C -- TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CONTRACTS (TAC II)

Amendment 02 to the Sources Sought Notice for Solicitation Number HSFEHQ-05-R-0035 is being issued to replace the entire Description content of the original Synopsis, including Selection Criteria and General Instructions, to reflect the changes made to the text in Amendment 01 and in this Amendment, most notably the addition of 2 evaluation factors to the Selection Criteria. This Amendment 02 also includes 2 attachments that will be uploaded: 1) QUESTIONS/ANSWERS TO SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE, and 2) LIST OF INCUMBENT TAC CONTRACTORS. The new Synopsis Description is as follows: The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) intends to award up to four (4), Indefinite-Delivery, Indefinite-Quantity, Task Order contracts starting in fiscal year 2006, subject to the availability of funds. Each basic IDIQ contract will have an ordering period of five years. The contracts awarded under this solicitation will be performance-based, utilizing the performance metrics. The metrics in Factor 6 are for evaluation purposes and will be subject to negotiation if a firm is selected for contract negotiations. The basic IDIQ contract will be structured to allow for the issuance of Time and Materials (T&M) and Firm Fixed Price (FFP) task orders. The estimated cost for all services is $150 million per five-year contract if four contracts are awarded, and $200 million per contract if three contracts are awarded. The minimum guaranteed amount for each contract will be $100,000.00. This procurement is classified under the North American Industry Classification System code of 541330 (Engineering Services) with a size standard of $4.0 million. The selected firms will be required to provide technical assistance services, such as technical support and project management disaster-related operations under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. 5121-5206 (hereinafter referred to as the Stafford Act). The program activities of the Stafford Act are highly visible and require coordination with Federal, State, and local governments and/or volunteer organizations. The selected firms shall be required to provide the necessary resources to adequately support disaster operations throughout FEMA Regions I through X. The Contractor shall have personnel on-site at the disaster office within 48 hours of tasking notification. Due to the nature of FEMA's work, the Contractor must be accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The selected firms will be required to provide technical expertise to perform the services set forth in the attached Draft Scope of Work. Selection Criteria The selection process will be in conformance with the provisions of Public Law 92-582, the Brooks Architect-Engineer Act. The selection process will be accomplished in two phases: Phase 1: Screening Phase, during which the SF 330 will be used to select the most highly qualified firms (the Short List) for continued participation in the procurement process. Due diligence will be held after the short-listed firms are so notified. The short-listed firms will be given the opportunity to schedule one-on-one due diligence sessions with the Agency staff as the firms are preparing their submissions for Phase 2. Expenses for due diligence will not be reimbursed. For planning purposes, it is anticipated that these discussions will be conducted in Washington, D.C. and should not take longer than two (2) hours. Short-listed firms can make an appointment for the due diligence meetings by telephoning Gary Fontaine at +1 (555) 000-0000. Phase 2: Selection Phase, during which the slated firms (selected during the Screening Phase) will be invited to submit additional information and make oral presentations pursuant to FAR 36.602-3(c). The oral presentation and discussions are to be conducted by the firm's proposed management team. The additional information will consist of a comprehensive Project Management Plan (PMP), and a Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP). The package shall not exceed seventy-five (75) pages. The plans will be reviewed before oral presentations. The short-listed firms may be requested during discussions to provide further clarification concerning their submissions. After oral presentations, the firms will be re-evaluated, re-rated and re-ranked. (NOTE: In accordance with Scope of Work Paragraph 1.4.2 Open Action Report, the highest technically rated firm selected for award will be the Lead for maintenance of the real-time Web reporting site for the program). The Selection Criteria listed below will be used for rating and ranking. Firms selected for consideration of an IDIQ contract will be notified. Negotiations will be conducted beginning with the most highly ranked firms in the selection, and will proceed until an award or awards are made. Seven (7) factors will be used in the selection of firms. Criteria 1 through 4 are equally important and are more important than Criteria 5. These five criteria will be used to evaluate firms SF 330s during Phase 1. Criteria 6 and 7, which are of equal value, are less important than Criteria 1 through 4 and are more important than Criteria 5. These two criteria will be used to evaluate firms Quality Assurance Surveillance Plans (QASPs) and Project Management Plans (PMPs) during Phase 2. Should the content of a firm's QASP and/or PMP impact any of the other five criteria, the ratings for those other criteria shall be revised, as appropriate. An unacceptable rating in any factor will result in no award. 1. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE AND TECHNICAL COMPETENCE. The firm must demonstrate successful specialized experience of firm and key personnel in the following subfactors (Note: Subfactors are listed in descending order of importance). Experience in developing cost estimates is significantly more important than other subfactors: (a) Experience developing reliable cost estimates for a variety of major multi-million dollar construction projects and/or repair of damaged infrastructure systems (e.g., buildings, roads, schools, hospitals, and power and water systems, etc.). Cost estimates should reflect the total budget necessary for the project. Give a detailed explanation of the reasons for any variances that exceed plus or minus 10 percent between estimated and actual costs. (b) Experience in evaluating projects for compliance with environmental regulations and preparing environmental documents (environmental assessments or environmental impact statements); conducting historical or archeological reviews; complying with wetlands and endangered species regulations; reviewing insurance adjustments (all hazards and flood); and evaluating hazardous waste and debris removal issues. (c) Experience in staffing at the levels in Evaluation Factor 2. (d) Experience developing and implementing quality control measures, including an overall quality control program and implementation of quality control measures at an individual project level. 