C -- A-76 Commerical Activities Study for Civil Engineering Technician Services for USDA- Natural Resources Conservation Service

This is the third of three SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICES and a restructuring of the previously announced Sources Sought Notice RFP-NHQ-03-003 requesting information needed by the Government prior to release of any potential solicitation. This notification is NOT a request for proposals and in no way obligates the Government to award any contract. The U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is performing a Standard Competition pursuant to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-76 of Civil Engineering Technician services (CET) in the following 15 states: Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and West Virginia. Currently the NRCS in-house workforce of 127 employees within these states are performing these services. This A-76 cost comparison study will examine the possibility of converting Government "in-house" operations to contractor operations. A cost comparison to determine the feasibility and economy of converting the following services and related functions performed by Government personnel to contract performance will be conducted. Government personnel adversely affected by conversion of Government performed services to contract have the Right of First Refusal for jobs for which they are qualified. These services include providing Civil Engineering Technician Services to private landowners throughout the United States to include field investigations and topographic surveys, inventories of soils, livestock, water resources, collection of data for planning, design and construction of soil and water conservation practices and watershed projects; these services include surveying (using state of art survey equipment), drafting (using CADD), conducting soils investigations, performing designs of conservation practices and watershed projects, providing construction quality assurance during the construction of these conservation practices and watershed projects; training of other staff and partner agency staff in providing these services to landowners. The services also include explaining applicable USDA, NRCS programs and working cooperatively with local Conservation District staff and other partner agencies. A determination has been made that the studied services are subject to the Brooks Act, and the procedure for procurement of Architect-Engineer Services will be used. NRCS is requesting a procedural deviation from OMB to conduct Architect-Engineer procurement procedures with the OMB Circular A-76 public-private competition process. The Agency Tender Official is Richard Swenson. The Competitive Sourcing Official is P. Dwight Holman. The applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code is 541330, Civil Engineering Services. If you are interested in competing for these services, please indicate your interest by sending an email to the Contracting Officer Sharon Gipson at contact@example.gov. All valid responses from prospective offerors responding to this synopsis, must provide the return email address, mailing address, telephone number and facsimile number in the body of the responses. Responses without the aforementioned information will not be recognized as valid. Responses must be received by the NRCS NO LATER THAN 11:59 P.M. EASTERN STANDARD TIME, FEBRUARY 2, 2004. In addition, to assist in the planning of acquisition strategy, please respond to the following questions: (1) for North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code 541330, is your business large or small, (2) if small, does your firm qualify as a small, emergent business or a small disadvantaged business, (3) if disadvantaged, specify which disadvantaged group, and is your firm certified under Section 8(a) of the Small Business Act, (4) is your firm a certified hub zone firm, (5) is your firm a woman-owned or operated business, and (6) is your firm a certified service-disabled veteran owned and operated? No solicitation exists at this time. ALL PROSPECTIVE OFFERORS MUST USE E-MAIL TO RESPOND TO THIS SYNOPSIS. TELEPHONE AND FACSIMILE RESPONSES TO THIS SOURCE SOUGHT NOTICE WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. If you are interested, it is recommended that you respond to this notification (NRCS-002-NHQ-004). It is the respondent's responsibility to provide an accurate and current email address. The government is not responsible for inability to deliver e-mail. NO SOLICITATION EXISTS AT THIS TIME. It is anticipated that a solicitation will be released in early March 2004 and will be available only through FEDBIZOPPS. The projected end date of the competition will be November 2004.