Sandbar topo data analysis

Added: Jun 16, 2016 5:29 pm THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE ONLY for market research purposes to identify interested businesses for the potential requirement detailed below. A formal solicitation and performance work statement are not available. Additionally, in accordance with FAR 19.5, Set-Asides for Small Business, the Government will review the information requested in this announcement to determine the type of set-aside (if any) for this requirement, should it come to readiness.



The Grand Canyon Monitoring Research Center (GCMRC) for the US Geological Survey (USGS) requires analytical support to process topographic and bathymetric survey data and streamline data analysis products that advance the understanding of geomorphic processes. This project will result in the development of workflows scripts and tools that GCMRC scientists will use to make processing and analyses more efficient and repeatable.



Project Element 1 - Multi-Year Topographic Survey Data Workflow

GCMRC possesses many years of high resolution topographic and bathymetric survey data for the Grand Canyon. Since approximately 1990 these channel mapping data include multi-beam and single beam bathymetric sonar data within the channel and total station topographic surveys on land.



The goal of this task is to develop a workflow that takes raw GIS survey data and produces the necessary data layers required to perform channel mapping and temporal sediment change analyses. The contractor will work with GCMRC staff and collaborators to organize the various channel mapping data inputs (point clouds, break lines, survey method polygons etc) and then help automate the generation of uncertainty and elevation surfaces for the long reaches of interest. This data processing workflow involves a human, visual review of the TIN surfaces before they are converted into rasters, and while this manual step will remain, the goal is to bookend it with more automated processes to make them more efficient and repeatable for incorporating future surveys.







Project Element 2 - Sandbar Inundation Analysis

GCMRC requires a robust and repeatable workflow to calculate sandbar volumes as they relate to discharges in the Colorado River. The existing processing steps are computationally inefficient and also require frequent re-running due the way potential problems with the input data are not discovered until the final processing steps.



A new, more efficient workflow is required and one that is capable of validating the input data at the start of processing. This will reduce lost time due to the lengthy process failing during the final calculation because of some input data issue that could have been highlighted earlier in the workflow.



This task will also review and optimize the sandbar analysis and attempt to streamline it and help GCMRC produce more timely results for sharing with the public. An initial review of the existing workflow suggests that there are significant gains to be had by implementing several best practices in how to work with GIS data. These include:



¿ Parallelization of the process to speed up the processing by distributing components onto separate computers that run simultaneously.

¿ Better exception handling to track where and when bugs and data issues are occurring.

¿ Better logging to track (benchmark) workflow processes and report issues.



Project Element 3 - Topographic Data Organization And Workflow Support

The topographic survey data described in both previous tasks includes literally hundreds of separate GIS layers that represent different locations in the canyon, points in time, survey methods and processing steps. Much of these data are well maintained on GCMRC servers, but analysts struggle to search, find and retrieve layers when they are performing routine analysis or data processing tasks.



The contractor will be required to develop customizable tools that present users with their own data in ways that are familiar to them. This ¿workbench¿ concept involves categorizing the particular types of data and then presenting users with customized views that are organized using the same concepts and terms that analysts already understand. For example, GCMRC commonly refers to data by particular sandbars, eddies, river miles and tributaries. The data associated with each of these entities - point clouds, digital elevation models, depth maps - are all then tagged to each of these organizational groupings and presented in a simple viewer within ArcGIS that allows users to find and display layers in a repeatable, consistent way.



The goal of this task is to deliver the first version of a ¿GCMRC survey data workbench¿ that will help organize the various GIS layers that feed into the channel mapping and sandbar analyses. The high level features of the tool are:



¿ Customizable catalogue that enables GCMRC staff the ability to manage which types of layers are tracked and presented to users (without the need for new software development).

¿ ArcMap toolbar and dockable window that makes it easy to add layers from the library to the current map document.

¿ Standard symbolization that ensures layers appear with consistent colors and symbols.

¿ Customizable hooks and triggers to common tools, scripts and workflow processes that manipulate data in the workbench library (i.e. launching Python scripts or command line tools on selected data).

¿ Online documentation explaining how to configure and use the workbench.



This task represents an initial proof-of-concept version of the GCMRC survey data workbench. It will be operational and of immediate use by GCMRC staff. However, its functionality will be limited to the items above.



Products

The following products are expected:



¿ Command line script that performs the workflow steps to produce the elevation and uncertainty surfaces for all surveys since 1990

¿ Improved sandbar volume workflow.

¿ On-site, hands-on training for GCMRC and their collaborators on how to implement the new sandbar and surface preparation workflows.

¿ Advice and training on how to write professional GIS data processing python scripts.

¿ Proof-of-concept GCMRC survey data workbench, configured for use with the highest priority data layers.

¿ Documentation describing how to use and configure the workbench software.

¿ Documentation describing the methods and techniques used in any analyses developed





All business concerns who believe they can responsibly perform this requirement should submit the following information to the Contracting Officer no later than 12 noon EST April 8, 2016:



1. Capability statement describing corporate expertise and technical qualifications in the work described above.



2. Business Size status of vendor ( Ie. Small, 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, etc.)



3. If available ¿ Provide the companies Data Universal Numbering System or also known as the DUNS number



4. Point of contact information for vendor.



5. Any other information that will demonstrate the vendor is capable of performing the required effort.



NOTE: All information submitted in response to this announcement is voluntary - the Government will not pay for information requested nor will it compensate any respondent for any cost incurred in developing information provided to the Government. Materials submitted to the Government for review will not be returned. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation. This is not a request for proposals. The Government does not intend to award a contract based on responses received under this announcement.



The applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is: 541512 Computer Systems Design Services $27.5



All submissions, questions and concerns may be submitted my means of email only to the Contracting Officer, Gerry Lewandowski, at glewando@usgs.gov