Description
The purpose of the amendment to the above solicitation is to Answer several questions received in respose the above. The Questions and Answers are as follows and the closing date remains unchanged from 25 Oct 2004, 2:00 pm EST.: Question: What functionality does the database offer that makes the government think it can't be replicated? Odyssey has kept a running record for over 3 years of all supervisors and employers, including associated company name and contact information, nominated for recognition through one of ESGRs employer recognition or awards programs. There are easily over 60,000 individual records, along with associated software to mine this database. Another company could develop a similar data base structure. However, the government does not currently own the 60,000 records gathered to date. 3. Requirements The contractor shall perform the tasks listed below. 3.1 Project Management - The contractor shall provide a project management team. The team shall consist of: Position Hours Project Manager 1,560 Marketing Consultant/Graphic Designer I - 780 The team shall provide the following services as directed by the Contracting Officer's Representative: a. General management of the project. The contractor shall provide a single point of contact to manage the project and to respond to and act o n queries by the Project Officer and the individuals authorized to or der off the website. b. Sustaining graphics support, such as design of invitations and flyers, graphic design and production capability for indoor/outdoor banners, foam core mounting of charts and posters and other graphic arts services. Question: What other positions are required to do the work? Odyssey has 2 other people who work roughly fulltime in support of this contract processing orders for fulfillment items and working customer service. They also pull other staff in to support surge operations. The cost of these customer support people is part of contract overhead for the fulfillment items. Question: It appears that a Web-Master is needed...is this correct? ESGR maintains a website through another contract. The contractor maintains an on-line store website. The contractor has a Web-Master to support their business. The cost of the contractors Web-Master is part of contract overhead. Question: Other than a Project Manager, Graphic Designer/Marketing Consultant, what other positions are funded and what are the annual hour relating to each position? None. Hourly rates for the two quoted positions are taken from published GSA rate schedules. Rates are discounted through negotiations. Question: What was last years total labor hours billed in support of this program? Zero. Project management hours for special projects and graphics design labor hours to develop new fulfillment items or update old fulfillment items are new to this contract. c. Creation and maintenance of an on-line store. This on-line store will provide designated individuals (key personnel authorized by the Project Officer) the ability to use pre-established appropriated fund accounts to order branded materials, informat ion al items, and supplies that support the ESGR mission. The contractor shall charge items ordered against pre-authorized committee budgets, with budget ceilings established by the Project Officer. The on-line store shall provide a secure web ordering mechanism that will allow the issuance of personal access numbers for security. The security shall verify the individual submitting the order is authorized to use appropriated funds to purchase materials, items and supplies from the store. The contrac tor shall administer an enhanced web site design and accompanying graphics. The on-line store shall also allow individuals to purchase materials using a personal credit card or IMPAC cards. The contractor shall have an accounting system for the on-line st ore that will: ? receive orde rs via electronic submission through the ESGR store ? assign a job order or purchase order number to each order and be traceable through the accounting and invoicing process ? Question: Does the current incumbent maintain the web site? The current fulfillment contractor maintains the on-line store website. Question: Does the current incumbent outsource the web-site operation? No. Question: Is the website 508 compliant? Unknown. http://www.section508.gov Question: Does an order come out of the online store and then into the contractors accounting and invoicing system. Is this a separate part of the over all process. Where does inventory availability fit in? Do orders get taken when inventory is out of stock? The on-line store is fully integrated with the accounting and invoicing system. Inventory is also tracked through the accounting system. Yes, the system allows backorders in the event of infrequent stock outages. Verify the individual submitting the order is authorized to use appropriated funds to purchase materials, items and supplies from the store. ? charge local committees budgets for items purchased, while listing a zero charge with a corresponding inventory v olume reduction on the ESGR invoice and inventory reports ? recognize both personal credit card and appropriated funds charges ? recognize both personal credit card and appropriated funds in the same order ? account for the charges made by personal credit card separately from charges made by appropriated funds d. Toll free telephone and web access to provide rapid access by volunteers, Guardmen and Reservists for matters concerning inquiries about ESGR award nominations, order status, errors , inventory, availability etc. The contractor shall provide free teleph one and web response between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., Eastern time, five (5) days a week Monday through Friday. Question: On an annual basis how many calls are taken and what is the average number of minutes for these calls? 