Development of Annual Evaluation Criteria and Long Term Goals

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Grants Program Directorate (GPD), intends to negotiate a sole source firm fixed price purchase order with the incumbent contractor, International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), 4025 Fair Ridge Drive, #300, Fairfax, VA, to identify, recruit and facilitate criteria development group participation to validate and/or modify the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program priorities and criteria and to assist the AFG program in the development of rating and evaluation criteria for the next grant application period. The criteria development group must be comprised of representatives from the major fire service organizations nationwide. The IAFC is the only major national fire service organization that has a proprietary network that can identify and obtain representatives from the major fire service organizations to serve as the subject matter experts in order to meet the mandatory timeframe and available budget for this purchase order. The IAFC possesses the knowledge base skills and expertise required to fully comprehend the AFG Program needs and thus to obtain the desired results required by the Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974, as amended. The IAFC is considered a uniquely neutral organization in terms of the national fire service in that it represents both career and volunteer departments and includes minority representation. They also represent officers from various specialty areas such as operations, training and fire prevention. Additionally, the IAFC has qualified staff uniquely familiar with the fire service and work requirements involved in the fire grants program and the criteria development group. They have a broad range of experience in fire, EMS, training/education, and/or fire prevention as well as extensive experience and a working knowledge with the AFG program. The objectives of this requirement are to: (1) validate and/or modify the program's established priorities and criteria using experience and lessons learned from previous year; (2) review and recommend any alterations or additional rating criteria to DHS for each of the programs and all associated activities eligible under the AFG authorization; (3) match all existing and potential criteria against the goals and objectives of USFA strategic planning and revise to improve achievement of these goals, if warranted; (4)) develop separate criteria within each program area (and associated activities) that identifies priorities, numeric value and formula for rural, suburban, and urban fire department; (5) provide detail in the reports on the areas where agreement was not reached among all participating organizations relating to priority, numeric value, and formulas associated with the criteria and identify the organizations that disagreed and the details of the various objections; (6) identify and recommend appropriate eligible expenditures for each category and within each category for each department type, as necessary; (7) identify measurable, results-oriented outcomes for each activity that could be reported by grantees as part of the close-out process; (8) assess the effectiveness of the process via a follow-up conference call to discuss lessons learned in addition to program parameters that are likely to be influenced by on-going efforts in Congress as the program's reauthorization is decided; and (9) provide recommendations for AFG strategic goals and performance measures in conjunction with consideration of stated DHS and FEMA goals and recommendations proposed in the 2007 NAPA AFG assessment report. All deliverables are due by March 31, 2009. Anticipated value of this acquisition is less than $100,000. If your firm is capable of performing the work, you are requested to submit a capability statement. All capabilities statements submitted by interested parties will be considered. The minimum capabilities must include documented evidence of experience and expertise in the following areas: (1) An integral knowledge of FEMA's Assistance to Firefighters Grant program including historical knowledge of its criteria development and funding priority processes; (2) Requisite knowledge of the AFG electronic application scoring matrices as it applies to program criteria development; (3) Experience working with government personnel regarding government invitational travel procedures and restrictions; (4) Project management and subject matter expertise in grants management, federal accounting, technical and analytical areas; (5) Experience in putting together working groups consisting of fire service professionals representing the major fire service organizations and subsequent facilitation of said groups with the goal of arriving at consensus on annual prioritization of national fire service priorities for the purposes of a Federal grant program; and (6) Experience in the development and production of a variety of documents for clients and their stakeholders including grants policy, human capital planning, statistical analysis and business processes. Interested firms with these capabilities are invited to submit a copy of their capability statement electronically via email to cindy.adams@dhs.gov by May 8, 2008. Information furnished should include: (1) The number and professional qualifications of technical and other appropriate personnel; (2) Company experience related to the proposed project; (3) A current financial statement; and (4) Other literature which demonstrates the minimum capabilities listed above. It is the responsibility of the vendor to ensure the email was received. The Government will not pay or otherwise reimburse respondents for information submitted. Based upon responses received, the Government reserves the right to set aside any and all procurements that may result hereunder for small or minority-owned businesses. If the evaluation of the responses received concludes that none of the responding firms have the necessary capabilities, then this acquisition will become a Sole Source Procurement with the International Association of Fire Chiefs, and no further synopsis will be issued. SEE NUMBERED NOTE 22.