A0004_Attachment_2_DTRT57-13-R-20007_Informational_Copy.docx

NOTICE TO POTENTIAL OFFERORS

This procurement is being processed under a Partnership Agreement (PA) between the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Small Business Administration (SBA), under which the SBA had delegated to the DOT, authority to enter into 8(a) contracts directly with eligible 8(a) firms. This PA replaces all terms and conditions of the previously executed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two agencies.

Under this program, the Volpe Center will make the award directly to the 8(a) firm. SBA will not be a signatory to the award resulting from this solicitation. SBA will, however, retain responsibility for 8(a) certification, administering other eligibility related issues under the 8(a) program, and be available to 8(a) firms for counseling and assistance.

If you have questions pertaining to this solicitation, please contact Alison Fecht, Contracting Officer.

SBA/DOT/PA (effective date 10/17/12)

Servicing SBA Field Office

To facilitate communications, it is requested that the 8(a) participant submitting this offer provide the following information regarding the cognizant servicing SBA office for the firm.

Cognizant Business

DTRT57-13-R-20007

Amendment A0004, Attachment 2

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

I. Procurement Summary

Solicitation No. DTRT57-13-R-20007 is a competitive solicitation for Communications and Operations Research Analysis (CORA) Support Services. This requirement is being conducted as an 8(a) set-aside and is intended to be competed among eligible 8(a) firms. The Government intends to make three to five master contract awards as a result of this solicitation, but reserves the right to make fewer or more awards if it is in the best interest of the Government. The resulting multiple award, Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) contracts will provide for the issuance of Firm Fixed Price, Cost Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF) completion-type, and CPFF term-type task orders. Task orders will primarily cover the existing, on-site requirement at the Volpe Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts as well as other requirements throughout the United States.

The Volpe Center intends to award the first task order (CORA Task Order 1) concurrently at the time of contract award. This task order will provide CORA support services on-site at the Volpe Center in a manner similar to the services currently being performed under Contract No. DTRT57-09-D-30002, Task Order DTRTV-T9001 with MacroSys Research and Technology. CORA Task Order 1 includes three Contract Line Item Numbers (CLINs): CLIN 0001 - Transition; CLIN 0002 - Task Order Management and Administration; and CLIN 0003 – CORA Support Services. The specific requirements of each CLIN are described in Section C, Part II, Statement of Work. In accordance with Section H, Part II, paragraph H.12, the awardee of CORA Task Order 1 will be excluded from competing on all subsequent Task Order Requests for Proposal (TORFP).

The period of performance of the resulting master contracts and CORA Task Order 1 will be five (5) years from the date of award. A prime contractor is not eligible to receive a contract or task order award under this solicitation unless its accounting system has been reviewed by a Government audit agency (such as the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) or the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA)) and determined by the Contracting Officer to be adequate for determining costs under a cost reimbursement contract (refer to Section H, Part I, paragraph H.18 and Section L, paragraph L.4.B – Section 2 (r)).

The proposal instructions identified in Section L of the solicitation apply to the master contracts and CORA Task Order 1. A separate TORFP for CORA Task Order 1 will not be issued. Proposals are due on July 9, 2013 at 2:00 pm EDT. A pre-proposal webinar for all prospective Offerors will be held on May 30, 2013 at 1:30 pm EDT. All prospective Offerors are urged to attend this webinar, which will consist of presentations relevant to the current communications and ORA technical portfolio and the requirements of the solicitation. Please refer to Section L, paragraph L.2.E for webinar registration instructions. Any questions, clarification request, or other inquiries pertaining to the solicitation must be submitted in writing no later than June 6, 2013 at 3:00 pm EDT in accordance with the instructions provided in Section L, paragraph L.2.D. After the submission of its written proposal, every eligible Offeror will be required to make a structured oral presentation to the Government’s Technical Evaluation Team. It is expected that the oral presentations will be held during the week of July 29, 2013 (refer to Section L, paragraphs L.5.A and L.5.B.2 – Volume III.

