R15PS00018_-_Bull_Trout_Data_Analysis_RFQ.pdf

U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation Great Plains Region November 2014

Request for Quotations (RFQ) Solicitation No. R15PS00018

Bull Trout Status and Characteristics Baseline Data Compilation, Milk River Project, St. Mary River Montana

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Foreword - 1

BULL TROUT STATUS AND CHARACTERISTICS BASELINE DATA COMPILATION,

MILK RIVER PROJECT, ST. MARY RIVER,

MONTANA

FOREWORD

Reclamation’s Great Plains Regional Office is soliciting quotations for the compilation, analysis, and description of all data collected between 1997 and 2013 under Reclamation-funded studies regarding the distinct population segment (DPS) of bull trout, Salvelinus confluentus, in the St. Mary-Belly River drainage. The final document shall describe the assumed characteristics of bull trout in the DPS at the time of listing, compare those assumed characteristics to those for the bull trout population revealed by the past 18 years of investigation and data collection, describe planned modifications to the physical nature or operational characteristics of the Milk River Project structures, and describe their importance to the bull trout population. The contractor shall perform in accordance with the standards defined in the Performance Work Statement. The contractor shall utilize a variety of work methods that may include, but are not limited to, the review of existing related databases, reports, maps, and location drawings, project management, research of public records, meeting coordination, report writing, and other related activities. Any onsite field work is excluded from the scope of this purchase order.

The anticipated period of performance is from February 1, 2015 through March 31, 2016.

CONTRACTORS SHALL MAKE INQUIRIES REGARDING THIS REQUEST FOR

QUOTATION TO THE FOLLOWING PERSONNEL:

Bureau of Reclamation Attention: GP-5000 (Christine Mundt) 2021 4th Avenue North Billings, Montana 59101 Telephone (406) 247-7805 E-mail cmundt@usbr.gov

QUOTE RESPONSE DATE: FOR DATES WHEN CONTRACTORS ARE TO SUBMIT THEIR

QUOTES, SEE BLOCK 8 OF STANDARD FORM 1449, “SOLICITATION/CONTRACT/ORDER

FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS.” CONTRACTORS MAY MAIL THEIR QUOTES TO THE

ADDRESS SHOW IN BLOCK 9, FAX THEIR QUOTES TO (406) 247-7806, SUBMIT THEIR

QUOTES ELECTRONICALLY THROUGH FEDBIZOPPS/FEDCONNECT, OR E-MAIL THEIR

QUOTES TO CMUNDT@USBR.GOV.

METHOD OF PROCUREMENT: THIS PROCUREMENT IS SET-ASIDE FOR SMALL

BUSINESS CONCERNS AND IS A PERFORMANCE-BASED COMMERCIAL SERVICE

ACQUISITION, PURSUANT TO FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATIONS (FAR), PART 12,

PART 13, PART 19, AND PART 37.

mailto:cmundt@usbr.gov mailto:CMUNDT@USBR.GOV

Foreword - 2

SAM: EFFECTIVE JULY 29, 2012, ANY CONTRACTOR INTERESTED IN DOING BUSINESS

WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MUST REGISTER IN THE SYSTEM FOR AWARD

MANAGEMENT (SAM) DATABASE PRIOR TO AWARD OF A CONTRACT OR AGREEMENT.

SAM IS A FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OWNED AND OPERATED FREE WEBSITE, WHICH

CONSOLIDATES THE CENTRAL CONTRACTOR REGISTRATION (CCR), THE ONLINE

REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS APPLICATION (ORCA), AND THE EXCLUDED

PARTIES LIST SYSTEM (EPLS).

THE VENDOR'S DUNS & BRADSTREET NUMBER AND BANKING INFORMATION ARE

REQUIRED FOR REGISTRATION. CONTRACTORS MAY OBTAIN INFORMATION ON

REGISTRATION AND ANNUAL CONFIRMATION REQUIREMENTS VIA THE SAM WEBSITE

ACCESSED THROUGH HTTPS://WWW.SAM.GOV/PORTAL/PUBLIC/SAM/ OR BY THE

FEDERAL SERVICE DESK AT 1-866-606-8220.

IPP: THE SUCCESSFUL CONTRACT MUST SUBMIT ALL PAYMENT REQUESTS FOR THE

ANTICIPATED PURCHASE ORDER ELECTRONICALLY THROUGH THE U.S. DEPARTMENT

OF THE TREASURY’S INTERNET PAYMENT PLATFORM SYSTEM (IPP). THE IPP WEBSITE

ADDRESS IS: HTTPS://WWW.IPP.GOV. CONTRACTOR ASSISTANCE WITH ENROLLMENT

CAN BE OBTAINED BY CONTACTING THE IPP PRODUCTION HELPDESK VIA EMAIL

IPPGROUP@BOS.FRB.ORG OR PHONE (866) 973-3131. IF THE CONTRACTOR IS UNABLE

TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENT TO USE IPP FOR SUBMITTING INVOICES

FOR PAYMENT, THE CONTRACTOR MUST SUBMIT A WAIVER REQUEST IN

WRITING TO THE CONTRACTING OFFICER WITH ITS PROPOSAL OR QUOTATION.

https://www.sam.gov/PORTAL/PUBLIC/SAM/ https://www.ipp.gov/ mailto:ippgroup@bos.frb.org

Document No.

