SOLICITATION NOTICE
B -- HAWAIIAN PRACTITIONER NETWORK FOR MARINE MAMMAL RESPONSE - Hawaiian Practitioner RFQ
- Notice Date
- 8/12/2011
- Notice Type
- Combined Synopsis/Solicitation
- NAICS
- 541690
— Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), NOAA/National Marine Fisheries Service, James J. Howard Marine Sciences Lab, 74 Magruder Road, Highlands, New Jersey, 07732, United States
- ZIP Code
- 07732
- Solicitation Number
- 11-0255
- Archive Date
- 9/10/2011
- Point of Contact
- Denise Rogers, Phone: 808-944-2208
- E-Mail Address
-
DENISE.ROGERS@NOAA.GOV
(DENISE.ROGERS@NOAA.GOV)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- Total Small Business
- Description
- Hawaiian Practitioner Project: Hawaiian practitioner network for marine mammal stranding response. STATEMENT OF WORK 1. Background The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Pacific Islands Regional Office (PIRO), Protected Resources Division (PRD) is dedicated to protecting and recovering endangered and threatened species of sea turtles, monk seals, whales and dolphins as mandated by the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). Through management, conservation and recovery efforts, and public outreach and education, PRD strives to ensure the recovery and survival of the protected marine species of the Pacific Islands Region for future generations. Marine mammals species found in Hawaiian waters include large whales, such as the humpback whale and sperm whale, smaller whales and dolphins, such as the melonheaded whale and spinner dolphin, and Hawai‘i's only pinniped (seal or sea lion) species, the Hawaiian monk seal. Hawai‘i's marine mammals can be broadly classified for the purposes of this document as cetaceans (whales and dolphins) and seals (Hawaiian monk seals). Responding to marine mammal strandings is a core responsibility of NMFS. For the purposes of this document, a marine mammal is considered to be stranded when it is confirmed to be dead, seriously ill, injured, entangled, or otherwise incapacitated, or outside of its normal habitat. Most stranded marine mammals are reported on the shore or in shallow waters near the shore, and these areas are where most NMFS stranding responses in Hawai‘i are initiated. For the purposes of this document, a marine mammal stranding response (or simply, a response) is any activity conducted, overseen, and/or authorized by NMFS that involves marine mammal rescue, treatment, rehabilitation, release, euthanasia, sample collection, necropsy (animal autopsy), and/or disposal of a carcass or body part. Stranding responses can range from relatively simple operations, such as one person retrieving a small dead dolphin from the beach for necropsy and burial, to very complex operations, such a response to a mass stranding of live melonheaded whales or a response to a beached, 40-ton, dead sperm whale, requiring numerous personnel and several days of work to complete. All marine mammal stranding responses in Hawai‘i are conducted by PRD under the authority and oversight of the NMFS Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program (MMHSRP) pursuant to the MMPA. The project associated with this statement of work is intended to build on, and enhance, ongoing NMFS efforts to incorporate traditional Native Hawaiian cultural practices into as many marine mammal stranding response activities as practicable. Over the past several years, NMFS stranding response coordinators and other staff and contractors have begun working with cultural practitioners on several islands. Meetings and individual consultations with cultural practitioners have been conducted to initiate and continue dialogue regarding enhanced incorporation of traditional cultural practices in NMFS stranding response. Over the past few years, practitioners have become increasingly involved during stranding responses on several islands, offering oli and pule at various times during the responses. Through the project described in this statement of work, PRD seeks to improve and expand to a state-wide level this type of productive collaboration with Native Hawaiian practitioners and community leaders regarding marine mammal stranding response, while maintaining full compliance with MMHSRP and other relevant authorizations and policies. 2. Scope and Objectives The work requires an individual or organization with proven and high-level talent, expertise and capability to provide vital support to the NMFS marine mammal stranding response program. The objectives of this project are: • Increased levels of support among Native Hawaiians for NMFS marine mammal stranding response in Hawai‘i. • Increased levels of participation by Native Hawaiians in NMFS marine mammal stranding response activities in Hawai‘i. • Increased levels of understanding and acceptance among Native Hawaiians of the requirements and policies of the NMFS Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. • Enhanced collaboration on marine mammal stranding response between NMFS staff and partners, and Native Hawaiian practitioners and community leaders. • Enhanced consideration of Native Hawaiian concerns and enhanced incorporation of Native Hawaiian practices and protocols in NMFS marine mammal stranding response activities. To achieve these objectives, PRD requires a Contractor who is a widely recognized as a leader within the Native Hawaiian community, and who can effectively serve as a