AG-4D90-S-17-0020_Data_base.pdf

AG-4D90-S-17-0020

(i) This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. This acquisition for commercial items will be conducted using simplified procedures under FAR Part 13 and 13.5.

(ii) This solicitation number AG-4D90-S-17-0020 is issued as a Request for Proposal (RFQ), and the acquisition procedures at FAR Parts 12 and 15 are being utilized. A requirements type Firm-fixed price contract as defined by FAR 16.503, to include a base period of 1 year from the date of award is contemplated. The Government plans to make award without negotiations.

(iii) This solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-60, dated August 27, 2012.

(iv) This is a 100% SMALL BUSINESS SET ASIDE and the applicable NAICS code is 518210, Data Processing, Hosting and Related Services, which has a size standard of $32.50 million (average annual revenue).

Only quotes from small businesses will be considered. A size standard is the largest that a concern can be and still qualify as a small business for Federal Government programs. Size standards are the average annual receipts of a firm. How to calculate average annual receipts of a firm can be found in 13 CFR § 121.104. For more information on these size standards, please visit http://www.sba.gov/size.

Contracting Office Address Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Howard Stover, Contracting Officer 375 Jackson Street, Suite 600, St. Paul, MN 55101-1854

Responses are due by 08:00 a.m. Central Time, 6June 2017 at USDA-NRCS (Attn: Howard Stover), 375 Jackson Street, Suite 600, St Paul, MN 55101. Quotes may be submitted via hard copy only. Please submit four copies of the technical and price volumes.

Contact Howard Stover, Contracting Officer, e-mail Howard.Stover@wdc.usda.gov for information regarding this solicitation. No questions concerning this solicitation will be responded to after 15:00 pm 19 May 2017.

Performance Statement of Work

Executive summary: We propose working with a contractor in 2017 to develop a database that improves spot check efficiency. This database must meet NRCS policy, minimize variability in spot checking procedures, identify the most important vulnerabilities, and provide an effective tool for managers to understand and act upon the resulting data.

Definitions1:

• Action plan: a list of tasks (“corrective actions”) that need to be completed in order to fully address all deficiencies noted for a basin.

• As-built: data and drawings providing details on how a practice was actually installed, especially noting any deviations from how the practice was designed.

• Basin: an administrative unit of NRCS in Oregon, consisting of nine counties and usually eight or nine field offices. I.e. for the purposes of this document, “basin” refers to the “double basins.”

• Commendable: an instance in which a staff person, office or basin completed work that met all policy and exceeded expectations.

• Corrective action: a task that needs to be completed as part of an action plan.

1 More information on terms and processes is available in the Oregon Natural Resources Conservation Service Quality Assurance Guide (8 April 2014).

• CPA-52: a document used by NRCS to document compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act. A CPA-52 must be completed for every NRCS plan prior to beginning work. Also known as the “Environmental Evaluation Worksheet.”

• Deficiency: an instance in which a staff person, office or basin failed to meet policy.

• Design: a written set of instructions on how to implement a practice.

• District Conservationist: the NRCS staff person who manages an NRCS field office.

• External spot check: a review of practice instances completed by NRCS staff from a different basin.

• IDEA: a web-based database allowing staff to query practices planned and practices implemented. Also known as “Integrated Data for Enterprise Analysis.”

• Implementation: the completion of a planned practice.

• Internal spot check: a review of practice instances completed by staff from the same basin where the practices were implemented.

• Inventory and evaluation (I & E): documentation of why a practice is needed and feasible.

• Job approval authority (JAA): designation earned by individual staff documenting that they have sufficient knowledge, skills and abilities to complete tasks involved in planning, designing, and implementing practices. Staff can earn JAA from 1 through 5 for the Inventory and Evaluation, Design, or Implementation of specific practices. JAA 1 allows staff to complete simple tasks; JAA 5 allows staff to complete the most difficult tasks.

• Job class: a designation reflecting the difficulty of tasks involved in planning, designing, and implementing practices. Like JAA, job class is designated 1-5, with 1 reflecting simple tasks and 5 reflecting complex tasks.

