CONTINUATION PAGE

February 18, 2004

NOTICE TO ALL OFFERORS

REFERENCE: AMENDMENT NO. 1
RFP-DCS-04-03

Additional information has been requested by prospective offerors and it has been determined by the Contracting Officer that this information be made available to all bidders. The closing date and time for the receipt of proposals has been extended to March 12, 2004, by 2:00 p.m. local time.

KEITH A. BOND
Contracting Officer

Attachment(s)

14. RESPONSES TO TECHNICAL QUESTIONS

Based on the questions received, many offerors appear confused over the format, meaning, and conduct of the Oral Presentation. Therefore, to respond to all of the questions concerning this area, and to avoid repetition, the following clarification is provided.

In accordance with Section L.8, the oral presentation and the question and answer session are not part of the offer and are not themselves offers. The sole purpose of the oral presentation and questions and answer session is to test an offeror's understanding of the work that the Government will require under the prospective contract.

However, in accordance with Sections L.8 and L.9, the offeror shall submit, as part of their offer, a set of overhead transparencies and five (5) copies in a sealed package. These transparencies, which are part of the offeror's technical proposal, shall form the basis of the offeror's Oral Presentation. Both the transparencies and the Oral Presentation will be used to evaluate the offeror's capability to perform the contract (See Section M.3(A)).

The sealed package containing the offeror's transparencies will not be opened until the scheduled date for an offeror's presentation, in the presence of the Contract Specialist and a representative of the offeror.

The Government will provide blank flipchart paper and an overhead projector for the offeror to use during the presentation caucus time period (1/2 hour before oral presentation) as stated in Section L.8, item 8 - Documentation. The purpose of the flipchart paper is for the offerors convenience if they wish to use them during their presentation to clarify points, during the caucus period, and or the question and answer session. The clarifying or explanatory charts and transparencies will be left with the Government following the oral presentation. The Government will not accept for evaluation any additional documentation which may or may not have been referenced during the presentation.

Offerors shall use black and white overhead transparencies (slides) to document key points of its presentation. The purpose of limiting the use of black and white overhead transparencies is to reduce the bid and proposal costs, keep focus on content, and to keep the playing field level.

1. Section B of the RFP states that the procurement includes a mandatory requirement to subcontract 25% of the entire contract dollar value each year to small businesses. Section M.3.E. states that proposals from small businesses are exempt from the requirement to include a subcontracting plan. Section B gives the NAICS Code for the solicitation as 541611 with a $6 million size standard. Is an offeror that meets this size standard and is organized as a not-for-profit business exempt from the subcontracting plan requirement?
   
   
   1. The Small Business Size Standards apply only to For-profit businesses; therefore, a not-for-profit organization cannot be considered a "Small Business." Not-for-profit organizations have no exemptions and must abide by the sub-contracting plan requirements.
   
   
   
2. If not, since a similar-sized for-profit business would not be required to subcontract to other small businesses, please clarify why requiring a small non-profit to subcontract to other small for-profits will not be an undue strain on such an offeror's administrative and financial resources?
   
   
   1. The subcontracting plan is necessary to satisfy the Small Business Administration's requirements for contracts over $500,000 that were let under full and open competition (See FAR Subpart 19.7 The Small Business Subcontracting Plan). The Division of Contract Services does not anticipate this requirement being an undue strain on an offeror's resources.
   
   
   
3. Based on the staffing requirements contained in Section C, it is likely that personnel expenses (salary and fringe benefits) for the project director and the regional office and center staff required in the 10 regions will exceed 75% of the total contract dollar value. Since this solicitation does not contain ancillary tasks that would lend themselves to subcontracting opportunities, a requirement to subcontract 25% of the entire contract dollar value will entail using staff at the regional office and/or center level from more than one company (perhaps as many as seven or more different companies, since there are six different subcategories of small businesses listed). Since the SOW requires a nationwide network of trained and knowledgeable staff and volunteers operating under a nationwide program management system that ensures a uniformly high level of performance, please clarify how the subcontracting requirement will not potentially compromise uniform delivery of all functions and activities of career transition services.
   
   
   1. In order to be considered responsive, it is the offeror's responsibility to submit a proposal that will provide uniform delivery of all functions and activities described in this solicitation.
   
   
   
4. In the interests of maintaining uniform delivery of all functions and activities of career transition services, would the DOL/ETA consider subcontracting plans involving areas of the contract outside center and regional office staff (indirect cost categories for example) even if these areas will not reach 25% of the total contract value?
   
