RFP - Document Amendment I.docx

State of Oregon

Cover Page Oregon Water Resources Department Is issuing this Request For Proposals (RFP) under OregonBuys Bid Number S-69000-00005049 for Business Case Assessment

Date of Issue: November 29, 2022 Opening Date and Time: January 12, 2023 at 4:00 P.M.

The State of Oregon promotes equal opportunity for all individuals without regard to age, color, disability, marital status, national origin, race, religion or creed, sex or gender, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

DAS Procurement Services, Version 4.4 July 1, 2021 Page 2 of 27 Table of Contents

LIST OF ATTACHMENTS

ATTACHMENT A SAMPLE CONTRACT/PRICE AGREEMENT

ATTACHMENT B DISCLOSURE EXEMPTION AFFIDAVIT

ATTACHMENT C PROPOSER INFORMATION AND CERTIFICATION SHEET

ATTACHMENT D REFERENCE CHECK FORM

ATTACHMENT E PRICE PROPOSAL FORM – Provided by Proposer

ATTACHMENT F COBID CERTIFICATION / OUTREACH PLAN

ATTACHMENT G RESPONSIBILITY INQUIRY

GENERAL INFORMATION

INTRODUCTION

The State of Oregon, acting by and through the Oregon Water Resources Department (“Agency”), is issuing this Request for Proposal under the provisions of ORS 279B.060 for statewide business case assessment to examine the direct and indirect economic value of water in Oregon and the inclusion and acknowledgement of the intrinsic cultural non-monetary value of water in Oregon.

Water supports the lives and livelihoods of Oregonians every day in a wide variety of ways. Water is used for many activities ranging from irrigated agriculture and community water supplies to recreation and fisheries. These water-related activities provide significant economic benefit to Oregon which have not been considered at a statewide scale. This request for proposals and associated anticipated contract is to obtain an assessment, including a report that examines the economic value of water in the state. This report will inform and support further consideration and development of a statewide water investment strategy for Oregon; there is not currently a good understanding of the value of water to the state and how investing in water benefits the state. Similarly, there is not a good understanding of the economic impacts of not investing in Oregon’s water future.

To accomplish this report, the Agency will work with a contractor and external stakeholders to examine the economic value water provides in Oregon for both instream and out-of-stream purposes, and the impacts of not investing in Oregon’s water resources through natural and built water infrastructure, data, management, conservation, planning, and climate adaption.

Additionally, the assessment/report will also acknowledge the broader non-monetary value of water, including cultural, aesthetic, and spiritual.

Agency anticipates the award of one contract from this RFP. The term of the contract is anticipated to be 9-12 months and will terminate on June 30, 2023. After a review of all proposals, a contract for services will be awarded to the successful proposer. The successful contractor will be selected based on an evaluation of criteria outlined in this RFP that provide the Agency with the needs and requirements of the Business Case Assessment for the Economic Value of Water in Oregon.

Additional details on the Scope of the goods or services or both are included in the Scope of Work/Specifications section.

Agency anticipates the award of one initial Contract/ from this RFP but may lead to future contracts/Agreements depending on legislative funding.

The initial term of the Contract/Price Agreement is anticipated to be two (2) years with options to renew up to a cumulative maximum of four (4) years.

–Notwithstanding the award of a Contract, Agency may conduct separate solicitations or award project-specific contracts or purchase orders for Services similar to what is described within this RFP using any method allowed by law.

SCHEDULE

The table below represents a tentative schedule of events. All times are listed in Pacific Time. All dates listed are subject to change. N/A denotes that event is not applicable to this RFP.

RFP Protest Period Ends

7 calendar days prior to RFP Opening

SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT (SPC)

The SPC for this RFP is identified on the Cover Page, along with the SPC’s contact information. Proposer shall direct all communications related to any provision of the RFP only to the SPC, whether about the technical requirements of the RFP, contractual requirements, the RFP process, or any other provision.

AUTHORITY, OVERVIEW, AND SCOPE

AUTHORITY AND METHOD

Agency is using the Competitive Sealed Proposal method, pursuant to ORS 279B.060 and OAR 125-247-0260. Agency may use a combination of the methods for Competitive Sealed Proposals, including optional procedures: a) Competitive Range; b) Discussions and Revised Proposals; c) Revised Rounds of Negotiations; d) Negotiations; e) Best and Final Offers; and f) Multistep Sealed Proposals.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

For the purposes of this RFP, capitalized words are defined in OAR 125-246-0110 or as defined below. Terminology specific to the OregonBuys system may be found at: https://oregonbuys.gov/__

· Built Infrastructure (water): systems built to store, transport, treat, or manage water, usually in the form of dams, pipes, irrigation systems, sewer systems, wastewater treatment plants, dikes, levees, or storm water drainage primarily for safe and healthy communities and local economies. Built infrastructure can also provide direct benefits for native plants and animals.

