B08.03 Answers to Questions - Solicitation - W912HQ24R0017 - World Fleet Vessel Registry.docx

Question Answer

The requested pricing structure presented in the solicitation appears to only require a firm fixed price for the base year and subsequent option years. Within the Purchase Description it states “Specific to the preceding and for purposes of costing it is requested that the vendor provide estimates for the grouping of fields respective privileges of use required only for the base number of fields for IWR-WCSC (which are shared with IWR-WRC and other elements of USACE) and another estimate for the total number of all fields for both entities combined subject to considerations of privileges for distribution, sharing, retention and applicable conditions for frequency of update.” Additionally it also states “The vendor will be required to provide separable costs for the field listing as required or listed for IWR-WCSC (and which are shared with IWR-WRC and other entities within or internal to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers [USACE]) and related conditions for use or application in addition to the total costs for all fields (needs for WCSC and IWR combined) and specified conditions for use as described by the PD herein.”

In light of the aforementioned can USACE please provide clarification with regards to the expectations around pricing?

To provide additional clarification so that pricing can be provided and to provide flexibility for offerors: pricing should be according to the two (2) alternatives as generally outlined in the PWS:

Alternative A.); the base field listing of 33 or 34 fields as listed in the left-hand column of Table 1 of the PWS. All available data and information for these fields as they pertain to each self-propelled and non self-prpelled hull carried or listed in a given vendor’s vessel register is to be provided or made accessible as described in the PWS. The rights for sharing and distribution at the detailed record (or individual hull) level shall be with all organizations or organizational units within the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE; to include IWR-WCSC itself, IWR-WRC, Districts, Divisions, the USACE headquarters office, and any other organization within USACE with reasonable and justifiable need for access and use of subject data and information. Data at this level will not be shared with any other entity or agency outside of USACE. Rights for data ownership and retention by USACE for any data and information downloaded or otherwise brought into its possession will be for in-perpetuity to facilitate update and review of historical evaluations and interim to long-term or similar evaluations over time. Highly aggregated summaries or statistical averages or aggregates (across multiple vessel observations) may be released in limited form and only as necessary in reports and study evaluations as considered necessary to illustrate and convey general knowledge or understanding of technical approach and methodologies for USACE project studies or evaluations for which the subject data and information is used.

Alternative B.); An enhanced number or array of fields as listed in the right-hand column of Table 1 (over 100 fields including or “overlapping” the fields as listed for the base field listing as described precedingly in Alternative A). Alternative B should be understood to include all of the requirements and specifications as set forth for Alternative A. The additional or marginal data fields for Alternative B that are in addition to and not included in Alternative A have the same requirements for data and information availability and provision but are however only for technical use by IWR-WRC and the technical field elements it routinely supports (notably only the designated navigation centers for deep-draft and inland waterways centers for analysis) and will not be shared with District, Division, or USACE headquarters offices, or any laboratory, research entity or organizational element within USACE. In this context, data and information for these additional fields is more restrictively held for use and distribution compared to the base 33 or 34 fields which may be distributed or shared at the detailed level throughout USACE as previously described for Alternative A. As with the base field listing, data at this level will not be shared with any other entity or agency outside of USACE. Rights for data ownership and retention by USACE for any data and information downloaded or otherwise brought into its possession will be for in-perpetuity to facilitate update and review of historical evaluations and interim to long-term or similar evaluations over time. Highly aggregated summaries or statistical averages or aggregates (across multiple vessel observations) may be released in limited form and only as necessary in reports and study evaluations as considered necessary to illustrate and convey general knowledge or understanding of technical approach and methodologies for USACE project studies or evaluations for which the subject data and information is used.

Individual Data Fields and Coverage - The specifications for coverage of the database downloads provided will extend to all commercial vessels (cargo and otherwise) of any or all sizes covered by the vendor’s vessel register. Three (3) general realms of coverage are specified for vessel data register acquisition. These are and extend to all vessels carried and inventoried, and to be made available:

- a.) the active\temporarily inactive or live vessel database (to be provided for both IWR-WCSC and IWR-WRC),

- b.) newbuilds as made available by corresponding monthly update (to be provided for both IWR-WCSC and IWR-WRC).

- c.) the database of vessels assessed as fully inactive or permanently withdrawn from service including those broken or lost (dead ships register database; all specified and related fields as applicable or to the extent available; to be provided only to IWR-WRC) and

- d.) the vessels on-order database (to be provided only to IWR-WRC)

When reading the requirements, it can be understood that there are different for both teams, however my interpretation is that – aside the number of fields – both teams requires the same ship status and type.

