AN/TMQ-53 Tactical Meteorological Observing System (TMOS) Contractor Logistics Support (CLS)

Document Paragraph / Section / Page Number Question Received Government Response "PWS, 6.3.5 Post Award Conference, The Contractor shall schedule and host a post award conference at its facility no later than 15 business days following contract award. Holding the Post-Award Conference during the 45-day transition period at contractor site does not provide the non-incumbent awardee the opportunity to execute and complete the transition activities relating to standing up a facility." "a. Does the Government intend to conduct the Post-Award Conference during or after the 45-day Transition Period?" The Post-Award Conference is scheduled to take place within 15 business days following the contract award, which may be before the 45-day transition period. This conference is a key step to review the Performance Work Statement (PWS), set clear expectations, and resolve any questions. PWS, 6.3.5 Post Award Conference, The Contractor shall schedule and host a post award conference at its facility no later than 15 business days following contract award. Holding the Post-Award Conference during the 45-day transition period at contractor site does not provide the non-incumbent awardee the opportunity to execute and complete the transition activities relating to standing up a facility. "Given the FAR 7.102(a)(1) – Acquisition planning should promote competition and avoid unnecessary barriers to participation, can the Government confirm that this requirement is not intended to require the awardee to possess facilities, personnel, or infrastructure at the time of proposal submission, contract award or within 15 days of award, and that such capabilities may be established during the transition period?" FAR 7.102(a)(1) no longer exisits, RFO 7.102(a)(1) states that "Information is available for making informed decisions at each step in the acquisition process." This is in relation to the acquisition planning which has been done and has followed the correct procedures. The Government confirms that an awardee is not required to possess all facilities, personnel, and infrastructure at the time of contract award. However, the successful bidder must provide a comprehensive Transition Plan detailing how all required capabilities will be established and fully operational according to the specified timelines. The contractor must be able to perform the contract by the start of the period of performance, which is not an unnecessary barrier to participate. "PWS, 7.4 states “Helpdesk access shall be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, without cost or toll to the user…. The Contractor shall staff the helpdesk for live, on demand technical support during normal CONUS working hours (as a minimum, Monday through Friday, eight (8) hours per day within the hours of 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. local time at the Contractor's facility). These hours will define the regular business hours. Helpdesk personnel shall be available after working hours, including weekends and holidays." "a. Can you please clarify what is meant by “helpdesk access”? Our interpretation is that a combination of a voicemail inbox, an email inbox, and ability to schedule support outside of business meets the required 24/7 helpdesk access and that 24/7 staffing or 24/7 on-call services are NOT required." Your interpretation is correct. The requirement for "helpdesk access" to be available 24/7 refers to the capability for users to submit support requests at any time via an email inbox and a voicemail system. This ensures that all requests are captured. Live, on-demand technical support from helpdesk personnel is only required during normal CONUS business hours as defined in the PWS. There is no requirement for 24/7 live staffing or on- call services. "b. Does the Government want a 24x7x365 helpdesk support where “helpdesk access shall be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week” and “helpdesk personnel shall be available after working hours, including weekends and holidays?" This contradicts the Government’s requirement to provide “live, on demand technical support during normal CONUS working hours. Please clarify the Government’s requirement for helpdesk support." - Contractor is to provide live technical support during regular business hours: defined as 8 hours, Monday through Friday, between 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. local time at the Contractor's facility. - Outside the regular business hours and weekends and holidays, contractor makes available a single phone number and a single email address for users to leave requests for technical support. To clarify, the Government's requirement is for two tiers of support. Live, on-demand technical support must be provided by helpdesk staff during normal business hours (Monday through Friday, within the hours of 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.). Outside of these hours, including weekends and holidays, the requirement is to have automated systems in place, such as a designated email address and phone number with voicemail, to receive and log user requests. These after-hours requests are to be addressed on the next business day. There is no requirement for a standby person to actively monitor these channels outside of the defined business hours. (CUI) ATTCH 3 - TMQ-53 PWS 7.6.2.1 Triage and Disposition Process, Pg. 26 "Pg 26 – Section 7.6.2.1 Triage and Disposition Process second bullet #2 statesThe C ontractor shall recommend replacement if the estimated cost of repair exceeds [Insert Percentage, e.g., 65% of the current government acquisition cost for a new or serviceable replacement.] Is the 65% the “inserted” percentage?" The reference to 'e.g., 65%' was intended as an example. To ensure clarity for all offerors, the Government confirms that the official requirement is 75%. The solicitation will be formally amended to remove the placeholder language and solidify this percentage. All offerors shall use 75% as the threshold for recommending replacement under this section. (CUI) ATTCH 3 - TMQ-53 PWS 7.6.2.4 Systems Database,…