PRESOL | R | National Scenic Byways Research, Assistance and Promotion - RFP and Attachments A-E

FBO DAILY ISSUE OF JUNE 06, 2009 FBO #2749
SOLICITATION NOTICE

R -- National Scenic Byways Research, Assistance and Promotion - RFP and Attachments A-E

Notice Date: 6/4/2009
Notice Type: Combined Synopsis/Solicitation
NAICS: 541611 — Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services
Contracting Office: Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Office of Acquisition Management, HAAM, Mail Stop E65-101, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE, Washington, District of Columbia, 20590
ZIP Code: 20590
Solicitation Number: DTFH61-09-R-00015
Archive Date: 7/21/2009
Point of Contact: Joseph A. Fusari, Phone: 2023664244, Bob G Prior, Phone: (202)366-4247
E-Mail Address: Joseph.fusari@dot.gov, Bob.Prior@dot.gov
(Joseph.fusari@dot.gov, Bob.Prior@dot.gov)
Small Business Set-Aside: Total Small Business
Description: Attachment E Sample task Attachment D Past Performance Questionnaire Attachment C Attachment B 2 of 2 Attachment B 1 of 2 Attachment A SF 33 DTFH61-09-R-00015 SOW SECTION B SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS NOTE: THIS SOLICITATION IS RESTRICTED TO RESPONSIBLE SMALL BUSINESSES UNDER NAICS CODE 541611. This solicitation is issued under Request for Proposal (RFP) DTFH61-09-R-00015. PRICING STRUCTURE The Contractor shall furnish all necessary facilities, materials, equipment, and personnel and shall perform technical, non-personal services necessary for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), through issuance of Task Orders. The total minimum cost/price for performance under this contract is $95,000 per award with two awards estimated. The total maximum estimated cost/price for the performance of this procurement is $6,606,504 over the base period of performance. Over the period of performance, travel and per diem cost shall not exceed $100,000 per year (all Task Orders). Over the period of performance, other direct costs (ODC) shall not exceed $100,000 per year (all Task Orders). SECTION C - DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/WORK STATEMENT C.1 BACKGROUND National Scenic Byways Research, Assistance and Promotion Within the U.S. Department of Transportation, the FHWA has lead responsibility for the National Scenic Byways Program. The Program is a grassroots, collaborative effort established to help recognize, preserve and enhance selected roads throughout the United States. The Secretary of Transportation recognizes certain roads as America’s Byways® – All-American Roads or National Scenic Byways – based on one or more archaeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational and scenic intrinsic qualities. The law guiding implementation of the National Scenic Byways Program is Section 162, Title 23 of the United States Code; 23 U.S.C. 162, see http://www.bywaysonline.org/program/us_code.html. The FHWA established the principal policy for the Program in its May 18, 1995 Interim Policy (60 FR 26759), see http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=1995_register&docid=fr18my95-105. Under the National Scenic Byways Program, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation designates roads having outstanding qualities as National Scenic Byways or All-American Roads. There are currently 125 nationally designated byways – 98 National Scenic Byways and 27 All-American Roads in 44 States. Nominations may originate from any local government, including Indian tribal governments, or any private group or individual. Nominations to the National Scenic Byways Program of byways on public lands may originate from the U.S. Forest Service, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, or the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Nominations must be submitted to the FHWA by a State, an Indian tribe, or a Federal land management agency. The Secretary of Transportation makes grants to States and Indian tribes to implement projects on highways designated as National Scenic Byways or All-American Roads, or as State or Indian tribe scenic byways. Projects submitted for consideration should benefit the byway traveler’s experience, whether it will help manage the intrinsic qualities that support the byway’s designation, shape the byway’s story, interpret the story for visitors, or improve visitor facilities along the byway. There are eight categories of eligible project activities; 23 U.S.C. 162(c): 1.State and Indian Tribe Scenic Byway Programs 2.Corridor Management Plan 3.Safety Improvements 4.Byway Facilities 5.Access to Recreation 6.Resource Protection 7.Interpretive Information 8.Marketing Program The State DOT (Department of Transportation) typically is the lead agency for scenic byways at the State level, and the State scenic byway coordinator is a State DOT employee. In a few States, the State scenic byway coordinator is an employee of the State Tourism department, though the State DOT has lead responsibility for administering National Scenic Byways Program grants. The FHWA maintains two websites under the National Scenic Byways Program. The FHWA’s National Scenic Byways Program website, www.bywaysonline.org is the principal medium for doing program business, as well as a primary medium for the FHWA to communicate to the byway community. The FHWA’s website at www.byways.org is a major medium for the FHWA’s promotion of the collection of National Scenic Byways and All-American Roads as America’s Byways®. The America’s Byways Resource Center (ABRC) in Duluth, MN was established in 1999 to provide hands-on technical assistance for planning, preserving, promoting, protecting, and managing scenic byways. The FHWA may continue to work closely and collaboratively with the ABRC in carrying out program activities, technical assistance, and other activities supported under the contract for this Indefinite Deliveries, Indefinite Quantities (IDIQ) solicitation. Over the years several interest groups have been strong advocates and partners for scenic byways, including the American Automobile Association (AAA), the American Recreation Coalition, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Scenic America, and the U.S. Travel Association. These partners reflect the broad interests that must be balanced in advancing scenic byways conservation, preservation, economic development, recreation, tourism, and travelers. Other Federal agencies and State resource agencies, particularly Federal land management agencies also share an interest in scenic byways that provide access or transect National Forests, National Parks, wildlife refuges and other public lands. Similarly Indian tribes and the Bureau of Indian Affairs are active in scenic byways that are either on or are accessing Tribal lands. C.2 CONTRACT OBJECTIVE The objective of this contract is to provide readily available support to the National Scenic Byways Program in six task areas: A.Technical Assistance and Education B.Design, Layout and Production C.Research D.Promotion of America’s Byways E.Conference Sponsorship and Travel Assistance F.Financial Management C.3 TECHNICAL SUPPORT REQUIREMENTS The contractor must provide expertise in each of the major areas described above under 'Contract Objective'. Specific projects and task orders under the IDIQ will be determined on an as needed basis by the FHWA pending the outcome of reauthorization of the National Scenic Byways Program and program need. C.5 TASK AREAS C.5.1 Kick-off Meeting, The Kick-off meetings for individual task orders usually last approximately six (6) hours and will include the following attendees: the contractor’s key personnel, including the Program Manager, the Contract Officer’s Technical Representative (COTR), and the Contracting Officer. The purpose of the Kick-off Meeting is to introduce the contractor and Government teams as well as to provide background information, clarify course content issues, define roles and responsibilities, establish timelines and respond to questions. This meeting is generally held at the DOT Headquarters in Washington D.C.. Specific work to be performed will be set forth under individual Task Orders. However, Task Orders will generally consist of work in the following areas: Task Area A: TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND EDUCATION Background and Objectives The contractor may be asked to provide expertise and experience in multiple support areas required by FHWA including travel expenses for the individuals providing technical assistance and education activities. The target audience for the training and education activities includes local byway representatives, State and Indian tribe scenic byways coordinators, FHWA division office staff, byway leaders, and other individuals participating in the National Scenic Byways Program. Possible training and education activities will include expertise in areas of grant review, nomination review and designation event assistance, marketing, and education and training. Discretionary Grants: Task Orders may be issued to include, but are not limited to: -Develop and use of information and instructions on www.bywaysonline.org and www.grants.gov for grant applications, -Answer questions from State and Indian tribe coordinators, byway leaders and other interested individuals about the use of this information when preparing an application or considering whether to advance a project for possible funding under the program, -Review grant applications in accordance with FHWA program guidance and requirements to ensure eligibility, -Use and manipulate electronic databases, spreadsheets, and other programs with information on grant applications, -Develop and prepare written feedback to grant applicants, -Compile information for use in the selection of projects, -Develop suggestions and recommendations to improve the grant application and review process, -Analyze and compile information on program and project results for distribution by the FHWA to transportation officials and the byway community, and -Develop and provide grant related technical assistance in a variety of forums, e.g., workshops, written brochures, fact sheets, web-based information, telephone or E-mail inquiries, regularly scheduled conference calls with State and Indian tribe scenic byway coordinators and byway leaders, and other similar activities. Nominations and Designations: As part of the nomination process, a panel of six to eight experts from outside the U.S. Department of Transportation assists the FHWA staff in the review of roads nominated for possible designation by the Secretary. Panel members are selected based on their expertise in particular areas such as historic preservation, visual assessment, cultural or natural resources – combined with their experience in recreation, tourism, transportation, or the overall byway program. An independent facilitator is used throughout the panel’s deliberations. The FHWA completes a thorough review of each nomination package, and compiles information for use by panel members in completing their review. Panel members provide the FHWA comments and suggestions on routes nominated for national designation. Using the results of the independent assessment by the expert panel and the FHWA’s internal evaluation, the FHWA staff will prepare a decision package for the Administrator and the Secretary to make the final selections for roads to be designated as National Scenic Byways and All-American Roads. The FHWA organizes the designation event. FHWA may also organize and conduct special training and orientation workshops for the byway leaders of each newly designated byway. See conference Sponsorship and Travel Assistance Task. Task Orders may be issued to include, but are not limited to: -Develop and use of information and instructions on www.bywaysonline.org for nomination applications, -Answer questions from State and Indian tribe coordinators, byway leaders and other interested individuals about the use of this information when preparing an application or considering whether to advance a byway for possible funding designation by the Secretary, -Review nomination materials, -Use and manipulate electronic databases, spreadsheets, and other programs with information on nominations, -Compile information for use by the expert review panel, -Assist panel members (by phone, E-mail or face-to-face) throughout their deliberations, -Develop and prepare written feedback to individuals who prepared the nominations, -Compile information for use in making decisions on which roads to designate as National Scenic Byways or All-American Roads, -Participate in meetings with byway leaders of each newly designated byway, -Develop suggestions and recommendations to improve the nomination development and review process, -Analyze and compile information on nominations and designations results for distribution by the FHWA to transportation officials and the byway community, and -Develop and provide nomination-and-designation related technical assistance in a variety of formats, e.g., workshops, written brochures, fact sheets, web-based information, telephone or email inquiries, regularly scheduled conference calls with State and Indian tribe scenic byway coordinators and byway leaders, and other methods as may be needed. Other Education and Training: The target audience for other training and education activities includes local byway representatives, State and Indian tribe scenic byways coordinators, FHWA division office staff, byway leaders, and other individuals participating in the National Scenic Byways Program. Various groups have expressed a need for training and technical assistance on related topics of interest to help manage and advance scenic byways. Training and technical assistance will be offered in special workshops held independently or in conjunction with biennial national scenic byways conferences, regional workshops or other selected conferences or events, written brochures, fact sheets, web-based information, telephone or email inquiries, regularly scheduled conference calls with State and Indian tribe scenic byway coordinators and byway leaders, and other means as needed. Assistance shall be provided through multiple mediums related to inquiries made on topics affecting the National Scenic Byways Program. These venues also will be used for public outreach to seek input and suggestions for improvements to the program. The FHWA anticipates that the education and training activities will be on topics similar to those identified in the Research Task, e.g. -Corridor Management Planning, -Byway Organizations and Community Support, -Traveler Experience and Information, -Marketing and Promotion, -Best Practices, -State and Federal Program Options, -GIS, Spatial Data Analysis, and Geo-Coding, -Alternative Means for Sustaining www.byways.org, and -Other Tools, Technologies, Methods and Models. In addition and under the direction of COTR, the contractor shall work closely with Byway representatives to develop stories, features, itineraries, and other byway information. The contractor shall support data acquisition and review processes that involve multiple people across multiple organizations and will improve the management of byway data, stories, news, photographs, video and audio clips, multimedia presentations, and more. The contractor shall also provide support for reporting on recent data acquisition activities, data completeness relative to the defined data completeness levels, and statistics. Task Area B: DESIGN, LAYOUT AND PRODUCTION 1)Background and Objectives The FHWA communicates with an array of customers through the National Scenic Byways Program, in different settings and using a variety of mediums. The program’s vision is to create a distinctive collection of roads, their stories and treasured places. The FHWA promotes the collection of National Scenic Byways and All-American Roads under the umbrella of America’s Byways®. In this role, major target audiences of the FHWA’s promotion of America’s Byways® include: -Existing and potential byway visitors, -Travel industry: tour operators, hotels, airlines, auto rental firms, travel clubs or organizations, recreational attractions and interests, historic cultural sites and attractions, et.al., -Trade and travel press: travel magazines, writers for travel sections of newspapers, broadcast media, et.al., and -State and Indian tribe byways coordinators and byway leaders: when communicating the FHWA’s efforts and results of promoting America’s Byways® as a collection on a national level. The FHWA manages the discretionary grant program and the process for nominating and designating roads as National Scenic Byways or All-American Roads. The FHWA conducts research and compiles information on exemplary byway projects or initiatives. The major target audiences for the research results and program related matters are: -FHWA field offices, -State and Indian tribe byway coordinators, -Byway leaders and marketing representatives, -Individuals who are interested in byway funding or nominating a road for possible designation by the Secretary as a National Scenic Byway or All-American Road, -Other Federal agencies and State resource agencies, particularly Federal land management agencies that have an interest scenic byways that provide access or transect a National Forest, National Park, wildlife refuge or other public lands. Over the years several interest groups have been strong advocates and partners for scenic byways, including the American Automobile Association (AAA), the American Recreation Coalition, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Scenic America, and the Tourism Industry Association of America (TIA). These partners reflect the broad interests that must be balanced in advancing scenic byways – conservation, preservation, economic development, recreation, tourism and travelers. Different Products and Different Mediums: The FHWA communicates its message