• Job sheet: a document that serves as a practice design.

• NRCS standard: instructions for the minimum level of performance for a practice. Designs (and therefore job sheets) must meet all required elements of a standard.

• Planning: the process of staff working with clients to identify natural resource problems, develop alternative solutions, choosing an alternative and then implementing it.

• Practice instance: a practice that is implemented in a specific field on a specific date. There may be multiple practice instances in a given plan for a given year.

• Practice: a solution to a natural resource problem. Each practice has a name, a code and a standard.

• Plan: a collection of one or more practices identified by NRCS to address natural resource problems.

Also known as a “conservation plan.”

• Reviewer: a staff person who checks practice instances in a spot check.

• Skills matrix: a data base in which the Job Approval Authority for each staff person is recorded.

• Spot check policy: a set of agreed upon procedures for implementing spot checks.

• Spot check: a review of practice instances which examines whether the inventory and evaluation, design, and implementation were completed according to policy, noting whether any deficiencies or commendables were identified.

• Threatened and endangered (T & E) species: species of plants or animals that have been identified as at risk for extinction.

• Technical Service Provider: an individual certified as able to complete specific tasks in the planning, design and/or certification of a practice. Also known as “TSP.”

Current system: for several years, Oregon NRCS has used a system that starts with an Excel spreadsheet from which practice instances are selected for spot checking, then uses pdf fillable forms for spot checkers to complete, a Word document that provides information on key policy points to help checkers determine if deficiencies are present, and another Excel spreadsheet to track results showing which practice instance and whether they include a deficiencies and/or commendable items.

Problems to be solved:

1. Staff often do not understand how practices are selected for spot checking.

2. Policy requires specific targets for how many practice instances must be checked. Staff often express a lack of understanding of how the annual list of practices to check is generated.

3. Policy also requires specific targets for frequency of checking individual employees and field offices, yet the current process does not allow an efficient means of ensuring these targets are reached.

4. It is inefficient to transfer data from a spreadsheet to a pdf and then back to a spreadsheet.

5. It is inefficient to use a separate Word document as a reference for policy.

6. It is inefficient to look up job classes for practices using a separate document or the Skills Matrix.

7. It is inefficient to look up Job Approval Authority for employees using the Skills Matrix.

8. There is lack of uniformity in how spreadsheets are developed, which causes problems in communicating which practices will be checked when and by whom.

9. The final results are a simple list of action items which do not lend themselves easily to analyzing strengths and weaknesses.

10. Comparisons between years (i.e. are problems recurring or being solved) are not easily tracked.

Desired functionality:

1. Accept data downloaded from IDEA.

2. Accept data downloaded from the Skills Matrix.

3. Allow selection of practice instances to check (possibly automate this task?)

4. Spot check form:

a. Allow spot checkers to generate a fillable spot check form they can complete for each practice instance to be checked.

b. Identify whether the spot check was internal or external.

c. Allow spot checkers to enter data into the form manually (i.e. without IDEA data) for internal spot checks.

d. Auto-populate the spot check forms for external spot checks using data downloaded from IDEA into the database. For example, after selecting a practice instance in the form, all applicable IDEA data (client name, contract number, county, basin, program, tract, field, practice name, practice code) will auto-populate into the form.

e. Allow for an option for “other” codes (i.e. a catch-all code for practices that are not on the list).

f. Allow for employee name to be selected or entered manually.

g. Auto-populate the spot check forms with current Job Approval Authority after selecting the practice and the employee being checked.

h. Allow for manual population of Job Approval Authority when employee names are entered manually.

i. Allow for common deficiencies to be selected from a drop down list, but also allow for other deficiencies to be entered manually. There may be more than one deficiency per practice instance.

j. Allow for common commendable items to be selected from a drop down list. (Note: using common deficiencies and commendables allows for data to be more easily analyzed. For example, this graph shows the three most common deficiencies in the Lower Willamette Basin in FY16. Or, this graph shows improvement over the last three years in job approval authority deficiencies in the Snake River Basin.

k. Auto-populate a reference to appropriate policy for each common deficiency selected.

l. Allow data entered into the form to upload into the database.

m. Allow field staff and management to respond to deficiencies using the database

n. Allow field staff and management to develop action items and completion timelines for each deficiency.

o. Allow field staff and management to mark action items as “not started,” “in process” and

“completed.”