   
   1. It is mandatory that 25-40% of the entire dollar value of the contract goes to small businesses each year. The only exemption to this subcontracting percentage is proposals from small businesses. Proposals not meeting this requirement will not be considered. A prime contractor that fails to meet this criterion will not be eligible for an option year extension.
   
   
   
5. Section B of the RFP lists target minimum percentages for several categories of small businesses. If the lowest figures for each category are added together, the total exceeds 100% as follows:
   
   

   Small	70%
   Small disadvantaged	15%
   Woman-owned small	10%
   HUBZone small	3%
   Veteran-owned small	3%
   Service disabled vet-owned small	3%
   Total	104%

   Even if the government is anticipating that an offeror's subcontractors will qualify under more than one of the above categories, since it is possible that an offeror may use subcontractors that do not qualify under multiple categories, we suggest that the target minimum percentages be revised so that the total does not exceed 100%.
   
   

   1. The subcontracting requirement percentages are not intended to be added up as a mathematical formula. It is not necessary to revise the percentage rates. Different "small" subcontractors will fall into different categories; some will be more than one. What you have overlooked in your calculations is that ALL businesses on the subcontracting plan will be "Small Business," but only 70-80% are permitted to be ONLY Small Business.
   
   
   
   2. The requirement remains as stated. Please note that the small business categories are not mutually exclusive. Dollars subcontracted to a service disabled, minority woman-owned small business would be able to count in five categories - SB, SDB, WOSB, VOSM, SDVOSM.



6. Section I.3 mentions an incentive fee for the usage of small disadvantaged businesses. Should this fee be included in offeror's Business Management Proposal in the Cost and Price Analysis, ETA 8555?
   
   
   1. a. The RFP is amended to remove Section I.3, which was included as an oversight. The Department of Labor does not offer a monetary incentive for Small Disadvantaged Businesses. A 10% price evaluation incentive is given, for evaluation purposes only, to SDBs. This incentive is explained in Section I.6.
   
   
   
7. Can an offeror propose incentive fees for the usage of woman-owned, HUBZone, veteran-owned, and service disabled veteran-owned small businesses also?
   
   
   1. It is at the offerors discretion what is presented in the proposal. In this RFP, there are no incentive fees offered for this contract.
   
   
   
8. Please clarify the positions in addition to key personnel referred to by "professional personnel" as it pertains to the resume and letters of intent requirements contained in L.9.
   
   
   1. In addition to the Key Personnel specified, please submit resumes/letters of intent for professional persons that you propose using to meet the requirements of the RFP. "Professional personnel" are defined as all staff, excluding consultants and administrative staff.
   
   
   
9. Section B states that the period of performance will be one base year plus four one-year options. Section F.2 states that the period will be one base year plus three one-year options. Please clarify.
   
   
   1. The period of performance shall be for twelve (12) months, plus four (4) one year options, to be exercised at the discretion of the Government.
   
   
   
10. Section L.9 states that Part 1 of an offeror's proposal should contain Section K, the Representations, Certifications and other Statements of Offerors. It also states that the Personnel section of part 2 of an offeror's proposal should contain "(e) Offeror Representations, Certifications, and Acknowledgements." Does the latter also refer to Section K, and if so, must it be contained in both Parts 1 an 2 of the proposal?
    
    
    1. No, the latter refers to the representations of the persons resume, any certifications that they may have earned, or acknowledgements that have been given to them.
    
    
    
11. Do the following required charts count toward the 20-page limit for the technical approach section:
    
    

    1. organization chart of the national network of service providers
    2. diagram describing the emergency operating procedures
    3. staffing charts listing names, qualifications, and experience of professional personnel (including outside consultants), staff time/time loading charts showing the amount of time each staff person will devote to each task and sub-task, and an indication of how staff will be allocated to perform all necessary field work during the project.

    1. The technical proposal calls for the following: technical approach, resumes, letters of intent for all "professional personnel," staffing charts, staff/time loading charts, etc. The 20 page limit refers only to the Technical Approach aspect of the technical proposal, not the resumes, letters of intent for all "professional personnel," staffing charts, staff/time loading charts, etc. Please see section M.3(B) of the RFP for a break-down of what is included in this section.
    
