Final_Scope.docx

Scope of Architectural Historian Services

A. BACKGROUND

1. This is an Indefinite Delivery-Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract to provide Architectural Historian services for the Midwest Region (Region 3) of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (“Service” or “Government”).

a. The Midwest Region encompasses the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Note, however, that some work may occur on locations not owned by the Service (e.g. on other Department of the Interior (DOI) agencies’ lands), but in which there is a partnership or agreement to conduct the services. In addition, some work may occur in other areas of the United States, in partnership with Service or DOI staff in other Service regions. Travel in and out of the region is anticipated. The Midwest Regional Office (MRO) is in Bloomington, a suburb of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

b. The work to be accomplished is under four headings: (1) Section 106 Review; (2) Section 110 Recordation and Management; (3) Preservation Planning; and (4) Technical Preservation Services.

2. The term for this IDIQ contract will be for a base period of performance from the date of the award for one full year, with four, one-year option periods. Price shall be offered on a per-hour basis as identified for the base period of performance and option years. Per-hour price shall be inclusive of all labor, overhead, general and administrative expenses, and profit. Reasonable supplies, equipment, mileage, lodging and per diem costs are variable and billed as separate items under each invoice. The minimum guarantee is $20,000 for the life of the contract, while the possible maximum is $750,000.

3. A written task order for each job will be issued to the Contractor by the Service Regional Historic Preservation Officer (RHPO) through the Contracting Officer. This task order will specify the type of project with deliverables, supplies/equipment/travel required, anticipated billable hours, and a completion date. Automobile and/or airplane travel will be necessary to fulfill many of the task orders. The Contractor shall be required to commence the work on each task order within seven (7) calendar days after the date the Contractor receives the task order and prosecute the work diligently, unless otherwise instructed by the Contracting Officer, usually related to weather conditions.

B. SCOPE OF WORK: ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIAN SERVICES

1. Personnel

a. All key personnel of the Contractor shall meet the U.S. Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualifications Standards (48FR 44716, September 29, 1983) for architectural history (Addendix ____).

b. Because the Contractor personnel will have access to the government’s computer server with its relevant databases and will be assigned a government email address to conduct official business, the Contractor personnel will need to pass required IT security training and an FBI background check. While the Contractor personnel will be assigned a work station and computer at the MRO, much of the assigned work may be accomplished within a secure location at the Contractor’s place of business with concurrence of the RHPO. The Contractor would be responsible for this security.

c. The Contractor will also travel for government official business outside the Minneapolis/Saint Paul Metro area either by automobile or airplane. Therefore, the Contractor’s personnel must hold current driver’s license/ID(s). At times, a federal government automobile would be available for that travel and must be used. Depending upon the tasks assigned, it is unclear how much overnight travel will be required but it is anticipated to be between four to eight weeks a year. Travel within the Metro area is considered commuting and not subject to reimbursement. Only overnight travel will incur lodging and per diem expenses.

d. The Contractor should have broad experience in all aspects of historic preservation gained in a variety of public and private settings, including legal infrastructure and identification.

e. The Contractor should have a thorough understanding of building technology, including the history of building materials and systems, as well as a working knowledge of how historic structures can be adapted to meet current standards for building codes, abatement, accessibility, etc.

f. The Contractor should have familiarity with federal land management laws, regulations and policies, especially the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) and its Section 106 and 110 regulations.

g. Familiarity with the historic cultural resources in the Midwest Region is a major plus. The Contractor should have a deep understanding of the history and architecture of the continental United States, including agricultural, industrial, recreational, and maritime properties.

h. The Contractor should have the demonstrated ability to work with a wide range of stakeholders, agency staff, members of partner organizations, other preservation professionals, architects and contractors, and members of the general public. And, the Contractor should have previous experience conducting Section 106 reviews, developing Memorandum of Agreements (MOAs), mitigation plans, etc.

2 Specific Tasks.

a. Section 106 Review (estimated 20% of work)

i. The Contractor will work closely with the current RHPO (who is an Archaeologist) on Section 106 reviews of selected Service projects, both on and off Service lands, that may affect architectural resources (above-ground buildings and structures). Section 106 reviews may include assessing: (1) the potential the project will affect architectural resources; (2) the likelihood that any resources are eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP); (3) the effect of the project on any architectural historic properties; and (4) the viability of any proposed mitigation measures for adversely affected architectural historic properties.

ii. The Contractor may, at times, be asked to review other outside consultants’ field reports and agreement documents (e.g. MOAs and Programmatic Agreements (PAs)) for Service projects. The Contractor will be asked to draft MOAs and PAs as well.

iii. The Contractor will conduct some Phase I/II/III field projects.

iv. The Contractor will present (with RHPO supervision and agreement) Service views to outside consulting parties, such as State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPOs), tribes and other federal, state and local governmental agencies.

b. Section 110 Recordation and Management (estimated 10% of work)

i. The Contractor will help the RHPO assess the state of architectural resources owned and managed by the Service relative to Section 110 of the NHPA.

ii. The Contractor will examine the physical and electronic Historic Preservation program files at the MRO related to Service architectural resources within the region. Using this data and information gleaned from field recordation and outside organizations, the Contractor will help create a physical and electronic “Resource Files” (patterned after those used by SHPOs) using “Fred”; a web-based Service national cultural resources relational database.

iii. The Contractor also will be asked to assist the RHPO in developing/writing long-term agreement documents (PAs) relating to the preservation and management of the Services’ most endangered/important architectural resources.

c. Preservation Planning (estimated 30% of work)

i. The Contractor will work closely with Service Headquarters and Station staff, partner organizations and others on short- and long-term planning related to stewardship and management of historic resources.

ii. The Contractor will help to develop systems for identifying and managing heritage assets.

iii. The Contractor will conduct archival research and field work to assess history, significance, and physical integrity of cultural resources.

iv. The Contractor will prepare written and photographic documentation for historic structures. Projects may include development of historic contexts, designation studies, delineation of character-defining features and other studies as required.

d. Technical Preservation Services (estimated 40% of work)

i. The Contractor will conduct field inspections to evaluate the physical condition of historic structures.

ii. The Contractor will write condition assessments, stabilization plans, and historic structures reports.

iii. The Contractor will work directly with Service staff, partners, architects, contractors to develop specifications and scopes of work for preservation projects. Review project plans and specifications to ensure that all work conforms to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties (SOI Standards).

iv. The Contractor will plan and participate in Service Maintenance Action Teams to complete stabilization and rehabilitation work on historic structures in the field (also work with partner organizations such as Friends groups, Historicorps and the NPS Historic Preservation Training Center).

v. The Contractor will inspect the work of outside architects, contractors, and Friends’ groups undertaking rehabilitation projects to ensure that the work conforms to scopes of work and meets the SOI Standards.

vi. The Contractor will help to plan and implement training opportunities for Service staff and partner organizations to raise awareness of and appreciation for the Service’s historic resources, and build internal capacity for their preservation.