Combined Synopsis_Solicitation Arkansas.pdf

1. CONTRACT INFORMATION:

a. General. The General Services Administration (GSA) is soliciting Architectural and

Engineering (A-E) services for the State of Arkansas. This acquisition is being procured in accordance with Public Law (PL) 92-582, formally known as the Brooks Act as implemented in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 36.6. The firm selected for negotiation will be based on demonstrated competence and qualifications for the required work. This procurement is unrestricted.

Two-tier evaluation process is applicable for this solicitation. Proposals received from small businesses will be evaluated first to determine whether there are at least three small businesses capable of performing the requirement. If the evaluation board concludes that there are less than three (3) technically acceptable proposals from small businesses, then the board will evaluate all the proposals received.

This announcement is open to all businesses regardless of size as stated above. If a large business is selected for this proposed contract, it must comply with FAR 52.219-9 regarding the requirement for a subcontracting plan. The subcontracting plan is not required with this submittal.

The North American Industrial Classification System Code (NAICS) applicable to this project is

541310, Architectural Services, which has a size standard of $8 million in average annual receipts. GSA proposes to award one Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract for supplemental A-E services for the State of Arkansas. The secondary contract areas will be the

States of Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.

This IDIQ contract will be negotiated and awarded for one (1) one-year base period and four (4) one-year option periods. The minimum guaranteed contract amount is $1,000 for the base year only. There is no limit on the number of task orders or the size of a project; however, the total cumulative task orders amount shall not exceed $10 million for the entire five-year contract period.

b. Contract Award Procedure: To be eligible for contract award, a firm must be registered via the SAM Internet site at http://beta.SAM.gov. The Government will not indemnify the firm against liability involving asbestos or other hazardous materials, that is, no clause holding the firm harmless will be included in the contract. A Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) IDIQ contract will result from this solicitation, including profit, overhead and hourly rates for anticipated disciplines and for use in negotiating FFP task orders. Missing one (1) required element will be grounds to determine the firm as non-responsive and be eliminated from further consideration. A Supplemental A-E Lookup

Table for pricing task orders for projects with an estimated construction cost of up to $2 million will be included in the contract. The Government will use the fixed price amount in the Lookup

Table which will be a function of project size, type, and complexity. The Lookup Table will be provided to the A-E with the Request for Proposal.

c. Nature of Work: The services necessary for each requirement will be negotiated and awarded as individual task orders. The A-E shall furnish all services, materials, supplies, and supervision required to fully complete each task order.

http://beta.sam.gov/

d. Pre-Proposal Conference: A pre-proposal conference for this synopsis will be held on March

18, 2021 from 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM Central Standard Time. You can join via google meets link:

https://meet.google.com/tcb-difr-aqu or by phone at the following call-in number 617-675-4444

PIN: 761 069 370 7916#. The purpose of the conference is to explain the requirements and answer questions from potential Offerors.

2. PROJECT INFORMATION: The A-E firm selected shall primarily provide professional design services with advanced estimating for repair, replace and alteration projects in Federal

Office Buildings, Federal Courthouses and Land Ports of Entry. “Design” primarily includes project site observations, design in phases, construction documents, design clarifications and record drawings. "Estimating" primarily includes budget estimates, market analysis, detailed construction estimating in phases and bid technical analysis. More than 50% of GSA owned buildings qualify for historic designation. Estimates are required to be within +/- 5% and must have shell and tenant improvement breakdowns. Construction cost on the majority of projects is less than Prospectus level (currently $3.095 million). Disciplines required in task orders will primarily be architectural, mechanical, electrical, fire/life safety, estimating specialist and sometimes structural. While these building types, tasks, disciplines, and expertise are needed for a significant percentage of orders, other building types, tasks, disciplines, and expertise will be required. Therefore, adaptability should be demonstrated.

Other tasks and related disciplines examples include the full range of building sciences that

Architects and Engineers can provide such as detailed project inspections, project investigations, pre-planning services, design programming, optimizing design selections, Feasibility Studies, sustainability, risk assessments; civil design, Boundary and topographical surveying, pavement rehabilitation; energy conservation audits, equipment load measurements; blast resistance studies, seismic studies, high-wind resistance design, physical security design and historic preservation.

