SPECIAL NOTICE
D -- NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE TO STEVE MICHEL FOR THE GRAINGENES DATABASE PROJECT
- Notice Date
- 1/19/2018
- Notice Type
- Special Notice
- NAICS
- 541511
— Custom Computer Programming Services
- Contracting Office
- Agricultural Research Service - Western Business Service Center
- ZIP Code
- 00000
- Solicitation Number
- 1232SD18P0127
- Archive Date
- 1/30/2018
- Point of Contact
- WASHINGTONI NLN,
- E-Mail Address
-
washingtoni.NLN@ars.usda.gov
(washingtoni.NLN@ars.usda.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- Total Small Business
- Description
- The USDA ARS - WBSC intends to award a sole source Firm Fixed Purchase Order (PO) to STEVE MICHEL, 1027 POMONA AVE, ALBANY, CA 94706. This order will attain a local Subject Matter Expert (SME - Contractor) Database Developer & System Administrator for the required database development & administration support services as describe herein to maintain continuity of the previous services performed by USDA USS and to support of the ongoing GrainGenes Database research at USDA ARS, WRRC, CIGRU, Albany, CA. The USDA ARS, Western Regional Research Center (WRRC), Crop Improvement & Genetics Research Unit (CIGRU), Albany, CA requires a local Subject Matter Expert (SME - Contractor) Database Developer & System Administrator who will improve & enhance their GrainGenes Drupal-based web interfaces; develop & implement web applications that link various types of genetic data in the GrainGenes database; and ensure & maintain smooth, reliable, and secure operation of development & production servers. • This SME will aid in providing the same or similar database development & administration support services of the GrainGenes Database that were previously the primary responsibility of one of the Unit's off-site Service Scientists (USS) for approximately 20 years; and more than half of the USS' time was devoted to database development (category 4 SY). The USS was an expert in barley genetics and programming & database design; thus, the person was uniquely suited to translate the needs of the grains research community into a database that could house genetic research data in a user-friendly way. Over the course of 20 years, the USS designed & adapted the database to accommodate new types of genetic data, new client needs, new database content management systems and user interfaces, and new programming languages. Therefore, it is highly critical & essential for the continuity of these ongoing development & administration services to replace this functionality, because content management systems, software, genetic data and user needs are continuously evolving. • The SME would only perform the development & administration component of the GrainGenes Database Project; not the research because the other scientists of the GrainGenes Project will continue the research component. The associated salary & benefits for the development & administration support services will be comparable with the current Federal Salary (equivalent to GS-13/10) & with Robert Half Technology (RHT) 2018 Salary Guide for Technology Professionals in the San Francisco Bay Area. • The SME is required to have at least four (4) years of experience in developing & adapting modules within a Drupal content management system; at least two (2) years of experience in migrating large data sets from older to newer version of a Drupal content management system: at least one (1) year of experience in leading Drupal development teams specifying features & schedules; at least one (1) year of experience in database query optimization; and at least one (1) year of experience in Linux server management. • The SME will be required to be local & to perform on-site work 40 hours per week and to interact with other GrainGenes Project personnel to maintain continuity of the required support for the ongoing research at WRRC, CIGRU, Albany, CA. Since the summer of 2016, the WRRC, CIGRU have been searching for a Subject Matter Expert (SME - Contractor) Database Developer & System Administrator with similar knowledge, experience & skills as those of the USDA ARS, Unit Research Scientist, who primarily performed these required services & development of the GrainGenes Database. After the USS retired, this Federal scientist position was abolished, and as a result, a position that could cover the database development and administration functions the scientist had performed was advertised in many scientific communities & public places: • for students/new grads : https://www.zintellect.com/Posting/Details/3309 (DOE/ORISE site) (posted on 5/11/2017 - https://www.zintellect.com/Posting/Catalog?SearchString=graingenes • for professionals : the job ad was posted on craigslist (posted on 8/22/2017) on the GrainGenes job board: https://wheat.pw.usda.gov/GG3/171016_CIG_admin (posted on 10/16/2017) • for Drupal developers: BADcamp workshop https://2017.badcamp.net/job-posting/usda/programmer-system-administrator (posted around 10/18/2017) Over this 18-month period, WRRC, CIGRU have received about 2 dozen resumes applying for this position and have interviewed 6 people. None except for the potential candidate, Steve Michel, possessed the extensive and combined experience in the Perl and PHP programming languages, and the Drupal content management system that are required to understand, adapt and modernize the scripts that underlie the GrainGenes database operations. Steve Michel possesses the needed unique experience in database modernization, being familiar with both PHP and Drupal. He has experience migrating older databases that are no longer supported by their vendors to various versions of Drupal and rewriting code from Perl into Python. In the past 20 years, he has designed numerous web applications for several different databases using the Drupal framework. As a result, USDA ARS, WRRC, CIGRU have selected Steve Michel out of many interested interviewees to improve & enhance the GrainGenes Database. The GrainGenes is a publicly accessible one-of-a-kind scientific database that houses genetic information about the small grains: barley, wheat, oat, and rye. Its back-end consists of a MySQL database in the LINUX operating system. The database has a Drupal user interface. The primary programming languages are Perl and PHP. A database developer is needed to adapt the older PHP interface to a modern Drupal content management system, to write scripts and design protocols that seamlessly link the different types of data to one another, and to integrate traditional genetic data with a new type of data, namely genomic DNA sequences. The database is publicly accessible 24/7, so any modifications that are made must be done in a duplicate offline database and then thoroughly tested before being incorporated in the accessible database. The initiated proposed Period of Performance was January 22, 2018 to January 21, 2019, or effective upon award date thru 12 months. 40 hour/week & on-site will be required. However, due to the Continuing Resolution (CR), this procurement & funds will be SUBJECT TO FAR 52.232-18 AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS. Pursuant to the authority of 41 U.S.C. 253(c)(1) and FAR 6.302-1, Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements. The award date will be on or about January 29, 2018, depending upon the Continuing Resolution ; and this Notice of Intent is not considered as a Request for Quotation (RFQ) nor is it a Request for Proposals (RFP). No solicitation document is available and telephone requests will not be honored. Interested persons may identify their interest and capability to respond to this requirement. A determination, by the Government, to compete this proposed PO based on responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. The Government will consider all responses received by 10:00AM PST, January 26, 2018. Information received will be considered solely for determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. Inquiries will only be accepted via email to the Primary Point of Contact: Washingtoni.NLN@ars.usda.gov.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/notices/99b8d7e09be68c1824d7b85ed250e8fe)
- Place of Performance
- Address: USDA ARS, WESTERN REGIONAL RESEARCH CENTER (WRRC), CROP IMPROVEMENT & GENETICS RESEARCH UNIT (CIGRU), 800 BUCHANAN STREET, ALBANY, CA, United States
- Record
- SN04794277-W 20180121/180119230742-99b8d7e09be68c1824d7b85ed250e8fe (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
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