and distributes information about America’s Byways® and the National Scenic Byways Program in a variety of forms, mediums, venues, and settings. Task Orders may be issued to include, but are not limited to: -Design, layout and production of program, technical, and traveler-oriented materials. -Perform production capabilities broad enough to encompass printed documents, as well as web layout and other electronic media. -Develop of new GIS-based maps for nominated byways and revision of existing GIS maps as required. -Update maps to ensure accuracy through internal review and external verification with the byways. -Maintain maps and data for use in publications and the websites. Task Orders may be issued to include, but are not limited to: -America’s Byways® map: The FHWA has produced a map or booklet for travelers and updated it periodically in conjunction with each cycle of designations by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation. -Technical reports: Reports on byway planning such as the Community Guide to Planning & Managing a Scenic Byway or Byway Beginnings. -Brochures, pamphlets or fact sheets. -Marketing related items such as media kits and sample travel itineraries. Information the FHWA would use to promote America’s Byways. -www.byways.org, www.bywaysonline.org, or other web-based information: The FHWA relies heavily on web-based information for conducting byways program business (grants and nominations) and promoting America’s Byways®. It is critical that products and information be developed and presented in a variety of formats for display and use on the Internet. All information must comply with Section 508 of the American with Disabilities Act. -CD’s or other electronically accessible formats. -Digital videos, slides, photos and images: The visual experience reflects the essence of byways for travelers and visitors. The travel media need photos, digital video, and images from the FHWA when preparing stories about byways. The photos must be of high quality composition, clarity, and contrast, as well as in a format readily accessible to include in publications. The photos must capture the diversity of experiences and opportunities along byways, e.g., people driving, biking, hiking, skiing, camping, visiting historical sites, enjoying festivals and cultural activities, etc. Photos should include different vehicles on the byway, e.g., bikes, cars, motor coaches, campers, motor-homes or RV’s. Photos should show the road and the surrounding area, not just the landscape -The FHWA may also need short digital videos (less than 30 minutes) about the program, tailored for different audiences and used in conjunction with exhibits. -Exhibits: The FHWA uses exhibits on America’s Byways at trade and travel shows. The FHWA also uses exhibits about the National Scenic Byways Program at transportation conferences. -Plaques and awards: Plaques and awards are presented to representatives of newly designated byways, projects reflecting best practices for byways, and special recognition associated with the National Scenic Byways Program. Task Area C:RESEARCH Background Previous research sponsored by the FHWA has provided tools and techniques for use by byway leaders in completing an inventory of resources, building community consensus, and forming a vision, goals and objective for a byway. The research has helped determine consumer awareness on byways, target population interested in byways, and strategies for promoting America’s Byways®. It also assessed options for implementing the National Scenic Byways Program. Byways have multiple dimensions and vary with respect to: -Physical characteristics: location, type of road, type of route (linear, loop, series of loops, spurs or excursion routes), length (within a single State or across a number of States), topography, climate, land use (mix as well as the extent of public and private land and uses), byway designation including the type(s) and date(s) of designation. -Resources or intrinsic qualities: archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreation, and scenic. -Visitor experience: active and passive experiences with respect to the physical characteristics and resources, continuity of experience (in relation to the density of resources or attractions, length and type of route), availability of interpretive information, and similar information. -Lead organization for the byway: volunteer based, non-profit organization, travel or tourism entity, public agency (local, regional, State, Indian tribe, or Federal) as well as the period of time for which the organization has had lead responsibility for the byway. Scope: As indicated under the “Design, Layout and Production” task area, research results will be presented and distributed in an array of mediums. Task Orders may be issued to include, but are not limited to: -Corridor Management Planning: resource assessment, resource management (protection, preservation, enhancement), land use and transportation impacts, and economic development. -Byway Organizations and Community Support: byway organizational issues, funding strategies and opportunities (to support byway organizations and implement the corridor management plan). -Traveler Experience and Information: interpretive planning, wayfinding, virtual tours, maps, brochures, pamphlets, and media information. -Marketing and Promotion: market research, branding and brand development, marketing plans and strategies, promotion of America’s Byways®, and forming partnerships and working with partners. -Best Practices: information on advancing the state of the art and practice for byways including current, relevant examples of techniques, products and projects, as well applicable approaches from other disciplines, programs, or organizations. -State and Federal Program Options: assessment of different approaches for 1) nominating, designating, and de-designating byways, 2) developing and preparing grant applications, 3) reviewing and assessing proposed byway nominations and grant applications, 4) funding byways projects, byway organizations, and marketing or promoting byways, and 5) leading, guiding, and advising byway leaders. -GIS, Spatial Data Analysis, and Geo-Coding: application and use of various geographic-based reference systems for byway management and traveler information, including the compilation, analysis and display of readily available data in forms useful to byway practitioners or travelers, such as thematic maps, three-dimensional and spatial-temporal simulations, and innovative methods for data visualization. -Alternative Means for Sustaining www.byways.org: identify options for obtaining sponsors and partners to enable the byway travel-oriented components of the website independent and self-supporting from FHWA’s program business components of the website, www.bywaysonline.org, assess the trade-offs of partnering with different entities, and explore, form, and nurture partnership opportunities in the public and private sectors. -Other Tools, Technologies, Methods and Models: develop and assess other analytical or visualization technologies, methods, and models for use by byway practitioners Task Area D:PROMOTION OF AMERICA’S BYWAYS® Background and Objectives FHWA has developed a logo and a brand building strategy for America's Byways®. The FHWA has worked to accomplish the following tasks: -Strategic market analysis -Identify brand insights, build brand wheel and define Unique Selling Proposition -Audience assessment - develop, implement and analyze results of visitor profile survey -Media placement strategy -Brand-building strategy -Brand development -Public relations campaign -Marketing plan -Development of a logo for All-American Roads and National Scenic Byways America’s Byways are in various stages of their product development. Potential travelers and target audiences also vary in their understanding and awareness of the byways. Marketing Management: The FHWA expects the proposer to help manage and supplement these efforts and help continue the marketing and promotion of America’s Byways®. Task Orders may be issued to include, but are not limited to: -Develop a network and providing guidance and support to local byway leaders, marketing contacts and other byway representatives, State and Indian tribe scenic byways coordinators, the FHWA division office staff, National Scenic Byways Program staff, and America’s Byways® Resource Center staff. -Identify and build strong working relationships with partners and obtaining results from partnership opportunities including such groups as State, Indian tribe, and local scenic byway organizations, other Federal agencies, tourism groups and operators, media outlets, and other private and public entities. -Fulfilling media requests and inquiries. -Preparing and arranging for the publication of articles in a variety of media. -Leading, organizing or collaborating in the development and organization of special events. -Identifying, developing, updating, and providing training and educational material such as the program’s marketing tool kit. -Providing technical assistance or training in special workshops held independently or in conjunction with biennial national scenic byways conferences, regional workshops or other selected conferences or events. -Participating actively in the continued development of the National Scenic Byways Program. Scope: The FHWA will continue its marketing efforts, strengthening presence and awareness of the America’s Byways® brand and promoting America’s Byways®. These efforts will be coordinated closely with State, Indian tribe, and byway representatives, taking into account the diversity of byways. Task Orders may be issued to include, but are not limited to: Promotion, Marketing, Public Relations and Communications Program -Branding: Continue to develop, implement and evaluate the brand identity for America’s Byways®. -Communications: Implement the marketing and communications strategy for the National Scenic Byways Program and America’s Byways®. -Cooperative Marketing: Develop innovative cooperative marketing strategies, events and tools for byway community, individual byways, and America’s Byways®. -Partnerships: Expand and nurture partnerships for promoting America’s Byways®. -Internet: Continue to develop, implement and evaluate the website's fulfillment of the traveler's and media's needs and expectations. -Evaluate Effectiveness: Conduct conversion studies with travelers to quantify the effectiveness of marketing communications for America’s Byways®. -Visitor Data: Collect quantitative visitor data at all byways visitor and interpretive centers. Collect quantitative visitor data on the website. -Research: Continue to build the foundation of marketing and other research; see Research Task Area. Task Area E:CONFERENCE SPONSORSHIP AND TRAVEL ASSISTANCE Background: The FHWA has funded and sponsored byway related conferences and meetings, including separate meetings of byways leaders and State coordinators, regional workshops, and biennial national conferences. In conjunction with these meetings and conferences, the FHWA has provided travel assistance for air travel, rental car, POV mileage (sometimes in lieu of airline travel), other ground transportation, conference registration, hotel room and per diem expenses for selected byway leaders and State coordinators. The FHWA also has sponsored (e.g., funding support) conferences led by other organizations that help advance FHWA’s goals for the National Scenic Byways Program or otherwise advance byways’ interest. Byway meetings, workshops, and national conferences provide an excellent forum for byway leaders and State coordinators to share and learn the latest advances affecting byways, as well as expand and nurture their network with other practitioners. Also as mentioned above as part of the nomination process, a panel of six to eight experts from outside the U.S. Department of Transportation assists FHWA staff in the review of roads nominated for possible designation by the Secretary. An independent facilitator is used throughout the panel’s deliberations. Objective: FHWA will continue to 1) sponsor and conduct byway meetings, workshops, and national conferences, 2) provide travel assistance for participants in these activities, and 3) sponsor conferences led by other organizations. Scope: Task Orders may be issued to include, but are not limited to: -Pre-conference planning: identify alternative locations, assess cost, convenience, and ease of access (via airline and surface connections) for prospective participants, identify opportunities for mobile workshops on byways, develop hotel and conference specifications, provide specifications to hotel broker or individual hotels and solicit proposals, analyze and summarize proposals, and provide other necessary conference arrangements. -Conference planning, organization, and publicity: mail and distribute advance information to target audiences, otherwise promote participation in the conference, identify and organize conference sessions, develop conference schedule and program, contact and work with presenters or speakers to identify audio-visual or other support for particular sessions, assemble biographical information and copies of presenters’ materials, work with hotel and conference center to ensure speakers and presenters have audio-visual equipment, room set-up and other support needed for particular sessions, and other similar logistical arrangements. -Conference sponsorship: identify different levels of conference sponsorship and associated recognition as a sponsor, contact prospective exhibitors or other potential sponsors to explain sponsorship opportunities, obtain sponsorships, and other sponsorship coordination activities. -Conference registration: pre-conference via on-line (Internet) registration and fax/telephone registration, and on-site conference registration. -On-site conference support: staff support for registration, assemble and distribute conference schedule, pre-conference materials, and information packet, provide speaker and presenter support during each session, facilitate selected sessions, general assistance to conference participants, and other support as needed. -Conference evaluation: develop conference evaluation form, collect completed forms from conference participants, analyze and summarize evaluations, develop recommendations for improvements in future conferences (location, conference planning and organization, content and format of sessions, possible speakers and presenters, and logistics), and provide a report of results. -Conference proceedings: assemble and compile conference proceedings (presentation materials, handouts, and other information), distribute in appropriate form or medium as noted under the Design, Layout and Production Task Area. (Conference plans are coordinated closely with representatives of the host State(s), Indian tribe, or organization. Travel assistance may be provided for certain participants.) -Travel Assistance: In conjunction with byways conferences, meetings, workshops and events, the FHWA provides travel assistance for air travel, rental car, POV mileage, registration fees, hotel room and per diem expenses for byway leaders and State coordinators. -The responsibilities for travel assistance are processing billings, payments, and reimbursements of the sponsorship fees for the convenience and efficiency of the FHWA. One-on-one assistance will be required for individual travelers. -Other Conference Sponsorships: The FHWA sponsors (e.g., funding support) for conferences led by other organizations that help advance the FHWA’s goals for the National Scenic Byways Program or otherwise advance byways’ interest. The FHWA sponsors up to six such conferences a year. (The responsibilities for conference sponsorship include processing billing, payment and reimbursement of the sponsorship fees.) Task Area F: FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT Background and Objectives The FHWA must provide management, accounting, and fiscal support of the National Scenic Byways Program funds. The FHWA uses program funds primarily for discretionary grants to States and Indian tribes for implementing byway projects. The FHWA also uses the program funds for work carried out by consultants. The contractor shall assist the FHWA in managing, maintaining, and monitoring data and records on the use of program funds for all purposes. Task Orders may be issued to include, but are not limited to: -Improve Databases: The contractor shall review existing databases and records management systems used by FHWA to manage, maintain, monitor, and reconcile the use of National Scenic Byways Program funds for discretionary grants, contracts with consultants, and other acquisitions or procurements. -Identify improvements that the contractor may implement to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, reliability, and validity of these databases and record management systems. -Manage, Maintain, and Monitor Data and Records: The contractor shall use the improved databases and records management systems to track the availability, allocation, obligation, deobligation, withdrawal, reallocation, expenditure, and related funding transactions associated with the National Scenic Byways Program. The contractor shall reconcile any discrepancies in account balances associated with the National Scenic Byways Program, including accounts managed and maintained within the National Scenic Byways Program office with the FHWA’s overall financial systems, e.g., FMIS and Delphi. Records (both in paper and electronic form) created by the contractor for this contract are FHWA records and need to following FHWA and National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) records management requirements. -Funds Management: The contractor shall assist the FHWA in preparing memorandums, completing Procurement Requests forms, compiling supporting data and information, and preparing other documents necessary to allocate, obligate, deobligate, withdraw, reallocate, expend, or reconcile program funds. The contractor shall ensure up-to-date information related to National Scenic Byways Grants and projects is available for posting on www.bywaysonline.org or other websites. Records Management: The contractor shall treat all deliverables under the contract as the property of the U.S. Government for which the Government Agency shall have unlimited rights to use, dispose of, or disclose such data contained therein as it determines to be in the public interest. The contractor shall not create or maintain any records that are not specifically tied to or authorized by the contract using Government IT equipment and/or Government records. The contractor shall not retain, use, sell, or disseminate copies of any deliverable that contains information covered by the Privacy Act of 1974 or that which is generally protected by the Freedom of Information Act. The contractor shall not create or maintain any records containing any Government Agency records that are not specifically tied to or authorized by the contract. The FHWA will own the rights to all electronic information (electronic data, electronic information systems, electronic databases, etc.) and all supporting documentation created as part of this contract. The contractor must deliver sufficient technical documentation with all data deliverables to permit the agency to use the data. The contractor agrees to comply with Federal and Agency records management policies, including those policies associated with the safeguarding of records covered by the Privacy Act of 1974. These policies include the preservation of all records created or received regardless of format [paper, electronic, etc.] or mode of transmission [e-mail, fax, etc.] or state of completion [draft, final, etc.]