Solicitation Attachment 12 - IPPS-A AMP RFP Questions and Answers_30 JAN 2023.pdf

Proprietar y (Y/N) Document

Page Number

Reference Question Answer

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73 of 95 VOLUME I: FACTOR 1 – AGILE

CORPORATE EXPERIENCE (9

PAGES)

2 CFR Sec 200.77 defines "period of performance" as "the time during which the non-Federal entity may incur new obligations to carry out the work authorized under the Federal award." For example, a contract that starts on 1/1/2023 and ends on 12/31/2025 has a period of performance of two (2) years. Can the Government verify that a project like this, meeting the CFR definition, is eligible for consideration as past performance in this solicitation, based on the solicitation requirement that "contract, order, or project period of performance, including option periods, shall be, at a minimum, two (2) years" as stated in this language in the RFP?

If the answer is “no” we recommend that the government provide clarity about what its intended definition of period of performance is for this solicitation, and if the intent is to only allow references that have already been performed for a minimum of two years, we recommend changing the requirement for completed performance to six (6) months. Six months is a more common requirement in similar solicitations and is an adequate period of time to demonstrate successful performance and capability executing Agile methodologies and many or all of the five focus areas required in the past performance references. Offerors would still have the burden of demonstrating that similar scope and complexity had occurred in the six-month period.

See Amended RFP, Section L, Volume I, Factor 1 - Agile Corporate Experience, which defines performance duration and revises the requirements. However, we note that this RFP does not include Past Performance as an evaluation factor.

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73 of 95 VOLUME I: FACTOR 1 – AGILE

CORPORATE EXPERIENCE (9

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The RFP states the following:

"a. Contract, order, or project period of performance, including option periods, shall be, at a minimum, two (2) years."

The use of the word "or" seems to indicate that the period of performance of a Contract that is a minimum of two (2) years long is sufficient when referencing an order under that contract, even if the specific order has a period of performance that is less than two (2) years. Under this language, we assume that Task Order Y in the following example represents a valid past performance reference because the Contract period of performance is greater than two years.

IQIQ Contract X has a period of performance of 15 Sep 2022 to 14 Sep 2027

Task Order Y under Contract X has a period of performance of 1 Nov 2022 to 25 June 2023

Can the Government please verify if Task Order Y meets the criteria for evaluation based on the five (5) year ordering period eligibility of Contract X?

Please see revisions to Section L, Volume I, Factor 1 - Agile Corporate Experience, which revises the requirements.

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73 of 95 VOLUME I: FACTOR 1 – AGILE

CORPORATE EXPERIENCE (9

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The RFP states the following:

"b. Offerors may submit a compilation/series of task orders (TOs) or projects as one example if that work is for the same and continued work for a single program or project and the period of performance for those task orders or projects are for a minimum of two (2) years. The series of task orders or projects shall be listed as one example with all TO or project numbers listed together and under the same base contract number."

As written it is unclear whether each of the task orders being combined as one reference must have a period of performance that is a minimum of two (2) years. We believe the intent was that the orders met the two year minimum when combined. Will the Government please clarify or change this language to say "the period of performance for those task orders or projects when combined are for a minimum of two (2) years"?

Please see revisions to Section L, Volume I, Factor 1 - Agile Corporate Experience, which has revised this requirement.

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70 of 95 General Instructions Please change from: "The Government intends to conduct a streamlined phased acquisition approach.

Proposal Volumes I through IV are required to be submitted by the above listed proposal submission due date and time. Proposal Volume V is required to be submitted by the offeror within three (3) business days of receipt of the Phase 2 successful offeror invitation" to "The Government intends to conduct a streamlined phased acquisition approach. Proposal Volumes I through V are required to be submitted by the above listed proposal submission due date and time. Proposal Volume VI is required to be submitted by the offeror within three (3) business days of receipt of the Phase 2 successful offeror invitation" in accordance with proposal content instructions on page 71.

Please see Amended RFP General Instructions.

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88 of 95 Clauses Incorporated by Reference This section contains DFARS Clause 252.234-7001 Notice of Earned Value Management System as a reference. Will the Government consider removing this reference as it is not addressed elsewhere in the

RFP?

This clause is removed from the RFP, as it does not apply to this acquisition.

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88 of 95 Clauses Incorporated by Reference This section contains DFARS Clause 252.234-7001 Notice of Earned Value Management System as a reference. Where shall offerors address the requirements of this clause in our proposal?

This clause is removed from the RFP, as it does not apply to this acquisition.

Request for Proposal W91CRB-24-R-0003 - IPPS-A AMP Questions and Answers 1/30/2024

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76 of 95 Numbers 3 and 4 This section outlines pricing requirements for subcontractors. Does this apply to 1099 Independent Consultants?

The Solicitation does not prohibit proposal of 1099 employees for personnel, however, it is unlikely that 1099 employees will be found acceptable under the analysis required under FAR 52.222-46.

8 N S Attachment+2+- +Cost+Model+AMP_I

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Tab (f) Planning Intervals

N/A This tab contains 33 Planning Intervals. Must offerors include pricing for all 33 PIs? All notional or estimated count of PIs located under the RFP are solely used for placeholder purposes and are not intended to dictate the offeror's proposed product roadmap. The Government is not instructing offerors to a set count or limitation of PIs. Offerors are not required to include pricing for all 33 PIs, should a product roadmap reflect less than 33 PIs.

