pre_bid_conference_notes_6_10_10.doc

Pre-bid Conference / Teleconference June 10, 2010

Solicitation No. AG-84N8-S-10-0005

GIS Data Services

Notes from 10am and 1pm meeting, by Felicia Acrea, GISP, BMO Program Specialist, and Chris Hansen, Purchasing Agent.

Introduction: Leslie Corpening, Stu Gregory GSTC/UASC Attendees: Leslie Corpening, Stu Gregory, Felicia Acrea, Chris Hansen, Jim Duncan, Carmelita Hall Leslie: Overall Architect-Engineering (A&E) contracting process. Architecture and Engineering procurements do not use price as an evaluation factor for award in accordance with the Brooks Act and FAR 36.6. SF-330’s are submitted in response to our announcement on FedBizOpps.gov, providing offers’ the opportunity to submit a current SF-330. The evaluation of the SF-330’s will be based on technical merit only, not cost. No price/cost are to be submitted with the SF-330’s. The A&E evaluation board will evaluate the SF-330’s against the evaluation criteria provided in the announcement. The evaluation criteria are listed on FedBizOpps, in descending order of importance. Key personnel will be identified. The Brooks Act requires ranking by technical merit. The Government will select at least three vendors (there could be more than three) in accordance with FAR 36.6 who are rated and ranked technically highest for the technical discussions (the second round of technical evaluations). Those who do not make it through the first round of evaluations are out. All offerors will be notified at that time whether or not they are on the short list. Those on the short list will be provided a copy of the solicitation, along with instructions for the technical discussions. No solicitation will be posted on FedBizOpps.gov. Second round is again ranked by technical merit only, not price. For the technical discussions, pricing will not be requested. After the second round of technical evaluations, those offerors likely to be awarded the contract will be requested to submit a price proposal. This will include unit pricing from Section B of the solicitation along with the cost/price supporting documentation. The supporting documentation is required as there is not competition for pricing to determine the price fair and reasonable in accordance with FAR 15.401; this will include overhead, G&A, profit, etc. This is proprietary and will not be shared or made public. If there is not agreement on pricing, the negotiations will be cancelled and the next technically highest ranked offeror will be asked to submit a price proposal. The Government intends to multi-award the contract, but retains the right to award to a single offeror. The number will be determined to be in the best interest of the Government. Debriefings will be held post award due to the award process. The contract is IDIQ (indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity) with fixed unit pricing. After award, the task orders will be issued.

Regarding Small Business questions, according to FAR part 19.10 Small Business Demonstration Program, USDA is prohibited from setting aside for small businesses. If you are an ‘other than small business’, then you must submit an acceptable small business subcontracting plan. No zero percent in any category will be accepted by the SBA. The time frame for this contract is SF-330s are due June 24 2010. The procurement process for A&E is not less than six months from the date of announcement in FedBizOpps.gov. Regarding PIV (personal identification verification), all contractors must pass background check.

Stu: Identified incorrect passcode for call-in participants. If attending via phone, please send email to Leslie for attendance rolls. At GSTC, there are currently 6 on-site positions: 4 web developers, 1 graphic designer, and 1 web hosting administrator. All other positions expected to be within the National Forest Service offices. Open to adding more positions at GSTC. Typically these are not permanent, although some are hired at other offices. Other work can be done at contractor’s site. All work is based on task orders (at GSTC they are blanket, based on services, as needed basis). Other Forests would develop SOW with their own needs. The positions currently in place at GSTC are those that are needed immediately.

Leslie: For those that do not have the current contract, how to they provide immediate contractors? It was suggested that offerors provide their plan for staffing. Regarding retention of current contractors, since they are not Government employees, the Government cannot required the “right of first refusal” similar to an A-76 procurement. All individuals submitted on the offerors’ SF-330s must be on staff for the contract. Exceptions are those individuals who leave the offerors’ employment, at which time the offeror must provide the Government with the qualifications of the replacement and the Government must approve the replacement.

Stu: Regarding key personnel, currently at GSTC the key personnel are: GIS Analyst, GIS Specialist, Sr Geospatial Application Developer, Geospatial Application Developer, Cartographer, and Graphic Designer.

Any additional technical questions must be submitted in writing to Leslie Corpening no later than Thursday, June 17.

Any additional contracting questions must be submitted to Leslie Corpening up until closing time at 4:00 PM, local time, on June 24, 2010.

Begin answering questions below:

General

1. Is the work outlined in the SOW currently being conducted under contract?

a. 90% is; GCDB is not currently but may become.

