Response to Offerors' Questions General/Miscellaneous Questions 1. Q Would you please identify the URL for the Web Site where information will be found on any amendments or extensions to this RFP? A ocfo.ed.gov/Coninfo/97036.htm Section B 2. Q Section B.2, page 1: Is the "total not to exceed amount" the sum of all tasks? With 38,400 hours assigned to the time and materials (T&M) tasks and additional hours assigned to the FFP tasks, the maximum number of hours (30,000) allowed in B.5 will be exceeded. Please clarify. A The contract will be divided into two distinct portions: one, ongoing work which includes all tasks except Task 10; and two, task orders which are not known at contract award. Task orders will be issued under task 10. The 30,000 hours indicated in clause B.5 are the ceiling for task orders issued under Task 10. The hours provided in attachment B, Pricing Schedules, for T&M tasks 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 11 and task 10, are for evaluation purposes only. There is no guarantee that these hours will be met nor do these hours apply to the maximum hours shown in B.5. 3. Q Section B.5 [page 5] states that the minimum quantity of direct labor under this contract is 1,500 hours. However, Section I.6 [pp. 39-40] states that the minimum order for supplies or services is $50.00. Please clarify. A The minimum hours (1,500) shown in B.5 are the minimum the government will order for Task Orders (under task 10) over the life of the contract. The $50.00 amount specified in I.6 applies to any individual Government requirement. 4. Q Section B.6, page 5: How are the materials costs reimbursed for fixed price tasks? A The price of a Fixed Price task is all inclusive. Section C 5. Q Section C.1 [pp. 7-8] identifies a requirement for equipment maintenance. Please clarify the equipment to be maintained. Please clarify how and where this requirement is to be priced. A After careful review, Clause C.1 of the RFP will be deleted in its entirety. See item 2, amendment 2. 6. Q In paragraph C.4 Task Order Procedure, C(2) page 9 of 81, "The contractor shall not accept task orders which exceed the amount of the contract or which require performance beyond the contract expiration date." This restricts the government's ability to issue task orders in the last part of the contract year. Is this the government's intent? A The Government's intent is that no task shall exceed the period of performance of the contract. Tasks running over option periods shall be issued with a full period of performance contingent on the exercise of the option. Sections G through K 7. Q Section G.6 [page 16] indicates that office space will be provided for two contractor staff members. Could ED identify which labor categories are to work on site so that offerors can propose on-site rates for these categories? A ED does not wish to specify which labor categories are to work on site, preferring to leave the offerors flexibility to determine the best way to meet the stated requirements. 8. Q Section H.7A, page 24: What is the "PRB?" A The PRB is the Publication Review Board. 9. Q H.12 [page 27] suggests that a contractor may "self-certify" personnel security qualifications on "low-risk" programs. Is this, in fact, the desired approach for personnel qualification under this procurement? A Yes, this approach may be used. 10. Q H.12 [page 27] and L.10 [page 72] require a response in compliance with "Automated Data Processing (ADP) System Security Requirements ED 307-13, which references the "U.S. DOE Information Technology Security Manual, Handbook Number 6." Can ED provide offerors on-line access to the text of this document to assist in formulating responses? A The manual can be found on-line at the following address: www.ed.gov/offices/OCIO/comps/cs5.html#anchor756817 In order to view or download this document you need Adobe Acrobat Reader. 11. Q H.13, 4 [page 28] requires prior approval for use of a programming language other than COBOL or FORTRAN. Because of the nature of this work, it is unlikely that either of these languages will ever be appropriate and other standards and requirements are already in place by virtue of legacy system characteristics. Can ED amend this solicitation to make this standard provision generally not applicable? A Item 4 of clause H.13, has been deleted from the RFP. See item 6, amendment 2. 12. Q H.14 Government-Furnished Computer Facilities [pp.29-30]. We assume that the requirement that the computing equipment used for this effort is to be the Lockheed-Martin computer facility is incorrect and that all work performed under this contract will be server-based and servers will be maintained by the EDLAN facilities contractor. Is this a correct assumption? A Clause H.14, Government-Furnished Computer Facilities, has been deleted from the RFP. See item 7, amendment 2. 13. Q Section I.6(b) [pp. 39-40] defines the maximum order limitation to be 3,000 hours in any one week. This implies a contractor obligation to supply up to 75 full time equivalents in any given week. Is this correct? A The maximum order limitation has been changed to 1,200 hours in any one week. See item 9, amendment 2. 14. Q J.2 [pp. 41-42] requires various FIPS Pubs as standards for this procurement. However, FIPS 8-5 [Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas] has been updated to 8-6 and FIPS 10-3 [Countries, dependencies and areas of Special Sovereignty] has been updated to 10-4. Is there any reason why these updates should not be assumed as appropriate guidance? A The referenced updates should be used. Sections L and M 15. Q Section L.4, page 62: Please provide a copy of the General Provisions applicable to the selected offerors organization and type of contract awarded as discussed in this section. A The RFP contains all the general provisions to be included in the contract. 16. Q In Section L, Paragraph L.5, page 63, the RFP states "A detailed work plan must be submitted...". Will you define the expected contents of a "detailed work plan"? We have found that detailed work plans are usually prepared to a very specific outline and vary widely by Agency. A The "detailed work plan" refers to the offeror's technical proposal, it is not a separate document. As stated in the sentence "your technical approach should be in as much detail as you consider necessary to full explain your proposed technical approach or method." 