Sol_140P6018R0034.pdf

140P6018R0034

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THIS RFQ

REQUEST FOR QUOTATION

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07/09/2018 0040399253

1 44

601 Riverfront Drive Omaha NE 68102

NPS, MWR - MWRO MABO

730 Days After Award

National Park Service, MWRO

601 Riverfront Drive

Omaha

NE 68102

402 661-1698Nicholas Murray

07/27/2018 1400 CT

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PROJECT TITLE: WIHO_Administrative History

The National Park Service, Midwest Region Major Acquisition Buying Office (MABO), is issuing this request for proposa for the preparation, research and writing of an Administrative History for William Howard Taft National Historic Site.

The work consists of providing a comprehensive up to date Administrative History of William Howard Taft National Historic Site, documenting its conception, authorization, and the major issues that have shaped the past and current management philosophies. This document will describe its NPS development and operational history, and how it has been managed by NPS to the present day.

Continued ...

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140P6018R0034

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52.219-6 NOTICE OF TOTAL SMALL BUSINESS SET-ASIDE.

Type of Contract: One (1) Firm-Fixed Price

Contract will be awarded on a best value basis.

NAICS CODE: 541720 (Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities). The small business standard is $20.5M.

Contract Period of Performance: Estimated at 24 months for contract award

The Government will award one contract resulting from the solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered.

REQUIRED SUBMISSION DOCUMENTS:

1. Signed SF-18

2. Completed Section B of Solicitation (Itemized breakdown of all cost to include labor hours, material, travel, etc.)

3. Review all required vendor completed sections within the solicitation document and provide all requested documents and information in section L of the solicitation.

4. Proposed work schedule diagramming the duration of field and archival work outlined in the research strategy section of the proposal.

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Legacy Doc #: NPS

00010 Administrative History

Delivery: 730 Days After Award

NSN 7540-01-152-8067 OPTIONAL FORM 336 (4-86)

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CONTRACTOR PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT REPORTING SYSTEM (JULY 2010)

1452.201-70 AUTHORITIES AND DELEGATIONS (SEPT 2011)

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1452.215-71 Use and Disclosure of Proposal Information—Department of the Interior. (APR 1984)..42

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PLATFORM (IPP) (APRIL 2013)

Sol_140P6028R0034 WIHO_Administrative History Page 5 of 44

Solicitation/Contract Form

This requirement has been set aside for total small business competition in accordance with FAR 52.219-6 – Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside.

The contracting point of contact is Nicholas M Murray at Nicholas_M_Murray@nps.gov or 402- 661-1698.

All questions shall be submitted electronically to Nicholas_M_Murray@nps.gov no later than 2:00 PM CST, July 16, 2018. All questions received by that date/time will be answered in one amendment to the solicitation.

Offer due date: All quotes shall be submitted electronically to Nicholas_M_Murray@nps.gov no later than 2:00 PM CST, July 27, 2018.

Please be advised that this requirement may be delayed, cancelled, or revised at any time during the process based on decisions related to the Department of Interior (DOI) and National Park Service (NPS).

Sol_140P6028R0034 WIHO_Administrative History Page 6 of 44

Supplies or Services/Prices

SCHEDULE

Each proposed item shall include all cost for materials, labor, expenses, fees, overhead and profit associated with each proposed item .

ITEM DESCRIPTION QUANTITY UNIT PRICE

0010 Administrative History 1 Job $___________

TOTAL LUMP SUM PRICE $___________

- END OF SCHEDULE –

Sol_140P6028R0034 WIHO_Administrative History Page 7 of 44

Description/Specifications

SC O P E O F W O R K

ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY

WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE

I. Introduction

The National Park Service (NPS), through the Midwest Regional Office (MWRO), requires the performance of research and writing of an Administrative History for William Howard Taft National Historic Site, Cincinnati, Ohio. The history will help complete basic historical documentation of the park’s history and resources as developed and managed by the National Park Service. The information contained in the Administrative History is essential for present and future interpretation and resource management.

This Administrative History is a comprehensive synthesis of primary and secondary source material that is pertinent specifically to William Howard Taft National Historic Site. The study shall conform to professional standards regarding methodology of historical research and writing.

Stylistic, bibliographical, and report production standards shall conform to the current edition of the Chicago Manual of Style. The study will include an oral history project whereby twelve (12) current and former NPS employees, partners, and community members important to the history of this park unit will be interviewed in person, digitally recorded, and transcriptions prepared.

The Administrative History, including enumerated appendices, graphics, and index shall be completed within twenty-four months from the date of contract award.