. No disposition of documents shall be allowed without the prior written consent of the Contracting Officer. The FHWA and its contractors are responsible for preventing the alienation or unauthorized destruction of records, including all forms of mutilation. Willful and unlawful destruction, damage or alienation of Federal records is subject to the fines and penalties imposed by 18 U.S.C. 2701. Records may not be removed from the legal custody of the Agency or destroyed without regard to the provisions of the agency records schedules. SECTION D - PACKAGING AND MARKING D.1 PACKAGING Preservation, packing, and packaging of items for shipment shall be in accordance with commercial practice and adequate for acceptance by common carrier for safe transportation at the most economical rates. D.2 SHIPMENT AND MARKING The Contractor shall clearly mark each shipment in accordance with U.S. Postal Guidelines and include the company name, this contract and Task Order number, and (when appropriate), the item identification, quantity of items, and notice of partial or final delivery. SECTION E INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE E.1 Accessibility of Electronic and Information Technology Each Electronic and Information Technology (EIT) product or service furnished under this contract shall comply with the Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Standards (36 CFR 1194), as specified in the contract as a minimum. If the Contracting Officer determines any furnished product or service does not comply with the contract, the contractor will be so notified in writing, and prompt corrective action shall be taken in accordance with the Inspection clause of the base contract. E.2 work hereunder, including the annual report, shall be subject to review and acceptance by the Government. 52.252-2CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEB 1998) This contract incorporates one or more clauses by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. Also, the full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at this address: http://www.arnet.gov/far/ All work hereunder shall be subject to review by the Government. Acceptance of the final report shall be made in writing by the Contracting Officer 52.246-2Inspection of Supplies - Fixed-Price. (AUG 1996) 52.246-4Inspection of Services - Fixed-Price. (AUG 1996) 52.246-5Inspection of Services – Cost-Reimbursement (APR 1984) 52.246-16Responsibility for Supplies (APR 1984) SECTION F - DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE F.1 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE The period of performance for ordering under this contract is five years from the contract’s effective date. Task Orders may be issued up to the final day within the period of performance provided that they can be completed within 12 months past the period of performance. All Task Orders not completed may be reissued to a follow-on Contractor, unless it is deemed to be in the best interests of the Government to allow the outgoing Contractor to continue performance until completion at the sole discretion of the Contracting Officer. Performance shall begin on the effective date of the contract. The period of performance for a specific Task Order will be determined prior to the effective date of the Task Order. All work and services required hereunder including preparation and submission of final reports shall be completed within each Task Order’s period of performance. F.2 LEVEL OF EFFORT REQUIRED TO ACCOMPLISH WORK Direct productive hours are defined as actual work hours exclusive of vacation, holiday, sick leave and all other absences. For purposes of this contract, one direct productive month is equivalent to 156.67 direct productive hours (1,880 direct productive hours per year/12 months). In performance the Task Orders issued during the period of performance of 5 years pursuant to this contract, the contractor, shall provide up to 72 total direct productive months of technical effort. F.3 DELIVERABLES The Contractor shall deliver to the Contracting Officer Technical Representative (COTR) all deliverables according to the schedule negotiated in each individual Task Order. F.3.1Deliverables: All work produced must meet the standards for electronic deliverables. In accordance with FAR 52.227-14 (DEC 2007) The Federal Government will have unlimited rights in all data first produced in the performance of this contract and all other data delivered under this contract. The Contractor will grant to the Government, and others acting on its behalf, a paid-up, nonexclusive, irrevocable worldwide license for products completed under this contract, to reproduce, prepare derivative works, distribute copies to the public, perform publicly and display publicly, by or on behalf of the Government. F.3.2 All publications funded by FHWA must show the proper departmental “mark and signature” on the front cover, title page, and (space permitting) the spine. Internet documents must show the mark and signature at the beginning of the document or on the document’s “cover” page. The full “mark and signature” must be used, which includes the DOT mark (the triskelion), the Department's name, and the Administration's name. The Administration's name must appear in bold typeface. The logo may be reproduced in any color that is appropriate to the color themes of the publication, as long as the elements of the color used allow for sufficient contrast to read and understand the sign and accompanying text. The “same color is used for the entire “mark and signature (logo), including the DOT/FHWA names. The only exception to the one-color rule is the use of DOT blue (Pantone 285) for the triskelion, and black for the text. No other two-color combinations can be used. The logo may not be rearranged, altered, added to, or edited. If the publication is a jointly prepared document, the FHWA logo must appear if FHWA has contributed to the publication. Logos from other DOT modes or Federal agencies may appear along with the FHWA logo on jointly prepared publications. If another agency is a co-author, then that agency's seal or logo should appear to the right or directly below the FHWA logo. Original publication must adhere to generally accepted “Standard Printing Practices” acknowledged by the printing industry. FHWA as a government agency uses the Microsoft Operating System (OS). Other operating systems, including Macintosh/Apple are not acceptable as final deliverables. Please deliver all work in MS OS editable file formats. FHWA supports only Adobe InDesign and PageMaker for print job purposes. It does NOT support Quark Express, MS Publisher, or any other layout/design software for final print jobs. Graphics to be included in print publications should not be embedded in the design software (i.e. Adobe InDesign, etc.). All graphic elements must be linked from a separate “links” (or other suitably named) folder. Photographs and other graphic elements must be a minimum of 300 dpi for standard print jobs. Photos and other raster images should be displayed in a publication at the same size (or smaller) than the physical size of the element. Enlarging raster images will cause pixilation. Color used in full-color (process) production must be in CMYK—not RGB. All fonts and graphics must be included in the final deliverable. A separate list of all fonts and linked graphics must accompany the deliverable for printer identification. All illustrations are to be done as vector drawings, and all final design and layout deliverables from contractors must include all original source files in their native software configuration. As with all layout publications, original vector artwork that includes text must also include the original fonts used in the element. Adobe Illustrator is the preferred choice for vector drawings, and Adobe InDesign the accepted choice for print layout applications. Adobe PDFs as a substitute for originals are NOT acceptable and should never be used as a final deliverable without the accompanying original files. In the case that final deliverables include layered raster elements, the original layered version of the element is to be included in the final deliverables statement. The preferred software for layered raster elements is Adobe Photoshop (.psd), or Adobe Fireworks (.png—layered). The final electronic files for printing shall be delivered to the FHWA on CD-ROMs, or other acceptable media to be determined and agreed upon. The disk shall include all necessary files for producing the printed document, and be accompanied by the standard GPO Form 952, Desktop Publishing----Disk Information. F.3.3 All electronic and information technology (EIT) procured through this Contract must meet the applicable accessibility standards at 36 CFR 1194, unless an agency exception to this requirement exists. 36 CFR 1194 implements Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. EIT is defined as any equipment or interconnected system or subsystem of equipment that is used in the creation, conversion, or duplication of data or information, or used in the automatic acquisition, storage, manipulation, management, movement, control, display, switching, interchange, transmission, or reception of data or information. EIT includes, but is not limited to, telecommunications products (such as telephones), information kiosks and transaction machines, World Wide Web sites, multimedia, office equipment such as copiers and fax machines. It includes computers, ancillary equipment, software, firmware and similar procedures, services (including support services), and related resources. Contractors/vendors must ensure that all EIT that they provide either (1) meets the technical provisions of the Section 508 Access Board Standards applicable to a given procurement [see below] or (2) uses designs or technologies as alternatives to those prescribed in the specified technical provisions, provided they result in substantially equivalent or greater access to and use of a product for people with disabilities. The following standards have been determined to be applicable to this contract: 1194.22 Web-based intranet and internet information and applications. 1194.24 Video and multimedia products. 1194.31 Functional performance criteria. 1194.41 Information, documentation, and support. Note: The standards do not require the installation of specific accessibility-related software or the attachment of an assistive technology device, but merely require that the EIT be compatible with such software and devices so that it can be made accessible if so required by the agency in the future. All deliverables for posting on the World Wide Web must conform with the Minimum Requirements for FHWA Web Pages. Deliverables will be evaluated for 508 compliance. Non-conforming deliverables will be returned to the contractor to be brought into conformance at the contractor’s expense. F.3.4 FHWA minimum standards for web page development are: •FHWA Web Pages will be encoded to conform to HTML 4.01 Transitional or higher, as defined by the World Wide Web Consortium. •File names will not exceed 20 characters in length. File names will be lower case, consist solely of letters, numbers and the underscore and will not contain slashes, spaces, tildes or hyphens. File extensions are to be 3 characters or less whenever possible (i.e..htm instead of.html). •All web pages will have a title in the head section of HTML documents. The title should be unique (to the server), brief, and descriptive - not to exceed 150 characters in length. •Web pages must be free of broken links or missing images. All links to pages within the server will be relative. •Web pages posted on the public Internet will have a standard header and footer. Web pages posted on StaffNet will use the standard templates. •FHWA web pages will comply with Section 508 web accessibility standards as established by the Architectural Transportation Barriers Compliance Board. •All textual files posted on the FHWA Internet server will be available in HTML format. All other formats (PDF, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) will have HTML equivalents. •The bodies of web pages will use sans-serif fonts, e.g., Arial or Helvetica. •Internet web pages will feature "exit doors" on links to non-government web sites (anything other than a federal, state or local governments). •All entry point web pages on the Internet will feature a privacy policy statement (or a link to the Agency privacy policy statement on the main server). F.4 FORMAT FOR DELIVERABLES At a minimum, the Contractor shall provide all report deliverables in camera-ready hard copy and an electronic copy in Microsoft Office 2003 or equivalent on a CD-ROM(s). In addition, electronic files containing the word processing, graphic, and table data may be required as deliverables for individual Task Orders. The Contractor shall establish electronic file transfer capabilities such that correspondence and deliverables can be communicated electronically to the appropriate FHWA Program Office. F.4.1 All publications funded by FHWA must show the proper departmental “mark and signature” on the front cover, title page, and (space permitting) the spine. Internet documents must show the mark and signature at the beginning of the document or on the document’s “cover” page. The full “mark and signature” must be used, which includes the DOT mark (the triskelion), the Department's name, and the Administration's name. The Administration's name must appear in bold typeface. The logo may be reproduced in any color that is appropriate to the color themes of the publication, as long as the elements of the color used allow for sufficient contrast to read and understand the sign and accompanying text. The “same color is used for the entire “mark and signature (logo), including the DOT/FHWA names. The only exception to the one-color rule is the use of DOT blue (Pantone 285) for the triskelion, and black for the text. No other two-color combinations can be used. The logo may not be rearranged, altered, added to, or edited. If the publication is a jointly prepared document, the FHWA logo must appear if FHWA has contributed to the publication. Logos from other DOT modes or Federal agencies may appear along with the FHWA logo on jointly prepared publications. If another agency is a co-author, then that agency's seal or logo should appear to the right or directly below the FHWA logo. F.4.2 Original publication must adhere to generally accepted “Standard Printing Practices” acknowledged by the printing industry. FHWA as a government agency uses the Microsoft Operating System (OS). Other operating systems, including Macintosh/Apple are not acceptable as final deliverables. Please deliver all work in MS OS editable file formats. FHWA supports only Adobe InDesign and PageMaker for print job purposes. It does NOT support Quark Express, MS Publisher, or any other layout/design software for final print jobs. Graphics to be included in print publications should not be embedded in the design software (i.e. Adobe InDesign, etc.). All graphic elements must be linked from a separate “links” (or other suitably named) folder. Photographs and other graphic elements must be a minimum of 300 dpi for standard print jobs. Photos and other raster images should be displayed in a publication at the same size (or smaller) than the physical size of the element. Enlarging raster images will cause pixilation. Color used in full-color (process) production must be in CMYK—not RGB. All fonts and graphics must be included in the final deliverable. A separate list of all fonts and linked graphics must accompany the deliverable for printer identification. All illustrations are to be done as vector drawings, and all final design and layout deliverables from contractors must include all original source files in their native software configuration. As with all layout publications, original vector artwork that includes text must also include the original fonts used in the element. Adobe Illustrator is the preferred choice for vector