Design Review of Watershed Rehabilitation Project

The USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is announcing a project under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). NRCS is seeking proposal for A&E Services under Contract Number AG-3A75-C-09-0023. A Task Order will be issued to Black and VEATCH for independent design review of an ARRA Watershed Rehabilitation project in the state of Oklahoma: Cottonwood Watershed, Site 15. The NAICS Code for this Task Order is 541330, and the size standard is $4.5 million. Design review with detail cost proposal from BLACK and VEATCH is due no later than close of business on December 4th, 2009. Negotiation procedures will be conducted in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Part 36.6. The Contractor shall furnish the personnel, equipment, labor, materials, transportation, and facilities required to perform the services described herein: The Contractor shall perform an independent review as required by the policy of the USDA'Natural Resources Conservation Service as stated in the National Engineering Manual (NEM) Part 501.05(a), Part 520.26 and Part 511.05(b). The NEM defines independent review as an examination and evaluation of procedures used and decisions made during the design of a dam by peers from outside NRCS or from an organizational unit other than the one responsible for the design. The NEM requires an independent review of designs for engineering job class VII and other projects, as determined, based on their complexity and potential hazard. The Contractor shall assume responsibility, along with the designer, for the functional adequacy and structural soundness of the design, except in those instances where the contractor's recommendations are not incorporated into the final design. The Contractor's capability must be equal to that needed to independently perform the design. Independent reviews are made to ensure that design and construction procedures and decisions reflect safety considerations as well as economy. Dam safety considerations are directly related to the potential for loss of life, damage to valuable property, or disruption of transportation and utility facilities if the dam fails. The classification of dams is determined by the potential for such losses and damage (see NEM 520.2l). The Contractor shall determine whether the methods of analyses are appropriate and the assumptions are justified by the site conditions, as well as whether the results are reasonable. The Contractor shall ensure that the design: 1) addresses all potential dam safety deficiencies, 2) safely and effectively meets the stated objectives, 3) addresses unique site conditions, 4) Is consistent with industry practice for similar structures, and 5) Generally complies with, or has appropriate variances to, the more stringent of NRCS or applicable state policy and criteria.