MAPPING AND MODELLING SIMULATION FOR CHRONIC WASTI

SOURCES SOUGHT: This is a SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE. The U.S. Geological Survey is conducting a MARKET SURVEY to determine the interest and capability of any firm eligible to compete under NAICS code 541511 Custom Computer Programming Services with a Small Business Size Standard $30M for an anticipated upcoming socio-ecological systems mapping and modeling related to chronic wasting disease (CWD). The mission of the USGS-National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) is to serve the nation and its natural resources by providing sound science and technical support, and to disseminate information to promote science-based decisions affecting wildlife and ecosystem health. Wildlife health is inextricably linked to ecological, social, economic, and cultural factors, and efforts to understand wildlife health problems or apply management interventions to improve wildlife health must take into account this broad range of interconnected factors. This complexity is particularly evident for wildlife diseases such as chronic wasting disease (CWD) in cervids, for which natural resource managers must make evidence-based decisions that balance interests of a wide variety of stakeholders with the interests of the wildlife, environment, and other natural resources they are tasked with managing. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WIDNR) is currently updating its 5-year CWD management plan and has engaged NWHC to help with a science-based approach for managing CWD that accounts for stakeholder perspectives. To provide this service, it is critical that NWHC apply a "systems approach" to place CWD into its appropriate social and ecological context, which is an approach that has not been applied to wildlife diseases previously. The participatory modeling process will involve engagement with stakeholder groups and experts in CWD, social science, and deer and forest health to integrate existing knowledge of the system into causal maps and associated mathematical models that describe CWD's links to ecological and social processes. This process will result in a framework for examining CWD and its impact on deer and forest health that managers can use to discover potential novel management approaches or new means of implementing existing tools to improve deer health while explicitly involving stakeholders and accounting for socio-political challenges. The final Monte Carlo simulation model will be packaged within a desktop "flight simulator that allows managers to identify and evaluate optimal management strategies. THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION. ALL COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH PROVIDING INFORMATION AS REQUESTED BY THIS SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE SHALL BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CONTRACTOR. Submission is voluntary. A scope of work will be provided with any solicitation that may be issued. The Government is not required to issue a solicitation. Responses to this announcement are requested from (A) SBA certified Small Business HubZone firms; (B) Small Business firms certified by a Small Business Administration (SBA) district or regional office for participation in the 8(a) program; (C) Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned small Business firms; (D) Small Businesses; (E) Women Owned Small Businesses; and (F) Large Businesses. In response to this announcement, please indicate your firm's socioeconomic status (e.g. small business, service-disabled veteran-owned, women owned, HUBZone, etc.) This information will assist the Government in determining how small businesses can fit into the acquisition strategy. A firm is considered small under NAICS code 541511 Custom Computer Programming Services if their AVERAGE annual receipts for the preceding three (3) years were less than or equal to $30 million. Any information submitted is voluntary. If sufficient interest and capability is not received from firms in categories (A) through (E) above, any solicitation may be issued as unrestricted without further consideration. Interested business firms shall submit (1) NAME, ADDRESS, and PHONE NUMBER OF THE FIRM (including DUNS NUMBER); (2) a CAPABILITY STATEMENT including (a) RECENT (within the last three fiscal years) RELEVANT (similar projects to this requirement) performance history (identify the name of the owner and their point(s) of contact with telephone and fax numbers, e-mail addresses; and (b) in what capacity (e.g., prime, subcontractor etc.) they performed the work; and (3) their SIZE STATUS. All responses must be submitted NLT May 07, 2021 at 12:30 PM Mountain Time via e-mail to: contact@example.gov This is NOT a Request for Proposal (RFP) or Invitation for Bid (IFB) and does not constitute any commitment by the Government. Responses to this sources sought notice will be used by the Government to make appropriate acquisition decisions. All interested sources must respond to future solicitation announcements separately from responses to this market survey. Any solicitation that may be issued will be posted on the Federal Business Opportunities website and no paper copies will be provided. If a solicitation is released, in order to receive an award your company must have a DUNs number and be registered on-line at the System for Award Management (SAM). You will also be required to provide your small business status information either via the RFP or the On-line Representations and Certifications (ORCA) also located at the SAM website before an award to your company can be made. Your on-line ORCA registration will cover any/all of your offers to the Federal Government, and only needs updated annually.