MODIFICATION
U -- Incident Command System Training & Curriculum Development Services
- Notice Date
- 7/12/2006
- Notice Type
- Modification
- NAICS
- 611430
— Professional and Management Development Training
- Contracting Office
- Department of Homeland Security, United States Coast Guard (USCG), Commandant (G-ACS), U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters, 2100 Second St., SW, Washington, DC, 20593-0001
- ZIP Code
- 20593-0001
- Solicitation Number
- HSCG23-06-R-DPP035
- Response Due
- 7/19/2006
- Archive Date
- 10/30/2006
- Small Business Set-Aside
- Total Small Business
- Description
- Questions and Answers Regarding USCG Solicitation HSCG23-06-R-DPP035 The following list contains the questions received from Offerors to date and includes the specific response for each question. Any additional questions from Offerors must be received by our office no later than 10:00am on July 14, 2006. Additional questions received by that date/time will be posted with responses as soon as practical after receipt on that day. 1. A general reading of the solicitation implies that the training will occur at government facilities. Yet the contractor is responsible for "facilities" as stated in Section 04 of Amendment #2. Does "facilities" mean training/conference rooms? If true, these costs could easily exceed instructional costs, and rooms could be impossible to reserve given the short period of time to respond to task orders. If not true, what "facilities" are the contractor responsible for? Answer: The Coast Guard will furnish all facilities (training and conference rooms) for the courses. The contractor shall be responsible for providing the Coast Guard facility with the specific requirements for providing the course ? i.e. size and number of rooms required. 2. Are price increases provided for in the optional years, or are the offerors to build cost increases into their bid? Answer: Per the solicitation, the Offeror shall provide a proposal for the T&M CLINS using labor types/categories, price per hour for those labor categories, the total number of hours proposed for each labor category, the total price for each labor category, the total price for materials as applicable, and the total overall price for each T&M CLIN to include all option periods. Offerors shall provide a proposal for the FFP CLINS/SubCLINS, giving a price per course convening to include the cost for the instructors and training materials for the course, and a total for the maximum number of courses that may be provided under each CLIN/SubCLIN to include all option periods. The prices used in this procurement shall be those offered in the winning proposal. 3. Is the contractor responsible for copying and providing course materials for the students (student workbooks, binders, etc.)? Answer: Yes, the Contractor is responsible for providing all course materials for the students (student workbooks, binders, etc.) except for the Incident Management Handbook which will be provided by the Coast Guard. 4. Will travel costs be permitted in the bids for the T&M CLIN's (#2, 3 and 4)? Answer: The work required under the T&M CLINS will require travel on an occasional basis and this travel will be reimbursed on monthly invoices based on the travel rates allowed under the Federal Travel Regulations. In pricing their proposals, Offerors shall use the travel ceiling prices as listed in the answer to question 5 for the travel under the T&M CLINS. 5. Since the solicitation is silent on locations for the training, accurate bidding for travel costs is not possible. Will the estimated travel costs in bids for both FFP and T&M CLIN's be adjusted (up or down) based on actual Federal Travel Regulation costs at the time of payment? Do you have more refined guidance to help offerors submit more responsive travel costs in their bids? Answer: Generally, the designated USCG training locations will be in cities in the U.S and its territories where USCG Sectors, Districts, and Areas are located. Due to the difficulty in estimating Offeror travel costs, ceiling prices for the travel costs associated with the Firm Fixed Price CLINs per year, are as follows: Base year: $241,000.00 Option Year One: $231,400.00 Option year Two: $406,141.00 Option Year Three: $428,573.00 Option Year Four: $524,682.00 Offerors shall use the following travel ceiling prices in pricing their proposals. When notification is provided as to the location of the upcoming course, the contractor will provide an estimate for travel costs and per diem to that location based on the standard per diem and travel rates found in the Federal Travel Regulations. Travel costs will be approved in advance by the Contracting Officer?s Technical Representative (COTR) and will be reimbursed on a monthly basis via invoice. 6. Will all face-to-face Project Manager meetings with the USCG be in Washington D.C.? Answer: Project Manager meetings with the USCG will usually be at the USCG Headquarters in Washington, D.C., although occasionally these meetings may be held at USCG Training Center Yorktown, in Yorktown, Virginia. 7. Does Section 3.4 include a Coast Guard "course coordinator" that will be available to the contractor to finalize training schedules and assure successful outcomes? Answer: Yes, the Coast Guard COTR will finalize training schedules, review and approve course revisions, review and approve new course materials, etc. In addition, for each course convening, the Coast Guard will assign a local ?course coordinator? for each specific location. The local course coordinator will work with the contractor on finalizing the training schedule with respect to the specific start and stop times on the contracted dates and to finalize training location/facility. 