Evaluation_Factors_for_Award.docx

Request for Qualifications - Design/Build International Boundary and Water Commission New Falcon Dam Administration Building Starr County, Texas

Request for Qualifications - Design/Build International Boundary and Water Commission

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

A DESIGN-BUILD PROJECT

PURPOSE OF REQUEST

The purpose of this Request for Qualifications (RFQ) is to solicit statements of qualifications from firms interested in providing general construction types, design services, and construction services necessary for the project title and location.

The International Boundary and Water Commission, United States Section (USIBWC) will utilize the Design-Build method of contracting for this project. The term “Responder” as used herein includes a firm or firms, partnerships, joint ventures and others responding to this RFQ. The term “Proposer” as used herein includes a firm or firms, partnerships, joint ventures and others, who upon the request of USIBWC, will be invited to submit a proposal in response to the Request for Proposals (RFP).

USIBWC will use a two-step process to select a Proposer with which to execute a contract for this project. This RFQ represents the first step in the process. After evaluation and rating of responsive submittals to the RFQ, USIBWC intends to short-list three (3) Responders. USIBWC will look for a discernable break in the ratings to assist in determining who will be invited to respond to the RFP.

The short-listed Proposers will be required to submit a technical proposal. Information about the format, contents and evaluation criteria for the responses to the RFP will be provided to the short-listed Proposers. Upon evaluation of the proposals, USIBWC intends to select a Proposer for contract award and execution.

It is not the intention of USIBWC to receive project-specific design or engineering recommendations in response to this RFQ. Responders should limit their submittals to the information required by this RFQ and other information regarding qualifications and experience.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF WORK

The USIBWC plans to construct a new administration building.

The total building foot print is proposed to be between 5,300 and 5,600 square feet. The new building will consist of a minimum of nine (9) offices, hydro laboratory, conference room, and security office area including a weapons locker room, break room, fireproof vault room, IT server room, and reception area.

This building will replace the existing Falcon Dam’s Administration Building. The existing building is no longer functional with respect to building codes, OSHA requirements, office space, needed technological improvements, and mechanical efficiency.

The objective is to demolish and dispose of the existing administration, security, and hydro lab buildings in their entirety, and construct a new Administration Building in the same area but not in the same footprint to provide a more efficient and effective working environment.

The existing administration office accommodates the administration functions for the field office and dam and houses the offices for the Area Operations Manager, technical staff, and administrative staff. The Falcon Dam Field Office staff will remain in the existing building while the new administration building is constructed.

Demolition of the existing administration, security, and hydro lab buildings will be accomplished after all administrative staff has been moved in to the new administration building.

General Description of Work The Work shall include all planning, design work, coordination, permitting, labor, material, tools, equipment, construction, testing, inspection, commissioning and all necessary general conditions, that may be reasonably inferred from the Contract Documents to provide for all work for the design and construction of a new single-story administration building and demolition of the existing building.

At the conclusion of the project, the new administration building shall be a fully commissioned building able to operate for its intended use with all utilities, to include, but not limited to water, sanitary sewer, communications, electrical, fire protection system(s), etc.

The major construction efforts include the following tasks:

Minimum LEED Silver certification.

Encompass the historical and architectural aspects of the surrounding buildings. The purpose is to minimally affect the historic integrity of the district.

Construct in a vacant previously disturbed area as shown in the proposed building location map.

Meet federal OSHA standards and current environmental laws to provide a more efficient and effective working environment.

All design work, labor, materials, tools, equipment, excavation, shoring, testing, inspection, commissioning, construction, demolition, and cleanup.

The final product shall be a turn-key building fully commissions and operational: ready to be fully manned by USIBWC Operations and Maintenance (O&M) personnel.

The design-build team will provide complete design, construction administration, and construction services (for all trades), including securing of all required permits and approvals unless noted below.

This Contract will be subject to Davis-Bacon wages.

The project will be within USIBWC’s right-of-way.

The Government has performed environmental considered per NEPA for construction. Any additional permits required for construction will be the responsibility of the Proposer.

Project services shall include but are not limited to:

Design Services - complete development of construction plans Quality Control (QC) of design and quality control (testing) of construction Construction Services - necessary to build and ensure high quality workmanship of the designed facility USIBWC may utilize a separate firm to provide project management assistance and/or Government Inspection services.

The scope of work for this project is included as an attachment.

BUDGET

USIBWC currently expects the budget for this project to be in the range of $1,000,000 to $5,000,000.

SUBMITTAL FORMAT

The RFQ response must be submitted according to the Milestone Schedule. The response shall contain no more than twenty-five (25), double-spaced, 8.5 inch x 11 inch pages, typed on one side only, excluding appendices. The minimum font size shall be 10 point. A single-page cover letter will not be counted as part of the 25-page maximum. Cover letters in excess of one page and any other information submitted beyond that noted in the RFQ will be counted as part of the 25-page maximum. Responses shall address each of the following categories in the same order as listed below.

MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE AND APPROACH

Provide the qualifications and experience of the firm or firms on the Responder’s team as follows:

Identify the lead organization and primary members of the team. Name the entity with whom USIBWC will be contracting and identify if this will be a partnership, corporation, joint venture, etc. The total value of all work performed by the lead organization shall be no less than 40 percent of the value of the Proposer’s submitted cost proposal.

Provide an organizational chart of the Responder’s team describing the roles and responsibilities of each team member.

After initial submittal, changes to primary team members (including major subcontractors with over 5 percent of the project value, all consultants and all testing firms) cannot be made without USIBWC approval.

Certain key individuals and any engineers that will be responsible for the technical design of portions of the project are required to be Professional Engineers or Professional Surveyors licensed in the State of Texas. The key individuals requiring registration are the Lead Design Engineer and the Quality Control Manager.

The team must include at a minimum the following key individuals in order for the statement of qualifications to be deemed technically responsive:

Project Director - The project Director shall be the primary person in charge of and responsible for delivery of the project in accordance with the contract requirements. The project Director or an approved designee must be present on site fulltime as the work is performed, have full authority to make the final decisions on behalf of the Responder/Proposer and have responsibility for communicating these decisions directly to USIBWC.

Lead Design Engineer - The Lead Design Engineer shall be a licensed Professional Engineer and in charge of and responsible for all aspects of the design of the project. Use of an architect instead of an engineer in the lead designer role is not acceptable.

Construction Manager - The Construction Manager reports directly to the project Director and shall be responsible for the overall coordination of the project including design and construction.

Quality Control Manager - The Quality Control Manager shall be a licensed Professional Engineer and shall be responsible for assuring that the design, all workmanship and materials, inspections and testing are in compliance with the Contract requirements. The Quality Control Manager shall report directly to the project Director. QC personnel shall not be employees of the Contractor.

Identify any firms on the team who have previously worked together on similar projects.

Describe the approach to accomplish the various items of work required by the project as identified in the Scope.

Demonstrate the team’s ability to commit necessary resources to successfully complete the project in a timely manner.

Provide a list of major equipment resources available for this project by type and number.

Identify the project Director and the firm by which he/she is employed. Give a clear definition of the role and responsibility of the project Director relative to the member firms.

Provide the address of the headquarters and any local offices of the:

General Contractor Architectural/Engineering Design Contractor

PAST PERFORMANCE

The Responder shall complete form SF 330 for experience in the last five (5) years. This information may be included in the appendices and will not be counted against the 25-page maximum requirement. Clarification of the requirements for form SF 330 are as follows:

Part I of Form SF 330 shall be completed by the contracting entity (prime contractor(s)). Section B shall list the contracting entity and the project Director. Sections C & D shall list all team members identified. Section E shall be completed for each individual identified in the Responder's team. Sections F & G shall identify projects completed by the contracting entity.

Part II of Form SF 330 shall be completed by each Design/Build firm. Contractors are only required to provide similar profiles in a form of their choosing.

Provide brief answers and explanations to the following questions:

Has any member of the Responder’s team been declared delinquent, defaulted, or been terminated on any project within the last five (5) years?

In the past five (5) years, has any member of the Responder’s team been suspended, debarred, disqualified from bidding, or declared ineligible for work by any entity or are any such actions pending against them?

Identify any member of the Responder’s team who is under pending indictment, has been convicted or has had any construction-related civil judgments issued against them in the past five (5) years.

Provide the number of claims submitted in the past five (5) years by the Responder’s Team and how were they resolved. This does not include the exercise or assertion of a personal right.

Has any member of the Responder’s Team been assessed liquidated damages on any projects within the past five (5) years?

Does any member of the Responder’s team have active projects that are behind schedule? If so, why are the projects behind schedule?

Has any member of the Responder’s team been assessed erosion and sediment control violations and/or fines within the last five (5) years?

Within the last five (5) years, how many projects were constructed by the Responder’s team that were completed three (3) or more months ahead of the target completion date.

EXPERIENCE OF PERSONNEL

Except as noted, provide information demonstrating that the Responder’s personnel possess the required minimum qualifications listed below:

All team members shall hold or obtain licenses required for performing work on the project under state and local laws.

Any design reports or plans and specifications shall be signed and sealed by a Professional Engineer licensed in the State of Texas.

The Responder’s project Director must have at least ten (10) years experience managing projects of similar scope and magnitude. Describe the project Director’s experience leading this type and magnitude of project. Provide a list of the projects that the project Director has managed in the past five (5) years. For each project listed, provide:

A brief description of each project managed, including the year(s) of construction and size and type of project, including any unusual features.