· Natural Infrastructure (water): a strategically planned network of natural and working lands, such as forests, rivers, grazing lands, wetlands, and floodplains that conserve and enhance ecosystem values and functions for plants and animals, and are used to provide benefits for safe and healthy communities. Natural infrastructure investments for water can be cost effective and may provide additional benefits to local economies.

· Instream: water within the natural stream channel or lakebed or place where water naturally flows or occurs.

· Economic value: should include both direct and indirect values of water.

OVERVIEW AND PURPOSE

Agency Overview and Background Agency serves the public by practicing and promoting responsible water management through two key goals:

· To directly address Oregon’s water supply needs;

· To restore and protect streamflows and watersheds in order to ensure the long-term sustainability of Oregon’s ecosystems, economy, and quality of life.

Agency accomplishes this by collecting data and information about groundwater and surface water quantity, issuing water rights that allow use of the state’s water resources, regulating the use of water in accordance with water rights of record, providing oversight of dam and well construction and maintenance to protect public health and safety, developing a statewide strategy to provide a framework for meeting Oregon’s current and future water needs, and supporting planning and project implementation by providing financial, planning, and technical assistance.

Project Overview and Background In recent years, the Governor’s Office, with support from state agencies, initiated efforts to develop a 100-Year Water Vision for Oregon’s water future. The intent of the Water Vision is to raise awareness and catalyze action to address Oregon’s pressing and critical need to invest in water resources, particularly natural and built infrastructure. Strategic investments will result in resilient natural and built water infrastructure across the state for our communities, economy, safety, and environment.

The 2017 Integrated Water Resources Strategy (IWRS) is the foundational strategy for this work. The IWRS charts the course for Oregon’s in-stream and out-of-stream water resource needs, with the Water Vision taking steps to implement some of the actions identified in the IWRS. The IWRS identifies key issues including: (1) understanding our water resources; (2) understanding our water needs and demands; (3) understanding coming pressures (population, climate, aging infrastructure, etc.); and (4) meeting our water needs, including investing in water data and infrastructure and planning. The 100-Year Water Vision picks up on those themes, designing approaches with the intent of developing an investment strategy to address those issues, addressing economic, community, and environmental needs related to water. The IWRS and Water Vision are multi-agency documents spanning both water quantity and water quality issues and seek to address both human and ecosystem needs.

See the statewide Integrated Water Resources Strategy here: https://www.oregon.gov/owrd/WRDPublications1/2017_IWRS_Final.pdf.

See the Agency Strategic Plan here:

https://www.oregon.gov/owrd/wrdreports/OWRD_2019-2024_Strategic_Plan_Final.pdf.

During the 2021 legislative session, General Fund was approved on a one-time basis to allow the agency to contract with a third party for a business case assessment that examines the economic value of water, through House Bill 5006 (241). For the original legislation see: https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2021R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/HB5006.

Purpose As the state works to invest in Oregon’s water future, there is a need to evaluate the scale of financing in water resources and the impacts of inaction. The Agency is looking for a contractor to provide an assessment on the economic value of water in Oregon. This assessment should help the Agency answer questions including, but not limited to, the following:

· How does water impact the health, economy, environment, and safety of Oregonians?

· What is the economic value of water for Oregon water-dependent uses, industries, and sectors, e.g. agriculture, municipalities/cities, technology?

· What is the economic value of water instream for water-dependent uses, industries, and sectors, e.g. fish and wildlife, recreation, tourism?

· What are the economic benefits, costs, and impacts of current investment or lack of investment in Oregon’s water resources, including investments in, water quality and quantity, natural and built infrastructure, and disaster preparedness and climate resiliency?

· What are the economic benefits and costs of current water management strategies and approaches?

· Describe and quantify the direct and in-direct economic impacts of public investments in water data, planning, management, projects, and conservation.

· Who disproportionally bears the heaviest burdens, both economic and non-economic, of underinvestment in Oregon’s water resources?

Objectives

At the end of the process, the Agency expects to be able to:

· Understand the overall economic contribution of water to Oregon’s public health and safety, economy, ecosystems, communities, and water-dependent industries.

· Communicate the long-term cost and impacts to the general public and water users of underinvestment in Oregon’s instream and out-of-stream water resources, including built and natural water infrastructure, conservation, data, management, planning, and climate adaptation.

· Communicate the benefits of investing in our water resources, including built and natural water infrastructure, conservation, data, management, planning, and climate adaptation.

· Provide a compelling case to motivate and demonstrate the need for long-term, consistent, and stable federal, state, local, and philanthropic investments in water at a commensurate scale as other priority policy areas.