Section L states, "Offerors are permitted to adjust the Solicitation Attachment 2 – Cost Model to reflect the Offeror’s proposed Product Roadmap. However, Offerors shall cost out all PI team sizes (small, medium, large) for all seven (7) years, regardless of the Offeror’s proposed Product Roadmap timeline."

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88 of 95 Clauses Incorporated by Reference Section 827 of the FY 2024 NDAA signed into law on December 22, 2023 requires the DFARS be revised to exempt all DoD software contracts and subcontracts from earned value management system (EVMS) requirements ("exempt from the EVM requirement contracts and subcontracts primarily performing software effort"). Would the Government still like this clause to take effect for IPPS-A AMP and have offerors use their

EVMS?

See answer to Question 5.

10 N Solicitation Attachment 1 - Small Business Participation Commitment Document.docx

2 Header The header references August 2022, volume 5, attachment 0007. Please confirm offerors may edit this information to match this solicitation.

See Amended Solicitation Attachment 1.

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84 of 95 VOLUME VI: FACTOR 5 - ORAL

DEMONSTRATION

Can the Government provide the week(s) it intends to hold Phase 2 oral presentations to provide offeror's more opportunity to block off time for Key Personnel availability?

For tentative planning purposes, the Government anticipates Phase 2, Factor 5 - Oral Demonstrations occuring the 3rd week in March. However, all dates are tentative and subject to change.

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81 of 95 VOLUME IV: FACTOR 4 -

PROGRAM MANAGEMEMT PLAN

Element 2

Can the Government please clarify aligned in the following Section L instruction:

"b) an onboarding staffing plan that provides a detailed description of when and in what order the contractor proposes to provide personnel, including the key personnel names and qualifications aligned with PWS requirements, to support the requirement," Is the intent to provide a line by line alignment of all experience and qualification bullets for each Key Personnel listed in Section 1.6.8 of the PWS? This table alone at 10 pt font will exceed 4 or more pages significantly impacting the Element 2 page count. If a line-by-line alignment is required, can this be an attachment exempted from page count limitations? In addition, would the Government like copies of required certifications (also as attachments exempted from page count)?

Line-by-line alignment is not required. Offeror can reference PWS item versus copying each statement. Copies of required certifications are not necessary. Offeror shoud note speciifc certifctaions and when obtained.

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2 Section B, Contract Minimum and Maximum

Section B of the RFP defines a contract ceiling "for a not-to-exceed maximum of $370,000,000.00." Will the Government please confirm that "normalized surge" is not included in the $370 million contract ceiling?

The not-to-exceed maximum total ceiling value is inclusive of normalized values.

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2 Section B, CLIN 0001

In Section B of the RFP, the Government states that CLIN 0001 "is a CPFF Completion Form." Will the Government please clarify that "complete" for CLIN 0001 task orders means upon the Offeror submitting a CDRL at the conclusion of the PI?

The definition of "complete" IAW CLIN 0001 shall be based upon delivery, inspection, and acceptance of CDRLs, which are defined at the DO/TO level.

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70-72 Section L, Instructions to Offerors, General Instruction

Section L of the RFP informs Offerors of the Government's intent "to conduct a streamlined phased acquisition approach" where "Volumes I through IV are required to be submitted by" 20 February 2024 and "Volume V is required to be submitted by the offeror within three (3) business days of receipt of the Phase 2 successful offeror invitation." The Proposal Contents tables on pages 71-72 do not align to the previous instruction(s). Will the Government please confirm that Offerors are required to submit Volumes I, II, III, IV, and V in accordance with the 20 February 2024 submission deadline; whereas, Volume VI "is required to be submitted by the offeror within three (3) business days of receipt of the Phase 2 successful offeror invitation"?

See answer to Question 4.

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74 Section L, Volume II: Factor 2 - Small Business Participation

The instructions for Volume II: Factor 2 - Small Business Participation require "a minimum of 25% of the work...be performed by small business concerns;" however, the instructions set forth in the SBPCD attachment require a "15% minimum quantitative requirement" based on "total dollar value." Will the Government please confirm that the Small Business Participation Requirement is 25% of the total labor dollar value of the contract?

The SB Participation Requirement is 25%. See Amended Solicitation Attachment 1.

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76-77 Section L, Volume III: Factor 3 - Cost/Price, bullet 7

The instructions for Volume III: Factor 3 - Cost/Price, bullet 7, allow Offerors to support proposed Direct Labor Rates with FPRAs or FPRRs. Will the Government please confirm that Offerors can use FPRPs that were submitted to DCAA/DCMA to support Direct Labor Rates, which is permitted for supporting Indirect Labor Rates on page 41, bullet 8, of the RFP?

Yes, FPRPs that have been submitted to DCAA/DCMA can be provided to support proposed direct labor rates if they are the most recent rates available.

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77-78 Section L, Volume III: Factor 3 - Cost/Price, bullet 8

Offerors and their subcontractors are required to comply with the instructions in Volume III (Cost/Price). Many small business may not have corporate history, financial history, or a robust accounting system to comply with indirect rate documentation requirements (FPRAs, FPRRs, FPRPs). Will the Government please consider removing the requirement for subcontractors to submit Attachment 2 and instead allow for submission of a sealed bid substantiating proposed Labor Categories and Rates?

As stated in Section L, Vol III, Factor 3 (Cost/Price), paragraph 5, subcontractors may provide sealed volumes directly to the government to support their proposed rates if the prime contractor is unable to receive the information directly from the subcontractors. In these cases subcontractors should still submit Attachment 2 populated to reflect their pertinent cost/price data, along with a cost/price narrative that provides any/all necessary data and information to support their proposed rates.