II. DESCRIPTION OF THE RESOURCES

William Howard Taft National Historic Site in Cincinnati, Ohio, consists of a large house and several tracts of land. The associated landscape has changed considerably over time when the Taft family sold the property in 1899 and 1969, when the National Historic Site was created. The property is a National Historic Landmark and it represents the family, birthplace, and boyhood home of William Howard Taft (1857-1930), the only man to serve his as both President of the United States and Chief Justice of the United States.

The house at 2038 Auburn Avenue is close to the crest of a steep hill that rises from the flat Ohio River basin. Cincinnati's burgeoning commercial waterfront pushed settlement to the edges of the flat peninsula that spread along the Ohio River. Affluent citizens escaped the lowland heat and congestion by building homes in the surrounding hills. Mt. Auburn, just to the north, was one of the earliest hillsides to be settled. The small community marked by large houses and spacious yard was accessible by omnibus.

The Brown family built the original two-story brick structure at 60 Auburn Street (now 2038 Auburn Avenue) in the 1840s. In 1851, Alphonso Taft purchased it on 1.82 acres of land extending from Auburn Street eastward (beyond present-day Young Street) for $10,000.

Alphonso Taft had moved to Cincinnati in 1838 from Vermont. He was one of a large number of ambitious young men from New England who sought greater economic opportunities in Ohio.

He had married Fanny Phelps, also of Vermont, and over the following decade they had five

Sol_140P6028R0034 WIHO_Administrative History Page 8 of 44 children, only two of whom lived to adulthood--Charles Phelps Taft (1843) and Peter Rawson Taft (1845). As Alphonso Taft became more prosperous and his wife’s health worsened, the family found the healthier environment of Mt. Auburn and their new home invigorating amidst other New Englander neighbors

Alphonso Taft set about making alterations to his house, first adding a brick ell at the rear.

Because of the sloping ground, the addition rose three stories and featured an entrance at the ground floor. Plumbing, cabinetry, and interior painting complemented the tastes of the new occupants. In spite of the move, Fanny Taft died in 1852. Alphonso Taft remarried later the following year to Louise Maria Torrey, a fellow New Englander. Upon refurnishing the large house to fit her tastes, the couple began their own family. Samuel, their first son died from whooping cough at fourteen months. Their next son, William Howard Taft, future president of the United States, was born in the house on September 15, 1857. Two more sons, Henry Waters Taft and Horace Dutton Taft, followed and then a daughter, Frances Louise Taft.

According to one historian, “During the time William Howard and his siblings were growing up in Mt. Auburn, the Taft family was an integral part of the social, intellectual, and political elite of Cincinnati, if not of Ohio. The Taft’s hosted many illustrious visitors and participated in national movements, such as abolitionism and temperance. Discussions in the house focused on a wide range of topics covering national politics, social causes, and international events. In the house, the Taft’s mingled with politicians, businessmen, and military leaders who later influenced the course of American history.” The Mt. Auburn house provided the setting where the Taft children matured, learned life lessons, and formed good civic character and ambitions.

Following the end of the American Civil War, Ohio benefitted from post-war reconstruction.

Alphonso Taft became a civil servant in late 1865 when he accepted an appointment to the Ohio Supreme Court and was subsequently elected to that position. In 1875, Alphonso Taft ran for governor but he lost the Republican nomination to Rutherford B. Hayes. The following year, he was named Secretary of War and later Attorney General in President Ulysses S. Grant's cabinet.

In 1882, President Chester A. Arthur named Alphonso to the position of U.S. Minister to Austria- Hungary and in 1884, to Russia.

While Alphonso Taft political fortune blossomed, his son William Howard Taft attended Woodward High School and in 1874, entered Yale College. William Howard Taft regularly spent months at a time at the Mt. Auburn house between 1874 and 1886 reconnecting with family and friends. When he married and set up his own home, for all practical purposes, his primary association with it concluded when he entered college. After graduation from Yale in 1878, William Howard Taft attended Cincinnati Law School and lived with his parents. Soon after his admission to the Ohio bar, he was appointed Assistant Prosecutor of Hamilton County. In 1886, William Howard married Nellie Herron and settled in Walnut Hills, another of the hills that surrounded Cincinnati's central area.

