Request for Proposal 19-ITN-001-TH Oversight Monitoring ... · The DEO needs to procure additional services, not included in its current vendor contract, and seeks a vendor to perform

Request for Proposal 19-ITN-001-TH Oversight Monitoring

Technical Questions and Answers

The Department’s responses to timely submitted questions are provided below:

Respondent Question Number*

RFP Page Number, Section

Number, Subsection Reference*

Question*

Answers

1 In reference to project 19-ITN-001-TH (2), would like to know if these audit services will be in Tallahassee.

Most services and work will be expected to be performed in Tallahassee; however, traveling onsite to verify and physically inspect work that has been completed will be required when necessary. Page 15 of Hurricane Irma’s Action Plan completed by DEO names the most impacted and distressed area that will be served. The Action Plan can be viewed online at the following link: Hurricane Irma Action Plan.

2 Project Planning and Execution Page 15 of 63

A draft plan for each project-Is there a list of projects?

The projects and services in this procurement include quality assurance/quality control services and programmatic and fiscal monitoring services related to funding arising from Hurricane Irma. The specific projects arising from this procurement are not yet available. DEO will issue a statement of work for each project at a later time. The work may be expanded to include similar programs yet to be determined, which would be a result of past or future

http://www.floridajobs.org/docs/default-source/2015-community-development/community-revitalization/dr/stateofflactionplanfordr.pdf?sfvrsn=2

http://www.floridajobs.org/docs/default-source/2015-community-development/community-revitalization/dr/stateofflactionplanfordr.pdf?sfvrsn=2

disasters or federally funded initiatives including, but not limited to those related to, Hurricanes Hermine, Matthew, and Michael.

3 Project Planning and Execution Page 15 of 63

Does DEO currently use a specific software for Quality Control and Quality of Services?

No, DEO does not currently utilize software for Quality Control and Quality Assurance services for the CDBG-DR programs.

4 Tab 4 What alternatives to audited financial statements will be accepted by DEO?

Respondent should provide copies of the previous three (3) years of financial statements, preferably audited by an independent Certified Public Accountant. Dunn & Bradstreet summaries or other independent third-party data will be considered if audited financial statements are not available.

5 C 5 Deliverable 1 Does DEO currently utilize software that provides automated daily and weekly dashboard reports? If so, what is the name of the software?

DEO’s Subrecipient Enterprise Resource Application (SERA), which is built in Salesforce, has the functionality for automated daily and weekly dashboard reports.

6 C.6.1 What systems does the Department currently utilize for grant reporting and CDBG-DR Program? What Dashboard reporting tool does DEO currently use?

DEO’s Subrecipient Enterprise Resource Application (SERA), which is built in Salesforce, provides functionality for automated dashboard reporting. SERA is used for grant reporting as well as the State of Florida’s Accounting System (FLAIR).

7 Page 9, B.19 Description of

This section states “The vendor contract for program

DEO is solely responsible for data management and

Work Being Procured

and contract administration services is set forth as DEO contract number C2244 and was entered into pursuant to procurement 18-ITN-003-BM. The DEO needs to procure additional services, not included in its current vendor contract, and seeks a vendor to perform quality assurance/quality control services and programmatic and fiscal monitoring services for the CDBG-DR program.” Question(s): To better understand the services included in the DEO’s current vendor contract, please confirm the following:

• Were services to

provide “Data

Management”*

included in the

current vendor

contract (C2244)?

• Was software to

provide “Data

Management”*

included in the

current vendor

contract (C2244)?

• Was a “Transparency

Portal” or website

included in the

current vendor

contract (C2244)?

*Data Management includes capturing and storing data associated with the Program and Contract Administration of the CDBG-DR program, as

recordkeeping and these are not expected to be included in this procurement.

well as providing business intelligence via reports, dashboards to the DEO (and Federal Agencies) as well as transparency portals to the Florida citizenry.

