**Solicitation No. AHRQ-07-10045 Amendment 0002**

This amendment is issued for the following reasons:

1.  To respond to questions received from potential offerors.

2.  Show the preferred format for business proposal cost breakdown

**Answers to Questions (listed and answered in no particular order):**

1.  What is the meaning of Fixed Fee for a non-profit educational
    institution? Please confirm that the \$1,250,000 is to include
    annual direct and indirect costs.

*A: Yes, the \$1,250,000 includes everything, costs, travel, and fee (if
you include fee). Since "fee" is essentially your profit for doing the
work, if you are a non-profit institution you might not include this in
your proposal (and thus, not be paid it). However, all entities are
eligible to bid on the contract, so this is included.*

2.  How much detail is expected from contractors in the initial response
    to the RFP regarding activities and costs in the 3 option periods?

*A: As much detail as you can provide. The more detailed you are in your
proposal, the more accurately the government can judge your ability to
do the work over the life of the contract. The option period work is
essentially the same work called for in the basic 2-year contract.
However, developing information and circumstances prior to the options
may cause minor alterations, additions, follow-ons, or deletions to that
"base". Since those are not known at this time, you cannot bid on such
things. But you can be as detailed as possible for what you can expect
to be essentially the same work as in the basic.*

3.  Is amount total, or per contract?

*A: The RFP should be read as if it's for one single contract. So the
\$1,250,000 estimate is per year per contract.*

4.  Is there a link to interested vendors?

*A: No, there isn't. The FEDBIZOPS site provides a possible link IF the
posting agency has such a list, which as we mentioned in the
pre-solicitation notice, we will not have since we cannot accurately
know who accesses our website and downloads copies of the RFP for
themselves.*

5.  Please clarify the page limit for the technical proposal.

*A: The page limit for the technical proposal is to be 45 pages. We
apologize if the RFP lists contradictory information elsewhere.*

6.  What are the small disadvantaged business goals? One section says
    20% for small business awards, 5.5% for 8(a) small and disadvantaged
    businesses and 5.05% for woman owned businesses. But another section
    says 23% for small business, 5% for 8(a) small disadvantaged
    businesses, 5% for woman-owned small businesses and 2% for HUBZONE
    small businesses.

*A: To be on the safe side, you should shoot for the most aggressive of
the two. However, these two sets of figures are **extremely close** in
overall value anyway. So showing that you can meet goals close to either
set of figures **would likely** give you nearly the maximum possible
score for small business participation. We will, however, try to correct
it to show only one set of values throughout the RFP.*

7.  There is no mention of an escalation cost to cover cost of living,
    year to year. Will the ceiling be raised year to year to account for
    and accommodate that?

*A: At this time, no additional funding is "planned" for the option
periods. That may, however, change (obviously). But at this time, no.*

8.  Do we ship 1 original + 9 copies or 1 original + 10 copies?

*A: 1 original + 9 copies will be sufficient.*

9.) An additional question relates to the definition of \"CPGs in the
public domain\"(p.8). The RFP also mentions \"Federal or professional
guidelines.\" Are guidelines produced by professional societies
appropriate for these demonstration projects?

*A: Yes, they are.*

10. Are there any specific forms to be used as part of this application?

*A: Your proposal should not have to include any forms other than those
that are included IN or asked FOR as part of the RFP.*

11. Should the Business Proposal include the Small Business Plan? The
    RFP states we should submit a separate one and that it should be
    included in the proposal.

*A: Both, actually. Your proposal should include any small business or
other subcontractor costs, broken out as you would break out your own
organization's costs, and included in the proposal. But you should also
submit a small business proposal which (among any other things you can
think of to include) breaks out your projected small business percentage
of dollars as well as dollar amount, your relationship with the small
business (agreements in place, etc.), and your history of small business
involvement.*

12. Can travel for key personnel for the required in-person meetings be
    included in the proposed budget or should the contractor plan to
    absorb this cost?

*A: Any costs associated with the performance of this contract should be
included in your proposal.*

13. The RFP seems to assume that the contractor will be using a COTS
    software product to automate the chosen CPG. Is this correct?