5. Produce the following reports (filtered by office, basin or state):

a. Practices checked (by name and code), including totals.

b. Detailed comments from form for each contract checked.

c. Action items for a basin (including narratives), sorted by office.

d. Commendables for a basin (including narratives), sorted by office.

e. Table showing all staff in rows and years in columns, noting which staff were checked in which years.

f. Graph of deficiencies by type (e.g. lack of JAA, lack of proper certification documentation).

g. Graph of commendables by type (e.g. excellent technical notes, thorough certification documentation).

h. Graph comparing number and types of deficiencies to previous years.

i. Graph comparing number and types of commendables to previous years.

The provision at 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors—Commercial, applies to this acquisition. The following addenda also apply. Offerors must read and follow these additional instructions to receive consideration.

1. System for Award Management (SAM) Registration In order to comply with the Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996, all Contractors must be registered in the System for Award Management, or SAM (formerly Central Contractor Registration (CCR)) and Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA)) prior to award of a Federal Contract.

However, due to the need to promptly award a contract after receipt of proposals, registration in SAM, to include completion of the Representations and Certifications, and having a status of “Active” is required BEFORE submitting an offer. For information regarding registration visit www.sam.gov. Successful offerors and their employees will also be required to provide a completed/signed NRCS Conservation Cooperator Certification as described in the PWS after award is made.

2. Technical Proposal and Past Performance Information Offerors should submit resumes, curricula vitae, and/or a written narrative that thoroughly addresses all three (3) non-price evaluation factors listed in Section (ix) below. The narrative should be supported by evidence that gives credibility to the statements made by the offeror and in turn gives the Government http://www.sam.gov/ enough information to understand and gain confidence in what the offeror is stating. There is no limit on the length of the narrative, but it should be of a reasonable length and well supported.

3. Price Proposal Submit unit and extended pricing for each Contract Line Item Number (CLIN) listed in (v) above.

Pricing must be provided for every CLIN.

4. Certification at FAR 52.209-7 Information Regarding Responsibility Matters and the Certification at AGAR 452.209–70 (Representation by Corporations Regarding an Unpaid Delinquent Tax Liability or a Felony Conviction.)

The offeror must complete the two certifications by reading and checking the appropriate box(s). A copy of the text of the two provisions can be found in Section (xiii) below and as a separate attachment to this notice. Complete the certification using the attachment related to this notice.

5. Copies of Proposal Four copies of the proposal technical/past performance and price proposal are required to be submitted.

Also include the certifications referenced in paragraph 4 above. Offers can be submitted by mail. No faxed and emailed proposals will be accepted.

FAR provision 52.212-2, Evaluation-Commercial Items applies to this solicitation as follows.

(a) The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The following factors shall be used to evaluate offers:

(1) Technical Evaluation Factors: Offerors whose proposals show that they meet the foregoing minimum requirements shall be evaluated on the basis of the following technical factors which are listed in descending order of importance, with the combination of all such technical factors significantly more important than price:

• Proven project experience with security hardening to meet federal standards.

• A minimum of five years’ experience with building and maintaining data-driven forms.

• A minimum of five years’ experience with the configuration and application of multiuser environments.

• Capacity to provide 24/7 technical support during application development and a minimum of seven months following deployment.

• A minimum of five years’ experience with developing, deploying, and maintaining WordPress site.

• Proven experience with exporting advanced and configurable PDF reports from imported data.

• Proven project experience with mapping and geographical-based development.

• A minimum of 10 years’ of operation as a web / IT development agency.

(2) Past performance – Evaluation of past performance on contracts with respect to cost control, quality of work, and compliance with performance schedules.