2. How much money has been obligated under the current contract?

a. 2005, 2.2m

b. 2006, 2.9m

c. 2007, 3.7m

d. 2008, 3.3m

e. 2009, 3.1m

f. 2010 1.4m so far

3. Is the Government looking for only those offeror's that can provide 100% of the support described in the SOW?

a. It depends. If providing a subcontractor, vendor must define how QA and supervision is handled. Offerors were reminded that the Government will award based on the best value to the Government. Offerors that are technically ranked the highest will be the only ones that will be considered for award.

4. Which labor categories are the most common and most needed? Of the 15 categories mentioned, which ones will account for the majority of the anticipated task orders?

a. See key personnel identification above.

5. Some positions are “off-site” and some are “on-site,” but the SOW does not make a distinction on the two. Please clarify which are to be “off-site” and which are to be “on-site.”

a. Clarified earlier, revisit: those contractors onsite at GSTC are fulltime. Any other FS office with contractors are considered onsite (may be more temporary in nature). Offsite is at vendor facility.

6. What do you anticipate the percentage of time required for staff members to be on-site versus off-site?

a. Answered via #5.

7. For on-site positions, it is noted they will be at GSTC facility or other FS requesting units. What other units are likely to originate task orders? Will on-site work at these other units be per job, or for a year at a time, or how will they be solicited?

a. Each Region/many Forests (not all) have used contract. Unknown at this time which Forest will want to use the contract for something. Task orders will typically be firm-fixed price.

8. On a potential project can the contracting company influence whether the work is done on-site or off-site?

a. Everything is negotiable. GSTC may direct some.

9. Are on-site positions expected to be full-time, or as-needed based upon the task order?

a. Answered via #5, #6.

10. How many incumbent staff is currently on-site at GSTC?

a. 6 contractor’s onsite.

11. With regards to the on-site/off-site personnel, do these activities focus on primary and secondary base series updates?

a. Currently not; mostly web mapping.

12. What is the expected duration and range of duration in days of contractor personnel working on-site at GSTC under this contract?

a. Full time. Current contractors can choose under 6 months, or over 6 months duration. Also depends on task order.

13. Since some on-site positions will be at as-yet-unknown locations, how can we get resumes and fill positions (when we don’t know the on-site locations)?

a. Provide a plan to support this need.

14. If multiple awarded, will both [all] awardees have on-site presence at GSTC?

a. More than likely one would.

15. Are respondent’s part of an exclusive list for subsequent task orders or are other contracting actions anticipated?

a. Stu - No intent of going through this again. GSTC plans to award and use the award for tasks. Leslie – remember fair opportunity. The minimum guarantee mitigates risk of not getting all task orders. There are some limits to fair opportunity; if someone is not available or not capable for some reason. There are costs incurred for consistently competing, so agreement will be made with awardees to be fair. Normally a task order is for only 1 year, so that pricing can be changed ie for inflation.

16. Is this a replacement contract or does it complement existing services?

a. This is a replacement contract. We have previously had two five-year cycles. Individuals on this contract have been here from 3-5 years.

17. Is there a deadline after which no more questions can be asked?

a. For technical questions, deadline is June 17, 2010. Any other questions can be asked of Leslie up until June 24, 2010.

18. Is there an incumbent? If so, then who?

a. Yes, Tetra Tech, Photo Science

19. Is the Government happy with the current contractors’ performance?

a. Yes.

20. Can the resulting contract be used by state DOFs or other departments within USDA?

a. Previously other departments/agencies have used this, but now the contract is written specifically for the needs of the FS. If another dept/agency had the same needs for the same capacity, then it could possibly be used by them. As long as the USFS remains first priority.

21. Will vendors attending the pre-bid conference call be distributed?

a. A list of today’s attendees will be posted to FedBizOpps.

22. Please reconsider the due date of the SF-330s.

a. There is no plan to change the due date.

Contracting

1. Is this being set aside for small business?

a. A & E cannot be set-aside for small business in accordance with FAR 19.10 (Small Business Demonstration Program).

2. What type of contract will this be (i.e., firm-fixed price, IDIQ, time & materials)?

a. Contract will be IDIQ, each task order will be firm fixed price

3. Is the SF-330 the only submission of team qualifications that the Forest Service will base its decision on the award of the contract?

a. The SF-330 is the first step, 2nd round will be technical discussions held during face to face meeting. At this point these meetings will be held at GSTC.

4. Is the SF-330 an intermediary step (down select) process?

a. Down select – in accordance with the Brooks Act and FAR 36.6

5. Is this a one-year contract or a five-year contract with one-year time extensions?

a. Base (1 year) + 4 one-year option years.

