Amendment 1: Questions (Q) and Answers (A)
Q-1: Are the respondents to the RFI to be uncompensated,
compensated out of the contract, or compensated using different funds
set up for the to-be-developed RFI?
A-1: RFI respondents will be uncompensated. A
Request for Information (RFI) is used to elicit input from the public. As
such, members of the public are free to respond to the RFI is they so
choose and are therefore not compensated.
Q-2: Are the members of the Technical Expert Panel
(TEP) and the participants in the User Test supposed to be compensated
monetarily from the contract or volunteers?
A-2: AHRQ does not require TEP members and User
Test participants to be compensated. The offeror may propose, however,
to give TEP members an honorarium as a way to compensate for the time
they will be contributing to the contract work. User Test participants
can also be offered a reasonable incentive commensurate to their participation. The
offeror should propose what they believe is reasonable in order to effectively
complete the work with the procurement's period of performance and
budget.
Q-3: Is contract award limited to small businesses
with less than $6.5 million in revenue?
A-3: This procurement is advertised on a full
and open competition basis.
Q-4: Section A, page 1 states that "a firm
fixed price contract is contemplated for a 12 month period of performance. Section
B.2, page 4 and Section F.2, page 14 states that "The Government
anticipates the period of performance shall begin on or about September
30, 2008 and run through September 29, 2010. Also page 15 "Schedule
of Deliverables" runs through 23 months. Please clarify the
period of performance.
A-4: The period of performance for this procurement
is two (2) years from date of award.
Q-5: Section A. page 1 "contract estimated
to have a maximum budget of $500,000." For what period, is
it one (1) year or for twenty-three (23) months?
A-5: The maximum total budget of $500,000 is for
two (2) years.
Q-6: Section A. page 2, "The U.S. Postal
Service's Express Mail doe not deliver to our Rockville Maryland
address." Is Federal Express an acceptable method of delivery
of the proposal due August 29, 2008?
A-6: Reference Section L.3 (3). You can
use any method you like as long as your proposal is received by the date
and time specified in the solicitation.
Federal Express is an acceptable method of delivery.
Q-7: Section C, C.3, page 7 – First Required
TEP Call. Is there a specific format, or time requirement for the
TEP Calls?
A-7: There is no pre-specified format or time
requirement for the TEP calls. The offeror should propose a format
or length of calls appropriate to receive adequate input from TEP members.
Q-8: Section C, C.3, page 7 – First Required
TEP Call. It is expected that the TEP will be volunteers, or is
budgeting for honorariums acceptable?
A-8: AHRQ does not require TEP members to be compensated
however, budgeting for honorariums is acceptable.
Q-9: Section C, C.5, page 7 – Compliance
with the Paperwork Reduction Act. The RFP states "it is the
contractor's responsibility to prepare the package, including an
estimation of the number of participants, discussion guide questions,
and estimated burden". Can you provide further detail on the
purpose and content of the package?
A-9: The need for Compliance with the Paperwork
Reduction Act will be determined in conjunction with AHRQ's Office
of Management and Budget (OMB) Clearance Officer after award and will
depend on the nature of any data collection activities proposed by the
offeror. If it is determined that OMB Clearance is needed, the contractor
will develop a sixty (60) day Federal Register Notice and draft supporting
statements for OMB describing the proposed data collection methods.
Q-10: Section C. C.6, page 7 – Bi-monthly
Conference Calls and Status Reports. What is "bi-monthly" and
is it the same as semi-monthly?
A-10: For the purpose of this requirement, "bi-monthly" is
the same as "semi-monthly", or twice a month.
Q-11: Section C. C.16, page 10 – Dissemination
Activities. The RFP states that the contractor will promote the
toolkit. Can you please clarify what specific activities constitute
promoting the toolkit?
A-11: It is expected that the offeror will propose
activities to make key stakeholders aware of the toolkit.
Q-12: Section C. C.16, page 10 – Dissemination
Activities. Will the contractor be responsible for dissemination
of the toolkits or is this task specific for development of a "dissemination
plan"? Specifically wondering about costs associated with
dissemination of toolkits, postage, etc…?
A-12: It is expected that the offeror will develop
a Dissemination Plan and carry out the activities outlined in the plan. The
scope of those activities should be relevant to the nature of the toolkit
being developed and commensurate to the allowable budget and performance
period for this procurement.
Q-13: Section L. L.9.c. General Instructions,
page 41. It states "The proposal shall be limited to 4 separate
parts." Only 3 parts are listed: Technical Proposal;
Past Performance Information; Business Proposal. Is there a 4th
part?
A-13: There are three (3) separate parts (not
4), this is a typo. L.9.c. is revised to read as follows:
c. Separation of Technical Proposal, Past Performance
Information, and Business Proposal: The proposal shall be
in 3 separate parts. To expedite the proposal
evaluation, all documents required for responding to the RFP should
be placed in the following order:
I. TECHNICAL PROPOSAL: See Technical Proposal
Instructions for recommended format (L.10). Please mark as original
or copy.