The name of the owner for whom the work was performed and the name and phone numbers of the owner’s representatives who can verify and discuss the project Director’s participation in the project if the listed projects are not USIBWC projects.

Provide information that the Responder’s construction team meets the following minimum qualifications:

The Construction Manager shall have a minimum of ten (10) years experience in the management of projects of similar scope and magnitude.

Each construction superintendent shall have a minimum of five (5) years experience in supervising projects of similar scope and magnitude.

The project surveyor of the construction team shall be a Professional Surveyor (PS) licensed in the State of Texas and shall have a minimum of five (5) years experience and demonstrate experience in commercial office building and LEED construction work.

The Responder’s design team shall meet the following minimum qualifications:

The design team shall have personnel with experience and expertise in all phases of commercial office building and LEED design and as required for this project.

The Lead Design Engineer shall be a Professional Engineer licensed in the State of Texas and have a minimum of ten (10) years experience and expertise in the design of projects of similar scope and magnitude.

The design team shall have the necessary equipment and personnel to provide the designs and plans in a timely manner. All designs shall be provided to USIBWC in AutoCad 2015 dwg format.

The Responder’s Quality Control team (QC) shall meet the following minimum qualifications:

The QC Manager shall have a minimum of ten (10) years experience on projects of similar scope and magnitude and shall be a Professional Engineer licensed in the State of Texas.

The QC team shall utilize testing laboratories shall be accredited by US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), AASHTO, International Accreditation Service, or American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) for all engineering tests.

No testing laboratory shall be employed that was affiliated with the design of the project.

The inspection and materials technician personnel must obtain appropriate certification as required by the USIBWC for each testing group (soils, asphalt, concrete, etc.) to be performed.

QC personnel shall not be employees of the Design-Build Contractor.

Provide resumes of key individuals and other personnel that you consider critical to the success of this project, including team members discussed above. This information may be included in the appendices and will not be counted against the 25-page maximum requirement. key individuals and team members are to remain for the duration of the project and changes cannot be made without USIBWC approval.

Modifications to the Proposer’s Team or key individuals and other personnel listed in Sections I & II are discouraged. USIBWC will not approve requests for modification without justification. Examples of justification include death of a team member, changes in employment status, bankruptcy, inability to perform, organizational conflict of interest, or other such significant cause. In order to secure USIBWC’s approval prior to the award of the contract, a written request shall be forwarded to the person and address as shown in the General Information section of this RFQ. The request shall include: a) the nature of the desired change, b) the reason for the desired change, and c) a statement of how the desired change will meet the required qualifications for the position/responsibility. No such modification will be made without prior USIBWC approval.

USIBWC may disqualify a Responder if any of its major participants belong to more than one Responder’s organization. Clarification of major participants is as follows: The Contractor’s construction company in its entirety and the Design Firm from which the Lead Design Engineer is employed.

Provide information about which of the Responder’s construction team has had design-build training or certification.

QUALITY CONTROL (QC) PLAN APPROACH

Provide information on how the QC responsibilities, including design, construction inspection and testing will be performed on this project. The QC Manager responsible for quality control activities shall not be an employee of the Contractor. The QC personnel responsible for quality control acceptance shall not be employees of the Contractor.

Provide a list detailing the expected QC tests and frequency of testing. USIBWC realizes that this is a preliminary list that is subject to change based upon site information and final design.

The QC testing laboratory shall have no financial, political, or familial link to any other contractor proposed for this project. The QC testing laboratory shall be fully accredited to perform all of the QC tests that will be required for this project.

SAFETY

Provide the OSHA Recordable Incident Rate for each team member for the last five (5) years.

Provide OSHA Form 300A for each team member for the last five (5) years.

Provide the Responder’s safety goals for this project.

List the expected primary safety concerns for this project.

FINANCIAL CONDITION

Provide information on Responder’s insurance and bonding capacity. This information may be included in the appendices and will not be counted against the 25-page maximum requirement.

The current bonding capacity of the General Contractor.

The current workload of the Architectural/Engineering Design Contractor.

The professional liability insurance limits carried by the General Contractor and the Architectural/Engineering Design Contractor.

The construction dollar value of the current backlog of both the General Contractor and the Architectural/Engineering Design Contractor.

Bank or financial institution references for both the General Contract and the Architectural/Engineering Design Contractor.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The Responder’s attention is directed to 23 CFR Section 636 Subpart A and in particular to Subsection 636.116 regarding organizational conflicts of interests. Section 636.103 defines “organizational conflict of interest” as follows:

“Organizational conflict of interest means that because of other activities or relationships with other persons, a person is unable or potentially unable to render impartial assistance or advice to the owner, or the person’s objectivity in performing the contract work is or might be otherwise impaired, or a person has an unfair competitive advantage.”

