Statement of Work.doc

CHATTAHOOCHEE-OCONEE NATIONAL FORESTS

CULTURAL RESOURCES SURVEY

EAST SIDE LSA PROJECT

CHATTOOGA RIVER RANGER DISTRICT

HABERSHAM, RABUN, AND STEPHENS COUNTIES, GEORGIA

SCOPE OF WORK

C.01 GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS

1.1 Scope of Services

The Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests are accepting proposals for survey to determine the nature and location of cultural resources on 1,865 acres of selected lands in Habersham, Rabun, and Stephens Counties, Georgia. See Attachment A: Bid Items 1-16.

The Contractor shall provide all services, facilities, materials, and supplies required for the performance and completion of the project outlined herein, except where otherwise specified.

The objectives of the project are to identify, record and evaluate historic, ethnohistoric and prehistoric properties (Cultural Resources) that could be affected by proposed managment activities on national forest lands in Georgia. Tasks include, but are not limited to, archeological survey, evaluation, artifact analysis, collections management, cultural resource recording, prehistoric and historic synthesis, report preparation, global positioning system (GPS) and geographical information systems (GIS) mapping, digital image processing, scanning, digitizing, locating, and marking archeological sites located on national forest lands in Georgia.

To accomplish these objectives, the Contractor shall review existing sources of information on the environment, prehistory and history of the general project area, including Forest Service Land Status Files in Gainesville, GA; conduct an intensive field survey of the areas defined on the attached maps, flag National Register eligible and unevaluated sites in the field; complete Georgia state site inventory records for each site discovered; analyze the results of this investigation, including, but not limited to, recommendations regarding site significance in terms of National Register of Historic Places criteria; and prepare, furnish, and deliver to the Forest Service an original hard copy draft report and three (3) copies along with one (1) electronic copies describing the methods and results of the study within 180 days of the contract award.

1.2 Location

The area selected for study consists of the following:

East Side LSA Project Area, 1,865 acres in Compartments 28, 50, 61, 62, 66, 86, 201, 206, 210, 212, 214, 215, 217, 220, 225, 229, 232, 234, 235, 236, 237, 239, 240, and 244 in Habersham, Rabun, and Stephens Counties, Georgia, (USGS Ayersville, Clarkesville NE, Lake Russell, Rainy Mountain, Redhill, Satolah, Tallulah Falls, Tiger, Toccoa, and Tugaloo Lake Quadrangles. The project is part of the Chattooga and Tugaloo river basins. The project area is in the vicinity of Tallalulah Falls. The survey units are shown by Item and Survey Anit in Attachment A.

1.3 Government-Furnished Assistance

1.3.1 Services

The Forest Service shall provide access to such information in its possession as it deems pertinent to the project, including archaeological and historical inventory data, environmental and soils data and reports, Heritage Atlas maps, aerial photos of the project area, and other relevant information. This shall include the availability of Forest Service personnel and resource specialists for technical consultation as needed for the orderly and efficient development of the project. Topographic maps of the area showing National Forest property lines of the survey area will be furnished to the Contractor.

1.3.2 Fieldwork Coordination

The Contractor shall coordinate field activities with Forest Service Archeologists and the District Ranger. Background studies and other activities will be coordinated with the Forest Service Archaeologists.

1.4 Professional Quality Controls

All laboratory, office, and field work performed under this contract is to be in accord with standards prescribed by the 1906 Antiquities Act and the Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979 with programming rules and regulations (36 CFR 296), and the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.

1.5 Personnel

The Contractor shall provide a contract manager (Principal Investigator or Archeologist Field Director) who shall be responsible for the performance of the work. The name of this person and an alternate(s) who shall act for the Contractor when the manager is absent shall be designated in writing to the contracting officer. The contract manager or alternate shall have full authority to act for the Contractor on all contract matters relating to daily operations of this contract. The contract manager or alternate shall be available to meet on the national forest with government personnel designated by the contracting officer to discuss problems areas.

All of the tasks described herein are to be accomplished under the supervision of a Principal Investigator (PI) trained to the “PhD/MA competence level” with a demonstrable background in archaeology and history, relevant to the project area, and can document the successful administration and completion of projects of a similar nature. By “PhD/MA competence level,” it is meant that the Forest Service will consider Principal Investigators trained to a lesser academic level if their vitae support “PhD/MA competence” for the purposes of this contract. Other key personnel, namely field and lab supervisors, must have demonstrable experience in archaeology and history relevant to the project area, experience in report preparation, analysis of heritage resource properties, and analysis of archaeological materials.