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81 Section L, Volume IV: Factor 4 - Program Management Plan, Element 1: Staffing Plan

The instructions for Volume IV: Factor 4 - Program Management Plan, as part of Element 1: Staffing Plan, requires Offerors to "provide a resume (not to exceed 2 pages) and a letter of intent (not to exceed 1 page) for each Key Personnel outlined in PWS Section 1.6.8". The instructions for Volume VI: Factor 5 - Oral Demonstration also refer to the Key Personnel, requiring offerors to "include three (3) of the five (5) Key Personnel IAW PWS Section 1.7.8." PWS section 1.6.8 includes five (5) subsections (1.6.8.1 through 1.6.8.5), which correspond to five (5) key personnel; however, section 1.6.8.1 requires two (2) Program Managers (a primary and an alternate). Will the Government please clarify whether offerors should provide a resume and letter of intent for the alternate Program Manager?

The Program Manager is one FTE. The alternate is limited to a back up for ad hoc circumstances and not treated as the PM FTE. A resume and letter of intent for the alternate Progam Manager is not required. As stated in PWS paragraph 1.6.8.1, "The name of [the PM] and an alternate, who will act for the Contractor when the PM is absent, will be designated in writing to the Contracting Officer."

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82-83 Section L, Volume V - General - Element 1: Cover Letter, bullet k

The Government requires Non-Government Advisors to execute agreements with offerors in accordance with RFP Section L, Volume V, Element 1, bullet k. The instructions include a note that "this requirement shall flow down to all Subcontractors." Will the Government please confirm that Non-Governmental Advisors do not need to execute the similar agreements with each offeror's respective subcontractors?

See RFP Section L, Volume V, Element 1, Bullet K, "In accomplishing their duties related to the source selection process, the aforementioned firm(s) may require access to proprietary information contained in the Offerors' proposals.

Therefore, pursuant to FAR 9.505-4, these firms must execute an agreement with each Offeror that states that they will (1) protect the Offerors’ information from unauthorized use or disclosure for as long as it remains proprietary and (2) refrain from using the information for any purpose other than that for which it was furnished. To expedite the evaluation process, each Offeror must contact the above firm to effect execution of such an agreement prior to the submission of proposals. Each Offeror shall submit copies of the agreement with their proposal. Note: This requirement shall flow down to all Subcontractors. The Agreement is not included in the page limit for the cover letter and may be attached as an Appendix to the cover letter."

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82-83 Section L, Volume V - General - Element 1: Cover Letter, bullet k

The Government requires Non-Government Advisors to execute agreements with Offerors; moreover, offerors "must contact the above firm to effect execution of such an agreement prior to the submission of proposals." Will the Government please confirm that it is the responsibility of the Non-Government Advisors listed on RFP page 82 to author and provide Offerors with these agreements?

See RFP Section L, Volume V, Element 1, Bullet K states, "To expedite the evaluation process, each Offeror must contact the above firm to effect execution of such an agreement prior to the submission of proposals. Each Offeror shall submit copies of the agreement with their proposal."

Additionally, the government has no positon on which enity "authors" the agreement."

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84-85 Section L, Volume VI: Factor 5 - Oral Demonstrations

For planning purposes, will the Government please provide an estimated timeframe between Phase 1 submission (2/20) and Phase 2 Successful Offer invitations? This information benefits the Government by allowing Offerors to use all remaining time to prepare and present high quality Oral Demonstrations.

See answer to question 11.

23 N Attachment 1 - IPPS- A Army Military Payroll Performance Work Statement (PWS).pdf

18 1.6.8.2.e PWS 1.6.8.2.e requires the PeopleSoft Global Payroll Solution Engineer to have "experience translating Functional and Technical Requirements for implementation in a defense business system," implying the need for Federal/DoD experience without saying it is desired, preferred, or required. Will the Government please update 1.6.8.2.e to be "experience translating Functional and Technical Requirements for implementation in a business system; experience in a defense system is desired," to be consistent with other similar experience and qualifications in PWS 1.6.8.2.g-l?

See Amended RFP, Attachment 1 - PWS, Section 1.6.8.2.

24 N Attachment 1 - IPPS- A Army Military Payroll Performance Work Statement (PWS).pdf

18 1.6.8.2.m PWS Section 1.6.8.2.m requires the PeopleSoft Global Payroll Solution Engineer to have a degree, or in lieu of a degree, allows "Oracle PeopleSoft certifications may be substituted for degree (Minimum of 7 years)."

Oracle no longer offers certifications in PeopleSoft. Will the Government please confirm that the requirement should be updated as follows: "Oracle PeopleSoft experience (minimum of 7 additional years) may be substituted for degree"?

See Amended RFP, Attachment 1 - PWS, Section 1.6.8.2.

25 N Attachment 1 - IPPS- A Army Military Payroll Performance Work Statement (PWS).pdf

18 1.6.8.2.m PWS 1.6.8.2.m requires the PeopleSoft Global Payroll Engineer to have PeopleSoft HCM 9.2 and PeopleSoft

9.2 Global Payroll experience. The differences between versions 9.0, 9.1, and 9.2 are extremely minimal, and limiting candidates' experience to 9.2 will exclude otherwise experienced and qualified candidates from consideration. Will the Government please consider changing the 9.2 requirements to "9.0 or higher"?

See Amended RFP, Attachment 1 - PWS, Section 1.6.8.2.

