Questions and Answers to sources sought.docx

Questions Received and Answers for SOL-CI-11-00023 entitled Technical Support for National Aquatic Resource Surveys (NARS)

Q1. I was just wondering if there was an incumbent contractor for this requirement? If there is, could you please provide the contractor name and the contract number that was awarded?

A1. There is not an incumbent contractor for this effort.

Q2. I have a question in regards to the Technical Support for National Aquatic Resource Surveys requirement, that was released to FBO on February 23, 2011. I was wondering if you could provide any information regarding a previous contractor that fulfilled the same or similar work? Or is there a current contract in place that is providing the same or similar work?

If there is a previous or current contract, would you please provide the following information:

Contractor Contract ID# Contract Value Expiration date A2. As mentioned above there is not an incumbent contractor for this effort. However, various contractors have provided support in the same or similar work under the following contracts:

Q3. Is the ultimate goal for 1 contractor to handle the project nationally, or is it regionalized (into the EPA regions, perhaps)?

A3. The project is a national one and if a Request for Proposal (RFP) is issued and a contract awarded, it will be managed out of the EPA Head Quarters office, not regionally. Logistics will be handled nationally. There may be a few instances where we would split a task based on geographic regions. However, for majority of the tasks, splitting them geographically would be difficult. States have the option to conduct the field sampling and lab work themselves, so if they choose, not all tasks will involve every state. We have typically split apart certain aspects of the surveys into different work assignments and/or task orders: logistics, field sampling, different lab work, and some of the QA/QC.

Q4. When we submit the statement of qualifications, do we need to know who any subcontractors we may use (e.g., labs) are? Will we need to know this when we submit for the RFP, or can we choose them when/if we are awarded the project?

A4. At this point, you do not need to know the actual subcontractor(s) you will hire, but you should have a list of potential firms. EPA will need this list to determine that your firm has done its research and is capable of hiring appropriate, experienced subcontract/consultants. If and when an RFP is issued, you will need to know if any, and what subcontractors you plan to partner with. This information should be submitted with your proposal.

Q5. In Section B.2. Communications, is the PWS looking for an administrative person to support someone within the EPA for tasks related to planning conferences/trainings/workshops/etc., or is the PWS looking for someone to plan these types of meetings in their entirety (i.e., finding speakers, experts, etc. as well as the logistical portion). We read it as simply logistical support, but our admin staff wanted clarification.

A5. We are looking for logistical support -- someone to help us arrange small meetings. This may involve identifying and providing travel for some experts or trainers. We already have in place a company that does our large conferences for NARS.

Q6. In C.2. Field Sampling, how will the 200-500 sites that are in areas that request in-kind funding be split up?

A6. For each survey, states and tribes have the option to either sample the sites or request in-kind services to have a contractor sample the sites. All of the requests for in-kind services, sampling of sites, are assigned to the contractor to sample as efficiently as possible. Additionally, EPA typically includes additional, targeted reference sites that may be in any state regardless of whether they requested in-kind services. It would be very rare for us to split these up amongst different contractors, although the prime contractor typically uses subcontractors. What usually happens is that a contractor goes into a state and samples all the sites in that state. If it has more than 1 crew, it can send its other crews to states where it is most efficient for them to sample.

Q7. In the same Field Sampling section, will the selected contractor be responsible for hiring field crews to do the sampling for the areas that request in-kind funding, or will the contractor simply be overseeing crews that are hired through another contract with the EPA?

A7. The contractor is responsible for providing its own field crews and ensuring that they attend EPA-sponsored training.

Q8. In general, how should the statement of qualifications be organized? Is the EPA looking for a general statement of our company's capabilities, or is the EPA looking for a section-by-section statement of how our company is capable of completing/plan to complete the tasks listed in the PWS?

A8. The more specifics a company can provide on the specific tasks the more effectively EPA will be able to review the qualifications. It would be useful to have a section-by-section statement, however, it’s not mandatory. As per the synopsis interested parties are invited to submit in writing, sufficient information that clearly demonstrates their ability to provide the services described in the draft PWS, including personnel, experience and qualifications. A description of similar services previously or currently provided shall be provided. Standard company brochures will not be considered a sufficient response to this Sources Sought Synopsis.