1-BPM006379 Attachment 10 - Experience and Capacity Response.docx

Attachment 10 – Experience and Capacity Response

THE STATE MAY DETERMINE YOUR PROPOSAL NON-RESPONSIVE IF YOU DO NOT FULLY RESPOND.

The Offeror shall provide a narrative response to each section that demonstrates their understanding of the Scope of Work requirements and describes the company’s overall experience and capacity in providing the Services stated in this Solicitation. If there is a section that is not applicable to the Services required by the Scope of Work, you may mark it “N/A”.

Offeror shall provide a response either after each section or in a separate document entitled: “Attachment 10 - Experience and Capacity Response.” If a separate document is used, please clearly designate each section and double-check to ensure that each question has been answered. If any information provided is considered CONFIDENTIAL by Offeror, the information must be specifically included in the Confidential Information Designation Attachment and related documentation to be assessed for confidential treatment under A.A.C. R2-7-103.

1.0 Company Profile. The Offeror must include a narrative description of its organization. The narrative must include the following:

1.1 Date Established and ownership (public, partnership, subsidiary, etc.);

1.2 Is the Offeror a national or local company;

1.3 Address of “Main Office” (e.g. Corporate Headquarters and any satellite offices responsible for performance of proposed tasks;

1.4 Brief overview of business operations, with an emphasis on experience in regards to the Scope of Work (limit the response to this question to one page, font size 10 pt or greater);

1.5 Offeror's organizational chart relevant to the Contract, specifically identifying the key point of contact for all questions related to the submitted Offer. In addition, identify key point of contact for Task Order Offer Requests.

1.6 Full disclosure of any potential conflict of interest between the Offeror and any State employee who functions or has responsibilities in the review or approval of the undertaking or carrying out of the Contract;

1.7 A Statement of whether, in the last five (5) years, the Offeror has filed (or had filed against it) any bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding, whether voluntary or involuntary, or undergone the appointment of a receiver, trustee, or assignee for the benefit of creditors, and if so, an explanation providing relevant details and current status;

1.8 A Statement of whether there are any pending Securities Exchange Commission investigations involving the Offeror, and if such are pending or in progress, an explanation providing relevant details and an attached opinion of counsel as to whether the pending investigation(s) may impair the Offeror’s performance in a Contract under this Solicitation;

1.9 A Statement documenting all open or pending litigation initiated by Offeror or where Offeror is a defendant or party in any litigation that may have a material impact on Offeror’s ability to deliver the contracted Services;

1.10 A Statement documenting all open or pending litigation initiated by Offeror or where Offeror is a defendant or party in any litigation with a public sector client;

1.11 Full disclosure of any public sector contracts terminated for cause or convenience in the past five (5) years;

1.12 Full disclosure of any criminal or civil offense.

Offeror Response:

1.0 Company Profile

Address of Satellite Office: 1113 Washington Ave, Suite 200; Golden, CO 80401

1.4 Brief overview of business operations: ERG provides environmental services to protect human health and the environment while achieving positive and sustainable outcomes for our clients. We offer over 500 staff, including professional engineers, environmental scientists, drinking water experts, climate scientists, public engagement and communications professionals, and information technology specialists located across the country. Our team supports federal and state-sponsored technical assistance (TA) programs to address water infrastructure needs and compliance issues in communities across the country. Many of these efforts are with smaller, under resourced, and disadvantaged communities that need additional assistance with technical, managerial, and financial aspects of their programs. For example, ERG has provided hands-on, face-to-face TA to more than 200 small community water and wastewater systems as part of the EPA’s Compliance Advisors program. We conduct site visits and provide follow-up support, including assistance with addressing significant deficiencies, asset management and capacity development, O&M training for obtaining certification, and identifying sources of funding for needed capital improvements. ERG has also been at the forefront of helping EPA develop, pilot, implement, and expand TA initiatives and is a leading contractor for the EPA’s Water Technical Assistance (WaterTA) efforts funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), under which we are delivering ongoing water engineering services nationwide. Our multidisciplinary team collaborates to provide support tailored to community circumstances and resources to address immediate needs and build long-term capacity to address future challenges. Collectively, ERG provides the requisite qualifications to deliver the full scope of services for the items we are proposing to support, as further detailed in this response.

1.5 Org Chart

Technical Experts and Task Leads (Experts, leads, and support staff will be determined and assigned based on the nature of the work included in a particular Task Order. These staff will be responsible for the day to day technical execution of a given task).

Deputy PM Jake Okun (The Deputy PM is used to ensure there is enough managerial capacity to service all client needs).

Contracts Manager Martha Williams (Responsible for answering questions related to ERG’s offer as well as invoicing and assuring ERG meets all contract requirements and clauses).