26 N Attachment 1 - IPPS- A Army Military Payroll Performance Work Statement (PWS).pdf

21 1.6.8.4.m PWS 1.6.8.4.m requires the Lead Test Engineer to have PeopleSoft HCM 9.2 experience. The differences between versions 9.0, 9.1, and 9.2 are extremely minimal, and limiting candidates' experience to 9.2 will exclude otherwise experienced and qualified candidates from consideration. Will the Government please consider changing the 9.2 requirements to "9.0 or higher"?

See Amended RFP, Attachment 1 - PWS, Section 1.6.8.4.

27 N Solicitation Attachment 2 - Cost Model AMP_IPPS-A 18JAN2024-IDIQ.xlsx

- Instructions tab The embedded Word document on the Instructions tab of Solicitation Attachment 2 (Cost Model) provides instructions related to the Fringe worksheet in bullet 9. The instructions require Offerors to "Indicate if the rates are based on a forward pricing rate agreement (FPRA) or other signed rate agreement with DCAA and/or DCMA." In accordance with the instructions for Volume III: Factor 3 - Cost/Price bullet 8 in the RFP, will the Government please confirm that Offerors can use FPRPs as the basis for indicating that the rates pertain to "signed rate agreement[s] with DCAA and/or DCMA"?

See response to question 17.

28 N Solicitation Attachment 2 - Cost Model AMP_IPPS-A 18JAN2024-IDIQ.xlsx

Sol. Att. 2: (f) Planning Intervals tab The Cost Model spreadsheet, tab (f) Planning Intervals, lists 33 PIs to be completed by offerors. Solicitation Attachment 5 - PWS Reference 003-IPPS-A AMP PI Notional Plan lists 25 PIs on page 3 (PI Planning Model 1 (Notional)). Will the Government please confirm that tab (f) should align to 25 PIs?

See response to question 8.

29 N Solicitation Attachment 5 - PWS Reference 003-IPPS- A AMP PI Notional Plan and PI 1-3 -13 DEC 2023 and Attachment 1 - IPPS- A Army Military Payroll Performance Work Statement (PWS).pdf

3 (Sol.

Att. 5)

6 (PWS)

Sol. Att. 5: PI Planning Model 1 (Notional)

PWS: 1.2.3

The AMP PI Notional Plan shows "possible Incremental delivery decision with SI input" occurring early in Year

2. Will the Government please confirm that the "PROPOSED INCREMENTAL RELEASES" in Figure 2 of the PWS are what will be discussed at this possible incremental delivery decision?

All notional or estimated incremental deliveries located under the RFP, Attachment 1 - PWS are solely used to depict notional release categories that could have the potential to be deployed incrementally, however are not intended to dictate the offeror's proposed product roadmap. The Government is not instructing offerors a defined incremental release timeline.

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2 Section B - Supplies or Services and Prices CLIN 0001; Cost Proposal Excel Worksheet

The government lists an “84 Month Ordering PI Delivery CPFF “. This would imply 364 weeks (7x52) or approximately 30 12 week PIs (364/12=30.3). However, the Cost Sheets show 33 PI Tables. Question:

Would the Government please clarify the number of PIs required to be included in the Cost Proposal and their associated resource staffing sheets?

See response to question 8.

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70 Section L - Instructions, Conditions and Notices to Bidders

INSTRUCTION TO OFFERORS

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

This section states "Proposal Volumes I through IV are required to be submitted by the above listed proposal submission due date and time ." Question: Would the Government please confirm that the references to 'Proposal Volumes I through IV ' in this section should be changed to read 'Volumes I through V ', as 'Volume IV' is now 'Factor 4 Program Management' and 'Volume V' is now 'General' in 'Proposal Contents' 'Phase 1 Submission' table and are required for submission as part of Phase 1?

See answer to Question 4.

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70 Section L - Instructions, Conditions and Notices to Bidders

INSTRUCTION TO OFFERORS

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

This section states " Proposal Volume V is required to be submitted by the offeror within three (3) business days of receipt of the Phase 2 successful offeror invitation ." Question: Would the Government please confirm that the references to 'Proposal Volume V' in this section should be changed to read 'Volume VI: Factor 5- Oral Demonstration' as now 'General' in 'Proposal Contents' 'Phase 2 Submission' table and will be required for submission as part of Phase 2 submission instructions?

Please see Amended RFP General Instructions.

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pg. 70 General Instructions RFP Language: Proposal submission shall be no later than (NLT) 10:00 AM Eastern Time on 20 February 2024 .

Question: Given that Monday, 19 February 2024, is a federal holiday, will the Government consider extending the proposal submission due date and time to 4:30 PM Eastern Time on 21 February 2024 to allow offerors time to validate with the designated Government Points of Contact (POC) that their proposals were validly received (and if there was any problem with proposal receipt, resubmit their proposals in a timely fashion)?

The concern is that the designated Government POC may not be available to validate proposal receipt between the close of business on 16 February and the start of the business day on 20 February.

Please see Amended RFP for proposal submission date and time, reflecting 10:00 AM Eastern Time on 21 February 2024.

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70 General Instructions This section states: 'Each volume shall also contain clearly identified sections and all pages shall be numbered and identified by the complete company name, date, and solicitation number in the header and/or footer .' Question: Would the Government clarify if the use of a company logo is acceptable in lieu of the complete company name spelled out?

A company logo or company name in the header and/or footer is acceptable.

