A-E Services Design and Evaluation Services for Railroads and Roadways, Worldwide

SYNOPSIS INDEFINITE DELIVERY CONTRACT (IDC) Architecture-Engineering (A-E) Services Design and Evaluation Services for Railroads and Roadways, Worldwide THE U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, OMAHA DISTRICT W9128F20R0013 21 April 2020 1. CONTRACT INFORMATION: This contract is being procured in accordance with the Selection of Architects and Engineers statute previously known as the Brooks Act as implemented in FAR Subpart 36.6. Firms will be selected for negotiation based on demonstrated competence and qualifications for the required work of Design and Evaluation Services for Railroads and Roadways, Worldwide (CONUS/OCONUS). A target of four (4) indefinite delivery / indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contracts are to be negotiated and awarded, with a five year ordering period and $20,000,000 in shared capacity. Task order minimum will be $2,500 and task order maximum will be limited to amount of available remaining contract capacity. For any task order requiring OCONUS work, the Contractor shall visit the Department of State website to view the Treatise in Force at http://www.state.gov/s/l/treaty/tif/index.htm, for any current treaties and other international agreements in place, specific to the country(ies) identified in the task order, as it will be responsible for knowledge of and compliance with such, as may be applicable. Country(ies) where work has been performed thus far via task order(s) under incumbent IDCs for these services include: Bahrain, Japan, Germany. Future OCONUS performance locations may include Japan, Korea, the Middle East, Turkey, Italy and Germany (list may not be all inclusive). North American Industrial Classification System code is 541330, which has a size standard of $16,500,000 in annual average gross receipts over the past three years. This announcement is open to both Small and Other than Small Business (OTSB) A-E firms. Contract award is anticipated between November and December 2020. To be eligible for contract award, the Contractor must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM). Registration is free and can be accessed at: https://betaSAM.gov. Ensure representations and certifications in SAM are current. A Subcontracting Plan is NOT required with this submittal. In accordance with FAR Subpart 19.7 and FAR Clause 52.219-9, if an other-than-small (i.e. large) business firm(s) is selected, it will be required to submit a detailed Subcontracting Plan. Submission of such by the selected firm will be required with its price proposal, to be reviewed, negotiated and approved in parallel with the price negotiation (note that Subcontracting Plans are not required from SBCs). The small business subcontracting goals for this acquisition will be calculated based on the apparent successful Offeror(s) proposed small business participation objective (i.e. target percentage) of total acquisition value. The acceptable Subcontracting Plan will be incorporated into the basic IDC award, as a material part of the contract. Minimum negotiated goals, progress and achievement will be monitored and evaluated through the Electronic Subcontracting Reporting System (eSRS). If the contractor fails to comply in good faith with the approved plan, the Contracting Officer may take action in accordance with FAR 52.219-16 Liquidated Damages Subcontracting Plan. If the selected firm fails to negotiate a Subcontracting Plan acceptable to the Contracting Officer, then the Offeror will be ineligible for award. Joint ventures shall submit the following additional documentation of the evidence of a joint venture entity: 1) Firms shall provide a copy of a legally binding joint venture agreement, and 2) Identification of the party who can legally bind the joint venture. Facsimile and email submissions will not be accepted. Solicitation packages are not provided and no additional project information will be given to firms during the announcement period. This is a synopsis for SF 330s and not a request for proposal. Ordering Procedures: Task orders will be executed as qualifications-based contract actions, per the Selection of Architects and Engineers statute, following the requirements of FAR 16.500(d) and FAR Subpart 36.6. After task order requirements are defined, a notice will be issued to all firms within the awardee pool. Each notice will include a summary of the scope of services, selection criteria, questions concerning concepts and methods, and any other request for supplemental information as it may relate to the specific task order scope. Submission of new SF 330s will not be required unless otherwise identified in the task order notice. Once a selection has been made, a task order request for price proposal will then be issued to the most highly qualified firm and negotiations will commence, if applicable. If, however, negotiations are unsuccessful and agreement cannot be reached with the highest ranking firm, negotiations will be terminated. Negotiations with the next ranked firm would then commence, with the process continuing with