Taft quickly moved up the ladder, including Judge of Cincinnati's Superior Court, Solicitor General of the United States, service on the Federal Circuit Court, Governor General of the Philippine Islands, and Secretary of War in 1904 under President Theodore Roosevelt. In 1908, Taft won the Republican nomination for the U.S. presidency and was subsequently elected 27th U.S. President. As president, Taft became a fierce trust-buster, dissolving such corporate giants as the Standard Oil Company and the American Tobacco Company. In 1912, Taft and Roosevelt had a falling out and each ran separately for the presidency against Woodrow Wilson, thereby ensuring Wilson's victory. After leaving the White House, Taft returned to Yale as a professor of

Sol_140P6028R0034 WIHO_Administrative History Page 9 of 44 constitutional law. In 1921, President Warren G. Harding appointed Taft Chief Justice of the United States, thus becoming the only person in United States history to serve as head of two branches of the Federal Government. Taft died in 1930. Although Taft's illustrious career falls beyond the immediate story of the Taft home, its roots, early development, and ultimate destination can be explored through the property.

The Taft Home experienced its own transition. When the family returned from Washington in 1877, a fire caused extensive damage. In the course of making repairs, several alterations were made. They elevated the upper story eleven additional feet and an iron cornice was placed around the house. New sills, sash, and shutters were added, and other changes were made to the 1851 east wing. New wallpaper and wall finishes were applied to the interior and new light fixtures were installed. In subsequent years, the Taft’s made other changes to the house. A mantle made by Heinrich Fry was placed in the parlor. Another mantle by Rogers was placed in the library.

In the late 1880s, Alphonso's health began to decline. He and Louise Taft made one last trip to New England in 1889 and then headed to San Diego for its warmer climate. Alphonso died there in 1891. Louise Taft returned to her hometown of Millbury, Massachusetts. By late 1889, the house at 60 Auburn Street had ceased to be occupied by a Taft. A succession of tenants rented the house until 1899 when it was sold to Judge Albert C. Thompson. In the ten years between 1889 and 1899, the Taft’s engaged in several attempts to sell the house. The difficulty encountered in these attempts once prompted Louise Taft to consider razing the house and selling it to a developer interested in building apartment houses. The Thompsons occupied the property until 1910 when Judge Thompson died. In 1912, Mrs. Thompson sold the house (now addressed 2038 Auburn Avenue) to Colonel Ernest H. Ruffner of the U.S. Corps of Engineers who had served as district engineer in Cincinnati. Upon Colonel Ruffner's death in 1937, the property was again put up for sale, this time by Ruffner's daughter, Violet DeBus.

By 1937, the house had gained the respect of age and of historical association with deceased President Taft and the first efforts to preserve it came with the formation of the William Howard Taft Memorial Association. Efforts for the preservationists to buy the property were not successful and DeBus sold it to Elbert R. Bellinger on April 12, 1940. The Bellinger’s occupied the adjoining house to the south at 2030 Auburn Avenue and they subdivided the Taft Home into apartments. They sold their own home to Hamilton County in 1951 for its Youth Detention Home and the Bellinger’s moved into the rear first floor apartment in the Taft Home.

The Memorial Association with Taft family support continued efforts to acquire the property faced with the centennial of President Taft’s birth in 1957. At the request of the local congressman in 1959, the National Park Service agreed to consider including the Taft Home in its National Survey of Historic Sites and Buildings and a study was scheduled for 1961. Meanwhile, the president’s son, Charles Taft, negotiated a 100-year lease with Bellinger, gave him lifetime rights to the first-floor apartment and a $250 per month payment, and rights to buy the property from Bellinger’s heirs. In 1961, Taft transferred the lease to the Memorial Association and a restoration process began. In April 1964, Secretary of the Interior Stewart L. Udall designated the Taft Home a National Historic Landmark.

The cost of restoration some proved daunting and Charles Taft in 1965 began advocating for the Federal Government to assume responsibility, citing the recent authorization of the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site in Iowa. In 1966, Taft began lobbying the Ohio Congressional Delegation to act and a bill was introduced in the House in early 1967 followed by a similar Senate bill. The year also marked Bellinger’s death, thus clearing the way to acquire the property

Sol_140P6028R0034 WIHO_Administrative History Page 10 of 44 in fee. With the beginning of a new Congress in 1969, companion bills were again reintroduced, passed in the fall, and President Richard Nixon signed into law on December 2, 1969, Public Law 91-132 authorizing the William Howard Taft National Historic Site.

A cursory administrative history was prepared under contract in 1986, and while it lacks sufficient detail and depth, it can be used as a source for this new-start effort.

Research Project – Develop and Complete the Administrative History for William Howard Taft National Historic Site

This project will provide a comprehensive up to date Administrative History of William Howard Taft National Historic Site, documenting its conception, authorization, and the major issues that have shaped the past and current management philosophies. This document will describe its NPS development and operational history, and how it has been managed by NPS to the present day.