R15PS00018

Document Title Bull Trout Status and Baseline Characteristics Data Compilation

TOC - 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I – THE SCHEDULE

SECTION A – REQUEST FOR QUOTATION

Standard Form 1449 ........................................................................................... Separate Download

SECTION B – SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES / COSTS

Standard Form 1449 ........................................................................................... Separate Download

SECTION C – PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

Performance Work Statement .................................................................................................... C - 1 Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan ............................................................................. Appendix A

SECTION D – NOT USED

SECTION E – NOT USED

SECTION F – NOT USED

SECTION G – CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

G.1 DOI Electronic Invoicing Electronic Invoicing and Payment Requirements - Invoice Processing Platform (IPP) ................................................................................ G - 1 G.2 Postaward Conference--Bureau of Reclamation ........................................................... G - 1 G.3 Government Administration Personnel ......................................................................... G - 2 G.4 Contractor's Administration Personnel .......................................................................... G - 2

SECTION H – SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

H.1 Site Security .................................................................................................................. H - 1

PART II – PURCHASE ORDER CLAUSES

SECTION I – CONTRACT CLAUSES

I.1 Clauses Incorporated by Reference ................................................................................ I - 1 I.2 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statues or Executive Orders -- Commercial Items ....................................................................................................... I - 1 I.3 Establishing A Minimum Wage For Contractors (Deviation) ....................................... I - 7 I.4 Protecting Federal Employees and the Public from Exposure to Tobacco Smoke in the Federal Workplace -- Bureau of Reclamation ...................................................... I - 7 I.5 Security Requirements -- Bureau of Reclamation .......................................................... I - 8 I.6 Limitation of Government's Obligation under the Continuing Resolution -- Bureau Of Reclamation ............................................................................................ I - 12

PART III – LIST OF DOCUMENTS, EXHIBITS, AND OTHER

ATTACHMENTS

TOC - 2

SECTION J – LIST OF ATTACHMENTS

Service Contract Act Wage Determination Company Experience Reference List

PART IV – REPRESENTATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS

SECTION K – REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS, AND OTHER STATEMENTS OF

OFFERORS OR RESPONDENTS

K.1 Commercial and Government Entity Code Reporting .................................................. K - 1 K.2 Offeror Representations and Certifications - Commercial Items .................................. K - 2

SECTION L – INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS OR

RESPONDENTS

L.1 System for Award Management .................................................................................... L - 1 L.2 Instructions to Offerors -- Commercial Items ............................................................... L - 2 L.3 Use and Disclosure of Proposal Information -- Department of the Interior .................. L - 5 L.4 Notice of Intent to Acquire Metric Products and Services -- Bureau of Reclamation .............................................................................................................. L - 7 L.5 Authorized Workers Notice to Potential Bureau of Reclamation Contractors .............. L - 8

SECTION M – EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD

M.1 Evaluation—Commercial Items ................................................................................... M - 1 M.2 Notice of World Trade Organization Government Procurement Agreement Evaluations--Bureau of Reclamation ........................................................................... M - 2

PART I -- THE SCHEDULE

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SECTION C -- PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

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PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

MILK RIVER PROJECT, ST. MARY RIVER, MONTANA

1. C-1 - GENERAL

1.1. BACKGROUND.

Currently, Reclamation is progressing toward the modification or replacement of several key structures and possible operation changes of the Milk River Project. The project provides for storage of water from Swift Current Creek, a tributary of the St. Mary River, in Lake Sherburne behind Lake Sherburne Dam and diversion of St. Mary River water through a 29-mile canal discharging into the North Fork Milk River. All water supply and distribution works have been constructed, and are operated and maintained by Reclamation with reimbursement provided from the Milk River Joint Board of Control and the Milk River Irrigation Districts.

The distinct population segment (DPS) of bull trout, Salvelinus confluentus, in the St. Mary River drainage, east of the Continental Divide in Northern Montana, was “listed” as a threatened “species,” under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, in 1999. Since 1997, Reclamation has been funding studies conducted by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Montana Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office (Service) to monitor the status and population characteristics of the bull trout in the St. Mary River drainage.

Prior to implementing Milk River Project changes, the “baseline” characteristics of the bull trout population of the drainage need to be described in detail using those data collected during the previous years of investigations. Successful completion of the work will require the contractor to collaborate closely with Reclamation and Service personnel.

1.2. GENERAL SCOPE OF WORK.

The objective of this purchase order effort is to provide Reclamation with a detailed, statistically valid description of baseline characteristic for the bull trout population in the St. Mary River basin. The contractor shall compile, analyze, and describe all data collected between 1997 and 2013 under Reclamation-funded studies and relate these to existing operations.

The final document shall describe the assumed characteristics of bull trout in the DPS at the time of listing, compare those assumed characteristics to those for the bull trout population revealed by the past 18 years of investigation and data collection, describe planned modifications to the physical nature or operational characteristics of the Milk River Project structures, and describe their importance to the bull trout population.

