IDIQ Professional Civil Engineering Services to the United States Forest Service

GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS The scope of this contract is to provide professional civil engineering services to the United States Forest Service (USFS) National Technology and Development Program (T&D). The services will be to develop and prepare guidance and training materials for federal employees primarily associated with forest and other federal land-management issues primarily related to low-volume rural roads. For the purposes of this contract, low-volume rural roads means roads carrying less than 400 vehicles per day on federal land managed by the USFS, the National Park Service (NPS), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), or the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). Low-volume rural roads may include forest roads, mountain roads, desert roads, agricultural roads, paved roads, gravel-surfaced roads, and unsurfaced ("native surface") roads, and may carry truck traffic for the timber or oil & gas industries, recreational vehicles, passenger cars, or any combination of those. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS The successful offeror shall perform civil engineering analysis covering areas of road geometry, engineering economics, hydrology, hydraulics, geotechnical engineering, construction materials engineering, and other tasks associated with low-volume rural roads and related forest engineering needs. The successful offeror shall assess the impact of civil engineering infrastructure (roads, culverts, bridges, dams, channels, retaining walls, slopes, quarries, etc.) on environmental quality of federal lands including water quality, generation of sediment, aquatic organism passage through culverts, and similar concerns. The successful offeror shall co-author civil engineering reports, manuals, and training materials such as videos and web sites including writing, editing and preparation of necessary figures, graphs, tables, and other visual and audio material. The successful offeror shall be able to provide drafting services using Autocad software. The successful offeror shall be able to provide geotechnical or materials testing services if necessary as part of report development. The successful offeror shall perform analysis in support of civil engineering policy implementation. The successful offeror shall coordinate closely with T&D personnel. Multiple in-person visits to the San Dimas Technology and Development Center (SDTDC) in San Dimas, California or the Missoula Technology and Development Center (MTDC) in Missoula, Montana may be necessary for each task order. Upcoming tasks are not currently known, however, past civil engineering reports can provide insight to the type of work that is anticipated. Most work relates to preparing documents that provide guidance about designing, building, and maintaining low-volume rural roads on federal lands. Although the primary audience for these reports is Forest Service personnel, the reports are used by other Federal, state, and local government agencies and are available to the public so must be suitable for use by a national audience. Prior work has included: - A Soil Bioengineering Guide for Streambank and Lakeshore Stabilization. Prepared by SDTDC, 2002. This document describes ecologically sensitive methods for bank stabilization. < http://www.fs.fed.us/publications/soil-bio-guide/ > - Burned Area Emergency Response Treatments Catalogue. Prepared by SDTDC, 2006. This document provides guidance on methods to reduce erosion and sediment hazards following wildfires. < http://www.fs.fed.us/t-d/pubs/pdf/BAERCAT/lo_res/06251801L.pdf > - Forest Roads and The Environment Video Series. Prepared by SDTDC, 2002. This series of training videos describes best practices for maintaining low-volume rural roads and outlines the related environmental concerns. < https://archive.org/details/gov.fhwa.ttp.vh-416a > - Lifelines - Your National Forest Roads Video Series. Prepared by SDTDC, 2013. This video provides an overview of national forest roads. < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3bs4h0CiJM > - Riparian Roads and Restoration Interactive Video Series. Prepared by SDTDC, 2005. This interactive series of training videos describes the effects that roads can have on riparian areas and provides guidance on how to mitigate those concerns. < http://www.fsl.orst.edu/geowater/RRR/ > - Stabilization and Rehabilitation Measures for Low-Volume Forest Roads. Prepared by SDTDC, 2011. This document provides a wide ranging description of the issues associated with maintaining, rehabilitating, and stabilizing low-volume rural roads. < http://www.fs.fed.us/t-d//php/library_card.php?p_num=1177+1801P > - Stabilization Selection Guide for Aggregate- and Native-Surfaced Low-Volume Roads. Prepared by SDTDC, 2009. This summarizes the various chemical and mechanical stabilization methods for unpaved low-volume roads and provides comparisons of the materials and methods. Traditional and non-traditional chemical stabilizers are presented. < http://www.fs.fed.us/eng/pubs/pdf/08771805.pdf > - Low-Water Crossings Geomorphic, Biological and Engineering Design Considerations. Prepared by SDTDC, 2006. This document was developed as an assessment of the various types of low water crossings used on rural low-volume roads and their various advantages and disadvantages. < http://www.fs.fed.us/t-d/php/library_card.php?p_num=0625+1808P > ? One known upcoming task will be to complete the