Responder shall provide information concerning potential organizational conflicts of interest and disclose all relevant facts concerning any past, present or currently planned interests which may present an organizational conflict of interest. Responder shall state how its interests or those of its chief executives, directors, key individuals for this project, or any proposed consultant, contractor or subcontractor may result, or could be viewed as, an organizational conflict of interest.

The Responder is prohibited from receiving any advice or discussing any aspect relating to the project or the procurement of the project with any person or entity with an organizational conflict of interest. Such persons and entities are prohibited from participating in a Responder organization relating to the project.

The Responder agrees that, if an organizational conflict of interest is discovered, the Responder must make an immediate and full disclosure to USIBWC that includes a description of the action that the Responder has taken or proposes to take to avoid or mitigate such conflict. If after award of the contract an organizational conflict of interest is determined to exist, USIBWC may, at its discretion, cancel the design-build contract for the project. If the Responder was aware of an organizational conflict of interest prior to the award of the contract and did not disclose the conflict to USIBWC, then USIBWC may terminate the contract for default.

This information may be included in the appendices and will not be counted against the 25-page maximum requirement.

QUALIFICATIONS EVALUATION – phase i USIBWC will be selecting three (3) Proposers based upon the best value to the Government. The criteria shown below will be considered in determining the firm’s qualification score.

Items will be rated in order of importance:

Management Experience and Approach Past Performance Experience of Personnel Quality Control Plan and Approach Safety Financial Condition

SELECTION – Phase I Based upon the determination of proposed value to the Government of responsive submittals, USIBWC intends to select three (3) Responders to be invited to submit proposals under Phase II for this project.

Evaluation – phase II At the conclusion of Phase II, award will be made to the proposer whose non-priced factors and price factors when considered together, are determined to represent the best value to the Government. The price of the respective proposals will be compared to the offered merits under each evaluation factor as listed above. Price is of secondary importance to the evaluation factors; however, price may determine the Government’s ability or inclination to purchase the merit offered by non-priced factors. Significant differences in measured merits may or may not be deemed affordable depending upon the best interests of the Government. Ultimately the source selection decision will be on an acceptable offer, the price of which may not be the lowest, but which is sufficiently more advantageous than the lowest price so as to justify the payment of additional amounts.

GENERAL INFORMATION

USIBWC intends for the contract type to be Fixed Price.

USIBWC reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to cancel this procurement process and proceed no further or to re-advertise in another public solicitation.

USIBWC assumes no liability and will not reimburse costs incurred by Responder’s firms (whether selected or not) in developing responses to this RFQ.

USIBWC reserves the right to request or obtain additional information about any and all responses to the RFQ. USIBWC may also issue addenda to the RFQ which will be posted to the FedBizOpps website (www.fbo.gov). After initial submittal, key individuals of the Responder’s team cannot be changed without USIBWC approval.

All Responders/Proposers must visibly mark as “CONFIDENTIAL” each part of their submission that they consider to contain confidential and/or proprietary information. All submittals will be subject to Freedom of Information Act disclosure.

All questions related to this RFQ shall be submitted in writing and directed to:

Written questions will be accepted according to the dates established in the Milestone Schedule. Only written requests to the above addressee will be considered. No requests for additional information or clarification to any other USIBWC office, consultant, or employee will be considered. All responses will be in writing and will be posted to the FedBizOpps website (www.fbo.gov).

The USIBWC will not be responsible for any oral exchange or any other exchange of information that occurs outside the official process specified herein.

MILESTONE SCHEDULE

Advertise RFQ: 7/15/2015 Deadline for Submittal of RFQ Questions: 8/3/2015 Deadline for Submittal of RFQ Proposals: 8/14/2015 Evaluation of Qualifications: 8/21/2015 Letter to Selected and Non-selected Responders (anticipated): 8/21/2015 Provide RFP to Selected Proposers (anticipated) : 8/24/2015 Informational Meeting (anticipated): 8/28/2015 Submittal of RFP Proposals (anticipated): 9/24/2015 Award (anticipated): 9/30/2015 Target Project Completion: 400 days after NTP

INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDENTS

Proposals must be submitted in sealed envelopes marked with the name of the Respondent, the words “RFQ Proposals – Design/Build,” as well as the RFQ reference number.

An original and five (5) copies of the RFQ shall be submitted. The original package shall contain original signatures and shall be marked “original.”

Faxed or emailed RFQ Proposals will not be accepted.

Packages lacking any of the items that are required in this RFQ may be considered as incomplete and non-responsive.

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