Other areas such as Cost Management Services including preparation of all forms of budgets, cost modeling, market research, economic studies, multiple stage estimating with specific breakout totals, complex budgetary control with oversight management and analysis. Nominal invasive investigation for the building and systems, subsystems, components, equipment, and materials addressing such critical features as building walls/glazing, roofing, HVAC equipment, plumbing, electrical systems; diagnostics expertise required for problem identification and resolution including thermography, acoustic performance, lighting quality, moisture content in material, air/water conditions, contaminant level measurements. Other tasks might be Construction

Management and Inspection, Construction Observation, advanced quality control monitoring with related testing and multi-phased turnover services. Commissioning and start-up planning, including forecasting start-up duration, estimating start-up costs, determining start-up objectives, developing technical services requirements for performance standards and goals, start-up with calibration. Obtaining O&M material, plus scheduling and/or supervising O&M training. Post

Construction Services, such as performing one-year post-occupancy reporting analysis, facilities performance evaluations, post-occupancy systems management with diagnostics. Assisting GSA in the formulation of lessons learned.

3. SELECTION CRITERIA: Selection Criteria for this acquisition are listed below in descending order of importance.

(a) Quality In Design: All designs are required to achieve excellence in aesthetics and technical https://meet.google.com/tcb-difr-aqu design. Information requested for placement in the SF 330, Section H, including the Portfolios and Design Approach Statements, will be evaluated for outstanding talent in both architecture and engineering. Design solutions will be evaluated for above standard talent, application, execution, and performance. Design Approach Statements will be evaluated for the lead designers' demonstrated application for excellence in their designs and commitment to excellence in their profession.

Exceptional designs will receive higher ranking in the respective ranking categories over firms with modest designs. Expertise with issues such as energy conservation, energy modeling, lifecycle cost analysis, sustainability, alternative energy application and related items will receive a higher ranking over firms demonstrating general design experience only. Measured, quantified and verifiable documentation of “before and after'' performance of systems will receive a higher ranking in the respective ranking categories over firms espousing adherence to excellence.

Expertise with complex customers such as the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Courts and U.

S. Marshals will receive a higher ranking in the respective ranking categories over firms demonstrating simple experience with moderately complex customers. Consideration will be given for design awards in both architecture and engineering disciplines based on type and relative application.

(b) Experience, Performance, Technical Ability and Professional Acumen: Proposals will be evaluated on the team's demonstrated experience, performance, technical abilities, application of standard of care and exceptional care. Key personnel of the team who will be directly involved in providing the contract services will be evaluated on education, project experience, ability to work in a team effectively, technical ability and other relevant qualifications that will provide the best opportunity for the successful completion of task orders under this contract. Additionally, proposals will be evaluated on how the proposed team will provide exceptional care with such concepts as unique insight, superior judgment, strategic management, incorporated risk analysis, pragmatic designs, optimal design selections or other expertise. Furthermore, past performance/experience will be evaluated on successful past performance based on example projects from the owner, and/or peer and teammate point of view. The Government may also use corporate knowledge when evaluating this factor. There will be an evaluation of the team’s ability to bring projects in on contract required budgets +/– 5% and tracking/controlling costs.

(c) Management, Organization, Production and Quality Control: Proposals will be evaluated on demonstrated ability to provide high quality design, execute constructible and biddable

Construction Documents while meeting schedules, providing well-coordinated drawings within each discipline, across disciplines, with specifications and explains a clear understanding of how the team uses specifications to aid in controlling construction cost. Consideration will be given on a Communication plan over just a chart with the plan clearly defining efficiencies, displaying how stakeholders are included, and demonstrating a commitment to timely communications.

Proposals will be evaluated on how teams are organized, managed, how well the teams work together, how they will maintain good working relationships; that roles, responsibilities and authorities are clearly established; how the teams can be proactive or responsive to emerging situations; conducting situation evaluations and making midcourse corrections. Consideration will be given for handling, overseeing, scheduling and staffing projects with the inconsistent and unpredictable issuance of task orders; quality assurance approach in meeting the requirements of the Task Orders.