8. I?m in the initial research stage of solicitation # HSCG23-06-R-DPP035 found on FedBizOpps, and was hoping you could provide an estimated value for this opportunity. Answer: Per the solicitation, the total value, or the total contract ceiling, of this procurement is derived by multiplying the maximum FFP quantities by their respective unit prices and then summing those totals along with the T&M ceiling prices. The individual contract line item prices are those provided by the Offeror in their proposal, and the value of this procurement will be the total price offered in the successful proposal. 9. Do any (or all) of the courses need to be updated before training can begin? Answer: Yes, a minimum of two and a maximum of four courses will require revisions to course materials before they can be presented during the base period of the contract. 10. Who will be the USCG POC for Instructional Design Support? Answer: The USCG POC for Instructional Design Support will be identified at the kick off meeting to the successful Offeror. 11. Is there an incumbent firm that has been performing this or any related work? Answer: Emergency Management Services International (EMSI) Incorporated performed similar work under contract for the Coast Guard. 12. Where are the designated USCG training locations? Answer: Generally the designated USCG training locations will be in cities in the U.S. and its territories where USCG Sectors, Districts, and Areas are located, but may also be other cities as determined by USCG needs. Based on a current contract for similar services, the following is a list of locations and the courses presented at those locations during the previous 24 months: Location Number of Courses Alameda, CA 9 Anchorage, AK 2 Baltimore, MD 1 Boston, MA 1 Charleston, SC 1 Cleveland, OH 2 Chicago, IL 1 Corpus Christi, TX 1 Detroit, MI 1 Duluth, MN 1 Honolulu, HI 1 Houston, TX 1 Jacksonville, FL 3 Juneau, AK 1 Long Beach, CA 1 Miami, FL 2 New London, CT 2 New Orleans, LA 1 Norfolk, VA 3 Philadelphia, PA 1 Pittsburgh, PA 1 Port Arthur, TX 1 Portland, ME 2 Portland, OR 2 Portsmouth, VA 3 Providence, RI 1 San Diego, CA 2 Seattle, WA 1 St. Louis, MO 1 Staten Island, NY 2 Tampa FL 1 Wilmington, NC 1 Yorktown, VA 2 13. How many Contractor-provided instructors do you require on-site (per-course)? Answer: Offerors shall determine the best mix of instructor personnel and staff to provide the training courses and fulfill the requirements of the contract. 14. Does the USCG use a standard Performance Requirements Summary (PRS)? May we have a copy of the PRS table for review? Answer: The USCG does not have a standard PRS. Each task order issued under this contract will include a PRS that is specific to that task order. In general the PRS, which sets forth the expected outcomes (requirements), will include a Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan that details performance standards with incentives for exceeding or failing to meet the performance standards. The PRS will be discussed with the contractor prior to the work being performed under each specific task order. 15. Is the number of labor hours the same for each T&M CLIN (e.g. 3,000 each for the base period) or is it to be divided among the T&M CLINS at the offeror?s discretion (e.g. 1,000 hours each for CLINS 00002, 00003 & 00004 for the base period)? Answer: The labor hours listed are the ceiling hours for that contract period. For the base period the ceiling is 3,000 hours total for all T&M CLINS, and Offerors shall assign those labor categories and hours to the individual CLINS as needed to provide these services in the most effective and efficient manner. 16. You have left the labor category mix for the T&M CLINS up to the offerors without an adequate description of the work to be performed under each of these CLINS. Please provide estimates of the number of hours that you will require under each labor category for each CLIN so that when you assess the total prices the offerors will have bid on the same work. Otherwise, we suggest that you provide detailed performance-based descriptions of the functions required to be performed and ask for fixed prices for completing each task instead of labor rates. Answer: Offerors shall assign those labor categories and hours to the individual T&M CLINS as needed to provide these services in an effective and efficient manner. The services required under these CLINS are as described in the combined synopsis/solicitation and Amendments. 17. Should travel costs be included in the T&M CLINS or will travel be reimbursed as you state in paragraph 1.9 of the first amendment? And, if offerors should include travel costs in their T&M prices, please provide the destinations and time of year so that all offerors are bidding on the same basis. Answer: Please see the responses to questions 4 and 5. 18. In the fourth paragraph of the Description, you have instructed offerors to include the costs for travel in their proposals for the FFP CLINS/SubCLINS without providing any guidance where the courses will be held. How do you reconcile this with the statement in paragraph 1.9 of the first amendment, which states that travel will be reimbursed? If travel is to be included in the price proposals this puts the offerors in a position to base their offers on guesses that will prevent you from conducting a fair price comparison. How do we estimate travel costs to an unknown location and unknown time of year? What are the guidelines for determining travel costs? Answer: Offerors shall provide a proposal for the FFP CLINS/SubCLINS giving a price per course convening, and a total for the maximum number of courses that may be provided under each CLIN/SubCLIN. Offerors shall use the travel ceiling prices and information contained in these Question sand Answers to price their proposals. An amendment to the solicitation will be issued within 24 hours to change the solicitation to reflect the information contained in this answer. 