II. Response to Draft RFP Input

The following information is provided for informational purposes only and is based on input received in response to the draft solicitation that was posted to the Federal Business Opportunities website on April 18, 2013:

1) Is the V-TRAC incumbent eligible to bid as a prime Offeror on CORA? Are the other two firms that were awardees on the master contract eligible for bidding on CORA?

Offers under Solicitation No. DTRT57-13-R-20007 are solicited from small business concerns that are expressly certified by the Small Business Administration (SBA) for participation in the SBA’s 8(a) Program. MacroSys Research and Technology (MacroSys), the incumbent V-TRAC task order contractor, has graduated from the 8(a) Program and is not eligible to compete in this procurement as a prime Offeror. According to the SBA’s Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS)located at http://dsbs.sba.gov/dsbs/search/dsp_dsbs.cfm, the other two master contract awardees have also graduated from the 8(a) Program are are not eligible to compete in this procurement as prime Offorors. In accordance with FAR 19.805-2, the SBA is responsible for determining the eligibility of the firms for award under the 8(a) Program. Eligibility will be determined by the SBA as of the time of submission of initial offers, based on 8(a) Program criteria. In accordance with 13 CFR 124.517(e), anyone with information questioning the eligibility of an 8(a) Program participant to continue participation in the 8(a) Program or for purposes of a specific 8(a) contract may submit such information to the SBA under 13 CFR 124.112(c).

2) Can the Volpe Center provide a list of contractors and subcontractors who would be excluded from bidding this effort?

No, it is not possible for the Volpe Center to provide a list of contractors and subcontractors that are excluded from bidding (refer to the response to Question No. 1, above). The solicitation contains detailed information regarding eligibility requirements. Offerors are urged to read the solicitation in its entirety.

3) Please clarify why the awardee of CORA Task Order 1 will not be eligible to receive any subsequent task orders under the contract.

The objective of this procurement is to acquire the services of multiple contractors with expertise and capabilities in communications and ORA services to support a variety of the Volpe Center’s transportation and logistics projects. The first task order will be of a significant value and will provide services on-site at the Volpe Center. Limiting competition after the initial task order ensures that multiple contractors will be afforded a fair opportunity to provide Communications and ORA services to the Volpe Center.

4) How many additional task orders are envisioned beyond CORA Task Order 1 that the other master contract awardees will be able to compete for?

The Volpe Center is highly committed to maximizing competition and providing 8(a) Program participants with appropriate opportunities. The resulting contracts will primarily cover the existing on-site requirements at the Volpe Center, as well as other requirements to be performed at the Contractor’s facility or at other locations throughout the United States. The Volpe Center intends to award CORA Task Order 1 for on-site communications and ORA services concurrently at the time of contract award. Following the award of the master contracts and the first task order, the remaining awardees will be given a fair opportunity to compete for subsequent task order awards as work requirements are established.

5) Could the government please explain which contractors will be qualified to bid on “all other task orders” and to please define “all other task orders” under CORA? Does “all other task orders” to be competed on by the eligible contractors differ from every task described under CORA Task Order 1 which includes CLIN 0001, CLIN 0002, and CLIN 0003? Is CORA Task Order 1 referring to only CLIN 0001?

CORA Task Order 1 includes CLIN 0001 (Transition), CLIN 0002 (Task Order Management and Administration) and CLIN 0003 (Communications and ORA Support Services), as shown in Section B, Part II, paragraph B.1. All master contract awardees other than the awardee of CORA Task Order 1 will be eligible to compete for subsequent task orders in accordance with the exclusion provision provided in Section H, Part II, paragraph H.12. Subsequent task orders will be issued for requirements that are determined to be outside the scope of CORA Task Order 1.

6) What type of task order will CLIN 0002 be (i.e., cost-type, T&M, or fixed price)? What type of task order will CLIN 0003 be (i.e., cost type, T&M, or fixed price)?

