B01.01 Combined Synopsis - Solicitation - W912HQ25R0007 - CWMS Database Authorization.docx

REPLY TO

ATTENTION OF

) Department of the Army

U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS

HUMPHREYS ENGINEER CENTER SUPPORT ACTIVITY

7701 TELEGRAPH ROAD

ALEXANDRIA, VA 22315-3860

Contracting Office: CEHEC-CT 27 FEB 2025

COMBINED SYNOPSIS - SOLICITATION

NUMBER: W912HQ25R0007

REQUIREMENT TITLE: CWMS Database Authorization Updates

1. GENERAL INFORMATION

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial services prepared in accordance with the format in FAR 12.603 – Streamlined Solicitation for Commercial Items, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice and FAR Part 13 procedures. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation. Proposals are being requested. This solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2025-03, dated 03 JAN 2025.

A Firm Fixed Price (FFP) award will be made in accordance with the following:

This acquisition is being solicited as a total small business set-aside. Competitive set-aside procedures will be used. The North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 541511 – Custom Computer Programming Services, with a size standard of $34.0M.

2. NATURE OF ACQUISITION

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Institute for Water Resources (IWR) has a requirement to purchase the services stated below. This procurement will be awarded under Simplified Acquisition Procedures for Commercial Services. All questions must be received by Thursday, 6 March 2025, 4:30PM US Eastern Standard Time (EST).

Proposals must be received no later than Thursday, 20 March 2025, 4:30PM US Eastern Standard Time (EST). Electronic proposals submitted via email are required. All questions and proposals shall be sent to the Contract Specialist, Ms. Quan Nguyen at email: Quan.Nguyen@usace.army.mil. A copy of all questions and proposals should be furnished to the Contracting Officer, Mr. David A. Kaplan at email: David.A.Kaplan@usace.army.mil.

It is the Offeror’s responsibility to ensure the proposal has been received by the contracting office via email. Fax proposals will not be accepted. Late proposals will be processed in accordance with FAR 52.212-1(f) “Late submission, modifications, revisions, and withdrawals of offers.” Upon receipt of the electronic offer, the Government will acknowledge receipt of that offer via email to the Offeror.

3. DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES

Background:

The mission of the IWR Hydrologic Engineering Center (HEC) is to serve as the USACE Center of Expertise in the technical areas of surface and groundwater hydrology, river hydraulics and sediment transport, reservoir system analysis and a number of other closely associated technical subjects. HEC's primary goal is to support the nation in its water resources management responsibilities by increasing USACE’s technical capability in hydrologic engineering and water resources planning and management. Additionally, HEC provides services to other Federal, state, local and international agencies engaged in these technical areas.

The Corps Water Management System (CWMS) is the Army Information System (AIS) that supports and enhances the decision-making process for the USACE water management mission. USACE is responsible for round-the-clock monitoring and operation of approximately 600 reservoir, lock and dam, and other water control projects. This responsibility also expands, during flood control operations, to approximately 120 additional Section 7 (Non-USACE) projects.

The focus of this contract is on the database and API components of our CWMS system. CWMS is currently going through a transition from maintaining 32 independent, and geographically isolated systems, that feed into a public only central database, to a "single" cloud-based system that will contain all data, both public and private. Part of this transition is merging the multiple District databases into an Oracle RDS instance with an HTTP REST API called CWMS-Data-API (CDA). Previous to this decision, much of the data authorization was done within each individual database so that appropriate data constraints could be implemented while allowing District applications to access Oracle directly. The CWMS Database Schema (CWMS DB) has thus made heavy use of session contexts and the Oracle Virtual Private Database (VPD) system to provide appropriate authorization. Due to changes in technology, a more appropriate model of authorization needs to be adopted.

Requirement:

The objective of this contract is to develop a detailed plan on how to implement the Authorization Scheme into the CWMS Data API and then implement the created plan. This will include a review of our current data Schema and API to determine the best path forward. After the initial review, the following objectives will be required for the accomplishments of this contract.

Period of Performance:

The overall period of performance (POP) is two-hundred and seventy (270) days from the date of contract award; there are different POPs per each task in the Performance Work Statement (PWS).

Place of Performance:

The Offeror’s facility. See the PWS for additional information.

4. BASIS FOR AWARD

All offers will be comparatively evaluated based on the factors described below: Technical, Organizational Management/Key Personnel, Past Performance and Price.

Factor 1 – Technical Approach:

The Offeror must submit a technical proposal detailing how the Offeror’s will complete requirements specified in the PWS. The offeror’s proposal will be evaluated to determine the offeror’s demonstrated capability to perform the requirements in the PWS. Offerors must include their proposed level of effort (labor hours) broken down per each labor category they are proposing and propose a level of effort for each labor category per each task within the PWS.