Except as specified in Section C-3, the contractor shall provide all personnel, equipment, tools, materials, supervision, and other items and incidental services necessary to satisfactorily perform data analysis services as defined in Section C-5.

The contractor shall perform in accordance with the standards defined in Section C-5 of this Performance Work Statement (PWS). The contractor shall utilize a variety of work methods that

C - 2 may include but are not limited to review of existing related databases, reports, maps, and location drawings, project management, research of public records, meeting coordination, report writing, and other related activities. Any onsite field work is excluded from the scope of this purchase order. The contractor shall specify their proposed work methods in their general work plan as addressed in Section 4.2 of this PWS.

1.3. CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL.

1.3.1. Administration Personnel. The contractor shall designate a representative in accordance with the clause at GP-3 included in Section G. The contractor’s representative shall have the authority to act for the contractor on all matters relating to daily operation of the resultant purchase order. The contractor’s representative shall be able to read, write, speak, and understand the English language.

1.3.2. Employee Qualifications. The contractor’s key personnel must have prior experience and training for work that is similar in scope and complexity to this project. If key personnel become unavailable during the period of performance of the purchase order, the contractor shall provide individuals with equal or great qualifications.

1.4. SAFETY AND HEALTH REQUIREMENT.

The contractor understands and agrees that they are solely responsible for occupational safety and health compliance and the safety and health of its employees and subcontractors. The contractor agrees to adhere to all applicable Federal, State and Local laws, regulations, and standards relating to occupational safety and health, including, but not limited to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations 29 CFR §1926, relevant safety and health-related standards from the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), collectively (Safety Codes).

1.5. SECURITY OR ACCESS REQUIREMENT.

The contractor shall comply with the security requirements of Clause GP-7 incorporated in Section H and Reclamation Clause WBR 1452.237-80 incorporated in Section I. As such at least 10 days prior to conducting any site visit and/or coordination meetings, the contractor shall submit a list of all contractor and subcontractor employees that will be onsite. This list must include a legible photocopy of each employee’s driver’s license.

Additionally, the contractor shall submit a list of all contractor vehicles and equipment that the contractor will bring to the worksite. For each vehicle, the list shall include the year, make, model, color, license plate number, and state of issuance. This list must be updated if employees, vehicles, or equipment changes. This requirement applies for any contractor work performed under this purchase order at Reclamation facilities.

The contractor will not have unsupervised access to restricted areas during the performance of this purchase order. As such, Reclamation has determined that Personal Identity Verification (PIV) is not applicable to this requirement.

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During any national emergency, the contractor and employees may be subject to additional screening for security purposes by Governmental agencies charged with the security of the nation. The contractor shall not employ any person that does not meet national security standards.

1.6. CONTRACTOR QUALITY CONTROL.

Contractor’s Quality Control Plan. The contractor and not the Government is responsible for the management and quality control actions necessary to meet the quality standards set forth by the purchase order. As such, the contractor shall establish and maintain a Quality Control Plan (QCP) to ensure they achieve the requirements of the purchase order. At a minimum, the contractor’s QCP shall address the following items:

• Methods – The methods for identifying and preventing deficiencies in the quality and timeliness of services performed before the level of performance becomes unacceptable.

• Performance Inspections - The inspection system that covers all the services listed in the Performance Requirements Summary Table (PRST). The inspection system must specify the task activities to be inspected on a scheduled or unscheduled basis, how frequently inspections will be accomplished, and the title(s) of the individual(s) who will perform the inspections.

• Records - Written or electronic database records of all inspections conducted by the contractor and any necessary corrective actions taken. The records shall be made available to the Contracting Officer (CO), as requested, during the term of the purchase order.

1.6.1. Government Review of QCP. The contractor shall develop and submit the QCP to the

Government for review and acceptance within 20 calendar days after post award conference.

If the Government finds the contractor's plan to be adequate, the Government will accept the plan. The contractor then uses their QCP to guide and document the implementation of the required management and quality control actions to achieve the specified results.

If the Government finds the contractor's plan to be inadequate as submitted, the Government will identify the deficiencies to the contractor in writing. The contractor shall correct all identified deficiencies and submit a revised contractor QCP.

1.7. GOVERNMENT’S QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE PLAN.

FAR Part 37.6 requires Reclamation to develop quality assurance surveillance plans (QASP) when acquiring services. A QASP has been developed for the services required under this PWS.

The primary intent of this plan is to provide the Government’s Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) a basis for evaluating the contractor’s performance under the purchase order. The QASP is not a part of the purchase order nor is it intended to duplicate the contractor’s QCP. An informational copy of the QASP is included in Appendix A of this PWS.

The copy is provided to support the contractor’s efforts in developing a QCP and to provide the

C - 4 contractor an opportunity to recommend improvements to Reclamation’s method of monitoring the contractor’s performance. The QASP is to be a living document that the Government should revise or modify as circumstances warrant.

1.7.1. Quality Assurance Evaluator (QAE). After purchase order award and prior to any field work, the CO will designate the COR in writing to act as the authorized representative, who assists in the Government’s technical monitoring and administration under the purchase order.

The COR is not authorized to make any commitments, or to authorize any changes on the Government’s behalf.

If any doubt exists as to the extent of the authority of the QAE, the contractor shall contact the CO for guidance before taking action on the matter.