(3) Price Factor The overall cost to the NRCS is an important factor, but for this acquisition is significantly less important than the technical factors and past performance, when combined.

(End of provision)

The clause at 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions—Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition and there are no addenda.

The clause at 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required To Implement Statutes or Executive Orders— Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition and the following additional FAR clauses cited in the clause are applicable to this acquisition.

(b)

(1) 52.203-6, Restrictions on Subcontractor Sales to the Government (Sept 2006), with Alternate I (Oct 1995) (41

U.S.C. 253g and 10 U.S.C. 2402).

(4) 52.204-10, Reporting Executive Compensation and First-Tier Subcontract Awards (Feb 2012) (Pub.

L. 109-282)

(31 U.S.C. 6101 note).

(6) 52.209-6, Protecting the Government’s Interest When Subcontracting with Contractors Debarred, Suspended, or Proposed for Debarment. (Dec 2010) (31 U.S.C. 6101 note).

(7) 52.209-9, Updates of Publicly Available Information Regarding Responsibility Matters (Feb 2012) (41 U.S.C.

2313).

(8) 52.209-10, Prohibition on Contracting with Inverted Domestic Corporations (section 740 of Division C of Pub. L.

111-117, section 743 of Division D of Pub. L. 111-8, and section 745 of Division D of Pub. L.

110-161).

(12) 52.219-6, Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside (Nov 2011) (15 U.S.C. 644).

(14) 52.219-8, Utilization of Small Business Concerns (Jan 2011) (15 U.S.C. 637(d)(2) and (3)).

(17) 52.219-14, Limitations on Subcontracting (Nov 2011) (15 U.S.C. 637(a)(14)).

(23) 52.219-28, Post Award Small Business Program Re-representation (APR 2009)

(26) 52.222-3, Convict Labor (JUN 2003)

(27) 52.222-19, Child Labor--Cooperation with Authorities and Remedies (AUG 2009)

(28) 52.222-21, Prohibition of Segregated Facilities (FEB 1999).

(29) 52.222-26, Equal Opportunity (MAR 2007)

(30) 52.222-35, Equal Opportunity for Veterans (Sep 2010)(38 U.S.C. 4212).

(31) 52.222-36, Affirmative Action for Workers with Disabilities (Jun 1998)

(32) 52.222-37, Employment Reports on Veterans (Sep 2010) (38 U.S.C. 4212).

(33) 52.222-40, Notification of Employee Rights Under the National Labor Relations Act (Dec 2010) (E.O. 13496).

(34) 52.222-54, Employment Eligibility Verification (Jul 2012). (Executive Order 12989).

(38) 52.223-18, Encouraging Contractor Policies to Ban Text Messaging While Driving (Aug 2011)

(E.O. 13513).

(42) 52.225-13, Restrictions on Certain Foreign Purchases (JUN 2008)

(47) 52.232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer - Central Contractor Registration (OCT 2003)

(c)

(1) 52.222-41, Service Contract Act of 1965 (NOV 2007)

See wage determinations attached to this notice which the individual counties covered in each determination.

(2) 52.222-42, Statement of Equivalent Rates for Federal Hires

(3) 52.222-43, Fair Labor Standards Act and Service Contract Act—Price Adjustment (Multiple Year and Option

Contracts) (Sep 2009)

Additional contract requirement(s) or terms and conditions (such as contract financing arrangements or warranty requirements) determined by the Contracting Officer to be necessary for this acquisition and consistent with customary commercial practices. The following additional Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and Agriculture Acquisition Regulation (AGAR) clauses and provisions apply to this solicitation and any resultant contract award.

FAR clauses and provisions can be found at https://www.acquisition.gov/far/current/html/FARTOCP52.html#wp372482. AGAR clauses and provisions can be found at http://www.da.usda.gov/procurement/policy/agar.html. Fill-in’s, as required, are provided with the provisions and clauses below.

Provisions 52.209-7 Information Regarding Responsibility Matters.