CORA Task Order 1 includes three CLINs: CLIN 0001, CLIN 0002, and CLIN 0003. Please refer to Section B, Part II, paragraph B.1 for specific information regarding task order type, by CLIN.

7) Section L, paragraph L.5.B.1, Section 6 – Task Order Transition requires a “Staffing plan for projects, including retention of any existing staff for continuity;” Regarding this requirement, it is not clear if the incumbent staff are available for hire. Please advise if Offerors are permitted to contact the incumbent employees about their availability for continuity. If so, how much access to the incumbent will be available during the implementation of the transition plan (CLIN 0001)?

The awardee of CORA Task Order 1 will work closely with the incumbent contractor’s management team during the transition period (CLIN 0001) in order to successfully transition work from the V-TRAC task order to CORA Task Order 1. The awardee of CORA Task Order 1 will be permitted to contact incumbent contractor employees provided that meetings and/or informational sessions are held off-site, outside of normal working hours so as not to interfere with ongoing work under the V-TRAC task order. Each Offeror is required to describe its strategy for communicating with key stakeholders (e.g., incumbent contractor management and staff, TOCOR, TOCO, and Volpe Center managers and Job Order Initiators) in the written approach to task order transition and draft task order transition plan (refer to Section L, paragraph L.5.B.1, Section 6 – Task Order Transition). In addition, please refer to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR ) clause 52.222-17, Non-displacement of Qualified Workers under Service Contracts, and the response to Question No. 8, below.

8) Is there a requirement under the Non-displacement of Qualified Workers under Service Contracts in CORA?

FAR clause 52.222-17, Non-displacement of Qualified Workers (JAN 2013) applies to this requirement and is incorporated by reference in Section I of the solicitation. Offerors are encouraged to read this clause in its full text on the FAR website: http://www.acquisition.gov/far/.

9) Are the current V-TRAC employees under any Collective Bargaining Agreement? If they are, could such agreement be made available for Offerors to review?

No. The incumbent contractor employees do not work under a Collective Bargaining Agreement.

10) “The Offeror shall submit its past performance information for both the Offeror and its major proposed subcontractors that represent over 20 percent of the hours for CORA Task Order 1 in the Cost and Business Proposal.” Does the “over 20 percent” mean the combined percentage for all subcontractors, that is, if the share for all the subcontractors exceeds 20 percent? Or, does it mean each subcontractor that separately has over 20 percent share of the hours for CORA Task Order 1 in the Cost and Business Proposal?

This sentence refers to proposed subcontractors that individually represent over 20 percent of the CORA Task Order 1 level of effort in the Cost and Business Proposal. This sentence has been revised in the final solicitation for clarification purposes (refer to L.5.B.1, Section 7 – Contract Past Performance).

11) Must the past performance information for the five contracts cover only federal contracts, or are other contracts (e.g., state and local) allowed?

Please refer to L.5.B.1, Section 7, which states, “Although past performance information from Federal Government sources is desirable, the agency encourages past performance information from any source, including those from State and Local Governments.” If the Offeror has not performed work for the Federal Government, the Offeror’s list of contracts should include its most relevant contracts for customers other than the Federal Government.

12) Section C, Part II, Task Order Statement of Work (CORA Task Order 1), it seems that some heading numbers (C1, C2, C2A, C2B, …) from this point are the same as the heading numbers on Page 1, 2, and 3.

Sections B, C, E, F, G, H, and I include two parts: Parts I and II. Part I applies to the Communications and Operations Research and Analysis (CORA) master contracts. Part II applies to the first task order for on-site support services (CORA Task Order 1).

Section J (Attachments) includes three parts: Part I, Part II, and Part III. Part I includes attachments for the CORA master contracts, Part II includes attachments for CORA Task Order 1, and Part III includes attachments that apply only to this solicitation.

The numbering sequences in Parts I, II, and III are the same in order to facilitate the concurrent issuance of the master contracts and CORA Task Order 1.