· Acknowledge the non-economic values that water holds, e.g. aesthetic, spiritual, public trust in drinking water, and locally produced food. The values for natural resources held by members of Tribal nations are distinct from other non-economic values as many Tribal nations relationships with the natural environment are unquantifiable in monetary terms.

SCOPE OF WORK/SPECIFICATIONS

The Contractor’s evaluation must be designed to understand the economic value that water provides in Oregon for both instream and out-of-stream purposes, and the impacts of not investing in Oregon’s water resources, including, natural and built water infrastructure, data, management, conservation, planning, and climate adaption. The results of this evaluation must be accompanied by findings and recommendations for the State’s consideration across multiple agencies, with the goal of informing and providing a compelling case for long-term, consistent, and stable future investments in water.

The Contractor’s completed report (referred to herein as the “Business Case Assessment”) must be suitable for consumption by the general public as well as elected officials. Additionally, the selected proposer is responsible for mining existing peer reviewed data and reports to supplement and ground truth economic valuations and non-economic acknowledgements.

2.4.1 SHARING FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The selected proposer must present and share findings with statewide stakeholders and agency partners, and if requested, Tribal nations. The selected proposer must present and share findings with the Water Resources Commission.

The Agency welcomes proposals that include creative ways to communicate and disseminate information to maximize impact, providing information in a manner that is targeted to elected officials and policy makers, the public, stakeholders, tribes, and under-represented or under-resourced communities.

Additionally, the proposer must make available all properly cited methodology, reports, modeling and data used in Business Case Assessment.

2.4.2 PARTICIPANTS AND PARTNERS

The selected proposer must consult with the Agency, as well as the other core agencies (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Oregon Department of Agriculture, Business Oregon, Oregon Health Authority, Department of State Lands, and Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board) to conduct the assessment.

The selected proposer must engage with representatives from the federally recognized tribes in Oregon.

2.4.3 EVALUATION EXPECTATIONS AND METHODS

The selected proposer must ensure public trust in both the design and execution of the evaluation as well as trust of the findings and recommendations. The Contractor must ensure that all relevant stakeholder groups, e.g. instream, agricultural, municipal, and environmental justice interests, are engaged, at minimum, in the beginning of assessment development and again before the assessment is finalized.

Proposals that include strong examples of prior similar work—including a well-defined and logical methodology, findings and lessons learned from applying this methodology, and development of relevant data on the benefits and opportunity costs of investment in water and failing to invest in water —will be given the highest ranking.

PROCUREMENT REQUIREMENTS

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

To be considered for evaluation, a proposal must demonstrate how the proposer meets all requirements of this section:

1. Be licensed to do business in Oregon or provide a commitment that it will become licensed in Oregon within thirty (30) calendar days of being selected as the apparently successful contractor.

2. Have proven experience providing economic valuations with neutrality related to the following:

a. Municipal, agricultural, recreation, water quality, business/industry, in-and out-of-stream, and fisheries habitat water supply needs and management.

b. Risk reduction and the economic impacts from natural disaster and public health hazards.

c. Ecosystem services cost/benefit analysis, including the protection and restoration of naturally functioning hydrologic areas.

d. Infrastructure cost/ benefit analysis.

e. Projects that leverage the benefits of natural infrastructure to store, filter, and deliver healthy water for communities as well as fish and wildlife.

f. Data and information systems that help communities use science and information to anticipate current needs and strategically plan for future trends and scenarios.

3. Have proven experience providing holistic economic and technical analysis to diverse clients, including diversity in industry/sector and geographic location.

4. Have experience working with multiple stakeholders and the public, and recognizing and responding to varying interests, concerns, and values.

5. Have knowledge of existing data and reports relating to state economic implications to water resources and ecosystem needs.

6. Will provide a cost proposal and project timeline within the scope of this RFP.

Proposers, who do not meet these mandatory qualifications, will be rejected as non-responsive and will not receive further consideration. Any proposal that is rejected as non-responsive will not be evaluated and no score will be assigned.

Certification Requirements Key Person Requirements - Master’s Degree in Natural Resources related, Policy related Finance, Business Management or Economics related degree. 3 years of experience in similar projects for natural resources economic data gathering, modeling, forecasting, qualitative and quantitative economic analysis and reporting required.