drawings, and Adobe InDesign the accepted choice for print layout applications. Adobe PDFs as a substitute for originals are NOT acceptable and should never be used as a final deliverable without the accompanying original files. In the case that final deliverables include layered raster elements, the original layered version of the element is to be included in the final deliverables statement. The preferred software for layered raster elements is Adobe Photoshop (.psd), or Adobe Fireworks (.png—layered). The final electronic files for printing shall be delivered to the FHWA on CD-ROMs, or other acceptable media to be determined and agreed upon. The disk shall include all necessary files for producing the printed document, and be accompanied by the standard GPO Form 952, Desktop Publishing----Disk Information. F.4.3 FHWA minimum standards for web page development are: •FHWA Web Pages will be encoded to conform to HTML 4.01 Transitional or higher, as defined by the World Wide Web Consortium. •File names will not exceed 20 characters in length. File names will be lower case, consist solely of letters, numbers and the underscore and will not contain slashes, spaces, tildes or hyphens. File extensions are to be 3 characters or less whenever possible (i.e..htm instead of.html). •All web pages will have a title in the head section of HTML documents. The title should be unique (to the server), brief, and descriptive - not to exceed 150 characters in length. •Web pages must be free of broken links or missing images. All links to pages within the server will be relative. •Web pages posted on the public Internet will have a standard header and footer. Web pages posted on StaffNet will use the standard templates. •FHWA web pages will comply with Section 508 web accessibility standards as established by the Architectural Transportation Barriers Compliance Board. •All textual files posted on the FHWA Internet server will be available in HTML format. All other formats (PDF, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) will have HTML equivalents. •The bodies of web pages will use sans-serif fonts, e.g., Arial or Helvetica. •Internet web pages will feature "exit doors" on links to non-government web sites (anything other than a federal, state or local governments). •All entry point web pages on the Internet will feature a privacy policy statement (or a link to the Agency privacy policy statement on the main server). F.5 SOURCE CODE FOR SOFTWARE Delivery of all source code for all software developed under this contract will be in both electronic and paper format or as detailed in the respective Task Order. F.6 FINAL TASK ORDER REPORTS A Task Order may produce a final report or other product upon completion. The final report or product will be specified at the time the task order is initiated and shall be delivered on or before the completion date of the Task Order. F.7 PLACE OF DELIVERY Correspondence for the Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative (COTR), one electronic copy of the monthly reports, and deliverables under this contract shall be delivered to the following address: Federal Highway Administration Office of Planning Environment and Realty, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE Washington, D.C. 20590 Room E74-462 Attention: Gary Jensen OR to: gary.jensen@dot.gov Other deliverables, including delivery information, will be identified in individual Task Orders. All deliverables shall be transmitted under a transmittal letter. Correspondence for the Contact Specialist, one copy of all transmittal letters, and one copy of the monthly report, shall be delivered to the following address: Federal Highway Administration Office of Acquisition Management 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington, D.C. 20590 Attention: Joseph Fusari OR to: Joseph.Fusari@dot.gov F.8 SCHEDULE OF WORK All tasks set forth in the statement of work shall be performed in accordance with the work schedule as negotiated in each individual Task Order. SECTION G CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA G.1 TASK ORDER PROCEDURE All funds expended under this contract shall be incurred, accounted for, and invoiced under individual Task Orders. It is likely that Task Orders will be partially funded initially, and then incrementally funded thereafter as they are needed and become available to the program office. It is the Government’s intent to provide all contractors awarded a contract under this solicitation a fair opportunity to be considered for each proposed Task Order in the topic awarded. The Government expects to issue a solicitation for a Task Order proposal to each eligible contractor asking for a technical proposal and pricing information. However, the Government may issue Task Orders on a non-competitive basis or limited competitive basis as may be appropriate and authorized by law. The Contracting Officer will select the offer that is considered most advantageous to the Government considering technical merit of each proposal, key personnel, cost, and past performance on other Task Orders. Task Order solicitations will specify the evaluation criteria that will be utilized together with a statement of the relative importance of each criterion. The selection of a contractor to perform a Task Order is generally not subject to protest. Each Task Order will provide specific information on the work to be performed, the objectives or results desired, a period of performance, deliverables, pricing and other terms specific to the individual Task Order. The work shall be conducted by the contractor on an as needed basis, within the scope of the contract. The exact nature and extent of the contractor’s work under this contract will be based upon written Task Orders developed by the Government. Once work is identified, the Government will issue a Request for Task Order Proposal. Such requests will be issued electronically. The contractor shall submit to the Contracting Officer a Task Order Proposal (TOP) within the time specified for submission. Task Order proposals will normally be submitted electronically and will typically contain: 1. Discussion of the technical approach for performing the work. 2. Period of Performance and Schedule of Work. 3. Estimated level of effort, types of staffing and number of hours, including those in (5) below. 4. Travel, per diem, equipment and materials estimates. 5. An estimate for subcontractors and consultants, including direct labor hours and cost information if applicable. 6. Fixed prices 7. Key personnel with their resumes. 8. Experience and past performance. The cost for the preparation and submittal of the TOP is the responsibility of the contractor. If the contractor is not able, or does not wish, to compete for a specific task order it must so state in writing to the Contracting Officer in lieu of a TOP. However, contractors are strongly encouraged to make every effort to explore teaming, subcontracting, or other arrangements so as to be able to propose on every offered task order. Failure to make reasonable efforts to propose on each solicitation issued will be considered under the past performance evaluation factor during source selection. G.2 TASK ORDER AWARD The Contracting Officer may enter into negotiations with those contractors submitting a TOP, and may request a revised TOP, as the situation may warrant. The Government will evaluate each TOP in accordance with the stated evaluation criteria, and will award the Task Order to the contractor who offers the best value to the Government. Upon mutual agreement of the parties as to the work to be performed, the schedule, and the pricing, the FHWA will issue a Task Order. The contractor shall acknowledge acceptance of the Task Order and shall immediately proceed with the conduct of the work. Task Orders will contain the following information: 1. Name and signature of the Contracting Officer. 2. Contract Number, Task Order number and Task Order effective date. 3. A description of the task including deliverables. 4. Accounting and appropriation data. 5. The negotiated fixed prices. 6. Document and reporting requirements, as applicable 7. Delivery or performance schedule. 8. Key Personnel 9. Billing information G.3 AGENCY TASK ORDER OMBUDSMAN The Contracting Officer’s selection decision on each Task Order request shall be final and is not subject to protest, except for a protest that the Task Order increases the scope, period, or maximum value of the contract. Accordingly, in accordance with FAR 16.505 (b) (5), an ombudsman has been appointed to hear and facilitate the resolution of contractor’s concerns resulting from task order award. The existence of the ombudsman does not diminish the authority of the Contracting Officer. Further, the ombudsman does not participate in the evaluation of the proposals or the adjudication of formal contract disputes. Therefore, before consulting with the ombudsman, interested parties must first address their concerns, issues, disagreements, and/or recommendations to the Contracting Officer for resolution. If the Contracting Officer cannot make resolution, interested parties may contact the FHWA ombudsman, Ms. Patricia Prosperi, at the following address: Ms. Patricia A. Prosperi Associate Administrator for Administration/Agency Competition Advocate HAD-1 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20590 E-mail: administration.fhwa@dot.gov G.4 TRAVEL AND PER DIEM Travel and per diem will be reimbursed in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation and the Federal Travel Regulations in effect at the time of the travel. Task Orders will include an estimated cost for travel on a not to exceed basis. Travel reimbursed under this contract shall be based on the most economical form of transportation available only. Any costs deemed unreasonable will be reduced to a reasonable amount. Improper costs will be disallowed and deducted from the invoice. Any exceptions shall be fully justified and if at all possible, be approved in advance by the Contracting Officer. All travel shall be scheduled sufficiently in advance to take advantage of available discount rates. Travel requirements shall be met using the most economical form of transportation available. This includes using connecting rather than direct flights, and reasonable efforts to insure the most economical flights are secured. Simply relying on a travel agent may not be sufficient. If economy class transportation is not available, the invoice must include justification for use of higher class travel indicating dates, times, and flight numbers. Information on current Federal Travel Regulations and current per diem rates may be obtained at the following web site: http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/contentView.do?contentType=GSA_BASIC&contentId=17943 If the contractor purchases non-refundable tickets as a cost saving measure, and then is required to change or cancel the tickets due to causes beyond their control, the contractor may claim reimbursement for service charges. Unused tickets paid for by the Government must be sent promptly to the Contracting Officer, unless it is likely they can be reissued for a later trip and the company maintains an adequate accounting system to protect the tickets from misuse, and insures the Government will not be billed for the subsequent trip. Complete justification and accounting must be provided with the invoice. Saturday night stay over are not required to take advantage of lower fares, but if the traveler chooses to stay over, the Government will reimburse the contractor for the additional lodging and per diem expenses if the reduced cost of the airline ticket offsets these expenses. Complete justification and accounting must be provided with the invoice. Use of a rental car shall always be justified, and their use is to be the exception rather than the rule. Alternate methods of local travel shall be used whenever possible, such as hotel or airport shuttles and taxis. If using a rental car, your justification must include the distance from the airport to the hotel and then to the training site. Also the name, phone number, and cost of a shuttle service/taxi, or statement that none are available. Remember, the Government is only obligated to pay reasonable costs, and without proper justification, charges will be reduced or eliminated as being unreasonable. Personal convenience or “club” membership is not a justification for higher airfares, rental cars, or the choice of airlines or hotels. The contractor shall always attempt to receive the Government rate for auto rentals and hotel rooms. Authorization letters will be issued to travelers upon request. G.5 CONTRACTING OFFICER’S TECHNICAL REPRESENTATIVE (COTR) The Contracting Officer will designate a Technical Representative (COTR) for each contract to assist in monitoring the work under the contract as well as the Task Orders issued there under. The COTR is responsible for the technical administration of the contract and technical liaison with the Contractor. The COTR is NOT authorized to change the statement of work, to make any commitments or otherwise obligate the Government or authorize any changes which affect the contract price, delivery schedule, period of performance or other terms or conditions of the contract. The Contracting Officer is the only individual who can legally commit or obligate the Government for the expenditure of public funds, award, modify or terminate a contract or Task Order. The technical administration of this contract shall not be construed to authorize the revision of the terms and conditions of this contract. If the contractor receives direction from anyone other than the Contracting Officer it believes will effect the terms, conditions, schedule or pricing, it shall not proceed with such direction. The contractor shall discuss its reservations with the COTR, and if the issues cannot be resolved, then it shall notify the contracting officer who will resolve the matter. G.6 TECHNICAL DIRECTION Performance of the work under this Task Order is subject to the Technical Direction of the COTR. The term “Technical Direction” is defined to include, without limitation, the following: a. Directions to the contractor which redirects the effort, shifts work emphasis between work areas, requires pursuit of certain lines of inquiry, fills in details or otherwise serves to accomplish the statement of work; b. Provision of information to the contractor that assists in the interpretation of drawings, specifications or technical portions of the work description; and, c. Review and approval/rejection of technical reports, drawings, specifications, and technical information to be delivered by the contractor. All Technical Direction must be within the general scope of work stated in the Task Order. The COTR does not have the authority to, and may not issue any Technical Direction that: (i) constitutes an assignment of additional work outside the general scope of the base contract; (ii) constitutes a change as defined in the base contract clause entitled “Changes”; (iii) in any manner causes an increase or decrease in the prices set forth in Section B; or (iv) changes any of the expressed terms, conditions or specifications of the Task Order. All Technical Direction must be issued in writing, or shall be confirmed in writing by the COTR within 3 working days after issuance. The contractor shall proceed promptly with the performance of duly issued Technical Directions. However, if in the opinion of the contractor, the direction issued by the COTR is within one of the proscribed categories in (i) through (iv) above, the contractor shall not proceed, but shall notify the Contracting Officer in writing, within 3 working days after receipt of any such direction. The Contracting Officer will determine if the Technical Direction is proper, or if a contract modification would be required to properly implement the direction. Failure of the parties to agree upon the nature of the direction or upon the contract action to be taken with respect thereto shall be subject to the base contract clause entitled “Disputes.” G.7 KEY PERSONNEL As part of its contract proposal and each Task Order proposal, the contractor shall designate a Project Manager and other personnel deemed by the contractor to be essential to the successful completion of the contract/Task Order. These individuals will be listed in the contract/task order as Key Personnel. In the event any of the Key Personnel are unable to perform as proposed for any reason during the performance of the contract/Task Order, the contractor shall immediately notify the COTR and Contacting Officer in writing. Such notice will include an explanation of the problem, a proposed replacement by someone of equal or better qualifications and experience, and shall explain the impact on performance. All replacements are subject to the prior written approval of the Contracting Officer. However, the Government reserves the right to approve such replacements retroactively when circumstances prevent advance approval. G.8 MONTHLY PROGRESS REPORT The Contractor shall furnish an electronic copy (in Microsoft Office 2003 or equivalent) of a monthly letter-type progress report to the Contracting Specialist and the Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative, with each monthly invoice, but no later than the 10th of the month following the calendar month being reported. Each report shall contain concise statements covering the following: Summary level for all tasks (#1-3): 1.Budget and scheduling information including the date each work order was initiated, the estimated completion date, original estimate of resources needed/planned (labor hours and costs, travel costs and Other Direct Costs (ODC)); a tabulation of resources expended that month; a tabulation of cumulative total-to-date resources expended; and a comparison of percentage of resources planned, to resources expended, to resources needed to complete the work, and clearly identify any projected overrun of resources. The contractor shall also clearly identify any projected overruns for any and all task orders. 