Offerors must include details about their technical approach to performing the requirement as described in the PWS. Technical approach narratives may be enhanced with charts, tables, pseudo code, or any logical means of conveying the proposed technical approach that the Offeror will use to accomplish the work. Broad general statements that merely mimic the solicitation, repeat, paraphrase, or promise general performance are not sufficient.

TAB A - Technical Approach – The Offeror shall describe how it will review existing systems, and given sufficient review how work to implement the chosen plan will be accomplished.

TAB B – Sample Data Authorization – Given an example user request and result the offeror will demonstrate a possible method of handling authorization by means of narrative, pseudo code, working code, or other means as practical. Sample Data is in Technical Exhibit 7 of the PWS.

- The offeror will be evaluated on how effective and clear the communication on authorization for this sample is.

Factor 2 – Management Approach/Transition Plan:

The Offeror must submit an organizational management and structure detailing their management plan and organizational structure. Offerors shall submit a written narrative proposal which describes and demonstrates the Offeror’s approach to satisfy the support needs of the CWMS Data API as outlined in the PWS. Additionally, Offerors shall provide detailed information as to their approach to effectively manage the work specified in the PWS. Offerors shall provide enough information to demonstrate a thorough understanding of time and personnel requirements, information on how the Offeror will meet programmatic deadlines, and information on how the Offeror will maintain the functions outlined in the PWS.

TAB A - Management Plan – The Offeror shall describe its staffing structure and include an organizational chart that clearly shows the management team and lines of authority and communication.

TAB B - Transition Plan. The Offeror shall submit a transition plan that clearly describes the process, details, and schedule for HEC to continue any work not completed.

The offeror’s proposal will be evaluated on their ability to demonstrate a feasible management plan and organizational structure for accomplishment of work and services of the magnitude involved in this contract.

Factor 3 – Past Performance:

The offeror’s past performance will be reviewed to determine recency, relevancy, and the quality of performance on the past contracts. The Government will evaluate the offeror’s record of past and current performance to ascertain the probability of successfully performing the required efforts of the PWS. A minimum of one and a maximum of three examples of past performance may be submitted. Recency is defined as within the 3 years preceding the date of the solicitation.

Factor 4 – Price:

The resulting award will be a firm fixed-price contract. Price reasonableness will be used for evaluation. The price factor will be evaluated using the price analysis techniques described at FAR 15.404-1, consisting of comparison of competitive offers received in response to the solicitation and comparison to the independent government cost estimate (IGE). Price must be submitted in a format similar to the table below.

Grand Total

Other price data must be submitted which includes the level of effort proposed per each labor category per each task in the PWS with the fully burdened rates (including all indirect rates and profit) to complete the required services in accordance with the PWS. Any other direct costs or travel should be proposed as additional line items.

Discussions: The Government intends to award a contract without discussions with respective offerors. Offerors shall submit sufficient information and, in the format, specified in the Proposal Preparation Instructions. Offerors may be asked to clarify certain aspects of their offer (e.g., the relevance of technical capability information). The Government reserves the right to hold discussions if there is a need as determined by the Source Selection Authority (Contracting Officer).

Basis for Evaluation:

Factor 1 – Technical Approach, and Factor 2 – Management Approach/Transition Plan will be evaluated using the following combined technical/risk adjectival ratings detailed in the table below:

Combined Technical/Risk Ratings:

Color Rating Adjectival Rating Description

Factor 3 – Past Performance for the previous three years will be evaluated in accordance with FAR 15.305(a)(2) and the DoD Source Selection Manual. The criteria to establish relevancy will be stated in the solicitation. Consideration will be given to those aspects of an offeror’s contract history that would give the greatest ability to predict whether the offeror will satisfy the current requirement. The Government will use data provided in the offeror’s proposal and data obtained from other sources, such as the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS). In the case where an offeror does not have record of relevant past performance or for whom information on past performance is not available or so sparse that no meaningful past performance rating can be reasonably assigned, the offeror may not be evaluated favorably or unfavorably on past performance in accordance with FAR 15.305(a)(2)(iv). Therefore, the offeror shall be determined to have unknown past performance. Offerors determined to have unknown past performance will receive a neutral rating.

Offerors shall submit a minimum of two (2) and a maximum of four (4) past performance examples to demonstrate their performance history on contracts similar to the effort required in the solicitation.

Past Performance will be evaluated on relevancy using the following ratings:

Past Performance Relevancy Ratings

Quality of Past Performance.