17. Q According to Section L.5., Technical Proposal Instructions, page 63, "the technical proposal must include a list of names and proposed duties of the professional personnel, consultants, and key subcontractor employees assigned to the project. Their resumes should be included and should contain information on education, background, recent experience and specific requirement related or technical accomplishments." Please clarify which labor categories require resumes and how many in each category? A Resume requirement will apply only to key personnel, not all personnel. The following positions are key personnel: Project Manager, Senior Systems Analyst, Senior Programmer/analyst/DBA and Senior Internet Document Editor. See item 8, amendment 2. 18. Q According to Section L.5.3, page 66, "a description of corporate capability, staff experience and facilities, (not to exceed three pages),..." Does the three page limit refer to corporate capability, staff experience and facilities or just facilities? A The three page limit was in error and is retracted. See item 10, amendment 2. 19. Q Normally a specific resume format and page limit is specified for each resume submitted. The RFP does not indicate there are any format or page limitations imposed. Can the Proposer use their own format and not be restricted on the length of the resumes submitted? A Resumes are limited to 2 pages each, 12 pt. Courier font, 1 inch margins. See item 11, amendment 2. 20. Q In Section L.5, page 65, under additional instructions, there are subparagraphs that appear to be missing. For instance, there is no subparagraph 3.2, 3.3 or 3.5 through 3.8 or 4.1 through 4.4. Is the RFP as issued complete? A The subparagraphs listed correspond to specific sections in the SOW for which additional instructions are provided. For omitted subparagraphs, no additional instructions are provided. This section of the RFP is complete as issued. 21. Q Paragraph L.5 [pp. 63-67] contains additional proposal instructions requesting printed examples, and working URLs. Does this apply only to Tasks 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6? Please clarify. A Printed example URLs are requested for Tasks 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6. A printed example status report is requested for Task 9. 22. Q According to Section L.6.A, page 67, "Each offeror shall submit information about its most recent four contracts, completed in the last three years or currently in process, which are of similar size, scope, complexity or, in any way, are relevant to the effort required by this solicitation." If an offeror has task order contracts with large task orders for distinct customers, can those task orders independently be used to satisfy a past performance citation? A No. Past performance references must be from separate contracts. 23. Q According to L.7.C, page 70, "It is ED policy that contractors provide all equipment and facilities necessary for performance of contracts; however, in some instances an exception may be granted to furnish government-owned property or to authorize purchase with contract funds. If additional equipment must be acquired, you must include in your proposal the description and estimated cost of each item and whether you propose to acquire the item with your own funds." Will the government provide any equipment for the performance of the contract such as PCS, servers and communication equipment or is it provided by the contractor? If it is provided by the contractor, should the cost be part of the overhead? A For contractor staff whose offices are at the contractor's site, the contractor shall provide PCS, Internet connectivity, communications lines, and office space for staff at the contractor's site. For contractor staff at the ED site, the contractor shall provide PCS with capability for ethernet connection to EDLAN; ED will provide Internet connectivity via EDLAN. Cost should be part of the overhead, except that if PCS with capabilities beyond the contractor's typical desktop configuration are needed to perform contractually required work, the contractor may request approval to use contract funds to acquire such PCS. 24. Q Section L.7 C, page 70: This section says it is ED policy that contractors provide all equipment and facilities. If additional equipment is required, it must be included in your proposal. Please explain, what equipment ED is going to supply, and what is required of the contractor? A See above. In addition, ED will provide the contractor sufficient access to the hardware, software, and telecommunications infrastructure described in Exhibit D to support performance of the stated requirements. The contractor shall use contract funds for the test site. 25. Q According to Section L.7.F, Note, page 71, "These descriptions and statements should also be incorporated in the technical proposal, as conducive of separate examination by the technical evaluators during the process of technical evaluation." Do these descriptions and statements refer to Paragraph E, numbers (1) through (7), if not, what do they refer to? In addition, where should these statements appear in the proposal? A Yes, the descriptions and statements refer to paragraph E, numbers 1 through 7. The information should be included in the offeror's proposal in whatever form the offeror feels is appropriate to convey all of the required elements identified in E. 26. Q L.7 [pp. 69-71] provides the Business Proposal Instructions. Can ED provide further guidance on how to respond in terms of items that are Fixed Price, Time and Materials, and the desired format of the IDIQ rate structure associated with Task 11? A Fixed price tasks 5, 6, 8 and 9, shall include all costs and profit involved to create the given deliverable. The contractor will bill their proposed fixed price for that task. Time and materials tasks 1, 2, 3, 4, 7 and 11 (no hours for task 11 until the final year of the contract) , will be billed at the contractor's proposed fixed hourly rates for actual hours worked and materials purchased. For the IDIQ portion of the contract (Task 10, Task Orders) the contractor will also utilize their proposed fixed hourly rates. Task orders may also be fixed price or time and materials depending on the requirement. 