The Administrative History is an urgent necessity for current management as it will examine events while they are still in the recent past and while the individuals who participated in these events are able to provide primary source material from living memory. A historian(s) will be contracted to prepare the Administrative History. It will be based on an analysis of primary and secondary source material from park records, local archives, and regional office files; primary sources include oral history interviews with former employees and others associated with William Howard Taft National Historic Site.

An NPS Administrative History is a history of a park unit as an institutional entity. Its purpose is to present the history of the national monument since the time it was first proposed through Congressional authorization and subsequent NPS management. It provides NPS managers a historic context for making decisions on issues relevant to park management. This research project will include a legislative history detailing federal laws relevant to William Howard Taft National Historic Site. It will also focus on all studies, plans, restoration/preservation activities, and management decisions regarding the operation, interpretation, and preservation of William Howard Taft National Historic Site.

This project will require primary and secondary research into the Administrative History of William Howard Taft National Historic Site. The completed study will include the following elements:

A. Introduction providing an overview of southern Ohio and Cincinnati’s prehistory and history including geology, American Indian habitation, Euro-American exploration and settlement, Auburn Avenue neighborhood development, Taft Home and family history, William Howard Taft’s birth, boyhood, marriage, career, life accomplishments, and efforts to preserve and protect the Taft Home.

B. Legislative history leading to the authorization of William Howard Taft National Historic Site in 1970, and subsequent 2001 legislation elevating the development ceiling and expanding the initial park boundaries. The legislative history must be detailed and include

1) critical statements or endorsements by congressional members that influenced authorization; 2) public testimony, (e.g. individual or group) statements and/or endorsements that contributed to the eventual enlargement or change of park boundaries;

Sol_140P6028R0034 WIHO_Administrative History Page 11 of 44 and 3) a chronology of legislative benchmark events leading to boundary changes and development ceiling increase. In short, a discussion of history of land acquisition and land swaps.

Nine months after contract award, the contractor will supply draft chapters for A.

and B. to NPS for review and approval.

C. The primary emphasis of the study will provide a description and analysis of the development and administration of William Howard Taft National Historic Site as a unit of the National Park System. The origin and rationale for key management decisions shall be thoroughly discussed and reference made to planning documents, studies, and other historical, archeological, and scientific research reports that resulted in major management decisions. Other topics, in addition to those enumerated above, to examine (in no particular order) include:

Contents of all NPS reports and plans are to be summarized and management decisions explained.

The study will elaborate on William Howard Taft National Historic Site’s association with Mound City Group National Monument (also called the Ohio Group Office) and its treatment as an administrative sub-unit or satellite park. Explain how the relationship worked in terms of park operations and management authority. Discuss how the Taft on-site manager was regarded as a training position for new superintendents. Examine goals and accomplishments of each park manager and division chief and determine when William Howard Taft National Historic Site became independent of Mound City Group National Monument and had its own independent superintendent. Study will document how and why the administrative operations changed over time. Attention will be paid to the annual budget and staff growth.

A study of Alternatives (1968)

Site acquisition, demolition of Cross property; relationship with Hamilton County Juvenile Court

Park offices and maintenance occupy rented areas in Sanning apartment building.

Policy development and changes over time.

Advisory Board on National Parks, Historic Sites, Buildings, and Monuments endorsement of park bill

First Master Plan

Mt. Auburn Community Council

Statement for Management and Planning

Answer question of park authorization (Congress passes legislation that president signs) v. formal park establishment (once property is acquired) by publishing a notice in the Federal Register

Sol_140P6028R0034 WIHO_Administrative History Page 12 of 44

House tour route; temporary exhibits, Mt. Auburn Historic District, early oral history program, use of solarium as information booth and exhibit area, outreach to public school, park identification sign, flagpole, park staff turnover, Summer-in-the-Parks program, delay in restoration due to lack of funding, master plan revisions, National Parks and Recreation Act of 1978 increases development ceiling and expands boundaries; earthquake of July 27, 1980, threatened collapse of Taft Home; emergency stabilization; Friends of the William Howard Taft Birthplace

Succession of park managers/superintendents and their accomplishments.

Results and summary of 2001 and 2009 Operations Evaluation reports conducted by MWRO.

Interpretation and education programs and how they evolved over time. Museum exhibits and collections. Long-Range Interpretive Plan. Wayside exhibits. Web site introduction and development. Interpretive films. Park store. Cooperating association.

Park maintenance/facility management program

Park visitor protection/law enforcement program

Summary of natural resource program and activities

Americans with Disabilities Act compliance within William Howard Taft National Historic Site.

