Questions and Answers_0001.pdf

Questions and Answers

Q:

I'd like to know what is the current Database platform i.e (Access, DB2, SQL)?

A:

Oracle is the database for our water data deliver system NWIS (national water information system), although we use API's (application program interface) so there is NO direct connection to the database. The person doing the work would mainly use Aquarius and ADAPS to work with the hydrologic data, along with the paper records we have in storage.

Q:

I am hoping to find out if there is an incumbent contractor currently performing these services, if similar services have been performed in the past, or if this is a new requirement.

If this is a follow-on requirement, could you please provide the previous contract or task order number?

A:

This is a new requirement thus there is no incumbent. However similar services have been used in the past.

Q:

1. What is the name of the vendor currently performing this service or is this a new requirement?

2. If a follow-on contract, what is the total number of FTEs currently supporting this contract?

3. Can all work be performed remotely from contractor’s facility within the U.S.?

4. Is the customer open to using a MS Azure services to enforce data quality rules or should all data cleansing efforts be performed by scripts/manually?

5. Is the contractor required to make modifications to the NWISweb or any websites (e.g.

JavaScript, APIs, HTML)?

6. What is the underlying database platform for Aquarius (SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL, MongoDB, Sybase, etc.)?

7. Will clean data be stored in Aquarius or in a separate database outside of Aquarius (e.g.

external SQL Server/data warehouse)?

8. Is the contractor required to perform a one-time data cleanse or build continuous data pipelines to enforce data quality?

9. Can the customer provide a copy of the spreadsheet mentioned on Page 3: deliverable, "A spreadsheet documenting all sites that have been investigated and their corresponding years and parameters is kept up to date during the process."?

10. Can you provide a system architecture diagram detailing the relationships between Aquarius, NWISweb, PFF and Site File and associated data flows?

11. Will the vendor have proper access to all back-end databases necessary to perform the data analysis and data cleansing (e.g. Aquarius, ADAPS, PFF, Site File, NWIS, etc.)?

12. Can you provide submission instructions for vendors (e.g. max 10 pages, separate technical and price, resumes, etc.)

13. What is the clearance level for contractors working on this project (None, NACI, Secret, Top Secret, etc.)?

14. Can work be performed remotely at vendor's site?

15. What is the total not to exceed (NTE) budget for this two-year contract?

A:

1. This is a new requirement

2. N/A this is a new requirement

3. No, there are paper records at the office that will need to accessed at times.

4. No, the user will use the existing API's. This is done manually using the API or scripts.

5. No modifications to NWIS web or other websites.

6. Oracle, however the database will not be directly accessed, only access is using the API's.

7. in Aquarius.

8. The cleanups are ongoing, not performed in a one time cleaning.

9. The spreadsheet is continuously updated by folks at a higher level. We will give whomever is awarded the contract the latest when they come onboard.

10. We'll look into this but for now the answer is there is not.

11. No access to the originating database, only thru the API's.

12. The is no max or minimum for number of pages submitted in your quote. Just as long as you provide a firm fixed price and sufficient documentation for the USGS to evaluate in order to determine technical acceptability.

13. Only a regular background check. Not classified.

14. The paper records are stored at the office, in Portland.

15. There is no maximum total not to exceed (NTE) budget for this two-year for this purchase order.

Q:

1. Is there already a method established to determine "obvious" errors in the data?

2. Will the contractor be informed of all data that are known to have not received sufficient quality control prior to undertaking the process of verification and cleanup?

A:

1. yes

2. yes

Q:

Will the USGS consider a cost proposal on a time‐and‐material basis perhaps with a not to exceed cap and milestones on the deliverables?

Is this GitHub file (https://github.com/AquaticInformatics/examples/blob/master/TimeSeries/SampleFiles /FieldData/Stock/USGS/UsgsHydroMLSample.xml) a good representation of the flow data that you want to process?

Do you have a preference for what language/scripting is used for this project? Are the old scripts that were developed to identify the erroneous data still available? We would like to know if any of the logic from the old PFReport can be used to determine good and bad data.

Would there be direct SQL access or is it over a Web API? We are curious if USGS has direct purview over the Aquarius platform such that bad data can be excluded from end user sources without being deleted.

A:

1. This is a firm fixed price request for quote.

2. I do not know, but HQ will give instructions on how to analyze the hydrologic data that needs to be clean up and give instructions on how to go about it.

3. The scripts to use will come down from HQ.

4. Would be using an API.