8 Page 9, B.19 Description of

Work Being Procured

This section states “The Contractor will assist in the implementation of the quality assurance/quality control services and programmatic and fiscal monitoring under the CDBG-DR program for effectiveness and efficiency with program, statutory, and regulatory requirements. These services will not duplicate any services procured through any prior procurements of the DEO” Question(s): To avoid duplicating services procured through prior procurements of the DEO, please confirm the following:

• What services have

been procured to-

date to capture and

report on data

required for Program

and Contract

Administration of the

CDBG-DR program?

• What software

(applications,

databases, business

intelligence or

reporting tools) has

been procured to-

date to capture the

DEO has contracted to build out its existing Salesforce Solution to capture the data required for Program and Contract Administration of the CDBG-DR program.

data required for

Program and Contract

Administration of the

CDBG-DR program?

• Does the DEO have

any existing

agreements or

contracts with other

vendors to provide

general data

management or

reporting that is

currently being used

to support the CDBG-

DR program?

9 Page 28, Section C – Scope of Work,

C.1 Purpose

Regarding the overall scope of the CDBG-DR program, the ITN states “The Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO), Office of Disaster Recovery has contracted with a vendor to provide program and contract administration services for its Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program. The vendor contract for program and contract administration services is set forth as DEO contract number C2244 and was entered into pursuant to procurement 18-ITN-003-BM. The DEO needs to procure additional services, not included in its current vendor contract, and seeks a vendor to perform quality assurance/quality control services and programmatic and fiscal monitoring services for the CDBG-DR program”

DEO anticipates releasing a procurement for internal auditing of the CDBG-DR program, but the anticipated date of release is not yet known. Additional procurements have not been contemplated at this time, but DEO reserves the right to procure for additional services for the CDBG-DR program and is willing to discuss national best practices during demonstrations and negotiations. To avoid the appearance of or actual conflicts of interest, the Contractors who were awarded the previous contract for program and contract administration and the Contractor(s) (s) awarded the contract under this procurement will be excluded from being awarded the

Question(s): Regarding additional services that need to be procured:

• What future

procurements for

services does the DEO

anticipate releasing to

support the CDBG-DR

program?*

• Does DEO anticipate

procuring services

and/or software for a

holistic Data

Management solution

to support the CDBG-

DR program (as was

done in New Jersey

and Puerto Rico)?

• Does DEO anticipate

releasing any

procurements to

support the CDBG-DR

program other than

the Program and

Contract

Administration that

was already awarded

(under C2244) and

this request for

Quality Assurance /

Quality Control?

• If DEO releases

additional

procurements to

support either the

data management

solution or other

support for CDBG-DR

program, would the

vendor who has been

contract for internal auditing services.

awarded the current

procurement for

Quality Assurance/

Quality Control be

precluded from

participating in that

procurement?

*If the response is “Not sure or Unknown at this time”, it is assumed that the DEO would not be in a “black-out” period and would be open to talking about potential best-practices and industry leading solutions (not already procured or solicited) that would support a successful CDBG-DR program.

10 Page 32, C.6 Contractor

Responsibilities, C.6.1 Quality Assurance /

Quality Control (QA/QC

One of the required Contractor tasks states “Review and modify all eGrants business customizations required by DEO to result with the greatest efficiency and effectiveness as possible.” Question(s): Please provide more details about this “eGrants” system.

• Is eGrants a COTS

solution or was it

developed specifically

for DEO?

• Who is the

supplier/provider of

eGrants?

• Does DEO currently

receive any support or

maintenance for

eGrants?

DEO no longer utilizes eGrants as the software. SERA has replaced all grant reporting for the CDGB-DR programs.

• How many “business

customizations” have

been developed and

are deemed

“required” by DEO?

• Will the Contractor

have access to the

eGrants code base to

make these

customizations?

• What software

language is eGrants

developed in?

• What is the underlying

database, eGrants

uses?

Is eGrants hosted in the cloud by a supplier or maintained on-premise by DEO?

11

Page 32, C.6 Contractor

Responsibilities, C.6.1 Quality Assurance /

Quality Control (QA/QC)

One of the required Contractor tasks states “Review and modify all eGrants business customizations required by DEO to result with the greatest efficiency and effectiveness as possible.” Question(s): Understanding the use and intended future use of eGrants

• If the eGrants system

is an internal system,

or internally operated

data management

system, would DEO

consider a complete

replacement of the

functionality currently

provided by the

eGrants system?

