F--In-Country Coordinator-Republic of Georgia/ International Technical Assistance Program

This is a combined Synopsis & Solicitation as provided at FAR 12.603 "Streamlined Solicitation for Commercial Items". This solicitation and any resulting contract are conducted under the provisions of FAR Parts 12, 13 and 15, as applicable. The United States Department of the Interior (hereafter referred to as "the Government") intends to award a firm fixed-price contract. This is a total small business set-aside. Proposals from Offerors that are not small businesses (as defined by the US Small Business Administration) will not be considered. 1) DATE: February 10, 2006 2) Contracting Office Zip Code: 20240 3) Classification Code: F (Natural Resources and Conservation) 4) Contracting Office Address: United States Department of the Interior National Business Center Washington, DC Acquisition Branch MS-1324 1849 C Street NW Washington, DC 20240 United States of America 5) Subject: IN-COUNTRY COORDINATOR/ REPUBLIC OF GEORGIA 6) Solicitation Number: NBCW6Z00624 7) Opening & Closing Response Dates: February 10, 2006 & February 28, 2006 8) Contracting Officer: Marc G. MacKeigan (address as in #4, above) Questions, etc to be addressed to Contracting Officer via e-mail only. Telephone inquiries will not be accepted. E-Mail: contact@example.gov 9) Place of Contract performance: Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia 10) Set-aside Status: This is a total small business set-aside All responsible sources may submit a proposal which shall be considered by the Government. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: The contract performance period will be a "base period" from date of contract award through December 31, 2006. There will be up to four (4) option year periods as follows: Option Year 1: January 1, 2007 through December 31, 2007 Option Year 2: January 1, 2008 through December 31, 2008 Option Year 3: January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2009 Option Year 4: January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2010 The inclusion of Option Years does not obligate the Government to exercise any or all options. This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Subpart 12.6 (of the US Federal Acquisition Regulation), as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. This is an "RFP": Request for Proposals. This solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 05-08 dated January 5, 2006. This is a small business set-aside. The NAICS code is: 924120 STATEMENT OF WORK The US Department of Interior's (DOI)) International Technical Assistance Program (ITAP), with funding from the US Agency for International Development (USAID), is assisting the Georgian Ministry of Environment Protection and Natural Resources (Ministry) by helping to build its capacity to improve the overall management of Georgia's protected areas system. Under this DOI/USAID/Ministry multi-faceted technical assistance project (hereafter referred to as Project), key areas of technical assistance have been identified as priority areas to be targeted in 2006. The focus areas include the development of: " protected areas policy and the refinement of legislation " a training center and program for Ministry employees and stakeholders; " park "demonstration site(s)" in urban and rural environments; " tourism development potential " GIS and database solutions to assist the Ministry in meeting current and future information needs; " an outreach and publicity campaign for Georgia's protected areas; and " dialogue with neighboring countries on trans-boundary protected areas, cooperation and management. The responsibilities of the in-country coordinator (hereafter referred to as Contractor) will include: " providing comprehensive on-site (Georgia) day to day Project Management/oversight, " assisting in long-term Project planning, " facilitating communication between DOI/USAID/Ministry, " attending to all logistical planning for the DOI technical assistance teams, " providing substantive input to the work of the DOI technical assistance teams, as appropriate, and " enlisting the involvement of other Ministries and additional partners, including pertinent institutions in adjacent nations, as appropriate. Location of Work: Based in Tbilisi, Georgia, but short term work outside Tbilisi will be required on an infrequent basis. No relocation or housing costs will be reimbursed; however, in-country travel costs will be covered by Project funds (at U.S. Government rates), if approved in advance by the ITAP Program Manager, who will be closely coordinating with the Ministry. Contract Administration: The Contractor will be based at the Ministry headquarters in Tbilisi, but will report directly to the ITAP Program Manager at DOI headquarters in Washington, DC. At no time whatsoever will the Contractor be an employee, agent or representative of the United States Government. Time Frame: The term for this contract will be from award through December 31, 2006 (Base Period of Performance), with four one-year option periods of performance. A) The Contractor must demonstrate the following qualifications: 1) Be bilingual (English and Georgian). 2) Have demonstrated writing skills in English. 3) Have good interpersonal skills needed to effectively facilitate coordination between DOI, USAID, the Ministry, and other stakeholders related to the focus areas of the Project. 4) Have knowledge of Georgia's natural resources and a familiarity with the key organizations involved in Georgian conservation, from both the government and non-government sectors. 5) Have experience in project planning and management. 6) Have experience in budget management. 7) Have competence in a broad array of natural resource management issues, including wildlife and landscape management, and outreach/environmental education. 