D -- Web Development and Management Services

Web Development and Management Services. This is a combined synopsis and solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR Part 12, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. All provisions, clauses and statutes or executive orders for the acquisition of commercial items are applicable to this request. The following is a Statement of Work and a Request for Quote. Statement of Work for Forest Service Web Development, Project, and Management Support. Introduction: The USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Regional Office is seeking a qualified individual or firm (the contractor) to provide web development services, which includes the design, posting, and management of information for web publishing (both intranet and internet). This work must adhere to federal guidelines, directives, and industry standards for the formatting of documents to valid (x)HTML that meet Section 508 accessibility standards. For information about (x)HTML, please review: http://www.w3.org/markup/ For information about accessibility standards, please review: http://www.section508.gov Work will include the continuation of tasks for the Sierra Nevada Forest Management Indicator Species Amendment Project?s final Environmental Impact Statement (web design for posting and updating information on the project?s web page) and managing web pages for the Regional Partnership Program and other previously established internet and intranet web sites. Background: The task associated with the Sierra Nevada Forests Management Indicator Species Amendment Project is a continuation of work that began in June of 2007, which culminated with the design and development of web pages, formatting the draft Environmental Impact Study that consisted of a number of lengthy documents and a number of complex data tables, and posting this information on the www. This work involves the management of web content as the project continues from draft to final Environmental Impact Study. Scope: The objective of this project is to secure a highly qualified contractor to provide web development/design/posting/maintenance/management services for the Forest Service in Vallejo, CA. Period of Performance: The estimated period of performance is approximately six months. The contractor shall work onsite full time, 40 hours per week the first month, and then work onsite approximately twenty four hour per week the remaining five months on an as-needed basis. Work will be performed during normal business hours, Monday-Friday, excluding Federal Holidays. Award of a contract and commencement of work is estimated to begin within the timeframe of October 29, 2007 to November 5, 2007. Hourly Rate: The Forest Service will not pay for Federal Holidays. The Service Contract Act applies; therefore, the contractor shall build-in the cost of any Service Contract Act pay requirements into their hourly rate. Overtime is not authorized. All hourly labor rates are to be fully loaded, inclusive of direct costs, indirect costs, overhead or G&A, profit, and incidental materials costs. The contractor shall honor all Federal Holidays. Place of Performance: The place of performance is onsite at the Forest Service Regional Office, on Mare Island, at 1323 Club Drive, in Vallejo, CA 94592. The contractor should be within a reasonable commute distance of Mare Island in Vallejo, CA. Payment Terms: The agency payment policy for Net-30 applies. Technical Requirements: The contractor must be familiar with the following web design and development software: Adobe Photoshop, Acrobat (PDF), Fireworks, Flash, Dreamweaver, Illustrator, and Microsoft Office Products Word, PowerPoint, and Publisher. The contractor must be familiar with server side technologies that include PHP and SSI. The contractor must also be knowledgeable with web usability and accessibility standards. These services include management and technical expertise in order to accomplish the following projects: * Continuation of work between draft and final EIS for the Sierra Nevada Forests Management Indicator Species Amendment Project. The contractor shall continue work from using a previously developed template converting complex data tables to a web format for the project?s final EIS. * Management of the Pacific Southwest Region's web site. * Consultation for the delivery of web-based Partnership Report. * Modification of Tribal Relations website. * Possible re-design of Forest Service internal electronic phone directory. Deliverables: Provide a listing of projects completed. Government Property: A visitor badge will be issued at the reception desk and worn while working in the Regional Office. A government computer with applicable publishing software, an e-mail account, and internet access will be provided as needed. Security Clearance: The contractor shall be required to pass a criminal records check. The contractor shall also be required to complete computer security training. Additionally, the contractor shall not disclose, and must safeguard, procurement sensitive information such as computer systems and data, privacy act data, Government personnel data, and work products that are obtained or generated in the performance of this task order. Reimbursable Expenses (travel, conferences, training, equipment or materials, etc.): Travel is not expected to be a requirement. Normal commute is the contractor?s responsibility. In the event the contractor is required to travel in support of tasks, the contractor must obtain prior written authorization from the Project Officer. Any required travel will in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulations, which dictates allowable costs and will be made available prior to any travel. Point of Contact: The Government Project Officer and point of contact is Janice Gauthier, Assistant Director of Public Affairs and Communication. Ms. Gauthier is responsible for technical information. The Contracting Officer is responsible for contractual issues. On-site Employees: The Contractor?s on-site employees must, at all times perform his/her duties in a manner which the Forest Service finds to be suitable and proper. The employee?s conduct shall also be suitable and proper. If the Contracting Officer notifies the contractor that an employee?s performance or conduct is not suitable and proper, the contractor shall remove the employee immediately from the government site and provide a replacement. The Forest Service will not be responsible for any termination or relocation cost incurred by the contractor. How to Apply: Prior to award, firms must be registered in the "Central Contractor Registration." The web site for this is: http://www.ccr.gov/ There are two evaluation factors (1) Hourly Rate, and (2) Experience. Experience is more important than price. (1) Price requires submittal of a fully loaded hourly rate. (2) Experience requires discussion of your: * Formal education. * Time employed in web related tasks. * Web site addresses (URLS) of web sites you have worked on, and your role in their development. * References with phone numbers and e-mail addresses. Submit your discussion of the above Experience factors within the body of your e-mail message to the Forest Service point of contact, Janice Gauthier at: jgauthier@fs.fed.us. (No attachments. Attachments will not be opened.) This e-mail application is not to exceed the equivalent of 2 printed (8.5 by 11) pages. Information provided will be treated as confidential material and released only on a need-to-know basis. After award, your hourly rate may become public information. Your complete application is due to Ms. Gauthier by or before midnight, Pacific Time, October 14, 2007. Confidentiality of Past Performance Information: The Government may use past performance information obtained from other sources. The Government reserves the right to maintain the confidentiality of the past performance information provided by the references listed by the offeror, as well as references obtained by other means. By submitting a proposal for consideration under this solicitation, the offeror agrees that it shall not seek to discover from any source the contents of such communications. The offeror releases the Government from any obligation to divulge the source of any information relied upon in its evaluation. Award of Contract: Award will be made to the offeror, (1) whose proposal is technically acceptable and (2) whose technical/cost relationship is the most advantageous to the Government. Cost or price is more important than any individual technical factor. However, evaluation factors other than cost or price, when combined, are cumulatively more important than cost or price in the award decision. The critical factor in making any cost / technical trade-off is not the spread between technical scores, but rather, the significance of that difference. The significance of the spread in scores will be determined on the basis of what it would cost the Government to take advantage of it. Award may not necessarily be made for technical capabilities that would appear to exceed those needed for the successful performance of the work. The Government reserves the right to make cost/technical trade-offs that are in the best interest and advantageous to the Government. Awards may be made without further negotiations. Proposals should be submitted initially on the most favorable terms, from a price and technical standpoint, which the offeror can submit to the Government. However, the Government may, after evaluation of proposals, conduct further oral or written discussions as appropriate, with all offerors whose proposals are within a competitive range. Thank you for expressing an interest in this job. End.