ADECA - RFP Q&A

Seeking Assistance with Long-Term Community Recovery

The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) is requesting proposals for assistance in policy and programmatic guidance related to Long-Term Community Recovery (LTCR) responsibilities as directed by Governor Robert Bentley.

Questions and Answers

Click a question to jump directly to the answer below.

1. What is the duration of time for the total project cost?

2. If vendor provides hourly rates for personnel, what is the total period that will be covered in order to come up with the total costs?

3. Is there a particular format to be used when projecting costs?

4. Is there a certain number to use as full-time employees?

5. Should additional personnel be listed that can provide special expertise when needed?

6. Without knowing the extent of the services needed for any given disaster, providing a total project cost, as requested in the RFP, is not possible. May we provide hourly rates and titles instead to be used on a Task Order basis?

7. Do you anticipate the selected consultant to provide program staff to help implement/manage FEMA and other agency programs, or provide strategic counsel related to these same programs?

9. In light of the State of Alabama Long-Term Community Recovery (LTCR) support proposal due date following immediately after the holiday season, would you please extend the due date from 5 January to 13 January and provide a more immediate response to this question for proposal preparation response purposes?

10. Will the government provide office space for any of the positions working on this contract?

11. Is there an incumbent contractor?

12. What is the period of performance of this contract?

13. What will be the resultant contract type (Time and Materials, Cost Plus, Fixed Prices, etc.)?

14. What recurring meetings will the contractor need to support and with what frequency do the meetings take place?

16. On page 4, under Selection Criteria #7, the RFP states: “Availability to commit adequate resources to provide timely response.” What do you consider as “timely response?”

17. On page 4, under Required Information, the RFP states that the response needs to include a “statement of fees with total project cost.”
A. Do you want rates for personnel or do you want firms to price on specific planning components?
B. If you would like us to price the specific planning components, can you detail the specific planning components and/or policy advisory role/responsibilities?

19. Since expedited (overnight) delivery services will not deliver to PO Boxes, can you confirm that the exact street address the proposals should be delivered to is: 401 Adams Avenue, Montgomery, AL 36104?

20. Will a cover page, table of contents, and brief transmittal letter be counted toward the 25-page limit?

1. What is the duration of time for the total project cost?
Project cost is determined by the funding resources appropriated. Depending on the need, support could be extensive with regard to development of gap analysis, existing funds, additional sources for funding and other duties as requested. The State has currently allocated a specific amount to outside support for long-term recovery. Once the funds are depleted, the contract will have to be renegotiated or cancelled.

2. If vendor provides hourly rates for personnel, what is the total period that will be covered in order to come up with the total costs?
Hourly rates should be based on who will act as primary and any support functions that are required to ensure timely submission. Hourly rates will dictate length of contract.

3. Is there a particular format to be used when projecting costs?
Itemize specific costs associated with travel, per diem, administration and personnel costs.

4. Is there a certain number to use as full-time employees?
The number of staff and duration of work effort may be extended or may vary depending on need, as well as the resources made available to the State from other sources to support the cost of contractor support. As additional personnel are brought on to support the State of Alabama LTCR efforts, and as the organization(s) become more capable and experienced, the requirement of contract staff may also diminish.

5. Should additional personnel be listed that can provide special expertise when needed?
Recovery encompasses a wide range of needs and demands. It is left up to the organizations business model how they handle outside support to ensure the needed expertise is addressed.

7. Do you anticipate the selected consultant to provide program staff to help implement/manage FEMA and other agency programs, or provide strategic counsel related to these same programs?
Suggest when submitting your response to the RFP that you show your business model and include staff support in the model.

8. The address provided in the RFP to send the final proposals is a PO Box, but courier services cannot deliver to PO Boxes. Can you please confirm that proposals should be sent to the following address for ADECA? 401 Adams Avenue, Montgomery, AL 36104.
You can use the address indicated, but please make sure that you also indicate attn: Robert Milliman, Suite 312.

9. In light of the State of Alabama Long Term Community Recovery (LTCR) support proposal due date following immediately after the holiday season, would you please extend the due date from 5 January to 13 January and provide a more immediate response to this question for proposal preparation response purposes?
No. We are working on critical time lines and have to push the RFP out as soon as possible.

10. Will the government provide office space for any of the positions working on this contract?
Each organization is responsible for the office space they will occupy.

11. Is there an incumbent contractor?
No.

12. What is the period of performance of this contract?
Project cost is determined by the funding resources appropriated. Depending on the need, support could be extensive with regard to development of gap analysis, existing funds, funding sources and other duties as requested. The State has currently allocated a specific amount to outside support for long term recovery. Once the funds are depleted, the contract will have to be renegotiated or cancelled.

13. What will be the resultant contract type (Time and Materials, Cost Plus, Fixed Prices, etc.)?
More than likely, the contract will be awarded based on hourly rates.

14. What recurring meetings will the contractor need to support and with what frequency do the meetings take place?
Meetings will be to provide updates on status and meetings can be handled via teleconference to cut down on expenses.

15. On page 1, under General Requirements, the RFP states: “Must support LTCR at state and local level in a measurable way.” What do you mean by “measurable way?”
Documented successes and support to include meeting specific bench marks and project time lines.

16. On page 4, under Selection Criteria #7, the RFP states: “Availability to commit adequate resources to provide timely response.” What do you consider as “timely response?”
Deadlines will be established between contractor and agency being supported.

17. On page 4, under Required Information, the RFP states that the response needs to include a “statement of fees with total project cost.”
A. Do you want rates for personnel or do you want firms to price on specific planning components?
B. If you would like us to price the specific planning components, can you detail the specific planning components and/or policy advisory role/responsibilities?
Pricing should be by hourly rates. Because of the complexity and components that may or may not be required, the State could not possibly address every component that may be required.

18. On page 2, under Qualification Requirements, the RFP states: “The Respondent will be qualified with the Secretary of State to conduct business in the State of Alabama, if selected.” Are subcontractors also included in this requirement?
Awarded contractor will hold all subcontractors to the same requirements as primary and should have the same credentialing as the primary.

20. Will a cover page, table of contents, and brief transmittal letter be counted toward the 25-page limit?
Yes.

21. The RFP states: “Personnel should be able to write, review, and amend project worksheets and/or mitigation applications.” We understand that the State, through Alabama’s Division of Emergency Management, has engaged with a contractor for Public Assistance support. How do you envision that the Project Worksheet (PW) support provided under the Long Term Community Recovery contract will differ from support provided by the current contractor? How do you envision the Long Term Community Recovery contractor supporting the development of project worksheets and/or mitigation applications?
The purpose of the existing contract is to support project worksheets that were handled during and immediately following the April 27th tornadoes. Their role is restricted to the response PW’s and mitigation grant funds that were limited by time frames dictated by FEMA. The existing contract also is in place for future incidents that receive federal declarations.

The current RFP is set up for on-going recovery efforts and securing resources and supporting those communities affected by the April tornadoes. If contracted members come across something they feel is conflicting, the issue can be brought to the LTCR office and a decision will be made.

22. The RFP states: “Describe any activities in which you or your firm is engaged which may constitute a conflict of interest.” How does the state define conflict of interest relative to this contract?
As the definition of a conflict of interest states, any individual or organization that is involved in multiple interests, one of which could possibly be construed as corrupting the motivation for an act in the other. The appearance of a conflict between one’s private interests and one’s public interests.