13) Like most small businesses, our accounting system has yet to be approved by a government agency. We are contacting our government clients to request the review and approval of our accounting system for the contracts we were recently awarded. This process can take at least a couple of months. We plan to bid this effort, will this be an issue? What other items/steps can we use to prove that our accounting system is adequate for determining costs applicable to this contract and its task orders? Will Volpe accept the certification from a 3rd party, e.g., a CPA firm specializing in auditing, that our accounting system is DCAA compliant?

In accordance with FAR Subpart 16.306(c), the Government will not award a cost-type contract unless the limitations in FAR Subpart 16.301-3 are met. One of the limitations cited is that the contractor’s accounting system must be adequate for determining costs applicable to the contract or order. Therefore, no contract or task order award can be made to an Offeror whose accounting system has not been reviewed by a Government audit agency and determined by the Contracting Officer to be adequate for determining costs under a cost-reimbursement contract.

Based on the FAR requirements cited above; the anticipated value of the master contracts and CORA Task Order 1; and the risk associated with a cost-type contract, a prime contractor is not excluded from bidding, but is not eligible to receive a contract or a task order as a result of this solicitation unless its accounting system has been reviewed by a Government audit agency (such as the DCAA or DCMA) and determined by the Contracting Officer to be adequate for determining costs under a cost reimbursement contract (refer to Section H, Part I, paragraph H.18). Furthermore, a subcontractor’s accounting system also must have been reviewed by a Government audit agency and determined by the Contracting Officer to be adequate for determining costs before consent may be given for a cost-type subcontract (refer to Section L, paragraph L.4.B – Section 2(b)).

In Section II of its Cost and Business Proposal, the Offeror shall identify the Government audit agency that audited the accounting system and provide the corresponding audit report that describes the scope of the audit as well as all conclusions, findings, and recommendations of the Government audit agency or the Offeror’s cognizant ACO as they relate to the adequacy of the accounting system for determining costs under a cost-reimbursement contract.

If the Offeror’s accounting system has not yet been reviewed by a Government audit agency but the Offeror anticipates its accounting system will be reviewed by a Government audit agency and determined by the Contracting Officer to be adequate for determining costs under a cost reimbursement contract prior to the concurrent award of the master contracts and CORA Task Order 1, the Offer must select “Currently under review” in the Accounting System block on the Cost Proposal Cover Sheet (Section J, Part III, Attachment J.1) and must explain these circumstances in its proposal.

The Contracting Officer relies on information provided by a Government audit agency (such as the DCAA or DCMA) to determine the adequacy of a contractor’s accounting system. The Government will not accept accounting system certification from a source other than a Government audit agency under this solicitation.

14) Will the Contracting Officer consider submitting a request to DCAA to review and approve the accounting systems of the potential multiple award winners prior to making awards of the master contracts?

Due to time constraints associated with the concurrent award of the master contracts and CORA Task Order 1, the Government does not anticipate requesting accounting system reviews prior to the award of CORA Task Order 1 and the master contracts (see Section L, paragraph L.4.B – Section 2(r)).

15) We are an 8(a) company and are planning to pursue this opportunity under a Joint Venture with our Mentor firm. We do not have a financial system that has been audited, and was wondering if our Mentor firm does have an audited financial system if that would count under the Joint Venture?

Please contact your SBA District Office for specific information regarding accounting system status under an SBA-approved 8(a) Joint Venture. In accordance with Section L, paragraph L.4.B – Section 2(s), the SBA-approved 8(a) Joint Venture Agreement must address how the Government’s requirement that the contract/task order holder have an accounting system that has been reviewed by a Government audit agency and determined by the Contracting Officer to be adequate for determining costs under a cost reimbursement contract is satisfied.

SF33

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION B - SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS

NOTE: This section includes provisions that apply to the Communications and Operations Research and Analysis (CORA) master contracts (Part I) and the first task order for on-site support services (Part II). The first task order for on-site support services will be referred to throughout this solicitation as CORA Task Order 1. The numbering sequences in Section B, Parts I and II are the same in order to facilitate the concurrent issuance of the master contracts and CORA Task Order 1. The master contract award document will consist of a Standard Form (SF) 26 and the Part I requirements of Sections B, C, E, F, G, H, I, and J. CORA Task Order 1 will consist of an Optional Form (OF) 347 and the Part II requirements of Sections B, C, E, F, G, H, I, and J. This note will not be included in the contract and task order award documents.