(a) Definitions. As used in this provision— “Administrative proceeding” means a non-judicial process that is adjudicatory in nature in order to make a determination of fault or liability (e.g., Securities and Exchange Commission Administrative Proceedings, Civilian Board of Contract Appeals Proceedings, and Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals Proceedings). This includes administrative proceedings at the Federal and State level but only in connection with performance of a Federal contract or grant. It does not include agency actions such as contract audits, site visits, corrective plans, or inspection of deliverables.

“Federal contracts and grants with total value greater than $10,000,000” means—

(1) The total value of all current, active contracts and grants, including all priced options; and

(2) The total value of all current, active orders including all priced options under indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity, 8(a), or requirements contracts (including task and delivery and multiple-award Schedules).

“Principal” means an officer, director, owner, partner, or a person having primary management or supervisory responsibilities within a business entity (e.g., general manager; plant manager;

head of a division or business segment; and similar positions).

(b) The offeror [ ] has [ ] does not have (check one) current active Federal contracts and grants with total value greater than $10,000,000.

(c) If the offeror checked “has” in paragraph (b) of this provision, the offeror represents, by submission of this offer, that the information it has entered in the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS) is current, accurate, and complete as of the date of submission of this offer with regard to the following information:

(1) Whether the offeror, and/or any of its principals, has or has not, within the last five years, in connection with the award to or performance by the offeror of a Federal contract or grant, been the subject of a proceeding, at the Federal or State level that resulted in any of the following dispositions:

(i) In a criminal proceeding, a conviction.

(ii) In a civil proceeding, a finding of fault and liability that results in the payment of a monetary fine, penalty, reimbursement, restitution, or damages of $5,000 or more.

(iii) In an administrative proceeding, a finding of fault and liability that results in—

(A) The payment of a monetary fine or penalty of $5,000 or more; or

(B) The payment of a reimbursement, restitution, or damages in excess of $100,000.

(iv) In a criminal, civil, or administrative proceeding, a disposition of the matter by consent or compromise with an acknowledgment of fault by the Contractor if the proceeding could have led to any of the outcomes specified in paragraphs (c)(1)(i), (c)(1)(ii), or (c)(1)(iii) of this provision.

(2) If the offeror has been involved in the last five years in any of the occurrences listed in (c)(1) of this provision, whether the offeror has provided the requested information with regard to each occurrence.

(d) The offeror shall post the information in paragraphs (c)(1)(i) through (c)(1)(iv) of this provision in FAPIIS as required through maintaining an active registration in the Central Contractor Registration database via https://www.acquisition.gov (see 52.204-7).

(End of provision)

AGAR 452.209-70 REPRESENTATION BY CORPORATIONS REGARDING AN UNPAID

DELINQUENT TAX LIABILITY OR A FELONY CONVICTION (DEVIATION 2012-01) (FEB 2012)

(a) Awards made under this solicitation are subject to the provisions contained in the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2012 (P.L. No.

112-55), Division A, Sections 738 and 739 regarding corporate felony convictions and corporate Federal tax delinquencies. To comply with these provisions, all offerors must complete paragraph (1) of this representation, and all corporate offerors also must complete paragraphs (2) and (3) of this representation.

(b) The Offeror represents that –

(1) The Offeror is [ ], is not [ ] (check one) an entity that has filed articles of incorporation in one of the fifty states, the District of Columbia, or the various territories of the United States including American Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Midway Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, Republic of Palau, Republic of the Marshall Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands. (Note that this includes both for-profit and non-profit organizations.)

If the Offeror checked “is” above, the Offeror must complete paragraphs (2) and (3) of the representation. If Offeror checked “is not” above, Offeror may leave the remainder of the representation blank.

(2)

(i) The Offeror has [ ], has not [ ] (check one) been convicted of a felony criminal violation under Federal or State law in the 24 months preceding the date of offer.

(ii) The Offeror has [ ], has not [ ] (check one) had any officer or agent of Offeror convicted of a felony criminal violation for actions taken on behalf of Offeror under Federal or State law in the 24 months preceding the date of offer.