Names and vitae for the Principal Investigator and all key personnel (as defined) must be submitted with a proposal. Names and vitae for trained technicians who will serve as crew for the project do not have to be submitted with a proposal, but must be submitted and accepted before work begins.

Any changes in key personnel after commencement of the project must be approved by the Contracting Officer in advance. The Contractor shall provide a detailed explanation of the circumstances necessitating the proposed substitutions, complete resumes for the proposed substitutes, and any additional information requested by the Contracting Officer. Proposed substitutes should have comparable qualifications to those of the persons being replaced. The Contracting Officer will notify the Contractor within 15 calendar days after receipt of all required information of the decision on substitutions. The contract will be modified to reflect any approved changes of key personnel.

C.02 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

2.1 Heritage Resource Survey Requirements

The Contractor shall meet with Forest Service Archeologists and/or representatives prior to initiating field work for the purpose of (1) reviewing the undertaking and discussing the project objectives; (2) reviewing Forest Service Cultural Resource Inventory information; (3) examining pertinent natural resource data, reports, maps, etc; (4) becoming acquainted with the natural and cultural features of the project area; and (5) discussing field plans and coordination with Forest personnel, including the District Ranger and her representatives.

2.2 Survey Intensity Level

The Contractor shall locate, identify, and describe/document all archeological sites and isolated occurrences which can reasonably be detected from an inspection of the ground surface and subsurface tests. In general, inventory shall be an intensive survey as defined in the Georgia Archaeological Assessment Report Guidelines and Components (2004). The Contractor shall record sufficient data to determine time period, type/function, size, and preliminary National Register of Historic Places eligibility of each resource, so far as the data available will allow.

Since management decisions and directions for future work are based on initial survey results, it is essential that enough information be obtained to make informed decisions. Consequently subsurface testing, which can provide information about depth, site boundaries, and deposit integrity is required. Shovel tests will be 30 × 30 cm or larger and placed at intervals no greater than 30 meters. All fill should be screened through ¼ -inch hardware cloth. Tests are to be excavated to at least 80 cmbs (depth), or until impenetrable substrate (i.e., bedrock or clay), a known sterile subsoil, or the water table is reached.

All of the survey area will be examined. Based on previous experience and prior surveys operational site locational strategies have determined that sites are not randomly distributed across the landscape. Rather, prehistoric and historic sites concentrate on flat ridges, saddles and gaps, upland flats and knolls, stream river bottoms, terraces and benches, coves, along old trails and roads, and near stream confluences. Rock shelters and caves can be on steeper slopes of over 60% slope. Slope and proximity to water emerge as the two primary variables in site probability models. Therefore our site probability model breaks the forest landscape into three probability areas:

1. High: slopes of 0-10%, and or close to permanent water sources (floodplains and stream terraces).

2. Moderate: slopes of 11-20%, farther from permanent water sources.

3. Low: 21-59% slopes, and far from permanent water sources.

All of the high and moderate areas will receive 100% coverage, shovel testing enough to determine if sites are present or absent, and the extent and depth of the sites. Visual examination will be conducted of all slopes of greater than 20%, as occasional stone quarries, rock shelters, or petroglyphs may occur in much steeper areas, even on sheer cliff faces.

The entire survey area shall be examined by parallel pedestrian transects spaced at an interval not to exceed 30 m (100 feet) in the high and moderate areas. A landform guided approach shall be used where initial discovery transects are placed through the center of high site probability areas. Transects will generally follow the land forms within the stand and a strict, grid and baseline system shall not be used. Transects do not have to be straight lines, but should conform to local topography in order to best examine high site probability areas. Transects shall not run across ridge crests at right angles, but shall be oriented to follow the ridge crests. Shovel tests shall be placed along transects at intervals not to exceed 30 m across all high probability areas. Subsurface testing will be conducted in all areas except those that are justified not to require subsurface testing (excellent visibility, disturbance, or slope greater than 20 percent). Cleared areas, such as trails, roads, tree throws and tree bases will be examined when available.

The entire project area must be investigated to an extent to ensure location of all sites. All landforms expected to contain sites will be subsurface tested (minimum of 30 cm diameter tests screened through ¼ inch mesh). Additional tests may be necessary to define site limits and larger tests may be needed to assess and/or evaluate sites. The test depths vary between less than 5 cm to over 30 cm depending on the area. An auger may also employed in some areas because of soil depth associated with flood plain deposits.