1.8. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE & HOURS OF OPERATION.

1.8.1. Period of Performance. The term of the purchase order shall be from February 1, 2015 through March 31, 2016.

1.8.2. Normal Hours of Operation. The contractor shall perform any required site visits at Reclamation facilities between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. There are no specific schedule limitations on work performed at contractor facilities.

1.8.3. Recognized Holidays. The contractor is not required to provide services on recognized Federal holidays established by Federal law (5 U.S.C. 6103). The contractor can find a schedule of the 2015 recognized holidays at the following website: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/snow-dismissal-procedures/federal-holidays/#url=2015.

1.9. DOCUMENTATION AND RECORDS.

All documentation, records, and schedules as described in this PWS that are the responsibility of the contractor, are the property of the Government. The contractor shall turn over such documentation to the Government upon completion or termination of the purchase order. All records are subject to the Freedom of Information and Privacy Acts. As such, the Government will handle any requests for release of any records accordingly.

http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/snow-dismissal-procedures/federal-holidays/#url=2015 http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/snow-dismissal-procedures/federal-holidays/#url=2015

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2. C-2 - DEFINITIONS.

2.1. As Directed, As Required, As Permitted, Approval, Acceptance. Terms that indicate that direction, requirement, permission, approval, or acceptance by the Contracting Officer are intended unless stated otherwise.

2.2. Contracting Officer (CO). A duly appointed person with the authority to enter into, administer, or terminate contracts, and to make findings and determinations on behalf of the United States Government. This is the only individual authorized to change the purchase order or any of the requirements stated herein.

2.3. Contractor. The individual, partnership, company, or corporation responsible for the duties and responsibilities under the purchase order. The term also covers requirements for any subcontractor. The contractor is ultimately responsible for ensuring that all subcontractors comply with the terms and conditions of the purchase order.

2.4. Defective Service. A unit of service that contains one or more defects, or non-conformance with specified requirements.

2.5. Deficiency. A shortcoming in the quality or state of services performed.

2.6. Documentation Review. Under this method, Reclamation audits documentation supplied to and produced by the contractor.

2.7. Emergency / Special Event(s). Any unforeseen circumstance or combination of circumstances that requires immediate attention.

2.8. Existing Operations. The actual operations of Sherburne Dam and the Saint Mary Diversion Facilities as they relate to flows in Swiftcurrent Creek and the St. Mary River and impacts to basin wide bull trout distribution during the period of data collection from 1997 to present.

2.9. Inspection. The critical examination of a facility, system, or procedure to discover and remedy discrepancies and inefficiencies.

2.10. Performance Requirements Summary Table (PRST). An outline of purchase order requirements that identifies the key service outputs the Government will inspect and the related performance standards and method(s) of performance assessment and surveillance.

2.11. Performance Requirements. Tasks the contractor performs.

2.12. Performance Standard. The desired results, expressed by the Government, expected from performance of purchase order services, to satisfy the requirement.

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2.13. Periodic Surveillance. Under this method, Reclamation assumes receipt of acceptable performance based on acceptable monitoring results of a given percentage or number of scheduled assessments. The Government plans these assessments at specific intervals or dates (i.e. the Government conducts assessments with predictability).

2.14. Purchase Order Discrepancy Report. A formal letter produced by the CO upon receipt of a Quality Assurance Surveillance Checklist that documents the contractor is providing defective services. The letter will indicate if the Government will affect the price computation system in accordance with the Performance Requirements Summary Table and the Inspection of Services Clause in the purchase order.

2.15. Quality Assurance Evaluator (QAE). A Government person designated by the Contracting Officer, with authority to act within the scope of the delegated authority, limited to the technical monitoring and administration of the contractor’s performance.

2.16. Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP). An organized, written, “living” document outlining the Government’s methodology for monitoring contractor performance.

2.17. Quality Assurance. Those actions taken by the Government to assure services meet the requirements established in the Performance Work Statement (PWS).

2.18. Quality Control Plan (QCP). An organized, written document outlining the contractor’s methodology for ensuring contractor performance.

2.19. Quality Control. Those actions taken by a contractor to ensure that contractor performance meets the requirements of the purchase order.

2.20. Statistically Valid Description. The standards should be like those applied in scientific studies in general. Specifically, the conclusions drawn by the analyst should be supported by the analyses (statistical and other, in the sense of obvious conclusions) of the available data. Some data will be strong, others may be weak. The validity of the baseline population characteristics described by the analyst will depend on the strength of the data, the analysis techniques employed, and the reasoned conclusions drawn from the results.

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3. C-3 GOVERNMENT-FURNISHED REQUIREMENTS

3.1. GENERAL.

The Government shall provide, without cost, the facilities, equipment, materials, and information listed below. The contractor shall be liable for any loss or damage to Government property while in their possession, and shall be responsible for any damage to Government buildings or equipment occurring because of purchase order performance. The contractor shall understand that in the performance of the purchase order, the contractor is an independent contractor and not an agent or employee of the United States.

The contractor will not use Government-furnished materials for use outside of the job requirements of this purchase order. The Government will not permit unauthorized use of Government-furnished materials. During the post award conference meeting, the contractor shall agree to and sign a non-disclosure agreement pertaining to all government provided information prior to receipt of such property.

