Sol_140G0222R0003.pdf

SEE ADDENDUMIS CHECKED

CODE 18a. PAYMENT WILL BE MADE BY

CODE

FACILITYCODE

17b. CHECK IF REMITTANCE IS DIFFERENT AND PUT SUCH ADDRESS IN OFFER

OFFEROR

GDB

DENVER CO 80225-0046

204 DENVER FEDERAL CENTER

PO BOX 25046

USGS OAG DENVER ACQUISITION BRANCH

CODE 16. ADMINISTERED BYCODE

X

X

541990

SIZE STANDARD:

100.00 % FOR:SET ASIDE:UNRESTRICTED ORGDB

RFPIFB

10. THIS ACQUISITION ISCODE

RFQ

14. METHOD OF SOLICITATION

13b. RATING

NAICS:

SMALL BUSINESS

03/07/2022 1430 MS

02/04/2022

303-236-9327Lisa Williams (No collect calls)

INFORMATION CALL:

FOR SOLICITATION 8. OFFER DUE DATE/LOCAL TIMEb. TELEPHONE NUMBER a. NAME

4. ORDER NUMBER3. AWARD/ 6. SOLICITATION

140G0222R0003

5. SOLICITATION NUMBER

SOLICITATION/CONTRACT/ORDER FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS 1. REQUISITION NUMBER PAGE OF

1 105 0040550744OFFEROR TO COMPLETE BLOCKS 12, 17, 23, 24, & 30

TELEPHONE NO.

17a. CONTRACTOR/

15. DELIVER TO

DENVER CO 80225-0046

204 DENVER FEDERAL CENTER

PO BOX 25046

9. ISSUED BY

7.

2. CONTRACT NO.

EFFECTIVE DATE

$16.50

18b. SUBMIT INVOICES TO ADDRESS SHOWN IN BLOCK 18a UNLESS BLOCK BELOW

ISSUE DATE

DELIVERY FOR FOB DESTINA-

TION UNLESS BLOCK IS

MARKED

11.

SEE SCHEDULEX

12. DISCOUNT TERMS

THIS CONTRACT IS A

RATED ORDER UNDER

DPAS (15 CFR 700)

13a.

SERVICE-DISABLED

VETERAN-OWNED

SMALL BUSINESS

HUBZONE SMALL

BUSINESS

8(A)

USGS OAG DENVER ACQUISITION BRANCH

WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS

(WOSB) ELIGIBLE UNDER THE WOMEN-OWNED

SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM

EDWOSB

X

24.

AMOUNT

23.

UNIT PRICE

22.

UNIT

21.

QUANTITY

20.

SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES

19.

ITEM NO.

Science and Technical Support Services (STSSC) For Core Science Systems (CSS) and Rocky Mountain Region (RMR)

1. This solicitation is issued as a Request for Proposals. This solicitation will utilize the policies contained in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 12, Acquisition of Commercial Products and Commercial Services, and in conjunction with the policies and procedures for evaluation and award prescribed in FAR Part

(Use Reverse and/or Attach Additional Sheets as Necessary)

HEREIN, IS ACCEPTED AS TO ITEMS:

XX

DATED

Karen La Bouff-Kind

. YOUR OFFER ON SOLICITATION (BLOCK 5),

INCLUDING ANY ADDITIONS OR CHANGES WHICH ARE SET FORTH

COPIES TO ISSUING OFFICE. CONTRACTOR AGREES TO FURNISH AND DELIVER

ARE

ARE

31c. DATE SIGNED

27b. CONTRACT/PURCHASE ORDER INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-5 IS ATTACHED. ADDENDA

31a. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (SIGNATURE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER)

30c. DATE SIGNED 31b. NAME OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print)

ALL ITEMS SET FORTH OR OTHERWISE IDENTIFIED ABOVE AND ON ANY ADDITIONAL

SHEETS SUBJECT TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SPECIFIED.

27a. SOLICITATION INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-1, 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-3 AND 52.212-5 ARE ATTACHED. ADDENDA

26. TOTAL AWARD AMOUNT (For Govt. Use Only)

OFFER

STANDARD FORM 1449 (REV. 2/2012)

Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.212

ARE NOT ATTACHED.

ARE NOT ATTACHED.

AUTHORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION

PREVIOUS EDITION IS NOT USABLE

30b. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (Type or print)

30a. SIGNATURE OF OFFEROR/CONTRACTOR

28. CONTRACTOR IS REQUIRED TO SIGN THIS DOCUMENT AND RETURN

25. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA

29. AWARD OF CONTRACT:

REF.

32e. MAILING ADDRESS OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE

32c. DATE 32b. SIGNATURE OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE

ACCEPTED, AND CONFORMS TO THE CONTRACT, EXCEPT AS NOTED:

32a. QUANTITY IN COLUMN 21 HAS BEEN

RECEIVED INSPECTED

40. PAID BY39. S/R VOUCHER NUMBER38. S/R ACCOUNT NUMBER

37. CHECK NUMBER

FINALPARTIAL

36. PAYMENT

FINALPARTIAL

35. AMOUNT VERIFIED

CORRECT FOR

34. VOUCHER NUMBER33. SHIP NUMBER

COMPLETE

32g. E-MAIL OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE

42d. TOTAL CONTAINERS42c. DATE REC'D (YY/MM/DD)

42b. RECEIVED AT (Location)

42a. RECEIVED BY (Print)

41c. DATE41b. SIGNATURE AND TITLE OF CERTIFYING OFFICER

41a. I CERTIFY THIS ACCOUNT IS CORRECT AND PROPER FOR PAYMENT

STANDARD FORM 1449 (REV. 2/2012) BACK

24.