The Offeror shall submit evidence of the quality of its past performance on the projects submitted. The Offeror shall provide a completed Contractor performance evaluation, whether annual or final, found in the Contractor Performance Assessment Rating System (www.cpars.gov). If a completed Contractor performance evaluation does not exist in CPARS (example, non-U.S. Government projects), the Offeror shall provide completed Past Performance Questionnaire (PPQ). If, at time of evaluation, a completed Contractor performance evaluation exists in CPARS that conflicts with a submitted PPQ, the completed contractor performance evaluation in CPARS will govern. Any past performance surveys/assessment/evaluation forms, other than CPARS or the PPQ form provided at the end of this section, are unacceptable submissions by the Offeror to evidence the quality of its past performance and will not be considered or evaluated. Offerors shall not incorporate any CPARS or PPQs by merely referencing other proposals. A copy of the CPARS or PPQ must accompany the company effort submitted under Past Performance. While the Government may elect to consider data from other sources, the burden of providing detailed, current, accurate, and complete past performance information rests with the Offeror.

The Government reserves the right to verify the past performance record of cited projects (or other recent projects not submitted) by reviewing the Contractor Performance Assessment Rating System (CPARS), or other Government appraisal systems, or to interview owners or references.

Past Performance Confidence Assessments

No Confidence

Based on offeror’s recent/relevant performance record, the Government has no expectation that the offeror will successfully perform the required effort.

Factor 4 – Price will not be rated but will be evaluated to determine whether it is reasonable. Price reasonableness will be determined through price analysis techniques as described in FAR 15.404-1(b). The solicitation contains a price schedule above that the offerors are required to complete. The Government may determine that an offer is unacceptable and may be rejected if the prices are significantly unbalanced.

Importance of Evaluation Factors Factor 1 – Technical Approach is more important than Factor 2 – Management Approach/Transition Plan which is more important than Factor 3 – Past Performance.

The non-price factors, when combined, are significantly more important than the price.

5. PROPOSAL PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS

FAR 52.212-1 – INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS – COMMERCIAL SERVICES

To ensure timely and equitable evaluation of quotes, offerors must comply with instructions contained herein. Offers must be complete, detailed and respond directly to the requirements of this solicitation.

a. Interested parties capable of providing the requirement must submit a signed and dated offer on company letterhead with unit prices, extended prices, discount terms, tax identification number, CAGE code, and SAM Unique Identifier in response to this solicitation. The requirements of this synopsis/solicitation, including specification, "Schedule of Supplies/Services" and terms and conditions, the offeror agrees to all solicitation requirements. Offerors must clearly identify any exception to the solicitation terms and conditions and provide complete accompanying rationale.

b. All proposal information shall be emailed to the Contract Specialist, Ms. Quan Nguyen at email: Quan.Nguyen@usace.army.mil and a copy shall be emailed to Mr. David A. Kaplan, Contracting Officer at email: David.A.Kaplan@usace.army.mil. Proposals must be signed and dated by an authorized representative of the company. Electronic submissions via e-mail are required.

c. Offerors must provide price information in addition to the subtotal for each task in the PWS and must include a total price to complete the required services. Price information must include the hourly rate (fully burdened) proposed for each labor category and the proposed level of effort (quantity of labor hours) per each labor category per each task of the PWS.

d. To be eligible to receive an award resulting from this Combined Synopsis Solicitation, Contractors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database, no exceptions. To register, please visit http://www.sam.gov.

e. To be eligible for award, offeror must receive a minimum rating of “Acceptable/Green” for Factors 1 and 2 and a minimum rating of “Neutral Confidence” for Factor 3. The Government reserves the right to accept other than the lowest price offeror.

f. Offer Content: See section 4 above

6. SOLICITATION/CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS

The following provisions and clauses apply to this acquisition and can be viewed electronically at https://www.acquisition.gov/ in accordance with 52.252-1. The use in this solicitation of any Department of Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (48 CFR Chapter 2) provision with an authorized deviation is indicated by the addition of "(DEVIATION)" after the name of the regulation.

Additional information follows on the page below:

The Following Provisions and Clauses Are Incorporated into this Solicitation:

FAR 52.212-2: Evaluation -- Commercial Items 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 will be used to evaluate offers:

(i) Technical Approach

(ii) Management Approach and Transition Plan

(iii) Past Performance

(iv) Price

Factor 1 – Technical Approach is more important than Factor 2 –Management Approach and Transition Plan which is more important than Factor 3 – Past Performance.

The non-price factors, when combined, are significantly more important than the price.

A written notice of award or acceptance of an offer, mailed or otherwise furnished to the successful offeror within the time for acceptance specified in the offer, shall result in a binding contract without further action by either party. Before the offer’s specified expiration time, the Government may accept an offer (or part of an offer), whether or not there are negotiations after its receipt, unless a written notice of withdrawal is received before award.

FAR 52.212-3 ALT I Offeror Representations and Certifications -- Commercial Items is incorporated by reference in this combine synopsis and solicitation. Offerors must include a statement that certifies the Offeror’s Representations and Certifications are up to date in System for Award management.

FAR 52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders. The following FAR Clauses cited within FAR 52.212-5 are applicable to this acquisition:

The following FAR and DFARS Clauses are applicable to this acquisition in addition to those above in the table for clauses within FAR 52.212-5.

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