2.3 Copyright

The Contractor agrees to indemnify the U.S. Government against any claim of copyright infringement which may result by reason of publication, by the U.S. Government, of material in any report pertaining to the contract work submitted by the Contractor wherein any such previously printed material is not identified in the reports as copyrighted. The Contractor agrees that no rights at common law or inequity shall be asserted, and no claims to copyright by statute shall be established by the Contractor in any materials produced in the performance of this contract, and that all materials and deliverables become the property of the U.S. Government. The results of this project may be used for research and other reasonable and lawful purposes by U.S. Government and non-government agencies and individuals subject to prior written approval of the Forest Service.

2.4 Site Recording

A State of Georgia Archaeological Site Form (site form) will be completed for all new sites and a revisit form for all previously recorded sites in the project area.

Site definition to be used during survey should follow those defined in the Georgia Standards and Guidelines for Archaeological Surveys. An archaeological site must be at least 50 years old, and is characterized by any of the following criteria: 1) An area yielding three or more artifacts from the same broad cultural period (i.e., historic or prehistoric) on the surface within a 30-m radius; 2) A shovel test that produces two or more artifacts from the same broad cultural period, as long as the artifacts cannot be fitted together (i.e., they are not two pieces of the same artifact); 3) A shovel test that produces one artifact and at least one surface artifact from the same broad cultural period within a 20-m radius from that shovel test; or 4) An area with visible or historically-recorded cultural features (e.g., shell midden, cemetery, rockshelter, chimney fall, brick walls, piers, earthwork, rock pile, etc.). All sites are recorded on state site forms and located on 7.5’ USGS topographic maps.

Historic landscape features, including agricultural terraces, old road beds, and modern trash piles less than 50 years old are generally not considered sites.

An isolated find is defined using the guidelines provided in the Georgia Standards and Guidelines for Archaeological Surveys, and consists of no more than two historic or prehistoric artifacts found within a 30-meter radius. Isolated finds are, by definition, not considered eligible for listing on the NRHP. For cases where an isolated find is unique, and potentially may be considered eligible for inclusion in the NRHP, it should be defined as a site. Deposits of cultural artifacts that have no integrity, such as road fill, stream gravels, or other situations where artifacts clearly are re-deposited, also should be considered isolated finds.

When a site is located in the field it shall be recorded on a Georgia Archaeological Site Form. Visible surface remains and artifacts, local topographic features, and systematic shovel testing shall assist in determining the site extent, stratigraphy, integrity, and content. Site descriptions shall include maps showing the locations of shovel test pits, surface remains, topographic features such as large rocks, dirt roads, water drains or gullies; and site boundaries such as to aid in locating the site on the ground from the map and surface features. All features, surface remains, and shovel tests will be clearly labeled on site maps.

Historic sites may be identified by structural or landscaping remains such as chimney bases, eroded building outlines, foundation piers, graves, prospecting pits, ornamental plants, dams, quarries, and wells. The dimensions of raised house outlines shall be measured and sketch mapped with the placement of chimneys and other above ground features noted. These natural and cultural features shall be included on site maps. The presence of wood or other perishable materials will be noted in site descriptions.

All site boundaries shall be determined by shovel test units excavated in a cruciform pattern. This cruciform pattern may be laid out to follow the cardinal directions or in alignment with the natural landform. Intervals between shovel test units shall not exceed 10 m on sites 60 meters or less in diameter. The edge of a site will be defined when at least two negative shovel tests in a row are encountered or when a clearly recognizable and definable natural boundary occurs. Surface materials shall be treated as positive shovel tests and need not be excavated if subsoil clay is exposed. A modified shovel test grid may be used on sites greater than 60 meters in diameter. One base line of shovel test pits shall be excavated at 10 meter intervals through the center of the site along the highest elevation (ridge crest). Radial lines of shovel test pits at 10 meter intervals shall be excavated perpendicular to the base line every 30 meters. One of these radial lines shall cross the base line near the center of the site. All shovel test units, both site discovery and boundary definition units, shall be included on site maps.

The midpoint between the last positive shovel test and the first of the two negative tests shall constitute a boundary. Most sites will have roughly ovoid boundaries. Questions about appropriate systematic shovel testing procedures must be directed to the COR before completion of fieldwork, and any changes from the above described procedures must be approved in writing by the COR.

If the site extends outside of the project boundary but, on national forest lands, the Contractor shall continue surface and subsurface investigations to determine the overall site limits.