AMOUNT

23.

UNIT PRICE

22.

UNIT

21.

QUANTITY

20.

SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES

19.

ITEM NO.

15, Contracting by Negotiation, as appropriate for this acquisition.

2. The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC)

2022-04.

3. The solicitation is 100% Competitive

8(a)set-aside. The North American Industry

Classification System (NAICS) code is 541990 (All

Other Professional, Scientific and Technical

Services) and the size standard is $16.5 Million.

4. Offerors are required to be registered in

System for Award Management (SAM) when submitting an offer or quotation. Register at https://www.sam.gov/index.html prior to submitting your offer. See FAR provision

52.204-7(b)(1).

Period of Performance: 06/01/2022 to 05/31/2027

00010 Science and Technical Support Services (STSSC)

For Core Science Systems (CSS) and Rocky Mountain

Region (RMR)

This line item represents a five (5) year base period IDIQ Contract.

Continued ...

32f. TELEPHONE NUMBER OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE

32d. PRINTED NAME AND TITLE OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE

105 2 of

ITEM NO. SUPPLIES/SERVICES QUANTITY UNIT UNIT PRICE AMOUNT

NAME OF OFFEROR OR CONTRACTOR

3 105

CONTINUATION SHEET

REFERENCE NO. OF DOCUMENT BEING CONTINUED PAGE OF

(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F)

140G0222R0003

Services, non-personal to provide all plant, equipment, supervision, labor and materials

(unless otherwise provided herein) necessary for on-site/off-site personnel to conduct services in accordance with the attached Performance Work

Statement, all Terms and Conditions, and

Attachment 3 - Pricing Schedule contained herein.

No funds are obligated by this contract. All funds shall be obligated by individual task orders citing applicable fiscal year and accounting data when issued.

IT Approval Num: 0070251546

00020 Science and Technical Support Services (STSSC)

For Core Science Systems (CSS) and Rocky Mountain

Region (RMR)

This line item represents an OPTION FOR UP TO SIX

MONTHS EXTENSION in accordance with FAR 52.217-8.

Services, non-personal to provide all plant, equipment, supervision, labor and materials

(unless otherwise provided herein) necessary for on-site/off-site personnel to conduct services in accordance with the attached Performance Work

Statement, all Terms and Conditions, and

Attachment 3 - Pricing Schedule contained herein.

No funds are obligated by this contract. All funds shall be obligated by individual task orders citing applicable fiscal year and accounting data when issued.

IT Approval Num: 0070251546

(Option Line Item)

0 Days After Award

Period of Performance: 06/01/2027 to 11/30/2027

NSN 7540-01-152-8067 OPTIONAL FORM 336 (4-86)

Sponsored by GSA

FAR (48 CFR) 53.110

Solicitation 140G0222R0003

Table of Contents

Performance Work Statement Contractor Employees Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (DEC 2015) DOI ELECTRONIC INVOICING Electronic Invoicing and Payment Requirements - Invoice Processing Platform (IPP) (April 2013) FISMA Information Technology Security Requirements Summary INTERNET PROTOCOL INTERNET PROTOCOL version 6 (June 2012) SECURITY REQUIREMENTS: FACILITY ACCESS and INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (AUG 2016) Task Order Manager Task Request, Ordering, Acceptance Term of the Contract Transition Periods Phase Out

1452.201-70 AUTHORITIES AND DELEGATIONS (SEPT 2011)

1452.204-70 Release of Claims - Department of the Interior (JUL 1996) GS0199 Prevention of Malicious Code (JUN 2018) GS0301 General Requirements. (Jul 2001) GS0330 Section 508 Applicable Standards (JUL 2001) GS0339 Green Acquisition (JUL 2018) GS0905 Place of Performance – Multiple Locations, Task Orders – Modified (JUL 2001) GS0919 Legal Holidays (JUN 2021) GS0924 Unscheduled Closures - Labor Hours (MAR 2003) GS0925 Unscheduled Closures - Fixed Price (MAR 2003) GS0931 Monthly Progress Report - Fixed Price (JUL 2001) GS0932 Monthly Progress Report - Labor Hour (JUL 2001) GS1101 Contract Administration Office. (JUL 2001) GS1131 Unilateral Deobligation of Unexpended Funds. (MAY 2013) GS1311 Restriction on Future Contracting with USGS (JUL 2001) GS1326 Indemnity (JUL 2001) GS1330 Key Personnel. (JUL 2001) GS1332 Contractor’s Representative. (JUL 2001) GS1338 Notice to the Government of Delays (JUL 2001) (MODIFIED) GS1346 Compliance With Occupational Safety and Health Act – Government-Owned Facilities/Equipment. (APR 2003) GS1348 Accident Reporting. (APR 2003) GS1359 Travel and Transportation (JULY 2001) GS1364 Nonpersonal Services and Supervision of Contractor’s Employees (SEP 2017) GS1371 Availability of IT Security Standards, Guides and Other Publications (MAY 2018) GS1396 Release of Information. (JUL 2001) GS1397 Contractor Reports. (JUL 2002) GS1406 Confidentiality of Data (OCT 2005) GS1413 Government Property - Use at Government Facility – Modified (JUL 2001) GS1420 Use of Government Computers (September 2018) GS1430 Ordering Authority and Procedures (JUL 2001) GS1431 Contract Maximum. (JUL 2001) GS1432 Contract Guaranteed Minimum (JAN 2020) GS1435 Ordering - Labor-Hour (JUL 2001) GS1440 Wage Determination Applicable (JUL 2001)