one firm at a time until successful outcomes are reached (i.e. agreement is reached/fair and reasonable pricing determination can be made) 2. PROJECT INFORMATION: The scope of the IDIQs is for Design and Evaluation Services for Railroads and Roadways, Worldwide (CONUS/OCONUS). The types of services to be provided under this contract include, but are not limited to, preparation of plans, specifications and design analysis for the design of railroads, roads, railroad and vehicular bridges and specialized railroad support facilities; inspection and maintenance recommendations for railroad tracks, roads and bridges; implementation of the PAVER Engineering Management System for roadway pavements including inspection, analysis and project formulation; construction support services; specialized consulting services and engineering studies related to the planning, design, construction and evaluation of railroads and roads; field and laboratory testing of pavement materials and subgrades; traffic engineering and transportation studies. It is expected that most projects will be located on Army and Air Force installations. Railroad projects may include, but not be limited to: spur tracks, sidings, interchange yards, loading/unloading tracks for military vehicles, container loading/unloading tracks, grade crossings (signalized and unsignalized), loading docks, container transfer pads, railroad support facilities (deployment operations buildings, locomotive maintenance buildings, etc.). Construction support services may include, but not limited to: participation in on-site partnering/pre-construction meetings; review of construction contractors submittals for government approval and for information only; review of contractors request for information (RFI); participation in site visits and development of inspection reports at critical points of construction; participation in start-up and commissioning of systems; attending warranty inspections; participation in lessons-learned sessions; preparation of operations and maintenance support information manuals. Specialized consulting services and engineering studies may include development of transportation systems engineering criteria. Design services to be performed include, but are not limited to, preparation of design/construction documents, preparation of design/build requests for proposals (RFPs), charrette/concept designs, schematic designs, planning, programming, site investigations, surveying and geotechnical investigations, space planning, interior design, parametric and construction cost estimating, feasibility studies, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents, plan formulation, etc. Construction cost estimating will be accomplished for all design projects using the Micro-Computer Aided Cost Estimating System 2nd Generation (MII) software. All specifications shall be developed and edited using the SpecsIntact automated specification processing system. Computer Aided Drafting and Design (CADD) will be used for design projects under this solicitation. CADD format (Microstation (DGN) or AutoCAD (DWG) will be specified in the task order. The AE shall use the latest version (reference: https://cadbim.usace.army.mil/) of the A/E/C CAD Standard and the latest workspace and templates. The A-E firm may be required to use the Dr Checks design review and checking system. The A-E firm may be required to provide master planning services such as: facility master planning for various federal customers such as Army and Air Force, Public Works real property master planning, facility allowance analysis, MILCON DD Form 1391 development and other programming level analysis. Sustainable design shall be accomplished using an integrated design approach and emphasizing environmental stewardship; energy and water conservation and efficiency; use of recovered and recycled materials; waste reduction; reduction or elimination of toxic and harmful substances in facilities construction and operation; efficiency in resource and materials utilization; development of healthy, safe and productive work environments. Integration of current Antiterrorism and Force Protection (AT/FP) measures will be required on all military design projects. The A-E firm selected would be required to have sufficient staff, flexibility and capability to be available on an as-needed basis. Design and/or construction support services for specific facilities or projects will be assigned by task orders on the IDIQ contract(s) established as a result of this synopsis. Each task order to be issued will identify all work to be accomplished. 