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71 Section L - Instructions, Conditions and Notices to Bidders

INSTRUCTION TO OFFERORS

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

This section states "Drawings or other graphics shall be reduced only to the extent legibility is not lost. (Note:

The aforementioned submission requirements do not apply to Volume V, Oral Demonstrations. See Volume V for specific submission requirements) " Question: Would the Government please confirm that the references to 'Proposal Volume V' in this section should be changed to read 'Volume VI: Factor 5-Oral Demonstration' as now General in Proposal Contents Phase 2 Submission table, and will be required for submission as part of Phase 2 submission instructions?

Please see Amended RFP Section L, General Instructions.

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71 Section L - Instructions, Conditions and Notices to Bidders

INSTRUCTION TO OFFERORS

Proposal Contents; Phase 1 Submission

Phase 1 Submission table states 'Proposal Volume V, Cover Letter; Property Management Plan;

Subcontracting; OCI Notes: No page limit '; However, Instructions to Offerors for Volume V-General, Element 1: Cover Letter refer to 'Section K', 'SF 33/SF30', and 'Non-Government Adviser' requirements in Instructions to Offerors as 'appendix to the Cover Letter. Question: Would the Government please confirm there is no page limit for the 'Cover Letter' as per Proposal Contents Phase 1 Submission table?

There is no page limit for Volume V. See Amended RFP Section L, Volume V, General.

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pg. 75 Volume III: Factor 3 - Cost/Price RFP Language: "Each PRIME OFFEROR AND SUBCONTRACTOR shall complete the Cost Model found within Solicitation Attachment 2 in its entirety. If any prime Offeror or any of its respective subcontractors do not provide a completed Cost Model (Solicitation Attachment 2)..."

Question: Solicitation Attachment 2 is built for the prime offeror, where CLIN 0001 price is based on number and type of teams the offeror bids. A subcontractor would be a piece of a team, some subcontractors may be in some teams but not others and the offeror will have to blend different subcontractor rates into the prime bid that will cause mismatched pricing. Recommend changing language to Subcontractors only need to fill out tabs a-e, and h-k if applicable.

Subcontractors shall complete the cost model to reflect the cost/price data pertinent to their portion of the proposal only.

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pg. 75 Volume III: Factor 3 - Cost/Price RFP Language: "Each PRIME OFFEROR AND SUBCONTRACTOR shall complete the Cost Model found within Solicitation Attachment 2 in its entirety. If any prime Offeror or any of its respective subcontractors do not provide a completed Cost Model (Solicitation Attachment 2) and a cost narrative, inclusive of the requirements set forth below, the entire prime proposal may be considered nonresponsive and ineligible for award ."

Question: Recommend changing the language that only cost reimbursable subcontractors are required to complete a full cost model and provide narrative, all fixed rate subcontractors rates will be deemed realistic and reasonable via the offeror's rate analysis and procurement procedures.

Subcontractors should only include cost/price data pertaining to their portion of the proposal within their unsanitized cost model submissions.

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pg. 76 Volume III: Factor 3-Cost/Price Section 3

RFP Language: "The Offeror and its subcontractor(s) shall disclose the location (Government site or Contractor site per the PWS) of each proposed labor category's performance in their respective cost proposal(s). " Question: Can the Government confirm if there is a limit to how many Contractor Personnel are allowed to work on the Government site? If so, how many?

Current limit of 25 permanent seats at the government facility located at the Polk or Taylor building in Crystal City, VA.

Subject to change.

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pg. 75 Volume III: Factor 3 - Cost/Price RFP Language: "Each PRIME OFFEROR AND SUBCONTRACTOR shall complete the Cost Model found within Solicitation Attachment 2 in its entirety. If any prime Offeror or any of its respective subcontractors do not provide a completed Cost Model (Solicitation Attachment 2) and a cost narrative, inclusive of the requirements set forth below, the entire prime proposal may be considered nonresponsive and ineligible for award ."

Question: Would the Government please add the exception of cost and pricing data to this paragraph as an offeror with a certified purchasing system, adequate competition and using price analysis techniques can determine realism without subcontractors submitting full cost and pricing data as indicated in this paragraph.

See answer to question 38.

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80 Section L - Instructions, Conditions and Notices to Bidders

INSTRUCTION TO OFFERORS

VOLUME IV: FACTOR 4 -

PROGRAM MANAGEMEMT PLAN

Element 1: Staffing Plan

This section states "Offeror’s shall provide the corresponding Factor 5, Element 1 Product Roadmap to support the Staffing Plan. The Product Roadmap shall be provided as a legible graphic on 1 page that when printed does not require a page size greater than 11x17 to retain legibility. Font size shall be no smaller than 8pt Arial or Times New Roman. " Question: Would the Government please confirm that the Product Roadmap required in Volume VI: Oral Presentation Factor 5, Element 1 is to be included as an attachment in Volume IV Program Management Plan as part of the offeror's Phase 1 submission?

Yes. See amended RFP Section L, Volume IV, Factor 4.

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85 Section L - Instructions, Conditions and Notices to Bidders

INSTRUCTION TO OFFERORS

VOLUME VI: FACTOR 5 - ORAL

DEMONSTRATION

This section states "Volume V shall not exceed 35 slides. " Further in this paragraph, this section states "Volume V shall be organized by element ." Question: Would the Government please confirm that the references to 'Proposal Volume V' in this section should be changed to read 'Volume VI' to align with the instructions for 'Volume VI: Factor 5-Oral Demonstration'?

See amended RFP Section L, Volume VI.