(d) Construction Management and Inspection Capability: Proposals will be evaluated on experience and capability of the firm and consultants with respect to Management and Inspection services for projects during the construction phase of the described projects, construction management as agent and construction observation. There will be an evaluation of the proposed quality control during construction, communications, structure of service, experience of those involved, how costs are controlled and on a clear understanding of how the team uses specifications to assist in management during construction.

(e) Location in and Knowledge of Geographical Area: The evaluation will consider the team’s ability to accomplish at least 35 percent of the required A/E services by a firm located within the geographical delineated area. The evaluation will also consider knowledge of local conditions within the geographical area including tactical, operational, strategic issues for all areas of construction related to the key disciplines as well as design and bidding. This will include everything from supply, labor force, and weather, to the local construction climate’s impact on cost estimating. There will also be consideration given to how key team members can conduct pre-design site review of the proposed work without incurring extra cost to the government for travel.

4. SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS

Once the proposal is submitted, and prior to award, any replacements or substitutions of any personnel or consultants may deem your proposal unacceptable. It is critical to propose personnel that have a high level of certainty that they will be available to perform the duties under this contract for the duration of the contract. Any and all changes made after the initial submission of your technical proposal will be re-evaluated for technical sufficiency and may negatively affect the order of your technical rating as initially established.

Interested firms having the qualifications to meet these requirements are invited to submit their proposal using Standard Form 330 along with a letter of interest. Please be specific, provide pertinent and requested information. Vague, relative, and general information will be discounted.

Only the recent projects completed within the past five (5) years from the date of the issuance of this solicitation will be considered. Only the top-rated firms will be recommended for interview by the screening board, based solely on their written response to this announcement and reference contacts. Include a Part II (General Qualification) for each firm that is part of the proposed team.

While selection will be based on best technically qualified for small repair, replacement, and alteration work; examples may include new, large, or highly complex projects.

SF-330, Section C: Section C may be modified to provide more than six consultants. However, prioritize the consultants and use the first slots for those that are most important to creating the best well rounded team or demonstrate your concentrated areas of expertise. It is recommended that this information be included in Section F as well.

SF-330, Section D: Include an organization chart of the team. Also, enclose Section D within the required Section H Communication Plan.

SF-330, Section E: "Resumes of Key Personnel Proposed for This Contract", Item 13, "Role in

This Contract". Only a few individuals in the lead firm and prime consultants will work with the

GSA team members on a regular basis. GSA considers these individuals as the “Key Personnel”.

Those individuals should be prioritized and placed in the first few pages of Section E with their roles clearly noted in Item 13. Therefore, if the Project Manager is integrally involved in the task orders he/she might be written in this box as “KEY: PM, lead for all task orders”; or if multiple duty “KEY: PM, In House Hist. Pres., Constructability QA”. CEOs and other executive personnel should not be submitted as “KEY” unless they have direct responsibility for accomplishing the task orders. Important team members or consultants that would have a primary but not regular role can be placed after the initial “KEY” designation. Therefore box 13 could have the designation “Primary Spec Writer and Constructability Coordinator”, or “Historic

Preservationist Specialist”, or “Prime: Civil Engineer” or other important team designation. It is required that you include the Lead Architectural Designer, Lead Engineering Designer and the

Primary Point of Contact that would be responsible for managing this contract and assigning task orders in Section E. It is recommended that personnel directly responsible for work submitted in

Section F should also be included in Section E.

SF330, Section F: Form may not be modified. As stated in the SF330 provide example projects which best illustrate the proposed team’s qualifications for this contract and provide a brief description of the project and relevance to this contract. Projects should demonstrate ability to successfully accomplish a wide range of project types, sizes and budgets. At least six (6) out of the ten (10) projects must have construction completed. Three (3) out of the ten (10) must be directly attributable to the Lead Designer. It is important to carefully match example project titles used in different areas of the proposal for clarity. This is particularly true of example projects used in Section F and Section H.

SF330, Section H: Quality in Design: Submit a portfolio representative of the lead architectural designer’s ability to provide high quality in design (not to exceed 5 projects) and include a design approach statement (not to exceed 2 pages). Each example project should include no more than 3 single sided pages. Photographs, sketches and drawings are welcome. HVAC Mechanical engineering is considered the primary discipline regarding high quality engineering design for this contract. Submit a portfolio representative of the lead mechanical designer’s abilities to provide high quality in design (not to exceed 3 projects) and include a design approach statement (not to exceed 1 page). Each example project should include no more than 2 single sided pages and should include project challenges, application of design intent, objective details, performance outcomes, other pertinent facts including verifiable information and other information that can substantiate application. Forensic analyses projects are welcome and can be a separate category. Consideration will be given for facts, metrics, before and after performance data and measurable energy savings.

