1. NAVFAC SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM TRAINING MODULE Topic: Improving Your Proposal Estimated time: 60 minutes
Mark A. Brock
NAVFAC SE
Small Business

2. AGENDA Understanding key Contracting Terms Questions to Ask Yourself
Responding to Solicitations
SF330 (A & E) 2

3. Contracting Terms
Recent – work completed within a given number of years; last 3, 5, or 7 years etc…
Relevant – Relevant projects include those that are related to the solicitation that demonstrate self-performance on design/construction projects of similar size, scope, and complexity, (i.e.: unique features, area, construction methods).
Common aspects of relevancy include, but are not limited to, the following: similarity of product/service/support, complexity, dollar value, contract type, use of key personnel (for services), and extent of subcontracting/teaming.
Relevancy (Past Performance) is graded - Present/past performance effort involved essentially the (same, similar, some, little or none) scope and magnitude of effort and complexities this solicitation requires.
The DoD Source Selection Guide says, “The past performance evaluation considers each offeror’s demonstrated recent and relevant record of performance in supplying products and services that meet the contract’s requirements.”
The DoD Source Selection guide says, “Recency. The first is to evaluate the recency of the offeror’s past performance. Recency is generally expressed as a time period during which past performance references are considered relevant, and is critical to establishing the relevancy of past performance information.
Relevance. To determine how relevant a recent effort accomplished by the offeror accomplished by the offeror is to the effort to be acquired through the source selection. The criteria to establish what prior performance is recent and relevant shall be unique to each source selection and shall be stated in the solicitation. In establishing what is relevant for the acquisition, consideration should be given to those aspects of an offeror’s history of contract (or subcontract) performance that would provide the most context and give the greatest ability to measure whether the offeror will successfully satisfy the current requirement. Common aspects of relevancy include, but are not limited to, the following: similarity of product/service/support, complexity, dollar value, contract type, use of key personnel (for services), and extent of subcontracting/teaming. 3

4. Contracting Terms Continued
More Relevancy
Size and Magnitude – is expressed in terms of physical requirements and estimated price range. Example – HVAC replacement with a magnitude of construction $500K to $1M.
Scope – defines the project and states the Governments requirements. The scope of work may include criteria and preliminary design, budget parameters, and schedule or delivery requirements
Complexity – is driven by the number of parts, material, schedule, price, and interaction. The Relevant Past Performance in your proposal should have a complexity that is very similar as the project described in the solicitation. 4

5. Contracting Terms Continued
Experience - experience pertains to the volume of work completed by a contractor that are comparable to the types of work described under the definition of recent, relevant projects, in terms of size, scope, and complexity.
Note: At times the solicitation will allow for the prime to use the experience of subs to fulfill the experience requirements, however, it has to specify so. Example: Teaming arrangements—what does each party bring to the table
The DoD Source Selection Guide says, “Past Performance is one indicator of an offerors ability to perform the contract successfully. The currency and relevance of the information, source of the information, context of the data , and general trends in contractors performance shall be considered.” 5

6. Contracting Terms Continued
Experience:
In the experience factor don’t forget to give the completion date, $ amount, and other key words that make the project similar to solicitation project in your narrative.
Do not provide pictures for the experience factor; this does not tell us how relevant the project was to the solicitation project. In this case a picture is not worth a thousand words.
A Task order under the IDIQ contract counts a single project (don’t use the "whole" IDIQ contract for experience)
Cannot break up CLINs/Phases under a single award (contract/task order) to count as single project for experience
Note: Do not just look at the submittal requirements for a factor, but also look at the basis of evaluation for a factor. Mirror these two together, which will give the Government what they are looking for. 6

7. Contracting Terms Continued
Past performance - pertains to both the relevance of recent efforts and how well a contractor has performed on the contracts. In other words, what did your customer say about you? Where they satisfied or not satisfied with all or some parts of the work performed
Past Performance
Include customer letters of commendation, and any other forms of performance recognition for subcontracting plans and for the past performance factor when requested.
In addition to the above, the Government may review any other sources of information for evaluating past performance. Other sources may include, but are not limited to, past performance information retrieved through:
Past Performance Information Retrieval System (PPIRS) using all CAGE/DUNS numbers of team members (partnership, joint venture, teaming arrangement, or parent company/subsidiary/affiliate) identified in the offeror’s proposal, inquiries of owner representative(s),
FAPIIS - Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System
Electronic Subcontract Reporting System (eSRS), and any other known sources not provided by the offeror. 7