27. Q L.1 [page 61] declares that this procurement may be both Fixed Price and Time and Materials. L.5 [pp. 63-67] declares that this is an Indefinite Quantity type of contract. Clearly, Task 11 deals with future IDIQ requirements; it appears that only rates should apply. L.7 [pp. 69-71] does not clarify which of Tasks 1-10 should be bid in each category. Which tasks in the SOW (including paragraph 4.5) does ED intend to be Fixed Price and which are intended to be Time and Materials? A Please reread the solicitation. IDIQ provisions apply to work under task 10, Task Orders. Tasks 5, 6, 8 and 9 are fixed price, the rest of the tasks are T&M. 28. Q L.9 (d)(1) [page 72] appears to effectively limit the provision of end items to U.S. small businesses. While clearly not intended, this provision suggests constraints on the delivery of commercial software components as part of a full system delivery. Should this procurement be interpreted as effectively "construction or service" so that this provision is generally not applicable? A The procurement is for services. 29. Q Section M.1(B) 6, page 79: This section appears to evaluate past performance history for key personnel. This requirement does not appear in the requirements for Section L.6, Past Performance. Please clarify. A As per L.6, this requirement is not seeking separate past performance evaluations for key personnel, rather it is intended to provide a means for generation of a past performance evaluation. If the offeror has limited past performance information, it may use the past performance information of its management or of any proposed key personnel. 30. Q According to Section M.1.4 Question 1 page 81 and L.5 4) Question 1 page 66, "How would you ensure that ED's Internet services will operate at maximum efficiency level and be a model for the Federal Government." Please clarify if MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY refers to the technical nature of ED's site. A Please note, M.1, item 4, Questions, has been revised, see item 12, amendment 2. "Maximum efficiency," means the satisfaction of the stated requirements in a way that effectively balances costs and benefits, e.g., optimal customer service balanced with sound use of taxpayer dollars. The technical nature of ED's site is a component, but not the whole. Other components include timely dissemination of information and access to system services, assurance of high quality, responsiveness to customer inquiries, and efficient use of staff resources. Questions about Discrepancies between Boilerplate and SOW 31. Q Section H.18 of the RFP requires that no diversion or substitution of key personnel can be made without first gaining consent of the Contracting Officer. In Attachment A, page 31, para. 6.1.1, it states that the Contractor must provide a resume for all replacement or additional personnel prior to assignment to the contract and receive notification in writing of the acceptance or rejection of the personnel offered. For this contract, who are considered key personnel? Will the latter requirement apply to all personnel or just key personnel? A The key positions are any staff proposed in the labor categories Project Manager, Senior Systems Analyst, Senior Programmer/Analyst/Database Administrator, and Senior Internet Document Editor. Resume requirement will apply only to key personnel, not all personnel. 32. Q L.10 Security Plan [page 72; see also H.12, page 27] requires submission of a security plan as part of our proposal. [SOW] Section 3.8 Task 8 - Security, requires preparation of a security plan as a task after contract award. What is the relationship between the security plans contained in these sections? A The RFP contains three security-related requirements. The purpose of the requirements outlined in H.12 (page 27), H.14 (page 29), and L.10 (page 72) is to determine whether the offeror has appropriate policies and procedures in place to ensure the security of ED data/information while at the bidder's location/facility. Task 3.8 of the SOW requires the bidder to provide two documents: "a site security plan that clearly identifies all threats and vulnerabilities of ED's Web site, as well as all security mechanisms in ED's network architecture and how these components should be integrated into a cohesive security environment that resolves the threats." The contractor will also "develop an ongoing Web site security assessment and monitoring plan that actively tests the site's security system and makes recommendations for its improvement." See also attached Division of Labor. 33. Q Statement of Work Section 3.11 A. [sic; page 18] states "Specific task order provisions are defined in Section H." While there are no specific provisions in Section H for task orders, Section C.4 [pp. 8-9] does refer to Task Order Procedures. Is this the intended reference for 3.11 A.? A The reference in SOW Section 3.11 A to Section H is mistaken. The correct reference is to Section C.4. See item 3, amendment 2. Questions about Division of Labor between Offeror and EDLAN Infrastructure Contractor 34. Q Section G.6 [page 16] identifies the ED Internet hardware, systems software, server software, and telecommunications/network equipment and connectivity as described in Exhibit D as being provided to the Contractor as Government-Furnished Property. However, Attachment A, Internet Application Support Statement of Work states (page 2, paragraph 1) that "Operational control of the servers and network communications will be transferred to ED's infrastructure support contractor...will have operational responsibility for the computers and infrastructure on which the Internet services under this contract will be performed." These two references are inconsistent -- please clarify. A The Government's intent is that the environment depicted in Exhibit D will be made available to the successful vendor to support hosting the ED web site. See item 16, amendment 2. 