A005_IRTC Example_Technical Proposal.pdf

rev. 10-13-17

Contract Name: IRTC DxP Stewardship

Additional Information in the Development of Technical Proposals

The Region 6 Technical Proposal template is required to be used by Contractors in responding to the Evaluation Criteria and Quality Control Plan. The Technical Proposal is a word document to facilitate use by the contractor. Please enter your responses directly under each item in each section. This will assure requested information is present for all items in response to the solicitation. Contractors may submit Alternate Technical Proposals for this project. However, the Contractor must submit a Technical Proposal that addresses the evaluation criteria as stated in addition to submitting the alternate proposal.

The template provides prospective Offerors with additional information on how to develop their Technical Proposal and what specific items to address or emphasize. These items cover areas of special concern to the Forest Service and the community collaborative which has participated in the development of this project.

Remember!

• What you put down in your Technical Proposal becomes a binding part of the Contract (see G.3.1.1 Inclusion of Technical Proposal in the contract). Do not include items you do not intend to do!

• It is understood that what is entered into the contractor’s Technical Proposal may have a price tradeoff. The government is looking for the offer whose technical/price relationship is the most advantageous to the Government.

The Government intends to evaluate proposals and reserves the right to award a contract without discussions with offerors. Offers should be submitted initially on the most favorable terms, from a price and technical standpoint, which the Contractor can submit to the Government. The source selection procedure will begin with an initial review of the proposals and continue through a technical evaluation conducted by the Technical Evaluation Board (TEB). The TEB will rate the proposals based on the evaluation criteria identified above. The results of the TEB ratings will be presented to the Contracting Officer (CO). If necessary, the CO will make the price proposals available to the TEB. The CO will determine rankings of each offer and establish the competitive range. If it is determined that discussions are necessary, the TEB and the CO will initiate discussions (written and/or oral) with each offeror in the competitive range. At the conclusion of discussions held with those offerors within the competitive range, the CO shall review any revised proposals and information received from the offerors in response to a request for Final Proposal Revisions, and adjust evaluation ratings as appropriate, with assistance from the TEB, as needed. The COs justification for award will be clear and unequivocal and will be made part of the official contract record. Award will be made to that offeror whose proposal is determined to be most advantageous to the Government, cost and other factors considered.

In addition to the five (5) paper copies of the Technical Proposal to be submitted, Contractors are also to send an electronic copy of their Technical Proposal to the Contracting Officer by the due date and time for proposals. The email address is roger.gilmer@usda.gov.

REGION 6 TECHNICAL PROPOSAL TEMPLATE FOR THE

INTEGRATED RESOURCE TIMBER CONTRACT

PREPARED FOR THE NEWPORT-SULLIVAN LAKE RANGER DISTRICT

COLVILLE NATIONAL FOREST

NOTE:

SUBMISSION OF PRICE AND TECHNICAL PROPOSALS ARE DUE BY

7/8/2019 12:00 pm

Technical and Price Proposals are being submitted in response to the advertisement of the High Noon DxP Stewardship Integrated Resource Contract advertised on 05/22/2019 in the Statesman Examiner. A Price Proposal is to be submitted on the enclosed “Offer For Integrated Resource Contract” form FS-2400-14BV.

I understand that the High Noon DxP Stewardship Integrated Resource Contract will be awarded based on a Best Value determination. One award will be made to the Offeror whose technical/price relationship is the most advantageous to the Government.

This Technical Proposal, along with the FS-2400-14BV Price Proposal, constitutes a firm offer and binds this company to accept award under the terms of the sample contract, the offer form, and any of the accepted terms of this Technical Proposal.

Name of Offeror

By (signature)

Date

COST/PRICE EVALUATION CRITERION. These criteria will (1) consider price reasonableness, and (2) be used to help determine the offerors’ understanding of the work. The importance of cost/price may become greater as the differences between technical proposals decreases. Where Technical Proposals are determined to be substantially equal, any cost/price advantage to the Government may control award.

PRICE PROPOSAL

Price Proposal - complete, sign, and enclose form FS-2400-14BV.

TECHNICAL PROPOSAL

In preparing your Technical Proposal, the Contractor shall keep in mind the following End Results, specifications and objectives that shall be achieved in this contract.