43 N Attachment 1 - IPPS- A Army Military Payroll Performance Work Statement (PWS)

18 1.6.8.2 PeopleSoft Global Payroll Solution Engineer

This section states: 'Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related technical degree plus 10 years’ relevant experience in a technical solutions role, ideally with PeopleSoft HCM

9.2 implementation experience and PeopleSoft 9.2 Global Payroll technical analysis, design, configuration, implementation, and ERP integration experience; Oracle PeopleSoft certifications may be substituted for degree (Minimum of 7 years)' .

Comment: A critical factor that can determine a candidate's success in filling this job function is relevant experience over formal education and certifications; therefore, allowing a broader range of experience to be substituted for a formal degree or certifications is recommended. Furthermore, the Oracle Corporation no longer offers a PeopleSoft HCM and/or Global Payroll certification. Based on this, listed below is revised language for the government’s consideration regarding this recommended change.

Recommendation: 'Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related technical degree plus ten (10) years’ relevant experience in a technical solutions role, ideally with PeopleSoft HCM 9.2 implementation experience and PeopleSoft 9.2 Global Payroll technical analysis, design, configuration, implementation, and ERP integration experience. In place of the standard Bachelor of Science degree requirement in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field, candidates shall have at least twenty-five (25) years of direct, hands-on experience with PeopleSoft HCM and Global Payroll, including recent and relevant experience with version 9.2 of both products. This experience should encompass comprehensive technical roles including analysis, design, and configuration supporting at least two implementations as well as formal training in relevant PeopleSoft technologies. While possession of Oracle PeopleSoft certifications and academic degrees is beneficial, they are not essential prerequisites for this role.

Candidates must showcase substantial expertise in PeopleSoft solutions, evidenced by their professional track record."

See Amended RFP, Attachment 1 - PWS, Section 1.6.8.2.

44 N Attachment 1 - IPPS- A Army Military Payroll Performance Work Statement (PWS)

23 1.6.8.5 Contract Manager The solicitation requires DAWIA, FAC-C III or CFCM Certification. Both DAWIA and FAC-C III are only available to Government personnel and typically focus on acquisition capabilities on behalf of the Government rather than industry best practices in contracting with the Government. CPCM is an industry certification, but there are other certifications and/or revelant experience which demonstrate equal or higher competence. Will the Government consider equivalent or higher certifications or an additional 5 years of relevant contract support in lieu of a certificate as adequate alternatives to the certifications currently required?

See Amended RFP, Attachment 1 - PWS, Section 1.6.8.5.

45 N Attachment 1 - IPPS- A Army Military Payroll Performance Work Statement (PWS)

46 PWS 5.4 Task 4: Release and Deployment (Post Deployment support)

For "Post Deployment Support" this section states:

‒ Upon request, participate in contingency planning, activities, and processes to resolve system failures to include rollback, to include participation in IPPS-A Review Boards (e.g., Defect Review Board) per the Government guidelines / processes ‒ Upon request, provide technical support to resolve and repair user and/or system issues / defects, working collaboratively with the IPPS-A Product Operations Team ‒ Update AMP software to remediate defects and perform regression testing in concert with the Product Operations Team Question: The PWS text implies that the IPPS-A AMP contractor will be providing all (100%) Level 3 Operations and Maintenance support for each of the three IPPS-A AMP pay deployments (One Time Pay, RC Pay and AC Pay) beginning when each is deployed into production for any defects/system issues until the end of the 7 year contract. Would the Government confirm that this level of support is being requested from the IPPS-A contractor? If not, would the Government confirm what % of Level 3 support is being requested from the IPPS-A AMP contractor for the IPPS-A AMP production deployed components during the 7 year contract period?

The seven (7) year ordering period at the IDIQ base level states the scope. All Government requirements will be issued under future TO/DO. The IPPS-A Product Operations Team will be the primary provider of Level 3 support.

Also, to clarify, the PWS is not requiring the Offeror to develop and/or deploy the AMP functionality as “three IPPS-A AMP pay deployments (One Time Pay, RC Pay and AC Pay)”.

The three AMP deployments depicted in the Product Roadmap are notional and marked as such. The expectation is that Offerors will provide their own Product Roadmap to deploy AMP to the 1.1M Soldiers using an Agile methodology.

The Offeror / AMP Contractor is to provide a product roadmap that identifies their planned deployments.

46 N Attachment 1 - IPPS- A Army Military Payroll Performance Work Statement (PWS)

46 PWS 5.4 Task 4: Release and Deployment (Post Deployment support)

For "Post Deployment Support" this section states:

‒ Upon request, participate in contingency planning, activities, and processes to resolve system failures to include rollback, to include participation in IPPS-A Review Boards (e.g., Defect Review Board) per the Government guidelines / processes ‒ Upon request, provide technical support to resolve and repair user and/or system issues / defects, working collaboratively with the IPPS-A Product Operations Team ‒ Update AMP software to remediate defects and perform regression testing in concert with the Product Operations Team.

Question: Would the Government confirm that the IPPS-A AMP contractor will be required to test and deploy Oracle/PeopleSoft PUMs for each of the three IPPS-A AMP pay deployments once in production during the 7 year contract period?

The three AMP deployments depicted in the Product Roadmap are notional and marked as such. The expectation is that Offerors will provide their own Product Roadmap to deploy AMP to the 1.1M Soldiers using an Agile methodology.

The IPPS-A Product Operations Team owns the baseline and will conduct PUM upgrades as approved by the Government.

The current expectation is that IPPS-A will update the PUM on an annual basis. Any approved updates deployed to the baseline would be migrated to AMP environments in coordination with the AMP Contractor.