MINIMUM SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Proposal Submissions To be considered for evaluation, Proposal must contain each of the following elements (further detailed in Proposal Requirements section below):

Executive Summary Administrative Proposal Technical Proposal Disclosure Exemption Affidavit (Attachment B) Proposer Information and Certification Sheet (Attachment C) Reference Check Form (Attachment D) Price Proposal Form (Attachment E) COBID Certification / Outreach Plan (Attachment F) Responsibility Inquiry (Attachment G) Key Persons and Resumes Work Samples Other Proposal Page Limits Proposal is limited to 20 pages. Any pages exceeding this limit will not be provided to the evaluation committee or considered in the evaluation. The following items do not count toward the page limit:

Disclosure Exemption Affidavit (Attachment B) Proposer Information and Certification Sheet (Attachment C) Reference Check forms Price Proposal COBID Certification / Outreach Plan (Attachment F) Responsibility Inquiry (Attachment G) Work samples Proposal Format and Quantity Proposal should follow the format and reference the sections listed in the Proposal Requirements section. Responses to each section and subsection should be labeled to indicate the item being addressed.

OregonBuys Electronic Response. Proposer should submit its Proposal electronically through OregonBuys. Proposer should follow the procedures outlined in See: OregonBuys Vendor Formal Solicitation Response.pdf for electronic submission.

The Price Proposal must be submitted as a separate electronic response file.

Proposer shall submit one copy of its Proposal and all other submittal requirements, with Attachment C - Proposer Information and Certification Sheet bearing the Proposer’s authorized representative’s Signature, in one of the following formats: Adobe Acrobat (pdf), Microsoft Word (docx), or Microsoft Excel (xlsx). If Proposer believes any of its Proposal is exempt from disclosure under Oregon Public Records Law (ORS 192.311 through 192.478), Proposer shall complete and submit the Disclosure Exemption Affidavit (Attachment B). Proposer shall also mark as “Confidential” in OregonBuys all attachments to its Proposal that Proposer believes are exempt from disclosure The Proposer Information and Certification Sheet (Attachment C) must bear the Proposer’s authorized representative’s Signature.

Other Electronic Media Response If Proposer elects to submit its Proposal by other electronic media, Proposer shall submit one copy of its Proposal and all other submittal requirements, with Attachment C - Proposer Information and Certification Sheet bearing the Proposer’s authorized representative’s Signature, on USB drive, DVD, or CD in one of the following formats: Adobe Acrobat (pdf), Microsoft Word (docx), or Microsoft Excel (xlsx). The total combined file size of all documents should be compressed so it does not exceed 10 megabytes. If Proposer believes any of its Proposal is exempt from disclosure under Oregon Public Records Law (ORS 192.311 through 192.478), Proposer shall submit a fully redacted version of its Proposal, clearly identified as the redacted version.

Proposer shall submit its Proposal in a sealed package addressed to the SPC with the Proposer’s name and the OregonBuys bid number clearly visible on the outside of the package.

The total combined size of the Proposal and Coversheet should be compressed so it does not exceed 10 megabytes.

The Proposer Information and Certification Sheet (Attachment C) must bear the Proposer’s authorized representative’s Signature. If Proposer believes any of its Proposal is exempt from disclosure under Oregon Public Records Law (ORS 192.311 through 192.478), Proposer shall submit a fully redacted version of its Proposal, clearly identified as the redacted version.

Proposer shall submit its Proposal in a sealed package addressed to the SPC with the Proposer’s name and the OregonBuys bid number clearly visible on the outside of the package.

Authorized Representative Failure of Proposer’s authorized representative to sign the Proposal may result in rejection of the Proposal by Agency.

PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

Proposal must address each of the items listed in this section and all other requirements set forth in this RFP. Proposer shall describe the Goods to be provided or the Services to be performed or both. A Proposal that merely offers to provide the goods or services as stated in this RFP may be considered non-Responsive to this RFP and will not be considered further.

Proposal should not include extensive artwork, unusual printing or other materials not essential to the utility and clarity of the Proposal. Do not include marketing or advertising material in the Proposal, unless requested. Proposal should be straightforward and address the requests of the RFP. Proposal containing unsolicited marketing or advertising material may receive a lower evaluation score if required information is difficult to locate.

Proposer Information and Certification Sheet Proposer shall complete and submit the Proposer Information and Certification Sheet (Attachment C).

Failure to demonstrate compliance with Oregon Tax Laws and sign the Proposer Information and Certification Sheet may result in a finding of non-Responsibility.

Previous Work Experience (20 Points Possible) Proposers shall provide a detailed description of a minimum of one (2) previous projects Proposer has completed in the last three (3) years for assessment on the economic value of water or natural resource in Oregon or any other state in the United States of America. Projects must be the same or similar in the scope and requirements provided in this RFP. The project must demonstrate Proposer has the breadth of knowledge, experience and staff to provide the services of this RFP. Project descriptions must include the following:

If Proposer chooses to include exhibits or examples, the exhibits or examples must be necessary and relevant to the project being described and must be kept to a minimum.

References Provide three (3) references from current or former client firms for similar projects performed for any clients within the last five (5) years. References must be able to verify the quality of previous, related Work.