Project Manager (PM) Jake Albright (Overall technical contract lead and point of contact for receiving and setting up new Task Orders. Responsible for staffing and assigning expertise needed for each task).

Technical Support Staff Quality Assurance Officer Kettie Rupnik

ERG is free of potential conflict of interest, has not filed for bankruptcy, does not have any pending Securities Exchange Commissions investigations, or litigation. ERG has not had any public sector contracts terminated and has not been involved in criminal or civil offenses. Thus, THE FOLLOWING ITEMS ARE NOT APPLICABLE TO ERG TO THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE:

1.6 Full disclosure of any potential conflict of interest between the Offeror and any State employee who functions or has responsibilities in the review or approval of the undertaking or carrying out of the Contract;

1.7 A Statement of whether, in the last five (5) years, the Offeror has filed (or had filed against it) any bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding, whether voluntary or involuntary, or undergone the appointment of a receiver, trustee, or assignee for the benefit of creditors, and if so, an explanation providing relevant details and current status;

1.8 A Statement of whether there are any pending Securities Exchange Commission investigations involving the Offeror, and if such are pending or in progress, an explanation providing relevant details and an attached opinion of counsel as to whether the pending investigation(s) may impair the Offeror’s performance in a Contract under this Solicitation;

1.9 A Statement documenting all open or pending litigation initiated by Offeror or where Offeror is a defendant or party in any litigation that may have a material impact on Offeror’s ability to deliver the contracted Services;

1.10 A Statement documenting all open or pending litigation initiated by Offeror or where Offeror is a defendant or party in any litigation with a public sector client;

1.11 Full disclosure of any public sector contracts terminated for cause or convenience in the past five (5) years;

1.12 Full disclosure of any criminal or civil offense.

2.0 Company Experience

2.1 If Offeror is proposing to provide services for Item #3 - Capacity Development Training (technical, managerial, financial), from Table 1, on page 3, Offeror shall respond to the following question #1:

Question 1:

ADEQ offers technical, managerial and financial training through its Capacity Development program. Does your company have experience providing training, in person and/or virtual, on topics of water system operations and management? What subject matter are you offering to train on and what is the level of expertise of the proposed trainer(s)?

Offeror Response:

ERG has provided capacity development training in a variety of formats and forums. For example, through our TA work with EPA Region 9, we have provided training related to asset management basics and program development and implementation, as well as strategies and approaches for capital planning and funding/financing. These trainings included basic preliminary presentations coupled with on the job training through our partnerships working with the utilities for multiple years. Through our work on EPA’s Compliance Advisor Program, we routinely provide in-person training to small water utilities related to optimizing operational approaches and meeting compliance requirements, including but not limited to water quality improvement strategies, sanitary survey expectations and potential corrective actions, as well as with complying with NPWDRs and updated standards.

Additionally, our subcontractors at Southwest EFC provide in person and remote capacity development training and assistance to small systems across all fifty states, US territories, and Tribes. Led by Heather Himmelberger, one of the U.S.’s foremost experts on water utility capacity development strategies, Southwest EFC has provided and can develop training covering the full scope of technical, managerial, and financial topics.

2.2 Project Descriptions:

For each deliverable from Table 1, on page 3, that the Offeror is proposing to provide:

Submit up to three (3) examples of your previous work as well as years of experience providing this deliverable. An example might cover more than one deliverable depending on the project. At the top of each page, include the deliverable “Item #(s)” and “Deliverable Description(s)” title from the table below. Limit each example to one (1) page. Use font size 10 pt or greater.

Each example shall include the following information:

a. Project Name;

b. Project Location (City and State);

c. Estimated Project Cost;

d. Project Begin and End Date;

e. Brief Description of the Project; and

f. Names of the project manager and key personnel that worked on the project if they are currently employed with your firm.

Offeror Response:

Project Name: County of Hawaii and Commonwealth Utilities Corporation Fiscal Sustainability Planning, Asset Management Program, and Capital Planning Technical Assistance

Applicable Item/Deliverable: Item 1: Asset Management Plans; Item 2: Capacity Development Activities; and Item 3: Capacity Development Training

Location: County of Hawaii and Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) Estimated Cost: $1,800,000 Timespan: 04/2018 – present Project Manager: Jake Albright Key Personnel: James Hollibaugh

Description: Funded by EPA Region 9, ERG managed and provided hands-on support for asset management-related TA to improve asset management programs for existing assets and better position each utility to handle major infrastructure projects/expenditures anticipated in the future. ERG also led efforts to develop utility-scale fiscal sustainability plans (FSPs) for water and wastewater utility divisions.

