H399--Comprehensive Health and Safety Inspections

The purpose of this amendment is to answer questions made by vendors in response to Request for Quote (RFQ) no. 36C24823Q1009 for Comprehensive Health and Safety Inspections at the VA Caribbean Healthcare System (VACHS).

These questions, as well as their answers, are the following:

Question: Do the requested inspections correspond to a preparation process for an audit soon to be received in the next two (2) to twelve (12) months?

Answer: No. The comprehensive health and safety inspection services currently being procured correspond to annual safety and health external inspection assessments required at the Veterans Affairs Caribbean Healthcare System (VACHS) for it to be in compliance with Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) standard 1.H.15. Additionally, VACHS was last accredited by CARF during 2022. The next audit for CARF accreditation is expected to be conducted in 2025.

Question: Is the expectation that the Contractor shall perform an annual inspection per location prior to the audits for the next four (4) years?

Answer: In accordance with section 3 of this solicitation s Performance Work Statement (PWS) the Contractor shall conduct an annual health and safety external inspection . These inspections shall be conducted in the areas identified on section 4.3 of the PWS, and in accordance with the schedule identified on section 4.7 if the PWS.

Question: Based on section 4.7 of the PWS, inspection survey dates are expected to be performed during the first two (2) months of the contract. Please confirm that after the inspection surveys the agency will provide up to sixty (60) days to complete the reports per location.

Answer: In accordance with section 4.9 of the PWS, the Contractor must submit the inspection report draft within thirty (30) days of the time when the inspection was conducted.

Question: What are the agency s expectations and needs from the Contractor after the completion of the annually required inspections surveys, which are to be completed during the first two (2) to six (6) months of each period?

Answer: Once the annual inspections are performed for a given period (year), and the reports and deliverables related to those inspections have been completed, then there are no further services needed on behalf of the Contractor. However, keep in mind that the Contractor has the responsibility to continue to manage the contract on their behalf, shall provide any documentation needed to the Government for contract administration, and that additional services may be added to the Contract via a Bilateral Agreement, as specified in section 15 of the PWS.

Question: What are the expectations needs of the agency that give them to contemplate potential contract terms of up to 4 years?

Answer: The contract resulting from solicitation number 36C24823Q1009 will consist of one (1) 12-month base period, and four (4) 12-month option periods. These option periods will be executed at the Government s discretion, in accordance with FAR 52.217-9. The inspection services being procured are required on each of the contract periods (base year, and option years). They are annually required services.

Question: Do the requested services consist of visual inspections and report of findings or does the agency have any other potential interest in providing recommendations and corrective and preventive actions for the Contractor s execution?

Answer: The requirement from the Contractor is to perform comprehensive safety and health inspections and to report the findings of such inspections. These shall include as a minimum the finding classifications and criteria listed in section 4 of the PWS, and any OSHA 1910 or Veterans Affairs Directives, as well as the latest edition of CARF 1.H.15.

Question: Will the requested services include meeting sessions with the agency and/or their regulatory entities for pre-work, update, and reports discussion or training, etc.? If so, please indicate an estimated time these shall be conducted?

Answer: As stated in section 4.8 of the PWS (Exit Briefings): For each comprehensive inspection survey, the Contractor shall conduct an exit briefing with the staff pertinent to CARF accreditation, facilities representative, and VACHS Safety Office to discuss findings and any major findings that may need immediate correction. These Exit Briefings shall be conducted after each inspection, and at the facility that was inspected.

Question: Will VA provide the templates or forms to perform the inspection surveys per location that meets requirements of their regulatory entities or agencies? Or will the Contractor need to develop these documents and submit to VA, for approval?

Answer: The Contractor shall use his own template, so long as it complies with the specifications stated in sections 4.1 through 4.4 of the PWS.

Question: Will the price methodology used by Offerors include a fixed price per inspection per location that includes professional hours and related expenses such as mileage, tolls, ground transportation, meals, insurances, etc.? Or will the related expenses be included in a separate line or classification (e.g., allowances)? Please consider that travel expenses and other related expenses have a variable cost each 6-12 months since they depend on diverse external elements such as living costs, fuel cost, lodging and meal costs, etc.

Answer: The price quoted by the Offerors shall be in accordance to the solicitation s Schedule of Prices. Therefore, the Offerors shall quote each Sub-Line Item Number (SLIN) for the base and option periods. When quoting future option periods, the Offerors shall use inflation rates or their personal/technical experience to account for future increases or decreases of the market. Additionally, in order for the Government to determine price fair and reasonableness of the received quotes, it may ask an Offeror to provide a breakdown of the prices they provided.

Question: Is it necessary for an Offeror to quote each Line Item Number (LIN)?

Answer: No. The Offeror shall quote each SLIN (i.e., 0001AA, 0001AB, and so on). The Offeror shall also quote the base period, and each subsequent option period (Options 1 through 4). The only period the Offeror shall not quote is the six-month extension that may be awarded for a period of up to six (6) months (SLINs starting with 5001), since this period will inherit the prices of the most recently executed option period, in accordance with FAR 52.217-8.

