Solicitation Questions and Answers Q1-Q22 26April2024.pdf

Questions for Programmatic Solicitation as of 26 April 2024

1. Final RFP pg 62 Attachment 3 CLIN 0002-0005 – Provide resumes of the key personnel.

The Offeror shall submit resumes for all key personnel outlined in the PWS section 1.20.

Minimum qualifications for Key Personnel are identified in PWS 1.20.

Q1- Will the Government please specify the number of Key Personnel resumes that are required. For example, are offerors required to provide one resume per Key-designated LCAT (4 total resumes); or one resume per location per position marked as Key for Base Year CLINs 0002-0005 in Attachment 3 Rev_1 (10 total resumes); or one resume per position marked as Key for Base Year CLINs 0002-0005 in Attachment 3 Rev_1 (16 total resumes)?

A1 - Offerors shall submit a resume for each FTE marked as Key, for Base Year CLINs 0002-0005. I.e. if a position requires 4 FTEs, 4 resumes would need to be submitted for that position.

2. Final RFP pgs. 10 and 62 Attachment 3 CLIN 0003 - Provide resumes of the key personnel. The Offeror shall submit resumes for all key personnel outlined in the PWS section 1.20. Minimum qualifications for Key Personnel are identified in PWS 1.20.

Q2 - As a follow-on question, if offerors are required to provide a resume for the LOG III in Germany under CLIN 0003, will the Government please specify the city:

Wiesbaden or Stuttgart?

A2 – Wiesbaden. The Cost Model has been updated to specify this.

3. Q3 - Currently the date for Phase 1 Experience requirement ranges from 1 Jan 2019 to 31

Dec 2023. Would the government consider opening of the range of years for the Experience requirement from the last 5 years to the last 10 years or last 8 years?

A3 – No, the experience needs to be from within the past 5 years.

4. The maximum page allocation for Volume III - Mission Capability (Technical) was significantly reduced between the Draft RFP (35 pages) and the current RFP (20 pages).

The current allotted maximum of 20 pages--inclusive of the Cover Sheet, Table of Contents, and Summary Section--is insufficient to fully address all requirements.

Q4 - We respectfully request a 20% increase to the page count allocation for Volume III.

A4 – The page limit for Volume III has been revised.

5. Section L, p.65 states that only major subcontractors are required to provide cost models:

“Each PRIME OFFEROR AND MAJOR SUBCONTRACTOR shall complete the Cost Model in its entirety”. However, Section M, p. 76 states, “The Offeror shall ensure that a complete breakdown of costs is provided by all subcontractors.”

Q5- Please confirm that non-major subcontractors are not required to submit cost models or cost narratives to the Government.

A5 – Non-major subcontractors are not required to submit cost models or cost narratives to the Government, only major subcontractors. The reference in Section M has been updated.

6. The RFP does not provide an estimated award date or period of performance start date.

This leaves room for offerors to assume widely varying start dates, which may prevent an apples-to-apples comparison of cost/price.

Q6- We request the Government provide a uniform estimated award date of 1 January 2025 in order to facilitate a consistent evaluation of cost estimates across all proposals.

A6- Anticipated performance dates have been added.

7. The following labor categories were listed in the Performance Work Statement and on the "LCATs with Benchmark Rates" sheet of the cost model, but they were not assigned any hours on the "Labor – Cost Detail" sheets: Analyst II, Program Specialist II, Staff Accountant I, Staff Accountant II.

Q7- Please clarify whether or not the Offeror is required to provide rates for these labor categories.

A7- Offerors are only required to provide rates for the labor categories listed in the cost model.

8. The PWS and "LCATS with Benchmark Rates" sheet lists a HR and Training Program Analyst (HR/TNG PA), while the "Labor - Cost Detail" sheets refer to a HR and Training Program Specialist.

Q8- Will the Government please clarify the correct labor category name?

A8- The position name is HR and Training Program Analyst. The Cost Model spreadsheet has been corrected.

9. The PWS lists a Sr. Program Manager (Sr PM) while the "LCATS with Benchmark Rates" and "Labor - Cost Detail" sheets refer to a Program Manager (PM).

Q9- Will the Government please clarify the correct labor category name?

A9- The position name is Sr. Program Manager. The Cost Model spreadsheet has been corrected.

10. Q10- In the Cost Model, there are 3 external links that probably should not be in the file.

Also, they have 3 Formula Names that reference external links.

A10- These links have been removed.

11. Section L, Volume IV – Past Performance, Section 5 - Past Performance Questionnaire.

For all contracts identified in Volume 3 above, a past performance questionnaire (Solicitation Attachment 4) shall be completed and submitted.