Agency may check to determine if references provided support Proposer’s ability to comply with the requirements of this RFP. Agency may use references to obtain additional information, or verify any information needed. Agency may contact any reference (submitted or not) to verify Proposer’s qualifications.

Proposer shall submit on provided Attachment D, three (3) references:

· One (1) must be from the Previous Work Experience detailed in 3.3.2 for services required in this RFP.

· The remaining two (2) references must be from previous projects completed within the last five (5) years.

Proposer shall send Attachment D to its references; references must complete the reference form and return the completed form to the Proposer. Proposer shall return the completed reference forms with its Proposal. The scoring of the references will be completed by Proposer’s reference.

If not all reference sheets are returned with Proposal, Proposer will receive a score of zero (0) for each reference sheet not returned. Also, if one of the references is not from the Previous Work Experience section above, Proposer will receive a score of zero (0) for that reference and only the other two (2) references will count toward Proposer’s final score.

References must be able to verify the quality of previous related work.

Price Proposal ( 10 Points) Electronically though OregonBuys.

For each activity described in the Scope of Work, the Price Proposal must include identifiable costs, time estimates for completing each activity, and a summary of all proposed costs, The Price Proposal must include separate line items for personnel, travel, supplies, other costs, and administrative and overhead charges; and For all fully loaded personnel costs, the Price Proposal must include the name and title of all positions for each individual staff person who will perform the Work, and list the salary/wage and fringe rate separately for each such individual.

Key Persons and their Resumes Specify key persons to be assigned to this project and include a current resume (not to exceed two pages each) for each key person that demonstrates the person’s qualifications and experience for the Work described in this RFP. The description must include the following:

Years and general subjects of education and training;

Credentials such as licenses, degrees and certifications;

A description of how the Key Person’s work experience is relevant to the services required in this RFP, including education, training, years of work experience, job title and employer;

Include any government experience; and How the Key Person’s work experience prepares the individual to provide the services described in the RFP.

Project Implementation Plan Briefly describe how Proposer would carry out the major activities of this project in context with the Scope of Work. Provide a comprehensive management plan that the Proposer intends to follow. Illustrate how the plan will serve to coordinate and accomplish the Work.

SOLICITATION PROCESS

PUBLIC NOTICE

The RFP and attachments are published in the State of Oregon’s electronic procurement system OregonBuys at https://oregonbuys.gov/. Documents will not be mailed to prospective Proposers.

Modifications, if any, to this RFP will be made by written Amendment(s) published in OregonBuys. Prospective Proposer is solely responsible for checking OregonBuys to determine whether or not any Amendment(s) have been issued. Amendment(s) are incorporated into the RFP by this reference.

PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE

A Pre-Proposal conference will not be held for this RFP.

QUESTIONS / REQUESTS FOR CLARIFICATIONS

All inquiries, whether relating to the RFP process, administration, deadline or method of award, or to the intent or technical aspects of the RFP must:

Be delivered to the SPC via an OregonBuys submission;

Reference the OregonBuys bid number S-69000-00005049 Identify Proposer’s name and contact information;

Refer to the specific area of the RFP being questioned (i.e. page, section and paragraph number); and Be received by the due date and time for Questions/Requests for Clarification identified in the Schedule in Section 1.2.

SOLICITATION PROTESTS

Protests to RFP

Prospective Proposer may submit a Written protest of anything contained in this RFP, including but not limited to, the RFP process, Specifications, Scope of Work, and the Sample Contract. This is prospective Proposer’s only opportunity to protest the provisions of the RFP, except that Proposer may protest as provided below.

Protests to Amendment(s) Prospective Proposer may submit a Written protest of anything contained in an Amendment. Protests to an Amendment, if issued, must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time on the second Business Day following the issuance of the Amendment or the date/time specified in the Amendment, or they will not be considered. Protests of matters not added or modified by the Amendment will not be considered.

Requirements for Protests All protests must:

Be delivered to the SPC via email, , or hard copy;

Reference the OregonBuys bid number;

Identify prospective Proposer’s name and contact information;

Be sent by an authorized representative;

State the reason for the protest, including:

the grounds that demonstrate how the Procurement Process is contrary to law, Unnecessarily Restrictive, legally flawed, or improperly specifies a brand name; and evidence or documentation that supports the grounds on which the protest is based; and State the proposed changes to the RFP provisions or other relief sought.

Protests to the RFP must be received by the due date and time identified in the Schedule.

Protests to an Amendment must be received by the due date identified in the Amendment.