Please refer to the answer to Question 10.

12 Page 38, C.8 Professional

Qualifications, C.8.1 Quality Assurance /

Quality Control

There are several references to the “Restore Louisiana Program”. Question: Assuming this is just a typo from another ITN/RFP, could the DEO please confirm the other qualifications in this section/sub-section are accurate?

Any references to Restore Louisiana are a typographical error. Please refer to Addendum 1 for the correct language. Yes, all other qualifications in this section/sub-section are accurate.

13

General Since the Department already has a contractor performing program administrative services, what is the reason that the Department seeks the services through this ITN?

The work performed under the CDBG-DR program needs to be independently monitored for effectiveness and efficiency with program, statutory, and regulatory requirements.

14 Section C.6.1 (QA/QC)

How many subrecipients are anticipated to be involved in this Program and subject to monitoring?

DEO is currently expecting monitoring services be performed over two to three entities.

15 Section C.6.1 Will sampling be allowed for any of the monitoring, application processing, damage assessment/environmental review, vendor selection and construction monitoring tasks?

Yes, sampling is an acceptable method of testing to monitor the work completed under this procurement.

16 Section C.6.1 What systems are used by the DEO for grant reporting and other related processes?

Please refer to the answer to question 6.

17 Section C.6.1 How should the efforts to complete the daily reports and inventory dashboard reports be determined in order to estimate the hours

Specific decisions regarding reporting, reconciliations, and dashboards required by DEO will be made at a later time. Statements of Work through

required for Attachment B if the requirements will not be provided to the contractor until the award is made?

task orders will be generated for these efforts. Any responses related to cost should include a summary of the types of positions and hourly rate based on previous experience.

18 Section C.6.1 What types of eGrants customizations are expected? How should the contractor estimate the effort in order to determine the hours and costs required for Attachment B?


19 Section C.6.1 What assumptions should be made regarding reconciliations to be performed? For instance, what types of reconciliations, how often are reconciliations necessary, are all reconciliations manual?


20 Section C.6.2 How many contractors will be subject to the 100% monitoring?


21 Section C.6.2 Has the DEO developed a risk assessment or a risked based process to determine the extent of desk or on-site visits?

No, DEO has not developed a risk assessment or risk based process to determine the extent of desk or on-site visits.

22 Section C.6.2 Who will decide the number of Desk reviews versus the on-site site reviews that will be necessary?

The selected Contractor will be expected to determine and develop the specific procedures and testing needed to accomplish the requirements of this procurement. All work completed by the selected Contractor under this procurement will be overseen by DEO’s Contract Manager(s).

23 General What assumptions should be made regarding travel for on-site visits?


24 Section C.6.2 Are there prescribed procedures to be performed by the contractor? Or will the contractor be required to develop its own procedures for the desk reviews and on-site visits?


25 Section C.7 One of the paragraphs mentioned that the contractor is to provide a staffing plan. Is that staffing plan at the time of each task order?

Yes. The staffing plan is to be provided at the time of each task order.

26 Section C.7 This section states that they are sample titles included in the table, however Attachment B says the titles can’t be changed, how should the conflicts in instructions be interpreted?

If any of the titles listed in Attachment B do not apply, please do not remove the title and insert zero in each column. However, if additional position titles are necessary, it is acceptable to add these titles and complete the columns corresponding to the added position.

27 Section C.22 As many firms bring intellectual property, processes and systems before the work with the DEO begins. Can this term be modified to exclude knowledge, processes and systems developed by the contractor prior to beginning work on this project from the works made for hire provisions?

Section C.22 of the procurement does not apply to intellectual property, processes, and systems, developed by the selected Contractor prior to beginning work on this project. The language in the procurement is not expected to be amended at this time.

28 Section C.23 Many Errors & Omissions insurance carriers will not agree to name DEO as

The language in the procurement is not expected to be amended at this time.

additional insured, can this term be modified?

