The agency bidding for a contract should be able to perform all of the services requested in the RFP to be found technically acceptable. If you leave anything blank and there are other bidders you will be found technically unacceptable and will not be considered for services. We in the Northern District of New York supervise pretrial and post conviction defendants and we need to have services available for both defendant and offenders. However, we understand the restrictions of a pretrial defendants participating in sex offender treatment and these referrals are made on rare occasions. It has always been part of the RFP and agencies have participated in solicitation in the past.
To clarify if an agency is found to be technically unacceptable and there are other bidders in the area, the contract will be awarded to the vendor who is found to be technically acceptable. You can be found to be technically unacceptable if you leave a quote for services blank.
Suggestion is leaving this blank as the default period is 365 days. Historically, all vendors awarded a contract for treatment services in this district have either left this blank or inserted 365 days.
Attachment A should be properly and fully executed on the form provided. The Background Statement (Attachment B), Staff Qualifications (Attachment C), and References (Attachment D), can be attached and so indicated. However, Certifications for Attachments B and C must have the appropriate box checked and must be signed and dated by the offeror.
The compliance certificates you reference would be needed for any location that would potentially service clients referred by the United States Probation Office.
In this context, the term reference is referring to an agency. The “contact person” would be the specific representative of that agency whom you are seeking to have contacted.
Duties performed by staff should be listed by project code. We are looking to ensure that the required qualifications within each project code are met. Accordingly, if someone on your staff does not hold these credentials, we would not anticipate seeing a specifically requested project code listed as part of their duties.
The numbers/values listed represent Estimated Monthly Quantities (EMQs). EMQs represent the estimated total monthly quantities to be ordered per project code. However, EMQ’s are service estimates only and do not bind the government to meet these estimates. Estimated monthly units are based on the needs from prior fiscal years, or in some catchment areas where there have been no previous contract or open services, an estimation was established based on metrics of other or similar catchment areas.
In submitted proposals, potential vendors should list the price per unit, i.e., price per 30 minutes for the listed project code. The 30-minute unit refers to how the judiciary pays for services, but it does not mean that we will pay for only 30 minutes. For example, if a provider recommends a client to attend two individual treatment sessions per month for one hour each time the authorization (Probation Form 45) would indicate four units per month. Where the project code for initial assessment/evaluation and report is listed, please note that the unit is “per report” and therefore, would be comprised of the appointments to complete the assessment and the final submitted typed report submitted to the USPO (see Section C – Description/Statement of Work).
To maintain a fair, competitive, and objective evaluation process, the names/agencies and number of vendors that submit proposals is kept confidential. All proposals will be evaluated independently against the criteria outlined in the RFP, upon the deadline to submit proposals.
The number of sessions that a person will be authorized is based on the assessment of the therapist with the input from the U.S. Probation Officer as we provide services based on risk and needs. Providers must adhere to the services and frequency of such, as authorized on Probation Form 45.
Services should be recommended based on the individual’s risks and needs; however, there is an understanding that not every client will benefit from group participation. If the clinician recommends group, it should be group that is available and benefit the client based on their presenting circumstances and personal history and characteristics.
The vendor must have at least one site at which services can be provided that is within the catchment area. The US Probation Office can then consider using alternate sites regardless of whether or not they are in the catchment area as long as they meet all of the required criteria (e.g. building codes, staffing).
The vendor must maintain a physical facility that meets all applicable federal, state, and local regulations (e.g. building codes).
The Local Needs just need to be able to be provided by the prospective offerors/vendors, or for prospective offerors/vendors to have a plan in place to accommodate the identified Local Needs. There is no separate attestation of such that needs to be submitted but an understanding by the offeror/vendor that it is part of the statement of work.
The submitted RFP/packet doesn’t have to be numbered, as long as all required information/documents are submitted.
Page M-3 of 5 notes that: “Offeror’s Attachment C, OFFEROR’S STAFF QUALIFICATIONS, identified each staff person (and any proposed subcontractor) providing direct delivery of services….related to project codes.”
To clarify, do you consider Administrative activities related to the delivery of services relevant and should these individuals be listed - even though they may not be providing a direct service as defined by a service code? Stated another way - are you expecting that only staff who are providing direct services under a specific service code be listed, and others (ex. Administrative staff) should be excluded.
Administrative duties are not considered “direct delivery of services.” For purposes of the RFP, historically prospective offerors have not listed clinicians for the administrative project codes (1201/1202), as those codes are not considered a “service.” It would be appropriate to list which staff member(s) would be handling those administrative project codes and you are welcome to identify any additional administrative staff that will be involved in the management of any awarded agreement.
Please see Preparation of Offeror’s References, Page L-5 of 15: “Offerors who are currently awarded an agreement with the USPO/USPSO agency soliciting these services, are not required to provide references.” However, if the bidder is bidding for another contract in another catchment area, references would need to be submitted specific to that other solicitation.