following document: - Minimum Impact Low-Volume Roads. This draft document is a comprehensive manual covering all planning, environmental, engineering design, and construction issues associated with rural low-volume roads. It includes chapters on environmental issues, assessment of alternatives, route planning, geometric road design, hydrology and hydraulics for culverts and bridges, bridge design, slope stability, pavement design, road construction considerations, and maintenance issues, as well as other related topics. This document needs extensive review and editing and some chapters are missing sections that still must be written. Rough drafts of Chapter 4 - Basic Road Design, and Chapter 12 - Materials with interim edits are included in the attachment to this Work Statement (See attached) as examples of the unfinished work to be completed. Note portions of chapter 12 where text is still needed in Sections, 12.8.5, 12.8.7, 12.8.8, 12.8.12, 12.9, and 12.10. KEY PERSONNEL The offeror shall specify personnel that will be available to perform services under this contract. As a minimum, the offeror shall specify a Senior Civil Engineer who will oversee all aspects of this contract for the offeror. The Senior Civil Engineer shall materially contribute to all work provided under this contract. EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS As a minimum, the Senior Civil Engineer shall have Masters of Science degree in Civil Engineering. PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION As a minimum, the Senior Civil Engineer shall have valid Professional Civil Engineer registration in one state of the United States. EXPERIENCE As a minimum, the Senior Civil Engineer shall have at least 20 years of experience in civil engineering and at least 10 years of experience in planning, designing, constructing, and maintaining rural low-volume roads. The Senior Civil Engineer shall have experience with sedimentation, stream disturbance, and the interface between environmental and road issues. The Senior Civil Engineer shall have experience with low-volume roads on federal lands and shall have in-depth knowledge of federal regulations and policy as they relate to infrastructure in rural areas of federal lands. ? PUBLICATIONS AND TEACHING The Senior Civil Engineer shall also have experience in writing and preparing reports intended for a public audience. The Senior Civil Engineer shall have authored or co-authored at least five publically-available reports for public agencies, as well as at least five peer-reviewed technical papers in journals or other publically-available venues. The Senior Civil Engineer shall have taught at least one class in civil engineering topics or prepared educational materials for at least one class specifically for training personnel in civil engineering topics. CONTRACT TIME Contract time will be on an as needed basis. Contract time will run continuously through completion of the contract. The Program Manager and principle investigators/personnel offered under this contract must be available to begin assignments with a fourteen-day notice. TRAVEL The successful offeror may be required to travel occasionally during the performance of the contract. Travel expenses will be reimbursed on the basis of established Federal Government rates. To facilitate attainment of the Federal Government per diem rate, the Government will provide contractor personnel working on this contract identification credentials specifying the personnel as Federal Government Contractors. This procurement will result in single Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity, Requirements type contract ? EVALUATION CRITERIA TO BE APPLIED IN THE SELECTION PROCESS IN DESCENDING ORDER OF IMPORTANCE ARE AS FOLLOWS: 1. PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS: Professional qualifications necessary for satisfactory performance of required services. Submission requirements: Provide brief resumes of proposed team members who will specifically serve as the Senior Civil Engineer, Civil Engineer, and Quality Control Manager. In addition, provide brief resumes of team members who will perform specialized technical tasks under this contract. The Senior Civil Engineer must be professionally registered in their discipline. Resumes should also demonstrate that the team holds all appropriate licenses and certifications as required to perform any of the scope items. Each resume shall include a maximum of five (5) specific completed projects that best illustrate the individual team member's experience relevant to this contract scope. 2. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE AND TECHNICAL COMPETENCE: Specialized experience and technical competence in the type of work required. Submission Requirements: Provide a detailed narrative of up to ten (10) maximum relevant studies/projects, completed within the last five (5) years that best illustrate overall team experience relevant to this contract scope. Within the ten studies/projects, list at least one (1) perform civil engineering analysis and support including road geometry, engineering economics, hydrology, hydraulics, geotechnical engineering, construction materials engineering, other tasks associated with low-volume rural roads and related forest engineering needs. 