SPECIAL NOTICE
99 -- Professional Services to Support Prototype Development of NNOMPEAS (National Navigation Operation & Management Performance Evluation & Assessment System)
- Notice Date
- 7/16/2008
- Notice Type
- Special Notice
- NAICS
- 541511
— Custom Computer Programming Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army Humphreys Engineer Center Support Activity, US Army Humphreys Engineer Center Support Activity, ATTN: CEHEC-CT, 7701 Telegraph Road, Alexandria, VA 22315-3860
- ZIP Code
- 22315-3860
- Solicitation Number
- SNOTE-08-0003
- Archive Date
- 10/14/2008
- Point of Contact
- Nancy Hilleary, 703-428-6120
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers intends to award a sole source contract to RJP Consulting Services. This is a special notice for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in the notice 6.302-1 Only one reasonable source available, and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements and FAR Subpart 19.1306 HUBZone Sole Source Awards. However, any firm that believes it can meet this requirement may give written notification to the Contracting Officer within 7 days from the date of publication of this announcement. Supporting evidence must be in sufficient detail to demonstrate the ability to comply with the requirement. Responses received will be evaluated; however, a determination by the Government to compete the proposed procurement based on the responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. If no responses are received, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will proceed with awarding a firm-fixed price contract to RJP Consulting Services for Professional Services to Support Prototype Development of NNOMPEAS (National Navigation Operation & Management Performance Evaluation & Assessment System). These services will be provided to the Institue of Water Resources, Alexandria, VA. Point of Contact for this requirement is Nancy Hilleary at Nancy.L.Hilleary@usace.army.mil, 7701 Telegraph Road, Alexandria, VA 22315. Statement of Scope of Work (SOW) for Professional Services to Support Development of Computerized Methods & Procedures for NNOMPEAS System Operation I. Introduction The Institute for Water Resources of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE-CEIWR) has been tasked by corps headquarters (HQUSACE) to develop a centralized computer-based system to tabulate waterborne transportation cost structures for coastal deep-draft waterway projects. Waterborne transportation costs structures and the differentials therein as derived from or associated with waterway project or plan alternatives serve as the primary basis for estimation of economic benefit(s) of waterway improvement and maintenance projects. The emphasis of output for system development will be the estimation of waterborne transportation costs for deep-draft carriers conveying foreign (i.e., imports and exports) and\or domestic trade and serving coastal deep-draft harbors of the United States for which the Corps Waterborne Commerce Statistics Center (WCSC) compiles waterway traffic data. Also required will be the capability to compile and tabulate waterway operation & maintenance (O&M) data within the framework of requirements for life-cycle cost evaluation with comparability to general program management objectives of the Corps. In addition, while the emphasis of system development will be for evaluation of O&M of deep-draft waterways, the logic and procedures for life-cycle project economic benefit and cost evaluation(s) are to be comparable with established guidance for logic, practices and procedures applied to evaluation of both ongoing O&M as well as new work for pending or newly constructed general navigation features (GNFs) and marginal or incremental improvement measures to existing waterway system projects. In reiteration, the system will need to tabulate two kinds or realms of costs and then have the capability to compare them as a measure for return on investment (ROI) for fiscal\budgetary evaluation of alternatives with regard to needs for ongoing O&M maintenance work and dredging. The costs are: - Waterborne Transportation Costs (from which economic benefits are estimated) - Waterway Project Operation & Maintenance Costs (O&M) Comparison of the two realms of costs can provide for reasonable evaluation of return on investment (ROI) subject to requirements of comparability in price levels and basis or context of estimation. II. Description of Technical Work and Requirements Waterborne transportation costs of concern for the scope of work or services (SOW) herein entail costs associated with vessel operations to support delivery of cargo or commodities coastwise along the nations coasts or to and from foreign trade partners and the United States via the nations deep-draft coastal waterway system. Related cost structures may change, differ or be impacted according to vessel size and capacity and potential limitations on capacity utilization imposed by waterway conditions (such as restrictions on immersed hull draft due to specifications for waterway system depths). Other potential limitations on vessel utilization include limited vessel breadth and\or length due to channel width, turning basin diameter, and other waterway physical specifications or criteria. The primary criteria for system development described under the SOW herein shall be changes in reference and controlling waterway depth (and corresponding liberties or restrictions on vessel size, transit draft and respective cargo capacity utilization, and corresponding cargo transportation costs). Development will be undertaken in phases to support progressive and rational development as deemed best suited to requirements for reasonable accuracy and technical validity of estimates as estimates from a fully developed and finalized system may be applied or contribute to evaluation of budgetary programs for waterway system maintenance. Generally, the contractual SOW herein is to support the prototype or first phase of computerized system development that will involve analysis of two designated coastal deep-draft harbors as a test bed or test case but that can be readily applied and executed for comparable evaluations of other coastal deep-draft ports or