If an archaeological site extends onto private land, the Contractor shall make observations of surface remains and exposed surfaces, but the Contractor shall not excavate on or collect artifacts from private land unless prior permission is obtained by the Forest Service. The Contractor shall make an estimate of the site dimensions on private land from surface indications and topography.

There may be previously recorded cultural resources within the project area. The Contractor shall attempt to relocate all previously recorded sites using the same field methods as noted above for general field survey. However, if a previously recorded has been adequately defined in previous surveys, i.e., sufficient shovel tests were excavated to ensure overall site dimensions, components present, integrity, and potential for features, then additional shovel test excavations may not be required. The Contractor shall check with the COR to determine if the current site recording is adequate or if additional close order shovel testing will be needed. A new Georgia Archaeological Site Form (revisit form) shall be completed for each previously recorded site.

Site locations will be plotted with hand held Global Positioning System (GPS) units. Isolated finds may be denoted by one reading, while larger sites will need multiple readings to verify both location and extent.

For newly recorded sites, temporary field numbers will be assigned using a system developed by the Contractor. A copy of the site form for each site recorded or updated shall be delivered to the COR for review. The Forest Service shall examine the Contractors site forms and recommendations and make final determinations of National Register of Historic Places eligibility. If the COR finds the site forms unacceptable, then the COR will return the forms to the Contractor for correction. If the COR finds the form acceptable, a Forest Service site number will be assigned to the site and provided to the Contractor. The Contractor will then submit the final site form to the Georgia Archaeological Site Files to obtain an official state site number.

The Contractor shall be required to mark all newly recorded and previously recorded National Register eligible sites, sites with an undetermined National Register eligibility, and all historic period cemeteries. Red-and-white striped flagging tape will be used in marking the boundaries of sites. Marking shall be in such a manner that a person who has not previously seen the site can easily identify it. Site boundaries marked on the ground should correspond to the boundaries as mapped.

2.6 Collections Treatment.

All artifacts recovered from work performed under this contract shall be treated in accordance with 36 CFR 79.4. The Contractor shall provide for and bear all costs associated with the preparation of artifacts and records for permanent curation of all materials. The contractor is responsible for delivering the artifacts to the curation facility for permanent storage. The curatorial facility, which the contractor shall use for this contract, is the University of Georgia.

2.7 Ancillary Documents Disposition

All ancillary documents expressly associated with the conduct of this project, such as, but not limited to, field notes, maps, drawings, and photographs with negatives, shall become the property of the Forest Service along with the artifact collections. In accordance with 36 CFR 79.4, the Contractor shall provide temporary storage and maintenance for all records and artifacts collected during the course of the field research. Upon completion of the project, all ancillary documents will be curated with the collections.

2.8 Report Requirements

2.8.1 General

Overall, information on data review methods, survey methods, and laboratory methods employed and the results thereof, must be given. A specifically constructed model is not required, but a statement of the theoretical orientation pertinent to the project area must be addressed.

Names of Principal Investigator and all other personnel used in field and lab work must be given.

At a minimum, the report should include one high quality color photograph of each site recorded or revisited as a result of this project. Additional color photographs or reproductions, or measured drawings, as appropriate, shall be provided which show details of features, profiles, artifacts, or other evidence of human occupation to aid in the understanding of the site and to assist in assessing National Register eligibility. The report shall include color photographs of a representative sample of diagnostic or other interesting artifacts as appropriate.

All identified cultural resources shall be shown on a project base map using USGS topographic quad maps. Project maps shall be reproduced at a scale of 1:24,000. The scale shall be included on all maps and drawings. No foldout maps or pages larger than 8.5 x 11 inches shall be used in the report.

After fieldwork is completed, all recovered artifacts shall be cleaned and sorted. At a minimum, artifacts shall be analyzed by provenience unit and classified into raw material, technological, and functional categories based on accepted southeastern typologies and artifact classifications used in the project vicinity.

Individual site maps shall include both positive and negative shovel test pits. Site maps may be either color or black and white line drawings. GIS may be used to produce project maps; however, these maps shall be reproduced in color. Maps generated in GIS should include USGS topographic features such as contour lines. However, the green color overlay of the map shall be turned off to allow better view of the other map features. National forest lands should be white while private property should be shaded in transparent gray. Contact the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests Heritage Program Manager if there are questions or issues concerning GIS or other graphics.