GS1446 NOT-TO-EXCEED INSTRUCTIONS FOR LABOR HOUR (JUN 2014)

52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required To Implement Statutes or Executive Orders— Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Jan 2022)

52.216-18 Ordering. (AUG 2020) 52.216-19 Order Limitations. (OCT 1995) 52.216-22 Indefinite Quantity. (OCT 1995) 52.217-8 Option to Extend Services. (Nov 1999) 52.219-17 Section 8(a) Award. (OCT 2019) 52.219-18 Notification of Competition Limited to Eligible 8(a) Participants. (MAR 2020) List of Documents, Exhibits and Other Attachments 52.252-2 Clauses Incorporated by Reference. (FEB 1998) GS2101 Inquiries (FEB 2007) GS2115 Independent Review of Protests to the Agency (Jul 2001) 52.204-20 Predecessor of Offeror. (AUG 2020) 52.204-24 Representation Regarding Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment. (NOV 2021) 52.204-26 Covered Telecommunications Equipment or Services-Representation. (OCT 2020) 52.209-7 Information Regarding Responsibility Matters. (OCT 2018) 52.209-11 Representation by Corporations Regarding Delinquent Tax Liability or a Felony Conviction under any Federal Law. (FEB 2016) 52.212-3 Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Products and Commercial Services.

(NOV 2021)

52.216-1 Type of Contract. (APR 1984) 52.219-1 Small Business Program Representations. (SEP 2021) 52.222-22 Previous Contracts and Compliance Reports. (FEB 1999) 52.222-25 Affirmative Action Compliance. (APR 1984) 52.222-46 Evaluation of Compensation for Professional Employees. (FEB 1993) 52.229-11 Tax on Certain Foreign Procurements-Notice and Representation. (JUN 2020) 52.233-2 Service of Protest Department of the Interior (Jul 1996) (Deviation) 52.212-2 Evaluation - Commercial Products and Commercial Services. (NOV 2021) Joint Venture Agreements Price Evaluation Basis for Award Evaluation Process GS2330 Competitive Range Determination (AUG 2001) Submission of Offer – Proposal Organization and Format Proposal Instructions Electronic Submission of Proposals – Required Questions – Cutoff 52.252-1 Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference. (FEB 1998)

Performance Work Statement

Science and Technical Support Services for Core Science Systems and Rocky Mountain Region

1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND:

Background: The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has a requirement for on and off-site non-personal science and technical support services necessary for mission support. Services anticipated under this requirement may be performed on-site or off-site depending on the specific needs under its under-lying task orders.

The USGS is a scientific institution that provides impartial information on the health of our ecosystems and environment, risks from natural hazards, the natural resources we rely on, the impacts of climate and land-use change, and the core science systems that help provide timely, relevant, and usable information for decisionmakers. The USGS serves the Nation by providing reliable scientific information to describe and understand the Earth; minimize loss of life and property from natural disasters; manage water, biology, energy, and mineral resources; and enhance and protect our quality of life.

The USGS continues to require mission critical activities to support the servicing area locations identified in Section 2. Currently, USGS has several contracts supporting these centers and applicable servicing areas that will be ending soon.

Historically, the Science and Technical Support Services have been competitive 8(a) set-aside. The previous IDIQ contract ING15PC00053 - Apogee Engineering, LLC. has expired and is publicly available in the Federal Procurement Data System Next Generation (FPDS-NG) at https://www.fpds.gov/fpdsng_cms/index.php/en/.

Science Analytics and Synthesis (SAS): Denver, Colorado and other locations:

The Science Analytics and Synthesis (SAS) program supports highly complex, distributed scientific data synthesis and analysis in partnership with remote USGS scientists and collaborators. Key elements of the SAS mission include developing national data products to enable USGS science; leading strategic research and informatics partnerships; creating innovative tools and technologies for scientific discovery, science data life cycle management, library management, and rapid response to science issues; leading advances in biodiversity science; characterizing the biogeography of the nation; and implementation of digital library research and data services. Typical support areas includes land cover and species distribution modeling, systematics, software application development, systems operations and security management, library management, high performance computing and effectively processing, managing and providing access to distributed large scientific data (i.e. “Big Data”, down scaled model data, large regional land cover datasets, national species distribution data, species occurrence data, digital publications, etc.).

Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center: Denver, Colorado

The Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center (GGGSC) applies expertise in geology, geophysics, and geochemistry to interdisciplinary efforts in support of the USGS mission to address the Nation’s important earth science issues, with an emphasis on mineral resources. The science supports data collection and research on nonfuel mineral resources. GGGSC studies geologic processes that concentrate known mineral resources at specific localities in the Earth’s crust, and assess quantities, qualities, and areas of undiscovered mineral resources, or potential future supply. This allows for an understanding of the complete life cycle of mineral resources and materials.

https://www.fpds.gov/fpdsng_cms/index.php/en/

Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center: Denver, Colorado

The Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center (GECSC), Rocky Mountain Region, conducts multi-purpose geologic mapping and topical environmental and climate change-related studies to address scientific issues concerning geologic, climatic, and environmental changes; human interactions with the environment; and characterization of the earth's surface and upper crust. The role of the GECSC is to use integrated studies of geology, biology, hydrology, and spatial analysis to understand the Earth's past and present changes. The research products of the GECSC have applications to a wide range of public policy concerns relating to management of public lands, assessing the influence of climate change on the environment (past, present and future), the definition of geologic framework for groundwater-related problems, and the mitigation of geologic and environmental hazards.

Geologic Hazards Science Center: Golden, Colorado

The Geologic Hazards Science Center (GHSC) conducts research and operational activities in geology, geophysics, seismology, engineering seismology, geomagnetism, and geomechanics in order to assess seismic hazards and risk, geomagnetic hazards, and ground-failure hazards on regional, national, and international scales.

The GHSC is a multi-disciplinary Center with experts in earthquake geology, paleoseismology, earthquake source characterization, ground-motion modeling, landslide geology, debris-flow modeling, and geomagnetism. Key elements of the GHSC mission include providing situational awareness of hazard events through the development of primarily web-based tools and interfaces; providing earthquake information and supplemental products following an earthquake event; updating and delivering a national seismic hazard model, monitoring and modeling debris flows, particularly in burn areas; and providing near-real time geomagnetic data. Typical support areas include migration of on-premises systems to the cloud; providing system administration for Linux systems; developing software tools and applications;

developing and maintaining data acquisition and distribution systems; providing engineering support for monitoring systems; and troubleshooting complex, interconnected systems.

Central Energy Resources Science Center: Denver, Colorado

Central Energy Resources Science Center (CERSC), Lakewood, Colorado. The CERSC administers part of the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) Energy Resources Program (ERP), which is responsible for conducting domestic and international research to improve the understanding of the geologic occurrence, formation, and evolution of geologic energy resources (e.g.,oil, gas, coal, and uranium). Additionally, the ERP is responsible for applying the results of this research to assessments of undiscovered, technically recoverable, geologic energy resources. These assessments are used by policymakers and the public to understand the national security, economic, and environmental impacts of production of these geologic energy resources. This work is made public through USGS and external publications, and through participation in a broad variety of meetings and conferences. Personnel in the CERSC collaborate with scientists throughout the USGS, other Federal and State governmental agencies, and foreign nations in broad areas of earth science. The goal of the ERP is to advance the state of understanding of geologic energy resources and to provide accurate, dependable, and unbiased assessments of the world’s energy resources and the associated impacts of production for use in formulating policies at Federal, State, and local levels.

2. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE AND PERFORMANCE HOURS:

The intent of this solicitation is to award a contract to support USGS science centers within the Rocky Mountain servicing area and/or specific USGS programs. These USGS science centers are identified below:

Rocky Mountain Servicing Area

Supports the following centers and any other USGS location in the Rocky Mountain Servicing Area (except work designated for NGTOC in Denver, CO and Ft. Collins Science Center).

Science Analytics and Synthesis (SAS) https://www.usgs.gov/core-science-systems/science-analytics-and-synthesis

Denver or negotiable

CO

Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center https://www.usgs.gov/centers/gggsc

Denver or negotiable CO

Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center https://www.usgs.gov/centers/gecsc

Denver or negotiable CO

Geologic Hazards Science Center https://www.usgs.gov/centers/geohazards

Golden or negotiable CO

Central Energy Resources Science Center https://www.usgs.gov/centers/cersc

Denver or negotiable CO

Based on FAR 7.108, limited work may be performed off-site only upon approval of the Government. This will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, depending on the requirements of the task order. When the Contractor staff does not work on-site, the Contractor shall ensure all Government Information Technology (IT) security requirements are met.

Normal workdays and duty hours under this contract are Monday through Friday, between 6:00am and 7:30pm. The contractor shall schedule work hours of all personnel in a manner that will provide maximum responsiveness to the Government’s requirements. Work performed by contractor employees, outside the normal workdays and duty hours will be subject to the approval of the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) with concurrence with Government management. On a case-by-case basis overtime may be authorized; however, prior approval shall be obtained from the Contracting Officer.

3. PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT:

Independently, and not as an agent of the Government, the contractor shall provide all plant, equipment, supervision, labor and materials (unless otherwise provided herein) necessary to provide Science and Technical Support Services necessary to accomplish the mission of the USGS. The contractor shall perform work under this contract only as directed in task orders authorized by the USGS Contracting Officer. It is impossible to determine the number or duration of task orders, and there is no assurance of a steady stream of work. Task orders will specify the specific scope of work, materials, performance schedules, deliverables, and support services required.