Q11- May CPARs be submitted in lieu of PPQs?

A11- No

12. The Offeror should submit past performance for any recent and relevant experience provided in Volume II - Experience. Section M, p 75 Q12- Is this statement a recommendation, or a proposal requirement? The Experience and Past Performance Volumes ask for different data and in different maximum contract citations (e.g., Past Peformance only allows 3 Prime citations and two major subcontractors. It does not allow for non-major subcontractors who may provide value to the four functional areas cited in the Experience Volume). We respectfully request this evaluation language be removed from the Past Performance Factor. If it remains, it greatly changes the total citations able to be used to meet both Experience and Past Performance requirements in the current format, and would add many required Past Performance Questionnaires to evaluation in limited timeframe.

A12- Volume II is updated to reference major subcontractors. If you need to submit more Past Performance references than the current limitations in the Past Performance Volume in order to meet the requirement to submit Past Performance on all Experience records, please reach out to Solicitation POCs.

13. Industry Day: "Q74: Must the offeror have demonstrated all of the experience requirements shown on page 52 Volume II – Experience on one contract? If so, would the Government consider allowing the “managing at least 50 employees in more than one location” experience on one contract and the OCONUS experience on a second contract?

A74: The foreign country experience can be on a different contract that the requirement for 50 employees in more than one location."

Q13- During the March 15 Industry and Post Industry Day questions and answers, the Government stated that the 50 employees/12-month Experience requirement and OCONUS/foreign country Experience requirement could be fulfilled with two separate contracts. Would the Government confirm this is still the case? For example, if an Offeror were to propose experience in a foreign country on one contract, and managing 50 staff over 12 months on another contract, would that be considered acceptable?

A13- Yes

14. Q14- The reduction in the Mission Capability Volume page limit from 35 pages (Draft) to 20 pages (Final), to include the cover sheet and table of contents, is very constraining to address all PWS areas, Staffing, and Transition. Would the Government consider 1) excluding cover sheet, table of contents, and an acronym list from this volume page limit and/or 2) increasing the page limit to 30 pages?

A14- See answer A4.

15. Q15- Is Arial font allowed for tables and illustrations? This font can be easier to read at small sizes.

A15- No

16. Q16- Please confirm that all subcontractors (including non-major) may provide relevant contract citations to the Experience volume in the four functional areas. Section L, Vol. II Experience A16- See answer A12.

17. Q17- The "Labor - Cost Detail CLIN 0003" tab on the Attachment 3 Cost Model identifies two LOG III Positions as "non-key," however, Section 1.20 Required Personnel of the RFP identifies this labor category as key. Will the Government please clarify whether this is correct and two of the LOG III positions supporting CLIN 0003 are non-key personnel? Attachment 3 Cost Model / PWS Section 1.20 Required Personnel A17- This has been updated on the Cost Model.

18. Q18- Section 2 Staffing Plan states, "Provide resumes of the key personnel. The Offeror shall submit resumes for all key personnel outlined in the PWS section 1.20." PWS Section 1.20 lists four roles as Key - please confirm the Government intends for four resumes to be submitted with Volume III (vs all noted in Attachment 3). Section 2, Staffing Plan; PWS 1.20 A18- See answer A1.

19. Q19- Will the Government please confirm that the HR and Training Program Specialist II position on the "Labor - Cost Detail CLIN 0002" tab is the same position as the HR and Training Program Analyst position on the "LCATs with Benchmark Rates" tab?

Attachment 3 Cost Model.

A19- The position has been updated in the Cost Model.

20. Q20- Will the Government please confirm that only Major Subcontractors performing 15% or more of the total proposed price need to provide a supporting cost narrative, and Non-Major Subcontractors are not required to submit individual cost narratives to the Government? Section L, Vol. V Cost Proposal A20- See answer A5.

21. Q21- The "Direct Labor Rate Schedule" tab contains a Column titled SCA Identifier. Will the Government please confirm whether any of the proposed labor categories are held to SCA and provide a corresponding wage determination sheet? Attachment 3 Cost Model A21- This has been removed in the Cost Model.

22. Q22- Section 1.20 Required Personnel of the RFP identifies the Program Specialist II (PROG SPEC II), Analyst II (AII), Staff Accountant II (SACT II), and Staff Accountant I (SACT I) as required personnel, however, these labor categories do not exist on the "Labor - Cost Detail" tabs of the price model. Will the Government confirm Offerors are not required to price these labor categories in response to the RFP? Attachment 3 Cost Model / PWS Section 1.20 Required Personnel A22- See answer A7.