Evaluate each cultural resources site and make a recommendation regarding its eligibility to the National Register of Historic Places using all criteria listed in 36 CFR 60.6, USDI-National Register Bulletin 15, and provide all appropriate site, feature, and artifact documentation needed to support a determination of eligibility. An eligibility recommendation of “Undetermined” may be made, with justification, when eligibility is inconclusive based on field observations. Where no further work is recommended the contractor shall give reasons for arriving at this conclusion. Similarly, where further work is recommended, it will not be adequate to write simply that the work is necessary. Recommendations should include statements about what information is to be expected to result from further research and why this information would be significant to the area's history or prehistory. These recommendations shall be framed as a series of research questions, which the data contained in the particular site, can possibly answer. In other words, National Register recommendations should be justified.

The report must meet acceptable standards of scholarship and professionalism as prescribed by the Society of American Archaeology (SAA), the 1906 Antiquities Act, and the Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979 (ARPA). It should adhere to the guidelines provided in the Georgia Archaeological Assessment Report Guidelines and Components (2004).

2.8.2 Title Page

The final report shall include on the title page the following items:

A. Report Title, include the following: scope of investigation (e.g. archaeological, archaeological & historical), type of investigation (e.g., background research, reconnaissance or intensive survey, mitigation), location of investigation (e.g. county & state)

B. Principal Investigator's name and signature

C. Name and address of company or institution of PI

D. Name and address of federal agency (Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests, 1755 Cleveland Road, Gainesville, GA 30501)

E. Name of author(s) if not the PI

F. Date of report (day, month & year) G. Forest Service Report Number (provided by Forest Service)

2.8.3 Management Summary

Give a summary of report's contents, including: location, research orientation, who conducted the work, level of survey and methods, any problems or constraints, findings, conclusions, recommendations, and any new information. A summary table listing all sites recorded or revisted by this survey should be provided. This table should include the following information: state site number, Forest Service site number, type of site, National Register eligibility, compartment location.

2.8.4 Body of the Report

The body of the report shall include the following items as a minimum and should adhere to guidelines provided in the Georgia Archaeological Assessment Report Guidelines and Components (2004).

A. Table of contents B. Introduction, including a definition of the area of potential effect.

C. Background, including a summary of the local environment, culture history, literature review and existing sources of information, and the research design.

D. Methods, including a summary of both field methods and laboratory methods and analysis.

E. Results and Site Descriptions

F. Recommendations

G. References

2.8.5 Appendices (as necessary)

A. Supporting Data (e.g., computer readouts)

B. Scope of Work (should be included in all reports)

C. Ancillary Studies (e.g., palynological report)

D. Proposal

E. Other

F. Vita (PI, author, and other primary contributors)

G. Georgia state site forms.

C.03 INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

3.1 Field Inspection

The Contractor shall be prepared to submit field notes, maps and all other data pertinent to this effort to the Forest Service Archeologist for inspection of adherence to acceptable archaeological standards within 24 hours of request. All notes will be legible and in English.

3.2 Report Review

A draft report will be submitted to the Forest Service within 180 days of contract award. This draft will be reviewed by the COR, and shall be submitted as three bound copies. Draft reports requiring extensive proof reading or lacking the minimum content required by the state standards and guidelines and this Scope of Work will be returned to the Contractor as unacceptable. Payment for the draft report shall not be processed until an acceptable document is received. The Contractor shall address all comments and concerns provided in writing by the Forest Service in the final report. Revised draft reports may be required, if substantial revisions are required as a result of the review of the draft report. The number of copies of any revised draft reports, when and if required, shall be determined by the COR. The Forest Service will review the draft report and comment within 30 calendar days. The Contractor will then have 10 days to make any necessary changes.

The Contractor shall submit ten bound copies of the final report and one unbound, camera-ready original (total of 11 copies). Three electronic copies of the final report in Portable Document File (PDF) file format shall be delivered to the COR.

SECTION E--INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

FAR 52.252-2 Clauses Incorporated by Reference (FEB 1998)

This contract incorporates one or more clauses by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. Also, the full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at this/these address(es):

www.arnet.gov/far/

FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION (48 CFR CHAPTER 1) CLAUSES

52.246-4 Inspection of Services--Fixed-Price (AUG 1996)

SECTION G--CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

AGAR 452.215-73 Post Award Conference (NOV 1996)

A post award conference with the successful offeror is required. It will be scheduled within 14 calendar days after the date of contract award. The conference will be held at the Conasauga Ranger District Office, Chatsworth, GA.

