Evaluation_Factors_RGdN_8_17_2021.docx

EVALUATION FACTORS

Rio Grande del Norte National Monument Plan RMPA/EIS Taos Field Office

The Bureau of Land Management intends to award the contract to a responsible party whose proposal is responsive to the solicitation process for the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument Plan RMPA/EIS.

A Technical Evaluation Panel consisting of no less than three members will conduct the initial evaluation. The panel will include the government project manager who is technically qualified to evaluate all proposals. Upon completion of the evaluation period, the panel will review each proposal and make their final award recommendation to the Contracting Officer.

All evaluation factors other than price, when combined will be weighted equally. Offerors are encouraged to review BLM Manual Supplement H-8100-1 for all requirements of permitting, field work, and reporting prior to submitting a proposal.

The evaluation factors listed below will be used to select the contractor that offers the BLM the LPTA offer:

1. Technical Experience

2. Key Personnel

3. Staffing Solution

4. Scheduling

5. Price

Non-price factors (Factors 1-4) are of equal importance. When combined, the non-price factors are of equal importance when compared to price. Price is not an adjectivally rated factor. However, the Price factor will become the more dominant factor as technical quotes reach technical equality. In such cases, where all non-priced factors being evaluated are virtually the same, best value may be represented by the lowest-priced quote.

Optional tasks: The BLM will evaluate quotes for award purposes by adding the total price for all optional tasks to the total price for the basic task requirements. The BLM may determine that a quote is unacceptable if the option prices are significantly unbalanced. Evaluation of options shall not obligate the BLM to exercise the option(s).

FACTOR 1 – Technical Experience

Quotes from Offerors will be evaluated on their technical approach and experience managing large and complex RMP EIS requirements. Technical approach will be evaluated on consistency with current guidance, ability to provide a quality concise document within CEQ page length and time requirements, and the Offerors ability to adapt to changes in both guidance and circumstances.

The Offerors shall have successfully completed a minimum of two similar or comparable projects in recent years and be able to provide the information listed below for the two most recent projects. The Offeror shall submit the following past performance information, which shall include a list of these projects, identifying:

· Name of the project

· Project leader

· Issuing agency or company

· Contract/Identification number

· Start and completion dates

· Brief description of the scope of work

· Award amount (in whole dollars)

· How the work is substantially similar or comparable to the proposed project

· No less than two valid references that includes:

· Agency/company’s name, point of contact, phone number, and email address In addition to the information submitted in accordance with the Solicitation, the BLM may seek out and consider other information obtained from both commercial and government systems.

Quotes shall receive one of the resulting ratings. Quotes receiving a rating of Unacceptable will not be considered for award.

Ratings for Factor 1:

FACTOR 2 - Key Personnel

Quotes shall be evaluated on qualifications of their key personnel positions. The BLM will evaluate resumes submitted for key personnel positions to assist with determining a firm’s ability to provide qualified personnel to provide the required services of the SOW. Quotes who do not verify qualifications for all 5 key personnel positions shall not be considered for award.

Although regional knowledge is not a threshold for qualifications (aside from the Archaeologist, which has permitting requirements), demonstrated knowledge and experience working in New Mexico, and/or other areas of the western United States supporting rural issues associated with public land management and natural resource, may receive more favorable consideration.

The following positions are considered Key Personnel:

1. Project Manager

2. Archeologist

3. Wildlife Biologist

4. Ecologist/Botanist

5. GIS Specialist

Quotes shall receive one of the resulting ratings below. Quotes receiving an unacceptable rating will not be considered for award.

Ratings for Factor 2

FACTOR 3 – Staffing Solutions Quotes will be evaluated on the demonstration of a proposed staffing solution to meet the objectives and task requirements of the project while meeting due dates and milestones of an aggressive schedule. The staffing solution will include those identified as Key Personnel under Factor 2, other resource specialists that make up the interdisciplinary (ID) team, and all other pertinent staff.

The staffing solution shall be evaluated on the quote’s approach to the following:

a) The position descriptions/qualifications for each role on the ID team of the project and what roles and responsibilities will each position have?

b) A demonstration of commitment (with a percentage of time noted) to assign personnel and sub-contractors for the duration of the project.

c) Approach to handling replacement of staff.

Quotes shall receive one of the resulting adjectival ratings. Quotes receiving a rating of Unacceptable will not be considered for award.

Adjectival Ratings for Factor 3

FACTOR 4 – Schedule Quotes shall be evaluated on the submission of a draft project schedule and the level in which the schedule supports managing complex EIS and RMP projects with multiple tasks, numerous deliverables and many submission dates. The quote shall include a narrative explaining the project schedule that demonstrates the Offerors ability to meet or exceed the completion of the order in less than two years, consistent with regulations at 40 CFR 1500-1508 and the BLM Land Use Planning Handbook (H-1601-1). The schedule shall be evaluated on its completeness and ability to include all SOW Tasks, Deliverables, and Deliverable Due Dates in a logical order to achieve all deliverables by the performance end date.

Quotes shall receive one of the resulting adjectival ratings. Quotes receiving a rating of Unacceptable will not be considered for award.

Adjectival Ratings for Factor 4

FACTOR 5 – Price Pricing will be evaluated for fairness and reasonableness in accordance with 8.404(d) and 8.405-2(d) for the base requirement and all optional tasks. The BLM will use pricing for determining reasonableness for the labor categories and rates quoted, level of effort, labor mix, and materials quoted to support fair and reasonable pricing.

The price quote shall consist of your price for all tasks including optional tasks and optional labor hour tasks. The quotes must clearly illustrate all GSA labor categories to support each task, rates, discounts to rates, and total hours for each quoted labor category, in addition to travel.

Labor categories used in achieving the BPA order objectives must be identified and rates must be in accordance with the Firms GSA schedule rates. Quoted labor rates are not permitted to exceed the current rates established under the contractors GSA schedule. Failure to adhere to GSA pricing terms will exclude a contractor from eligibility for award.

Any subcontractor proposed must have their labor categories mapped to those GSA labor categories and rates of the prime contractor or CTA Lead. Discounts to schedule rates must be clearly identified within the price quote. Fees applied to rates and subtotals of the quote are not permitted.

Material prices determined necessary that are not included as priced items within an Offeror’s GSA contract shall be included as Order Level Materials (OLMs). Any OLMs included within the quote must be broken down to include item names, units, unit prices, etc. and justification must be provided as to why the OLMs are necessary. The approval of OLMs is at the discretion of the CO, who must establish that the OLMs quoted are for a price to the BLM that is fair and reasonable.

Travel quoted must illustrate a detailed breakdown of unit prices (e.g., per diem prices, flight prices, nightly lodging rates, rental car rates, and mileage rates).

All base tasks and optional tasks must be priced as firm fixed price.