Partnerships with local governments and organizations.

Technological updates with computer technology; use of radio communications; land line telephone service and cellular service.

Cultural resources management. List of Classified Structures (LCS) and Cultural Landscape Inventory (CLI) initiatives and enrolled properties. National Register listings. Revision and update of National Historic Landmark nomination and park-wide National Register nomination.

Role and involvement of Washington Office, Northeast Regional Office (Philadelphia, PA); NPS Office of Design and Construction and the Planning and Service Center (both in Philadelphia, PA); Mound City Group National Monument and the Ohio Group, Midwest Regional Office (Omaha, NE) and Midwest Archeological Center (Lincoln, NE).

Decision in 1982 by Williamsport Preservation Training Center not to assign an intake trainee to Taft Home citing “tension between all the offices involved.”

Detailed discussion of historic preservation work proposed and implemented on Taft Home, including addressing roof leaks, discussions between park, MWRO, and DSC, work funded and performed each fiscal year. Donations and development of a gifts catalogue.

Regional Director in 1982 declared Taft Home unsound and unsafe, closed it for construction;

off-limits to public and NPS staff; Nov. 1982 written admonishment from Regional Director to Superintendent.

Taft development assisted by Reagan Administration’s Park Restoration and Improvement Program (PRIP).

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Change in direction from placing NPS administrative offices on second floor of Taft Home to utilizing that space for public use.

Robert Taft, Jr.’s lobbying President Ronald Reagan to acceleration restoration program (1983);

NPS Director removed Taft Home from Line Item Construction Program and did not have a Service-wide priority for construction; MWRO proceeded with piecemeal year by year; proposal to close area and wait for funding.

Addition of park historian to park staff and elimination of that position

HSR for brick walkways

HSR for Taft Home, Harpers Ferry Center and Historic Furnishings Report, Development of 1976 Master Plan and its 1981 revision; recap the debate within NPS on how to proceed and with what treatment plan;

Hamilton County Detention Center, providing visitor accessibility and services, controversy concerning demolition of Cross property, Ohio Historical Society and NPS archeological investigations and results; Historic Grounds Report (1971)

Resolving parking problems; negotiations with Mt. Auburn Good Housing Foundation; Land Protection Plan (1983); land acquisition efforts;

restoration activities coordinated by DSC; funding from Park Restoration and Improvement Program and description of work performed; changing color of the house; lobbying of Charles P.

Taft.

Memorial Associations’ collection of furnishings and objects, Scope of Collections Statement (1983), museum cataloging system, Friend’s Gift Catalogue.

Interpretive Prospectus (1976), need for visitor contact station, audio tours narrated by Charles P.

Taft

September 1988, NPS reopens Taft Home to public tours; dedication ceremony held.

Cultural Landscape Report (1993); coring of all the site’s trees determined age of each.

Construction of Carriage Shed for storage (1997)

Construction of the William Howard Taft Education Center (1999) as visitor center and NPS administrative offices; installation of bust of Robert Alphonso Taft, Ohio State Historical Marker, marker commemorating Helen Herron Taft’s planting cherry trees in Washington, D.C.

Construction of larger parking lot (2008)

Sol_140P6028R0034 WIHO_Administrative History Page 14 of 44

The contractor will provide within six months of contract award a detailed outline of the Administrative History for NPS review and approval.

The Administrative History must place William Howard Taft National Historic Site in context with the evolution of management policies, procedures, and practices of NPS over time, with a special cave resource management with other similar units. This would include discussion of relationships and services provided by but not limited to inter-agency offices such as the Washington Office, Northeast Regional Office, Midwest Regional Office, Denver Service Center, Midwest Archeological Center, and Harpers Ferry Center. Contractor will utilize the files, library, and archives of William Howard Taft National Historic Site.

William Howard Taft National Historic Site was administered directly by the NPS Northeast Regional Office from its conception in the late 1960s up to 1974. This arrangement changed with a realignment of NPS regional boundaries and Ohio parks shifted to the Midwest Regional Office in Omaha, Nebraska, an alignment that continues to the present day.

This project will involve utilizing the archival records of the Cultural Resources Management Division, Midwest Regional Office, Omaha, Nebraska. There are 4 boxes spanning the 1970s to 2000. A research trip to Omaha may be combined with the contrast post-award meeting.