3.2. SITE VISIT.

The Government strongly urges offerors to inspect the materials referenced in Section 3.3 and to satisfy themselves regarding all conditions that may affect the cost of performance. An organized site visit will not be held prior to award.

All contractual and technical questions must be submitted by mail or email no later than 7 days prior to the response due date for quotations. Contractors may email their questions to cmundt@usbr.gov or may mail their questions to Bureau of Reclamation, Great Plains Region, Regional Office, GP-5000 (CMUNDT), 2021 4th Avenue, North, Billings, MT 59101.

The contractor shall conduct site visits and face-to-face visits at the following facilities during the execution of the purchase order:

• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office, located at 4052 Bridger Canyon Road, Bozeman, MT 59715.

• Reclamation’s Montana Area Office, located in Suite 501, 2900 4th Avenue North, Billings, MT.

3.3. GOVERNMENT-FURNISHED PROPERTY AND MATERIALS.

It is in the interest of the Government to provide summaries of each data set to promote a good understanding of the project and to ensure Reclamation receives accurate quotations.

The contractor shall coordinate with the CO and the designated QAE the receipt of government-furnished property and materials. Additionally, the contractor shall provide adequate advance notice to acquire government-furnished property and materials to the designated QAE. The contractor is responsible for all costs as applicable and related to making the following property available for use, such as payment of all transportation, installation, or rehabilitation costs.

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Reclamation’s Montana Area Office shall provide the following property and materials required for data analysis services:

Availability

Purpose/Description of the Data Collection

Number of Year of Data

Brief Description of the Labels for

Each Data Field in a Database

Number of lines of Data in each Database

Format

Post-Award Electrofishing 17 Species Length Weight

Age/Maturity Date

Location Reach length

10,500 Microsoft Excel and Microsoft

Word

Post Award Entrainment 5 Species Length Weight

Age/Maturity Date

200 Microsoft Excel and Microsoft

Word

Post Award Flow Data 18 USGS Gage Data

Daily Stream Flows 3 sites

- Sherburne

- St. Mary at

Babb

- St. Mary

Canal

Tabular web based data

Post Award Genetic Sampling 10 Species Length Weight

Age/Maturity Date

Location

500 Microsoft Excel and Microsoft

Word

Post Award Redd Surveys 18 Count Location

36 Microsoft Excel and Microsoft

Word Post-Award Tagging 18 Species

Length Weight

Age/Maturity Date

Location Reach Length

3,900 Microsoft Excel and Microsoft

Word

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Post-Award Trapping 4 Species Length Weight

Age/Maturity Date

Location Reach length

700 Microsoft Excel and Microsoft

Word

3.4. POST AWARD CONFERENCE.

In accordance with Reclamation Clause WBR 1452.242-80, incorporated under Section G, the Government will hold a post award conference within 20 calendar days after award of the purchase order. The purpose of the post award conference will be to review the purchase order, the work to be performed, and established safety requirements and procedures.

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4. C-4 - CONTRACTOR-FURNISHED REQUIREMENTS

4.1. GENERAL.

Except for those items or services specifically stated to be Government furnished in Section C-3, the contractor shall furnish everything (equipment, materials, supplies, incidentals, etc.) required to perform the tasks identified in this PWS.

4.2. GENERAL WORK PLAN.

The contractor shall provide a written work plan that addresses the general sequence, duration, and means and methods of activities along with their quote. The General Work Plan shall be an orderly, specific, and complete document. The contractor shall present it in a manner that allows it to “stand alone” without the need to reference other documents. It should describe the capability of the contractor’s organization to complete this project and demonstrate a thorough understanding of the PWS. At a minimum, the written work plan shall address the following:

• Technical Approach Proposed to Accomplish the PWS - The contractor’s methods, procedures, and equipment:

• Contain detailed explanations of proposed methods to be used in order to complete the major task in the PWS. Repeating the PWS without elaborating on the specific tasks to be performed is unacceptable.

• Contain a specific statement of any problems anticipated in performing or accomplishing the work and methods or techniques that are proposed to solve the problems.

• Contractor’s Anticipated Schedule for completing the work.

• Contain a Gantt Chart or similar work schedule chart or graph showing the general sequencing of the work, and significant milestones.

• Quality Control Inspection Records – Means and methods and examples of reports, checklists, forms, etc. that the contractor will use to show how the contractor will document that work is completed properly.

4.3. COMPANY EXPERIENCE.

Company experience is an objective criterion that determines whether the contractor has or has not performed similar work. Therefore, the contractor shall furnish a list (no more than five) of Federal, State, local government or commercial projects similar in scope, complexity, and magnitude to the work required under this solicitation that the contractor has completed within the last three years. These projects must clearly demonstrate the contractor’s successful ability to accomplish projects in a timely and satisfactory manner. In particular, the contractor shall provide career and project experience that demonstrates they possess the knowledge, skills and abilities pertinent to the following:

• Compiling, analyzing, and interpreting large, complex data sets consisting of biological data and data for the physical environment (e.g., stream flows, water and air temperatures, climatic conditions);

• Applying advanced statistical and computational methods, including the writing of computer code unique to the requirements of item 1;

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• Comprehensively understanding the biology and ecology of bull trout;

• Comprehensively understanding the U.S. Endangered Species Act and its requirements;

• Understanding the water-supply and delivery systems commonly used in the intermountain west, including the key characteristics of the Milk River Project; and

• Preparing and writing comprehensive, concise reports and manuscripts in a timely manner.