PART I - MASTER CONTRACT PROVISIONS

The following provisions apply to the CORA master contracts:

B.1. CONTRACT TYPE (JAN 2011)

1) This is an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) task order type contract. Work will be placed under this contract through the issuance of task orders.

2) Task orders may be issued on a Firm Fixed-Price (FFP), Cost Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF) completion-type, or CPFF term-type basis at the Contracting Officer's (CO) discretion consistent with the guidelines provided in Part 16 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). Individual CPFF task orders may be issued on a completion-type basis pursuant to FAR 16.306 (d)(1). If a completion-type task order is not appropriate, a term-type task order may be issued pursuant to FAR 16.306(d)(2). Performance-based task orders will be used to the maximum extent practicable.

3) The Contract Line Item Number (CLIN) structure provided in paragraph B.3 below establishes a CLIN for the three contract type/pricing methods available for use under this contract. Because using a particular contract type/pricing methodology requires terms and conditions specific to that use, this contract includes terms and conditions covering FFP, CPFF completion-type, and CPFF term-type task orders. In general, these terms and conditions are clear with regard to applicability.

B.2 CONTRACT LIMITATIONS (FEB 2011)

1) Multiple Contract Awards: (To be completed at the time of award) contracts have been awarded under Solicitation No. DTRT57-13-R-20007.

2) Maximum Contract Value: The value of all task orders placed under all contracts awarded shall not exceed $(To be completed at the time of award). As a task order is issued to one Contractor, its value is subtracted from the total value available to all Contractors.

3) Minimum Guarantee: The guaranteed minimum is $2,500 for each contract.

B.3 CONTRACT LINE ITEMS (APR 2010)

The Contractor shall furnish all supplies and facilities (for off-site task orders only), personnel, and management necessary to provide the required services in accordance with the Statement of Work (SOW) in Section C titled, “8(a) Communications and Operations Research and Analysis (CORA) Support Services” and other terms and conditions of this contract, through individual task orders issued under one of the contract types set forth below:

CONTRACT LINE ITEM NO. (CLIN) SERVICES

0001 CORA SERVICES – NOT SEPARATELY PRICED

0001AA FIRM FIXED-PRICE TYPE*

0001AB COST PLUS FIXED FEE - COMPLETION TYPE*

0001AC COST PLUS FIXED FEE - TERM TYPE

*Performance-based task orders will be used to the maximum extent practicable.

B.4 LEVEL OF EFFORT – IDIQ

The total level of effort estimated to be ordered during the term of this contract is shown below.

Note: The level of effort identified in Section B, Part II, paragraph B.2 will be used for the purpose of preparing the Cost and Business Proposal. Refer to Section L for proposal preparation instructions.

PART II - TASK ORDER PROVISIONS (CORA TASK ORDER 1)

The following provisions apply to the first task order for on-site CORA support services:

B.1 TASK ORDER TYPE/PRICING METHOD

CLIN 0001 of the task order will be issued on a FFP basis in accordance with CLIN 0001AA of the master contract. CLINs 0002 and 0003 of the task order will be issued as CPFF-term type line items in accordance with CLIN 0001AC of the master contract. Under CLINS 0002 and 0003, specific work requirements will be described in performance-based job orders.

Fixed Fee

Total CPFF

Fixed Fee

Total CPFF

B.2 LEVEL OF EFFORT (Applicable to CLIN 0003)

The total level of effort (LOE) estimated to be performed during the term of this task order under CLIN 0003 is 899,400 labor hours of direct labor, including authorized subcontract labor. The level of effort is expected to be performed evenly over the task order term. The Contractor is not authorized to deliver beyond the stated LOE without the written approval of the CO. The estimated composition of direct labor, by classification, is shown below.