D. Oral history interviews with key decision-making personnel. Because NPS documentation is not complete, oral history interviews will be especially useful in the Administrative History. As part of the 1986 Administrative History, the following oral history interviews were conducted and transcripts were prepared:

Mary Maxine Boyd, former Superintendent, William Howard Taft National Historic Site;

John Kawamoto, Associate Regional Director, Midwest Region;

Andy Ketterson, Chief, Cultural Resource Management, Midwest Region;

Hugh C. Miller, Chief Historical Architect, Washington, D.C.;

Randall Pope, Associate Director, Midwest Region;

Samuel Witherup, former Park Technician, William Howard Taft National Historic Site

Twelve (12) formal oral history interviews will be conducted in person according to professional standards with current and/or retired NPS employees, community members, and partners pertinent to the park’s history as follows (grouped geographically, names and contact information to be provided following contract award):

Cincinnati, Ohio H.H. - current superintendent R.H. – retired chief of interpretation; board member of Friends group K.W. – current chief of interpretation & 17-years at park P.G. – treasurer of friend’s group, secretary to Taft’s youngest son to establish park D.M. – long-serving Cincinnati City Council member P.S. – past board president of friend’s group J.R. – past board president of friend’s group

Dayton, Ohio R.T. – Taft’s great grandson, former governor

Sol_140P6028R0034 WIHO_Administrative History Page 15 of 44

H.T. – wife of Taft’s great grandson, closely involved with park

Murfreesboro, TN B.W. – former superintendent

Atlanta, GA R.T. – former superintendent

Little Rock, AR R.W. – former superintendent

A list of alternate interviewees will be provided in case any of the above candidates are unwilling or unable for whatever reason to participate. The alternates may be interviewed via telephone and not in-person.

Oral history interviews will be conducted in person, digitally recorded, transcripts produced, a digital photograph of each interviewee taken, and assignment of interview rights forms signed.

All interviewees will be given an opportunity to review and edit his/her interview transcript over a one-month period.

Within one year of contract award, contractor will provide transcriptions of all oral history interviews for NPS inspection and approval.

F. Bibliography of source materials, including all previous research, surveys, and reports dealing with William Howard Taft National Historic Site.

G. Appendices: Information including, but not limited to, all pertinent legislation, maps and/or drawings, listing of annual budgets, and a comprehensive listing of past and present NPS personnel, will be included in the Administrative History's appendix. The study shall include appropriate maps and other figures within the narrative, including historic and contemporary photographs. The photographs shall have captions and identify their source.

H. A draft of the completed Administrative History with all above specified elements will be prepared and provided to NPS for review and comment according to a planning schedule and matrix outlined between NPS and contractor at the start of the project. Contractor will then incorporate all comments and resubmit a final draft. Following approval of the Administrative History by NPS, an index (generated by the latest version of Microsoft Word) will be prepared which incorporates all significant names, places, objects, activities, and programs referenced in the document. Used in conjunction with the Table of Contents, the Index will assist readers find particular topics of interest with ease. The final draft will then be reviewed by the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) to ensure all NPS comments have been incorporated, and then submitted for approval signatures.

III. General Proposal Outlines

The prospective contractor must formulate a study proposal and itemized cost proposal in response to this Scope of Work. The proposal must describe in detail the investigator's research strategy and qualifications of personnel responsible for completion of the study. Minimally, the study must individually address each topic (A-H) outlined in Section II, above.

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IV. Additional Contract Requirements

A. General provisions

1. Prospective contractors should note that the research design submitted by the contractor becomes a binding element of the contract and is expected to be carried out. The research performed and reported must meet the minimum requirements.

2. Within 30 days of award of contract, the contractor shall attend a post-award scoping meeting at the Midwest Regional Office in Omaha, Nebraska (combining it with researching the Cultural Resources Division archives pertaining to William Howard Taft National Historic Site, to discuss technical aspects of the contract and to confirm the planning schedule for the submission of the deliverables.

3. The production of the Administrative History shall be completed within 24 months of contract award.

4. Partial payments may be made up to 80% of the contract award amount. Payments must be based on deliverables accepted by the government (see FAR 52.212-4(a), Contract Terms and Conditions – Commercial Items, Inspection/Acceptance & FAR 52.211-1, Time of Delivery).

Payment requests must be in accordance with the clause titled, Electronic Invoicing and Payment Requirements - Invoice Processing Platform (IPP).