II. PAST PERFORMANCE INFORMATION: See
Past Performance Information Instructions for format (L.11).
III. BUSINESS PROPOSAL: See Business Proposal
Instructions for recommended format (L.12).
Each of the parts shall be separate and complete in itself so that evaluation
of one may be accomplished independently of, and concurrently with, evaluation
of the other.
Q-14: Section L. L.13, page 49. This section
appears to be omitted, is this correct?
A-14: There is no Section L.13. Please omit
L.13 in its entirety.
Q-15: Attachment 1, page 56, Performance Rating,
first paragraph. The first paragraph states "Ratings: Summarize
performance and circle in the column on the right the number which corresponds
to the performance rating for each rating category. Please see reverse
page for explanation of rating scale." The following page
57 is the Evaluator's Contact Information sheet. The Rating
Guidelines are on pages 58 and 59. Are we to re-arrange the pages
in Attachment 1 to print the Rating Guidelines on the reverse of page
56, Performance Rating, when sending the questionnaire to the organizations
listed in Section L.11?
A-15: Please note, page 57, the Evaluator's
Name and Contact Information is a continuation of page 56 (all the information
could not get on one page). When printing, please indicate
page 57 and page 57a in Attachment 1 with the Rating Guidelines to follow
the Performance Rating page when sending the Questionnaire to the organizations
listed in Section L.11 (1).
Q-16: On page 1, Part I, Section A of the RFP
it states "an electronic copy is required. Do you prefer
a CD or an emailed pdf copy?
A-16: A CD is required.
Q-17: Is a small business subcontracting plan
required? It is mentioned on page 47, Section L.12 but no other
information is given about it.
A-17: L.12 BUSINESS PROPOSAL is revised to read
as follows:
The offeror shall submit as part of the proposal a separate enclosure
titled "Business Proposal." The Business Proposal shall
include the Cost/Price Proposal, the Small Business Subcontracting Plan, if
applicable, and Other Administrative Data in accordance with
the following:
Because $500,000 is the maximum total budget for the two (2)
year period of performance, a small business subcontracting plan is
not applicable to this procurement.
Q-18: On page 44 of the RFP, Section L.10, Technical
Proposal Instructions, (b). Technical Proposal Requirements, it
states that "suggested page lengths are indicated for each section",
however, none are given. Please provide the suggestive page lengths
for each section.
A-18: Section L.10.b. Technical
Proposal Requirements is revised to read as follows:
Section L.10 TECHNICAL PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS shall be modified to read
as follows:
A. Understanding the Problem (1-2
pages)
Briefly (1-2 pages) but in sufficient detail to demonstrate a thorough
understanding of the objectives, the offeror shall provide a description
of the scope, purpose, deliverables, and events called for under this
contract.
B. Technical Approach (10-15
pages)
The offeror shall describe in detail the methodologies they will use
to develop, design, implement, staff, and management of the Statement
of Work for this project. Within the content of the narrative, the
offeror shall address technical issues related to completing the tasks,
indicating areas of anticipated difficulties and proposed solutions.
C. Key Personnel (5-10 pages)
The offeror is expected to be specific in describing the proposed personnel
and their relevant qualifications and experience, including their background
and experience as they relate to the requirements of this acquisition.
D. Management Plan (3-5 pages)
Offeror shall demonstrate their ability to achieve the delivery of performance
requirements through the proposed use of organizational/corporate management
and other personnel resources as well as demonstrate that the offeror's
organizational structure and capabilities will meet the project's
milestones in a timely and expeditious manner.
Q-19: Does the "Introduction" count
toward the 50 page limit of the technical proposal?
A-19: No, this does not include the "Introduction".
Q-20: Section L.11 (4). The RFP states that
responses to the Past Performance Questionnaire "must be received
by the date and time listed in order to be included in the review process',
however, there is no date or time given other than the deadline for the
full proposal. It is intended that the questionnaire responses are
to be provided at the same time the proposal is submitted?
A-20: Please reference Attachment 1, Past Performance
Questionnaire, Part One: Instructions. The date and time
for receipt of responses to the questionnaire is indicated
here, no later than August 29, 2008, 12 noon EST.
Q-21: Section L.11 (4) Past Performance Information. Are
responses to be sent directly to the Contract Specialist or should they
be included with the offeror's proposal?
A-21: Please reference Attachment 1, Past Performance
Questionnaire. This information is to be provided to the Contract
Specialist via Fax Number 301-427-1740.
Current as of August 2008
Internet Citation:
Incorporating Health Information Technology Into Workflow Redesign: Amendment 1, Questions and Answers. August 2008. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/fund/contarchive/rfp0810036a1.htm
540 Gaither Road Rockville, MD 20850