2.A description of any contract problem encountered or anticipated that will affect the completion of the contract within the time and fiscal constraints as set forth in the contract, together with recommended solutions to such problems; or, a statement that no problems were encountered. 3.Any contract improvement recommendations. Task by task basis (#4-8): 4.A clear and complete account of the work performed on each task and an outline of the work to be accomplished during the next report period. 5.Budget and scheduling information including the date each work order was initiated, the estimated completion date, original estimate of resources needed/planned (labor hours and costs, travel costs and ODC); a tabulation of resources expended that month; a tabulation of cumulative total-to-date resources expended; and a comparison of percentage of resources planned, to resources expended, to resources needed to complete the work, and clearly identify any projected overrun of resources. 6.A description of any Task Order problem(s) encountered or anticipated that will affect the completion of the contract within the time and fiscal constraints as set forth in the Task Order, together with recommended solutions to such problems: or, a statement that no problems were encountered. 7.A chart showing current and cumulative expenditures by tasks versus planned expenditures, and percentage of work completed. 8.Any task order improvement recommendations. NOTE:Individual Task Orders may require additional monthly reporting requirements. If so, that information will be delineated in the Task Order. G.9 ANNUAL REPORT The Contractor shall furnish 1 hard copy of a letter-type annual report to the Contracting Officer and 1 electronic copy (in Microsoft Office 2003 or equivalent) to the Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative on or before 60 calendar days before the end of each contract year. The annual report shall contain a discussion of the activities conducted during the period being reported, a financial summary for the reporting period, and an assessment of the progress made toward achieving the objectives of the contract. The report will also contain a discussion of problems encountered or anticipated that might affect performance during the following year, and recommend solutions to such problems. The annual report will be used by the COTR as part of the annual performance review. The Contractor shall revise staffing, work assignments, and financial controls, as needed, based on annual performance reviews. G.10 PERFORMANCE REVIEW MEETINGS As required by the COTR or Contracting Officer, the Contractor shall meet with the COTR and/or Contracting Officer and other interested parties to discuss current operational considerations, when requested. G.11 REPORTS OF PROBLEMS In addition to the monthly progress reports and performance review meetings specified above, the Contractor shall bring actual or potential problems to the attention of the COTR and Contract Specialist as soon as they are known. Oral reports shall be followed by written reports within 10 working days, or as directed by the COTR or Contract Specialist. G.12 FUNDS AVAILABLE The clause entitled "LIMITATION OF FUNDS" applies to this contract. The clausess “LIMITATION OF FUNDS” and “LIMITATION OF COST” applies to each Task Order as applicable. Any notification required on the part of the Contractor shall be made in writing to the Contracting Officer. In the event that the contract is not funded beyond the estimated cost set forth in the schedule, the Contractor shall deliver to the Contracting Officer the data collected and the material produced or in process or acquired in connection with the performance of the project provided herein together with a summary report electronically of its progress and accomplishments to date. a.Currently funds in the amount of $95,000 total are obligated to this contract. b.Funds will be obligated as each task order is issued. All work is to be performed under a fully executed Task Order. G.13 PAYMENT a. For each fixed price task order, the Government shall pay the contractor the fixed price specified in the task order. Payment shall be made upon review and written acceptance of the fixed price deliverable(s) by the Government. b.For cost reimbursable task orders, the Contractor may be reimbursed for the direct productive labor hours, up to but not exceeding, those specified under the SECTION B schedule. The Contractor may also be reimbursed for direct and indirect costs incurred in the performance thereof as are allowable under the provisions of Subpart 31.2, 31.3, 31.6, or 31.7 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation in the not-to-exceed amount listed under the SECTION B schedule, subject to the Limitation of Funds Clause. c.For cost reimbursable tasks, each monthly interim payment request shall be supported by a statement of costs incurred by the Contractor in the performance of this contract and claimed to constitute allowable costs. These payments shall be made after receipt of a proper request by the designated billing office. Any payments hereunder will be made upon determination by the Contracting Officer that the requirements of the contract are being met. d.Final invoice payment shall be made upon the Contracting Officers determination that all requirements of the contract have been completed. The payment due date for final invoice shall be established in compliance with the clause 52.232-25. e.Each monthly interim payment request and the final invoice shall be submitted in accordance with the format contained in the attached “The FHWA Billing Instructions for Cost-Reimbursement Contracts” to be considered proper for payment. Prior approval of the Contracting Officer is required if the contractor wishes to use a different format. G.14 INDIRECT COSTS Pending the establishment of final indirect cost rates which shall be negotiated based on audit of actual costs as provided in Subpart 42.7 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation, the Contractor shall be reimbursed for allowable indirect costs hereunder as identified below: Indirect Cost Element:Rate (.000%)Type:Base (applied to): <to be negotiated> This INDIRECT COST provision does not operate to waive the LIMITATION OF FUNDS Clause. The Contractor’s audited final indirect costs are allowable only insofar as they do not cause the Contractor to exceed the total estimated costs for performance of the contract listed on page 2 (SECTION B) and under the PAYMENT provision above. G.15 LABOR ESCALATION Labor rates for all personnel billed under this contract shall incorporate an aggregate salary escalation not to exceed <to be negotiated> per year, during the period of performance, including option periods. G.16 BILLING RATES The provisional labor and indirect rates negotiated under this contract for billing purposes shall remain in effect until revised rates have been approved in writing by the Contracting Officer. The Contractor shall request new provisional billing rates in writing, no more frequently than semi-annually. Such request shall delineate the current and proposed rates to be used, along with the proposed effective date of new rates. G.17 SUBCONTRACTS – ADVANCE NOTIFICATION AND CONSENT Under this contract, the requirements of FAR 44.2, CONSENT TO SUBCONTRACTS, have been fulfilled for the following subcontracts: Any future change or revision to the Statement of Work or other applicable aspects of this contract shall include the subcontract(s) only to the extent that performance of the subcontract(s) is directly affected by the change or revision. Additional Consent To Subcontracts will be on a Task Order by Task Order basis in accordance with FAR 44.2 and FAR 52.244-1 or FAR 52.244-2, as applicable. G.18 PAYMENT The contractor may invoice for the line items stated in Section B of this Task Order, plus any allowable cost reimbursable travel and per diem expenses. Invoices shall be submitted original to one of the address stated below plus an email copy to the COTR at gary.jensen@dot.gov. The contractor shall refer to the clause 52.232-25 Prompt Payment of the original contract for instructions on submitting invoices. The Fixed Fees may be invoiced upon successful completion of each deliverable. The contractor is cautioned that to be considered proper and preserve your rights to timely payment or interest penalties, a proper invoice includes the following information: 1.Name of the business concern, invoice date, and number (sequential numbering of invoices under each Task Order is preferable). 2.Task Order number 3.Service being invoiced 4.Amount of current invoice 5.Signature of an authorized official, certifying that the invoiced amounts are proper. 6.Taxpayer Identification Number The cumulative amount billed to date, and supporting documentation for travel and per diem or other reimbursable costs should be displayed on subsequent pages of the invoice. INVOICES FAILING TO FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS ARE NOT PROPER FOR PAYMENT AND WILL BE RETURNED FOR CORRECTION. Invoices submitted for this task order shall not contain cost from other contracts or task orders. The contractor shall submit all invoices to one of the following addresses: All invoices and required supporting documents should be sent via e-mail to the following address: 9-AMC-AMZ-FHWA-Invoices@faa.gov. (a) Include the invoice as an attached PDF document (b) Include the following in the e-mail subject line: (i) Invoice Number (ii) Task Order Number (iii) Name of your Company/Organization. (iv) Attention: Joseph Fusari Example: Invoice No. 35 – DTFH61-09-D-00001 – ABC Company – Attention: Joseph Fusari If the invoice and supporting documents exceed 8 MB as an e-mail attachment, you must select one of the other submission options presented below: Invoices submitted via an overnight service must use the following physical address: MMAC FHWA/AMZ-150 6500 S. MacArthur Blvd Oklahoma City, OK 73169 Attention: Joseph Fusari Invoices may be submitted via regular U.S. Postal Service to the following address: Federal Highway Administration Markview Processing P.O. Box 268865 Oklahoma City OK 73126-8865 Attention: Joseph Fusari All invoices, regardless of submission method, must identify the Contracting Officer as the invoicing point of contact. Since it is necessary for you to go to the GSA per diem web page to ascertain the correct hotel and M&I expense rates, it would be very helpful to our review and approval process to include a copy of the web page, with the applicable per diem line highlighted. Payments may be delayed when we cannot determine from the invoice which rate applies, and thus cannot approve the invoice without going back to the contractor for more information SECTION H - SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS H.1 CONTRACT START UP The contactor shall be prepared to accept and respond to Task Order RFP's upon the effective date of the contract. H.2 PROCUREMENT AUTHORITY The Federal Highway Administration, Office of Acquisition Management, is the only agency that is authorized to place orders under this contract, or to modify, suspend or terminate this contract. The Contracting Officer is the only individual within FHWA authorized to perform this function. H.3 NONPERSONAL SERVICES CONTRACT This contract is a “nonpersonal services contract” as defined FAR Section 37.101. It is understood and agreed that the contractor and its employees, consultants and subcontractors: 1. Shall perform the services specified herein as independent contractors, not as employees of the Government; 2. Shall be responsible for their own management and administration of the work Required, and bear sole responsibility for complying with all technical, schedule, or financial requirements or constraints attendant to the performance of this contract; 3. Shall be free from any direct or indirect supervision or control by any government employee, however. 4. Shall, pursuant to the government rights under contract clauses such as “Inspection,” and “Key Personnel” comply with such general direction of authorized Government employees as is necessary and appropriate to ensure accomplishment of the contract requirements and objectives. H.4 GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY Any Government Furnished Property provided for the performance of this contact shall be accounted for as provided in Transportation Acquisition Regulation Subpart 1245.5. H.5 ACCESS TO SENSITIVE INFORMATION BY CONTRACTOR EMPLOYEES Work under this contract may involve access to sensitive information, which shall not be disclosed by the contractor unless authorized by the contracting officer. To protect sensitive information, the contractor shall provide training to any contractor employee authorized access to sensitive information and, upon request of the Government, provide information as to an individual's suitability to have such authorization. Contractor employees found by the Government to be unsuitable or whose employment is deemed contrary to the public interest or inconsistent with the best interest of national security, may be prevented from performing work under the particular contract when requested by the contracting officer. The contractor shall ensure that contractor employees are: (1) citizens of the United States of America or an alien who has been lawfully admitted for permanent residence or employment (indicated by immigration status) as evidenced by Immigration and Naturalization Service documentation; and (2) have background investigations in accordance with DOT Order 1630.2B, Personnel Security Management. The Contractor’s employees may be required to sign the Confidentiality Statement (Attachment #5). The contractor shall include the above requirements in any subcontract awarded involving access to Government facilities, sensitive information, and/or resources. H.6 TASK ORDER BID PREPARATION COSTS This contract will not include a separate administrative task to cover the costs of bidding on Task Orders. Offerors are to handle such costs in accordance with their disclosure statements/cost accounting system. H.7 LIMITATION OF FUTURE CONTRACTING It is required by the parties of this contract that the Contractor will be restricted in its future contracting with the Government, for any service or product which may encompass hardware or software product development for commercial purposes, participation in other research and development contract, and operational testing partnership arrangements which are a result of policy analyses research particular to this contract. Accordingly, the Contractor shall be ineligible to perform the work described as a prime contractor, subcontractor or consultant, or in any capacity to any supplier under an ensuing Government contract. Such restrictions shall remain in effect for 3 years following the completion date of this contract. H.8 PROTECTION OF INFORMATION AND LIMITATION OF FUTURE CONTRACTING a.It is anticipated that in performance of this contract, the Contractor may require access to, or receipt of, information and data relating to FHWA’s plans, programs, technical requirements, and budgetary matters, and such other information, the disclosure of which may give competitive advantage to recipients or would be adverse to the interests of the Government. b.The Contractor shall not disclose such information acquired to anyone, other than those Contractor, subcontractor, or consultant personnel performing work under this contract, without the prior written consent of the Contracting Officer, until such time as the Government may have authorized the release of such information and data to the public. c.To the extent that the work under this contract requires access to proprietary, business confidential, or financial data of other companies, and as long as such data remains proprietary or confidential, the Contractor shall protect such data from unauthorized use and disclosure and agrees not to use it to compete against such companies. d.It is anticipated that during performance of this contract, the Contractor may be issued Task Orders involving technical evaluations of other Contractor’s offers or products. FAR 9.505-3 provides that contracts shall not generally be awarded to a Contractor that would evaluate, or advise the Government concerning, its own products or activities, or those of a competitor, without proper safeguards to ensure objectivity and protect the Government’s interest. These safeguards will be accomplished by restricting future contracting with the Government, as delineated below. e.FHWA will not unilaterally disclose to the Contractor any proprietary information furnished by domestic or foreign participants in FHWA’s programs. If the Contractor requires access to such information in performance of this contract, an agreement concerning release and restrictions on the use of such data must be sought by the Contractor with the source of the data. f.It is required by the parties of this contract, that the Contractor will be restricted in its future contracting with the Government, for any service or product which may encompass information acquired under items a and c above that is not publicly available and could give a competitive advantage to the Contractor or would be adverse to the interests of the Government. Accordingly, the Contractor shall be ineligible to perform as a prime contractor, subcontractor or consultant, or in any capacity to any supplier under an ensuring Government contract. Any questions on this matter shall be immediately addressed to the Contracting Officer. g.These restrictions do not limit the Contractor’s right to use and disclose any information and data obtained from another source without restriction. h.The Contractor agrees to train its employees who will have access to such sensitive information in all necessary security procedures and required them to sign non-disclosure statements and certificates attesting to their understanding of the requirements for safeguarding such information. i.In the event that the Contractor fails to comply with this provision of the contract, the Government may terminate the contract for default. j.The Contractor shall include this provision, including this paragraph, in all subcontracts and consultant agreements for performance of work under this contract unless excused in writing by the Contracting Officer. H.9 Sub-Contracting Approval The contractor is required to obtain the Contracting Officer's approval prior to engaging in any contractual relationship (sub-contractor) in support of this contract requiring the disclosure of information, documentary material and/or records generated under, or relating to, this contract. The Contractor (and any sub-contractor) is required to abide by Government and Agency guidance for protecting sensitive and proprietary information. 