19AQMM19R0107_Announcement_IDIQ_AE_Support_-Natural_Hazards_Program.docx

19AQMM19R0107 February 1, 2019

IDIQ Professional Natural Hazards Mitigation Engineering Services

GENERAL INFORMATION:

Department of State, Office of the Procurement Executive, Acquisition Management, P.O. Box 9115 Rosslyn Station, Arlington, VA, 22219, UNITED STATES

This is a Public Announcement in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Part 36.6, Architect-Engineering Services. Interested firms shall submit qualifications based on the Phase 1 requirements of this announcement. Upon receipt of qualifications submissions, the Department will conduct a technical evaluation in accordance with the selection criteria in FAR 36.602-1. If, upon evaluation of these submissions, there are a sufficient number of small businesses with the required demonstrated competence and qualifications, the procurement may be considered for a small business set-aside.

This notice is issued in order to complete a Brooks Act Phase 1 technical evaluation. It does not constitute a request for proposal, or a commitment on the part of the government to issue a solicitation for the services identified below. Offerors are advised the government will not pay for information submitted in response to this request for qualifications, nor will it compensate offerors for any costs incurred in the development/submission of its qualifications package.

As noted above, the procurement may be set aside, in some capacity, for small businesses. The decision will be based on whether a sufficient number of small business enterprises are determined to be the most highly qualified offerors, at the conclusion of the (Brooks Act) Phase 1 technical evaluation.

DESCRIPTION:

The US Department of State (DOS), Office of Procurement Executive, on behalf of the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO), is seeking qualified consulting structural engineering firms to provide professional natural hazards mitigation engineering services on an Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity basis.

Work will be done under OBO’s Natural Hazards Program, which seeks to protect DOS personnel and facilities overseas from injury or damage due to natural events including earthquakes, floods, landslides, and tropical cyclones. A majority of the tasks will involve seismic evaluation and strengthening design, but increasing attention is being paid to other natural events, particularly flooding and high wind events associated with tropical cyclones.

Task orders for each proposed work task will be negotiated and placed against the contract on an as-needed basis. Up to four (4) indefinite quantity/indefinite delivery (IDIQ) contracts may be awarded to the most highly qualified firms, one of which may be awarded to a small business. Under each of these IDIQ contracts, the Government guarantees a minimum of $6,000 for the life of the contract. The maximum dollar value of each of these contracts shall be $600,000 for the base year and each option year. Each contract will be for a one-year period from the date of contract award with four one-year optional service periods. Contract duration shall not exceed five years. The maximum task orders awarded over the length of the contract shall not exceed $3 million.

Offerors shall demonstrate the capability to provide natural hazards mitigation engineering expertise and services for existing facilities at various DOS installations overseas. Offerors shall have extensive experience in the seismic evaluation and strengthening of low to mid-rise office buildings, warehouses, and residences (e.g. single-family dwellings, townhouses, etc.) of various material types including non-ductile reinforced concrete frames and unreinforced masonry construction. Offerors shall assemble a team with demonstrated past experience and competence in mitigating other natural hazards including floods, landslides, and tropical cyclones. Professional seismic engineering services may include: performing evaluations and analysis to establish probable seismic performance and expected building behavior; performing feasibility studies along with preliminary cost estimates for seismic strengthening; preparing construction drawings implementing strengthening schemes; evaluating damage from major earthquakes; travel to and inspections of sites, including possible emergency response; performing limited seismicity updates; conducting seismic surveys; and, other evaluations, analysis and design tasks as delineated in the scope of work document. Professional services relating to other natural hazards include the evaluation and mitigation of potential threats due to floods, landslides, tsunamis, and tropical cyclones.