3. SELECTION CRITERIA: The selection criteria for this synopsis are listed below in descending order of importance. Criteria a through e are primary. Criteria f and g are secondary and will only be used as tie-breakers among firms that are essentially technically equal. a. Specialized Experience and Technical Competence b. Professional Qualifications c. Past Performance d. Capacity e. Knowledge of the Locality f. SB and SDB Participation Plan g. Volume of DOD Contract Awards PRIMARY CRITERIA: a. Specialized Experience and Technical Competence. A minimum of five (5) and no more than ten (10) project examples shall be submitted for this criteria. If more than ten (10) projects are submitted, only the first ten (10) projects will be evaluated. Use no more than two (2) pages per project. If more than two (2) pages per project are submitted, only the first two (2) pages will be evaluated. When listing projects in SF 330 Part 1, Section F, an Indefinite Delivery Contract (IDC) with multiple Task Orders as an example is not considered a project. However, a single task order executed under an IDC contract is a project. Submittals shall demonstrate the specialized experience and technical competence to execute the types of projects and activities as indicated above in Paragraph 2, PROJECT INFORMATION, and in the list of subitems (i) through (v) below. The subitems below are listed in descending order of importance. Only relatable experience that has occurred recently in the last five years should be included in the submittal. Project examples submitted should be of completed projects (i.e. design complete). All projects cited shall identify design start/complete dates as well as the project size (cost and scope). (SF 330, Part I, Section F) (i) Experience implementing the PAVER Engineering Management System. Experience performing PAVER implementations on Army and Air Force installations is preferred. (ii) Experience inspecting railroad track and preparing inspection reports and track maintenance plans. Experience with Army Track Maintenance Standards is preferred. (iii) Experience in design of new railroad track. Include a minimum of 2 projects. Experience designing railroad track and rail loading facilities on Army installations is preferred. (iv) Experience in design, construction, and inspection of railroad and vehicular bridges. (v) Experience in design of roads, streets, parking areas. b. Professional Qualifications. Firms shall demonstrate professional personnel qualifications and specialized experience for key disciplines. Evaluation of professional qualifications will consider education, training, relevant experience in design of military and federal facilities and longevity with the firm. Experience working on applicable Army and Air Force projects is desirable and should be identified. (SF 330, Part I, Sections E & G). (i) Provide resumes for a minimum of two (2) project managers (team leaders). Project Managers should be a registered Professional Engineer and have at least five (5) years of experience in project management. (ii) Provide resumes for a minimum of two (2) civil engineers or technicians. Engineers and technicians should have at least five (5) years of experience inspecting pavements and implementing the PAVER Engineering Management System. Experience performing PAVER implementations on Army and Air Force installations is preferred. (iii) Provide resumes for a minimum of two (2) railroad engineers. Railroad engineers should be a registered Professional Engineer and have at least five (5) years of experience in railroad design and evaluation. Experience designing railroad track projects on Army installations is desirable as is experience using the Armys RAILER computer program. (iv) Provide resumes for a minimum of two (2) railroad track inspectors. Railroad track inspectors should have at least five (5) years of experience inspecting railroad track. Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and/or Army track inspector certification is desirable and should be noted. (v) Provide resumes for a minimum of two (2) bridge structural engineers. Bridge structural engineers should be a registered Professional Engineer and have at least five (5) years of experience designing and evaluating bridges. Experience designing railroad and roadway bridges should be provided. (vi) Provide resume for a minimum of one (1) geotechnical engineer. Geotechnical engineer should be a registered Professional Engineer and have at least five (5) years of experience designing and evaluating pavements. Experience using PCASE and familiarity with UFC 3-250-01 is preferred. (vii) Provide resume for a minimum of one (1) electrical/signal engineer. Electrical/signal engineer should be a registered Professional Engineer and have at least five (5) years of experience designing signalized grade crossings. (viii) Provide resumes for a minimum of two (2) traffic engineers. Traffic engineers should be certified as a Professional Traffic Operations Engineer (PTOE) and have at least five (5) years of experience performing traffic studies. c. Past Performance. Past performance on DoD and other contracts with respect to the quality of work, cost control (maintaining the project construction cost below the programmed amount), and compliance with performance schedules, as determined by Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) or other sources will be evaluated for recency and relevancy in relation to the scope of services. Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQs) may be used to provide or supplement a firms past performance with other than U.S. Governmental clients. At a minimum, a CPARS record or a PPQ should be submitted per project example that was submitted under Criteria a Specialized Experience and Technical Competence. Past performance records should be included in SF 330, Part I, Section H, Item 1. A fillable PPQ form is attached to this synopsis posting. The PPQ included in this synopsis is provided for the Offeror to submit to the client for each project the Offeror may need a Past Performance record for to meet the requirements in this synopsis. Ensure correct phone numbers and email addresses are provided for the client point of contact. Completed PPQs should be submitted with your proposal. If the Offeror is unable to obtain a completed PPQ from a client for a project(s) before proposal closing date, the Offeror should complete and submit with the proposal the first page of the PPQ, which will provide contract and client information for the respective project(s). Offerors should follow-up with clients/references to ensure timely submittal of questionnaires. If the client requests, questionnaires may be submitted directly to the Governments point of contact, Melissa Harlon, Contract Specialist, via email at [email protected] prior to proposal closing date. Offerors shall not incorporate by reference into their proposal PPQs previously submitted for other RFPs. However, this does not preclude the Government from utilizing previously submitted PPQ information in the past performance evaluation. In addition to the above, the Government may review any other sources of information for evaluating past performance. Other sources may include, but are not limited to, past performance information retrieved through CPARS, using all CAGE/DUNS numbers of team members (partnership, joint venture, teaming arrangement, or parent company/subsidiary/affiliate) identified in the Offerors proposal, inquiries of owner representative(s), Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS), Electronic Subcontract Reporting System (eSRS), and any other known sources not provided by the Offeror. While the Government may elect to consider data from other sources, the burden of providing detailed, current, accurate and complete past performance information rests with the Offeror d. Capacity. Provide a 1-2 page narrative discussing the capacity of the design firm to perform CONUS and OCONUS and to meet schedules, including adequacy of qualified personnel available and past experience in meeting tight design schedules. Offerors shall demonstrate capacity to complete task orders within a reasonably aggressive schedule. Offerors shall also demonstrate the capacity to accomplish at least three (3) $500,000 simultaneous individual task orders, or two (2) $1,000,000 simultaneous task orders. The evaluation will consider the Offerors project execution strategy and the availability of an adequate number of personnel in key disciplines to complete concurrent task orders. The evaluation will consider the key persons identified in Sections D, E, and G of the SF330, as well as other available staff and information provided in Section H, Item 2. A proposed Management Plan shall be presented that includes an organization chart (reference SF330, Part I, Section D) and addresses team organization (reference SF330, Part I, Section C), any anticipated sub-contractors or entities to supplement the design team, quality control procedures, cost control, coordination of in-house disciplines and consultants required to meet work capacity. The SF 330 shall clearly indicate the primary office where the work will be performed and the staffing at that office. (SF 330, Part I, Section H, Item 3). e. Knowledge of Locality. Offerors shall demonstrate knowledge of geological features, seismic considerations, nonstandard ambient conditions, climatic conditions or construction methods that are found in different areas within the contiguous United States. A clear, demonstrated knowledge of diverse conditions and features may receive more favorable ratings. (SF 330, Part I, Section H, Item 4) SECONDARY CRITERIA: f. SB/SDB Participation Plan. Both Small and OTSB Offerors will be evaluated on the extent of participation of small business community (SBC) members in the performance of the acquisition. Offerors are required to meet the minimum mandatory total small business participation objective/target of 20% of total acquisition value to SBC members. Offerors proposing a higher objective/target of 20% may receive a more favorable evaluation. SBC members can propose work they will self-perform toward small business participation objectives. (SF 330, Part I, Section H, Item 5). For evaluation purposes, an Offeror should base their percentages on the full contract capacity of $20M. Each Offeror shall provide a) through g) below: Identify if you (Prime Offeror) are a Small Business or Other-than-Small Business; If a Small Business, also identify which SBC category(ies), if any, you belong to (i.e. SDB, WOSB, HUBZone, VOSB, SDVOSB, HBCU/MIs); The extent of commitment to use such SBC firms; Identification of the complexity and variety of the work small firms are to perform; Provide overall percentage (%) of total acquisition