29 Attachment B Since the contractor will be working on a Task Order basis, travel assumptions aren’t available, and the level of effort requires further definition, can the DEO provide an assumed number of hours to use by the contractor in proposing on the work, in order to properly complete Attachment B?

The amount of time spent performing the quality assurance/quality control and fiscal/programmatic monitoring services cannot be determined at this time as it is based on several factors including but not limited to the results of the risk assessments, number of applicants and awards, and exceptions noted.

30 Attachment B Is attachment B to be completed for an annual basis or for three years?

Three years per section B.21 and Attachment B.

31 Attachment B Are each of the columns in the pricing form (e.g., number of individuals) required given that we do not have complete scope details?

Yes, all sections of the Cost Reply in Attachment B must be completed.

32 General Are all records maintained in electronic machine readable form? For instance, can all documents subject to review be provided to the contractor in excel format? If not, what format will documents be maintained that are required to be reviewed by the contractors?

Most documents are expected to be provided or available in electronic format. Electronic formats may include but not be limited to Microsoft Word, Excel, and Adobe PDF.

33 General Are any of the records required to be reviewed going to be in hard copy, or paper version? We would like to confirm if there are going to be any records that we receive in order to conduct our work that are in a paper format.


34 p. 7, B.14, Section B and C

Mandatory Requirements for Evaluation requests both the Technical Proposal and Cost Proposal to be provided on compact disc. Can they be provided on a single disc or does the Department require separate discs?

Replies should be provided on separate discs.

35 p. 17, B.38 Past Performance References section requests the following: Do not list DEO as a client reference (as explained below, if Respondent has performed work as a prime contractor of DEO during the timeframe specified above, DEO will be one of the two clients selected for contact). Please clarify where in our proposal we are to provide information related to our current work at DEO and contact information for that work.

Please include this as a separate attachment.

36 p. 19, B.40 The solicitation requests providing a State Project Plan in the vendor’s response. Sub-section 1, Environmental Considerations requests a plan to protect and preserve the environment. There are specific measures that can be taken related to environmentally sound use of materials. However, the solicitation asks specifically for the following: The Respondent shall submit as a part of this plan, the Respondents plan to support

If this requirement is not applicable to your company, you can state that in your response and that will suffice. However, a response is needed to address this requirement for the ITN.

the procurement of products and materials with recycled content. The Respondent shall also provide a plan for reducing and/or handling of any hazardous waste generated by the Respondent which must comply with the provisions of rule 62-730.160, Florida Administrative Code, and applicable State and Federal laws. It is a requirement of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection that a generator of hazardous waste materials that exceeds a certain threshold must have a valid and current Hazardous Waste Generator Identification Number. This identification number shall be submitted as part of the Respondent’s explanation of its company’s hazardous waste plan and shall explain in detail its handling and disposal of waste. Can the Department clarify expectations on responding to this request? If the respondent does not anticipate generating hazard waste related to this work, can this requirement be waived? If not, please clarify where in our response the plan should be included and the impact to the scoring provided in the RFP?

37 p. 30, C.5 Please confirm the “days” identified with each

Yes, the penalty is for each business day delinquent.

deliverable is business days and not calendar days.

38 p. 29, C.3 Has the Department estimated the number of resources required to provide the monitoring services requested? If so, can the Department provide the estimates?


39 General What is the budgeted amount for the services requested in the ITN?

Proposals will be evaluated based on the best value for the state and awards will be made consistent with the requirements of the solicitation.