2. CAPACITY TO ACCOMPLISH WORK WITHIN REQUIRED TIME. The firm must demonstrate the ability to deploy, within 48 hours, the following 300 minimum personnel in the quantities specified, for an eight-month assignment, and of that number, 200 to be available for an additional four months: Civil Engineer (50); Structural Engineer (50); Architect (20); Construction Inspector (20); Engineering Technician (20); Estimator (20); Planner, General (15); Soils/Geotechnical Engineer (15); Environmental Planner (10); Insurance Specialist (10); Sanitary Engineer (10); GIS Specialist (5); Electrical Engineer (4); Environmental Engineer (4); Mechanical Engineer (4); Accountant (3); Architectural Historian (3); Certified Public Accountant (3); Coastal Engineer (3); Computer Specialist (3); Financial Analyst (3); Health Scientist (3); Historical Architect (3); Landscape Architect (3); Archaeologist (2) Geologist (2); Hydrologist (2). The firm must have one (1) each of the following skills: Appraiser; Arborist; Biologist; Chemical Engineer; Draftsman; Horticulturist; Surveying Technician; Surveyor; Telecommunications Specialist; Wetlands Specialist. In your description of this factor, you must address how you are going to maintain staffing during the life of the contract, including whether by in-house employees or by subcontractor employees, or a combination thereof. 3. PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS. The firm must demonstrate the education, experience, and professional registration/certifications, for staff listed in Evaluation Factor 2. Firms demonstrating extensive knowledge of building codes and standards, floodplain and riverine zones, and seismic and wind zones across the geographic area noted in Factor 5 will be preferred. 4. PAST PERFORMANCE. The agency will evaluate the firm's past performance on contracts of similar size, type, and scope with Government agencies and private industry in terms of project management, accuracy of costs estimates, cost control, quality control, completion of projects within budget, and compliance with performance schedules. The firm must provide at least five contracts within the past five (5) years with names, affiliations, and telephone numbers, with a narrative discussion. If the firm is a Joint Venture, contracts performed by its individual members must be included. In the case of a firm without a record of relevant past performance or for whom information on past performance is not available, the firm will not be evaluated favorably or unfavorably on past performance. The Government reserves the right to use information outside of the response in evaluating past performance. 5. LOCATION IN THE GENERAL GEOGRAPHICAL AREA OF THE PROJECT AND KNOWLEDGE OF THE LOCALITY OF THE PROJECT. Location of personnel in multiple locations is generally indicative of greater flexibility and experience in a wider variety of work that would be tasked under the performance work statement. The firm must demonstrate how its location(s) support the wide dispersion of disasters to which FEMA would send it in support of this contract. FEMA's disasters can occur in any of the following locations: FEMA's ten (10) regions, which include the 50 States of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia. 6. QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE PLAN. The firm must present an approach to the Government for use in evaluating the firm's performance should it be awarded a contract. The Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan shall provide a method to be used by the Government to evaluate the following metrics: timeliness, quality, customer service, and cost. 7. PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN. The firm must demonstrate a comprehensive approach to the overall development, management, and coordination of the contract. The firm must provide a Project Management Plan in accordance with paragraph 1.2 of the Draft Scope of Work. General Instructions Engineering firms interested in performing this work are to submit one (1) original and seven (7) copies of their Standard Form (SF) 330 showing project experience and personnel who will perform the work. Strict adherence to the submission instructions will be enforced. Firms not performing all work in-house must identify subcontractors in their submittal. A prime or joint venture SF 330 submittal must not exceed sixty (60) pages, 8 1/2" x 11" front side only. Charts and drawings will be counted as two pages if submitted on 11 x 17" size paper. The 60 page limit does not apply to Part II of the SF 330. Front and back cover pages and tab pages will not be counted in the page limit nor will these pages be evaluated; i.e., any information listed on these pages will be ignored. All pages following the first sixty (60) pages will be discarded upon receipt. All other material such as brochures or samples of work, attachments or extra pages will be discarded upon receipt. All submittals, to include portions from subcontractors, shall use a type pitch that is no smaller than a standard eleven-point font type, with the exception of charts, graphs, or tables, which shall use a pitch no smaller than 10-point. Joint ventures must include a copy of the legal joint venture with the chief executive of each entity identified. Copies of agreements between firms participating in a prime/subcontractor relationship must also be included in the submittal. The joint venture and the prime/subcontractor documents will not be subject to the page limitation set forth above. All interested large firms are reminded that the successful firms will be expected to place subcontracts to the maximum practicable extent with small and small disadvantaged firms in accordance with Public Law 95-507. If a large business firm is selected, a small business subcontracting plan will be required prior to award. The IVL (Interested Vendors List) feature has been activated on the Vendors portal to FedBizOpps, and firms are encouraged to provide their contact information there to help maximize teaming arrangements and small and small disadvantaged business participation on this procurement. The Government intends to enter into a voluntary partnership arrangement with the awardees and its subcontractors on this procurement. Our objective is to identify and achieve reciprocal goals, insure effective and efficient contract performance, and resolve disputes in a timely, professional and non-adversarial manner through the use of voluntary Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) methodologies. Responses must reference Synopsis Number HSFEHQ-05-R-0035: Technical Assistance Contract, on the face of all forms and on the outside of the envelope, and submissions must acknowledge notice/receipt of all amendments or modifications. No other announcement is anticipated for this requirement. To assure consideration, all information must be received by the Contracting Officer no later than 3:00 PM local time, at DHS-Emergency Preparedness and Response, FEMA, 500 C Street, S.W., Room 350, Washington, DC 20472, on September 12, 2005. Late submissions will be subject to the provisions of FAR Part 15. This is not a Request for Proposal.