If an offeror intends to utilize subcontractors to perform any of the major components of work, all of the above information must be provided for each proposed subcontractor. The “Company Experience Reference List” included in Section J of this RFQ is supplied as a recommended template for this information. At a minimum, the contractor must provide the following information for each project:

• Name and location of project.

• Description of work.

• Note whether or not offeror was the prime contractor and what portion of the work was performed by the offeror and what portion was performed by subcontractors.

• Original completion time and date, and actual dates and duration for each project

(including modifications).

• Initial contract amount and final contract amount (including modifications).

• Name, address and phone number of CO/owner/COR/point of contact who may verify information for this project.

• Any problems encountered in performance of the work and corrective actions taken.

The greater the extent to which the offeror can demonstrate successful completion of projects similar in size and complexity to that required under this solicitation, the more favorably the quotation will be rated. The Government will not evaluate references with incorrect or missing phone numbers and contact names, which may potentially result in a less favorable rating of the contractor’s offer.

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5. C-5 - SPECIFIC TASKS, SERVICES AND PERFORMANCE REQUIRED

5.1. GENERAL.

The contractor shall provide experienced and qualified personnel to perform the services to include, but not limited to the tasks identified below. The purchase order must recognize that the timely and accurate performance of these services is a vital and mandatory requirement of the purchase order. Throughout the life of the purchase order, the contractor is encouraged to seek and incorporate innovative ways of performing these services in the most economic and efficient manner.

5.2. TASK NO. 1 - COMPILE BASELINE CHARACTERISTICS REPORT AND CATALOG

DATABASES.

5.2.1. Description. Produce a detailed, statistically valid description of baseline characteristic for the bull trout population in the St. Mary River basin. Compile, analyze, and describe all data collected between 1997 and 2013 under Reclamation-funded studies. These data include annual electrofishing results, results from the operation of fish traps, results from tag-recapture studies (PIT tags) and the movements of radio-tagged bull trout, data from the netting of fish at the headgate of the St. Mary Canal, and data from annual surveys of bull trout redds.

The contractor shall closely examine and analyze data for statistical trends and associations within, between, and among data sets. The biological data will be related to seasonal stream-discharge and climate data available in the drainage. All statistical associations will be described in a manner that will allow comparison with similar data collected in the future. An assessment of the management and scientific values of the various data sets will be provided, as will recommendations for the modification or improvement of future data collections.

5.2.2. Specific Subtasks Required. The contractor shall coordinate status meetings at the 6-month and 11-month time frames to discuss work progress. The contractor shall be responsible for preparing draft and final agendas and meeting notes subject to Reclamation review and approval.

The contractor shall meet with Reclamation staff in person or by phone conference aside from the status meeting as required by Reclamation.

The contractor shall prepare and submit final reports in both electronic and hard copy formats, with data and reports catalogued on disk or jump drive in Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel formats.

5.2.3. Performance Standard. The contractor shall provide to Reclamation the required documentation associated above with each subtask on time and with no major deficiencies.

Reclamation will review the documentation for accuracy, format, and timeliness to determine performance.

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5.3. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS.

The contractor shall fully cooperate with the Reclamation employees to adapt scheduling and performing the work under this purchase order.

5.3.1. Required Format For Hard Copy Documents. The contractor shall comply with the following constraints when providing the progress reports and final report:

• Be logically assembled, practical, legible, clear, concise, coherent; and indexed (cross-indexed, where appropriate); and

• Contain appropriately numbered pages of each volume or part.

• Separation of volumes

5.3.2. Required Format for Electronic Copy Documents. The contractor shall comply with the following constraints when providing electronic documents:

• Spreadsheets of data in txt format

• Portable for data files

• Documents in Microsoft Word

5.4. METHOD(S) OF MONITORING PERFORMANCE.

Reclamation may use a variety of surveillance methods to evaluate the contractor’s performance.

Types of surveillance methods, which are defined in Section C-2 of this PWS, include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Documentation Review

• Periodic Surveillance

5.5. GOVERNMENT REMEDIES.

The Government will make full payment after the performance of required services and Reclamation has accepted the services to be fully compliant. As it pertains to the required services, “fully compliant" is where there has been no willful departure from the terms of the purchase order and there has been no omission of essential work. The contractor has honestly and faithfully performed the work required and the only variance consists of infrequent minor omissions or deficiencies.

All work shall be subject to inspection, approval, and acceptance by the Government. The Government will compare the contractor's performance to industry standards and will not exclude common sense considerations as applied by the CO and the QAE. The Contracting Officer will follow the requirements of FAR Clauses 52.212-04 for the contractor’s failure to correct nonconforming services. The Government will consider work incomplete when any one of the following conditions exits:

• The contractor did not perform any or all of the interim-progress tasks successfully and timely; or

• The final report is not in strict accordance with the performance standards and procedures.