As part of the scope of work, the prime consulting structural engineering firm shall be required to prepare written reports, drawings and sketches, specifications, estimates, construction packages, and other documentation. Projects shall be reported and designed in both SI (i.e., metric) and Imperial units. Construction documents shall be submitted with AutoCAD 2015 (min) in .dwg and .pdf format for each submission and shall be classified in accordance with the Security Classification Guide for the Design and Construction of Overseas Facilities, dated May 2003. For performance of this contract, it is expected that the offer will assemble a team with either in-house or sub-consultants consisting of the following personnel: principal; project manager; senior engineer; engineer; CADD technician and or draftspersons; Geotechnical/Seismological in-house personnel or sub-consultant; and clerical assistant. Other cleared sub-consultants may be required on an as-needed basis – Architects, Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, and Cost Estimating professionals. The consulting structural engineering firms must have experience working as Prime as well as past successful working relationships with the proposed sub-consultants.

Solicitation Requirements

This solicitation will consist of two stages.

In Stage 1, prospective offerors will submit a portfolio of accomplishments that establish the experience and technical capabilities of the Firms/Teams. Offerors qualifications will be evaluated in accordance with the Stage 1 evaluation criteria. Offerors will be ranked and a short-list issued for consideration in Stage 2.

Stage 2 Supplemental Documentation and/or Telephone Interview - Additional Verification

The Government will provide detailed evaluation criteria for the Stage 2 submission and telephone interview at the time the short-listed firms from Stage 1 are notified. Firms that are short-listed will be required to submit supplemental documentation and/or submit to a telephone interview in support of additional verification and insight into the firm’s capabilities. Examples may include, but are not limited to the following: significance of firm’s recent projects to DOS projects; response to written questions pertaining to state of the art in earthquake engineering; experience in mitigating natural hazards including floods, tropical cyclones, and landslides; firm’s organizational and administrative structure and regional offices; philosophy/involvement of principal in charge; QA/QC procedures and protocol.

For Stage 2, telephone interviews and supplemental submissions will be conducted and reviewed by the Technical Evaluation Panel. The Technical Evaluation Panel will not re-score the Stage 1 submissions, but will make a determination of the most highly qualified firms consistent with the announced evaluation criteria for Stage 2 and will recommend offerors for award to the OBO Director.

This is neither a request for proposal nor a design competition. Since a contract may result in an award over $500,000, large businesses will be required to submit a small business subcontracting plan prior to contract award. The small business size standard North American Industry Classification System code is 541330, $15.0 million average.

This selection shall be in accordance with the Brooks Act, P.L. 92-582 (40 U.S.C. 1101-1104) and FAR Part 36. After the successful offeror(s) has been selected, the resultant contract award will be dependent on the conclusion of successful negotiations.

Stage 1 Submission Requirements and Evaluation Criteria

Submission Requirements:

Offerors must submit documentation as described in the following instructions and evaluation factors. Utilizing the format prescribed below, offerors is to provide the requested information in a brief and succinct manner and present information clearly and concisely. All information shall be submitted in English. Additional Information; Offerors are cautioned that DOS may consider only the information in the submission and that obtained by DOS from additional sources concerning past performance. DOS does reserve the right to request clarifications or additional information. Each of the factors below will be evaluated in accordance with the evaluation factors; see Evaluation/Rating of Technical Factors section.

The assembled content for the Stage 1 submission shall be no more than 60 pages, printed double-sided, in an 8 ½” x 11” format for a total of 30 sheets, exclusive of tabs and dividers. Provide one original plus one copy in printed form, and two separate electronic PDF indexed copies on CDs or DVDs. PDF shall be one file, identical to the printed version, bookmarked by section, and shall not be locked or password protected. DOS may review either the electronic or the printed submittal; therefore, both formats shall be complete and identical to each other.