value planned to be performed by SBC members; Provide percentages (%) and corresponding dollar amounts ($) of that total dollar amount that is planned to go separately to SBC members and other-than-small businesses. Identify if the SBC is a SB, SDB, WOSB, EDWOSB, HUBZone, VOSB or SDVOSB along with their respective percentage; and Demonstrate the extent to which the Offeror meets or exceeds the goals: Goals for this procurement are Small Business: {20%} of the total contract value; NOTE: For example, a participation plan that reflects {5%} of the contract value for WOSB would also count towards the overall Small Business Goal. g. Volume of DOD Contract Awards. Provide a complete listing of all DOD A-E awards within the last 12 months. For an IDC-type contract, include the total value of task orders actually issued by agencies in the last 12 months, not the potential value of the IDC. For all types of contracts, do not include for consideration options that have not been exercised. The Government will evaluate the volume of DOD A-E contract awards in the last 12 months, with the objective of effecting an equitable distribution of DOD A-E contracts among qualified firms, including SB and SDB (SF 330, Part I, Section H, Item 6). 4. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS: Interested firms having the capabilities to perform this work must submit their complete SF 330 for the prime firm and all consultants/subcontractors via the DoD Secure Access File Exchange (SAFE) website not later than 12:00pm Central time on 22 May 2020. See DoD SAFE instructions below and the attached DoD SAFE User Guide for more information. Submittal must clearly identify the announcement number and the firms name. Regulation requires that the Government not consider any submittals received after the specified time and date. Late proposal rules in FAR 52.215-1 will be followed for submittals received after 12:00pm Central time on the closing date specified in this announcement. The SF 330, 8/2016 edition, must be used, and may be obtained from the following web site: http://www.gsa.gov/portal/forms/download/116486. Include DUNS number and CAGE code in SF330 Part I, Section B, Block 5. Additionally, the DUNS number and CAGE code should be identified in SF 330 Part I, Section C, Block 9, for EACH TEAM MEMBER. The submittal shall have a page limit of 100 pages (total of 100 pages allowed for complete copy of the submittal, ALL-INCLUSIVE, to include any cover letters, company literature and extraneous materials. However, blank sheets/tabs separating the sections within the SF 330 will not count against the maximum page count. The selection board will not evaluate beyond 100 pages. A page is one side of a sheet. All fonts shall be at least 10 pitch or larger. Pages shall be 8-1/2 inches by 11 inches. Organizational charts may be presented on a sheet up to 11 inches by 17 inches and will be counted as one page. A Part II is required for each branch office of the prime firm and any consultants/subcontractors that will have a key role in the proposed contract (i.e. a Part II is required for all entities identified in SF 330 Part I, Section C of the submittal). Cover letters, company literature and extraneous materials are not desired and will not be considered. Part I, Sections E and G of SF 330 must include only individuals proposed to perform the anticipated work, including all consultants/subcontractors. In SF 330 Part I, Section G, Block 26, along with the name, include the firm with which the person is associated. ALL QUESTIONS SHALL BE SUBMITTED VIA THE BIDDER INQUIRY PORTAL in ProjNet at http://www.projnet.org/projnet. Questions should be submitted no later than 13 May 2020 by 2:00pm Central Time to allow time for a response. On this date and time the portal will be closed for questions. No other means of communication, e-mail, fax, or telephone will be accepted. To submit and review inquiry items, prospective vendors will need to use the Bidder Inquiry Key presented below and follow the instructions listed below. A prospective vendor who submits a comment/question will receive an acknowledgement of their comment/question via email, followed by an answer to the comment/question after it has been processed by our team. All timely questions and approved answers will be made available through ProjNet. To submit and review inquiries, firms will need to be current registered users of the ProjNet system. Registration for ProjNet Bidder Inquiry Access (If you are already registered, go to Entering Bidder Inquiries in ProjNet Bidder Inquiry System below.) 1. From the ProjNet home page link above, click on Quick Add on the upper right side of the screen. 2. Identify the Agency. This should be marked as USACE. 3. Key. Enter the Bidder Inquiry Key listed below. 4. Email. Enter the email address you would like to use for communication. 5. Click Continue. A page will then open saying that a user account was not found and will ask you to create one using the provided form. 6. Enter your First Name, Last Name, Company, City, State, Phone, Email, Secret Question, Secret Answer, and Time Zone. Make sure to remember your Secret Question and Answer as they will be used from this point on to access the ProjNet system. 