Table of End Results

LIST OF END RESULTS, SPECIFICATIONS AND OBJECTIVES TO BE MET

WITH THE HOW-TO’S DESCRIBED BY THE CONTRACTOR IN THEIR

TECHNICAL PROPOSAL

SUBDIVISIONS

Thin designated species as listed in the table in K-C.3.5.2# (Designation by Species and Diameter).

1, 15, 20, 25, 26, 30, 31, 32, 33, 52, 53, 54, 55, 130, 154, 187, 254

Thin to desired basal area as listed in K-C.3.5.5# (Designation by Prescription).

Units can be grouped by end result basal area per acre.

2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 16, 17, 18, 24, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 110, 190, 195

Thin to desired condition as listed in K-C.3.5.5# (Designation by Prescription). 12

Except for short slope lengths up to 200 feet, tractor operations shall be restricted to slopes less than 35% and cut-to-length (CTL) operations shall be restricted to slopes less than 40%. Restrictions also apply in areas where equipment operations may result in unacceptable damage to leave trees and soils. Please describe methods to limit site disturbance on slopes over 35%.

All subdivisions where you propose to use ground-based equipment. Please list the subdivisions.

Impact to soils from Contractor’s Operations shall be less than 20 percent of the subdivision, including roads and landings. Impact is defined as soils being exposed by the removal of the duff layer (disturbance), displacement from one place to another, or compaction as the result of equipment operations.

All subdivisions where you propose to use ground-based equipment. Please list the subdivisions.

Limit unnecessary damage by Contractor’s Operations to young growth or other trees to be reserved. Damage is defined as scarring of boles that exceed 16 square inches of cambium exposure, "root sprung" trees or trees with broken tops.

All

Surface erosion and sediment delivery coming from new and/or existing landings, skid trails, skyline corridors, and temporary roads are mitigated on-site and confined to inside the subdivision boundaries.

All

Construct/reconstruct and maintain specified roads to engineering specifications as listed in the Road Construction Plans and K-F.3.1# (Road Maintenance Requirements).

Effectively close roads to public access as outlined in the T-Specs referenced in K-F.3.1# (Road Maintenance Requirements).

Obliterate temporary roads as described in K-F.1.0.1# (Temporary Road and Landing Construction).

T7, T16, T23, T26, T33

Slash/whipfell to reduce ladder fuels, increase the vigor of shade intolerant and fire-resistant species, and to remove diseased and/or damaged sub-merchantable conifer species. (Stewardship item)

To be determined post-harvest.

Mechanically pile slash to treat areas where residual slash exceeds 6 tons/acre for 0-3” diameter material and 6 tons/acre for 3-6” diameter material.

(Stewardship item)

To be determined post-harvest.

Spray herbicide on designated roads and right-of-ways, trails, landing sites and meadows for the purpose of reducing the spread of noxious weeds.

(Stewardship item)

Designated up to 300 acres.

Create 54 snags by topping trees with a mechanical harvester as high up the tree bole as can be safely reached or no less than 20 ft above ground level.

(Stewardship item)

5, 15, 18, 23, 25, 26, 130, 195

Provide a fireline and fuelbreak on the boundary of proposed prescribed burn units. (Optional stewardship item)

6, 8, 16, 17, 124, 154, 254

Except for Past Performance, the Offeror’s Technical Proposal, as accepted by the Forest Service, will be incorporated into any resultant contract.

The Technical Proposal submitted shall not exceed 30 pages.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

Technical Proposals will be evaluated and ranked on the basis of the Evaluation Criteria listed below in (i), (ii), and (iii).

The Evaluation Criteria are of approximately equal value. All sub-factors listed under each evaluation criteria are approximately equal in importance.

All technical evaluation criteria when combined are approximately equal to cost or price.

Local Area is defined as Pend Oreille and Stevens County, WA and Bonner County, ID.

(i) Technical Approach. The Government will evaluate each Offeror's technical approach on the basis of the following sub-factors which are approximately equal in importance.

(A) Plan of Operations. Offeror’s who demonstrate a plan of operations for both product removal and stewardship project work, including its timeline (start and completion dates), and the rationale for work activities to ensure all contractual work will be completed by the contract termination date will rank ‘Acceptable’.

Offers that show maximum removal and/or utilization of Grn Bio CV material will rank the highest. This can include utilization by a variety of businesses and facilities both inside and outside the defined ‘Local Area’.

Offers that include agreeing to remove Timber Subject to Agreement material from National Forest lands as part of the awarded contract will rank the highest. This can include utilization by a variety of businesses and facilities both inside and outside the defined ‘Local Area’.