18 calls per day for order entry. 42 calls per day for customer service. Average call length is 5 minutes, many are 30 minutes or more. The contractor shall acknowledge customer service inquiries within twenty-four (24) hours of receipt and shall resolve each inquiry within forty-eight (48) hours of receipt. Question: Are the customer service inquires mostly about shipping-I didn't get my order where is it? What other types of call do customer service reps handle and what are the percentages relating to that type? No. ESGR volunteers call for suggestions on briefings, special handouts, what materials would be best for supporting specific events. No percentage breakouts for types of calls are available. 3.2 DELIVERABLES All software, documentation and database shall become purchased and owned by the Government - NCESGR Question: It appears that government shall supply all software, documentation and database. If so, what type of database and language is the software written in? No, the government does not provide any software, documentation or database for this contract. The government intends to purchase the database and unlimited access to the software through this 9 month contract. Question: If the government is providing all software, documentation and the database why is the government intending to negotiate on a Sole Source basis? (See above.) 1 LOT - under this contract. 3.3 Fulfillment The contractor shall provide fulfillment materials such as Shirts, Magnets, Flags, Posters, Awards, Mobilization and Demobilization Kits, information Fact Sheets, and other educational and branded materials at prices as listed in the contractor's GSA contr acts. The price for each item shall include warehousing, inventory maintenance, and packing and packaging. Orders shall be placed via the on-line store or t hrough the Project Officer. Question: On an annual basis how much square footage is needed in conjunction with the requirement to store Shirts, Magnets, Flags, Posters, Awards, Mobilization and Demobilization Kits, information Fact Sheets, and other educational and branded materials ? 9400 square feet. Question: On an average, how many orders are processed per month and/or how many orders were processed last year? Approximately 42,000 orders were processed in FY 04. Question: What is the expected turn-around time for orders? Orders received prior to 2:00 PM are shipped the same day. Orders received after 2:00 PM ship the next day. Rush orders can ship anytime. Question: What makes up an average order i.e. the number of unique items (SKUs) and quantity of each item per order. Average number of line items per order: 2 Question: What is the average weight of an average order? 11 pounds 3.4 Shipping and Storage The contractor shall ship to locations designated by the individual placing the order or by the Project Officer. The contractor shall bill the Government for shipping on a cost-reimbursement basis. Question: Assuming the contractor supplies shipping materials what were the different materials used over the last year and what was the annual quantity of each shipping item/container (SKU). Approximate amount spent on packing material: $6,250 Approximate amount spent on shipping boxes: $5,100 In the event the Government ships Government furnished g oods or property to the contractor for transshipment to other locations, the contractor may bill the government for the cost of storage of the Government furnished property (GFP), and for follow- on packaging and shipping of the GFP on a cost-reimbursement basis. Question: What has been the average monthly shipping reimbursement amount for the past year and average time it takes for the contractor to be reimbursed? Average monthly shipping reimbursement amount: $20,000 Average time to receive payment is 90+ days 3.5 Special Marketing Services The contractor shall provide special marketing support as directed by the Project Officer. Question: How many man hours were needed to fulfill the following requirements over the past year and what was the skill categories? Graphic Designer: 1040 man hrs Event Consultant III (ONSITE): 498 man hrs Direct Mail Consultant II: 120 hrs Multi Media Designer IV: 90hrs Senior Consultant: 1560 hrs Admin Level I: 2,340 Technical Writer: 129 hrs Media Specialist: 30 hrs Question: for Section 3.5, how many hours were used last year (total) to