ERG assisted the utilities in developing the foundations of a more formal structure and proactive approach to asset management and identified improvements for recordkeeping, training, workflow, and other key utility business processes. ERG provided advanced tools and services in the form of procuring a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) and related vendor support as well as asset management and capacity development training. Key tasks performed by ERG included:

· Developed a comprehensive asset inventory for water and wastewater facilities from existing databases (Access, Geographic Information System, historical facility plans, etc.) and conducted extensive field verification activities.

· Evaluated asset condition, criticality, and useful life remaining for each asset.

· Developed level-of-service goals and key performance indicators/metrics, a utility-wide condition-based assessment, and fiscal sustainability plans for each utility.

· Evaluated and provided improvement recommendations on the structure, organization, training, and job descriptions/responsibilities for utility employees.

· Evaluated and made recommendations on proposed utility rate plans.

· Supported procurement, vendor selection, and implementation of CMMS and enterprise asset management software programs.

· Developed utility-scale FSPs.

· Provided asset management and capacity development training to utility operators and management on basic asset management and utility management approaches.

ERG expanded these efforts with the County of Hawaii to include working with the utility to develop a prioritization and ranking process for evaluating and pursuing capital needs, including the mass closure of cesspools.

Project Name: Compliance Advisors for Sustainable Water Systems

Applicable Item/Deliverable: Item 1: Asset Management Plans; Item 2: Capacity Development Activities; Item 3: Capacity Development Training; and Item 16: System Evaluations

Location: Various (National) Estimated Cost: $6.5M Timespan: 11/2019 – present Project Manager: Linda Hills Key Personnel: James Hollibaugh, Danny O’Connell, Stephen Clark, Brynn Goe

Description: In support of the EPA’s Compliance Advisors program, ERG provides hands-on, face-to-face compliance TA focused on small community water and wastewater systems. ERG conducts site visits and provides follow-up support, including assistance with addressing significant deficiencies, asset management and capacity development, O&M training for obtaining certification, and identifying sources of funding for needed capital improvements. Compliance Advisors typically provide 12 to 18 months of support, developing a working relationship to ensure we understand and meet the needs of each community. As part of the Compliance Advisor process, ERG conducts a review of utility background information as well as site visits to thoroughly understand system needs. We prepare a compliance recommendations report and identify potential programmatic, operational, and capital solutions once we understand the challenges facing the community. Compliance Advisors coordinate with, and when possible are accompanied by the EPA and state partners to share knowledge and build relationships.

To date, ERG has supported 224 communities covering every EPA Region, including small communities, Tribes, and territory systems.

Through this program, ERG has assisted with developing asset management plans/programs, capital planning decisions and process education, as well as assisting small communities develop and complete their initial lead service line inventories.

In one specific case, ERG developed and presented trainings for Remote Maintenance Workers (RMWs) in Alaska Native Villages (ANVs) who work locally to provide TA. Training included wastewater permit requirements for lagoon systems, drinking water filter assessments, calibration, and use of turbidimeters and chlorine monitors, asset management, and compliance with the Revised Total Coliform Rule. For the RMWs, we developed drinking water sampling guidance, turbidity and chlorine residual monitoring guidance, and fact sheets. To date, RMWs have used this training, checklists, and other products developed, to support 24 wastewater systems and 72 drinking water systems in a total of 83 ANVs.

Project Name: Building Technical, Managerial, and Financial (TMF) Capacity for Small Drinking Water Systems

Applicable Item/Deliverable: Item 2: Capacity Development Activities; Item 3: Capacity Development Training

Location: National (reached all 50 states, 5 territories, Navajo Nation) Estimated Cost: $3.6 M Timespan: 08/2018 – 08/2022 Project Manager: Heather Himmelberger Key Personnel: Southwest EFC

Description: Public drinking water systems protect public health, support emergency response, and facilitate economic development. When systems fail, financial and/or managerial shortcomings often exist, which are intensified for small systems due to a lack of economies of scale, insufficient managerial capacity, inadequate revenues, and difficulty navigating funding requirements. Through this assistance agreement, the Southwest EFC Network Team provided training and technical assistance to small systems across all fifty states, five territories, and the Navajo Nation to improve their financial and managerial capacity to provide safe drinking water.

Project Name: Remote Regulatory Assessments and Emergency Response Plan Evaluations for Small Systems in Arkansas

Applicable Item/Deliverable: Item 15: Risk and Resiliency Assessments

Location: Arkansas (various locations) Estimated Cost: $65,000 Timespan: 04/2023 – 07/2023 Project Manager: Danny O’Connell Key Personnel: Jake Okun, Mike McFadden

Description: ERG staff conducted nine drinking water system evaluations of small water systems in Arkansas with a focus on compliance with SDWA section 1433, which requires community water systems serving more than 3,300 people to have both a risk and resiliency assessment and an emergency response plan that covers strategies and resources to improve resilience, physical security, and cybersecurity of the system. ERG utilized EPA tools and guidance to evaluate water system vulnerabilities as well as each utility’s proposed response approaches and proposed mitigating actions.