(B) Quality Control Plan and Safety. Offers that show a well-developed quality control plan and effective measures for ensuring the plan will be followed will rank the highest. This shall include both harvesting and the service type restoration work items (stewardship projects). Safety plans that discuss the multiple hazards inherent in forest work activities and provide adequate measures to mitigate the hazards will rank the highest.

Safety Plans that include active involvement by the prime contractor and subcontractors will rank the highest.

(C) Supervision. Contract managers and on-the-ground supervisors with more than 3 years’ experience, that show knowledge of the multiple stewardship activities and can demonstrate their ability to manage the multiple stewardship contracts and subcontractors, will rank the highest.

(D) Equipment. Offerors whose equipment has the capability and performance to achieve the End Results will rank the highest.

(E) Production Capability. Offeror’s demonstrating a production capability to accomplish this contract within the time allowed will rank ‘Acceptable’. This is applicable to both commercial timber removal units and Mandatory and Optional restoration service type projects. Look at the whole picture.

(ii) Capability and Relevant Past Performance. Government will evaluate each offeror's organizational experience on the basis of its breadth, its depth, and its relevance to the work that will be required under the contract. All sub-factors listed below are approximately equal in importance.

(A) Relevant Past Performance. Past performance is a measure of the degree to which the Offeror satisfied its customers in the past in the past 3 years and complied with Federal, state, and local laws and regulations.

Past performance will be evaluated on the following sub-factors:

1) Quality of Work

2) Customer Satisfaction

3) Timeliness of Performance

4) Business relations

5) Cost Control

In evaluating past performance, the Government will contact some or all of the references provided by the Offeror and other sources of information, including, but not limited to, Federal, state, and local government agencies, better business bureaus, published media, and electronic databases.

Contractors with demonstrated knowledge and experience in the work to be completed, met specifications with few or no contract non-compliances or breaches, satisfied their customers, finished on time or ahead of time, maintained amicable communications with customer, exhibited flexibility, and completed the work at or below contract cost (assuming no changes in specifications), will be rated the highest. Also, it should be noted that not responding to sub-factors 1-5 above will result in a score of Marginal or Unacceptable for this sub-factor.

Note that a “Neutral” rating could be assigned to this Evaluation Criteria by the Evaluation Team.

Offeror(s) that do not have a record of relevant past performance or information regarding past performance is not available, will be assigned a “Neutral” rating. Firms lacking a past performance record (e.g., new firms or those with no relevant experience within their organization) will be treated as an unknown performance risk, receiving a neutral rating in this criteria. A neutral rating will be established as the average of all other competing offerors, or the average of the total rating available, whichever is less. Contractors that fail to submit any past performance or relevant past performance will not be considered for award.

(B) Key Personnel. Key personnel who display significant, high quality knowledge and experience in the type of work to be performed will rank higher. Key personnel who display experience in the work to be completed will rank highest.

(C) Subcontractors. The Government will evaluate the organizational experience of the Offeror's proposed key subcontractors. Subcontractors who display significant, high quality past performance will rank higher.

(iii) Utilization of Local Workforce. The ability of Offerors to enhance local employment opportunities will be evaluated based upon the following sub-factors which are approximately equal in importance. “Place of operation” is defined as the Contractor’s address for normally doing business on a year-to-year basis. Credit for recruitment, employment, or utilization of labor or subcontractors will be evaluated as follows:

1. Highest evaluated rating: Utilization of work force for at least 9 months each year, creating jobs, and maintaining infrastructure in the defined local area.

2. Secondary evaluated rating: Utilization of work force for at least 6 months each year, creating jobs, and maintaining infrastructure in the defined local area.

3. Lowest evaluated rating: Utilization of work force for less than 6 months each year, creating jobs, and maintaining infrastructure in the defined local area.

(A) Local Hires. Offerors who submit the greatest number of local hires residing in the defined local area will be given a higher rating.

(B) Prime Contractor. Offerors whose permanent place of operation is within the defined local area will be given a higher rating.

(C) Key Personnel. Key personnel who are from the defined local area and who display significant, high quality knowledge and experience in the type of work to be performed will rank higher.

(D) Subcontractors. Offerors who submit the greatest number of subcontractors having a permanent place of operation inside the defined local area will be given a higher rating.

(E) Benefit to Communities Within the Defined Local Area.