*A: The solicitation specified that the CDS must be implemented in
CCHIT-certified software. As long as this requirement is met, the CDS
may also be implemented in other software.*

14. If the offeror has recently submitted another proposal to AHRQ and
    has had customers submit identical Past Performance Questionnaires,
    may the same be used for this contract?

*A: Yes, as long as they are both identical. But they must be
re-submitted to the contracting officer for this contract.*

15. What will the locations of the seven meetings be?

*A: The sites for the meetings have not yet been determined, though the
first one will be in the Washington, DC. Metropolitan area.*

16. The RFP requests the offeror to fill out Section K (Reps and Certs)
    as part of our proposal. Do we still have to do that if we have
    updated Reps and Certs in ORCA?

*A: Yes, you do.*

17. Attachment 4 states that a small business participation plan will be
    required if the contract/task is over the \$500,000 threshold
    requirement for such a plan. The RFP says it IS required, though.

*A: Yes, since this contract is ESTIMATED to be about \$1.25 million per
year, that is over the threshold requirement of \$500,000.*

18. Can the CDS be used by patients?

*A: CDS can be used by patients but MUST be used by clinicians in the
proposal.*

19. Does the CDS have to reside within the EMR or can it be a tool
    outside the EMR which communicates patient details to the EMR?

*A: The solicitation does not require that the CDS reside within the
EMR.*

20. Are there prohibitions against employing offshore staff for software
    development?

*A: There are no restrictions against employing offshore staff so long
as the employment practices and laws of the United States, as well as
any employment requirements in any of the contract clauses, are adhered
to.*

21. Given the 3 iterations (first, second and final phase) of
    implementation of CDS detailed under Task 2, what value in the
    review of proposals will be considered when on page 8 it cites: "The
    contractor shall develop, conduct and evaluate at least two and not
    more than ten demonstration sites..."

*A: Review of task 2 (Implementation) will be addressed under technical
evaluation criteria B (Technical Approach) and criteria C (Management
Plan).  Please see those criteria for weights and details.*

22. Would you consider prevention of chronic mental disorders as
    "preventative services" or "common chronic illness"?

*A: Preventative services.*

23. On page 9 of the RFP, 7 meetings are mentioned. Is that per year or
    for the base period?

*A: That refers to the number of meetings for the base period.*

24.) What is the relationship between Phase 1, Phase 2, and final phase
(as discussed in the Implementation Task on Page 9) and Base year 1,
base year 2 and the option years?

*A: The three implementation phases in the base years and option years
are roughly analogous in terms of general tasks.  Where they may differ
is in the types of decision support offered, the target audience, and
healthcare knowledge subject matter.  The topics for the option years
will be negotiated with AHRQ in the future.*

**[The date and time for receipt of proposals has not changed and
REMAINS 12:00 pm. (Noon) local time on Thursday, August 30,
2007.]{.underline}**

**Preferred format for Cost Breakdown in proposals (for ease of
evaluation of proposals for the government):**

For ease of evaluation by the government, it is requested that offerors
follow this, or similar, format in laying out their cost proposal. This
is just the format for the cost summary page, of course. The proposal
should also include in-depth discussion on rates and further breakout of
the costs where appropriate (ie: list travel in the summary page, but
breakout how you arrived at the travel cost later in the proposal). This
is also just a *general example* for reference purposes. It should **not
be** assumed these are the **actual categories** that must be included.

**LABOR**

Direct Labor (including
Fringe)..........................................\$

**ODC's (ODC's subject to G&A)**

Services......................................................................\$

Computer
Expenses........................................................\$

Telecommunications.......................................................\$

Shipping.....................................................................\$

Travel........................................................................\$

Materials..................................................................\...\$

(here, or under ODC not subject to G&A)

**ODC's (not subject to G&A expense)**

Subcontractors
(expense)..................................................\$

Consultants...............................................................\...\$

Subcontractor
Labor.......................................................\$

**INDIRECT COSTS**

G&A (@
\_\_%)..............................................................\$

Material Handling Costs
(@\_\_\_%)......................................\$

**Subtotal for
costs.........................................................\$**

**FEE (@
\_\_\_%)............................................................\$**

**TOTAL.....................................................................\$**