Note: The level of effort identified below will be used for the purpose of preparing the Cost and Business Proposal. Refer to Section L for proposal preparation instructions.

SECTION C – DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/STATEMENT OF WORK

8(a) COMMUNICATIONS AND OPERATIONS RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS (CORA) SUPPORT SERVICES

NOTE: This SOW includes the scope of work for the CORA master contracts (Part I) and for CORA Task Order 1 (Part II). The numbering sequences in Section C, Parts I and II are the same in order to facilitate the concurrent issuance of the master contracts and CORA Task Order 1. The master contract award document will consist of a Standard Form (SF) 26 and the Part I requirements of Sections B, C, E, F, G, H, I, and J. CORA Task Order 1 will consist of an Optional Form (OF) 347 and the Part II requirements of Sections B, C, E, F, G, H, I, and J. This note will not be included in the contract and task order award documents.

PART I - MASTER CONTRACT STATEMENT OF WORK

This section contains the scope of work for the CORA master contracts.

C.1 BACKGROUND

The Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center) is an innovative, Federal, fee-for service organization within the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)/Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), whose mission is to improve the Nation's transportation system. The Volpe Center’s programmatic requirements cut across all modes of transportation, both national and international, for the DOT and non-DOT organizations, including state and local governments. The Volpe Center's eight Technical Centers (TC) focus on transportation, research, education, innovation, and other multimodal issues. Each of the Volpe Center’s TCs applies its technical capabilities to the DOT strategic goals and national and international transportation priorities. The TCs expand the DOT's multimodal horizons and demonstrate how innovation can arise from creative and collaborative use of internal and external assets.

The Volpe Center utilizes a combination of Federal and Contractor personnel to maximize the broad range and quantity of skills needed to perform sponsoring organizations’ projects. This multiple award vehicle will augment the Volpe Center’s resources by providing high-technology capabilities and skills targeted to the Volpe Center’s programmatic requirements in the area of Communications and Operations Research and Analysis (ORA).

Communications and ORA support have historically been provided through the utilization of support services contracts, allowing the Volpe Center to quickly respond to new and changing requirements of technical programs. On-site Communications and ORA services are currently being provided by the Volpe Transportation ORA and Communications (V-TRAC) support services task order (Contract No. DTRT57-09-D-30002, Task Order No. DTRTV-T9001). Task orders issued under the new CORA multiple award vehicle are anticipated to provide support in a manner and scope similar to the existing V-TRAC task order in the functional areas of Communications and ORA. The first task order issued under this multiple award vehicle (included as part of this RFP) includes an important requirement for on-site Management and Administration services in addition to CORA support.

C.2. SCOPE OF WORK

The objective of this contract is to provide CORA support to a variety of Volpe Center transportation systems projects that cut across all modes of transportation for the DOT and for non-DOT organizations, including state and local governments. Due to the changing nature of the extensive and diverse portfolio of projects, resources must be easily accessible and flexible in terms of skill sets required. The workforce must be responsive to changing technical requirements and quickly provide Communications and ORA capabilities that will enable the Volpe Center to take advantage of opportunities for new work.

C.2.A CORA SUPPORT SERVICES

The Contractor shall provide resources capable of performing the necessary CORA functions in response to technical project requirements presented by the Volpe Center. The CORA functional areas support a broad project base, covering every mode of transportation, a wide variety of sponsoring organizations, and a wide range of CORA sub-areas. Technical project requirements vary widely in scope, cost estimates, and schedules. Volpe Center projects require specialized knowledge of a wide variety of national transportation system modes (i.e., aviation, surface transportation, marine, pipeline, and rail systems).

The Contractor shall provide a workforce with capabilities and experience relating to existing technologies and methodologies that address current transportation systems issues, as well as cutting edge technologies and methodologies that show promise in transforming the future of the transportation systems enterprise. The Contractor must bring a strong knowledge of and experience in transportation systems and functions to the work requirements outlined below.