35. Q Reference: RFP Section C, SOW Section 4.3 "Operational Requirements," Page 19: "ED's infrastructure support contractor is responsible for the operation and availability of telecommunications, hardware, operating system, and some server software processes, including backup/restore and system restarts." What role will the proposed web support contractor play in these areas (e.g., the proposed "communications/network specialist" is defined as performing "operations and maintenance activities related to communications lines and equipment", including "overseeing repairs"? (See RFP Section C, SOW Section 6.2.5, Page 33). This appears to overlap with the other contractor's responsibilities. We are concerned that there may be the potential for conflicts. A Section 6.2.5 of the SOW is modified to remove the cited language. See item 15, amendment 2. 36. Q Which contractor is providing ED infrastructure support? A The current office automation infrastructure support contractor is BTG/CAI. 37. Q Is this contractor eligible to compete for the Internet support contract? A BTG/CAI is eligible only if it partners with an 8(a) firm.. 38. Q RFP reference, Attachment A, SOW, Section 3.7 Task 7 Interface and Coordination [pp. 15-16] The contractor under this contract is required to monitor and respond to inquiries directed to system-wide accounts (e.g., sysadmin). A) If system management and administration is the responsibility of the EDLAN facilities contractor, who is responsible for monitoring these system-wide accounts? There seems to be an overlap of responsibilities. B) Please provide a clear description of who is responsible for each aspect of system-wide accounts, so that we may prepare an acceptable response. A The reference to sysadmin is mistaken. The contractor under this contract shall monitor and respond to webmaster and other similar accounts that relate to service daemons or customer feedback. The office automation infrastructure support contractor will be responsible for monitoring true system-wide accounts such as sysadmin. See item 14, amendment 2. 39. Q RFP reference, Attachment A, SOW, Section 4.3 Operational Requirements [pp. 19-20] a) If the ED infrastructure support contractor is responsible for the operation and availability of the telecommunications, hardware, backup, operating system, and some server software processes, including backup/restore and system restarts, how can the contractor on this procurement assure system performance and 98% availability? B) Furthermore, how can the government hold the contractor on this procurement to the Performance Standards described in Exhibit E on page E-4, Task 4, if the responsibility for availability is that of the ED infrastructure contractor? A a) The contractor under this contract cannot be held accountable for overall system performance and availability because they won't control the infrastructure which is the primary determinant. However, the contractor under this contract will be responsible for ensuring that the functions it controls meet high standards of performance and availability within the context of the available infrastructure. For example, if a server controlled by the ED infrastructure support contractor is down 10% of the time, the contractor under this contract cannot be held responsible for the downtime. But if a web server process under the contractor's control is down 10% of the time that the host machine is up, the contractor's performance will be considered substandard unless the reasons for the downtime are outside the contractor's control. B) See revised Performance Standards, item 15, amendment 2. 40. Q RFP reference, Exhibit D, ED Internet Computing and Networking Infrastructure. Are we to assume that all hardware and software in Phase 6 is the responsibility of the existing ED infrastructure contractor? A See attached Division of Labor statement and revised Exhibit D. 41. Q RFP reference Exhibit B, Section H, Exhibit D, Statement of Work (Section 1.0) a) Please clarify the various references to ED Internet Computing and Networking Infrastructure, ED Networking Environment, ED Internet Site, ED data processing facilities (section H.14), and Internet operations. B) Although the Internet Hardware and Software is defined in Exhibit D on pages D-2 through D-4, the numerous references to the aforementioned descriptions are very confusing. Given the existence of an EDLAN infrastructure contractor and the very clear Performance Standards for this contract, it is important that the government provide clear and consistent nomenclature of the various network configurations as it relates to the SOW. Please clarify. C) In addition, please specify what hardware and software is the responsibility of each contractor. A A) For the purpose of this SOW the terms "ED Internet Computing and Networking Infrastructure" and "ED Networking Environment" can be used interchangeably and refer to the Internet Hardware and Software as defined in Exhibit D on pages D-2 through D-5. The term "ED Internet Site" and "ED Internet Services" are defined in the SOW Glossary on page B-2. The reference to "ED data processing facilities" in Section H.14 is removed from the RFP. B) and C) See attached Division of Labor statement and revised Exhibit D and Performance Standards.. 42. Q RFP reference G.6 Government-Furnished Property [page 16] a) This section of the solicitation implies that all hardware, software, and communication configurations described in Exhibit D are provided to the proposing contractor as GFE. Therefore the contractor is responsible for maintenance of the entire computing environment because the clause refers the reader to the diagram in exhibit D on page D-1, and the list of components on pages D-2-D-4. Is this true? B) The clause in G.6 is further confusing when compared to Section 1.0 of the SOW which indicates that the proposing contractor will have no control or responsibility for the Inet infrastructure. Please clarify. C) In addition, GFM and CFM are addressed in Section 4.4 of the SOW. This creates further confusion. If we are to prepare a comprehensive proposal the government should provide clarification about these conflicting requirements. The government should provide clear definition of responsibility in predictable areas (e.g., NFS, DNS, sendmail, system backup, etc.). A a) The intent of this section is inform