B. Report standards/format and submission schedule

The final report will be in the latest version of Microsoft Word and include the information required in the specifications listed in Section II, above. It must be typed on 8-1/2 by 11-inch white paper. All pages must be numbered. Copies of photographs (screened for reproduction clarity), maps, drawings, and text must be clean, clear, and legible. The format must comply with the latest edition of the Chicago Manual of Style. In addition, all reports must contain the following:

1. Title/Cover page listing the name of the Principal Investigator. If the report is also authored by Project Historians, the title page must identify the author(s) and bear the inscription, "Prepared under the supervision of (name), Principal Investigator." The title/cover page shall also include signature and date lines for three approving officials in the following order:

"Recommended/Associate Regional Director, Cultural Resources, Midwest Region/Date;

Concurred Superintendent, William Howard Taft National Historic Site/Date; and Approved/Regional Director, Midwest Region/Date."

2. Five (5) hard copies of the chapter outline will be submitted six months following contract award for NPS review and approval. The outline shall include descriptions of each chapter containing sufficient detail to demonstrate the complete range of topics and themes to be discussed as well as chronological periods. NPS will provide review comments on the chapter outline to the PI within 30 days of receipt of the document. The PI shall make necessary revisions and submit the final chapter outline to NPS within 15 days of receipt by the contractor.

The outline will provide the basis for the “Table of Contents” for the Administrative History.

3. Five (5) hard copies of the draft report will be submitted twenty months following contract award to NPS for review. The draft will be typed, double-spaced, with numbered reference lines

Sol_140P6028R0034 WIHO_Administrative History Page 17 of 44 in the left margins on each page of text and will include all maps, graphics, footnotes, and appendices to be included in the final report. The draft will be reviewed by NPS for contract sufficiency and professional quality. Within 45 days of receipt by NPS, the draft will be reviewed and the contractor will be notified when review comments will be transmitted. During the period of revision of the draft, the contractor will consult with NPS to ensure the satisfactory resolution of review comments and submission of a final draft in a timely manner.

4. A final draft report addressing review comments transmitted to the contractor by NPS will be submitted to NPS prior to printing of the final document. The contractor will design appropriate cover art/graphics including the NPS Arrowhead for the camera-ready final document. Printing on the document's spine will include title, author, National Park Service, and year of publication.

Within 60 days of NPS acceptance of the final draft (indicated by the three required signatures specified above) and before expiration of the twenty-four month contract period of performance, the contractor will furnish one (1) camera-ready unbound final document printed on archival paper, 100 dry ink digital printed and separately perfect-bound copies of the report, and a compact computer disk or disks containing the final document in the latest version of Microsoft Word.

5. All formal oral history interviews conducted will be digitally recorded and transcriptions prepared. All interview candidates must sign an interview rights release form (format to be supplied by NPS). Any additional interviews which take place on an informal basis (i.e., telephonically) must be comprehensively documented in a memorandum of telephone call. All recordings, transcripts, interview rights release forms, photographs, and memoranda of telephone calls will be transmitted to NPS with the final document.

C. Disposition of data

At the conclusion of research and within 60 days of written acceptance of the final camera-ready report, all notes, records, maps, drawings, photographs, negatives, slides, digital images, tapes, digital recordings transcripts, and other data acquired during the course of this study will be professionally organized for archival purposes and submitted to the Contracting Officers Representative, to be deposited in the archives of William Howard Taft National Historic Site.

D. Progress reports

Quarterly progress reports during the performance of the research and writing phases of this contract are required. The initial due date will be 90 days after contract award. All quarterly reports will be submitted to Ron Cockrell, Contracting Officer Representative, National Park Service, Midwest Regional Office, 601 Riverfront Drive, Omaha, Nebraska 68102-4226.

Alternatively, reports may be delivered via email to ron_cockrell@nps.gov.

(End of Statement of Work) mailto:ron_cockrell@nps.gov

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Instructions,Conditions, and Notices to Bidders

52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors -Commercial Items

Addenda to FAR 52.212-1, Proposal Preparation Instructions

General Information To assure timely and equitable evaluation of proposals, offerors must follow the instructions contained herein. Offerors are required to meet all solicitation requirements, including terms and conditions, representations and certifications, and technical requirements, in addition to those identified as evaluation factors. Failure to meet a requirement may result in an offer being ineligible for award. The offeror shall submit in their proposal all requested information specified in this section of the solicitation at or before the exact time specified. Failure to meet a requirement may result in an offer being ineligible for award.

Proposal Submission Instructions and Limitations

(a) Submission of offers: Submit signed and dated offers to the office specified in this solicitation at or before the exact time specified in this solicitation. Offers shall be submitted on the SF-18.

(b) Offerors shall submit two (2) copies of their proposal. One (1) hardy copy and one (1) electronic copy on CD or USB Drive. Mail proposals to the following:

National Park Service Attn: Nicholas M Murray, Contract Specialist 601 Riverfront Dr.