Reasoning as following:

If this interpretation is incorrect, it would require clarification on what would be the differences on inactive and temporarily inactive for USACE.

Determination that the two (2) organizational elements or “teams” (IWR-WCSC and IWR-WRC) have differing requirements in general are correct in contexts of what the data is used for or how it is applied whether for quality data control and review (largely IWR-WCSC) or analytical application for project and program evaluation (largely IWR-WRC). Pertaining to specifications to be fulfilled by the vendor, they are the same to both entities for the base number or grouping of 33 to 34 fields while the requirements and privileges and rights for use differ for the additional or marginal data fields needed by IWR-WRC. Concerning as to whether both organizational elements require the same status and type perhaps warrants further information, clarification or correction regarding content of the PD, and definition of status classifications with particular reference to item c.) of the three or four realms of described data and information.

IWR-WCSC is primarily interested in the active in-service vessel database for vessels currently operating, vessels or hulls temporarily withdrawn from service, and vessels in relatively recent years permanently withdrawn from service (with permanent withdrawals from service extending back about five years, hence the death date field in the base listing). In terms of how the context of newbuilds are considered or defined, this includes any hull which has recently realized completion of construction and has been commissioned to active service. The data for these hulls is understood to be routinely added to commercial vessel registers as maintenance and update are periodically undertaken, usually at a minimum, on a monthly basis so related data and information should become typically available on a corresponding basis of time as a given register is used or accessed over the duration of subscription.

Vessels on-order are considered different from newbuilds in the context they are still either under construction and not considered delivered or a corresponding order has been placed and publicized for the corresponding shipbuilder to initiate or plan and schedule laydown and construction. This information is typically gathered by commercial registers in process of ongoing gathering and updating data for registers and is of value for evaluation of short-term future or foreseeable changes in the fleet (which is more so of Interest to IWR-WRC).

Specific to (fully) inactive versus interim or temporarily inactive hulls, the latter is generally included in the database for active hulls, it is just a matter of reporting of what may be interim or temporary status (i.e., active or in-service versus whether laid-up or undergoing extensive dry-docking for repair or modification, etc.). Hulls considered fully inactive or permanently withdrawn from service generally are considered dead hulls and included the dead hulls portion of the overall vessel register database of most commercial vessel registers. Hence, the status designation is required to separate active or in-service hulls (and respective designations for status) from dead hulls.

Given the preceding and regarding, the following determinations from above are correct:

- a.) the active\temporarily inactive or live vessel database (to be provided for both IWR-WCSC and IWR-WRC)

- b.) newbuilds as made available by corresponding monthly update (to be provided for both IWR-WCSC and IWR-WRC).

However, concerning:

- c.) the database of vessels assessed as fully inactive or permanently withdrawn from service including those broken or lost (dead ships register database; all specified and related fields as applicable or to the extent available; to be provided only to IWR-WRC)

This is correct for the full extent of the dead ships database for a given vendor’s register with expectation that the dead ships database extends back at least ten (10) years, preferably more. In addition, and this represents a clarification and perhaps adjustment to the PWS, IWR-WCSC requires access to the dead ships database extending back for a relatively lesser period of five (5) years. Under such circumstances and subject to how access for a given vessel register product may be provided it may be easier or essential administratively (and perhaps less costly) to simply provide the full extent of access to the dead ships database for both IWR-WRC and IWR-WCSC with parameters for access ultimately specified for offer by the vendor (i.e., full dead ships database access for IWR-WRC and IWR-WCSC, or full dead ships database access for IWR-WRC only and access for most recent five years of the dead-ships database for IWR-WCSC with determination of which alternative to provide up to the vendor based on potential complications of administration with consideration of least or minimized costs).

Specific to:

- d.) the vessels on-order database (to be provided only to IWR-WRC).

This general determination is correct, but a further review of inquiry indicates (for at least one potential or interested vendor) that newbuilds and on-order hulls are in the same grouping in some contexts of status. As to further clarification of context for this requirement, preceding discussion generally describes (from USACE’s perspective) that newly completed builds which have been recently placed in service are essentially added with periodic updates for additions to the active or in-service hull listing as opposed to new buildings still under construction or planned for construction. From this perspective the newbuilds (given how they may be defined by the vendor) and ships on order are still only to be provided to IWR-WRC unless there is little or no significant costs to also provide to IWR-WCSC. The newbuilds and initially defined by USACE for preceding discussion can alternatively b thought of or defined as newly or recently completed and delivered hulls placed in service during the elapsed time of routine register update(s).

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