the vendor of the facilities that will be furnished by the government to host ED's web site and Internet services. It was not intended to imply that the successful offeror will be responsible for the maintenance of that equipment. B) See revised Exhibit D C) See attached Division of Labor statement and revised Exhibit D. 43. Q RFP reference Attachment A, SOW Section 3.4 Task 4 [pp. 11-13] This section indicates the contractor is responsible for constantly monitoring all aspects of ED's Internet presence including network performance. A) Please specify what constitutes ED's Internet presence. Also, please explain how we are to be responsible for network performance, and what specific network components are included. B) In addition, this section of the RFP indicates that the contractor maintain a mirror site for staging and testing. Must this be part of the ED.GOV domain and reside at ED? A A) ED's Internet presence is made up of the applications and services that are provided by ED via its web site and Internet services, and the image those services convey to the site's users. B) The test site should be a part of the ed.gov domain, but it does not have to reside at an ED facility. 44. Q RFP reference, Attachment A Statement of Work a) Please provide a description of the respective responsibilities of the infrastructure contractor and the contractor under this contract as it relates to root access. B) Please describe the existing requirements of the infrastructure contractor as it pertains to collaboration and coordination. A a) See attached Division of Labor statement. B) It is the responsibility of the office automation infrastructure contractor to work with the successful bidder in accordance with the provisions of the division of labor statement. 45. Q As we understand the requirements of the RFP, the supporting computing hardware/software infrastructure will be maintained under a separate contract. Is this correct? A See the attached Division of Labor statement for delineation of responsibilities between the ED office automation infrastructure support contractor and the contractor under this contract regarding production servers. The separate test site will be wholly maintained by the contractor under this contract. 46. Q We are not clear on the responsibility split for the supporting infrastructure. Could the government please clarify the following issues: a) Which contractor will be responsible for maintenance of the operating system software and system utilities for the servers hosting the applications developed under this contract? B) Will software developed under this contract be required to comply with the configuration management practices of the EDLAN facilities contractor or will an independent configuration management process be acceptable? C) Under C.1.a, Responsibilities of the Contractor, the successful contractor must provide the labor and spare parts to keep the equipment in good operating condition. Since the EDLAN facilities contractor will have responsibility for the supporting equipment (computers and communications equipment), we assume that this requirement does not apply. Is this correct? D) Under 3.7, Task 7 - Interface and Coordination, the contractor is to provide support to ED in various areas such as TCP/IP networks and communications, Systems Administration, and Internet security (firewalls, proxies, SSL, Kerberos, DNS). As per our understanding of the workload split, these areas are the responsibility of the EDLAN facilities contractor, what type of technical support will be required under this contract for these areas? E) Under 3.7, Task 7 - Interface and Coordination, the contractor under this contract is required to monitor and respond to inquiries directed to system-wide accounts (e.g., sysadmin). If system management is the responsibility of the EDLAN facilities contractor, would it not create a conflict if the contractor under this contract were to monitor these system-wide accounts? F) Section 3.8 Task 8 - Security requires the successful offeror under this contract to develop and monitor a security plan that is executed by the EDLAN facilities contractor. What responsibility does the contractor under this contract have if the EDLAN facilities contractor does not perform in accordance with the security plan (e.g., allows the site to be penetrated or creates a Privacy Act violation)? G) Section 4.3 Operational Requirements, subsection a) requires maintenance of a 98% availability, 10 second response time, etc. If the supporting computer/communications infrastructure is the responsibility of the EDLAN facilities contractor, how can the contractor under this contract assure system performance of this nature? A a) See attached Division of Labor statement. b) The successful vendor will be allowed to use its own configuration management (CM) practices pending approval of the ED COTR for the purposes of managing the web site's content. There will be a need to coordinate the CM data between the systems level software, the application services software and data/content. C) This requirement applies to the equipment for the test site and the equipment used to do development and maintenance of the site's content. D) The contractor is expected to provide expert advice and consultation on these subjects, as well as provide design and implementation support for applications that will employ these technologies. E) The reference to sysadmin is mistaken. The contractor under this contract shall monitor and respond to webmaster and other similar accounts that relate to service daemons or customer feedback. The contractor shall not monitor true system-wide accounts such as sysadmin. F) It is the responsibility of this contractor to inform the ED COTR of the violation and its impact or potential impact on the site. G) See above. 