Cost Estimating Services Stage 2 Announcement

SOLICITATION  19AQMM22R0125

AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Question One: Advertised NAICS is 541330 - Engineering. May you please consider expanding the NAICS procurement to include either 541990 – All other Professional Scientific, construction estimation, quantity surveyor services; or 541611 Administrative Management and General Consulting Services?  Numerous cost estimation consulting firms are not Engineering firms and would preclude from competing as a Prime consultant, especially for the small businesses. 

 Answer:  Am not considering expanding the NAICS Code

Question Two: Stage 1 Evaluation Criteria – Please clarify if OBO is ONLY seeking the Prime Offeror to submit “Proposed team information” example SF330 Part I – item E. Resumes and item F. Project examples, etc.  Can the Prime Offeror also include key subconsultants to demonstrate a “team” with expertise in all cost estimating disciplines requested and supplemental personnel demonstrating capacity and professional credentials?

Answer:  Submit both the prime and sub-consultants.

Question Three: Contractor’s professional staff – with the preference to belong to one or more professional societies and organizations e.g., South African Quantity Surveyors; Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors;  etc. Do you require Cost Estimating Personnel to have US Citizenship? 

Answer:  No, because this is an unclassified solicitation you can use non-US Citizens

Question Four: Are there requirements for facility and/or individual security clearances? 

Answer:  No facility clearances are required, if needed work will be done at our offices.  Individual clearances are required especially for staff augmentation.

Question Five: Will participating on this contract and the subsequent task orders preclude our team, including subconsultants, from participating in future design projects, Design-Build projects, or construction projects with OBO?

Answer: No

Question Six: Stage 1 Submission Requirements, Sample Cost Estimate (4). Confirm OBO is seeking a sample cost estimate completed by the firm and not a specific candidate.

Answer: Cost estimate completed by the firm not a specific candidate

Question Seven: Is it acceptable to use an 11x17, landscape format for the SF330 Section D organizational chart?

Answer: No

Question Eight: Stage 1 Submission Requirements, Standard Form 330 (2) / Evaluation Criteria #b.Stage 1 requirements indicate a max of 10 project examples may be included in our submission. Evaluation criteria #b, indicates that no more than 7 projects should be included. Please confirm the maximum number of project examples that can shared for the firm. Is there a limit of 7 project examples for individual team members?

Answer: Please provide ten projects within the last three years.

Question Nine: In regards to Section (3) SF 330 Qualifications Statement (Block H): Section 2 asks for the SF330 sections and Part IIs. Section 3 asks for specific information in regards to H which falls under the general SF 330 order listed under section 2. Can you please confirm that the SF330 sections A-I followed by Part II’s is the correct order?

Answer:  Follow the SF330 for your submission

Question Ten: All Stage 1 submissions shall be received by 10 AM on 3/14. Is it acceptable to email earlier than 3/14, i.e. 3/13, to ensure timely delivery?

Answer:  3/14 is the deadline,  however submissions can be received earlier.

Question Eleven: Does the Sample Cost Estimate count towards the overall page limit?

Answer:  No, include as an attachment.

Question Twelve: Section (2) Standard Form 330: Section 2 states “A maximum of ten (10) example projects can be included within the SF 330.” Stage 1 Evaluation Criteria B: Paragraph B states “Specialized recent experience, within the last three years….” and “Provide examples of no more than seven projects.”  Are the projects in Section F of the SF330 limited to the last three years? Is Section F limited to seven projects?

Answer: Please provide ten projects within the last three years.

Question Thirteen: Is it acceptable to include SPC projects? 

Answer: No classified information is to be submitted.

Question Fourteen: For certain OBO projects, some costs are marked as SBU. Since costs are a requirement within the SF330, is it acceptable to scrub SBU costs, where appropriate?

Answer: You can scrub the SBU information but still need to include cost items. 