Stage 1 Qualifications shall be submitted using the following organizational structure, divided into tabbed sections in the order listed below:

(1) Cover Letter

(2) SF 330, Part II only (3a) Factor 1a: Specialized Experience and Technical Competence:

EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING

(3b) Factor 1b: Specialized Experience and Technical Competence:

FLOOD, LANDSLIDE, AND TROPICAL CYCLONE ENGINEERING

(3c) Factor 1C: Specialized Experience and Technical Competence:

ASSESSING AND STRENGTHING EXISTING BUILDINGS

(4) Factor 2: Professional Qualifications

(5) Factor 3: Proposed Team/Management Plan

(6) Factor 4: Capacity

(7) Factor 5: Past Performance

(8) Mandatory Pre-Qualification Requirements

(1) Cover Letter. Submit a cover letter of interest referencing the FedBizOpps announcement and briefly describing the A/E Firm and its location, organizational makeup, noteworthy accomplishments and contact information.

(2) Standard Form 330, Part II only. For the purposes of this solicitation, Firm as requested in Box 2a is defined as the individual, firm, joint venture, partnership, corporation, association, or other legal entity permitted by law to practice the profession of architecture or engineering that will have contractual responsibility for the project task orders, should the proposed offeror be selected for the contract.

Evaluation Criteria:

(3) Factor 1: Specialized Experience and Technical Competence.

a) Earthquake Engineering. The firm’s specialized experience and technical competence in earthquake engineering (existing buildings) of key individuals proposed/assigned to this contract. This includes, but is not limited to, work experience pertaining to: seismic evaluation and strengthening of low to mid rise non ductile reinforced concrete framed buildings as well as unreinforced masonry buildings; low to mid rise office buildings and institutional buildings; various residential occupancies (i.e. single family detached as well as low to mid rise multi-unit housing); seismic strengthening of major buildings and historical buildings. Occasionally, there may be a requirement to review other structures (i.e., industrial, small miscellaneous structures, etc.) of other materials (i.e., steel, wood, etc.), and assist with structural forensic evaluations.

b) Flood, Landslide, and Tropical Cyclone Engineering. The firm’s experience and technical competence in flood, landslide, and tropical cyclone engineering services of the firm and of key individuals proposed/assigned to this contract. This includes, but is not limited to, work experience pertaining to: flood control and commercial flood control products; drainage or retention system designs; geotechnical solutions to settlement, sliding, overturning issues related to site walls, structures, paved areas; and strengthening for wind loads for installation of hurricane rated products.

c) Assessing and Strengthening Existing Buildings. The firm’s demonstrated experience in assessing and strengthening existing buildings (within last 5 years) relating to Professional Natural Hazards Mitigation Engineering services. Additionally, include work experience pertaining to: clients and owners with a preponderance of non-technical decision makers; comprehensive reports suitable for presentation to both engineers and non-technical personnel; experience with overseas projects (existing buildings); performance with other Federal Agencies such as VA, GSA, DOD.

(4) Factor 2: Professional Qualifications. Professional qualifications necessary for satisfactory performance of the required services of personnel who will work on this contract. This includes, but is not limited to: education (e.g. engineering baccalaureate/masters degrees); Professional Engineer (PE) registration including designation of structural & seismic experience (e.g., CA, WA SE licenses); actual work experience; committee work within professional society and code development forums; relevant continuing education. The qualifications statements should clearly indicate the office location where the work will be performed, an organizational chart for the proposed contract, and the qualifications of the individuals anticipated to work on the contract and their geographical location.

(5) Factor 3: Proposed Team/Management Plan. Proposed team composition and appropriateness of sub consultants. This includes, but is not limited to: previous relationships and projects with proposed Geotechnical/seismological sub consultant; previously established relationships with sub consultants of mechanical, electrical, architectural, and cost estimating disciplines; teams’ project management experience; firm’s experience as a prime consultant.

(6) Factor 4: Capacity. Capacity to accomplish the work in the required time. This includes, but is not limited to: sufficiency of staff and technical resources available for this contract and not committed to other contracts; firm’s current and future workload; the ability to accomplish the work with minimum oversight by DOS; capability and willingness to work overseas under stressful conditions. Also, the capacity to respond to on-call types of tasks to cover emergency earthquake response and quick plan review/evaluation response should be addressed.