THE CONTRACTOR SHALL PROVIDE THE SCIENCE AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT SERVICES

OUTLINED UNDER THE MAJOR REQUIREMENTS LISTED BELOW:

1. Administrative

2. Research Assistance

3. Research Analysis

4. Data and Information Management

5. Computer Systems Administration, Operations, and Maintenance https://www.usgs.gov/core-science-systems/science-analytics-and-synthesis https://www.usgs.gov/centers/gggsc https://www.usgs.gov/centers/gecsc https://www.usgs.gov/centers/geohazards https://www.usgs.gov/centers/cersc

6. Geospatial Applications, Modeling, and Associated Technologies

7. Web and Database Applications

8. Software Engineering

9. Scientific High-Performance Computing

10. Technical Project Management

1. Administrative

The contractor shall provide technical administrative and clerical support to fulfill the administrative requirements of this contract. This support shall include the following tasks:

a. Perform administrative and clerical support duties associated with science and technical support services.

b. Use computers and various software packages, such as the USGS Standard Office Software including word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, database, and email, to effectively carry out the administrative and clerical support functions.

c. Provide word processing, data entry, forms preparation, telephone assistance, record filing, and file maintenance tasks.

d. Prepare, maintain, and distribute correspondence and end products, such as reports, manuals, training materials, and documentation.

e. Provide drafting, editing, filing and approval tracking of a variety of administrative documents; position descriptions, standard operating procedures, and policies on administrative support activities, for example.

f. Prepare reports on cost, schedule, and technical progress related to contract performance.

2. Research Assistance

Operational and research scientists in USGS require assistance in assembling and preparing data and information for exploratory and interpretive analysis. The following activities are required to complete tasks in research assistance with specific expertise in several domain sciences – ecology, biodiversity and biogeography, geological and hydrological hazards, climate change research, energy, and mineral assessments.

a. Scans of the environment (scientific literature, data, models, and other assets) to prepare available materials for efficient use in scientific analysis.

b. Meta-analysis and summarization of available research materials to frame further research and interpretive analysis.

c. Identify and examine applicable standards for data and information products that facilitate efficient analytical use and reports on the level of conformance/deviance from standards in data and information being used in research and analysis.

d. Analyze the usage metrics for research products, from publications to interactive online tools, and prepare reports and reporting mechanisms to assist in the evaluation of scientific impact.

e. Develop and use data collection tools and procedures, facilitate and conduct data collection, clean and code data, and prepare data for interpretive analysis by running standard data shaping and statistical analysis routines.

f. Perform statistical analyses of data to determine and report on significant relationships among factors, including the development and coding of repeatable methods that can be used by others.

3. Research Analysis

Operational and research scientists in USGS require collaborative analysis with scientists from complementary domains when interdisciplinary or integrated science questions are being pursued.

The following activities are required to bring complementary domain expertise in areas such as sociology, economics, and human health as well as specific knowledge and skills in statistics and modeling.

a. Collection, synthesis and analysis of available data on the scope of a current challenge and examination of critical factors underlying it (exploratory research, knowledge synthesis).

b. Consultation with stakeholders, subject matter experts or other key informants to synthesize and clarify stakeholder demand for new scientific knowledge.

c. Engage in scientific synthesis representing complementary scientific domains to bring interdisciplinary thinking to the research and analysis of complex earth system questions and societal challenges.

d. Design and conduct/lead interdependent research projects as part of a collaborative interdisciplinary research portfolio within a complementary domain; includes contributing to final knowledge product outputs both individually and within an interdisciplinary team.

4. Data and Information Management

Operational and research scientists require enterprise data and information management applications to ensure scientific data are publicly accessible, citable, preserved, and released per policy requirements. The following tasks are required to support USGS enterprise data and information management activities:

a. Provide support for the USGS implementation of science data and publication life cycle management with respect to science information standards; content acquisition and management strategies; metadata standards for scientific data; use and adoption of unique persistent identifiers; data citation and citation analytics; use and management of controlled vocabularies and thesauri; information governance strategies; information access and retrieval approaches and technologies; implementation and management of digital repositories; and distributed science content management within a Federal Agency.

b. Provide support for information science research related to the analysis, collection, classification, management, and dissemination of USGS science data, publications, and other digital media.

c. Provide administrative and logistical support to government-sponsored training events.

d. Provide support and guidance for optimization of data management and research systems and applications, using applied techniques including usability analysis, statistical analysis, and user analysis. In collaboration with the product owner and development team, design user experiences that consider key factors affecting the decisions people make, such as reference points, loss aversion, certainty effect, and disposition effect. Working with federal staff, solicit user feedback during the software development lifecycle that can be used to understand complex problem spaces and the affected users, then provide an efficient design solution that aligns competing stakeholder needs.

e. Develop various data visualization dashboards, performance metrics tools. and services.

f. Perform library and information services, including the maintenance of an in-house library, digitization of materials, document location and delivery (including interlibrary loans), on-line access to in-house and off-site information data bases, new literature alerts, utilization of local and national library resources, maintenance of in-house cataloging tracking processes, usage metrics, and maintenance of USGS publication archives.

g. Comply with established standard operating procedures and guidelines for performing information management functions.

h. Perform technical writing, including the writing and editing of USGS products for targeted technical and lay audiences; proofreading of draft and final documents; abstracting, entering, and editing information into computer databases; attending meetings and workshops to record, synthesize, and document meeting discussions, results, and technical information that relate to USGS products, reports, and publications; and developing, revising, and implementing documentation standards and procedures to comply with fundamental science practices, Government policy and regulations.