47. Q H.14 [pp. 29-30] and SOW 3.8 [page 16] both require a Site Security Plan. The SOW focuses on supportive information security engineering. But H.14 seems to identify this offeror as responsible for all site security (physical, system, and data). How are the duties and responsibilities of security administration to be shared with the infrastructure contractor and ED staff? A System Administration for the infrastructure is the responsibility of the ED office automation infrastructure contractor, as outlined in the attached Division of Labor statement. Questions about Performance Measures 48. Q Referring to Exhibit E - Performance Measures, it indicates that reductions in payment will be made based on the level of performance achievement. How does this apply to a fixed labor category rate we submit in Section B.4? Does loaded rate mean only burden or does it also include fee? Will the reductions in payment apply only to the fee portion of the labor category rates or to the entire loaded rate? Please explain how Exhibit E Payment Criteria work in conjunction with Fixed Rates requested in Section B? A The loaded rate includes fee. Reductions apply to the bottom line total for each task.. The criteria for fixed rates work in the same manner as time and materials tasks. Because of the nature of fixed price tasks, the contractor is required to correct unacceptable deliverables at their own expense above and beyond any deduction taken for the initial deliverable. 49. Q RFP reference Exhibit E. Performance Measures The section clearly sets the performance standards and payment criteria in definitive terms. However, the Method of Surveillance is very general and vague in a number of instances. A) How will surveillance be handled as it relates to customer comments, who are the customers? Are they internal ED staff, the general public, or who? B) Will all such customers have access to the contract and/or Task Order requirements so a fair evaluation can be made about adherence to requirements or will the government issue guidelines for the customers to follow in evaluating contractor performance? C) How will the government weigh periodic inspections versus customer complaints? D) How will the government resolve performance issues which are not within the control of the contractor (i.e., corrupt user files, delayed document updates)? E) What is the proprietary interests of the customers who will judge our performance? F) What is the contractual, technical, and/or performance metrics of these individuals who will judge performance/ g) Please provide concrete surveillance methods and measurements for each required service consistent with the concrete description of Performance Standards and Payment Criteria. A A-F) The ED Internet Working Group (IWG) will serve as the representative of the customer. In this role they will present customer requirements, filter customer comments/complaints, participate in periodic inspections and serve as an interface between the overall customer community and this contract. The IWG will have access to the SOW provisions and will be issued guidelines for evaluating contractor performance. The government will give greater weight to periodic inspections (suggest 60% vs 40%). The IWG working in conjunction with the ED COTR and the contractor will facilitate the resolution of problems resulting from performance by ED offices that are not within the contractor's control. The proprietary interest of the IWG is the good order and operation of ED's Internet site. The performance metrics have been established by the SOW and will be followed. G) The Department feels the surveillance methods provided in the RFP are sufficient. 50. Q Exhibit E establishes Performance Measures and Payment Criteria for the task areas. Please confirm that the reductions in payment apply only to that segment of cost that is directly associated with the specific performance standards. A No, the payment will be taken from the total invoice of the task where the criteria is stated. Exhibit E has been revised to reflect this as well as revised penalties associated with not meeting the criteria. See item 17, amendment 2. 51. Q Exhibit E, page E-1: The performance standards define a percentage by which the payment will be reduced based on failure to meet the standard. What is the percentage of the task, the subfunction, and the contract? A See revised Performance Standards. 52. Q Exhibit E: Can an invoice amount fall below zero? A No. 53. Q Exhibit E: As the staffing is determined by the Government on some tasks and by the contractor in a fixed price environment, what is the process should the expected volume of any of the subfunctions increase without an appropriate increase in contractor staff? A The government does not determine mix of staff for any task. Hours shown in Attachment B, Pricing Schedule are for evaluation purposes only. Offerors are not limited to specific labor categories for actual task performance. Thus it is the contractor's responsibility to provide the appropriate level of staffing. Questions about Pricing Schedule 54. Q According to Attachment B, Pricing Schedule, Task 6: Help desk is a fixed price per month. Can the government provide information regarding the estimated call volume and normal business hours for this task? Does the government have a staff estimate for the help desk? A Estimated call volume is 1 to 5 calls per business day. Help desk should be staffed at least one-half day (4 hours) each business day during normal business hours (between 8:00am and 6:00pm). The Government anticipates that because of the anticipated low volume, help desk calls would be handled by non-dedicated staff such as staff responding to webmaster mail. 55. Q Is Attachment B, Pricing Schedule going to be used for leveling the evaluation of price? Can we assume that Tasks 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 10, and 11 are Time and Material tasks and the hours included in the Pricing Schedule are estimates for evaluation purposes only? Can we assume that the pricing for Tasks 5, 6, 8, and 9 are estimates for evaluation purposes also? A The pricing schedules provide estimated hours for evaluation purposes. Tasks 1, 2, 3, 4, 7 and 11 are time and materials. Hours have been provided for task 10, task orders, for evaluation purposes but task orders may be T&M or fixed price. Unit prices proposed in Attachment B, Pricing Schedule for tasks 5, 6, 8 and 9 shall be the fixed prices charged throughout the contract life. 56. Q Do the hours given in Attachment B for each task and labor category represent ED's projected level of effort or are they used for proposal evaluation purposes only? Is the offeror required to propose a level of effort by task -- as indicated in the sixth paragraph of Section I.5 [page 39] -- or should Attachment B be used in developing a staffing plan? Can we assume that Tasks 5, 6, 8, and 9 will be issued as fixed-price tasks? A The hours given in Attachment B will be used for proposal evaluation purposes only. Tasks 5, 6, 8, and 9 are fixed-price tasks; these are not Task Orders so they will not be "issued." 