The QAE will document acceptable and unacceptable purchase order performance. When the QAE considers the contractor's performance to be unsatisfactory, the QAE will report the information to the CO. The CO may require the contractor to explain, in writing, the cause of the

C - 14 poor performance, any corrective actions the contractor has already taken to obtain an acceptable level, and any future corrective actions the contractor will utilize to prevent unacceptable performance.

The contractor’s administration personnel may be required to meet with the QAE, as determined necessary, to discuss the contractor’s performance, to include actual or potential problems. All parties shall make a mutual good faith effort to resolve any issues. All parties to the discussion shall review and sign written minutes of the meeting. Should the contractor not concur with the minutes, the contractor shall state any areas of non-concurrence in writing to the CO within 7 business days of receipt of the minutes. Whenever the CO issues a Purchase Order Discrepancy Report, the QAE will hold a meeting if the contractor requests such a meeting.

If the performance of any required service is unsatisfactory, and poor performance is clearly the fault of the contractor, the Government may reduce the purchase order price to reflect the reduced value of defective services, provided that the Government gives the contractor a written Purchase Order Discrepancy Report prior to executing such payment deductions.

The mentioned deductions will in no way affect the Government’s right under the “Default” clause of the purchase order.

5.6. PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS SUMMARY TABLE.

The following Performance Requirements Summary Table (PRST) summarizes the tasks, performance standards, methods of monitoring performance, and disincentives under the purchase order.

PURCHASE ORDER PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENT SUMMARY TABLE

Task Description

Performance Standard Acceptable Quality Level

Method of Monitoring Disincentives

See 5.2

Progress report provided to Reclamation at end of month 6.

Draft of final report submitted to Reclamation for review at end of month 11.

Final report provided at end of month 14.

Documentation Review

Periodic Surveillance

Rework at contractor’s expense

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6. C-6 - SUBMITTALS

6.1. REQUIRED SUBMITTALS.

The contractor shall comply with all applicable Federal Acquisitions Regulations (FAR) and Reclamation Directives and Standards (D&S) project management regulations and guidelines.

For convenience, essential submittals from the contractor are listed below to ensure quality and safe work under the purchase order. However, all submittals, reporting requirements, and compliance portions of the purchase order clauses shall apply whether they have or have not been indicated below.

RSN

Clause Or Section Title Submittals Required Due date or delivery time

No. of sets to be sent to:

CO QAE

1 Site Security

GP-7

(1) List of all contactor and subcontractor employees performing work under this purchase order with supporting documentation

Within 10 calendar days after the post award conference

1 1

(2) List of all vehicles and equipment to be brought onsite with supporting documentation

Within 10 calendar days after the post award conference

1 1

3 Section C-1.6 Contractor’s quality control plan

Within 10 calendar days after the post award conference

1 1

Reporting Requirements 52.204-10

Reporting Executive Compensation and First- Tier Subcontract Awards at http://www.fsrs.gov

By the end of the month following the month of award of a subcontract with a value of $25,000 or more.

1 0

5 Section C-5.2 Progress Report 6-Months After Award 0 1

6 Section C-5.2 Draft of Final Report 11-Months After Award 0 1

7 Section C-5.2 Final Report 14-Months After Award 1 1

6.2. SUBMITTAL REVIEW.

6.2.1. Time Required For Submittal Review. Submittal review will require 14 days for review of each submittal or re-submittal, unless otherwise specified. Time required for review of each submittal or re-submittal begins when the Government receives the complete sets of materials required for a particular RSN and extends through the return mailing postmark date.

http://www.fsrs.gov/

C - 16

6.2.2. Reviewer Addresses. Submittals shall be provided to the following addresses/individuals:

• Contracting Officer (CO): Bureau of Reclamation - GP-5000; Attn: Christine Mundt; 2021 4th Avenue North; Billings, MT 59101

• Quality Assurance Evaluator (QAE): Bureau of Reclamation, Montana Area Office; Attn:

Justin Kucera; P.O. Box 30137; Billings, MT 59107-0137

C - 17

APPENDIX A

BUREAU OF RECLAMATION’S

QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE PLAN

MILK RIVER PROJECT, ST. MARY RIVER, MONTANA

Purpose The Government has developed this Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) to implement a quality surveillance strategy for bull trout status and baseline characteristics data compilation purchase order. The primary intent of this plan is to provide the Quality Assurance Evaluator (QAE) a basis and systematic method to evaluate the services the contractor is required to furnish and not the details of how the contractor accomplishes the work.

Oversight of the contractor's performance will assure purchase order quality. The plan will afford the QAE a proactive mechanism to preclude major deficiencies in the performance of services and provide for evaluation of the contractor's performance.

As it pertains to services, a concept of "fully compliant" shall be the basis used in reference to where there has been no willful departure from the terms of the purchase order and no omission of essential work. The contractor has performed the required work honestly and faithfully and the only variance consists of infrequent minor omissions or deficiencies.

Authority Section E - Inspection and Acceptance, provides the authority for issuance of this QASP. This authority provides for the Contracting Officer's, or his duly authorized representative's, inspection and acceptance of the articles, services, and documentation called for in the purchase order.