The following sub-areas are included as part of the overall CORA support requirement:

Communications

· Writing and Editing

· Graphics

· Web Design and Development

· Communications Strategy Development and Stakeholder Engagement

· Conference Planning and Logistics

· Financial and Administrative Program Support

· Printing and Production Support

ORA

· System Analysis and Policy Impacts

· Industry Analysis

· System Operational Performance

· Technological Advances

· Strategic Framework

· Program Evaluation

· Engineering Support

C.2.A.1 COMMUNICATIONS SUPPORT SERVICES

The descriptions that follow outline the general work requirements typical in each sub-area, not actual task orders:

Writing and Editing

The Volpe Center produces a wide variety of written products in support of its projects and programs; for example:

· Interim and final reports

· Journal articles

· Reference and training manuals

· User guides

· Scripts for videos or presentations

· Newsletters and brochures

· Marketing materials

· Web site text

Work in this area may require the Contractor to prepare original written products to support project requirements as well as editing services to support the production of final written and/or web products from text generated by others. Writing and editing will be in English and will require a full command of the language and grammar as well as an understanding of transportation and technical terminology, familiarity with Federal Government terminology, and knowledge of industry best practices for the production of written products. The Contractor shall have familiarity with the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) Style Manual and other recognized style guides and applicable specifications and standards. On occasion, the Contractor will be asked to provide translation services for business and technical documents. Translations may be from a foreign language into English and/or from English into a foreign language.

Graphics

Work in this area shall provide graphic arts design and production services to support Volpe Center projects and programs. For task orders performed on site at the Volpe Center, the Government shall furnish equipment and software necessary to provide and produce graphic arts design and production services. These services typically include, but are not limited to, the following:

· Electronic/desktop publishing

· Graphic design

· Computer-aided design and drafting

· Technical illustration

Work in this area may require the Contractor to design and produce graphics for a wide variety of products, including, but not limited to, printed material, projected visuals, exhibit and display components, multi-media presentations, and video titling and transitions. Graphics are generally produced using computer application software. The Contractor will be expected to maintain familiarity with computer graphics software and hardware being used by Volpe Center technical initiators in order to originate figures and convert initiator-supplied electronic graphic files into formats that can be modified and/or integrated into electronic documents using electronic publishing systems.

Web Design and Development

Work in this area shall provide web design and development services to support Volpe Center projects and programs. These services typically include, but are not limited to, the following:

· Web page/site design for public and password-protected sites, including SharePoint

· Coding of web pages

Work in this area shall include design and development of web pages for a wide variety of technical projects and Volpe Center organizations. Web pages shall be designed using industry and Government best practices to optimize site usability and accessibility. Specific guidelines include but are not limited to the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Departmental Information Resource Management Manual (DIRMM); Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act; Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Policies for Federal Agency Public Websites; Research-Based Web Design and Usability Guidelines; and the Volpe Center’s Writing Style Guide, Volpe Brand Standards Guide, and Web Style Guide contained in the Volpe Communications Toolkit.

Communications Strategy Development and Stakeholder Engagement

Work in this area shall include the development of Communication Strategies and support of related outreach and stakeholder activities. Communication Strategy activities may include developing research approaches and detailed plans, conducting market research and stakeholder analysis, developing measureable communications goals, as well as developing communications strategies, implementation plans and related material, and prototyping potential communications collateral. The Contractor may be requested to travel to and facilitate meetings, focus groups and workshops designed to gather stakeholder input and inform them about potential communications strategies and outreach activities. In addition, the Contractor may be required to identify potential meeting participants, create agendas, capture feedback, and coordinate logistics to facilitate discussions and exercises with target audiences.