47 N Attachment 2 - Cost Model AMP_IPPS-A

18JAN2024-IDIQ

Can offerors add tabs to the Solicitation Attachment 2 to provide supporting data? Yes, but adding tabs into Solicitation Attachment 2 shall not interfere with the original functionality of the workbook.

48 N Attachment 6 -

W91CRB-24-R-0003

IPPS-A_AMP_DD254

DD254 Section 1b; Section 11a Section 1b “Level of Safeguarding for Classified Information) on the DD254 is marked Secret, however section 11a. “Have Access to Classified Information Only at Another Contractors Facility or a Government Activity is marked “yes”. Can the government please confirm if secret level safeguarding is required at the contractor’s facility?

See amended DD254. 1b is now marked as None.

49 N RFP W91CRB-24-C-

0003 18 JAN 2024

Page 76;

Page 92, L.2 Volume III Factor 3 Cost Price;

item 7 submission of supporting documents for direct labor rates;

Section M Factor 3 Cost/Price

In the context of the government solicitation, which mandates the submission of supporting documents for direct labor rates, if the Offeror's proposal includes a lower-tier subcontractor who exclusively operates on a fixed-price commercial basis and does not traditionally provide cost build-up information, please specify what type of supporting information would be acceptable for/from a commercial entity providing services on a fixed-price basis to comply with the solicitation requirements.

Some types of support that may be acceptable would include (not limited to): prime contractor's cost/price analysis details pertaining to the sub's pricing demonstrating level of subcontract competition and why the subcontractor's pricing is considered fair and reasonable; subcontractor's published commercial price lists, subcontractor's recent invoicing to other commercial entities for the same labor types, etc. If the subcontract pricing was/is not being competed and cannot be established to be fair and reasonable by the prime utilizing appropriate methods, then the subcontractor should submit a sealed volume with applicable cost element breakout for Government evaluation.

50 N RFP W91CRB-24-C-

0003 18 JAN 2024

98 Section L, Volume VI: Factor 5 - Oral Demonstration

Will the Government please clarify whether Screenshots are excluded from Oral Demonstration font size restrictions?

No, screenshots are not excluded from the font size restrictions.

51 N RFP W91CRB-24-C-

0003 18 JAN 2024

98 Section L, Volume VI: Factor 5 - Oral Demonstration - Element 2

Will the Government permit Offeror's to conduct a live demonstration of their Agile/CI/CD tools? Such an approach would allow Offeror's to present their process workflow, metrics, dashboards, progress tracking, dependency tracking and backlog management approaches (to include the interconnectivity across tools) for Government evaluation across the Oral Demonstration Sub Elements 1-3?

Yes. Note, Offerors are cautioned to be aware of time permitted for briefing slots of elements.

52 N RFP W91CRB-24-C-

0003 18 JAN 2024

99 Section L, Volume VI: Factor 5 - Oral Demonstration - Element 3

Will the Government please clarify expectations with respect to what Offeror's will present for Element 3 (Roadmap Pivot Challenge)? What materials are Offeror's expected to use for the purposes of the Pivot Challenge? Are Offeror's expected to develop briefing slides (using PowerPoint, Excel etc.) during the caucus period on Contractor provided laptops or use White Boards/Easel Pads in preparation for presenting to the Government, or alternatively is the expectation that the Offeror speaks to previously submitted slides for this section? Will Offeror's be able to demonstrate the Roadmap Pivot Challenge within their proposed Agile tools using the provided Wi-Fi connectivity?

RFP, Section L, Volume VI states, "Details regarding the Oral Demonstration factor will be provided with the Phase 2 Successful Offer invitation and no later than three (3) business days prior to the Offerors scheduled Oral Demonstration Session. The details for the Roadmap Pivot Challenge Element will be provided during the Oral Demonstration Session." The Government does not foresee Offerors utilizing materials different than what they used during the other elements of the Oral Demonstration. It is the Offerors' choice to develop briefing slides on Contractor provided laptops or use White Boards/Easel Pads for the Challenge during the Offeror caucus time period. White Boards or Easel Pads willl not be provided by the Government. The expectation is not for the Offeror to speak to previously submittted slides, unless the Offeror deems the previous slides as relevant to their demonstration for Factor 5, Element 3. The Government anticipates Offerors being able to demonstrate their Roadmap Pivot Challenge solution using their Agile Tools on the Government provided Wi-Fi, unless the tools cannot be supported by the Government Wi-Fi.

53 N RFP W91CRB-24-C-

0003 18 JAN 2024

100 Section L, Volume VI: Factor 5 - Oral Demonstration

Will the Offeror be allowed to include the "reach back" employees identified in the Orals Element 3 Challenge to join the TEAMS dial-in for the entire Oral Demonstration? Or will the MS Teams call be limited to only recording and Government purposes.

RFP, Section L, Volume VI states, "Although offeror presenters are limited to seven (7) individuals, Offerors may use their caucus time to reach back to their existing employees or proposed teaming arrangement to plan their challenge demonstration". MS TEAM call is limited to only recording and Government purposes.

54 N RFP W91CRB-24-C-

0003 18 JAN 2024

92 Section L, Volume III: Factor 3 - Cost/Price - #10

Will the Government please clarify the intent of CLIN 0010 - "Expedited Delivery and Enhanced Performance (EDEP)"? What are the Government's expectations with respect to how this CLIN will be used and priced?

See RFP, Attachment 1 - PWS, Section 1.5.1 and Section L, Volume III, sub-number 9.