support special marketing services? (See above) Such support shall include: ? Special order items that complement the ESGR strategic plan and marketing goals. ? Development of branding and marketing concepts. ? Support to ESGR in concept and design of special order items that complement the ESGR strateg ic plan and marketing goals. ? Direct support for the writing and editing of materials, including but not limited to video, radio, television, and public service announcements, pamphlets, brochures, and leaflets. o Concept and prepress production and desig n. o All necessary permits and licenses and for complying with all applicable Federal, State, and Municipal laws. o Research on all rules, regulations or laws that must be complied with before performing orders. o Providing actors/actresses as requi red, unless the Federal activity chooses to use employees for print work and/or videos. If actors/actresses are provided, the contractor shall have releases from all persons recognizably photographed or recorded, inclu ding guardians or parents of minors e mployed in the creation or production of any of the services. ? Radio commercial Public Service Announcements (PSAs) for distribution to 8,450 radio stations and/or to state committees. ? Presidential TV Commercial Public Service Announcement (s) for distribution to 2,840 broadcast cable/television outlets and state committees. ? Question: Radio. On an annual basis, how many radio PSAs are mailed and what was the total number of addresses did these shipments go to ? None for FY 04. Question: Television. On an annual basis, how many television PSAs are mailed and what was the total number of addresses did these shipments go to ? None for FY 04. Event planning, such as conferences for the National Committee and the 55 state and territory volunteer committees. ? Direct mail services, including mailing list compilation and maintenance. ? Question: for the mailing function how many mailings were executed over the past year? What was the average size/quantity of each mailing, and what was the description of the work-ink jet a name and address on a document, insert a letter into an envelope ? What was the total number of labor hours needed to do this function last year and what was the government designated skill level of the labor? Total number of mailings: 38 Average quantity per mailing: 3,263pcs Average number of pieces per mailing: 2 pcs per envelope Question: Do any of the mailings have a response device i.e. Business Reply Card (BRC)? If so, what was last year's quantity? Were BRC's if any, keyed by the contractor? Yes. 4,551 Question: Is postage fronted by the contractor and then reimbursed? Yes. Question: What is the expected turn-around time for these mailings? 24-48 hours. Question: Mass mailings. How many different mailing lists do you or the contractor maintain? None. Question: Mailing Lists. how many adds, changes, or deletes functions were performed on an annual basis for all lists? N/A Floats and mobile banners. 3.6 Travel The contractor shall travel as required by the Project Officer. The contractor shall bill the Government for travel on a cost-reimbursement basis, in accordance with Government travel regulations. 3.7 Data The Con tractor shall develop and maintain a data base to track orders and shipments of goods in support of this contract, to justify billing in support of the contract, and to detail contract status and issues. The Government owns the right to all computer so ftware and documentation purchased or developed in support of this contact, and all previous contracts with NCESGR now under this new acquisition. All data collected in support of this and previous contracts, becomes and remains the property of the Governm ent. a. Reports to ESGR Committees. The Contractor shall provide a monthly report to each state/territory ESGR Committee detailing orders placed during the month, status of orders, and services provided, along with associated Committee costs, not later tha n 15 days following the last day of the month in which the costs were incurred. This reports shall be sent electronically in a format agreed to with the National ESGR Headquarters. In addition, a separate monthly report on Patriot Awards processed for each state/territory shall be sent to the ESGR Committees detailing the Patriot Awards processed. This report shall be sent/delivered electronically and in hard copy not later than 15 days following the end of each month. The format of the Patriot Award repor ts shall be by agreement with National ESGR Headquarters. b. Reports to National ESGR Headquarters.? National ESGR Headquarters shall receive copies of all reports sent to state/territory ESGR Committees. State/Territory reports detailed in 3.6.a shall be segregated by each ESGR geographic region. These regional reports shall be sent to the Committee Support Operations Regional Deputy Directors as well as collectively to the designated National ESGR Headquarters person responsible for validating monthly bil ls for payment. ? A separate report detailing purchases and charges against National ESGR Headquarters accounts