PROPOSAL DELIVERY OPTIONS

Proposer is solely responsible for ensuring its Proposal is received by the SPC in accordance with the RFP requirements before Opening. Agency is not responsible for any delays in mail or by common carriers or by transmission errors or delays, or for any mis-delivery for any reason. A Proposal submitted by any means not authorized below will be rejected. The following delivery options are permitted for this RFP:

Delivery through OregonBuys Proposal submission should be electronically through OregonBuys. at: OregonBuys.gov Detailed instructions on how to submit a Proposal can be found at OregonBuys Vendor Formal Solicitation Response.pdf

PROPOSAL MODIFICATION OR WITHDRAWAL

If a Proposer wishes to make modifications to a submitted Proposal, the Proposer must submit its modification in one of the authorized methods listed in Section 4.5 (Proposal Delivery Options). To be effective the modification must include the OregonBuys bid number and be submitted to the SPC prior to Opening.

If a Proposer wishes to withdraw a submitted Proposal, it must submit a Written notice signed by an authorized representative of its intent to withdraw to the SPC via email, , or hard copy prior to the Opening in accordance with OAR 125-247-0440. To be effective the notice must include the OregonBuys bid number.

PROPOSAL DUE

A Proposal (including all required submittal items) must be received by the SPC on or before Opening. All Proposal modifications or withdrawals must also be received prior to Opening.

A Proposal received after Opening is considered LATE and will NOT be accepted for evaluation. A late Proposal will be returned to the Proposer or destroyed.

PUBLIC OPENING

A public Opening will be held on the date and time listed in the Schedule set forth in Section 1.2 and in the manner stated on the Cover Page. Only the name of the Proposer will be read at the Opening, no other information will be made available at that time. Proposals received will not be available for inspection until after the evaluation process has been completed and the notice of Intent to Award is issued pursuant to OAR 125-247-0630.

PROPOSAL REJECTION

Agency may reject a Proposal for any of the following reasons:

Proposer fails to substantially comply with all prescribed RFP procedures and requirements, including but not limited to the requirement that Proposer’s authorized representative sign the Proposal.

Proposer has liquidated and delinquent debt owed to the State or any department or agency of the State.

Proposer fails to meet the responsibility requirements of ORS 279B.110.

Proposer makes any contact regarding this RFP with State representatives such as State employees or officials other than the SPC or persons authorized by the SPC, or inappropriate contact with the SPC.

Proposer attempts to influence a member of the Evaluation Committee.

Proposal is conditioned on Agency’s acceptance of any other terms and conditions or rights to negotiate any alternative terms and conditions that are not reasonably related to those expressly authorized for negotiation in the RFP or Amendment(s).

EVALUATION PROCESS

Responsiveness and Responsibility Determination Responsiveness determination A Proposal received prior to Opening will be reviewed to determine if it is Responsive to all RFP requirements including compliance with Section 3.1 (Minimum Qualifications) and Section 3.2 (Minimum Submission Requirements). If the Proposal is unclear, the SPC may request clarification from Proposer. However, clarifications may not be used to rehabilitate a non-Responsive proposal. If the SPC finds the Proposal non-Responsive, the Proposal may be rejected; however, Agency may waive mistakes in accordance with OAR 125-247-0470.

Responsibility Determination At any time prior to award, Agency may reject a Proposer found to be not Responsible.

Agency will determine if an apparent successful Proposer is Responsible prior to award and execution of the Contract. Proposers shall submit a signed Responsibility Inquiry form (Attachment G) with Proposal.

At any time prior to award, Agency may reject a Proposer found to be not Responsible.

Evaluation Criteria Each Proposal meeting all Responsiveness requirements will be independently evaluated by members of an Evaluation Committee. Evaluation Committee members may change and Agency may have additional or fewer evaluators for optional rounds of competition. Evaluators will assign a score for each evaluation criterion listed below in this section up to the maximum points available in the Point and Score Calculation section.

SPC may request further clarification to assist the Evaluation Committee in gaining additional understanding of Proposal. A response to a clarification request must be to clarify or explain portions of the already submitted Proposal and may not contain new information not included in the original Proposal.

Each Proposal meeting all Responsiveness requirements will be independently evaluated by members of an Evaluation Committee. Evaluation Committee members may change and Agency may have additional or fewer evaluators for optional rounds of competition. Evaluators will assign a score for each evaluation criterion listed below in this Section 4.10.2 up to the maximum points available as specified in Section 4.11 (Point and Score Calculation).

SPC may request further clarification to assist the Evaluation Committee in gaining additional understanding of a Proposal. A response to a clarification request may only clarify or explain portions of the already submitted Proposal and may not contain new information not included in the original Proposal.

Evaluation Item 1 - Proposed Project Implementation Timeline

How well did the proposal identify and plan for the time required for the individual components?

How well did the proposal present the timeline in a manner that is easy to understand with realistic and concrete milestones?

Evaluation Item 2 - Proposed Project Scope

· How well did the proposal demonstrate understanding of the full scope of work?

· How well did the proposal demonstrate cultural competency in calculating the economic values and impacts as well as non-economic cultural values for water?