PWS questions:

Question: Do the requested inspections correspond to a preparation process for an audit soon to be received in the next two (2) to twelve (12) months?

Answer: No. The comprehensive health and safety inspection services currently being procured correspond to annual safety and health external inspection assessments required at the Veterans Affairs Caribbean Healthcare System (VACHS) for it to be in compliance with Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) standard 1.H.15. Additionally, VACHS was last accredited by CARF during 2022. The next audit for CARF accreditation is expected to be conducted in 2025.

Question: Is the expectation that the Contractor shall perform an annual inspection per location prior to the audits for the next four (4) years?

Answer: In accordance with section 3 of this solicitation s Performance Work Statement (PWS) the Contractor shall conduct an annual health and safety external inspection . These inspections shall be conducted in the areas identified on section 4.3 of the PWS, and in accordance with the schedule identified on section 4.7 if the PWS.

Question: Based on section 4.7 of the PWS, inspection survey dates are expected to be performed during the first two (2) months of the contract. Please confirm that after the inspection surveys the agency will provide up to sixty (60) days to complete the reports per location.

Answer: In accordance with section 4.9 of the PWS, the Contractor must submit the inspection report draft within thirty (30) days of the time when the inspection was conducted.

Question: What are the agency s expectations and needs from the Contractor after the completion of the annually required inspections surveys, which are to be completed during the first two (2) to six (6) months of each period?

Answer: Once the annual inspections are performed for a given period (year), and the reports and deliverables related to those inspections have been completed, then there are no further services needed on behalf of the Contractor. However, keep in mind that the Contractor has the responsibility to continue to manage the contract on their behalf, shall provide any documentation needed to the Government for contract administration, and that additional services may be added to the Contract via a Bilateral Agreement, as specified in section 15 of the PWS.

Question: What are the expectations needs of the agency that give them to contemplate potential contract terms of up to 4 years?

Answer: The contract resulting from solicitation number 36C24823Q1009 will consist of one (1) 12-month base period, and four (4) 12-month option periods. These option periods will be executed at the Government s discretion, in accordance with FAR 52.217-9. The inspection services being procured are required on each of the contract periods (base year, and option years). They are annually required services.

Question: Do the requested services consist of visual inspections and report of findings or does the agency have any other potential interest in providing recommendations and corrective and preventive actions for the Contractor s execution?

Answer: The requirement from the Contractor is to perform comprehensive safety and health inspections and to report the findings of such inspections. These shall include as a minimum the finding classifications and criteria listed in section 4 of the PWS, and any OSHA 1910 or Veterans Affairs Directives, as well as the latest edition of CARF 1.H.15.

Question: Will the requested services include meeting sessions with the agency and/or their regulatory entities for pre-work, update, and reports discussion or training, etc.? If so, please indicate an estimated time these shall be conducted?

Answer: As stated in section 4.8 of the PWS (Exit Briefings): For each comprehensive inspection survey, the Contractor shall conduct an exit briefing with the staff pertinent to CARF accreditation, facilities representative, and VACHS Safety Office to discuss findings and any major findings that may need immediate correction. These Exit Briefings shall be conducted after each inspection, and at the facility that was inspected.

Question: Will VA provide the templates or forms to perform the inspection surveys per location that meets requirements of their regulatory entities or agencies? Or will the Contractor need to develop these documents and submit to VA, for approval?

Answer: The Contractor shall use his own template, so long as it complies with the specifications stated in sections 4.1 through 4.4 of the PWS.

Question: Will the price methodology used by Offerors include a fixed price per inspection per location that includes professional hours and related expenses such as mileage, tolls, ground transportation, meals, insurances, etc.? Or will the related expenses be included in a separate line or classification (e.g., allowances)? Please consider that travel expenses and other related expenses have a variable cost each 6-12 months since they depend on diverse external elements such as living costs, fuel cost, lodging and meal costs, etc.

Answer: The price quoted by the Offerors shall be in accordance to the solicitation s Schedule of Prices. Therefore, the Offerors shall quote each Sub-Line Item Number (SLIN) for the base and option periods. When quoting future option periods, the Offerors shall use inflation rates or their personal/technical experience to account for future increases or decreases of the market. Additionally, in order for the Government to determine price fair and reasonableness of the received quotes, it may ask an Offeror to provide a breakdown of the prices they provided.

Question: Is it necessary for an Offeror to quote each Line Item Number (LIN)?

Answer: No. The Offeror shall quote each SLIN (i.e., 0001AA, 0001AB, and so on). The Offeror shall also quote the base period, and each subsequent option period (Options 1 through 4). The only period the Offeror shall not quote is the six-month extension that may be awarded for a period of up to six (6) months (SLINs starting with 5001), since this period will inherit the prices of the most recently executed option period, in accordance with FAR 52.217-8.

As a reminder, the deadline to submit quotes in response to this solicitation remains May 8, 2023 at 10:00 AM Atlantic Standard Time (AST).