harbor waterways under Federal stewardship in the United States. More specifically, the SOW is for professional technical labor services to support development of computerized data file structures and creation or augmentation of software or systems programming and related products needed to develop and manipulate databases, control and handle critical data, estimate or synthesize and populate missing data, execute computational algorithms for derived relationships from input data, and (to the extent and nature required) generate analytical and managerial information and reports from resulting calculated output concerning deep-draft maritime transportation trade and operations. The emphasis and priority for first phase development shall be to support the evaluation of economic benefits (i.e., waterborne transportation cost analysis) with basic framework structuring and development for evaluation of waterway O&M costs. Accordingly, associated requirements will include development and evaluation of computerized analytical algorithms and subroutines for waterborne transportation cost analysis. The operational and mathematical logic and formulation of algorithms respective to both vessel and port operations relative to national economic development (NED) criteria as (mandated for application by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)) will be developed primarily by the staff of USACE-IWR. The contractor in turn will be responsible for translation of provided logic and algorithms into functional computerized source or programming code and that will correctly execute associated logic and numerical\analytical technique and produce output and information conforming to reporting requirements to be specified for the system. The contractor will also be responsible for any affiliated or ancillary technical labor, supplies, and supply services appropriate for described work and responsibilities considered a reasonable expectation for professional work comparable in nature. Correspondingly, the work will first require integration and manipulation or processing of several separate databases that will be acquired from both the private sector and developed or compiled from within the Federal Government (with the latter source being most notably the Army Corps of Engineers). Databases assembled by the Government and to be provided to the contractor will include (but are not necessarily limited to) information for vessel name and IMO number, date (and time, where available) of vessel movement, direction of vessel movement, tonnage laden or discharged, and prior port of call. Additional databases to be secured by the Government from private\commercial sector sources and provided to the contractor will include ship registry information (such as from the Lloyds Register of Ships) that will allow cross-matching of vessel physical characteristics (i.e., type of vessel, length, breadth, summer loadline draft, cargo capacities etc.) computerized tables for itinerary listings and voyage distances. The primary mechanism for merging or combining databases will be the vessel IMO number which will provide for critical common identifier across all or most of the databases or sources that will be employed. Databases or requisite database access will be provided to the contractor by USACE-IWR. Generally, the databases involved will include (but not necessarily be limited to) the following information: Water Commerce Statistical Center Data Files (USACE-WCSC\IWR) -Transits and calls -Tonnage loaded and\or discharged -Selected vessel characteristics concerning identification and transit at a given harbor (vessel transit draft, IMO number, etc.) -Vessel operating costs per unit of time -Vessel load factor parameters Other Government (National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration [NOAA] & USACE] -Tides and tidal datum information (benchmarks; elevations, probabilities for elevation, duration and frequency, etc.) External\Commercial Data Sources -Vessel characteristics & itinerary information (LRFairplay Lloyds Register & Sea Web) -Computerized nautical distance tables (Veson Nautical) Via integration of these databases, data and information concerning deep-draft vessel movements with regard to vessel characteristics, general parameters for vessel management and operations, and cargo throughput will be available that will allow subsequent evaluation and analysis of transportation costs in the context and guidance for NED criteria. As with many general transportation databases it is anticipated that initial input data will need to be reviewed, screened and reasonably corrected within an automated environment for missing and erroneous data. The logic and algorithms for related data correction are to be developed by USACE-IWR and provided to the contractor. Nonetheless, given a primary objective evaluating vessel voyage costs, the contractor or provider of required professional services must be thoroughly and expertly versed in the evaluation of deep-draft waterborne transportation costs within the framework of NED criteria including the ability to understand detailed information and statistics regarding or associated with: - General input data and database structures of the transportation statistics routinely handled and compiled by the Corps Waterborne Commerce Statistics Center (WCSC) - Vessel physical characteristics and parameters respective to type and deadweight class of carrier including but not necessarily limited to: - Physical dimensions and capabilities for speed and related bunkerage consumption - Analysis of volumetric and weight carrying capacity, - Variability of displacement\immersion characteristics relative to management and analysis of critical load factors (cargo and carriage load rates and regime, allowances for stowage and cargo density, fixed and variable ballast, bunkerage management etc.) - Vessel operating cost structures relative to mode of operation (whether in-port, at-sea, etc.) - Port and Terminal Operation; foreign and domestic, with concern for but not necessarily limited to: - Cargo throughput capability of facilities - Supporting waterway system characteristics or specifications and how they relate to limitations of vessel operating parameters or management