Other disciplines that are exceptional should follow the ME’s write up.

Include a Management Plan (not to exceed 3 pages) with a clear plan of the team’s overall management philosophy that includes; project assignment methodology and approach; a plan on management of small projects repair, replacement and alteration work; a plan for designing and producing all work within the negotiated fee; a plan on designing projects that will meet the

Government’s limited construction budgets; and a plan for scheduling that includes a subheading on managing and scheduling projects with the Government’s unpredictable issuance of task orders in terms of number, importance and urgency. Include a plan to meet FAR 36.203(a) and how you track/control costs. Consideration will be given for a plan or demonstrated method to lower construction costs using specifications.

Provide a Communication Plan clearly articulating the strategy and overall approach to communication. Include goals, roles, responsibilities and technology. Provide a plan on how the team will be proactive on design reviews and evaluations, being responsive to an issue, midcourse corrections, emerging situations and any additional information. A firm’s formal

Communication Plan may be included as an exhibit. Include a plan or exhibit for communicating with GSA on the base contract and for the typical design phase task order. Consideration will be given for including a simplified construction phase communications plan. Consideration will be given for communicating base contract information, task orders information, P100 and other guides to more junior staff.

Past Performance Documentation (for each sample project submitted in Section F): Provide copies of any performance evaluations or owner review of firm’s performance; Provide an owner point of contact including name, title, address and current phone number, as references will be contacted;

Provide copies (or listing) of awards; Provide copies of letters of appreciation and commendations.

Teams must be able to demonstrate successful past performance on example projects from the owner, and/or peer and teammate point of view.

NOTE: SF 330, Part 1, Section E, "Resumes of Key Personnel Proposed for This Contract", Item

13, "Role in This Contract". In addition to the role in this contract, employees should be clearly identified as to whether they are direct or contract employees of the firm they are proposed under.

All responsible Architectural or Engineering firms wishing to be considered must submit electronic copies of completed Standard Form (SF) 330 and other pertinent information (see FAR

53.236-2(b)). Your electronic copies can be submitted as a jump drive or via email. It is the submitting firm’s responsibility to verify that the data is recorded on the electronic device or received via email. All proposals must be received NLT 5:00 PM Central Standard Time on

Thursday, April 29, 2021. No fax or paper documents will be accepted. Proposals must be addressed to the primary contract specialist. LATE PROPOSALS WILL NOT BE

ACCEPTED.

Electronic Submission: Offers must be received by the email address of the GSA Point of

Contact (POC) listed herein on or before the date and time established for receipt of offers. The date and time of receipt will be established according to the Government computer system’s documentation showing the exact official time of receipt by the GSA POC listed herein and not by the time the electronic proposal was sent by the Offeror or received by the GSA server. It is the Offeror’s responsibility to ensure proposals are complete and submitted early enough to be received by the GSA POC before the deadline, and to confirm receipt before the deadline.

Proposals or portions of proposals which are received by the GSA POC later than the time noted within will be rejected and will not be considered.

NOTE: The maximum file size is 25 MB. GSA has occasionally experienced delays in delivery of emails from the GSA server to an email account. Therefore contractors/offerors need to plan accordingly.

WARNING: Consistent with GAO case law on the issue of “late-is-late rule” related to electronically submitted proposals, GSA will strictly comply with and enforce FAR 52.215-

1(c)(3)(ii)(A). Pursuant to GAO’s application of FAR 52.215-1(c)(3)(ii)(A), an electronically submitted proposal that is received late will not be considered unless (1) it is received before award is made, (2) the Contracting Officer determines that accepting the late offer would not unduly delay the acquisition and (3) it was received at the initial point of entry to the

Government infrastructure not later than 5:00 p.m. one working day prior to the date specified for receipt of proposals. FAR 52.215-1 (c)(3)(ii)(A)(1).