(7) Factor 5: Past Performance. The firm’s past performance with strengthening projects in terms of cost control and cost history, ease of construction, quality of work, and compliance with performance schedules. For each project identified in the responses to evaluations criteria, provide the name, address, and current telephone number of client representative and identify which members of the firm participated in the project.

In evaluating the Offeror’s past performance, the Government may consider the information in the Offeror’s submittal as well as information gathered from other sources including former customers, Government agencies, federal databases (e.g. CPARS), and other references.

As prescribed in the Federal Acquisition Regulation at 15.305(a)(2)(iv). In the case of an offeror without a record of relevant past performance or for whom information on past performance is not available will receive a neutral rating for this factor.

(8) Mandatory Pre-Qualification Requirements

The requirements of this section are separate and distinct from that of the Technical Requirements – Factors 1 - 5 stated above. Format information for this section so that it is complete without cross-referencing information submitted for other elements of the solicitation.

To demonstrate performance of similar construction work for Omnibus Diplomatic Security and Antiterrorism Act of 1986 purposes, the offeror needs to provide information demonstrating that it has successfully completed in the United States or at a U.S. diplomatic or consular mission a construction contract or subcontract involving work of the same general type and complexity as the solicited project and having a contract or subcontract value of at least $225,000.00. The value of the construction contract or subcontract offered to demonstrate performance will not be adjusted for inflation, currency fluctuation, or any other market forces.

A. A. Omnibus Diplomatic Security and Antiterrorism Act of 1986. Firms being considered for award under this acquisition are limited to “United States Person” bidders as defined for purposes of Section 402(a)(2) of the Act. The Offeror must complete and submit as part of its pre-qualification package the pamphlet "Certifications Relevant to Public Law 99-399, Statement of Qualifications for Purpose of Section 402 of The Omnibus Diplomatic Security and Antiterrorism Act of 1986." (The pamphlet is attached to this FEDBIZOPPS announcement and may be obtained from the DOS Contract Specialist listed at the end of this notice.) If a Joint Venture (JV) is formed, the company having 51 percent or greater interest in the JV must be the one completing the pamphlet. This is a pass/fail evaluated area. Submissions from Offerors who do not receive a pass rating in this area will not be further evaluated. Sufficient information should be provided in the Certifications and attachments thereto to determine eligibility under Public Law 99-399, but the Department reserves the right to consider information available from other sources, or to obtain clarifications or additional information from the Offeror.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Organizations that wish to use the experience or financial resources of any other legally dependent organization or individual, including parent companies, subsidiaries, or other related firms, must do so by way of a joint venture. A prospective offeror may be an individual organization or firm, a formal joint venture (where the arrangement among the co-venturers has been reduced to writing), or “de facto” joint venture (where no formal agreement has been reached, but the offering entity relies upon the experience of a related U.S. person firm that guarantees performance). To be considered a “qualified United States joint venture person,” every joint venture must have at least one firm or organization that itself meets all the requirements of a U.S. person listed in Section 402. The U.S. person co-venturer will be required to sign a guarantee making the U.S person individually responsible for performance of any contract awarded, notwithstanding the terms of any joint venture agreement.

B. Security Clearance Requirement. In order to be eligible to perform under this contract, selected firm(s), including all entities which comprise a JV and the JV itself, must possess or be able to obtain a Defense Security Service (DSS) Secret facility security clearance (FCL) with Secret safeguarding capability, issued in accordance with the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM), DoD 5220.22-M. Specifically designated personnel requiring access to classified information or to the Controlled Access Areas (CAAs) must possess a Secret personnel security clearance issued by DSS. Offerors already possessing the necessary FCL must submit their appropriate Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code, facility clearance and safeguarding level with the required pre-qualification documentation.

If a SELECTED offeror does not possess an interim or Final Secret FCL, the Department of State will sponsor the uncleared firm for an FCL at the time of selection. Sponsorship does not guarantee that the firm will receive the clearance. A period of 120 days from the date of sponsorship will be allowed for the uncleared firm to obtain the necessary FCL. After this period, the Government may, at its discretion, consider awarding the contract to another firm or awarding fewer contracts. No contract can be awarded until at least an Interim Secret FCL has been granted. Due to time constraints, the Government will not delay award of contracts to selected firms already in possession of Secret FCLs.