Payments Procedure

The Contractor shall be responsible for preparation and submission of invoice. It shall contain the Contract Number, Vendor Identification Number, company name and address, and the specific line items that are being billed.

Payment. Payment shall be made for work satisfactorily completed by the Contractor and accepted by the Contracting Officer. Payment percentages are:

The Contractor may submit monthly invoices with evidence of work completed for a prorated portion of the total percentage due at each stage of the project. Evidence for adequate completion of work will be an interim report that consists of the following: topographic maps at a 1:24,000 scale showing areas surveyed and sites recorded for the reporting period; written site descriptions with preliminary NRHP evaluations for the reporting period; sketch maps; and draft site forms.

SECTION H--SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

Equipment and Facilities

The Contractor must provide or demonstrate access to field and laboratory equipment necessary to conduct whatever operations are defined in this Statement of Work. The contractor must have adequate facilities necessary for proper treatment, analysis, and storage of specimens and records likely to be obtained from a given project awarded under this contract. This does not necessarily include such specialized facilities as pollen, geochemical, or radiological laboratories, but it does include facilities sufficient to properly preserve or stabilize specimens for any subsequent specialized analysis.

Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act Notification The contractor shall provide strict compliance with all Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) regulations as they apply to the inadvertent discovery of Native American human remains or cultural items.

Inadvertent Discovery Upon the inadvertent discovery of human remains, the contractor shall provide immediate telephone notification of the discovery to the Contracting Officer’s Representative. The contractor shall provide written confirmation of the inadvertent discovery to the Forest Archaeologist within five days of the discovery.

Tribal Consultation

The Forest Service will conduct all government-to-government tribal consultation. The contractor shall not be responsible for the identification and evaluation of traditional cultural properties or other areas of traditional cultural or religious importance to federally recognized Indian tribes.

AGAR 452.237-74 Key Personnel (FEB 1988)

(a) The Contractor shall assign to this contract the following key personnel: Project Manager

(b) During the first ninety (90) days of performance, the Contractor shall make no substitutions of key personnel unless the substitution is necessitated by illness, death, or termination of employment. The Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer within 15 calendar days after the occurrence of any of these events and provide the information required by paragraph (c) below. After the initial 90-day period, the Contractor shall submit the information required by paragraph (c) to the Contracting Officer at least 15 days prior to making any permanent substitutions.

(c) The Contractor shall provide a detailed explanation of the circumstances necessitating the proposed substitutions, complete resumes for the proposed substitutes, and any additional information requested by the Contracting Officer. Proposed substitutes should have comparable qualifications to those of the persons being replaced. The Contracting Officer will notify the Contractor within 15 calendar days after receipt of all required information of the decision on substitutions. The contract will be modified to reflect any approved changes of key personnel.

SECTION M--EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD

EVALUATION PROCEDURES AND BASIS FOR AWARD

Offerors are required to submit proposals that address the firm’s overall capacity and capability to perform the work described in the “Scope of Contract” of the RFP. The following factors will be used to evaluate proposals for award:

1) Experience in North Georgia and familiarity with upland survey strategies and archeological investigation

2) Experience and education of Principal Investigator and Field Investigator and key personnel (field, research, and lab personnel)

3) Firm’s resources, both physical and personnel, to conduct and complete project within the contract timeframe

The following information should be provided with your proposal:

· A description of how you intend to accomplish the objectives of the contract

· A summary of relevant experience and demonstrated ability to complete the required tasks

· Names and vitae for the Principal Investigator and all key personnel

· Completed Price Schedule The Contracting Officer will review all proposals to determine initial acceptability of the offeror’s proposals. This review will ensure that the proposals are complete, were prepared in accordance with the instructions, and meet all requirements set forth. If proposals are initially acceptable, a team will further evaluate the technical proposals. The team will evaluate the proposals using the evaluation factors listed above.

Award will be made to the most highly ranked offeror (1) whose total proposal is technically acceptable, and (2) whose past performance and technical/cost relationship presents the BEST VALUE and is the most advantageous to the Government.

Evaluation factors other than price, when combined, are more important than price in the award decision. Such evaluation factors may include the contractors past performance history and experience. The critical factor in making any cost/technical trade-off is not the spread between the technical scores but, rather, the significance of that difference. The significance of the spread of scores will be determined on the basis of what the difference might mean in terms of performance and what it would cost the Government to take advantage of it. Award may not necessarily be made for technical capabilities that would appear to exceed those needed for the successful performance of the work. The Government reserves the right to make cost/technical trade-offs that are in the best interest and advantageous to the Government.