SPECIAL NOTICE
R -- Limited Sources Justification
- Notice Date
- 8/7/2013
- Notice Type
- Special Notice
- NAICS
- 541620
— Environmental Consulting Services
- Contracting Office
- NPS, WASO - WCP ContractingP.O.Box 25287 MS WCPDenverCO80225US
- ZIP Code
- 00000
- Solicitation Number
- P13PS01569
- Point of Contact
- Jennifer Dansby
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- LIMITED SOURCE JUSTIFICATION Aecom to complete contract Environmental Planning Part Two- Resource Stewardship Guidance Decision Support Tool (RSG DST) for SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITIONS OVER $3,000 AND UP TO $150,000 (FAR 8.405-6(a)(2)) Date: 07/18/2013 PR Number: 40097603 1. Nature and/or description of the item/service being procured and its intended use (include the anticipated cost): Recently, the Facilities Planning Branch completed the contract Environmental Planning P11PD77201 which resulted in Natural and Cultural Resource Guidance (RSG) for Long Range Transportation Plans (LRTPs) in the NPS. This guidance consists of a spatial analysis inspired park unit questionnaire and Resource Stewardship Database that can theoretically be integrated into all future plans and updates to current NPS LRTPs with a Decision Support Tool (DST). To best incorporate RSG within the LRTP process, planners would benefit from a user-friendly tool for accessing the Goals, Objectives, and Strategies database. The LRTP RSG DST will have an easy to use interface that prompts the user with a series of questions about the park or park group targeted for the Long Range Transportation Plan and a pre-populated set of spatial natural and cultural resource data for the area will inform the tool with the resource information. That dataset will then synthesize over 200 goals, objectives and strategies to help protect those natural and cultural resources which lie within 300 of the transportation infrastructure. It would then populate suggested prioritization of those resources most impacted by transportation infrastructure. Because this Tool is automated, it will be able to efficiently work between different scales from a single park, to a national scale including all parks within a National Park region or a small grouping of parks within a sub-region. Another benefit of the LRTP RGS DST is that it stores feedback information provided by the user so that any updated information will be stored for future users. This process not only saves time, but automating the data-driven Tool will provide equity between the results derived for different parks. The consultant team AECOM is the only logical follow-on from P11PD77201 to create a LRTP RSG DST. This will act as a tool to use in the planning process for the Resource Component of LRTPs. This requires additional revisions, development and understanding of the goals, objectives and strategies that could adjust and be refined with the initial application of the RSG DST. Therefore, it would be cost efficient and in the best interest of the government and the public to continue revisions with the same team in P11PD77201. When contract P11PD77201 went out, we did not anticipate this tool would be an outcome but it is a logical, easy and efficient way to sort through and access relevant Goals, Objectives and Strategies on projects moving forward The contractor will refine and develop a RSG DST that acts as a user friendly tool using questionnaires and spatial analysis to access the Goals, Objectives and Strategies database for use in the NPS Mission specific Natural and Cultural Resource component in Long Range Transportation Plans. The RSG DST will be utilized in upcoming LRTPs as well as in the required updates to existing and current plans. The estimated cost for this requirement is estimated to be $50,000 over a 01-year term. 2. Sole Source Justification rationale (Check one and explain below): X Only one responsible source. ______Urgent and compelling circumstances exist. Include critical delivery or performance dates, and when you became aware of the requirement. Provide a specific statement of the impact on Government operations, financial or otherwise, if the required delivery or performance dates are not met. ______ Other _____________________________________________________ Explain: The recently closed out contract on Environmental Planning with Aecom (P11PD77201) analyzed specific Case Studies which contributed to the development of RSG and a process of how to integrate these strategies and analysis into the LRTP planning process. This process utilizes questionaries and Spatial Analysis in the selection of relevant locations within the parks and regions to filter a large amount of relevant Goals, Objectives and Strategies that can be used in new and revised LRTPs. The Natural and Cultural Resource (RSG) Component within LRTPs has been very challenging to comprehend and with the advancements and understanding gained in contract P11PD77201, it would be essential, cost effective and necessary to continue with the consultant that successfully completed the first version of this contract. The RSG DST tool was an outcome of this contract that allows for a logical manner to access a database. When we solicited the contract P11PD77201, we did not anticipate DST, but due to refinement of the implementation of the RSG, it is of value and government interest to have the team at Aecom continue to develop this further. The knowledge from P11PD77201 is essential to additional refinement, development and adaptations of the DST. In particular, using spatial analysis to apply the database are theoretically presented in P11PD77201 is required in order to make this applicable, and that was a key element of P11PD77201. It is necessary to go with the only source that can provide this knowledge and expertise in RSG LRTP while developing DST in the NPS. This next task- the RSG DST builds upon the investment to date on Contract Environmental Planning P11PD77201in this contract (Environmental Planning Part 2), allows for building upon concepts worked through in P11PD77201 and it would be the only responsible source to continue with the same team. Due to the need for the adaptability of this tool, this needs to link and evolve with changing goals, objectives, strategies, priorities therefore it is essential that the consultant team has an in-depth understanding of P11PD77201 and it is logical that the team that originally developed the goals, objectives, strategies and understands the priority concepts that drove contract P11PD77201. Essential steps in RSG DST are to design this tool for all parks using pre-population on context and resource consideration questions based on national datasets (created in P11PD77201). These questions will need park verification of context and resource considerations and may lead to changes/revisions in the questions (refinement of concepts developed in P11PD77201). A different consultant team would not have this level of understanding and it would be irresponsible to go with a different team. 3. Market Research. Please explain the results or why one was not performed. State whether any other offers were received or anyone expressed interest: Market research was conducted and the Contracting Officer Representative already has knowledge on planning firms that can create a RSG DST. Since this concept of a RSG is new and unique to the NPS and since the LRTPs focusing on RSG dont exist elsewhere, it is a logical follow on to remain with the same consultant. Firms that may be able to do DST would be approaching this from a technical only standpoint. It would also be intensive on the governments time explaining concepts to a firm approaching this technically, as the contractor would burn into the budget getting brought up to speed on what we are hoping to accomplish in this effort and therefore the end result would be a product that would be lacking total understanding, refinement and insight. For the Environmental Planning 2 effort, we need to continue with the background understanding from P11PD77201 to build upon the case studies and work through analysis and applicability. We need a firm with an in depth understanding and the ability to further develop, refine and work with the process and concepts in P11PD77201. Therefore, it is in the interest of the government to go with the consultant who developed the concepts to be implemented in the RSG DST from P11PD77201. In addition, there will be some trial and error that may lead to adjustments in the questionnaire, spatial analysis data and Strategies. The site visits and case studies in the original Environmental Planning Contract and concepts that derived from that effort are crucial to informing this Environmental Planning Contract Part 2. Since this is a new process and concept to the National Park Service, there is not another team that has experience in this area. No other consultant team in the marketplace to this day has successfully demonstrated Natural and Cultural Resource Guidance (RSG) in NPS LRTPs. 4. If this is a determination for sole source, the Contracting Officer certifies: In accordance with FAR Part 8, circumstances that may justify restriction include 1. Only one source is capable of responding due to the unique or specialized nature of the work; 2. The new work is a logical follow-on to an original Federal Supply Schedule order provided that the original order was placed in accordance with the applicable Federal Supply Schedule ordering procedures. The original order was not previously issued under sole source or limited source procedures. Project Officer Date Contracting OfficerDate Over $25,000: Delegated Assistant Bureau Competition AdvocateDate or Assistant Bureau Competition Advocate During the development of the draft tool, it will be most cost effective to have consultants that have been involved in the development of the context and resource considerations that evolved out of the Environmental Planning Contract. The Goals, Objectives and Strategies and questions to select these were developed by the consultant from the Environmental Planning Contract. These question dataset are to be pre-populated using GIS data in this Environmental Planning Part 2 contract. It would not be efficient or fiscally constructive to utilize another consultant since we would have to bring them up to speed and work through how the goals, objectives, strategies and GIS data were related.
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