(3) The Offeror does [ ], does not [ ] (check one) have any unpaid Federal tax liability that has been assessed, for which all judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted or have lapsed, and that is not being paid in a timely manner pursuant to an agreement with the authority responsible for collecting the tax liability.

(End of provision)

Clauses

52.217-8 Option to Extend Services (Nov. 1999) The Government may require continued performance of any services within the limits and at the rates specified in the contract. These rates may be adjusted only as a result of revisions to prevailing labor rates provided by the Secretary of Labor. The option provision may be exercised more than once, but the total extension of performance hereunder shall not exceed 6 months. The Contracting Officer may exercise the option by written notice to the Contractor within 30 calendar days.

(End of clause)

AGAR 452.209-71 ASSURANCE REGARDING FELONY CONVICTION OR TAX DELINQUENT

STATUS FOR CORPORATE APPLICANTS

(a) This award is subject to the provisions contained in the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2012, P.L. No. 112-55, Division A, Sections 738 and 739 regarding corporate felony convictions and corporate Federal tax delinquencies.

Accordingly, by accepting this award the Contractor acknowledges that it –

(1) does not have a tax delinquency, meaning that it is not subject to any unpaid Federal tax liability that has been assessed, for which all judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted or have lapsed, and that is not being paid in a timely manner pursuant to an agreement with the authority responsible for collecting the tax liability, and

(2) has not been convicted (or had an officer or agent acting on its behalf convicted) of a felony criminal violation under any Federal or State law within 24 months preceding the award, unless a suspending and debarring official of the United States Department of Agriculture has considered suspension or debarment of the awardee, or such officer or agent, based on these convictions and/or tax delinquencies and determined that suspension or debarment is not necessary to protect the interests of the Government.

(b) If the awardee fails to comply with these provisions, the NRCS may terminate this contract for default and may recover any funds the awardee has received in violation of sections 738 or 739.

(End of Clause)

452.224-70 CONFIDENTIALITY OF INFORMATION (FEB 1988)

(a) Confidential information, as used in this clause, means --

(1) information or data of a personal nature, proprietary about an individual, or (2) information or data submitted by or pertaining to an organization.

(b) In addition to the types of confidential information described in (a)(1) and (2) above, information which might require special consideration with regard to the timing of its disclosure may derive from studies or research, during which public disclosure of primarily invalidated findings could create an erroneous conclusion which might threaten public health or safety if acted upon.

(c) The Contracting Officer and the Contractor may, by mutual consent, identify elsewhere in this contract specific information and/or categories of information which the Government will furnish to the Contractor or that the Contractor is expected to generate which is confidential. Similarly, the Contracting Officer and the Contractor may, by mutual consent, identify such confidential information from time to time during the performance of the contract. Failure to agree will be settled pursuant to the "Disputes" clause.

(d) If it is established that information to be utilized under this contract is subject to the Privacy Act, the Contractor will follow the rules and procedures of disclosure set forth in the Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C. 552a, and implementing regulations and policies, with respect to systems of records determined to be subject to the Privacy Act.

(e) Confidential information, as defined in (a)(1) and (2) above, shall not be disclosed without the prior written consent of the individual, institution or organization.

(f) Written advance notice of at least 45 days will be provided to the Contracting Officer of the Contractor's intent to release findings of studies or research, which have the possibility of adverse effects on the public or the Federal agency, as described in (b) above. If the Contracting Officer does not pose any objections in writing within the 45 day period, the Contractor may proceed with disclosure.

Disagreements not resolved by the and Contracting Officer will be settled pursuant to the "Disputes" clause.

(g) Whenever the Contractor is uncertain with regard to the proper handling of material under the contract, or if the material in question is subject to the Privacy Act or is confidential information subject to the provisions of this clause, the Contractor shall obtain a written determination from the Contracting Officer prior to any release, disclosure, dissemination, or publication.

(h) The provisions of paragraph (e) of this clause shall not apply when the information is subject to conflicting or overlapping provisions in other Federal, State or local laws.

(End of Clause)

END OF SOLICITATION