Question Fifteen: Previous solicitations issued by OBO for similar cost estimating contracts included language requiring successful offerors to possess, or be eligible to obtain, a Defense Security Service (DSS) Secret Facility Clearance (FCL). That language does not appear in this solicitation. Are successful offerors required to possess, or be eligible to obtain, a Defense Security Service (DSS) Secret Facility Clearance (FCL)?

 Answer: We don’t foresee having to establish a DSCA. The Statement of Work (attached) will outline this work to be done on our site.

Question Sixteen:  Previous solicitations issued by OBO for similar cost estimating contracts required contractor personnel to possess a Secret personnel security clearance issued by the Defense Security Service (DSS). That language does not appear in this solicitation. Are contractor personnel required to possess a Secret personnel security clearance issued by the Defense Security Service (DSS)?

Answer:  Yes, especially for Staff Augmentation

Question Seventeen:  Previous solicitations issued by OBO for similar cost estimating contracts included language outlining the scope of services for on-site staff augmentation. That language does not appear in this solicitation. Is providing on-site staff augmentation a requirement of this solicitation?

Answer: It is within the Statement of Work 

Question Eighteen:  Does the sample cost Estimate count towards the 110 single-sided page limit?

Answer: This can be an attachment and not count towards the page limit.

Question Nineteen: The directions for Standard Form 330 on page 3 of the announcement notes that a maximum of ten (10) example projects can be included. The directions on page 5 of the announcement notes that examples of no more than seven (7) projects should be provided. Are we limited to 7 or 10 projects?

Answer: Please provide 10 examples

Question Twenty: The announcement indicates that subconsultant information is not required until Stage 2. If we plan on utilizing subconsultants to round out our team to provide depth and breadth of coverage for the various cost estimating disciplines (architectural, structural, civil, mechanical, electrical, physical security, site work), can we include subconsultant information in our Stage 1 submission?

Answer: Yes, you can.

Also see file attached Solicitation 19AQMM22R0125.

The contract is for professional services including, but not limited to performing cost estimating services for facility and infrastructure assessments, planning studies, requirement analyses, risk assessments, and life cycle costing.

The contractor shall perform tasks in generating conceptual, budgetary, and/or detailed cost estimates and life cycle cost analyses. Typical tasks may involve travel to diplomatic posts, conducting facility and/or infrastructure assessments at posts, interviewing post engineering staff, researching local cost data and construction methodologies, and generating studies, and cost estimates.

OBO utilizes accredited web-based Extranet systems (ProjNet) for the exchange of DOS design/construction data. These services will be initiated with all selected contractors with their first task orders. All reports produced must be PDF or MS Word compatible, while spreadsheets must be MS Excel compatible.

The contractor shall utilize appropriate and capable industry standard software technologies to generate the required cost estimates. Currently, OBO uses SAGE/Timberline Cost Estimating System using the OBO work breakdown structure.  The cost estimates shall be produced in both ASTM E 1557-09 “Standard Classification for Building Elements and Related Sitework – Uniformat II” and in CSI Masterformat.  The cost estimating software used must be in an electronic format that is easily convertible to Microsoft Excel. The contractor is required to provide logistical support in the Washington, DC area.

The following disciplines are required, at a minimum: architectural, structural, civil, mechanical, electrical, physical security, and site work. The contractor’s professional staff should belong to one or more of the following professional societies and organizations: American Society of Professional Estimators; Association of Cost Engineers; International Cost Engineering Council; Society of Cost Estimating and Analysis; AACE International; Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors; Association of South African Quantity Surveyors; Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors; Canadian Institute of Quantity Surveyors; or demonstrate a minimum of five years experience estimating building construction in all its facets.

OBO utilizes accredited web-based Extranet systems (ProjNet) for the exchange of DOS design/construction data. These services will be initiated with all selected contractors with their first task orders. All reports produced must be PDF or MS Word compatible, while spreadsheets must be MS Excel compatible.

Also see file attached Solicitation 19AQMM22R0125.