6. How many task orders are anticipated through the period of performance?

a. The current incumbent’s have been issued approximately 30-50 Task Orders each year, including modifications.

7. What is the timeframe in years for relevant project profiles?

a. The more current the better. The past 3-5 years rank higher; otherwise, no limit has been put on this evaluation criteria

8. Are deliverables on a task order by task order basis?

a. Yes

9. Is this a standard Brooks Act SF-330 procurement?

a. Yes

10. Please define the small business goals for this procurement.

a. There are no specific small business goals. Proposal must include a small business subcontracting plan

11. Please provide the selection criteria.

a. They are provided on the last page of the Statement of Work in Fed Biz Opps. They are listed in descending order of importance.

12. Previously, this contract was multi-awarded to two companies. Is this solicitation multiple or single award?

a. Our intention at this time is to multiple award

13. What is required to be submitted on June 24, 2010 – anything in addition to the SF-330s?

a. Only the SF-330’s- no pricing

14. What time are the SF-330s due on June 24, 2010?

a. 4:00 PM local Mountain time. No faxes will be accepted

15. Is there a limit on the number of pages? Number of resumes?

a. 6 copies are required. CD’s are a nicety, but not required. There is no limit on the number of pages or resumes, but offerors are encouraged to submit only relevant information

16. Are there any estimated quantitative parameters associated with the procurement such as number of projects, number of years or dollar ceiling to the procurement, estimated number of people required, and number of on-site versus off-site personnel?

a. Previously answered

17. In Section E of the SF-330, is it okay to submit a resume for an individual that is a consultant and note it there?

a. List all who will be working on this contract, including consultants, and list them as such. Yes, it is okay to submit a resume for a consultant, but be sure that you indicate that it is a consultant.

18. Should Quality Assurance be addressed in Section H or as an attachment?

a. Address in Section H, or note in Section H if it is an attachment

19. Is there a specific length that Section H should be?

a. No length has been specified

20. Is there a specific font type and/or size of font desired?

a. Not specified, it just needs to be readable

21. Is there a page size limitation (8 ½ x 11, etc)?

a. 8 ½ x 11 standard, however, if there are pages that need to be larger to be able to read them, they can be on larger pages, and folded into the proposal

22. Are graphic insertions acceptable within project profiles or Section H?

a. Only include what is pertinent to this SOW

23. Can one person fulfill the requirements for multiple SOW personnel qualifications?

a. Yes, if they have the qualifications

24. Will the Government allow for a separate Executive Summary to support the SF-330?

a. We are not prohibiting an Executive Summary

25. Is the Government looking for one contractor that can provide all of the services as opposed to assembling a group of companies?

a. Previously answered – the Government will award based on the best value to the Government. In addition, only those offerors that are technically ranked the highest will be considered for award.

26. Can an offeror submit an SF-330 with the intent of offering on a single or couple of the procurement requirements?

a. Yes, keep in mind, we are looking for the highest technically ranked firm(s)

27. Are price proposals due on June 24, 2010?

a. No, pricing will be asked for from the short list, at a later date

28. Once a short list has been developed, how will cost eventually fit in with other evaluation factors? (e.g., how will it be weighed relative to the other evaluation factors?)

a. Pricing is not an evaluation factor- it will not be weighed against the technical evaluation factors. Prices will be deemed fair and reasonable separately from the technical evaluation factors.

29. Cost proposal – is that to be provided to the proposers?

a. We will ask for cost & pricing from the short list. When requested, the offeror will submit the unit prices in Section B of the solicitation; as well as cost/price supporting documentation.

30. Is on-site and off-site pricing required?

a. Yes, there should be a difference between on-site & off-site pricing

31. Will pricing reference the responder’s GSA schedules?

a. This has nothing to do with GSA pricing, however it can be used to support cost & pricing.

32. Is there a solicitation available at this time?

a. No, the solicitation will be sent to those on the short list & it will be sent to the individually

33. How many awards will be made, and will awardees be associated with specific USFS regions’ task orders?

a. At this time we intend to award to more than one company. The 2 incumbents are currently divided geographically. Our intention is to follow that current set up, but will make the decision based upon the needs at the time of contract award.

Technical

1. For the off-site work, does the Government envision a requirement for higher level licensing, such as ArcINFO and/or ArcSDE?

a. FS expects ArcINFO license availability and expects ArcSDE expertise.

2. Who are the key personnel?

a. GIS Specialist, GIS Analyst, Sr Geospatial Application Developer, Geospatial Application Developer, Graphic Designer, Cartographer, Geospatial Data Manager.