Conference Planning and Logistics

Work in this area shall include planning, organizing, executing, and/or recording conferences, meetings, webinars, peer exchanges, or symposia. Conferences range in size from 20 to 400 attendees and are for periods of several hours to several days. The typical conference lasts one day and has 50 attendees. Conference planning and logistics support may require significant travel and may require coordination with Volpe Center staff, other Contractors, and conference facility personnel to arrange conferences, meetings, workshops, etc. Conference planning and logistics services typically include, but are not limited to, the following:

· Planning, scheduling, managing, and cost estimation

· Development and maintenance of mailing lists

· Selection and provision of conference facilities and meeting rooms

· Provision and coordination of audio-visual, transcription, and other required support*

· Development of conference literature or graphics, including programs, signs, photography, name badges, and specialty items such as abstracts

· Preparation and distribution of invitations and registration packages

· Preparation of advertising, transportation, lodging, and other logistics

· Processing of participant registrations (including but not limited to web registration)

· Preparing minutes and/or proceedings for final publication

· Processing of invitational travel when these services are incidental to a conference, meeting, webinar, peer exchange, or symposium that the Contractor has been engaged to plan under the task order.

* The Contractor may be required to coordinate and provide light refreshments for specific conferences, meetings, webinars, peer exchanges, or symposia. In accordance with the Federal Travel Regulation and the terms and conditions of this task order, the Contractor may coordinate and provide light refreshments for such events only when approved in advance by the TOCO.

Financial and Administrative Program Support

Work in this area shall include general and specialized program and administrative management support, cost and risk analysis, project planning and scheduling, strategic and operational planning, as well as meeting facilitation and webinar support. Work in this area may include maintaining and documenting the results of program and project reviews; review and analysis of progress reports; generation of cost, budget, and financial analyses; processing invitational travel and Government invitational travel for official project-related activities of the Volpe Center; processing U.S. State Department e-Country Clearances for project-related travel, and providing assistance in the documentation, planning, scheduling, maintenance, and tracking of projects. It may also include the planning, facilitating, and note taking at meetings and webinars as well as the preparation of meeting/webinar summaries and other associated documentation.

Printing and Production Support

Work in this area shall include providing printing and reproduction services and the associated binding and distribution. Color reproduction services shall include the ability to create color copies from black and white copies. Since the Volpe Center is a customer-focused organization, the Contractor must have the ability to provide such services quickly and efficiently and adjust to changing workflows and customer priorities. Incoming jobs may be in hard copy, network electronic files, or removable electronic media such as compact disks (CDs), digital video disks (DVDs), or optical disks. The Contractor shall provide advice on production, binding, publication, and distribution options; their associated pros and cons; and estimated costs. The Contractor shall arrange for documents to be printed through the GPO and shall serve as the Volpe Center's GPO liaison. All printing and work shall be accomplished in conformance with Title 44, United States Codes, regulations of the U.S. Government's Joint Committee on Printing (JCP); applicable provisions of appropriation acts; applicable regulations issued by the DOT, the GPO, and the U.S. Postal Service; and with copyright laws. The Contractor shall maintain paper stocks that comply with JCP Paper Specification Standards and Executive Orders requiring the use of recycled fiber content.

C.2.A.2 OPERATIONS RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS (ORA) SUPORT SERVICES

The descriptions that follow outline the general work requirements typical in each sub-area, not actual task orders.

System Analysis and Policy Impacts

This sub-area covers analyses of the impacts of the flow of people and goods and/or transportation and logistics systems and operations on society and the environment. In addition, this area covers the impact of Government regulation on the transportation industry and commercial enterprise. Work in this area may include safety and environmental impact and risk analyses of transportation and logistics systems and components as they relate to health and welfare, land and energy use, material consumption, noise, air quality, pollution, climate change, alternative fuel policies, quality of life issues, and social objectives. The work may also include analyses of public policy options and their impact on domestic intermodal competition, international competitiveness, socioeconomic policy, and/or environmental quality. Work under this area may also include analyses of the impact of proposed public policy options or regulatory changes on private and public carriers, users, the transportation industry, the public and/or governments. Analyses may be at the macro or micro level, depending on the scale and breadth of the subject matter.

Industry Analysis

This sub-area covers analyses of the business and economic aspects of the transportation industry, including issues of finance, business case analysis,…