5. Computer Systems Administration, Operations and Maintenance

The contractor shall assist with the operation and maintenance of USGS on-site computer facilities, and off-site infrastructure. In order to effectively and efficiently operate and maintain the computer facility and the wide variety of hardware and software systems, the contractor shall provide the following support services:

a. Provide technical support and management of on-site computer facilities, including operations and maintenance support on printers, plotters, desktops, laptops, servers, PDA's, cellular phones and tablet computers, and other portable computer devices.

b. Maintain and install all IT-related equipment, including peripherals, printers, plotters, workstations, laptops, cellular devices, tablets, and other portable computer devices owned or leased by the Government. This may entail performing minor repairs on peripheral equipment and/or contacting equipment manufacturers and scheduling the necessary repair work.

c. Maintain and install operating system software, virtualization software, utility software, and library software in terms of error corrections, revision updates, and documentation for Platform and Management, Content and Communications and Operation and Professional applications.

d. Maintain the various software and geospatial application programs and capabilities developed and/or used to support program goals and activities. This may entail installation, set-up, and support of on-site equipment loaned to off-site facilities or transported to off-site locations for demonstration purposes.

e. Perform routine system operation functions, such as importing and exporting tapes, installing cables, workstations, laptops, servers archiving and restoring digital data files, and performing daily, weekly, and monthly backups of identified systems and servers. Transfer and retrieve data from on-line computer, cloud, or magnetic media, transferring data to off-site disaster recovery and archive sites, restoring system integrity following fatal errors or system crash, product maintenance, and other related tasks.

f. Provide user guidance, orientation, training, and support services related to computer operations. Troubleshoot system problems and equipment malfunctions for users and recommend/implement appropriate solutions. Provide technical assistance to users via telephone, or travel to a field site as required, for operating systems, utilities, and hardware configurations.

g. Maintain operating system manuals and system hardware manuals, procedures, guidelines and logs.

h. Comply with established operating, safety, and security standards, procedures, and regulations relating to computer operations.

i. Develop and/or modify Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) as needed to codify and/or improve operational performance.

j. Support of cartographic, mapping, and database development programs. The contractor shall develop and maintain software needed to integrate digital databases with GIS hardware and software. This shall include reformatting data, developing drivers for specific plotting devices, and enhancing or developing mapping software to meet specific needs or applications.

k. The contractor shall perform periodic extraction, transform, and load (ETL) processes that feed data into various scientific databases.

l. Administer phone system by adding and removing phone numbers, running cabling as needed. Contractor will maintain telecom closets to include cable management and proper documentation.

m. Provide technical support of all audio/visual equipment and software as needed to support training and presentation events. Provide LAN, WLAN, and telephone administration and management to ensure maximum up time and optimal performance. Serve as a point of contact for DOI Network Operations Center, PBX and Voice Mail maintenance to phone system maintenance vendor.

n. Provide technical support for scientific high-performance computing platforms and distributed science-based networks.

o. Provide technical support and management for cloud computing. Including the implementation of industry standards and best practices for all cloud computing platforms.

p. The contractor shall build and maintain software packages and tools such as AWS Cloud Formation Cloud Development Kit (cdk) or Terraform scripts to manage cloud infrastructure and code as needed and maintain user environments through modules or other tools as appropriate.

q. The contractor shall have experience with several AWS modules and concepts, including but not limited to Cloud Formation/CDK/Terraform concepts, AWS Networking concepts such as Elastic load balancing, DNS, auto scaling and AWS analysis and monitoring tools.

The contractor must possess demonstrated working knowledge and experience with running configuration management scripts in a Cloud environment.

6. Geospatial Applications, Modeling, and Associated Technologies

The contractor shall provide support to geospatial applications, modeling, and associated technology as follows:

a. Perform a complete suite of GIS tasks and technical support using GIS software such as ArcGIS, ArcGIS Extensions, ERDAS, QGIS, Geoserver, and other open source and commercial supporting software. Install, update, and manage software for GIS and related tasks (e.g. GPS, image processing, modeling, scientific computer data processing, etc.).

b. Acquire, evaluate, create, edit, and manage vector and raster GIS datasets.

c. Perform data entry and verification for vector and raster datasets (e.g. tablet digitizing, on-screen digitizing, and raster-to-vector conversion). Enter and review data in spreadsheets, databases, tables, charts, classification schemes, map products, and other formats for spatial and non-spatial data.

d. Perform field verification of vector and raster GIS datasets for accuracy assessments.

e. Utilize existing software and recommend and implement new software concepts and programs to further GIS-related data acquisition, analysis, modeling, management, metadata development, and use.

f. Develop, access, implement, use, and make available for general use image servers, map services, and related technologies to provide quick and efficient use of large datasets external and internal.

g. Perform all levels of GIS data analysis and modeling including those that may require the use of high throughput computing and high-performance computing for efficient execution.

h. Perform programming using the appropriate language for the task (e.g. C, C++, C#, Python, Java, JavaScript,, R, .PHP,SQL, Shell, Go, Matlab) with complete and detailed internal and external documentation using standard programming protocols. Adapt analyses and models to execute in high throughput and/or high-performance computing as required.

i. Provide the full range of statistical support including spatial statistics using programs such as R, S-Plus, and SAS.

j. Provide the full range of database management implementation including design, development, maintenance, analysis, documentation, and support utilizing programs such as Microsoft Access, MySQL, MSSQL, and PostgreSQL for spatial and non-spatial applications including managing data; defining database file descriptors; structuring, building, merging, and documenting database files; transferring database files to a variety of formats; data curation and archive activities.

k. Design and implement GPS data collection, data dictionaries, and standard operating procedures on a wide variety of GPS receiver systems. Actively acquire GPS data in the field. Perform differential correction and conversion of data between GPS and GIS formats.