practices (depths, use of tide windows, terminal capacities, etc.) - Port\terminal operating cost structures (explicit tariffs and harbor or port surcharges; implicit costs or cost allocations). - Understanding critical inputs or factors for evaluation of potential variances in cost structures due to changes in vessel operations. As generally defined the process for estimation of waterborne transportations costs will involve five (5) general stages or elements: I. - Initial merge and combining of required databases containing data as available to derive the primary structure of databases and listings containing base input data regarding vessel operations and characteristics (including cargo movements) by date and location. II. - Computerized processing for review of validity\consistency of data as initially input, and execution of computerized algorithms to synthesize or populate values or parameters for missing data or input required for waterborne transportation cost calculations. III. - Calculation of waterborne transportation or vessel voyage costs (at the individual vessel movement level [with separate tabulations for inbound versus outbound or import versus export, etc.] IV. - Aggregation of waterborne transportation cost structures for individual vessels into summary level reports or templates addressing (but not necessarily limited to) vessel type and size class according to port or location, waterway segment or reach, and reference depth. The benchmark for waterway segment depth shall be the reference depth (as constructed and ideally maintained) of the supporting waterway segment or section corresponding to each vessel movement. V. - Information as derived for stage IV with alternatives for reference depth (and corresponding adjustment(s) to waterborne transportation costs) based on assumptions for reduced or modified levels of maintenance dredging. Time span for data evaluation - Ultimately for a fully developed system (should further development be implemented) the time frame for data evaluation and aggregation would\will be three (3) to five (5) years historic and three (3) years to five (5) years into the future based on a forecast module or mechanism to be integrated into the system. For the first phase or test bed for development however, data time span shall be limited to the three most recent and complete calendar years of waterborne commerce data as available from the WCSC-USACE (which at present, as of the development of the SOW herein, spans from 2004 through 2006). Respective to applied databases, calculated values and desired managerial information from the system, needed features for computerized programming will entail the ability to review and evaluate data and statistics on an annual basis for each year of data addressed or input into the system as well as the ability to aggregate designated or selected years to derive arithmetic average and average annual equivalent (AAEQ) valuations. The ability to derive aggregated annual, annual arithmetic average and AAEQ values shall apply to tabulation of both transportation cost structures, transportation cost structure constituents, and project O&M costs. Per requirements for ability to audit and verify applied data, algorithms, and assumptions for each individual vessel movement, capabilities to drill down and review via summary voyage cost table(s) all pertinent data by individual vessel call and transit shall be developed programmed as an integral part of the system from which higher level reports and aggregated statistical tabulations shall be derived. Developmental work by the contractor will require access to detailed WCSC traffic data and information. Due to confidentiality requirements for reporting or contributing parties, the contractor shall provide a secure physical platform for storage and handling for SOW task work or execution. This platform will be safeguarded for intrusion and unauthorized access whether by direct physical access or via any electronic means (such as through the internet). The contractor will be provided needed data and information for development via secured means or mode of transfer (to be determined by the Government) and the contractor will provide for secure access via a secure link between the contractors developmental platform and supporting or collaborative parties or personnel within the Corps as required, most notably technical analysts employed at the USACE-WCSC and USACE-IWR. As a requirement of the SOW herein, the contractor will prepare and submit a security plan for the safe and secure handling and transfer of data and information identified as proprietary, sensitive, or confidential and not intended for public distribution or handling and access otherwise than as approved by the designated approving official for USACE-WCSC or USACE-IWR. This security plan will address three general areas, a.) specifications of the development platform, b.) proposed measures for security, and c.) acceptance of responsibility maintenance of data and information security to the extent practical and reasonably within the contractors realm of authoritative control. On-site contact\coordination and associated travel - It is envisioned that due to the detailed nature of the work as described that facilitation of work efforts will require technical analysts and representatives of both the contractor and USACE to meet together on-site (preferably at USACE-IWR [7701 Telegraph Road, Casey Building, Alexandria, VA, 22315] where discussion and review of concepts and products than cannot not be readily conducted or resolved via written correspondence or standard electronic communication can be most efficiently or interactively conducted. Specific to the requirements for described work and objectives for product demonstration, it is requested that the contractor include in his response an estimate for reimbursable travel costs and proposed time periods for travel and meetings. Technical Point of Contact (POC) - The technical point of contact for work requirements and selected shall be: Ian Mathis Institute for Water Resources (USACE-IWR) U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USCAE) 7701 Telegraph Road Alexandria, Virginia 22315
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