    
    
12. Section L.7.A. requires the submission of a list of five "relevant" contracts and subcontracts completed during the past three years, with 3 of the 5 being prime contracts and the remaining 2 being subcontracts. Is it permissible for an offeror to list all 5 as prime contracts with no subcontracts listed?
    
    
    1. No, we require offerors to list two relevant subcontractor projects completed in the past three years, as specified in the RFP.
    
    
    
13. Section L.9 requires a separate enclosure entitled "Technical Proposal" containing the following:
    
    

    "Experience. The proposal shall describe the offeror's past experience in performing work of a similar nature."
    
    "(3) Offerors shall submit an original and three copies of relevant past performance information (See Section L.7 and M.3(D))."

    Should the Technical proposal, which has a 20-page limit, contain text describing past performance information, in addition to (or repeating) the information contained in the "Past Performance Reference Information" forms specified in Section L.7?
    
    
    1. The Technical Approach aspect of the Technical Proposal has a 20 page limit. Please note that the RFP states, "The page limit refers to the technical approach factor only." Please see Section M.3, part B, Technical Approach for a description of this Evaluation Criterion.
    
    
    
14. Section L.7 requires the use of Attachment J.7 - Past Performance Reference Information in providing past performance information. The list of required information includes the following items not contained in Attachment J.7:
    
    

    "3. Contract type"
    "9. list of major subcontractors"

    Should this information be attached to Attachment J.7 on a separate page?
    
    
    1. On Attachment J.7, please fill in the Contract Type in space No. 3, along with the contract Number. The list of major subcontractors may be provided on a separate attached sheet.
    
    
    
15. It states that the incumbent contractor is:
    
    Women in Community Service of Virginia, under Contract No. E-7402-9-00-82- Are they a small company or a non-profit?
    
    They are not listed in the CCR and I can't find anything from the internet. Do you have a website reference about this company?
    
    
    1. The incumbent contractor is: Women in Community Service. They are located in Alexandria, Virginia. Women in Community Service is a non profit corporation. Their website is www.wics.org.
    
    
    
16. Ref. Section B, Page B-1 "Offerors please be advised that this procurement includes a mandatory requirement to subcontract 25% of the entire contract value each year to small businesses."
    
    For the purpose of this solicitation, is any business (for profit or not-for-profit) considered a small business if its total revenues are less than $6 million?
    
    
    1. Please refer to answer 1a.
    
    
    
17. Ref. Section F.2, Page F-1 "The period of performance shall be one (1) year from date of contract execution, plus three 1-year options to be exercised at the Government's discretion."
    
    Ref. Section H.25, Page H-8 "The total duration of this contract, including the exercise of any options under this clause, shall not exceed 5 years."
    
    Does this contract include three (3) or four (4) option years?
    
    
    1. Please refer to answer 9a.
    
    
    
18. Ref. Section M.3, Pages M-2 to M-5
    
    

    "A. Contractor's Capability to Perform the Contract	(35 points)"
    "B. Technical Approach	(30 points)"
    "C. Individual Staff Experience and Qualifications	(25 points)"
    "D. Contractor's Past Performance	(20 points)"
    "E. Subcontracting Plan	(20 points)"

    
    The point total is 130. Is it the intention to exceed 100 points?
    
    
    1. Yes, the point system for this RFP is intended to total 130 points.
    
    
    
19. Ref. Section B, Page B-1 "This requirement is an unrestricted procurement. Offerors, please be advised that this procurement includes a mandatory requirement to subcontract 25% of the entire contract dollar value each year to small businesses. Of the amount subcontracted, 70-80% must be subcontracted to small businesses, 15-20% to small disadvantaged businesses, 10-15% to woman-owned small businesses, and at least 3% each to HUBZone, veteran-owned, and service disabled veteran-owned businesses."
    
    The required minimum levels of funding for the various types of small business exceed 100%. Will these percentages be adjusted to equal 100%? Is there a limit to the number of categories that one subcontractor can fulfill for this proposal?
    
    
    1. Please refer to answer 5a. and 5b.
    
    
    
20. Section C.3, Task 4 mentions Regional Office staffing of 3.0 FTEs. Later, these positions are listed as Director, Program Director Area 1, Program Director Area 2, and Program Assistant, for a total of 4.0 FTEs. Please clarify.
    