57. Q Attachment B, Pricing Schedule includes other direct costs for the Base Year through Option Year 3. Other direct costs are not specified for Option Year 4. Please provide the total other direct costs to be used for Option Year 4 or explain the reason for the different treatment of Option Year 4. A The Pricing Schedule has been changed to include $12,000 ODC for Option Year 4. See item 18, amendment 2. 58. Q Attachment B, Pricing Schedules: What is included in the fixed ODC amount and where does it need to be supplemented by the contractor? A ODC includes, for example, Travel, Equipment, Software, and Supplies. This figure is for evaluation purposes only, once an ODC is incurred the offeror will invoice for that item with Materials and Handling fee added. 59. Q Attachment B, Pricing Schedules: Is the Materials and Handling Fee the same as G&A? A No they are not the same. Materials and Handling charge shall include only costs clearly excluded from the loaded labor-hour rate. G&A (General and Administrative) is any management, financial, and other expense which is incurred by or allocated to a business unit and which is for the general management and administration of the business unit as a whole. 60. Q Attachment B, Pricing Schedules: It is our practice to place a fee on ODCs. Should this amount be added to the handling fee? If a fee is disallowed on ODCs, how will the contractor be reimbursed should ODCs increase, at no fault of the contractor, to more than the estimated amount? A There is no fee on ODCs. The offeror may propose a "materials and handling overhead" charge. The ODC figure of $12,000 is provided for evaluation purposes only. ODC charges shall be reimbursed for actual costs incurred. 61. Q Attachment B, Pricing Schedules: Subcontractors are normally costed as an ODC. Is it ED's intention for the offeror to use composite rates, or can multiple rates be submitted for a single labor category? A Composite Rates only. 62. Q Attachment B, Pricing Schedules, Task 5: Does course delivery include the cost of presentation materials, including handouts, CDS, etc.? A Yes, the fixed price includes everything necessary to deliver the class. Questions about SOW 63. Q What are the locations of the ED's 15 principal offices cited in the SOW? A ED's 15 principal offices are organizational units of the Department, not separate geographical locations. The Department's Washington, D.C. headquarters staff are housed in approximately half a dozen office buildings downtown DC, mostly in or near ED's primary building at 600 Independence Avenue, S.W. 64. Q Reference: Section J, Attachment A, p. 2: The Statement of Work indicates that transition from current support contractor to the infrastructure contractor will occur during summer/fall 1997. Will this transition be complete prior to award of the proposed contract? A Yes. The ED Internet equipment was moved from Capital Place (OERI offices at 555 New Jersey Avenue, N.W.) To ROB-3 (ED Network Control Center) on October 11, 1997. 65. Q RFP reference, Attachment A, SOW, Section 1.1 Purpose [pp. 3-4]: If ED utilizes a separate contract, as stated on page 4, for Web site redesign, how will the development activities being performed under potentially three contracts be coordinated? A This effort will require close coordination among all three contractors if ED uses a separate contract. It may be necessary to develop a formal division of labor. 66. Q SOW 3.1, Task 1 (SOW page 5) - indicates the contractor shall "ensure access to individuals with disabilities." This is a very broad area. Please be more specific as to what is meant by disabilities -- physical, visual or hearing? A "Disabilities" refers to a wide range of factors that affect accessibility, including physical, visual and auditory handicaps. Please refer to H.6, Accessibility of Software, for further guidance. 67. Q Please identify those portions of the ED.GOV domain for which the successful offeror will have responsibility under Task 4 [pp. 11-13]. A See the attached Division of Labor statement for delineation of responsibilities between the ED infrastructure support contractor and the contractor under this contract regarding production servers. The separate test site will be wholly maintained by the contractor under this contract. 68. Q Reference: Section J, Attachment A, p. 12: The SOW requires that the contractor maintain a mirror site for staging and testing. Does such a site currently exist or must the successful offeror develop the site? May this site be maintained off-site at contractor's location? If it is to be maintained at ED facilities, will the successful offeror have full control of the site? A The test site does not currently exist. ED desires the contractor to purchase the required equipment on behalf of the Department and maintain it at the contractor's facilities. 69. Q In Task 4 (page 12) of the RFP you delineate the requirement for two servers not accessible to the public. The first is a staging area for quality review. The second server is intended for evaluation of emerging technologies. To assist in preparing our business proposal, please clarify if these servers currently exist, or will they need to be set up? Is the equipment provided by the government, or by the contractor? A The test site does not currently exist. ED desires the contractor to purchase the required equipment on behalf of the Department and maintain it at the contractor's facilities. ED anticipates using one of the existing machines listed in Exhibit D for the staging area for quality review. 