Scope In order to understand the roles and the responsibilities of the parties, it is important to first define the distinction in terminology between the Quality Control Plan and the Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan. The contractor, and not the Government, is responsible for management and quality control actions necessary to meet the quality standards set forth by the purchase order. The contractor develops and submits a Quality Control Plan (QCP) for Government acceptance. Once accepted, the contractor then uses the QCP to guide and to document the implementation of the required management and quality control actions to achieve the specified results.

On the other hand, the Government puts the QASP into place to provide Government surveillance oversight of the contractor's quality control efforts to assure that they are timely, effective and are delivering the results specified in the purchase order. The QASP is not a part of the purchase order nor is it intended to duplicate the contractor's QCP. The Government will periodically evaluate the contractor’s performance. Therefore, the Government has provided the contractor an informational copy of the QASP as an attachment to the solicitation to support the contractor's efforts in developing a QCP and for providing the contractor an opportunity to comment and propose innovative solutions for the Government's QASP.

C - 18

Reclamation Resources & Responsibilities The following definitions for Reclamation resources are applicable to this plan:

Contracting Officer (CO) - A duly appointed person with the authority to enter into, administer, or terminate contracts, and to make findings and determinations on behalf of the United States Government. This is the only individual authorized to change the purchase order or any of the requirements stated herein.

Quality Assurance Evaluator (QAE) - A Government person designated by the Contracting Officer, with authority to act within the scope of the delegated authority, limited to the technical monitoring and administration of the contractor’s performance.

The Government resources shall have responsibilities for the implementation of this QASP as follows:

The CO ensures performance of all necessary actions for effective contracting, ensures compliance with the terms of the purchase order, and safeguards the interests of the United States in the contractual relationship. The CO ensures the contractor receives impartial, fair, and equitable treatment under the purchase order. The CO is ultimately responsible for the final determination of the adequacy of the contractor's performance.

The QAE is responsible for proper Government surveillance of the contractor's performance. The QAE is not empowered to make any contractual commitments or to authorize any contractual changes on the Government's behalf. The contractor shall refer any changes that may affect price, terms, or conditions to the CO for action.

Performance Indicators / Measures The COR will determine whether the contractor has consistently satisfied the expected quality level as per the contractual requirements. Section C-5 of the Performance Work Statement identifies the performance standards for all services that the contractor shall perform.

Methods of Surveillance Reclamation shall use the listed methods of surveillance in the administration of this QASP. In addition to specific instructions, the COR will use the standardized Surveillance Activity Checklist, which is contained in this document, to document QA surveillance.

Documentation Review. Under this method, Reclamation audits documentation supplied to and produced by the contractor.

Periodic Surveillance. Under this method, Reclamation assumes receipt of acceptable performance based on acceptable monitoring results of a given percentage or number of scheduled assessments. The Government plans these assessments at specific intervals or dates (i.e. the Government conducts assessments with predictability).

Documentation In addition to providing documentation to the CO, the QAE will maintain a complete Quality Assurance file. The file will contain copies of all reports, evaluations, recommendations, and any

C - 19 actions related to the Government's performance of the quality assurance function, including the originals of all Surveillance Activity Checklists. The Government will retain all such records for the life of this purchase order. The QAE shall forward these records to the CO at termination or completion of the purchase order.

SURVEILLANCE ACTIVITY CHECKLIST

Task

Description Performance

Standard Method of Monitoring

Monitoring Performed

(Date(s))

Compliance (Fully, Partially, or Non-Compliant)

Other Comments

Progress Report Provided at Month 6

On time

No major deficiencies

Documentation accurate and followed format requirements

Meeting and review of progress to date.

Progress Report Provided at Month 11

On time

No major deficiencies

Documentation accurate and followed format requirements

Meeting and

Final Report Provided at Month 14

On time

No major deficiencies

Documentation accurate and followed format requirements

Meeting and

Quality Assurance Evaluator Signature and Date:

G - 1

SECTION G -- CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

G.1 RAC 13-08 DOI ELECTRONIC INVOICING ELECTRONIC INVOICING

AND PAYMENT REQUIREMENTS - INVOICE PROCESSING

PLATFORM (IPP)

APR 2013

Payment requests must be submitted electronically through the U. S. Department of the Treasury's Invoice Processing Platform System (IPP).

"Payment request" means any request for contract financing payment or invoice payment by the Contractor. To constitute a proper invoice, the payment request must comply with the requirements identified in the applicable Prompt Payment clause included in the contract, or the clause 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions - Commercial Items included in commercial item contracts. The IPP website address is: https://www.ipp.gov.

Under this contract, the following documents are required to be submitted as an attachment to the IPP invoice

An itemized list that supports the payment request, which includes the description, quantity, unit of measure, unit price, and extended price for each of the items.

The Contractor must use the IPP website to register, access and use IPP for submitting requests for payment.

The Contractor Government Business Point of Contact (as listed in SAM) will receive enrollment instructions via email from the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston (FRBB) within 3 - 5 business days of the contract award date.

Contractor assistance with enrollment can be obtained by contacting the IPP Production Helpdesk via email ippgroup@bos.frb.org or phone (866) 973-3131.

If the Contractor is unable to comply with…