8) Have a background in leading initiatives similar in topic and scope to those identified as being central to the Project in 2006. The Contractor will: " Act as liaison between DOI, USAID and the Ministry and keep all three entities fully apprised of the status of Project activities. " Provide day to day oversight/management of Project activities as detailed above. Assist in the implementation of all Project activities (e.g., national outreach plan, Ministry training program). " Assist with short- and long-term Project planning. " Provide quarterly summary written reports of Project activities. " Review Project activities and provide advice on solving problems that arise during implementation. " Provide logistical support for visiting DOI technical assistance teams. In order to be awarded a United States Government contract, all Contractors must be registered with "Central Contractor Registration" (CCR). Registration is cost-free. Go to http://www.ccr.gov to register. Prior to registering with CCR, you must obtain a DUNS number. The DUNS number may be obtained on-line by registering with Dun & Bradstreet. The website is: http://smallbusiness.dnb.com. There is no cost to you to register with D & B or to receive a DUNS number. You are encouraged to register immediately since the process can take considerable time. INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS You must submit a proposal in English only. Failure to submit all materials in English is a basis for disqualification of the proposal. There is no page limit to the proposals. In your proposal you must address your knowledge, skills and abilities as they pertain to all requirements above in Section A, 1-8. Provide a list of all relevant education and work related experiences that support your candidacy for this position. You must provide references (name and contact information) of all relevant past performance that supports your qualifications. You may include a CV but this is not meant to be a substitute for your written proposal. The critical evaluation criteria will include: 1) Bilingual (English & Georgian) 2) Project management skills 3) Organizational/writing and communication skills 4) Knowledge of Georgian protected areas and natural resources 5) Professional affiliations 6) Past performance (work-related experience) 7) Your cost to perform these services In addition to the written proposal, you must submit a separate Price Proposal in which you state what you will require as payment for these services. Payment under this contract will be made in United States Dollars (US$) via electronic funds transfer into the Contractor's bank account. If the bank account is outside the United States, payment will still be sent in US Dollars. The actual amount that the Contractor receives will, therefore, be dependant upon currency exchange rates in effect at the time of payment. The Price Proposal is to be in United States Dollars only. The Price Proposal may be quite basic, such as: 1) For base period (Award through 12/31/2006): $_________________________ 2) Option Year 1 (1/1/2007-12/31/2007) : $________________________ 3) Option Year 2 (1/1/2008-12/31/2008) : $________________________ 4) Option Year 3 (1/1/2009-12/31/2009) : $________________________ 5) Option Year 4 (1/1/2010-12/31/2010) : $________________________ Evaluation of Price Proposals: Price Proposals will be evaluated by adding the total dollar amount for the base period and all option years, regardless of whether or not option years are ever exercised. Evaluation of Written (i.e. Technical) Proposals The written proposals will be evaluated on a "best value" basis. "Best value" is defined as "the expected outcome of an acquisition that, in the Government's estimation, provides the greatest overall benefit in response to the requirement". To determine "best value" the Government will employ a "tradeoff" process, in which technical capabilities and past performance, when combined, are more important than price alone. ATTACHMENTS: Several Attachments to this synopsis/solicitation are included: 1) Attachment 01 is the "WORK PLAN". This is not part of the subject solicitation, but it explains the program for which the In-Country Coordinator (i.e. "Contractor") will serve. It is intended to assist prospective Offerors of this Solicitation gain a better understanding of the program being administered. 2) There are five (5) clauses that apply to this Solicitation and any resulting Contract that arises. They are Commercial Items Clauses 52.212-1, 52.212-2, 52.212-3, 52.212-4 and 52.212-5. 52.212-1 "Instructions to Offerors" applies to this acquisition. You are advised to read it. 52.212-2 "Evaluation-Commercial Items" applies to this acquisition. The evaluation criteria have been described above; however, this clause should also be read. 52.212-3 "Offerors Representations and Certifications" applies to this acquisition. You must complete the information requested and return with your proposal. Or, you may complete this section on-line by going to: https://orca.bpn.gov. In order to complete this on-line, you must have your DUNS number and PIN code. 52.212-4 "Contract Terms and Conditions" applies to this Solicitation. You are advised to read it. 52.212-5 "Contract Terms and Conditions Required To Implement Statutes Or Executive Orders" applies to the resulting contract, if any. It will be incorporated into the Award Documents. These five (5) clauses are attachments 02 through 06, inclusive. PROPOSALS ARE DUE BY 5:00 PM WASHINGTON, DC LOCAL TIME ON TUESDAY FEBRUARY 28, 2006. Proposals and all supporting documents may be submitted via e-mail to: marc _ g _ mackeigan @ nbc.gov; via facsimile to: +1 (555) 000-0000; or via USPS or other means to: Marc G. MacKeigan Contracting Officer United States Department of the Interior MS-1324 1849 C Street NW Washington, DC 20240 United States of America The Government reserves the right to disqualify any proposals received after the above-referenced date and time. IMPORTANT REMINDERS: 1) Offerors must be registered with CCR and have a DUNS number 2) All proposals must be in English only 3) Any and all questions regarding this combined synopsis/solicitation must be forwarded to the Contracting Officer via e-mail only. Telephone inquiries will not be accepted. 4) Prospective Offerors are reminded that the United States Government will not pay any relocation costs, including transportation and housing expenses. In-country travel costs required to perform the duties of this contract will be covered, but only with the approval of the US Department of the Interior Program Manager. 5) Offerors must demonstrate fluency (written and verbal) in both English and Georgian. 6) Prospective Offerors must be available to commence work under this contract immediately upon contract award. 7) Offerors must be eligible to work in the Republic of Georgia. Non-Georgian nationals are responsible for obtaining their own visa, work permit, etc. The Government intends to make a contract award without discussions; however, the Government reserves the right to conduct discussions/negotiations if it deems appropriate/necessary. Prospective Offerors that submit proposals do so at their own expense. The Government will make no compensation for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of proposals by Offerors. ADDENDA: There are six (6) Addenda to this Solicitation: 1) #01: Work Plan 2) #02: Commercial Items Clause 52.212-1 3) #03: Commercial Items Clause 52.212-2 4) #04: Commercial Items Clause 52.212-3 5) #05: Commercial Items Clause 52.212-4 6) #06: Commercial items Clause 52.212-5