Project Name: Hawaii Cybersecurity Self-Evaluations

Applicable Item/Deliverable: Item 15: Risk and Resiliency Assessments

Location: Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and the Island of Hawaii Estimated Cost: $50,000 Timespan: 08/2023 – 12/2023 Project Manager: Jake Albright Key Personnel: Danny O'Connell, Stephen Clark

Description: ERG provided TA to six small water systems across Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and the Island of Hawaii in conducting self-evaluations of the security and resiliency of their interconnected electronic systems. ERG guided each system through an EPA-developed assessment form and process to determine the state of the utility's cybersecurity practices, vulnerabilities, and worked with the systems to identify mitigation strategies for improving security.

Project Name: Water System Evaluations and Sanitary Surveys for Federal and State Agencies

Applicable Item/Deliverable: Item 16: System Evaluations

Location: Nationally (EPA); Hawaii Department of Health (HDOH); New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) Estimated Cost: $5,000,000 Timespan: 2018 – present Project Manager: Jake Albright Key Personnel: Danny O’Connell, Stephen Clark, Jake Okun, Brynn Goe, Linda Hills, Mike McFadden, Kevin Sarmiento

Description: ERG has conducted comprehensive water system evaluations and sanitary surveys for both federal and state agencies. On the national level, mostly in support of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) programs, ERG has supported more than 100 water system inspections with the goal evaluating compliance with the various requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). These activities involve in-depth interviews with system management and operational staff as well as site visits to system drinking water treatment and distribution assets. ERG inspections/evaluations include assessing system management, financial condition, operational and maintenance protocols, water quality, physical asset condition, as well as recordkeeping and reporting.

At the state level, ERG is assisting HDOH and the NMED with conducting sanitary surveys and comprehensive performance evaluations (CPEs). To date, ERG has surveyed approximately 50 facility locations related to the Board of Water Supply located on Oahu in Hawaii (an ongoing 5-plus week effort that will include over 250 facility locations) in addition to surveys of 3 surface water systems and 40 groundwater systems in New Mexico.

Additionally, ERG has prepared state-specific checklists and provided written reports on each survey. Surveys address all eight elements of a sanitary survey and include identifying observations, recommendations, and significant deficiencies.

Project Name: AMWUA Water Loss Training and Technical Assistance

Applicable Item/Deliverable: Item 17: Water Loss Audits and Leak Detection

Location: Arizona Estimated Cost: $285,000.00 Timespan: 2/1/2020 - 9/1/2021 Project Manager: Heather Himmelberger

Description: Southwest EFC created and provided a Water Loss Control Training & Technical Assistance Program for Arizona Municipal Water Users Association’s participating members. The scope of the Program included three stages: Understanding AWWA’s M36 Water Audit Methodology, Advanced Data Analysis and Data Validation, and the Economics of Water Loss. As part of this effort, Southwest EFC assisted 9 utilities in Arizona with water loss audits and water loss control implementation.

Project Name: Albuquerque Leak Detection Program

Applicable Item/Deliverable: Item 17: Water Loss Audits and Leak Detection

Location: Albuquerque, NM Timespan: 2005-2006 Project Manager: Heather Himmelberger

Description: Southwest EFC provided technical assistance and data analysis support to the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority (ABCWUA) in implementing leak detection hardware as well as deployment method analysis. Leak detection hardware comparisons were completed along with hardware deployment methods, including evaluating between permanent deployment and lift and shift methods. Southwest EFC also supported a full-scale leak detection survey analysis of the ABCWUA system.

Select each of the item(s) that your firm is proposing to provide from the Table 1 below:

3.0 Financial/Accounting Information

After the proposal due date, Offeror must provide evidence of financial stability and capability to fund all costs associated with providing the relevant Services throughout the term of the Contract. See details as provided in RFP Solicitation Special Instructions to Offerors, Section 7.0 Financial Stability. DO NOT submit financial information with Offer at this time.

4.0 Certificates/Licenses

Submit copies of all applicable certificates and licenses that support Offeror’s ability to provide the proposed services, including any Arizona required business license(s) to provide these services. At a minimum, this shall include all certifications and licenses referenced in the Solicitation Attachment 8 - Organization Profile.

5.0 Proposed Project Members and Organization

Offeror to complete an Attachment 6 – Key Personnel form to identify each Key Personnel.

6.0 Subcontractors

Offeror to complete Attachment 9 – Proposed Subcontractors to identify Proposed Subcontractors to be utilized to perform services within a resultant contract.

Solicitation Attachment – Method of Approach | Revision No. 1 | Revised 11-22