40 ITN Page 45 of 63; Attachment B, Cost Reply; and, ITN Page Page 28 of 63, Section C. 1; and, ITN Page 34 of 63, Section C.7

The ITN provides that Respondent should propose a "fixed price" for the duration of the Contract which is inclusive of travel, lodging, per diem expenses and all other costs associated with the completion of the deliverables associated with all tasks defined in Section C, Scope of Work, of the ITN. In turn, Section C provides that services may be expanded to include similar programs yet to be determined, which would be a result of past or future disasters or even other federally funded initiatives. Section C.7 states that "Staffing needs may vary depending on DEO needs, task order executed and the phase of the Contract." Accordingly, given the specific scope is yet to be finalized, a “fixed price” is impossible to provide at this juncture of

Please see the answer to Question 29.

program development. Since the evaluation methodology for the Cost Proposal does not consider differences in staffing levels for these various possibilities and may result in a skewed price evaluation. Therefore, will DEO consider establishing a fixed number of staff and hours per position that each proposer must consider in their cost proposal and/or change the evaluation to a “Best Value” approach in accordance with federal procurement guidance sited in FAR 8.405-2?

41 ITN Page 35-38 of 63, C.8, C.8.1

The minimum professional qualifications set forth under section C.8.1 require that the positions have a high minimum years of experience in professional level experience. Given the market demand from 2017 and 2018 disasters, the desire to pursue a Florida led recovery effort, and the fact that such high requirements for all of the positions listed will limit competition, will DEO consider modifying the requirements for these positions as follows which modified qualifications will still ensure highly-qualified candidates serve DEO's CDBG-DR programs: Principal / Program Manager - minimum 10 years; Project Manager - minimum 5 years; Project Associate - minimum

The Respondent should include the best candidates available to work on this procurement. When DEO is reviewing and scoring the responses, the resulting score will consider the level of experience of the Respondent’s proposed staff.

1 year; IT Reporting Specialist - minimum 3 years?

42 ITN Page 35 of 63, C.7

Does DEO anticipate that any of Respondent's key staff will be working directly at the DEO’s headquarters due to the nature of their roles? Are office facilities to be provided by DEO, or as a part of the Respondent's services, or both?

DEO will be making office space available for a limited number of the selected Contractor’s staff that may need to work or travel to DEO headquarters.

43 ITN Page 35 of 63, C.7

DEO requests a Staffing Plan; however, the ITN acknowledges that some program activities are yet to be finalized and that staffing needs will vary depending on the needs of DEO. Should Respondents include a Staffing Plan which covers the programs described under the Irma Action Plan and assume the same levels could be required for other similar programs of size and scale upon request of DEO?

Yes, please provide a Staffing Plan for Hurricane Irma only. The work may be expanded later to include past and future disasters, but are not part of the scope at this time.

44 Page 17-18 of 63; B.38

DEO acknowledges that it will review its records to identify all contracts that the Respondent has undertaken with DEO, where the Respondent was the prime Contractor and, if Respondent has performed work as a prime contractor for DEO during the timeframe specified above, DEO will be one of the two clients selected for contact as a past performance reference. Therefore, isn’t it correct that a Respondent having

The Department may not make a prospective determination absent facts as to whether prior work for the Department constitutes a conflict of interest for the purposes of the procurement.

provided limited services for DEO would not create a conflict of interest precluding a bid for a Respondent?

45 Page 8 of 63, B.17; Page 13 of 63, B.35; Page 63 of 63, Attachment L

Page 8 states that a redacted copy should be submitted in hard copy and on a CD ROM; pages 13 and 63 only mention the submission of the redacted copy on CD ROM. Should offerors submit a redacted copy only electronically on CD ROM or is a hard copy submission also required?

Per section B.17 both a hard copy and CD ROM version of the redacted information is required. Please submit both.

46 Page 10 of 63, B.19 and Page 10

of 63, B.22

At the end of B.19, the ITN states, “The Contractor awarded the Contract resulting from this ITN will be paid the actual billable rates proposed or lower negotiated rates for all “Programs” served.” However, in section B.22, the ITN states “a fixed price contract is proposed.” Please clarify if the resulting contract will be fixed price or some sort of cost reimbursement.

As set forth in section B.22 the Department reserves the right to award another type of contract that is advantageous to the Department. Accordingly, respondents may consider whether to include different types of contract offers in their responses.

47 Pages 30–34, C.6.1 and C.6.2

Is DEO able to provide further information regarding the anticipated level of effort associated with the each of the “Contractor Responsibilities” enumerated in Sections C.6.1 and C.6.2?