1. Delivery and Processing of Forest Products. Contractors who deliver forest products removed from the contract area to locations inside the defined local area which are also processed at manufacturing facilities inside the local area will be rated the highest. This will be monitored by the Forest Service using scaling certificates, and/or returned Product Removal Permits.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING TECHNICAL PROPOSALS

In preparing your responses to the Technical Proposal, the Contractor should keep in mind the End Results, specifications, and requirements contained in contract provisions and Mandatory and Optional Projects that are to be achieved under this contract.

(i) Technical Approach

Technical Proposals must present sufficient information to reflect a thorough understanding of the requirements and a detailed description of the techniques, procedures, and program for achieving the objectives of the specifications/statement of work. Proposals which merely paraphrase the requirements of the Government's specifications/statement of work, or use phrases such as "will comply" or "standard techniques will be employed" will be considered unacceptable and will not be further evaluated.

(A) Describe your plan of operations for both product removal and stewardship project work including the timeline (start and completion dates) and the rationale for work activities. The plan should be based upon completion all contract requirements by the contract termination date. Contractors are advised to review provisions K(T)-F(T).1.2#, K(T)-G(T).2.4#, K(T)-G(T).3.1.5#, K(T)-G(T).4.1#, K(T)-G(T).4.2# and others in the sample contract for operational requirements and restrictions.

Offeror insert your response here:

Describe your plan for removal and utilization of the Grn Bio Cv material (biomass). Bring in a chipper? Haul in log form? Haul with sawtimber? Deck on landing and remove later?? What location(s) will the biomass be delivered to?

State whether you agree to include Timber Subject to Agreement material as Included Timber with mandatory removal as part of the awarded contract. The removal of Timber Subject to Agreement is to be part of your plan of operation if it will be removed.

(B) Provide a quality control plan for product removal and service type restoration work items and the measures you will use to ensure the plan is followed. Provide a safety plan that discusses the multiple hazards inherent in the work identified in sample contract. The plan must include your monitoring of employee work and working conditions. Include mitigation measures in the safety plan.

(C) Describe your ability to complete the mulitude of activities listed within this project including product removal and all restoration type work activities. If multiple subcontractors will be used, describe your plan for managing all subcontractors.

(D) Provide a list of equipment to be used on this project. Prepare a response to each of the End Results indicating how you will deploy and use your equipment and personnel, and/or subcontractors, in achieving the specified End Results (this is NOT asking for a logging plan).

(E) Describe your production capability to accomplish this project within the specified contract time. Describe for both commercial timber removal units, and Mandatory and Optional Projects listed in AT.4.4, or A.4.3. Include such things as logging system(s) you plan to use on each unit, the number of sides you will need to complete the required work, the number of log truck loads to be yarded each day, the number of acres of mechianical piling completed each day, acres of whipfelling completed each day, etc. Include a timeline for starting and completing work if it clearly demonstrates your work schedules. Keep in mind that some work activities have restricted periods from operations and work cannot occur during these times. Contractors are advised to review provisions K(T)-F(T).1.2#, K(T)-G(T).2.4#, K(T)-G(T).3.1.5#, K(T)-G(T).4.1#, K(T)-G(T).4.2# and others in the sample contract for operational requirements and restrictions.

Offeror insert your response starting here:

(ii) Capability and Relevant Past Performance Information Sheet

(A) Submit a list of contracts from the last 3 years in which you have performed similar work. For each contract, provide:

1. Company Name

2. Contact Person, phone number, and email

3. Dates of Work on the contract

4. Work (Tasks) assigned and completed

Explain/describe for each contract listed in (A) above how well you met each of the following business and contractual functions:

1. Quality of Work - Demonstrated ability to perform services in accordance with contract specifications, and conformance to good standards of workmanship.

2. Customer Satisfaction - Satisfaction of end users with the contractor's completed products and services.

3. Timeliness of Performance - will be evaluated on compliance with delivery schedules; reliability;

responsiveness to technical direction, no assessment of liquidated damages.

4. Business Relations - Effective management, ability to manage projects involving subcontracts, working relationship with the contracting officer and technical representatives, reasonable/cooperative behavior, flexibility, effective contractor recommended solutions, businesslike concern for government's interests. The offeror should provide information on problems encountered on the contracts and subcontracts listed and the corrective actions taken to resolve those problems. The Government may obtain information from existing contract files.

5. Cost Control - Ability to complete contracts within budget (at or below); reasonableness of price change proposals submitted, and providing current, accurate, and complete billings.

