CRREL_W913E519R0015_Questions_for_Government.docx

W913E5-19-R-0015, CRREL MATOC Support Services Questions

On September 21, 2019, the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), Cold Regions Research Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) in Hanover, NH posted a Request for Quote (RFQ) for MATOC Support Services.

Our contracting team has been fielding, researching and compiling answers to all of your questions related to the RFQ. A document with all Questions and Answers has been posted with the corresponding amendment on FedBizOpps. Several clarifications have been made to sections L and M as a result of the responses received from Industry. Please make sure you are viewing and using the most current version of the attachments from the amendment.

Offerors are reminded, failure to acknowledge receipt of this amendment may result in rejection of your offer.

Solicitation

The Section M paragraph states “a. Recent Assessment. An assessment of the past performance information will be made to determine if it is recent. To be recent, the effort must be ongoing or must have been performed during the past 3 years from the date of issuance of this solicitation. Past performance information that fails to meet this condition will not be evaluated.

Section M states that submitted past performance material from beyond three years will not be evaluated, but Section L states Offerors can submit this material.

Question: Will the Government correct Section M, e.(3).i.a. to reflect that material beyond three years will be taken into consideration or remove the option from Section L to submit this information?

Section M will be revised removing “past performance information that fails to meet this condition will not be evaluated.”

Question 1: The first sentence indicates that the Government wants Offerors to provide pricing at the PhD level with no additional years of experience after the degree or any lesser degree (AA, BS, or MS) with 6 years of experience. Is this understanding correct?

Question 2: If the answer to Question 1 is ‘Yes’, then will the Government add an additional level to this category when TOs are competed and the need for more experienced PhD personnel is identified?

Question 3: Sentence two identifies ‘required knowledge, skills and abilities’, however some scientists and engineers do not require computational modeling or other professional certifications, and most PhDs with zero post doctorate experience will not have national recognition yet. Will the Government clarify which items will be required of any PhD and which are not or reword it to read ‘Required knowledge, skills and abilities may include…’?

Question 1 - Yes. A PhD in the required area of expertise is required OR a lesser degree and 6 years of experience...the KSAs requirements are the same for both.

Question 2 - This question is speculative. Any answer affirming or otherwise is not relevant to the current contract, so should not be considered in the review of this contract.

Question 3 - These are the Level 3 requirements. If a candidate does not meet those requirements a Level 2 hire may be more appropriate.

Question: Will the Government clarify what system 57 analysis is or confirm that the ‘57’ is a remnant that should be ignored?

System 57 can be ignored.

Question 1: Will the Government confirm that it intended to state that the Level II Knowledge Manager is required to have an Masters or equivalent degree (in any field and with zero years of post-degree experience) OR two (2) full years of progressively higher level graduate education from an accredited college or university and ten years of Knowledge Management experience in the skills outlined for Level I?

Question 2: Will the Government confirm that it intended to state that any PhD degree can be substituted for ten years of Knowledge Management experience?

Question 1 - The intent is a Masters or equivalent graduate degree, with 10 years of experience as outlined.

Question 2 - A PhD in Knowledge Management can be substituted for the experience.

Question 1: Will the Government confirm that it intended to state that the Level II Project Manager is required to have a Masters or equivalent degree (with zero years of post-degree experience) OR two (2) full years of progressively higher level graduate education from an accredited college or university and ten years of experience Project Management?

Question 2: Will the Government confirm that it intended to state that any PhD degree can be substituted for ten years of Project Management experience?

Question 1 - J.1.5 is Environmental Health and Occupational Safety Specialist. Presume that this item is for J.1.6 Project Manager.

The intent is a Masters or equivalent graduate degree, with 10 years of experience as outlined

Question 2 - A PhD in Project Management can be substituted for the experience.

Question: Will the Government please correct dates accordingly?

The award doesn’t have option years. It will be for an ordering period of five (5) years.

Question: Will the Government confirm that the NAICS code is actually 541715?

Yes, the NAICS code is 541715.

However, paragraph 3.5 states “All pages shall be appropriately numbered and identified by the complete company name, date, and solicitation number in the header and/or footer.”

Question1: Will the Government please clarify where the company name can be used and where it cannot be used?

Question 2: Will the Government please confirm that “absolutely no company information” only means the use of the company name, acronym, and logo in the Technical Volume?

Yes, the no company info applies only to the Technical Volume

Question: Will the Government allow the Cover Page, and the Tables of Contents, Figures, and Tables to be excluded from the page count for Volume II?

The Cover Page and Table of Contents will be excluded from the page count.

The Section M paragraph states “a. Recent Assessment. An assessment of the past performance information will be made to determine if it is recent. To be recent, the effort must be ongoing or must have been performed during the past 3 years from the date of issuance of this solicitation. Past performance information that fails to meet this condition will not be evaluated.

Section M states that submitted past performance material from beyond three years will not be evaluated, but Section L states Offerors can submit this material.

Question: Will the Government correct Section M, e.(3).i.a. to reflect that material beyond three years will be taken into consideration or remove the option from Section L to submit this information?

The Government shall follow the instructions in Section L and evaluate relevant past experience. Section M will be revised removing “past performance information that fails to meet this condition will not be evaluated.”

Question 1: The first sentence indicates that the Government wants Offerors to provide pricing at the PhD level with no additional years of experience after the degree or any lesser degree (AA, BS, or MS) with 6 years of experience. Is this understanding correct?

Question 2: If the answer to Question 1 is ‘Yes’, then will the Government add an additional level to this category when TOs are competed and the need for more experienced PhD personnel is identified?

Question 3: Sentence two identifies ‘required knowledge, skills and abilities’, however some scientists and engineers do not require computational modeling or other professional certifications, and most PhDs with zero post doctorate experience will not have national recognition yet. Will the Government clarify which items will be required of any PhD and which are not or reword it to read ‘Required knowledge, skills and abilities may include…’?

1) Yes. A PhD in the required area of expertise is required OR a lesser degree and 6 years of experience...the KSAs requirements are the same for both.

2) This question is speculative. Any answer affirming or otherwise is not relevant to the current contract, so should not be considered in the review of this contract.

3) These are the Level 3 requirements. If a candidate does not meet those requirements a Level 2 hire may be more appropriate.

Question: Will the Government clarify what system 57 analysis is or confirm that the ‘57’ is a remnant that should be ignored?

System 57 can be ignored.

Question 1: Will the Government confirm that it intended to state that the Level II Knowledge Manager is required to have an Masters or equivalent degree (in any field and with zero years of post-degree experience) OR two (2) full years of progressively higher level graduate education from an accredited college or university and ten years of Knowledge Management experience in the skills outlined for Level I?

Question 2: Will the Government confirm that it intended to state that any PhD degree can be substituted for ten years of Knowledge Management experience?

1) The intent is a Masters or equivalent graduate degree, with 10 years of experience as outlined.

2) A PhD in Knowledge Management can be substituted for the experience.

Question 1: Will the Government confirm that it intended to state that the Level II Project Manager is required to have a Masters or equivalent degree (with zero years of post-degree experience) OR two (2) full years of progressively higher level graduate education from an accredited college or university and ten years of experience Project Management?

Question 2: Will the Government confirm that it intended to state that any PhD degree can be substituted for ten years of Project Management experience?

1) The intent is a Masters or equivalent graduate degree, with 10 years of experience as outlined.

2) A PhD in Project Management can be substituted for the experience.

Question: Will the Government please provide the WD data for Fairbanks, AK and Anchorage, AK so that Offerors can complete the Pricing?

Attached.