1252.245-70GOVERNMENT PROPERTY REPORTS (OCT 1994) (a)The contractor shall prepare an annual report of Government property in its possession and the possession of its subcontractors. (b)The report shall be submitted to the Contracting Officer not later than September 15 of each calendar year on Form DOT F 4220.43, Contractor Report of Government Property. SECTION I - CONTRACT CLAUSES I.1.52.202-1 Definitions. (JUL 2004) I.2.52.203-3 Gratuities. (APR 1984) I.3.52.203-5 Covenant Against Contingent Fees. (APR 1984) I.4.52.203-6 Restrictions on Subcontractor Sales to the Government. (SEP 2006) I.5.52.203-7 Anti-Kickback Procedures. (JUL 1995) I.6.52.203-8 Cancellation, Rescission, and Recovery of Funds for Illegal or Improper Activity. (JAN 1997) I.7.52.203-10 Price or Fee Adjustment for Illegal or Improper Activity. (JAN 1997) I.8.52.203-12 Limitation on Payments to Influence Certain Federal Transactions. (SEP 2007) I.9.52.203-14 Display of Hotline Poster(s). (DEC 2007) I.10.52.204-1Approval of Contract (DEC 1989) I.11.52.204-2 Security Requirements (AUG 1996) I.12.52.204-4 Printed or Copied Double-Sided on Recycled Paper. (AUG 2000) I.13.52.204-7 Central Contractor Registration (APR 2008) I.14.52.209-6 Protecting the Governments Interest When Subcontracting with Contractors Debarred, Suspended, or Proposed for Debarment. (SEP 2006) I.15.52.215-2 Audit and Records - Negotiation. (JUN 1999) I.16.52.215-8 Order of Precedence--Uniform Contract Format. (OCT 1997) I.17.52.215-11 Price Reduction for Defective Cost or Pricing Data – Modifications (OCT 1997) I.18.52.215-13Subcontractor Cost or Pricing Data – Modifications (OCT 1997) I.19.52.219-19 Notifications of Ownership Changes (OCT 1997) I.20.52.215-21 Requirements for Cost or Pricing Data or Information Other Than Cost or Pricing Data--Modifications. (OCT 1997) I.21.52.216-18 Ordering. (OCT 1995) aAny supplies and services to be furnished under this contract shall be ordered by issuance of delivery orders or task orders by the individuals or activities designated in the Schedule. Such orders may be issued from date of award through 60 months after award. bAll delivery orders or task orders are subject to the terms and conditions of this contract. In the event of a conflict between a delivery order or task order and this contract, the contract shall control. cIf mailed, a delivery order or task order is considered “issued” when the Government deposits the order in the mail. Orders may be issued orally, by facsimile, or by electronic commerce methods. I.22.52.216-22 Indefinite Quantity. (OCT 1995) Insert “72 months after date of award” at the end of the clause. I.23.52.216-25 Contract Definitization (OCT 1997) I.24.52.219-4 Notice of Price Evaluation Preference for HUBZone Small Business Concerns (JUL 2005) I.25.52.219-8 Utilization of Small Business Concerns. (MAY 2004) I.26.52.219-16 Liquidated Damages – Subcontracting Plan (JAN 1999) I.27.52.219-28 Post Award Small Business Program Rerepresentation (JUN 2007) I.28.52.222-3 Convict Labor. (JUN 2003) I.29.52.222-21 Prohibition of Segregated Facilities. (FEB 1999) I.30.52.222-26 Equal Opportunity. (MAR 2007) I.31.52.222-35 Equal Opportunity for Special Disabled Veterans and Veterans of the Vietnam Era and Other Eligible Veterans (SEP 2006) I.32.52.222-36 Affirmative Action for Workers with Disabilities. (JUN 1998) I.33.52.222-37 Employment Reports on Special Disabled Veterans and Veterans of the Vietnam Era and other Eligible Veterans (SEP 2006) I.34.52.222-38 Compliance with Veterans’ Employment Reporting Requirements (DEC 2001) I.35.52.22-50Combating Trafficking in Persons (AUG 2007) I.36.52.223-5 Pollution Prevention and Right-to-Know Information (AUG 2003) I.37.52.223-6 Drug-Free Workplace. (MAY 2001) I.38.52.223-10Waste Reduction Program (AUG 2000) I.39.52.223-14 Toxic Chemical Release Reporting. (AUG 2003) I.40.52.224-1 Privacy Act Notification. (APR 1984) I.41.52.224-2 Privacy Act. (APR 1984) I.42.52.225-13 Restrictions on Certain Foreign Purchases (JUN 2008) I.43.52.227-1 Authorization and Consent. (DEC 2007) I.44.52.227-2 Notice and Assistance Regarding Patent and Copyright Infringement (DEC 2007) I.45.52.227-14 Rights in Data - General. (DEC 2007) I.46.52.227-19 Commercial Computer Software - Restricted Rights. (DEC 2007) I.47.52.228-5 Insurance-Work on a Government Installation (JAN 1997) I.48.52.228-7 Insurance – Liability to Third Persons (MAR 1996) I.49.52.229-3 Federal, State, and Local Taxes. (APR 2003) I.50.52.232-1 Payments. (APR 1984) I.51.52.232-8 Discounts for Prompt Payment. (FEB 2002) I.52.52.232-17 Interest (JUN 1996) I.53.52.232-23 Assignment of Claims. (JAN 1986) I.54.52.232-25 Prompt Payment. (OCT 2003) I.55.52.232-33 Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer -- Central Contractor Registration. (OCT 2003) I.56.52.233-1 Disputes. (JUL 2002) I.57.52.233-3 Protest after Award. (AUG 1996) I.58.52.233-4 Applicable Law for Breach of Contract Claim (OCT 2004) I.59.52.237-2 Protection of Government Buildings, Equipment, and Vegetation (APR 1984) I.60.52.242-13 Bankruptcy. (JUL 1995) I.61.52.242-17Government Delay of Work (APR 1984) I.62.52.243-1 Changes - Fixed-Price. (AUG 1987) Alternate II (APR 1984) I.63.52.243-1 Changes – Cost Reimbursement. (AUG 1987) Alternate I (APR 1984) I.64.52.244-6 Subcontracts for Commercial Items (MAR 2007) I.65.52.246-25 Limitation of Liability--Services (FEB 1997) I.66.52.248-1 Value Engineering (FEB 2000) I.67.52.249-2 Termination for Convenience of the Government (Fixed-Price) (MAY 2004) I.68.52.249-2Excusable Delays (APR 1984) I.69.52.249-8 Default (Fixed-Price Supply and Service) (APR 1984) I.70.52.252-2 Clauses Incorporated by Reference (FEB 1998) This contract incorporates one or more clauses by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. Also, the full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at either of these addresses: http://www.dot.gov/ost/m60/ or http://www.arnet.gov/far/ I.71.52.253-1 Computer Generated Forms (JAN 1991) DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION ACQUISITION REGULATION (48 CFR 12) CLAUSES I.72.1252.223-71 Accident and Fire Reporting (APR 2005) I.73.1252.223-73 Seat Belt Use Policies and Programs (APR 2005) I.74.1252.237-70 Qualifications of Contractor Employees (APR 2005) I.75.1252.237-72 Prohibition on Advertising (JAN 1996) I.76.1252.242-71 Contractor Testimony (OCT 1994) I.77.1252.242-72 Dissemination of Contract Information (OCT 1994) I.78.1252.245-70 Government Property Reports (OCT 1994) I.79.FRAUDULENT LETTERS *****ALERT**** FRAUDULENT CCR LETTERS*********** Recently, U. S. Department of Transportation (DOT) contractors and potential contractors have received fraudulent letters purporting to be issued by DOT. Often the letters have been signed by “John Duncan, Senior Procurement Officer”. These fraudulent letters request that current or potential contractors resubmit their Central Contractor Registration System (CCR) banking information to DOT. If you receive such a letter, please DO NOT complete the requested CCR worksheet that is attached to the letters and DO NOT release any information to the facsimile number cited in the letter. Please be aware that no Federal agency requires any confidential information to be submitted to verify CCR registration. The CCR is a legitimate government system. However, to register, contractors should go directly through the CCR website and never through a third party. There is no requirement to send information directly to any Federal agency. For information on how to register in the CCR, please visit website http://www.ccr.gov/. The point of contact concerning these fraudulent letters is the DOT Office of the Inspector General. You should call their hotline at 1-800-424-9071. I.73 FH.1 Printing Restrictions All printing funded by this agreement must be done in conformance with Joint Committee on Printing regulations as prescribed in Title 44, United States Code, and Section 308 of Public Law 101-163, and all applicable Government Printing Office and Department of Transportation regulations. I.74 Final Invoice The final invoice, if more than one invoice is submitted, or the only invoice submitted for this order is to be marked “FINAL INVOICE” on its face. SECTION J - LIST OF ATTACHMENTS A.Proposal Cover Sheets – 1 page (SF-33) B.DOT Form 4220.44, Contract Pricing Summary and Instructions http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/aaa/frm4220_44.pdf http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/aaa/frminst44.pdf C.Standard Form LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/sflllin.pdf D.Past Performance Questionnaire – 2 pages E.Sample Task – 1 page SECTION K - REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS, AND OTHER STATEMENTS OF OFFERORS OR QUOTERS K.1 52.204-8 Annual Representations and Certifications (JAN 2005) (a)(1) If the clause at 52.204-7, Central Contractor Registration is included in this solicitation, paragraph (b) of this provision applies. (2) If the clause at 52.204-7 is not included in this solicitation, and the offeror is currently registered in CCR, and has completed the ORCA electronically, the offeror may choose to use paragraph (b) of this provision instead of completing the corresponding individual representations and certifications in the solicitation. The offeror shall indicate which option applies by checking one of the following boxes: [ ] (i) Paragraph (b) applies. [ ] (ii) Paragraph (b) does not apply and the offeror has completed the individual representations and certifications in the solicitation. (b) The offeror has completed the annual representations and certifications electronically via the Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA) website at http://orca.bpn.gov. After reviewing the ORCA database information, the offeror verifies by submission of the offer that the representations and certifications currently posted electronically have been entered or updated within the last 12 months, are current, accurate, complete, and applicable to this solicitation (including the business size standard applicable to the NAICS code referenced for this solicitation), as of the date of this offer and are incorporated in this offer by reference (see FAR 4.1201); except for the changes identified below [offeror to insert changes, identifying change by clause number, title, date]. These amended representation(s) and/or certification(s) are also incorporated in this offer and are current, accurate, and complete as of the date of this offer. FAR Clause # Title Date Change ____________ _________ _____ _____________ Any changes provided by the offeror are applicable to this solicitation only, and do not result in an update to the representations and certifications posted on ORCA. K. 2 FEDERAL PROCUREMENT DATA Please provide the information requested below: a.DUNS Number: ________________________+ 4__________ b.Taxpayer Identification Number: ________________________ c.Home Office Congressional District _______________________ Business size & type [e.g. HUBZone, SDVOSB, WOSBC etc.] ________________________ K.3 52.219-1 Small Business Program Representations. (OCT 2000) Alternate I (OCT 2000) (a)(1) The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 541611. (2) The small business size standard is $7.0 million. (3) The small business size standard for a concern which submits an offer in its own name, other than on a construction or service contract, but which proposes to furnish a product which it did not itself manufacture, is 500 employees. K.4 1252.273-71 CERTIFICATION OF DATA (APR 2005) NOTICE: The Secretary of Transportation has determined that this certification shall be retained in accordance with Section 4301(b)(1)(B)(i)(II) of the Federal Acquisition Reform Act (Public Law 104-106, 41 U.S.C. 425, note) and DOT Memorandum dated July 17, 1996. (a) The offeror represents and certifies that to the best of its knowledge and belief, the information and/or data (e.g., company profile; qualifications; background statements; brochures) submitted with its offer is current, accurate, and complete as of the date of its offer. (b) The offeror understands that any inaccurate data provided to the Department of Transportation may subject the offeror, its subcontractors, its employees, or its representatives to: (1) prosecution for false statements pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 1001 and/or; (2) enforcement action for false claims or statements pursuant to the Program Fraud Civil Remedies Act of 1986, 31 U.S.C. 3801-3812 and 49 CFR Part 31 and/or; (3) termination for default under any contract resulting from its offer and/or; (4) debarment or suspension. (c) The offeror agrees to obtain a similar certification from its subcontractors. Signature:____________________________________________ Date:____________________________________________ Typed Name and Title: ___________________________________ Company Name:______________________________________ _____________________________________________________ This certification concerns a matter within the jurisdiction of an agency of the United States and the making of a false, fictitious, or fraudulent certification may render the maker subject to prosecution under 18 U.S.C. 1001. K.5 REPRESENTATION OF COMPLIANCE WITH THE ELECTRONIC AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ACCESSIBILITY STANDARDS ___ No compliance and there is no expectation of compliance. ___ Eventually will be made compliant, but does not comply now. ___ Somewhat compliant (%), and no expectation of full compliance. ___ Partially compliant (%), with progress toward full compliance. ___ Fully compliant. Equivalent Facilitation: People with disabilities [ ] are [ ] are not provided substantially equivalent or greater access to and use of items provided through use of designs or technologies other than those prescribed in 36 facilitation CFR Part 1194. If equivalent, explain which features or components use equivalent and how it provides substantially equivalent or greater access. The contractor shall indicate, for each line item in the schedule, whether each product or service is compliant or noncompliant with the accessibility standards at 36 CFR 1194. Further, the proposal must indicate where full details of compliance can be found (e.g., vendor’s website or other exact location). K.6 52.223-13 Certification of Toxic Chemical Release Reporting AUG 2003 (a) Executive Order 13148, of April 21, 2000, Greening the Government through Leadership in Environmental Management, requires submission of this certification as a prerequisite for contract award. (b) By signing this offer, the offeror certifies that - (1) As the owner or operator of facilities that will be used in the performance of this contract that are subject to the filing and reporting requirements described in section 313 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986 (EPCRA) (42 U.S.C. 11023) and section 6607 of the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 (PPA) (42 U.S.C. 13106), the offeror will file and continue to file for such facilities for the life of the contract the Toxic Chemical Release Inventory Form (Form R) as described in sections 313(a) and (g) of EPCRA and section 6607 of PPA; or (2) None of its owned or operated facilities to be used in the performance of this contract is subject to the Form R filing and reporting requirements because each such facility is exempt for at least one of the following reasons: [Check each block that is applicable.] [ ] (i) The facility does not manufacture, process, or otherwise use any toxic chemicals listed in 40 CFR 372.65; [ ] (ii) The facility does not have 10 or more full-time employees as specified in section 313(b)(1)(A) of EPCRA, 42 U.S.C. 11023(b)(1)(A); [ ] (iii) The facility does not meet the reporting thresholds of toxic chemicals established under section 313(f) of EPCRA, 42 U.S.C. 11023(f) (including the alternate thresholds at 40 CFR 372.27, provided an appropriate certification form has been filed with EPA); [ ] (iv) The facility does not fall within the following Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes or their corresponding North American Industry Classification System sectors: (A) Major group code 10 (except 1011, 1081, and 1094. (B) Major group code 12 (except 1241). (C) Major group codes 20 through 39. (D) Industry code 4911, 4931, or 4939 (limited to facilities that combust coal and/or oil for the purpose of generating power for distribution in commerce). (E) Industry code 4953 (limited to facilities regulated under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Subtitle C (42 U.S.C. 6921, et seq.), 5169, 5171, or 7389 (limited to facilities primarily engaged in solvent recovery services on a contract or fee basis); or [ ] (v) The facility is not