liaison among and between, Native Hawaiians and NMFS staff, volunteers, partner government agencies, and non-government organizations. The scope of work includes developing and managing a state-wide network of cultural practitioners to work cooperatively with NMFS and other government agencies and stakeholders on marine mammal response; accurately documenting and effectively communicating concerns and priorities of NMFS and Native Hawaiians regarding marine mammal stranding response; planning, facilitating, and documenting meetings and individual consultations regarding marine mammal response; and working in close collaboration with other NMFS contractors, grantees, and staff responsible for marine mammal response and liaison between Native Hawaiians and NMFS on Hawaiian monk seal recovery. The results and products delivered via this contract will be used by NMFS and its partners to enhance the NMFS marine mammal stranding response program and maintain long-term achievement of the objectives above. 3. Tasks The Contractor shall perform the following tasks: Task 1. Manage State-Wide Network of Hawaiian Cultural Practitioners for Marine Mammal Stranding Response The Contractor shall manage a group (network) of Native Hawaiian cultural practitioners. The Contractor shall manage existing network members, and recruit new network members, who are widely accepted as having extensive background in, and authoritative command of, Native Hawaiian cultural traditions, practices, protocols, and traditional ecological knowledge related to marine resources, marine wildlife, and marine ecology. The network shall include at least two practitioners residing on each of the islands of Kaua‘i, O‘ahu, Moloka‘i, Lana‘i, Maui, and Hawai‘i. The Contractor shall ensure that at least one practitioner on each of the six islands listed above is "on call" every day between the hours of 7:00 am and 7:00 pm and readily available within two hours of the Contractor being notified by NMFS to join a response and conduct such traditional cultural protocols as deemed appropriate by the practitioner in consultation with the Contractor. The Contractor shall serve as the primary point-of-contact and liaison between NMFS and all members of the network. Unless otherwise agreed by NMFS, the Contractor shall coordinate and communicate directly with practitioners and NMFS before, during, and after each response to ensure timely and effective practitioner participation in each response. The Contractor will not be expected to be present on-scene during stranding responses, but shall be readily available to communicate via telephone with NMFS and the responding practitioner as described herein. The Contractor shall also serve as the primary point of contact for communications between NMFS and Hawaiian cultural practitioners regarding securing NMFS authorization for practitioners to possess marine mammal body parts for educational and cultural purposes. The Contractor shall also: • Identify and submit names and qualifications of proposed network members to PRD for review and comment prior to their recruitment to the network • Maintain a list in digital spreadsheet form of network members with all members' contact information • Communicate with all network members at least once every three months (quarterly) via email, telephone, and/or other electronic means • Designate at least one practitioner on each island to serve as a primary network practitioner(s) for that island, and ensure that primary network members maintain regular communication with the corresponding NMFS-designated response coordinator for that island • Maintain productive working relationships between all network members • Plan, conduct, and facilitate an in-person network meeting at least once per contract year • Disburse and administer expenditures associated with the network, including all expenditures associated with network communications, meeting venues and supplies, travel, cultural protocol supplies, and honoraria for network members • Provide reports on a quarterly basis to PRD describing all network participation in stranding response during the reporting period, and summarizing network communications, activities, recommendations, concerns, and questions for NMFS consideration • Provide an annual report describing all network participation in stranding response during the reporting period, and summarizing network communications, activities, recommendations, concerns, and questions for NMFS consideration Task 2. Work in collaboration with other NMFS contractors and grantees working on Hawaiian monk seal recovery and marine mammal response The Contractor (Response Contractor) shall work in close collaboration and coordination with other NMFS contractors and grantees working on marine mammal response and Hawaiian monk seal recovery, including but not limited to individual island response coordinators and a contractor (Hawaiian Liaison Contractor) hired by NMFS to conduct state-wide liaison between NMFS and Native Hawaiian community leaders and practitioners regarding Hawaiian monk seal recovery. The Response Contractor shall meet at least once per calendar month with NMFS staff, response coordinators, contractors, grantees, and the NMFS Hawaiian Liaison Contractor to develop and implement a collaborative approach. The collaborative approach will include, but not be limited to, mechanisms to ensure that the deliverables produced by each contractor and grantee are complementary and not duplicative. The mechanisms will include, but not be limited to, commonly agreed upon procedures by which all topics and concerns related to Hawaiian cultural practices directly associated with marine mammal response are referred to and handled by the Response Contractor, and topics and concerns related to Hawaiian cultural practices associated with other aspects of Hawaiian monk seal recovery are referred to and handled by the Hawaiian Liaison Contractor. 