Foreign firms are not eligible for FCLs. Only U.S. firms organized and operating in the U.S. or Puerto Rico, or a U.S. possession or trusted territory, are eligible for facility clearances. U.S. firms which are determined to be under Foreign Ownership, Control or Influence (FOCI) are not eligible for an FCL unless actions (as directed and approved by DSS) can be taken to effectively negate or reduce associated FOCI risks to an acceptable level. This process often takes more than the 120 calendar days allotted for clearance. Information on the clearance process can be found on the DSS website, at http://www.dss.mil, under Industrial Security.

Evaluation/Rating of Technical Factors

Offerors that meet the requirements described in this announcement are invited to submit the Stage 1 documents for evaluation and consideration for Stage 1 qualification as described above. Offerors qualifications will be evaluated in accordance with the evaluation factors.

Factors 1 - 4 will be rated adjectivally for each offer as one of the following:

1) Excellent: Exceeds the minimum performance or capability requirements in a way beneficial to the Government due to one or more valuable strengths. There are no significant weaknesses or deficiencies and weaknesses, if any, are minor and offset by strengths.

2) Acceptable: Meets the minimum performance or capability requirements. There may be strengths but these are not on the whole viewed as exceeding the requirements. May have correctable weaknesses that may generally offset by strengths.

3) Marginal: May meet the performance or capability requirements; however, there are weaknesses that require correction.

4) Unacceptable: Fails to meet the performance or capability requirements. There are deficiencies and/or weaknesses and the proposal is not acceptable as written.

Factor 5 – Past Performance will be rated separately for each offer as one of the following:

1) High Confidence (record of performance warrants high expectation of success in performing contract);

2) Medium Confidence (record of performance warrants moderate expectation of success in performing contract);

3) Neutral (no record of relevant past performance);

4) Low Confidence (record of performance warrants concern as to likelihood of success in performing contract).

Mandatory Pre-Qualification Requirements: Any offeror receiving less than an acceptable (pass) rating in the mandatory pre-qualification requirements will result in non-qualification of the entire submittal.

It is the intent of the Government to issue Stage 2 solicitations to the offeror(s) determined pre-qualified based on qualification packages received in response to this notice, and information concerning past performance obtained from available sources.

A copy of the Prohibited Countries List, from which offerors may not choose engineering team members, can be obtained from the Contracting Officer listed in the last paragraph of this announcement.

Offerors are cautioned that the Department may consider only the information in the submission, and that obtained from additional sources concerning past performance. The Department reserves the right to request clarifications or additional information.

Firms shall submit one original plus one copy in printed form, and two separate electronic PDF indexed copies in PDF format on CDs or DVDs. The submission shall incorporate tabs to clearly identify the different solicitation requirements. Offerors may find a copy of the SF-330 at the following website:

https://www.gsa.gov/forms-library/architect-engineer-qualifications

Closing Deadline for Submissions

All submissions listed in Stage 1 (including the two hard copy, separately bound, of the statement of qualifications of P.L. 99-399), must be received by 2:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on March 5, 2019.

Requests for clarification, technical and contractual, must be received, in writing, by Mrs. Jennifer C. Willis, no later than 2:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on February 12, 2019. The e-mail address to submit clarification questions is willisjc2@state.gov. Clarifications and requests for information received after the deadline shall not be accepted. Hand-delivery and courier address (Federal Express, UPS, etc):

U.S. Department of State Attn: Jennifer C. Willis

(703) 875-2560 A/LM/AQM/FDCD/AEB, 4th Floor 413E 1735 N. Lynn Street Arlington, VA 22209

Include the project solicitation number(s) and delivery number (703) 875-2560 on the face of the package. (DO NOT USE THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE (PO Box) ADDRESS) Include the project solicitation number(s) on the face of the package.