located in the United States or its outlying areas. K.7 52.219-1 Small Business Program Representations MAY 2004 Alternate I APR 2002 (a) (1) The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 541611. (2) The small business size standard is $7 million. (3) The small business size standard for a concern which submits an offer in its own name, other than on a construction or service contract, but which proposes to furnish a product which it did not itself manufacture, is 500 employees. (b) Representations. (1) The offeror represents as part of its offer that it ( ) is, ( ) is not a small business concern. (2) [Complete only if the offeror represented itself as a small business concern in paragraph (b)(1) of this provision.] The offeror represents, for general statistical purposes, that it ( ) is, ( ) is not, a small disadvantaged business concern as defined in 13 CFR 124.1002. (3) [Complete only if the offeror represented itself as a small business concern in paragraph (b)(1) of this provision.] The offeror represents as part of its offer that it ( ) is, ( ) is not a women-owned small business concern. (4) [Complete only if the offeror represented itself as a small business concern in paragraph (b)(1) of this provision.] The offeror represents as part of its offer that it ( ) is, ( ) is not a veteran-owned small business concern. (5) [Complete only if the offeror represented itself as a veteran-owned small business concern in paragraph (b)(4) of this provision.] The offeror represents as part of its offer that it ( ) is, ( ) is not a service-disabled veteran-owned small business concern. (6) [Complete only if the offeror represented itself as a small business concern in paragraph (b)(1) of this provision.] The offeror represents, as part of its offer, that— (i) It ( ) is, ( ) is not a HUBZone small business concern listed, on the date of this representation, on the List of Qualified HUBZone Small Business Concerns maintained by the Small Business Administration, and no material change in ownership and control, principal office, or HUBZone employee percentage has occurred since it was certified by the Small Business Administration in accordance with 13 CFR Part 126; and (ii) It ( ) is, ( ) is not a joint venture that complies with the requirements of 13 CFR Part 126, and the representation in paragraph (b)(6)(i) of this provision is accurate for the HUBZone small business concern or concerns that are participating in the joint venture. [The offeror shall enter the name or names of the HUBZone small business concern or concerns that are participating in the joint venture: __________.] Each HUBZone small business concern participating in the joint venture shall submit a separate signed copy of the HUBZone representation. (7) [Complete if offeror represented itself as disadvantaged in paragraph (b)(2) of this provision.] The offeror shall check the category in which its ownership falls: _____ Black American. _____ Hispanic American. _____ Native American (American Indians, Eskimos, Aleuts, or Native Hawaiians). _____ Asian-Pacific American (persons with origins from Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, Japan, China, Taiwan, Laos, Cambodia (Kampuchea), Vietnam, Korea, The Philippines, U.S. Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (Republic of Palau), Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Samoa, Macao, Hong Kong, Fiji, Tonga, Kiribati, Tuvalu, or Nauru). _____ Subcontinent Asian (Asian-Indian) American (persons with origins from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, the Maldives Islands, or Nepal). _____ Individual/concern, other than one of the preceding. (c) Definitions. As used in this provision— “Service-disabled veteran-owned small business concern”— (1) Means a small business concern— (i) Not less than 51 percent of which is owned by one or more service-disabled veterans or, in the case of any publicly owned business, not less than 51 percent of the stock of which is owned by one or more service-disabled veterans; and (ii) The management and daily business operations of which are controlled by one or more service-disabled veterans or, in the case of a service-disabled veteran with permanent and severe disability, the spouse or permanent caregiver of such veteran. (2) “Service-disabled veteran” means a veteran, as defined in 38 U.S.C. 101(2), with a disability that is service-connected, as defined in 38 U.S.C. 101(16). “Small business concern” means a concern, including its affiliates that is independently owned and operated, not dominant in the field of operation in which it is bidding on Government contracts, and qualified as a small business under the criteria in 13 CFR Part 121 and the size standard in paragraph (a) of this provision. “Veteran-owned small business concern” means a small business concern— (1) Not less than 51 percent of which is owned by one or more veterans (as defined at 38 U.S.C. 101(2)) or, in the case of any publicly owned business, not less than 51 percent of the stock of which is owned by one or more veterans; and (2) The management and daily business operations of which are controlled by one or more veterans. “Women-owned small business concern” means a small business concern— (1) That is at least 51 percent owned by one or more women; or, in the case of any publicly owned business, at least 51 percent of the stock of which is owned by one or more women; and (2) Whose management and daily business operations are controlled by one or more women. (d) Notice. (1) If this solicitation is for supplies and has been set aside, in whole or in part, for small business concerns, then the clause in this solicitation providing notice of the set-aside contains restrictions on the source of the end items to be furnished. (2) Under 15 U.S.C. 645(d), any person who misrepresents a firm’s status as a small, HUBZone small, small disadvantaged, or women-owned small business concern in order to obtain a contract to be awarded under the preference programs established pursuant to section 8(a), 8(d), 9, or 15 of the Small Business Act or any other provision of Federal law that specifically references section 8(d) for a definition of program eligibility, shall— (i) Be punished by imposition of fine, imprisonment, or both; (ii) Be subject to administrative remedies, including suspension and debarment; and (iii) Be ineligible for participation in programs conducted under the authority of the Act. SECTION L - INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS L.1 NOTE: Please be aware that the security procedures in the Headquarters Buildings prohibit individuals from delivering material directly to offices. Individuals visiting the Headquarters Buildings must report to the guard station at the east entrance [farthest from the Metro station]. All materials left there will be examined and x-rayed before being delivered to room E66-206 through the normal internal mail delivery procedures. As this could take several days, offerors must make allowances to assure that offers arrive in Room E66-206 on time. If so requested, the guard will call the Acquisition Office (x64232) to have someone come down and accept the material once it has been examined. Offers must be received and date/time stamped in Room E66-206 by the prescribed date and time to be considered timely, not just delivered to the guard station, the mailroom or loading dock. While we will do our best to accommodate such requests, FHWA is not responsible if someone is not immediately available to pick up your proposal when called, or there are delays in clearing the materials. Further, please be advised that all of our mail (items handled by the US Postal Service) is sent to another location for scanning and irradiation prior to delivery to this building. This process can take several days, so even if you mail us something from across the street, it may be a week before it actually arrives in our office. FedEx, United Parcel Service, etc. do have direct access to the building and offices. Please keep these factors in mind as you determine the best means to deliver your proposal so as to ensure delivery in Room E66-206 by no later than 4:00 PM on July 6, 2009. To assist in expediting delivery and ensure proper handling, the outermost envelope or package [this includes FedEx boxes] containing your proposal should be prominently marked as follows: Proposal in response to RFP DTFH61-09-R-00015 To Be Opened By Authorized Government Acquisition Personnel Only L.2 Notice to Offerors The offerors response must demonstrate their understanding of this procurement and capability for high quality performance in a concise, logical, manner and should not contain superfluous material that is not directly related to this procurement. The technical proposals shall not exceed 25 pages and shall include a brief well written Executive Summary covering the technical and cost parts of the proposal. Any material in excess of 25 pages will not be read or evaluated. The pricing proposal, staff resumes, subcontractor information, covers, table of contents, letters of commitment, the Executive Summary and the past performance material is in addition to the page limits for technical presentations. Company, University, or Transportation Center descriptive brochures may be included and are not part of the 25-page limitation. You may wish to refer us to a company/organization website for additional information rather than take up pages unnecessarily. Present your proposal in a logical manner readily tied to the requirements herein. Each topic area is to be treated separately as they will be evaluated individually. Identify and explain any exceptions you are taking to the proposed contract requirements. The offeror shall identify those who they intend to utilize in key positions in performance of any Task Orders issued. These include staff, consultants, or subcontractors. Resumes of all proposed key personnel are required, and may not exceed 3 pages for each person proposed. You must indicate educational background, recent relevant experience, specific or technical accomplishments, and a listing of relevant publications. State his or her proposed duties, and the areas for which he or she will be responsible. The work to be performed requires seasoned professional expertise, and sophisticated data and information gathering and analysis capability. For all personnel who are not currently members of the offeror’s staff, an original letter of commitment and agreement to serve as planned is required to be submitted with your proposal. The letter must cite this solicitation number. These same requirements apply when proposing key personnel for a Task Order, with the letter citing the proposed Task Order number. A resume alone does not meet this requirement. Describe your organization’s technical capabilities to perform the kinds of work described under each topic area for which you wish to be awarded a contract. Offerors must specifically address their capabilities in engineering, and technical curriculum development and presentation. Clarity and completeness are of the utmost importance in the proposal. With the exceptions of the responsibility determination, and the past performance evaluations, only material contained within the proposal will be considered in the source evaluation and selection process. Therefore, be sure to include everything you want to be evaluated. Even if we know you and/or members of your staff, we will only consider what is contained within the proposal. Offerors are allowed 6 additional pages for the Executive Summary covering the organization, capabilities, experience and management structure. Address your management of the contract and each Task Order. Explain your methods for performing and managing multiple Task Orders. Address how you would staff multiple Tasks, multiple courses at the same time, writing and teaching at the same time, and how you would replace key personnel if necessary, so as not to delay or degrade performance even when faced with a last minute loss of an individual. Outline your methodology for selecting and managing subcontractors and consultants if you plan to utilize them. Provide the minimum lead-time you would require to commence work after receipt of a Task Order. This Request for Proposals is written in the Uniform Contract Format described in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) section 15.204-1. Offerors are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Uniform Contract Format. This will facilitate your understanding of the terms and conditions of this solicitation, these instructions and the source selection process. It is very important that you address each evaluation factor and subfactor shown in Section M below. For ease of review, structure your proposal to track the factors and subfactors. Your ability to write a clear, comprehensive proposal responsive to our needs will be considered in our determination of which contractors have the ability to write course materials effectively. L.3 QUESTIONS: Questions regarding this solicitation must be submitted in writing sufficiently in advance of the deadline for receipt of offers to allow research and dissemination of the answers to all parties in a timely manner. Do not expect direct responses. All Q&A will be posted on FedBizOpps. Send questions via e-mail [only – calls will not be answered] to: Joseph.Fusari@.dot.gov. Please show the RFP number in the subject line. L.4 ELECTRONIC DISSEMINATION OF RFP DOCUMENTS: This RFP and its forms and attachments are being transmitted electronically. Offerors are reminded that if you download copies of this or any other solicitation you will NOT automatically receive amendments to those solicitations. It is your responsibility to check back frequently to the download source to see if any amendments or notices have been issued. All amendments will be posted to, and are downloadable from, the FedBizOpps website. ( FedBizOpps.gov) L.5 PROCUREMENT INTEGRITY ACT REQUIREMENTS: Your attention is directed to the provision 52.215-1(e) and FAR 3.104-5 for a discussion on marking and protecting proposal information. Offerors should put the following notice on the top of each copy of its proposal: This proposal shall be used and disclosed for evaluation purposes only, and a copy of this Government notice shall be applied to any reproduction or abstract thereof. Any authorized restrictive notices that the submitter places on this proposal shall also be strictly complied with. Disclosure of this proposal outside the Government for evaluation purposes shall be made only to the extent authorized by, and in accordance with, law. L.6 AWARD ON INITIAL OFFERS: As stated in provision 52.215-1, the government expects to award after review of the initial proposals without discussions. Therefore, your initial offer should contain your best terms from a price and technical standpoint. Proposals shall be submitted on 8 1/2 by 11-inch paper, except foldouts used for charts, tables, appendices or diagrams, which shall not exceed 11 by 17 inches. A page is defined as one side of a piece of paper. A piece of paper with printing on both sides is considered 2 pages. Margins (excluding headers and footers) shall be no Less than 1 inch on sides, top and bottom of the page. Regular text print type shall not be less than 10 points or more than 12 characters per inch and shall not exceed 6 lines to the vertical inch. All Offerors submitting a proposal are required to conform to the instructions and rules of this Section. The offeror must state that they agree to all terms and conditions of the model contract of this solicitation, which consists of the RFP Sections A through K, including all documents, exhibits, and all other attachments that are incorporated therein by reference and made a part thereof, or provide an explanation for any exceptions. L.7 52.204-6 Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number. JUN 1999 L.8 52.215-1 Instructions to Offerors--Competitive Acquisition. FEB 2000 L.9 52.216-27 Single or Multiple Awards. OCT 1995 L.10 52.215-20 Requirements for Cost or Pricing Data or Information Other Than Cost or Alternate IV OCT 1997 L.7 52.215-20 Requirements for Cost or Pricing Data or Information Other Than Cost or Pricing Data. (OCT 1997) -- Alternate IV (OCT 1997) Pricing Data (a) Submission of cost or pricing data is not required. (b) Provide information described below: The following skills/disciplines and/or expertise are believed to be necessary for the successful completion of this project, although every discipline may not be applicable to each and every task order, and the offeror is free to utilize any discipline it chooses to successfully perform the contract. Program Manager Byways Researcher Editor Print Layout & Designer Web Layout & Designer GIS Specialist Marketing Director Meeting Planner Financial Manager Project Support Staff Include in your cost proposal: 1. The loaded hourly rate for each employee or class of employee anticipated to work under task orders to be issued under this contract. Indicate your annual escalation rate to be applied. 2. State whether any additional direct labor (new hires) will be required during the performance period of this acquisition. If so, state the labor categories and estimated number required. 3. If subcontractors and/or individual consultants will be used in carrying out the requirement of this project, the following minimum information concerning the subcontractor shall be furnished: a. The hourly/daily rate of any proposed consultant and/or subcontract employee. b. A statement from the offeror that the hour/daily rate proposed by the subcontractor or consultant has been reviewed and determined to be fair and reasonable. 