48 Page 32–33 of 63, C.6.1

What case management system is being used by the DEO and its vendor? Can DEO provide access to this system or, if not access, can DEO provide a list and description of the system’s fields, so offerors may determine what

DEO is using its Salesforce solution (SERA) for case management. Since DEO is currently in the process of building the case management system a complete description is not available.

information is being collected?

49 Page 32–33 of 63, C.6.1

What IT system is being used as the financial system of record? Can DEO provide access to this system or, if not access, can DEO provide a list and description of the system’s fields, so offerors may determine what information is being collected?

DEO is using its Salesforce solution (SERA) in conjunction with the State of Florida’s accounting system. Since DEO is currently in the process of building the system a complete description is not available.

50 Page 32–33 of 63, C.6.1

Does the scope of work include customization of software systems?

The scope of work does not include customization of software systems.

51 Page 32 of 63, C.6.1

The 5th bullet on this page references a “centralized electronic repository.” What is this repository? Can DEO provide access to this system or, if not access, can DEO provide a list and description of the system’s fields, so offerors may determine what information is being collected?

The centralized repository is DEO’s Salesforce solution (SERA).

52 Page 45 of 63, Attachment B

Two footnotes are included in the table (Job Classification and Estimated Amount of Hours), but no reference/note is listed. Also, the last four columns include asterisk(s) in the header. Please clarify the reference of the footnotes/asterisk(s).

Please ignore the footnotes and asterisks at this time and complete the columns based on the instructions provided in the Attachment.

53 Page 10, Section B, B.21

Can DEO please clarify the contract period? As currently presented on Page 10, the contract period would begin on a date prior to the submission due date.

The contract period is expected to begin upon execution of the contract and remain in effect for a period of thirty-six (36) months.

The selected Contractor will be expected to be able to assume the responsibilities outlined herein within thirty (30) calendar days of contract execution.

54 Page 7, Section B, Mandatory

Requirements for Evaluation

Can DEO clarify which forms/attachments must be completed by subcontractors?

None

55 Page 17 and 18, Section B, B.38

Will the State accept references from both prime and subcontractors?

Only references for the primary Respondent will be accepted.

56 Page 31, Section C, C.6.1

What information/data tracking system(s) is the State currently using to support the CDBG-DR program?


57 Page 35 through 39, Section C, C.8

Can the state clarify how financial and programmatic monitoring tasks in C.8.2 align to the labor categories identified and provided by the State in section C.8.1?

The labor categories identified in C.8.1 specifically relate to quality assurance and quality control positions. The Staffing Plan related to the financial and programmatic monitoring tasks in C.8.2 must have the knowledge, experience, and training necessary to perform the scope of work outlined in Section C.6.2 of this procurement.

58 Can the electronic copy of the reply be submitted on flash drive instead of compact disk?

Please submit all replies on a compact disc.

59 Page 10, Section B.21. The date in this section is no longer valid. Can we just assume 30 days from contract signing to be up and running?


60 Daily reporting is required by 5 pm each day. Will the contractor have read access to live databases for the systems of record to be able to extract up-to-the-minute data? Or will a reporting database be supplied, and the reported data be for the previous day?


61 Will the contractor be responsible for office space, or will that be provided by the State?


62 Will the state provide desktops, laptops, printers, office supplies, phones, etc. as part of this contract?

The selected Contractor will be expected to supply its staff with the necessary equipment and supplies to perform the work required under this procurement.

63 How will travel on behalf of the program be handled? Billed as an ODC?

Travel incurred as part of the work performed under this procurement will be expected to be included on the invoices sent to DEO. Travel requests must be approved in advance of travel and the costs will be reimbursed according to the state travel rates.

64 Will the contractor need additional software/software support/help desk/IT support, or will that be provided?

The selected Contractor will be expected to provide its staff with the necessary software, tools, and equipment to complete the work required under this procurement. The selected Contractor is expected to be granted access to the grant reporting software currently used by DEO to monitor the work performed under the CDBG-DR program.

