(1) When the contracting officer determines that prices agreed upon are based on adequate price competition QUESTION: Does the government anticipate receiving adequate price competition under FAR 15.403-1, and therefore Table 15-2 -- Instructions for Submitting Cost/Price Proposals When Certified Cost or Pricing Data Are Required, is not required?

ANSWER: Contractors shall assume adequate price competition for purposes of proposal preparation. However, if adequate competition is not achieved, the Contracting Officer may require Certified or Other than Certified Cost and Pricing Data, which would be requested during Discussions (if held).

REFERENCE: RFP PAGE 88, SECTION L, VOLUME SUBMISSIONS, (v) VOLUME V COST, ITEM 9 states “…the Government has incorporated the applicable Area Wage Determinations and the Collective Bargaining Agreement (if applicable) as Attachment 6 of this RFP.” However, Attachment 6 is the Pre-Award Survey and the aforementioned documents have not been included.

QUESTION: Will the Government please provide the applicable Area Wage Determinations and the Collective Bargaining Agreement (if applicable)?

ANSWER: Amendment 0002 addresses this concern.

QUESTION: For Volume III, will the Government consider past performance experience going back five years? Typically the USACE has used past experience / past performance within the last five years and occasionally up to 10 years (e.g., DuPont Chambers FUSRAP due on 3/28 allows for completed projects that are 10 years old and 75% complete and 7 years as long as the majority of the work was completed in the last 5 years).

ANSWER: The Government is seeking past performance within the past three (3) years.

QUESTION: Will the government allow the use of a previously-completed PPQ that follows the same NAVFAC / USACE Format?

ANSWER: PPQ’s that are submitted should be for work considered recent and relevant as described in Section M.

QUESTION: Please clarify the required number of hard copies. RFP Page 1 of 121, Form SF33 states in Block 9: “9. Sealed offers in original and 6 copies for furnishing the supplies or services in the Schedule will be received at the place specified in Item 8,” However, Section L pages 81 and 82 state: “Original (free of holes and bound by binder clip), 4 hard copies (3- hole punched on left side in binders), 2 electronic copy”.

ANSWER: 4 hard copies + 2 electronic copies, for a total of 6 copies.