How well does the experience of the proposed Key Persons align with the Scope of Work?

Evaluation Item 3 - Proposed Stakeholder Engagement Plan

· How well did the proposal demonstrate a plan for engaging diverse stakeholder engagements?

How well did the proposal demonstrate their ability to equitably engage with diverse stakeholders with neutrality?

Evaluation Item 4 - Proposer Experience How well did the proposer demonstrate previous experience in calculating holistic natural resource economic valuations?

How well did the proposal demonstrate experience in creating impactful and publicly accessible, plain language reports and web enabled content?

PRICE EVALUATION

The SPC will conduct the price evaluation. The SPC will award a price score to each Price Proposal based upon the percentage of the proposed price as compared to the lowest Proposer’s price using the following formula:

price being scored

PREFERENCES

Oregon Supplies and Services

Agency prefers Oregon goods and services, and for evaluation purposes, per ORS 279A.128, Agency shall subtract 5% from the price for any Proposer proposing all Goods fabricated or processed or all Services performed entirely in Oregon before calculating the price score.

Reciprocal Preference For evaluation purposes per OAR 125-246-0310, Agency shall add a percentage increase to each out-of-state Proposer's Proposal price that is equal to the percentage preference, if any, given to a Resident Proposer in the Proposer's state.

Recycled Materials Agency will give preference to Goods manufactured from Recycled Materials if each of the conditions specified in ORS 279A.125 (2) exists following any adjustments made to the price of the Goods according to any applicable reciprocal preference.

Tiebreakers If Agency receives Proposals identical in price, fitness, availability and quality and chooses to award a Contract, Agency shall award the Contract/Price Agreement in accordance with the procedures outlined in OAR 137-046-0300.

POINT AND SCORE CALCULATIONS

XX

Scores are the values (0 through 10) assigned by each evaluator.

Points are the total possible for each section as listed in the table below.

The SPC will average all scores for each evaluation criterion. The average score will be used as a percentage multiplier of the maximum possible points for that criterion. 1=10%, 5=50%, 7.2=72%, 9=90%, etc. Price points are calculated as stated in the Price Evaluation section.

EXAMPLE:

Proposer A receives scores of 10, 9, and 9.5 for criterion worth 50 points. The SPC averages 10, 9, and 9.5 for a score of 9.5 and uses 95% as a multiplier to the possible points of 50. 50 multiplied by 95% is 47.5. Proposer A’s points for the criterion is 47.5.

RANKING OF PROPOSERS

The SPC will average the scores for each Proposal in a given round of competition (calculated by totaling the points awarded by each Evaluation Committee member and dividing by the number of members). The SPC will combine the average score for each Proposal with Proposer’s price score and reference score.

After any applicable preference has been applied, the SPC will determine the rank of each Proposal, with the highest score receiving the highest rank, and successive rank order determined by the next highest score.

Agency may, in Agency’s sole discretion, determine an apparent successful Proposer with no additional rounds of competition. If additional rounds are conducted, Agency will rank advancing Proposers at the conclusion of each subsequent round and may determine an apparent successful Proposer at any time during the solicitation process.

NEXT STEP DETERMINATION

At the conclusion of a round of competition, Agency may choose to conduct additional round(s) of competition if in the best interest of the State. Additional rounds of competition may consist of, but will not be limited to:

Interviews Presentations/Demonstrations/Additional Submittal Items Discussions and submittal of revised Proposals Serial or simultaneous negotiations Best and Final Offers Competitive Range Determination If Agency, in its sole discretion, determines that one or more additional rounds of competition is necessary, it will select a Competitive Range to indicate the Proposers that will be invited to participate in a subsequent round. The Competitive Range may include all, or at Agency’s sole discretion, some (based primarily on a natural break in the distribution of scores), of the Proposers from a previous round. Agency will post a notice in OregonBuys of its Competitive Range Determination and provide details about the process and schedule for the subsequent round.

Competitive Range Protest Proposers excluded from a round may submit a Written protest of Competitive Range. Protests must:

Be emailed to the SPC;

Reference the OregonBuys bid number ;

Identify Proposer’s name and contact information;

Be sent by an authorized representative State the reason for the protest; and Be received within 7 calendar days after issuance of the Notice of the Competitive Range unless a different due date and time is specified in such notice.

Agency will address all protests within a reasonable time and will issue a Written decision to the respective Proposer. Protests that do not include the required information may not be considered by Agency.

ADDITIONAL ROUNDS

If Agency, in its sole discretion, determines additional rounds of competition are necessary, those possible, additional rounds are outlined below. Agency will provide details about the Round 2 process in the Notice of Competitive Range.