    
    1. There is a total of 4 Regional Office Staff.
    
    
    
21. Section C.3, Task 9 mentions Center Staff of 4.5 FTEs. Later, these positions are listed as follows:
    
    

    Career Development Readiness and Personalized Assistance and Mentoring:
    Los Angeles	1.0 FTE
    Sacramento	0.5 FTE
    Sierra Nevada	1.0 FTE
    Treasure Island	1.0 FTE
    Career Training Services and Transitional Needs Assessment:
    Fred G. Acosta	1.0 FTE
    Inland Empire	1.0 FTE
    San Diego	1.0 FTE
    San Jose	1.0 FTE

    
    The above Center Staff positions represent 7.5 FTEs. Please clarify.
    
    
    1. The Center Operators will fund ½ FTE at Fred G. Acosta, Los Angeles, San Jose and Sierra Nevada (a total of 2 FTE). The Offeror will need to price for 2.5 Regional Office Staff and the remaining 2 FTEs which would be a ½ position at each of the above 4 centers. Additionally, the Center Operator will fund the 1 FTE at Treasure Island.
    
    
    
22. Section C.5, Special Requirements, states that "the contractor shall be required to provide the necessary personnel to accomplish each task listed above. The offerors Project Director and ten (10) Regional Directors are considered key staff and must devote 100% of their time to this project."
    
    In totaling the staff numbers contained in the individual regional tasks, however, there are apparently only 9 Regional Directors required:
    
    Task 1 - Boston Region: Regional Director (1 FTE)
    Task 2 - New York Region: Regional Director (1 FTE)
    Task 3 - Philadelphia Region: No Regional Office staff (0 FTE)
    Task 4 - Atlanta Region: Regional Director (1 FTE)
    Task 5 - Chicago Region: Regional Director (1 FTE)
    Task 6 - Dallas Region: Regional Director (1 FTE)
    Task 7 - Kansas City Region: Regional Director (1 FTE)
    Task 8 - Denver Region: Regional Director (1 FTE)
    Task 9 - San Francisco Region: Regional Director (1 FTE)
    Task 10 - Seattle Region: Regional Director (1 FTE)
    
    Since Section L.10 also requires that ten (10) Regional Directors must be named and since Section M.3.C.5.(ii) states that proposals will be evaluated on the experience and qualifications of the proposed 10 Regional Directors, please clarify the correct number of Regional Directors to list.
    
    
    1. There should be nine (9) Regional Directors included.
    
    
    
23. "The offerors' Project Director and ten (10) Regional Directors are considered key staff and must devote 100% of their time to this project."
    
    Ref. Task 3 - Philadelphia Region, Page 13 of 92
    
    "Total Staffing: 1.0, Regional Office: 0 FTEs"
    
    Without a regional director in the Philadelphia region, are there nine or ten regional directors?
    
    
    1. Please refer to answer 22a.
    
    
    
24. The solicitation was separated into 10 regions. Does the award get split into 10 grants/contracts, and have possibly 10 different agencies operating, or is it meant to have one operator for the entire country.
    
    
    1. The separation into 10 regions is meant to identify the tasks associated with each. One Offeror will be awarded the contract with the subcontract provision detailed in Section B - Supplies or Services and Price/Cost.
    
    
    
25. It appears to be a contract for direct services, which this company does not provide. We are a training and technical assistance provider to such programs. Is there a requirement for a training and TA provider for this program?
    
    
    1. The Offeror shall provide a wide range of center and/or post-center career transition support services for all eligible students as identified in the project tasks. Refer to C.2-Program Content and C.3-Project Tasks.
    
    
    
26. Buffalo, NY currently has a Youth Opportunity Program that would be a perfect connect for Job Corps in this area. However, as I read the RFP that was issued, in particular for the New York Region, I am confused as to what it is that you are looking for. Is the request for a regional office to monitor contractors who do the pre- and post-termination services through community volunteers? Or is the request for the contractor to provide the actual services of connecting youth to jobs, education, training, etc.?
    
    
    1. For the New York region, services to graduates will be provided by this Offeror's network of volunteers in the field and coordinated by CDSS managers on Centers and the Offeror's Regional Office. The Offeror's Regional Office will be responsible to supervise programs which include the provision of volunteer services, prep programs, and transitional services. Refer to Task 2 in section C. 3 Project Tasks.
    
    
    

ATTACHMENT II

Bidders' List

Offerors not listed on this bidder's list are still eligible to submit proposals for this RFP. Also, offerors who were interested in networking and/or being places on the bidders' list, and are not listed above, please resubmit the Name and Address of Organization; Telephone Number; and Point of Contact, electronically, to snook.jennifer@dol.gov.