Offerors are to provide responses to sub-factors 1-4 and 1-5 shown above for each contract used to demonstrate past performance. Not responding to these sub-factors will result in a score of Marginal or Unacceptable for this evaluation factor.

(B) Describe the experience of your key personnel who will be working on the the contract.

1. The Contractor shall assign to this contract the following key personnel: Contract managers and on-the-ground supervisors such as Overall Project Manager, Contract Representative, Logging Supervisor, Fuels Treatment Supervisor, Road Construction Supervisor(s) who will be supervising work in the timber removal specifications as well as other road work, maintenance and obliteration, and Individual Sub-Managers that will be supervising individual sub-contracts for work items not covered by personnel noted previously herein.

(C) Provide a list of subcontractors you propose to use on this contract and the work activities they will complete.

Describe subcontractors’ past performance and provide a list of similar contracts that each subcontractor has completed within the last three years.

(iii) Utilization of Local Workforce

(A) Describe the number of local workers you plan to hire, type of jobs (faller, loader operator, etc.), and planned length of employment each year under this contract.

(B) List your permanent places of operation.

(C) List the geographic location of your key personnel.

(D) List your subcontractors business address and County, and geographic places of operation.

(E) Benefit to Communities Within the Defined Local Area - The following sub-factor(s) will be used for evaluating benefits to the local community component:

1. Forest Products Processing in the Local Communities. Commercial timber, chips/biomass material and by-products all generate economic benefits to local communities. The flow of goods to local processors helps maintain or expand existing processing capacity. Please identify the mills and other facilities, and the estimated volume to each, which you will be delivering logs. Locations can be by species and/or products. Identify the ones that are within the defined local area in which you will deliver logs.

General Quality Control Plan

Quality Control is an important emphasis item for the High Noon DxP Stewardship Integrated Resource Contract. Offeror are encouraged to develop an effective plan for ensuring that their operations are in compliance with all contractual requirements. Offerors are to develop a General Quality Control Plan that addresses the following four questions:

1. How will quality be monitored to assure performance standards are met?

The contractor is to inspect and/or monitor their operations for contract compliance in relation to mandatory and optional stewardship projects listed in A.4.3 or AT.4.4. The contracor will also inspect and/or monitor for the end results listed in the Table of End Results in this template. The specs and requirements for the projects and end results are to be inspected and monitored to assure the end results are achieved. You are to describe your quality control process including procedures, protocols, and methods that you will use to inspect for contract compliance and collect data to assist the Forest Service in making a determination of whether End Results, requirements, and specifications have been met.

a. Harvesting: Items to be inspected or monitored by the Contractor would be requirements and specs from the project description such as, but not limited to: species, stump diameter, height to diamter ratio, health, proximity to leave trees. Also indicate if trees not to be cut, including hardwoods and standing dead trees, were cut. Indicate if streams and wet areas were protected and buffered as described.

The Contractor is to describe his or her quality control process to collect the data and how often it will occur, i.e. is your field representative going to take some extra time every day/once a week to review all aspects of quality control, or will the Contractor rely on every worker to do his or her job properly? How often will these inspections be done? How will the results be documented? Who will be responsible for the required paperwork and its submssion to the Forest Service?

Offeror insert you response here:

b. Impacts to Soils: Items to be inspected or monitored by the Contractor would be requirements and specs from the project description such as, but not limited to: no more than 20% of units’ acres have been compacted, displaced or disturbed; harvesting equipment has operated on a slash mat; etc.

Please describe your quality control process including procedures, protocols, and methods that you will use to inspect for contract compliance and collect data to assist the Forest Service in making a determination of whether End Results, requirements, and specifications have been met. How often will inspections be done, i.e., is the Contractor field representative going to take some extra time every day/once a week to review all aspects of quality control, or will the Contractor just rely on every worker to do his or her job properly? How will the results be documented? Who will be responsible for the required paperwork and its submission to the Forest Service?

c. Damage to Residual Trees: Items to be inspected or monitored by the Contractor would be requirements and specs from the project description such as, but not limited to: limiting damage to less than 5% of the reserve trees, were tops broken out, is the tree root sprung, etc.