55 N RFP W91CRB-24-C-

0003 18 JAN 2024

85 and

p. 85 L.2 Proposal Contents, p. 88

VOLUME II: FACTOR 2 – SMALL

BUSINESS PARTICIPATION (5

PAGES)

Draft RFP Page 88 says "The Offeror shall provide explanation and documentation to support small business participation percentages." Please clarify, if a Teaming Agreement does not specify a minimum workshare, will the completed Attachment 1 – SBPCD suffice as "documentation to support small business participation percentages?"

A Teaming Agreement document is not required to specify a minimum workshare. For partnerships, teaming arrangements, joint ventures, etc, Letters of Commitment, teaming agreements, etc. shall be supplied to document the business relationship.

56 N RFP W91CRB-24-C-

0003 18 JAN 2024

99 Section L, Volume VI: Factor 5 - Oral Demonstration - Element 2

Would the Government consider updating the Oral Demonstration Element 2 - Agile Methodology Demonstration Staffing Plan bullets to be a continuation of the existing bullets (e.g. a-k instead of a-g + a-d) to ensure correct slide mappings to the RFP.

No.

57 N RFP W91CRB-24-C-

0003 18 JAN 2024

72 Volume I Factor 1 Agile Corporate Experience

Can offerors include a brief 1 page intro given the new requirement for Volume I where the Government states " Offerors shall submit three (3) examples of contracts or task orders to demonstrate experience with executing requirements of a similar scope and complexity to those required in the PWS, to include Agile methodologies. The below areas (items 1-5) shall be demonstrated across the three (3) examples and are not required to be demonstrated in each of the three (3) examples" ?

Offerors may use the total page limit for Volume I - Agile Corporate Experience in whatever manner they feel best to support their proposed agile corporate experience.

58 N RFP W91CRB-24-C-

0003 18 JAN 2024 -

Section L

81 Volume IV: Factor 4 - Program Management Plan

The Government states, "Offerors shall provide a resume (not to exceed 2 pages) and a letters of intent (not to exceed 1 page) for each Key Personnel outlined in PWS Section 1.7.8 demonstrating how each Key Personnel meets the requirements of the PWS.", however the Key Personnel requirements in Section 1.6.8 of the PWS consist of between 1.5 to 2 full pages describing the required experience, qualifications, and key responsibilities. Will the government consider allowing 3 pages per Key Personnel Resume to allow offers space to adequately demonstrate how each key personnel meets or exceeds the requirements of the PWS?

The page limit for the Key Personnel resumes is increased to 3 pages. See revisions in Section L, Volume IV: Factor 4.

59 N RFP W91CRB-24-C-

0003 18 JAN 2024

10 Table 2. Performance Requirements Summary (Surveillance Matrix) -

Throughput Types

The following Rating Areas within the Throughput type, Story Point Completion Rate (Predictability), Story Point Velocity, and Story Completion Rate, are all significantly impacted by changes in priority or blockers that occur within a given iteration (Sprint of PI) after commitment that are outside the offerors control or influence.

Would the government consider adding language to these measures such as "absent changes in priority/blockers after commitment" or words to that effect so as to only measure performance within the offerors control?

No. The language in the QASP will not be updated as stated.

Metrics for each Delivery Order (DO) will be identified at the time the order is issued. At that time, if clarification is needed, it will be documented in the DO. When changes in priorities result in Committed Stories not being completed because other Stories are the priority then the other Stories become the Committed Stories and the original Committed Stories are not use for determining the metric rate.

60 N RFP W91CRB-24-C-

0003 18 JAN 2024

Attachment 5 QASP

11 Table 2. Performance Requirements Summary (Surveillance Matrix) - Software Quality Types

The Number of Blockers rating area within the Software Quality type will likely include blockers which by definition (anything that impedes completion of a story, activity, or work item) that are outside the offerors control or influence. Would the government consider adding language to this measures such as "created or identified by the offeror after commitment" or words to that effect so as to only measure performance within the offerors control?

No. The language in the QASP will not be updated as stated.

Metrics for each Delivery Order (DO) will be identified at the time the order is issued. At that time, if clarification is needed, it will be documented in the DO.

61 N RFP W91CRB-24-C-

0003 18 JAN 2024

Attachment 5 QASP

11 Table 2. Performance Requirements Summary (Surveillance Matrix) - Software Quality Types

The Number of Blockers rating area within the Software Quality states, " Number of Blockers = Number of blockers currently open that prohibit the completion of a story, activity or work item in a sprint or PI". Since the number of stories, activities, or work items and thus the total number of blockers would be vastly different depending on what level is being evaluated (Sprint or PI) would the government specify which level of iteration (sprint or PI) this measure will be applied to and at what point in time (any single point in time, or cumulative at the end of each Sprint/PI)?

No. The language in the QASP will not be updated as stated.

Metrics for each Delivery Order (DO) will be identified at the time the order is issued. At that time, if clarification is needed, it will be documented in the DO.

62 N RFP W91CRB-24-C-

0003 18 JAN 2024

Attachment 5 QASP

19 Table 3. Non-Conformance Metrics and Tolerance Ranges

Notes 1 and 2 on Table 3 indicate that Story Point Velocity and Delivered Features excludes items "not completed because of government roadblocks" but does not account for changes in priority after Sprint/PI commitments. Would the government consider adding language to these notes such as "...or changes in priority/blockers after commitment" or words to that effect so as to only measure performance within the offerors control?.

No. The language in the QASP will not be…