65 Does the State have all software licenses for Office, Business Objects, TOAD, Help Desk software, Xactimate/XactAnalysis, and any other required software package?


66 Does all work need to be done on site, or can we use IT staff and Business analysts located offsite?

It is acceptable and expected that work may be completed at areas other than DEO’s headquarters. Please refer to the answer to Question 1.

67 Will partial credit be given if only one or two references are submitted with the sealed Reference Questionnaire?

Per section B.39 “Failure to provide the required information for a minimum of three (3) separate and verifiable clients in the spaces provided on Attachment A or failure to provide the required information for each reference shall result in the Respondent receiving a score of zero (0) for the Past Performance Section of the evaluation criteria.”

68 Page 15, Section Tab 3, Project Planning and

Execution

The ITN reads, "The Respondent must submit a draft plan on each project." Could you please define "project"?


69 Page 29, Section C.3, Sub-bullet 4

The ITN reads, "Develop and monitor controls to eliminate duplication of benefits…" Has DEO already contracted with a vendor to ensure that no duplication of benefits has occurred?

The vendor responsible for program and contract administration is contracted to review and monitor applications and awards for duplication of benefits. Any duplication of benefit monitoring completed under this procurement will be unique from any services previously procured.

70 Page 32, Section D, Sub-bullet 4

The ITN reads, "Develop an appeals review process and report on results of its implementation." Has DEO already contracted with a vendor to create an appeals process?

DEO has previously contracted with a vendor for program and contract administration, which included appeals. Work performed under this procurement will be unique from any services previously procured. The vendor awarded a contract under this procurement will be expected to develop and implement procedures to monitor the appeals, which includes reviewing and evaluating the appeals process.

71 Page 33, Section

C.5 Deliverable,

Tasks

Performance

Measures &

Financial

Consequences

Please clarify DEO’s

intention for the inventory

dashboard reports to be

automatically generated,

with specific requirements

of the parties.


72 Page 31, Section C.6.1 Quality

Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC)

Please elaborate on the scope of modifications to eGrants business customizations to assist in IT resource planning.


73 General How many construction management firms are

We have 15 construction general contractors currently in the pool. We have one

working on DEO's CDBG-DR program for Hurricane Irma?

vendor providing construction management services.

74 General How are construction contracts awarded? For example, are they unit based utilizing a cost- estimating tool (e.g., Xactimate) or lump sum?

Once DEO has received the applications and performed site assessments and completed an eligibility determination, DEO will establish a Scope of Work. The Scope of Work will include an itemized listing of all services to be provided by the contractor for each project. The projects may be bundled up to a maximum of 10 individual Scopes of Work. The services will include provisions of construction oversight and supervision, all labor and associated hardware and materials, acquisition of required permits, drawings, and equipment necessary to repair or replace homes that have been selected to receive assistance. Then, DEO will submit a request for quotes to all eligible contractors within each applicable region. Contractors will have 3 business days to respond with their quotes and account for completion within a 90-day timeline. DEO will evaluate the bids and an award will be determined by the lowest responsive bid within 2 business days.

75 General For damage assessments are Contractor's using a cost- estimating tool (e.g., Xactimate) to complete the damage assessments.

Yes, damage assessments are being made through Xactimate.

76 General Does DEO have an

infrastructure

program/framework for

reference purposes?

An infrastructure program/framework is not available at this time.

77 General Regarding technology

implementation, is DEO

going to rely on their Project

Management vendor in the

interim prior to

implementation of a

system?

To minimize duplication of efforts, will the selected oversight monitor have access to data from the Project Management vendor’s system for dashboard reporting in the interim?

DEO is currently utilizing SalesForce for our dashboard. Either read only access or reports from the system may be provided.

78 General Will a subcontractor be prevented from doing other work with the State of Florida during the contract term? If so, what type of services would be precluded if delivering under this contract?

The selected Contractor must have the staff and resources available to provide the level of required services throughout the duration of the contract. However, an award of this contract does not preclude the selected Contractor from also performing other work with the State of Florida as long as a conflict of interest does not or will not exist with the selected Contractor performing services under the scope of the contract resulting from this procurement.