4. Deliverables Deliverable Due Date (days after contract award date or start of each extension option year, unless otherwise indicated) 1. List of Task 1 network members for PRD review 90 days 2. Quarterly reports of Task 1 network response participation, communications, recommendations, etc. Every 90 days 3. Annual report of Task 2 network response participation, communications, recommendations, etc. 365 days 4. Attend meetings regarding collaboration with other contractors and grantees as described in Task 2 TBD 5. To Be Provided by the Government PRD staff will meet with the Contractor on a regular basis (at least monthly) to provide direction regarding the completion of the tasks. PRD will supply to the Contractor upon request copies of available relevant PRD reports, documentation and digital media of previous PRD work and consultations with Native Hawaiian practitioners regarding marine mammal response. PRD will also provide to the Contractor upon request copies of available relevant PRD reports, documentation and digital media regarding Hawaiian monk seal natural history and PRD's Hawaiian monk seal recovery program. 6. To Be Provided by the Contractor The Contractor shall provide personnel, materials, equipment, supplies and all other items necessary to fully perform the requirements specified in this statement of work. 7. Quality Assurance The Contractor shall be required to provide informal verbal progress reports as frequently as deemed necessary by NMFS. The Contractor's activities shall be performed in close cooperation and coordination with NMFS staff. The Government will assess Contractor performance throughout the performance period and will review all deliverable products for compliance to requirements. The Government will reject deliverable products that do not meet specified requirements. The Government will return deliverable products containing errors to the Contractor for necessary corrections and verifications within a designated timeframe as agreed upon by the Contracting Officer. The Contractor shall make all necessary corrections at no additional cost to the Government. The deliverables will be considered accepted by the Government if no deficiencies have been identified. 8. Period of Performance The period of performance will be one year (365 days) from the order award date. 9. Invoicing and Payment Schedule Invoices shall be submitted once per month. Payment of invoices shall be contingent on review and approval by the COTR, with final approval of invoices by the Contracting Officer. 10. Information Security in Acquisitions Data supplied for and produced by this contract is not privileged and the level of security required is low. The C&A requirements of clause 73 do not apply and a Security Accreditation Package is not required. 11. Proposal Evaluation Criteria Proposals will be evaluated on technical evaluation factors and on cost. The two technical evaluation factors below will carry equal weight. TECHNICAL EVALUATION FACTORS: 1. Technical Approach: Plan for successfully executing the statement of work. Proposals must address approach for each evaluation subfactor: a. Approach to working in effective collaboration with NMFS, other relevant Govt. agencies, Native Hawaiians practitioners, marine mammal response network members and volunteers, and other stakeholders to meet the requirements in the SOW. b. The approach to effectively implementing each of tasks in the SOW. 2. Capacity and past performance: Evidence vendor has capacity and experience to complete the Project. Contact information for previous clients and employers may be provided for reference purposes. Proposals must address qualifications for each subfactor: a. Experience consulting with, organizing, and/or managing Native Hawaiian community leaders and cultural practitioners regarding natural resources conservation. b. Experience facilitating Hawaiian cultural practitioners and/or functioning as a Hawaiian cultural practitioner to conduct traditional Hawaiian cultural protocols regarding natural resources and/or the natural environment. c. Experience working with government agencies and local stakeholders regarding natural resources conservation. d. Formal education (degrees and coursework) of contractor's key project personnel related to Native Hawaiian culture and Hawaiian cultural practices and protocols. e. Formal education (degrees and coursework) of contractor's proposed key project personnel related to natural resource management.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/DOC/NOAA/NMFSJJ/11-0255/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: 1601 KAPIOLANI BLVD, SUITE 1110, HONOLULU, Hawaii, 96814, United States
- Zip Code: 96814
- Zip Code: 96814
- Record
- SN02532380-W 20110814/110812235549-c35c0b9402d5c3c5e4f61e2e858afc76 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
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