70. Q SOW Section 3.5, page 13: Is it envisioned that training will be Web based, just in time, or classroom, or a combination thereof? A Training will utilize any one, or a combination of, these approaches. Should the price differ according to the approach, the contractor should note the difference, however, for evaluation purposes the price for onsite training will be used. 71. Q Task 7 [pp. 15-16] requires that the contractor provide "technical interface between the ED Internet environment and external entities." It also requires that the contractor serve as "ED's technical consultant on the Internet and related technology." Please define the "Internet environment" for purposes of performing this task.. Does "external entities" refer to customers, users, the infrastructure contractor, or all three? A The term Internet environment is being used to describe all of the components that are used host the ED web site as well as its content, services, image and interaction with the site's users. The term external entities generally refers to the customers and users of the ED web site, and in the case of the ED web site's contents and application services the term refers to the infrastructure contractor. External entities refers to all three. 72. Q Please identify those portions of the ED.GOV domain that are to be covered for the following sections of Task 8 - Security (Section 3.8 of the SOW) [page 16]]: a) initial and annual security audit b) development of security policy and site security plan c) ongoing security assessment/monitoring. A See revised Exhibit D 73. Q (Reference: Attachment A, SOW, page 18, section 3.18, Task 11 - Transfer of Activities, paragraph one) The referenced paragraph indicates that the transition period shall occur during the time between the award of this contract and the expiration of the previous contract scheduled to end on September 30, 1997. Since the award of the new contract will not occur prior to the expiration of the previous contract, what provision has the government made for the continuation of services? Was an extension to the previous contract executed and, if so, what is the length of performance under the extension? A On 9/25/97, services under the current contract were extended through 1/31/98. 74. Q SOW Section 4.1, page 19: Regarding performance sites, is the space for up to two contractor staff in addition to the personnel required for Task 4? A No. 75. Q (Reference: Attachment A. SOW, page 19, section 4.1, Performance Sites) This section indicates that work performed under this contract will be performed on-site at the government's facility and off-site at the contractor's facility. What is the government's policy regarding the use of telecommuting for contractor personnel? Are there any security policies or liability issues that would prevent the use of telecommuting in support of this contract? A The Department of Education will support the use of telecommuting for this contract. 76. Q SOW Section 4.2, page 19: It is assumed that the ability to respond to telephone calls and E-mail messages within 4 hours will occur during normal business hours. Please verify. A Yes. 77. Q SOW Section 4.4, page 20: This effort provides for contractor acquisition of Government property. Contractor responsibility for remote access is clear. SOW 4.4 also provides for equipment and software associated with document management as contractor-acquired GFM. But this section appears to require the contractor to provide workstations and software for maintenance staff working on-site. Can ED please clarify requirements for contractor-furnished equipment and software at the ED Internet site? A For contractor staff whose offices are at the contractor's site, the contractor shall provide PCs, Internet connectivity, communications lines, and office space for staff at the contractor's site. For contractor staff at the ED site, the contractor shall provide PCs with capability for ethernet connection to EDLAN; ED will provide Internet connectivity via EDLAN. Cost should be part of the overhead, except that if PCs with capabilities beyond the contractor's typical desktop configuration are needed to perform contractually required work, the contractor may request approval to use contract funds to acquire such PCs. 78. Q Reference: Section J, Attachment A, Section 4.4, p. 20: The contractor is required to provide Internet connectivity for off-site personnel. Will SLIP/PPP be the primary method of access? Will on-site staff be provided with console access to the system? A SLIP/PPP is currently the preferred method for remote dial-in access. However, ED is evaluating Microsoft Remote Access Service (RAS). The contractor may use a direct Internet connection instead of dial-in access to provide Internet connectivity for off-site personnel. 79. Q We understand that the successful contractor will be required to develop new applications, as tasked under this contract. Will these applications be submitted for review under the investment review procedures required under the Clinger-Cohen Act? If so, what responsibilities will the contractor have in support of these efforts (e.g., preparation of cost benefit analyses, architecture impact analyses)? A Should any new application require submission for review under the Clinger-Cohen Act, the contractor will perform any requirements under a task order. 80. Q Reference: Exhibit D: Is the configuration presented in the referenced diagram complete and accurate? A Yes. See revised Exhibit D. 81. Q Please identify which servers/hosts will host applications or data for which the successful contractor will be responsible. A The servers/hosts identified in Exhibit D, plus the test site which the successful contractor will implement. See the attached Division of Labor statement for specific delineation of responsibility for production servers, hosts, and applications between the successful contractor and the ED infrastructure support contractor. 82. Q Please identify the server(s) that will host the Toll Free Bulletin Board system. A See revised Exhibit D. 83. Q Please identify the hardware and software that will be provided the successful offeror as government furnished material/equipment (GFM/GFE). A The test site and the applications and content on the ED production web site. 84. Q Are the identified Macintosh and IBM-486 PCS [Exhibit D] used as servers or clients? A The IBM-PC is used as a client. Plans to acquire the Macintosh were canceled.