Maintain GPS equipment.

l. Design, implement, and execute in the field all aspects of data acquisition and data processing via telemetry technology.

m. Perform the full range of image processing tasks (e.g. orthorectification; supervised, unsupervised, and hybrid classification) utilizing software such as ERDAS Imagine and ENVI +IDL, and imagery of varying spatial, spectral, radiometric, and temporal resolutions including panchromatic, multi-spectral, hyper-spectral, and ultra-spectral imagery. Perform automated image feature extraction using software such as ENVI EX and Feature Analyst.

n. Perform the full suite of tasks for aerial-photo interpretation and photogrammetry from project design to development of the final overlays for vectorization including demarking the effective area on aerial-photos, developing classification schemes, developing metadata, and producing overlays of interpreted data with neat and legible attributing. Produce flight line indexes, maps, field data sheets, reports, and other related products. Maintain the Bausch & Lomb binocular stereo scopes.

o. Perform data entry tasks essential for creating FGDC and ISO-compliant metadata which meets sanctioned Content Standards; analyze metadata for quality and enhance as needed using manual or automated procedures; interview scientists as needed to create metadata that is suitable for and is served in USGS metadata portals; maintain data, code, and documentation of relational databases that facilitate metadata tasks; provide programming expertise (e.g. Python, VBA, .NET) for the evaluation and enhancement of metadata; and provide training and support for metadata development and maintenance.

p. Maintain hard-copy records, emails, plot files (e.g. ArcGIS service definitions and .msd/.mxd files), unique datasets, and associated documentation for use in Scientific Case Files and archives.

q. Perform group training, individual instruction, demonstrations, and other support activities in the use and implementation of GIS, GPS, image processing, modeling, and related tools, methods, applications, and standard operating procedures as described in items 5a through 5p above.

r. Use and maintain supplies and equipment (e.g. scanners, plotters, printers, screen digitizers, and GPS equipment) required for the wide variety of GIS and GIS-related tasks.

s. Comply with established standard operating procedures, guidelines, user manuals, and quality control standards.

7. Software Engineering: Web and Database Applications

Operational and research scientists require collaborative software engineering expertise with the design, development, and delivery of web-based scientific data, applications, and services. The following activities are required to produce products and services that support the operations and research activities of the USGS, provide the timely delivery of traceable information to the public, and curate earth system knowledge. Major objectives of these related activities:

a. Close consultation with stakeholders, scientists, and subject matter experts to clarify and fully integrate stakeholder requirements for digital data, models, products, and services.

b. Integral provenance recording and traceability of scientific data, products and services to meet or exceed Federal information quality and preservation standards.

c. Cloud-native automation of collection, tracking, processing, synthesis, and analysis workflows to ensure repeatability and increase the rate and volume of product delivery

d. Continuous application of engineered quality measures, validation tests, and procedures to ensure compliance with Federal standards for accessibility and security throughout the product life cycle.

The contractor shall perform specific tasks in support of the Software Engineering activities as follows:

e. Establish requirements gathering and communications protocols with customer.

f. Design and implement iterative feature definition, test, and release procedures with customer.

g. Document and implement software release schedules with customers.

h. Design work plans for software and infrastructure build and release with development staff.

i. Organize issue tracking and conflict resolution discussions with development staff.

j. Design work plans for software and infrastructure documentation and test with general support staff.

k. Organize issue tracking and conflict resolution discussions with general support staff.

l. Design, implement, manage, and maintain server-based Web infrastructure, including but not limited to Apache Web Servers, Tomcat Applications Servers, network storage units, cluster management software, configuration management software, and application deployment software, based on development staff needs.

m. Design, and implement Web-compatible data synthesis, analysis, visualization and management solutions utilizing web development/database technologies such as but not limited to PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLServer, MongoDB, DynamoDB, RDS, ElasticSearch, Open Layers, JAVA, JQuery, Java Server Faces, JavaScript, CSS, , Spring, Python, R, PHP, Windows OS, Linux OS, HTML, XML, XSLT, JSON, and RDF, consuming LDAP and other authentication services, and ensuring adherence to NIST/DOI/USGS security policies/practices, Open GIS Standards, and other best practices.

n. Provide full range of database administration support to ensure databases remain performant and secure, including performance monitoring, tuning, and setting up authentication, authorization, and auditing of database systems. Perform installation, configuration, upgrade, and migration tasks. Communicate hardware requirements for an efficient database to system administrators, and conduct storage and capacity planning. Conduct backup and recovery tasks. Investigate and resolve database problems. Create data extraction, transformation, and loading scripts that take data from multiple databases in preparation for loading into various data storing technologies.

o. Design and implement Web-compatible geospatial data management manipulation and presentation options, and manage and maintain OGC-compliant geospatial server-based applications including but not limited to ESRI ArcGIS Server, ESRI GeoPortal, GI-CAT, PostGIS, Minnesota Map Server, and GeoServer, and other open source CSW and geospatial support tools based on development staff needs.

p. Design and implement Web-compatible modeling options, and manage and maintain model servers, including but not limited to supporting R, Java, C, and C++, based on development staff needs.

