Response_to_Questions_Solicitation_F17PS00751.docx

Solicitation F17PS00751 Visitor Interpretive Experience Plans (VIEP) - Aransas National Wildlife Refuge; and Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge Response to Questions

1. With regard to 1.0 Technical Capability, Item C) Interpretive Examples, could you please clarify what documentation you would like us to provide? It is not possible to submit full visitor interpretive experience plans for three different projects and remain within the stipulated 20 page limit for proposals. The 20 page total does not include the requested Documents; Signed and completed SF1449, Screen print of SAM.gov registration, Attachment 2 Past and Present Performance Survey, Amendments, and the itemized budget – and revised to include interpretive examples.

2. With regard to the Itemized Budget for each location, could you please confirm that this refers to back-up cost/budget information – i.e., hourly rates, levels of effort, anticipated expenses, etc. – to support the lump sum line item prices for each VIEP requested under 3.0 Price? Correct

3. Do the clients/contracts included in Attachment 2, Past and Present Performance Survey need to be the same three projects presented as Interpretive Examples? No

4. Is there a limit on file size for email attachments or another option to upload large files? No limit. Documents can be sent via zip file or more than one email if needed. If more than one email title; 1 of 3, 2 of 3, 3 of 3.

5. Is there an expectation of public input on these plans and if so, what role is the Contractor expected to play in the process? Yes there will be some expectation of public input. The Contractor will be responsible for meeting with partners and targeted audiences to determine their expectations and needs with input from refuges.

6. Is there an expectation that both plans would be presented during the same visit or can they be staggered? They will be staggered. We will allow the contractor to stagger their trips and/or work to help meet the deadlines.

7. Is it your intention for proposals to include an interpretation and digital media specialist and a specialty architect? That will depend on the skill set of the company making the proposals. If you don’t have someone on your staff that can meet the needs of the proposal, then subcontractors will need to be included.

8. Is there any flexibility in the schedule of deliverables or are they fixed? There will be some flexibility.

9. Will a different refuge manager or their designee be responsible for each locations project management or centralized through regional office personnel? There will be two refuges involved – Aransas and Laguna Atascosa. Regional Office will be involved for both projects for contractual procedures and payment of invoices and schedule deadlines.

10. On page 2 of the PWS, it states “the contractor will also be required to conduct at least two on-site field work sessions that will include field-checks of interpretive opportunities currently offered at the refuge” Please clarify if that means the first field visit to experience and assess plus the review visit as outlined in the table on the schedule of deliverables or something different. There will be two on-site field work sessions because there are two refuges. How you allocate the time and how you approach the trips is up to the contractor.

11. In step 4-1 it mentions that a discussion on maps will be included. Does the contractor need to provide a GPS person as part of their team? Again that depends on the skill set of the contractor’s personnel. Both refuges will be providing maps in ARC map or Adobe and if there are some changes needed to the map, the contractor should be able to deal with those minor changes.

Note: PWS page 3 “Schedule of Deliverables” format for “Final Draft VIEP Plan” has been changed from “meeting on-site at VdONWR” to “E-copy MS word via email”