79 General How will records subject to review be available (e.g., breakdown between paper files and electronic records)?


80 General Are vendors, either prime or subcontractors, who are currently delivering services to DEO for the CDBG-DR program precluded from providing oversight monitoring services?

Yes, provided that the primary vendor or subcontractor are providing services directly related to this solicitation.

81 ITN Page Number 10, B.21 Contract

Period

Per the ITN, “The selected Contractor will be expected to be able to assume the responsibilities outlined herein within thirty (30) calendar days of contract execution or December 10, 2018, whichever is earliest.” Please clarify the timing as it relates to the specified date.


82 ITN Page Number 14, B.37.1

Technical Reply Format – Cover

Sheet-DEO Solicitation

Acknowledgement Form; ITN Page

Number 17, B.38 Past Performance References; ITN

Page Number 18, B.39 Attachment

H – Reference Questionnaire; Attachment G –

List of Subcontractors

B.37.1 states that “Information required of the Respondent under the terms of this ITN shall also be required for each subcontractor.” B.38 states “the Respondent must provide the required information for a minimum of three (3) separate and verifiable clients.” B.39 states “DEO will not evaluate more than the number of required references indicated above.” Attachment G requires the Respondent to confirm that each of its subcontractors “has been successfully engaged in similar projects as required by this solicitation for a minimum of three (3) years as required by this specification and is qualified to provide the services for which he/she is listed.” Please confirm that with the submission of an executed

Correct. With the submission of an executed version of Attachment G, subcontractors will not be required to submit Attachment H.

version of Attachment G, subcontractors will not be required to also submit Attachment H.

83 ITN Page Numbers 14 – 17, B.37.1 Technical Reply

Format

B.37.1 states that “Information required of the Respondent under the terms of this ITN shall also be required for each subcontractor.” Does this requirement apply to subcontractors for Tab 4 – Corporate Background/Financial Condition; Tab 5 – Duty of Continuing Disclosure of Legal Proceedings; and Tab 6 – Attachments (excluding Attachment G – List of Subcontractors?

Pursuant to section B.31 of the procurement, the selected Contractor will be the prime service provider and shall be responsible for all work performed and contract deliverables. The selected Contractor shall not enter into any subcontracts for the delivery of any services described in this contract without the prior written approval of DEO.

84 ITN Page

Number 15,

B.37.1 Technical

Reply Format

B.37.1 states that “The Respondent should provide evidence of the previous experience with projects of a similar scope and service, which includes project plans, reports, and letters describing the work performed and the results of the work.” Can you please elaborate on the “evidence” requested here, bearing in mind that work products produced for other projects may not be made available by our clients for an inclusion in a proposal.

To be able to effectively score the Respondent’s Past Performance and Experience, evidence of the Respondent’s experience with projects of similar scope and service is required. This evidence may include but not be limited to project plans, reports, and letters describing the work performed and the results of the work.

85 ITN Page

Number 14,

B.37.1, Resumes

and Experience;

ITN Page

Number 44,

B.37.1 states “The Respondent should specifically provide a description that the company and team have previous experience with a large scale project with similar scope and

Each statement is independent of the other and is requesting proof of the Respondent’s past performance. DEO is requesting the Respondent to include

Attachment A –

Reference Form

services, specifically a state housing program or CDBG-DR related program in the last five (5) years.” However, Attachment A – Reference Form requires client references “for which work similar to that specified in this solicitation has been performed for a period of at least five (5) continuous year(s).” Please clarify which statement shall govern as it relates to timing: “the last five (5) years” or “for a period of at least five (5) continuous year(s)”.

references from three (3) separate and verifiable clients for which work similar to this procurement has been performed for a period of at least five (5) continuous years. In order to effectively evaluate the Respondent’s team, the Respondent should provide a description that the company and team have experience with large scale projects with similar scope and services within the last five (5) years.

Documents

Request for Proposal 19-ITN-001-TH Oversight Monitoring ... · The DEO needs to procure additional services, not included in its current vendor contract, and seeks a vendor to perform