3. For the labor categories where a degree is required, can experience be substituted for education?

a. Yes. If providing a subcontractor, vendor must define how QA and supervision is handled.

4. During evaluation, how much emphases will there be on showing the qualifications for photogrammetry and remote sensing, if any?

a. Photogrammetry and RS are not an emphasis for this contract. They are mentioned in the SOW to allow for potential blending of technologies.

5. Will the locality of the offeror’s offices figure into the evaluation factors?

a. No.

6. What is the expected response time required for on-site staffing?

a. We want these contractors in place within 60 days of award.

7. How many project profiles are desired?

a. For technical evaluation criteria, past performance and prior experience should be pertinent and current. SF330 expects 10 but be sure they are current. A vendor can’t be kicked out if no experience, but will be given neutral rating, and will not rank as high as others with pertinent expertise.

8. What labor categories are most frequently used?

a. Answered in #2.

9. How many positions were used within each labor category?

10. Which other units are most likely to issue task orders?

11. Are there any pending task orders or sample projects looming that will indicate the type of work to be tasked out?

a. See list of sample projects at end of notes (Stu).

12. What is the best solution mix for the USFS for application development projects (on-site versus off-site hybrid)?

a. Web development is onsite at GSTC. Most other applications (ie workflows, GDB) are offsite (vendors’ offices).

13. How many positions currently on-site might require re-badging?

a. Six.

14. There appears to be a typo in the desired qualifications for the GIS analyst. The first bullet reads:

· MS/MA degree in Geography, Geodetic Sciences, or a GIS related field in the biological, physical, or environmental sciences.

It appears that his bullet is meant for the Geospatial Training Developer/Instructor and the GIS analyst.

GSTC will correct this on posted 5.6 Descriptions of Services and Personnel Qualifications.

Attendees

Remmet deGroot, URS Corporation, SLC UT, (801) 904-4020

Marci Cary, International GIS, Inc., Durango CO, (970) 769-2789

Valerie Porter, URS Corporation, SLC UT, (801) 904-4060

Ty Howard, SES, (801) 528-5180

Doug Stewart, CSG, (970) 282-7333

Cynthia Tyler, URS, (801) 904-4070

Kevin Sears, Vistronix, (617) 733-7549

Jason Caldwell, Sanborn, (719) 264-5547

Bob Hickey, Photo Science, (610) 344-0890

Brad Weigle, Photo Science, (727) 421-7019

Andy Bury, Tetra Tech, (425) 482-7877

Deb Grieco, Allpoints GIS, (303) 324-2955

Bob Bissell, SAIC, Robert.W.Beissell@SAIC.com

Tim Rogan, L-3 Communications, tim.rogan@L-3com.com Kendis Schorenbrach, Pro-West & Associates, Kschraren@prowestgis.com, (218) 547-3374

Brian Sovik, AMEC, brian.sovik@amec.com, (623) 203-0949

Ian Hanou, AMEC, ian.hanou@amec.com, (303) 503-4846

Mark Finco, Red Castle Resources

Layton Hobbs, Woolpert, Layton.hobbs@woolpert.com Dru Damico, GIS Utah, dru@sedgwickmg.com Jason Wolf, GIS Utah, Jason@sedgwickmg.com Beth Peterson, WorldView Solution Inc., Richmond VA, (804) 915-7628

Mary Jean Schmitt, NetApp, (703) 918-7308

Tracey Harbaugh, Timmons Group, Richmond VA, (804) 200-6374

Mark Chase, Premier Data Services and Pixxuers, Inc., (303) 329-7185

Lori Ewald, Cri+Gen, (720) 872-4250

Dave Van Mouwerk, IGIS Technologies, Inc., (805) 782-0612

Mike Wooster, Sanborn, Alexandria VA, (703) 739-1021

Jason Voss, Avineon, Inc., Clearwater FL, (727) 539-1661

Brie Hurwitch, Epic Engineering, P.C., Heber City UT, (435) 654-6600

Mohammad Tariq, Peak Technology Solutions, Inc., Washington DC, (202) 558-3531

Alan Mikuni, Towill Inc., San Francisco CA, (415) 243-4384

Mike DaLuz, ESRI, Broomfield CO, (303) 449-7779

Andrew Ralowicz, MDA Information Systems, Inc., Rockville MD, (240) 833-8221 Bart Williamson, Data Transfer Solutions, LLC, San Antonia TX, (210) 481-5333

Doug Cribbs, ESRI, (909) 793-2853

Aaron Patterson, Enspiria Solutions, Greenwood Village CO, (720) 427-2238