Please describe your quality control process including procedures, protocols, and methods that you will use to inspect for contract compliance and collect data to assist the Forest Service in making a determination of whether End Results, requirements, and specifications have been met. How often will inspections be done, i.e., is the Contractor field representative going to take some extra time every day/once a week to review all aspects of quality control, or will the Contractor just rely on every worker to do his or her job properly? How will the results be documented? Who will be responsible for the required paperwork and its submission to the Forest Service?

d. Confinement and mitigation to insde the Subdivision Unit boundaries of surface erosion and sediment coming from new and/or existing landings, skid trails, skyline corridors and temporary roads: Items to be inspected or monitored by the Contractor would be requirements and specs from the project description such as, but not limited to: have the skid trails been properly water-barred with run-out areas into the stand, slash correctly placed on skid trails and/or corridors as required in the contract, exposed soil has been seeded to specs, etc.

Please describe your quality control process including procedures, protocols, and methods that you will use to inspect for contract compliance and collect data to assist the Forest Service in making a determination of whether End Results, requirements, and specifications have been met. How often will inspections be done, i.e., is the Contractor field representative going to take some extra time every day/once a week to review all aspects of quality control, or will the Contractor just rely on every worker to do his or her job properly? How will the results be documented? Who will be responsible for the required paperwork and its submission to the Forest Service?

e. Road Construction/Reconstruction: Items to be inspected or monitored by the Contractor would be requirements and specs from the project description such as, but not limited to: appropriate road width and slope, proper drainage, appropriate-sized culverts in proper locations, adequate compaction, seeding of disturbed soils, etc.

Please describe your quality control process including procedures, protocols, and methods that you will use to inspect for contract compliance and collect data to assist the Forest Service in making a determination of whether End Results, requirements, and specifications have been met. How often will inspections be done, i.e., is the Contractor field representative going to take some extra time every day/once a week to review all aspects of quality control, or will the Contractor just rely on every worker to do his or her job properly? How will the results be documented? Who will be responsible for the required paperwork and its submission to the Forest Service?

f. Road Entrance Closures: Items to be inspected or monitored by the Contractor would be requirements and specs from the project description such as, but not limited to: effective closure that prohibits motorized access.

Please describe your quality control process including procedures, protocols, and methods that you will use to inspect for contract compliance and collect data to assist the Forest Service in making a determination of whether End Results, requirements, and specifications have been met. How often will inspections be done, i.e., is the Contractor field representative going to take some extra time every day/once a week to review all aspects of quality control, or will the Contractor just rely on every worker to do his or her job properly? How will the results be documented? Who will be responsible for the required paperwork and its submission to the Forest Service?

g. Road Obliteration: Items to be inspected or monitored by the Contractor would be requirements and specs from the project description such as, but not limited to: decompaction to proper depth, all culverts pulled, contours returned to original states, vegetative debris returned to obliterated road surface to retard soil movement, proper seed mix applied at stated rate, etc.

Please describe your quality control process including procedures, protocols, and methods that you will use to inspect for contract compliance and collect data to assist the Forest Service in making a determination of whether End Results, requirements, and specifications have been met. How often will inspections be done, i.e., is the Contractor field representative going to take some extra time every day/once a week to review all aspects of quality control, or will the Contractor just rely on every worker to do his or her job properly? How will the results be documented? Who will be responsible for the required paperwork and its submission to the Forest Service?

h. Project Number 1 & 5 - Slashing (Whipfelling): Items to be inspected or monitored by the Contractor would be requirements and specs from the project prescription such as, but not limited to: proper retained species (correct species cut), were the correct-sized trees felled, is the slash depth under two (2) feet, etc.

Please describe your quality control process including procedures, protocols, and methods that you will use to inspect for contract compliance and collect data to assist the Forest Service in making a determination of whether End Results, requirements, and specifications have been met. How often will inspections be done, i.e., is the Contractor field representative going to take some extra time every day/once a week to review all aspects of quality control, or will the Contractor just rely on every worker to do his or her job properly? How will the results be documented? Who will be responsible for the required paperwork and its submission to the Forest Service?

i. Project Number 2, 6, 8, 9, 10 - Mechanical Piling: Items to be inspected or monitored by the Contractor would be requirements and specs from the project prescription such as, but not limited to: proper pile size and location, was proper equipment used for piling, etc.