8. Questions to Ask Yourself
Quality– We look at quality across the factors; such as, quality of past performance, solicitation requirements compliance, technical excellence, management capability, and personnel qualifications.
Environmental Considerations – if applicable mention energy efficiency and water conservation. Speak to the reduction of hazardous waste to include special handling, storage, treatment, and disposal. Promote use of non-hazardous and recovered material. Describe life cycle cost savings. Consider use of bio-based products.
Safety- (1) Experience Modification rate (EMR); (2) OSHA days away from work, job restriction, or transfer (DART); (3) Technical Approach to Safety 8

9. Questions to Ask Yourself
Sustainable Development – Recognize the Environmental Design Green Building Rating System. Demonstrate the reduction of life cycle cost and sustainable development principles.
Management - Describe how you will control the project; think about accounting procedures, organization schemes, reporting procedures, and security arrangements. Don’t forget QC or process improvement measures.
Staffing – focus on the quality of your workforce that will execute the project; key personnel qualifications, special training qualifications, licenses, capabilities, certifications, and surge capabilities.
Technical Approach (methods or procedures)- explain how the work will be technically performed. Show that you understand the requirement. Give plans how you will perform the requirement. Will you use any technical innovation? What are your work control methods, special materials, and any other procedures tailored toward the requirement. 9

10. Responding to Solicitations
Know Instructions to Offerors—Competitive Acquisition
CSI Division 00 (Section K, L, & M)— Procurement and Contracting Requirements. In this section be familiar with the instructions to offerors and the evaluation factors.
CSI Division (Section I) – Clauses are in the solicitation by reference or by full text – be sure to read all full text clauses – some are informational and some are required to be filled in and returned.
Know page limits within the solicitation. 10

11. Responding to Solicitations
The relative order of importance of the non-cost/price evaluation factors
Basically the solicitation will state how all factors are rated as is importance with each other and whether technical factors and/or past performance is more important than, less important than, or equal to price.
Example: As stated in the solicitation, all technical factors when combined are of equal importance to the performance confidence assessment (past performance) rating; and all technical factors and the performance confidence assessment (past performance) rating, when combined are approximately equal to price.
Note: NAVFAC’s factors are adjectival 11

12. Keys to the SF330
1. Read project information paragraph. Hit return after every period and answer each sentence – create a checklist – assemble response in the same order (Same for Sources Sought).
2. Tie your proposal to relevancy
3. Relevant Experience
4. Team has worked together before on relevant projects
Note: The SF330 revolves around the relevant people you are proposing and the relevant projects they worked on.
5. Ask yourself if your business is positioned for that type of work.
6. Ideally, you want to list projects that are just like the one you are proposing on.
7. Resumes need to speak to size complexity and scope

13. SF330 – Section A, B, C, & D
Section A, B, and C are self explanatory – please fill in the blank spaces
Section D – is your Org Chart.
Give a single POC
Do you have enough personnel to handle the requirement?
Ensure there is a clear management structure
Who are you specialist on your team?

14. SF330 – Section E – The Resumes
Key Personnel – actual team members only please
Block 13
What was your role in the contract?
Role should match project.
If this person is a project engineer, then ensure the role is labeled as project engineer. Giving information that was not asked for will not count or be compliant.
Information needs to be detailed with proof (provide licenses and certifications)
Block 18 – go wild – give the extra – what other experiences does this key person have.

15. SF330 – Section F (Projects)
Relevant projects please – meet the minimum asked for – anything less makes you less competitive.
10 year rule – anything older shows your age!
Relevant projects – try to mirror what we are asking for.
Did I say relevant? This is includes sub-consultants…

16. SF330 – Section H
Section H
Give what the client asked for…hit the return button!
Respond to all areas
Demonstrate understanding – give examples of your experience, business approach, quote regs, instructions, etc….
Give CAPACITY – provide examples of multiple projects done concurrently. Describe bench depth.
Past performance, cost controls, schedules, quality, CPARS, PPQs
If nothing specified in Section H; ask?
If the client leaves it up to you just be RELEVANT! (what would be helpful to the client)

17. SF330 – Final Tidbits Know your client!!!
(Geographical; Dry air of TX, Frosty TN, Humid FL, Hurricane Prone Gulf Coast States)(We are the Navy so we have water fronts and airfields; i.e docks, wharfs, and runways)
Meet the specific experience requirements we are looking for.
If you have any questions on the Governments interpretation of the requirements, you need to ask prior to the proposal due date through the pre-proposal inquiry (PPI) process laid out in the solicitation………..and adhere to the timelines.

18. Workload Link - NAVFAC Public Portal-
- NAVFAC Southeast / Small Business Office
Deputy Small Business, Mark
Assistant Deputy Small Business, Dawn 18
11/6/2018