5. Clearly state any exceptions to the terms in this solicitation, or any terms or conditions attached to your offer, and thoroughly explain your position/rationale. L.8 52.216-1 Type of Contract. APR 1984 The Government contemplates award of multiple Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity, Task Order contracts resulting from this solicitation. Fixed price task orders will be awarded following the procedures outlined in Section G above. The Government intends to make multiple ID/IQ awards with an expectation for approximately two awards to be made, with minimum amounts of $95,000. The total maximum value of this procurement is $6,606,504. L.9 52.233-2 Service of Protest. AUG 1996 (a) Protests, as defined in section 33.101 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation, that are filed directly with an agency, and copies of any protests that are filed with the Government Accountability Office (GAO), shall be served on the Contracting Officer (addressed as follows) by obtaining written and dated acknowledgment of receipt from Mr. Frank Waltos, HAAM 10, Room E66-326, 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE, Washington, DC 20590. (b) A copy of any protest shall be received in the office designated above within one day of filing a protest with the GAO. L.10 52.252-1 Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference FEB 1998 This solicitation incorporates one or more solicitation provisions by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. The offeror is cautioned that the listed provisions may include blocks that must be completed by the offeror and submitted with its quotation or offer. In lieu of submitting the full text of those provisions, the offeror may identify the provision by paragraph identifier and provide the appropriate information with its quotation or offer. Also, the full text of a solicitation provision may be accessed electronically at these addresses: http://www.dot.gov/ost/m60/ or http://www.arnet.gov/far/. L.11 NOTE: Facsimile proposals will not be considered for this solicitation. L.12 Communications Prior to Contract Award Offerors shall direct all communications to the attention of the Contracting Officer cited on the face page of this RFP. Communications with other officials may compromise the competitiveness of this acquisition, and result in the disqualification of the offeror and/or cancellation of the solicitation. There are frequently issues that require contact with the offeror. Thus, it is important that you provide a point of contact (POC) together with their e-mail address. More than one may be provided. POC:______________________________ E-mail:________________________ L.13 Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer Central Contractor Registration Any contracts resulting from this solicitation will contain FAR clause 52.232-33, “Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer-Central Contractor Registration.” All contractors receiving payments under FHWA contracts, purchase orders, delivery orders, or other contractual vehicles must be registered in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) database. The CCR is a Department of Defense web-based repository of contractor information. The Electronic Funds Transfer information in the CCR must be accurate in order for contractors’ invoices or contract financing requests to be considered proper invoices for the purpose of prompt payment under DOT contracts. Interested offerors should read and understand the requirements of FAR 52.223-33. The successful offerors must register in the CCR before an award can be made, and must maintain current, updated information in the CCR throughout the performance period of the contract. Offerors can register in CCR at anytime, and are encouraged to do so immediately. Offerors may register in the CCR database and obtain additional information at http://www.ccr.gov, or by calling 1.888.227.2423. The contractor is responsible for the accuracy and completeness of the data within the CCR, and for any liability resulting from the DOT’s reliance on inaccurate or incomplete data. To remain registered in the CCR database after the initial registration, the contractor must confirm on an annual basis that its information in the database is accurate and complete. L.14 Authorized Official and Submission of Proposal The original proposal must be signed by an official authorized to bind your organization and must stipulate that it is predicated upon all the terms and conditions of this RFP. Your proposal shall be submitted in the number of copies, to the address and marked as indicated in Block 9, page 1. Proposals shall be reproduced on letter-sized paper, and legible in all required copies. In addition to the 7 paper copies required (original plus 6 copies), each offeror must include a copy of their proposal on CD identical to the paper copy in Word and/or Excel format. Each proposal should be within a single binder containing the entire proposal (pricing and technical). L.15 Past Performance Evaluation By past performance, the Government means the offeror’s record of conforming to specifications and to standards of good workmanship, forecasting and controlling costs; and adherence to contract schedules, including the administrative aspects of performance. The offeror’s reputation for reasonable and cooperative behavior and their commitment to customer satisfaction will be assessed, along with their business like concern for the interest of their customer. The lack of a performance record may result in an unknown performance risk assessment, which will neither be used to the advantage or disadvantage of the offeror. The Government will evaluate the quality of the offeror’s past performance based on information obtained from references provided by the offeror, as well as other relevant past performance information obtained from other sources known to the Government. Evaluation of past performance will be a subjective assessment based on a consideration of relevant facts and circumstances. It will not be based on absolute standards of acceptable performance. The Government is seeking to determine whether the offeror consistently has demonstrated a commitment to customer satisfaction and timely delivery of quality services at fair and reasonable prices. Specific experience developing and presenting the courses covered by this contract may enhance the scoring in this area. Offerors with previous experience in the topics they are proposing on must list and summarize their performance on similar or related contracts completed within the last three years, as well as those currently in process. Provide your last three relevant contracts in terms of size and scope (but not more than three years old) with FHWA as well as other organizations both commercial and governmental. You may submit more than three if necessary to properly cover specialized areas of performance or because of the broad scope of the work. Sending in more than three that are all for the same type of work is unnecessary and discouraged. The offeror should also submit past performance information on proposed major subcontractors. Provide the following supplemental information (not to exceed two pages per reference): oThe name and address of the organization for which the services were performed; the name and current telephone number of the responsible technical representative of the organization; the contract number; the type of contract; and a brief description of the services provided, including the length of performance and the total dollar amount. oIn addition, explain how the reference applies to this solicitation’s Statement of Work. FHWA may use this information to contact representatives to obtain information regarding your performance. oBriefly explain how well you met the contract quality and schedule requirements. oList any contract under which you received either a cure notice or show cause letter, or that was terminated for any reason within the past 3 years. Briefly explain the circumstances in each such instance. Offerors are responsible to have at least three completed Past Performance Questionnaires submitted with the original proposal (see Section J). Questionnaires shall be in separate envelopes, sealed by the reference for confidentiality. [Only one copy need be submitted with the original proposal] The Government may use random sampling from the references provided, and may also use any other past performance information obtained by the Government. The contracting officer will also consider such performance information along with other factors in determining whether the offeror is considered responsible, as defined in FAR 9.101. L.16 Until a formal notice of award is issued, signed by a contracting officer, no communication by the Government either written or oral shall be binding or in any way interpreted as a promise that an award will be made. SECTION M EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD M.1 EVALUATION CRITERIA Proposals will be carefully evaluated on the following technical criteria based on the demonstrated capabilities of the prospective contractor in relation to the needs of the project set forth in Sections B and C above. Each proposal must document the feasibility of its plan to successfully achieve the objectives of the RFP. Offerors must submit information sufficient to permit a comprehensive evaluation of their proposals based on the detailed criteria listed below Task area A (200 Points) 1. Personnel/Staffing (75 Points) a. Spectrum of academic and professional experience and technical competence of the proposed staff with the National Scenic Byways Program, including an understanding of the factors and other considerations affecting nomination and designation of roads as National Scenic Byways and All-American Roads and the eligibility requirements for program funding. Must have a demonstrated ability to coordinate a team effort and produce quality timely results. (40 Points) b. Academic credentials, professional experience, and technical competence to deliver meaningful, successful training, and accurately respond to in-depth technical questions. (25 Points) c. An adequate number of highly qualified personnel available to meet the needs of the FHWA. What contingency plans are in place to replace key personnel over the life of the contract without any adverse impact on performance? (10 Points) 2. Past Performance (50 Points) a. Demonstrated successful experience in the National Scenic Byways Program. (20 Points) b. Demonstrated successful ability to provide technical assistance with full quality assurance and appropriate fact-checking, with a minimum of supervision, and in a sometimes politically charge environment. (10 Points) c. Demonstrated successful information collection and analysis. (10 Points) d. Demonstrated successful relationship building with various level of government and non-government organizations (10 Points) 3. Understanding and Approach (75 Points) Contract objectives, needs, and potential problems are understood. Technical approach is sound, feasible, and achievable. (75 Points) Task area B (50 Points) 1. Personnel/Staffing (20 Points) a. Spectrum of academic and professional experience and technical competence of the proposed staff with graphic design and geographic information systems. Must have a demonstrated ability to coordinate a team effort and produce quality timely results. (15 Points) b. An adequate number of highly qualified personnel available to meet the needs of the FHWA. What contingency plans are in place to replace key personnel over the life of the contract without any adverse impact on performance? (5 Points) 2. Past Performance (10 Points) a. Demonstrated successful experience in graphic design. (5 Points) b. Demonstrated successful experience in geographic information systems (5 Points) 3. Understanding and Approach (20 Points) Contract objectives, needs, and potential problems are understood. Technical approach is sound, feasible, and achievable. (20 Points) Task area C (100 Points) 1. Personnel/Staffing (35 Points) a. Spectrum of academic and professional experience and technical competence of the proposed staff in the National Scenic Byways Program and other byways, including research in corridor management planning, community support, and traveler experience. Must have a demonstrated ability to coordinate a team effort and produce quality timely results. (30 Points) b. An adequate number of highly qualified personnel available to meet the needs of the FHWA. What contingency plans are in place to replace key personnel over the life of the contract without any adverse impact on performance? (5 Points) 2. Past Performance (30 Points) a. Demonstrated successful experience in corridor management planning, community support, traveler experience, or other related field. (20 Points) b. Demonstrated successful ability to collect and analyze information with full quality assurance and appropriate fact-checking, with a minimum of supervision, and in a sometimes politically charge environment. (10 Points) 3. Understanding and Approach (35 Points) Contract objectives, needs, and potential problems are understood. Technical approach is sound, feasible, and achievable. (35 Points) Task area D (100 Points) 1. Personnel/Staffing (35 Points) a. Spectrum of academic and professional experience and technical competence of the proposed staff in brand building, tourism and travel, marketing, and communications. Must have a demonstrated ability to coordinate a team effort and produce quality timely results. (30 Points) b. An adequate number of highly qualified personnel available to meet the needs of the FHWA. What contingency plans are in place to replace key personnel over the life of the contract without any adverse impact on performance? (5 Points) 2. Past Performance (30 Points) a. Demonstrated successful experience in branding, communications, cooperative marketing, partnerships, and tourism. (15 Points) b. Demonstrated successful ability to collect and analyze marketing and tourism information with full quality assurance and appropriate fact-checking, with a minimum of supervision, and in a sometimes politically charge environment. (15 Points) 3. Understanding and Approach (35 Points) Contract objectives, needs, and potential problems are understood. Technical approach is sound, feasible, and achievable. (35 Points) Task area E (50 Points) 1. Personnel/Staffing (20 Points) a. Spectrum of professional experience and technical competence of the proposed staff with meeting and conference planning. (15 Points) b. An adequate number of highly qualified personnel available to meet the needs of the FHWA. What contingency plans are in place to replace key personnel over the life of the contract without any adverse impact on performance? (5 Points) 2. Past Performance (10 Points) a. Demonstrated successful experience in meeting and conference planning. (10 Points) 3. Understanding and Approach (20 Points) Contract objectives, needs, and potential problems are understood. Technical approach is sound, feasible, and achievable. (20 Points) Task area F (100 Points) 1. Personnel/Staffing (35 Points) a. Spectrum of academic and professional experience and technical competence of the proposed staff in financial management and accounting, including database management and grant management. (15 Points) b. Professional experience in FHWA Financial systems (15 Points) c. An adequate number of highly qualified personnel available to meet the needs of the FHWA. What contingency plans are in place to replace key personnel over the life of the contract without any adverse impact on performance? (5 Points) 2. Past Performance (30 Points) a. Demonstrated successful experience in financial management. (15 Points) b. Demonstrated successful ability to develop and improve databases and data management. (15 Points) 3. Understanding and Approach (35 Points) Contract objectives, needs, and potential problems are understood. Technical approach is sound, feasible, and achievable. (35 Points) M.2 HUBZONE PARTICIPATION FACTOR Small Business offerors located within underutilized business zones; called “HUBZone” which are qualified HUBZone Small Business Concerns will be evaluated in accordance with FAR clause 52.219-4. Qualified HUBZone firms are identified in the Small Business Administration’s website at: http://www.sba.gov/hubzone. M.3 BASIS FOR AWARD In addition to the criteria listed above, price will be considered in the award decision. Price proposals will be analyzed to assess realism and probable cost to the Government. The proposals will be analyzed to assess their reasonableness. This means that the prices in an offeror’s proposal are realistic for the work to be performed, reflect a clear understanding of the requirements, and are consistent with the various elements of the offeror’s technical proposal. The Government intends to make multiple ID/IQ awards with an expectation for approximately two awards to be made, with minimum amounts of $95,000. The total maximum value of this procurement is $6,606,504. The Government will accept the offers that are considered the best value to the Government. A best value analysis will be performed taking into consideration the results of the technical evaluation, cost and past performance analysis, and the perceived ability to perform timely, high quality, consistently reliable support services as provided herein. In the determination of Best Value, the relative weight given to all evaluation factors other than price, when combined, is more important than price. However, offerors should note that as technical scores approach being essentially equivalent, cost would become more important in the selection decision. M.4 52.216.27 Single or Multiple Awards OCT 1995 The Government may elect to award a single ID/IQ contract or to award multiple ID/IQ contracts for the same or similar supplies or services to two or more sources under this solicitation.
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R -- National Scenic Byways Research, Assistance and Promotion - RFP and Attachments A-E