Please describe your quality control process including procedures, protocols, and methods that you will use to inspect for contract compliance and collect data to assist the Forest Service in making a determination of whether End Results, requirements, and specifications have been met. How often will inspections be done, i.e., is the Contractor field representative going to take some extra time every day/once a week to review all aspects of quality control, or will the Contractor just rely on every worker to do his or her job properly? How will the results be documented? Who will be responsible for the required paperwork and its submission to the Forest Service?

j. Project Number 3 - Noxious Weed Treatment: Items to be inspected or monitored by the Contractor would be requirements and specs from the project prescription such as, but not limited to: were all required identified areas treated; sprayers are licensed by the State of Washington; what herbicide was used; was the herbicide mixed correctly; all safety requirements both for the applicator and the environment are in place; wind, rain or fog present during spraying; preparation of the Daily Spray Report; etc.

The Contractor is to describe his or her quality control process to collect the data and how often it will occur, i.e. is your field representative going to take some extra time every day/once a week to review all aspects of quality control, or will the Contractor rely on every worker to do his or her job properly? How often will these inspections be done? How will the results be documented? Who will be responsible for the required paperwork and its submssion to the Forest Service?

k. Project Number 4 - Snag Creation: Items to be inspected or monitored by the Contractor would be requirements and specs from the project prescription such as, but not limited to: proper tree selection taking into account species, health and location; snag minimum height; correct tree marking; documentation of snag location; etc.

Please describe your quality control process including procedures, protocols, and methods that you will use to inspect for contract compliance and collect data to assist the Forest Service in making a determination of whether End Results, requirements, and specifications have been met. How often will inspections be done, i.e., is the Contractor field representative going to take some extra time every day/once a week to review all aspects of quality control, or will the Contractor just rely on every worker to do his or her job properly? How will the results be documented? Who will be responsible for the required paperwork and its submission to the Forest Service?

l. Project Number 7 - Machine Fuelbreak and Fireline Construction: Items to be inspected or monitored by the Contractor would be requirements and specs from the project prescription such as, but not limited to: adequate fuelbreak free of brush and large slash and appropriate width of fireline.

Please describe your quality control process including procedures, protocols, and methods that you will use to inspect for contract compliance and collect data to assist the Forest Service in making a determination of whether End Results, requirements, and specifications have been met. How often will inspections be done, i.e., is the Contractor field representative going to take some extra time every day/once a week to review all aspects of quality control, or will the Contractor just rely on every worker to do his or her job properly? How will the results be documented? Who will be responsible for the required paperwork and its submission to the Forest Service?

2. How will the quality control work be supervised?

This is the next higher level of supervision, i.e. how will the Contractor’s Rep type supervise the Field Rep’s work?

How often can we expect the CR to be there? Will the CR do a sample inspection as well, e.g. “once a week the Contractor’s Rep will review the results of the quality monitoring for that week (written or verbal) with the Field Rep and do a walk through sample inspection of the completed area to discuss and verify quality control inspections. If there are problems that were not identified by the Field Rep what will be done? (the FR says “everything looks great” and you find that an obvious problem with orange painted trees cut… someone’s not doing their quality control job).

3. How will results of the monitoring be used to ensure quality performance?

If the inspections indicate a problem, how will that be addressed? For example, “The Field Rep will review the problem with those that did the work, require that it be reworked before further work is done (if it can be corrected), and inspect the next batch of work more frequently until it is determined that the problem is corrected. The Field Rep will report quality issues to the next higher level (Contractor’s Rep) and to the Forest Service contract administrator”.

4. Identify, by work activity, the personnel responsible for performing quality control

As described above, the Contractor’s Rep supervising overall quality control will be:

The Field Rep for monitoring and inspecting Harvesting will be

The Field Rep for monitoring and inspecting on minimizing Soil Disturbance will be:

The Field Rep for Monitoring and Inspecting Damage to Residual or Reserve Trees will be:

The Field Rep for Monitoring and Inspecting Surface Erosion and Sediment will be:

The Field Rep for Monitoring and Inspecting Road Construction/Reconstruction will be:

The Field Rep for Monitoring and Inspecting Road Entrance Closures will be:

The Field Rep for Monitoring and Inspecting Road Obliteration will be:

The Field Rep for Monitoring and Inspecting for Project Numbers 1 & 5 – Slashing (Whipfelling) will be:

The Field Rep for Monitoring and Inspecting for Project Numbers 2, 6, 8, 9 & 10 – Mechanical Piling will be:

The Field Rep for Monitoring and Inspecting for Project Number 3 – Noxious Weed Treatment will be:

4 – Snag Creation will be:

7 – Machine Fuelbreak and Fireline Construction will be: