Urban SETS Landscape Consultant

THIS IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. Under the authority of FAR 13.106, the USDA FS International Institute of Tropical Forestry intends to award, on a sole source basis, a Firm Fixed Price Purchase Order (PO) with one 12-month base year and a 6-month option period. Award to be made to E CO Design Studio, registered in SAM as E CO PSC.

The Social-Ecological-Technological Systems (SETS) Convergence: An UREx SRN Project, seeks to advance urban resilience theory in the face of climate disruption by integrating social, ecological, and technological dimensions of urban systems. The project envisions a convergence of social, ecological, and technological approaches—explicitly integrated into the process of envisioning urban futures—to develop transformative capacities for sustainability and resilience to extreme events. The co-production and co-design of ideas, strategies, tools, and governance innovations is at the core of the project’s approach. The project seeks to develop and refine an urban resilience conceptual framework to test and deploy integrated resilience SETS strategies in San Juan - PR, New York City, Atlanta, and Phoenix. The Urban SETS Landscape Consultant will bring a unique combination of engineering (urban infrastructure) and landscape design skills and the understanding of urban systems as social-ecological-technological systems.

Tasks

• Integration and synthesis of multiple flood resilience proposals and strategies for just and sustainable water futures for San Juan at multiple scales, including river and neighborhood scale

• Preparation of design materials, including maps, renderings, and graphics, to help visualize and communicate SETS strategies at multiple scales (household, neighborhood, watershed, city).

• Collaboration in the design, organization, and facilitation of co-production activities with local stakeholders and communities, including convergence labs, community dialogues, charrettes, and multi-sectoral workshops (e.g. new governance structures and scenarios).

• Collaboration with the team in the documentation and evaluation of project activities and report writing.

• Participation in overall SETS Convergence project activities, including bi-weekly Convergence Capacity-Building Meetings and All Hands Meetings.

Basis for sole source is prior collaboration with the SETS Convergence and familiarity with the goals and objectives of the project. The projects are highly interdisciplinary, requiring unique experience and skill sets spanning the sciences and engineering. E CO Design Studio (E CO PSC) possesses the unique combination of engineering (urban infrastructure) and landscape design skills and the understanding of urban systems as social-ecological-technological systems.

THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS. This is a notice of intent to solicit and award a sole source contract under Simplified Acquisition Procedures, FAR 13.106-1(b)(1)(i). The anticipated award date is 1 Aug 2021. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) for this requirement is 541990, All Other Professional, Scientific and Technical Services, and the size standard is $16.5M.

However, all interested parties who believe they can meet the requirements are invited to submit in writing complete information describing their ability to provide the product/services listed above.  All inquiries on this action can be submitted in writing via e-mail to Amelia Dávila, Contracting Officer, amelia.davila-garcia@usda.gov no later than 14 Jul 2021 at 12:00PM EST.

A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed action based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will be considered solely for determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. All information shall be furnished at no cost or obligation to the Government.