Omaha, NE 68102

(c) Binding and Labeling: Section I (Technical), Section II (Past Performance), and Section III (Price) shall be submitted together without binding. A cover sheet should be provided, clearly marked as to the project title, solicitation identification, the offeror's name and the offerors DUNS number. Be sure to apply all appropriate markings including those prescribed in accordance with FAR 52.215-1(e), "Restriction on Disclosure and Use of Data”.

(d) Page Limitations: The maximum page limitation for the technical proposal is 40 pages (excluding cover pages, table of contents, list of figures, glossaries, tabs, dividers, blank pages, or other pages as identified throughout the proposal that do not provide information related to the evaluation factors). Compliance with page count limits shall be verified. When both sides of a sheet display printed material, it shall be counted as 2 pages. If the page count is exceeded, the excess pages will not be read or considered in the evaluation of the proposal.

(e) Endorsement: Proposals submitted for consideration must be accompanied by a signed cover letter. If the proposal is submitted by an organization it must bear the endorsement of both the Principal Investigator and a representative of the organization who is empowered to commit the organization to such an undertaking.

(f) The prospective contractor must submit a proposal in response to this scope of work for a historic context study. The proposal must describe in detail the investigator’s research strategy, qualifications of personnel responsible for completion of the study, and an itemized cost estimate.

The proposal will consist of:

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A. Research strategy

1. A description of the methods, techniques, and procedures of research, including a summary of repositories and other sources of information to be used.

2. A planning schedule and matrix identifying key project milestones and associated products pertaining to the project.

3. A preliminary draft for NPS review, a final review draft, and, following the recommendation of the Superintendent and approval by the Regional Director, 100 printed and perfect bound copies.

B. Personnel qualifications

1. The Principal Investigator The Principal Investigator (PI) is responsible for all aspects of managing the proposed study. The PI must have a Ph.D. or equivalent in United States History (no exceptions).

A level of experience equivalent to a Ph.D. is acceptable and may be evidenced by a publication record demonstrating a professional level of research, analysis, and report preparation. It is expected that the publication record will reflect an understanding and ability to apply research methodology, and education and experience beyond that of a project historian.

2. Project Historian(s) Although the overall research design, guidance, and responsibility for the completed study lies with the Principal Investigator, the PI may utilize the assistance of project historians (PH) and other project staff at their discretion to accomplish the research. The minimum requirements for a PH are a Bachelor's and Master’s degrees in United States History from an accredited college or university followed by two years of graduate study with a concentration in the field. A Master's thesis in history or its equivalent in research and publication are highly recommended.

3. Standards for consultants Personnel hired or subcontracted for their special knowledge and expertise must carry academic and experiential qualifications in their particular area of expertise. Such qualifications are to be documented by means of vitae attachments when the proposal is prepared and submitted.

(End of provision)

Addendum to FAR 52.212-1(c), Period for Acceptance of Offers.

The paragraph is tailored as follows: "The offeror agrees to hold the prices in its offer firm for 60 calendar days from the date specified for receipt of offers." The offeror shall make a clear statement in the proposal documentation that the proposal is valid until this date

(End of provision)

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52.212-2 Evaluation - Commercial Items. (OCT 2014) The Government and contractor will agree on a price prior to award that is both Fair and Reasonable to the government and the contractor. Award will be made using Simplified Acquisition Procedures, therefore the evaluation procedures at Far 13.106-2 will be used. A firm-fixed price award is anticipated to be made to the responsible offeror submitting the quote that provides the best value to the Government. In determining best value, the following factors will be considered: technical, past performance, and price. The government has the right to award without discussions.

(End of provision)

Evaluation Factors for Award

FACTOR 1: TECHNICAL CABILITY

(A) Research Strategy: The offeror shall provide a realistic plan that demonstrates the ability to fulfill the government's need in accordance with the Scope of Work (SOW). This strategy shall describe how the prospective contractor will organize, manage, execute, and evaluate the project.

The strategy shall include a completion schedule with timelines and the identification of repositories and other information sources to be searched.

(B)Team: Offeror shall provide a description of the entire proposed research team identifying the prime contractor and all subcontractors and specific areas of responsibility. The description shall identify lines of communication, the responsibilities of each proposed team member, and shall highlight the experience of the team in working jointly on similar type projects. The experience of the Principal Investigator in organizing and conducting similar studies with experience in NPS Administrative Histories shall be explained in detail. In addition, a resume for each proposed team member shall be provided showing the necessary background, skills, and experience of each individual.