q. Design, develop, and deploy production-level Web applications using approved development scaffolds and frameworks, based on business assessments. The frameworks may include Java, Grails, PHP, Drupal, Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Perl, VueJS, React, and Angular.

r. Design, deliver, and manage Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), using API standards such as REST, Open API/Swagger, and GraphQL.

s. Design, deploy, and manage applications using Cloud native approaches, such as AWS, utilizing infrastructure as code (Terraform, AWS CDK), and AWS components including Lambda, Batch, CloudWatch, ElastiCache, SQS, and RDS.

t. Deliver, automate, and manage applications using Agile and continuous integration/continuous delivery/continuous deployment (CI/CD) approaches, and employ GitLab and Docker (Compose/Swarm).

u. Implement and manage authentication protocols and systems, such as Keycloak, adhering to federal and Dept. of the Interior security policies.

v. Ensure all generated source code exists, and is maintained, in the version control system.

w. Ensure all development and support tasks, goals, and assumptions are documented in the tracking system.

x. Document, implement, design and incorporate unit tests and workflows for all development projects.

y. Design and incorporate a coordinated build process for all development projects.

z. Design, build, and implement User Help, Tutorials, and training materials for all development projects. All materials required for the performance of this element will be provided by the Government.

aa. Provide hands-on instruction, training, demonstrations of software capabilities, operational structures, and feature potential.

bb. Generate and maintain time tracking reports on all project activities.

cc. Comply with established operating procedures and guidelines for software and infrastructure management and support. Test fixes or new functionality against criteria provided by the product leaders before providing the functionality to them for verification.

Write automated unit tests in the language of the application, and use industry standard testing tools and debuggers so that applications reaming at a known state of quality.

dd. Provide user guidance, orientation, training, and support services related to developed applications. Troubleshoot application problems and unexpected behaviors and recommend/implement appropriate solutions. Provide technical assistance to users via telephone, or travel to a partner site as required for application coordination.

ee. Write automated unit tests in the language of the application and use industry standard testing tools and debuggers so that applications reaming at a known state of quality.

8. Scientific High-Performance Computing

The contractor shall perform the following tasks in support of the USGS Scientific High- Performance Computing activities:

a. Provide systems support for advanced research computing capabilities including the installation, integration and management of Linux high-performance computing systems, clusters, peripherals, storage systems and interfaces.

b. Monitor system health, performance analysis, usage, job scheduling, and shall provide support the installation, integration and maintenance of system level provisioning and management systems.

c. Coordinate with vendors on the repair and resolution of system hardware and software problems.

d. Provide user support for downloading, installing, configuring, compiling both open source and commercial scientific software applications.

e. Gather information to reproduce problems for users and system environments, report bugs and follow through on resolutions.

f. Apply technical skills and diplomacy in working with scientists, administrators, and staff on troubleshooting system and software issues.

g. Provide application and system performance analysis, undertaking focused projects on profiling, optimization and tuning of user codes, profiling and debugging parallel programs that involve Message Passing Interface (MPI) calls and OpenMP directives.

h. Provide training courses and webinars for users on the use of high-performance computing systems and software, gather technical information and provide subject-matter expertise for user documentation, primarily in the area of scientific computing, supercomputing and data analysis suites.

i. Provide modeling, analysis and optimization of scientific codes and algorithms.

9. Technical Project Management

In collaboration with subject matter experts, document project scope, goals, objectives and functional requirement; develop the set of tasks, dependencies, and schedule required to complete a given objective and identify risks and mitigation. Proven project management experience commensurate with the scope, time, quality and budget needs of a given project required. Project Management Professional certification and excellent communication skills are required. Expertise in all facets of the development lifecycle including but not limited to Agile, Waterfall, and Kanban workflows, etc. The contractor shall:

a. Work collaboratively with product owners to define and document project scope, goals, objectives, schedule, and functional requirements, and estimate the level of effort required for identified development tasks.

b. Plan development sprints and assign tasks to developers as needed each sprint.

c. Proactively work with staff and the developer and operations teams to design technical solutions, and to coordinate product deployments.

d. Make technical recommendations for development and implementation of requirements, with attention given to leveraging existing capabilities.

e. Effectively facilitate meetings and work collaboratively with the product owners to remove impediments to progress.

f. Assist the product owners in grooming the product backlog to ensure that it is mature and ready for the next development cycle.

g. Track tasks in task/bug tracking system (e.g., JIRA, Redmine), and provide status reports of progress, tasks, issues, and bugs across all tasks and subtasks.

h. Provide monthly reports summarizing deliverables, spending, financial information and risks.

4. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS:

Other than base contract reporting requirements, all task order reporting will be further defined in each task order. Deliverable items at the task order level will vary depending on the nature of the requirement. Items may include, but not limited to: logbooks and spreadsheets of field collected data; compiled databases;

scientific reports and manuscripts, GIS data; documentation packages for computer programs; web designs and pages; maps and figures; computer software; labor-hour and cost reporting requirements.

All reports and deliverables submitted at the contract level shall include a reference to the task order number. Deliverables under this contract may include:

1. Contractor shall provide a monthly status report which identifies tasks in progress or completed during the reporting period and man-hours associated with each task, projected workload for the coming reporting period, problems encountered and/or other issues.