3. PAST PERFORMANCE: Past performance on contracts with Government agencies and private industry in terms of cost control, quality of work and compliance with performance schedules. Points of contact provided in other criteria may be contacted. A firm with no record of past performance information shall be evaluated neither favorably nor unfavorably. Submission Requirement: Provide documentation to support past performance such as a copy of performance evaluations (architect-engineer) issued for Federal projects listed under Criteria 2, commercial project owner documentation of the firm's performance, letters of recommendation, copies of awards, etc. 4. ORGANIZATION, MANAGEMENT AND QUALITY CONTROL: Discussion of the firm's organization and management process. Demonstrated success of the Quality Control (QC) program used by the firm to ensure quality products. Submission Requirement: A) Provide an organization chart that identifies the overall relationship and lines of authority of the proposed team. Include firm names if subcontractors are included, key personnel and their discipline/specialty. B) Discuss the firm's approach to project management. C) Describe the firm's QC program, describe the process for checking and verifying studies for clarity and completeness, plans and specifications for errors, omissions and quality, documenting design decisions, and incorporating and tracking review comments. Of special interest are the QC processes in place that minimize the government's effort to QA the firm's work products for errors, omissions, and quality. 5. CAPACITY: Capacity to accomplish the work in the required time. Submission Requirements: A) describe experience in successfully delivering multiple studies/ projects of various sizes with similar delivery dates; B) discuss how surge workload will be managed; C) discuss how firm will handle the loss of key personnel. SF 330s will be evaluated to determine the most highly qualified firm based on criteria responses. Evaluating past performance and experience may include review of information provided by the firm, customer inquiries, Government databases, and publicly available sources. Failure to provide requested data, inaccessible points of contact, or invalid phone numbers could result in a firm being considered less qualified. The estimated contract start date is on or around July 1, 2014. The period of performance will be for one base year with two (2) one (1) year options. The contract work shall be performed with the issuance of work orders. The value of individual work orders executed under this contract will typically range from $2,000.00 to $100,000.00. The Government makes no representation as to the number of task orders or the actual amount of work to be ordered. The minimum guarantee for the entire contract (including option years) shall be $2,000.00. The contract will include hourly rates for anticipated disciplines at various levels for use in negotiating fixed price work orders. However, the Government reserves the right to award a contract based on the negotiated hourly rates only. The estimated maximum amount to be expended under the contract shall not exceed $150,000.00 in fees aggregate over the term of the contract. SUBMISSION PACKAGE REQUIREMENTS: The SF 330 is limited to 75 numbered pages. Minimum font size is 12. Email copies of SF 330 for the prime offeror (SF 330 should also include offeror's key sub consultants) addressing the following selection criteria information: Firms having the capabilities to perform the services described herein are invited to respond by submitting a completed Standard Form 330, Part I and Part II (1/2004 edition) dated not later than six months prior to the date of this synopsis, for the firm. Firms with branch offices and consultants must submit Part II of Standard Form 330 that should include project samples. Firms must separately address the evaluation factors and relate where information can be found in the submittal package relevant to each factor. The submittal should be forwarded with a cover letter that states the firm is requesting consideration for Solicitation Number AG-9A40-S-14-0024. A pre-proposal conference will not be conducted; however, questions may be submitted to Patrick Gallegos at +1 (555) 000-0000 ext. 4830 or by email to contact@example.gov. All questions must be received by June 9, 2014. Submittals should be provided to the following office by June 23, 2014 via email to contact@example.gov This procurement is Small Business only, and will be awarded in accordance with Brooks Act procedures. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code assigned to this procurement is 541330 - Engineering Services. This contract will be procured under the Brooks Act and FAR Part 36. SPECIAL ATTENTION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO THE FOLLOWING AREAS OF THE STANDARD FORM 330: Part I Section A: Contract Information: In Block 5, list firm's Dun and Bradstreet and Taxpayer Identification Number in addition to the name of the firm. Section C: Proposed Team: List only the team members who will actually perform the major tasks under this contract (including staff professionals). Section F, Block 23: Provide a client point of contact and telephone number for each project. Section F Block 25: Clearly identify what role the offeror and/or other team members had in the project (were they the prime or a subcontractor and what tasks did they perform). Section G Key Personnel Participation in Example Projects: Submit in accordance with the SF 330 Instructions. Section H Additional Information requested by Agency: Address the remaining Criteria 2, continued through Criteria 5; additional sheets may be used, if required. Clearly identify the criteria number and title.