19. In Amendment 2, paragraph 4.0, you state that the contractor shall furnish all facilities. Again, this will cause the offerors to propose prices based on unequal assumptions. How do we estimate facility costs to an unknown location and unknown time of year? What are the guidelines for determining facility costs? Answer: The FFP CLIN courses will be taught at government facilities and classroom space will be provided for these courses. Therefore, contractor facilities will only be required for their staff services provided under the T&M CLINS in the solicitation. 20. In Amendment 2, paragraph 1.3.2.1, a requirement for Unit Instructors is to be proficient in using Microsoft WORD, Outlook, EXCEL, PowerPoint and computer graphics programs. Is that requirement intended to be for course support staff rather than Unit Instructor? If so, why do you feel that all of these qualifications are required at that level? Answer: Yes, all unit instructors must be proficient in using the software listed in paragraph 1.3.2.1 of the Performance Work Statement as listed in Amendment 2 to the combined synopsis/solicitation. 21. Are the resumes included in the 50-page limit? Answer: Yes. 22. Are the Representations and Certifications included in the 50-page limit? Answer: No. In addition, the Offeror?s Representations and Certifications can be listed on the Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA) website and the Offeror?s proposal need only reference that fact. 23. The description of work states: ?The total not to exceed ceiling, expressed in labor hours, for the T&M CLINS is 3,000 labor hours for the base period; 2400 labor hours for Option Period One; etc.? Is this a total for CLINS 00002, 00003, and 0004 or is it for each CLIN? Answer: Please see the answer to question number 15. 24. Where will the courses be held in order to determine travel and per diem costs? Answer: Please see the responses to previous questions relating to travel. 25. Will the place of performance (Washington, D.C) be used for programmatic review meetings exclusively? Answer: Please see the response to question number 6. 26. Will curriculum development and facilitator-coaches be located in other places (such as USCG Base Yorktown)? Answer: Yes, curriculum development personnel and facilitator-coaches are located at TRACEN Yorktown Virginia, but are also located at other Coast Guard facilities. 27. What is the anticipated award date? Answer: It is the Coast Guard?s intention to award this contract upon the completion of the procurement process and it?s anticipated that this will be no later than the end of September 2006. 28. Will the government provide the training facility? If yes, where is the projected training site, if known? Answer: Please see the response to question 12. 29. What is the anticipated start date of this training? Answer: Please see the response to question 27. 30. What is the anticipated time between a task order for a training course and the implementation date of the training? Answer: There will be at least a 30 day period between the award of each task order and the commencement of training under that task order, although this time period is anticipated to be shorter for the first task order to be issued under the contract. A draft yearly Training Schedule will be provided at the contract Kick Off meeting for Contractor planning purposes. 31. What is the length in days of each of the courses? Answer: The course lengths are found in the Performance Work Statement contained in Solicitation Amendment 2 posted to the FedBizOpps website on June 29, 2006. 32. Do student materials have to be provided for each course? If so, is the contractor responsible for duplicating course materials? Answer: Please see the response to question number 3. The Contractor shall provide all materials necessary to provide these services. 33. Are any of these courses live simulations requiring coordination of multiple ?actors? and sites? Answer: All of the courses require live exercise simulations, except the ICS-408 course, most requiring at least two people. Also, please see the response to question number 13. 34. How many students can we expect in each class? Answer: The number of students in each course is found in the Performance Work Statement contained in Solicitation Amendment 2 posted to the FedBizOpps website on June 29, 2006. 35. Can you provide the locations for the course deliveries so we can estimate T&L? Answer: Please see the response to previous questions and answers herein. 36. We are an SBA 8(a) small business, but we plan to team with a large consulting firm to provide depth of staff. While personnel on our staff have facilitated courses at DIA and NMITC, and have developed course materials for USCG, ISSI does not have past performance references in the training domain. Instructor-led and e-learning are strategic business targets for ISSI. We have a partner who does have those references and was chosen specifically to meet USCG training needs. We believe the combined team provides depth of talent and will exceed USCG requirements. Can we use the partner?s team past performance for USCG training and ISSI past performance for program and project management and references? Answer: You may propose an approach that incorporates subcontractors and teaming arrangements. Should you do so, you are encouraged to provide relevant past performance for those efforts which are significant to the overall proposed approach for consideration.
- Place of Performance
- Address: Washington, D.C.
- Zip Code: 20593-0001
- Country: UNITED STATES
- Zip Code: 20593-0001
- Record
- SN01087163-W 20060714/060712220416 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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