SCORING AND RANKING OF PROPOSERS FOR ROUND 2

ROUND 2 POINTS POSSIBLE

If Agency conducts two or more rounds of competition, the rounds will be scored independently. Once the ranking from a previous round is complete and a Competitive Range has been determined, Proposers participating in a subsequent round will compete on an equal basis – scores from the previous round will be set aside and will not carry over. The Proposer with the highest score from the final round will receive the highest final ranking.

SECTION 1: AWARD AND NEGOTIATION

1.1 AWARD NOTIFICATION PROCESS

1.1.1 Award Consideration

Agency, if it awards a Contract, will award a Contract to the highest-ranking Responsible Proposer(s) based upon the scoring methodology and process described in Section 4. Agency may award less than the full Scope of Work described in this RFP.

1.1.2 Intent to Award Notice

Agency will notify all Proposers in Writing that Agency intends to award a Contract to the selected Proposer(s) subject to successful negotiation of any negotiable provisions.

1.2 INTENT TO AWARD PROTEST

1.2.1 Protest Submission

An Affected Proposer shall have 7 calendar days from the date of the Intent to Award notice to file a Written protest.

A Proposer is an Affected Proposer only if the Proposer would be eligible for Contract award in the event the protest was successful and is protesting for one or more of the following reasons as specified in ORS 279B.410:

All higher ranked Proposals are non-Responsive.

Agency has failed to conduct an evaluation of Proposals in accordance with the criteria or process described in the RFP.

Agency abused its discretion in rejecting the protestor’s Proposal as non-Responsive.

Agency’s evaluation of Proposal or determination of award otherwise violates ORS Chapter 279B or ORS Chapter 279A.

If Agency receives only one Proposal, Agency may dispense with the evaluation process and Intent to Award protest period and proceed with Contract Negotiations and award.

1.2.1.1 Protest Requirements

Protests must:

Be delivered to the SPC via email or hard copy;

Reference the OregonBuys bid number ;

Identify Proposer’s name and contact information;

Be signed by an authorized representative of Proposer;

Specify the grounds for the protest; and Be received within 7 calendar days of the Intent to Award notice.

1.2.2 Response to Protest

Agency will address all timely submitted protests within a reasonable time and will issue a Written decision to the respective Proposer. Protests that do not include the required information may not be considered by Agency.

1.3 APPARENT SUCCESSFUL PROPOSER SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Proposer(s) who are selected for a Contract award under this RFP will be required to submit additional information and comply with the following:

1.3.1 Insurance

Prior to award, Proposer shall secure and demonstrate to Agency proof of insurance as required in this RFP or as negotiated. Insurance Requirements are found in Exhibit B of Attachment A.

1.3.2 Taxpayer Identification Number

Proposer shall provide its Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) and backup withholding status on a completed W-9 form when requested by Agency or when the backup withholding status or any other relevant information of Proposer has changed since the last submitted W-9 form, if any.

1.3.3 Business Registry

If selected for award, Proposer shall be duly authorized by the State of Oregon to transact business in the State of Oregon before executing the Contract. Visit http://sos.oregon.gov/business/pages/register.aspx for Oregon Business Registry information.

1.3.4 Responsibility Inquiry

Prior to award, Proposer shall be required to complete and submit Attachment G — Responsibility Inquiry.

1.3.5 Pay Equity Certification

If selected for award and the Contract value exceeds $500,000 and Proposer employs 50 or more full-time workers, Proposer shall submit to Agency a true and correct copy of an unexpired Pay Equity Compliance Certificate, issued to the Proposer by the Oregon Department of Administrative Services. For instructions on how to obtain the Certificate, visit https://www.oregon.gov/das/Procurement/Pages/PayEquity.aspx.

ORS 279B.110(2)(f) requires that Proposer provide this prior to execution of the Contract.

1.3.6 Nondiscrimination in Employment

As a condition of receiving the award of a Contract under this RFP, Proposer must certify by its Signature on Attachment C - Proposer Information and Certification Sheet, in accordance with ORS 279A.112, that it has in place a policy and practice of preventing sexual harassment, sexual assault, and discrimination against employees who are members of a protected class. The policy and practice must include giving employees a written notice that the policy both prohibits, and prescribes disciplinary measures for, conduct that constitutes sexual harassment, sexual assault, or unlawful discrimination.

1.3.7 Other Required Information

1.4 CONTRACT NEGOTIATION

1.4.1 Negotiation

After selection of a successful Proposer, Agency may enter into Contract negotiations with the successful Proposer. By submitting a Proposal, Proposer agrees to comply with the requirements of the RFP, including the terms and conditions of the Sample Contract (Attachment A), with the exception of those terms listed below for negotiation.

Proposer shall review the attached Sample Contract and note exceptions.

Proposer must submit those exceptions to Agency during the Questions / Requests for…