shall be sent/delivered to the National ESGR Hea dquarters no later than the monthly billing invoice. ? Monthly Technical and Financial Status Report. The report shall be due to the Project Officer electronically and in hard copy on the 15th day of each month, reporting on the p receding month. The report shall address: ? Technical Progress and Work Completed ? Customer service information, including: ? Error reports, which will identify discrepancies, errors, corrective action and dates of all milestones. ? Statistical analysis of orders, appli cations, forms, petitions, and mail processed ? Travel by contractor personnel (trip reports required)? Meetings attended ? Meetings scheduled for next reporting period? Planned Activities for next reporting period ? Resolved issues ? Unresolved issu es, including: ? Action plan to resolve issue? Issues requiring Government action or intervention ? Financial information, including (cumulative and current):? Funds obligated to date ? Value of orders placed to date ? Value of orders invoiced to date ? Payments received to date ? Projection through end of current contract of funds required c. Other Reports. Other reports or summary reports may be requested by National ESGR Headquarters. 4. Privacy Act The ESGR databases may contain information co vered under the Privacy Act. Contractor personnel shall be given access to ESGR information on a need-to-know basis. The contractor agrees that each contractor employee, prior to, and as a precondition of employment relating to the subject matter of this c ontract, shall be informed by the contractor of the security requirements stated herein, and that each such employee shall agree, in writing with employees signature, (a) not to reveal, divulge, or make known any of the ESGR information mentioned above; (b ) to abide by the rules and regulations outlined in Part 45, Title 28, Code of Federal Regulations, which shall be applicable to all contractor employees; and (c) to comply with the protection requirements of the Privacy Act of 1974, which shall also be ap plicable to all contractor employees. The contractor agrees to provide for the administrative control of data being processed and to adhere to the procedures governing access to such data. The contractor agrees to maintain all facility security standards t hat limit access to authorized personnel only. Detailed information about the facility and the detailed nature of the works being performed at the facility must not be made public, except when authorized by the Project Officer. 5. Post-Award Kick-off Meet ing The contractor shall schedule a kick-off meeting to take place ten (10) working days after contract award. Participants shall include personnel from ESGR, and representatives of the contractor, including a representative of the contractors executive ma nagement and the contractors Program Manager. At that meeting ESGR shall review the terms and conditions of the contract with the contractor. The contractor shall brief ESGR on the structure of the project management, and on the details and t imetable for provision of services. INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE [Contracting Officer please insert 52.246-15 certificate of conformance into this order for CLINs 0002, 0003, and 0004]. Inspection and acceptance of CLINs 0001 and 0005 will be by the requiring activi ty. DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE 1 - Period of performance The period of performance of this contract shall be from date of award through 9 months. Question: Why is the contract for 9 months only? The government wants to get this contract off of the FY cycle and take it to full and open competition in the next cycle. 2. Delivery dates The Contractor shall provide the deliverables listed below in accordance with the schedule below. Deliverable - Due Kick-Off Meeting and Presentation 10 working days after contract award Monthly Status Reports 5th day of each month SPECIA L CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS Inspection and Acceptance of contract deliverables are the resp onsibility of the Project Officer or his or her duly authorized representative(s), except as otherwise specified in the purchase order/contract. Moreover, the Project Officer serves in a supporting role to the Contracting Officer, providing advice and exp ertise on technical issues. However, only the Contracting Officer has the authority to authorize deviations from the terms and conditions of this contract, including deviations from specification requirements. In the event the contractor does deviate without written approval of the Contracting Officer, such deviation shall be at the risk of, and any cost relating thereto shall be borne by, the contractor. 2. GOVERNMENT FURNISHED INFORMATION The Government shall provide to the contractor any requi red ESGR database required, and timely financial information for all committee budgets and budget ceilings, which would affect the on-line store. Hope these answers will suffice for the questions posed. The time for questions for this solicitation has closed. Linda Jackson, (703) 695-5259.