7. Click Add User. Once this is completed you are now registered within ProjNet and are currently logged into the system. Entering Bidder Inquiries in ProjNet Bidder Inquiry System 1. For future access to ProjNet, you will not be emailed any type of password. You will utilize your Secret Question and Secret Answer to log in. 2. From the ProjNet home page link above, click on Quick Add on the upper right side of the screen. 3. Identify the Agency. This should be marked as USACE. 4. Key. Enter the Bidder Inquiry Key listed below. 5. Email. Enter the email address you used to register previously in ProjNet. 6. Click Continue. A page will then open asking you to enter the answer to your Secret Question. 7. Enter your Secret Answer and click Login. Once this is completed you are now logged into the system. 8. Follow online screen instructions to enter specific bidder inquiries for the project. The Solicitation Number is: W9128F20R0013 The Bidder Inquiry Key is: C3425W-XW9GCR Firms are requested to review the Bidder Inquiry Portal for previous questions and responses, prior to submission of a new inquiry in the Portal. Caution: Any inquiry submitted and answered within this system will be accessible to view by all interested firms on this solicitation. The call center for the ProjNet operates weekdays from 8 AM to 5 PM U.S. Central Time Zone. The telephone number is 1-800-428-HELP. DoD SAFE INSTRUCTIONS: The Offerors proposal shall be submitted electronically, as described below. The Offerors proposal shall not contain classified data. The use of hyperlinks in proposals is prohibited. NOTE: The only authorized transmission method for proposals in response to this solicitation is electronically via DoD SAFE online submission. NO OTHER TRANSMISSION METHODS (EMAIL, FACSIMILE, REGULAR MAIL, HAND CARRIED, ETC.) WILL BE ACCEPTED. The Offerors proposal must be received by the Government by the date/time specified in this synopsis. Offerors shall email their proposals using the following link: https://safe.apps.mil/ Please send proposals using the link above to Contract Specialist Melissa Harlon at [email protected] and to Contracting Officer Ann Young at [email protected]. INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING ELECTRONIC PROPOSALS: In an effort to reduce paperwork and cost, all proposals shall be submitted electronically through the DoD SAFE site. Submission shall be in Adobe PDF format, preferably with Optical Character Resolution (OCR). Recommend only one (1) file be submitted, however, you are limited to five (5) maximum files per upload (total size cannot exceed 2GB). If you have a large number of files, recommend that you combine or ZIP your files before uploading to the SAFE site. Offerors may use compression utility software such as WinZip or PKZip to reduce file size and facilitate transmission. REQUEST FOR UPLOAD CODE: Offerors must email Contract Specialist Melissa Harlon at [email protected] and to Contracting Officer Ann Young at [email protected] no later than five (5) working days prior to the proposal due date to receive a request code which will allow for file uploads via the DoD SAFE site. Offerors that fail to email for a request code by five (5) working days before proposal submission date may not be able to receive a request code in time to upload their submission. FILE DESCRIPTION: Include a File Description for each file(s) you upload. The File Description will be included in the email notice to each of the recipients you choose to have access your file(s). NOTE: Do NOT enter Privacy Act Data (Personal Identification Information (PII)) in the File Description.) An example file description to use is the following: W9128F20R0013_FIRMNAME_SF330 INSTRUCTIONS TO FOLLOW ON THE SAFE WEBSITE: 1. Once at the SAFE website select the Drop-off icon. This allows users without a CAC or users whose computer is not configured to read a CAC the option to access the SAFE site as a guest. 2. After selecting the Click Here link you will be prompted to add your personal information, file information, recipient (Government representative) information and email settings. 3. When completing your file information for transmittal via the SAFE website, you will be required to enter the email address for all recipients. For this solicitation, the recipients are the Contract Specialist and the Contracting Officer. The Contract Specialist for this solicitation is [email protected], and the Contracting Officer is [email protected]. The E-Mail address of the Government Employee who initiated the request code will be automatically entered. The Offeror must enter the E-Mail address for both the Contracting Officer and Specialist. The Offeror can enter an additional E-Mail address if desired. After entering the email address, click the ADD button to add the person(s) email to the Recipients List of your response. When your proposal is submitted, a notification will be sent to the recipients you added. NOTE: Do NOT send the SAFE site packages to group email accounts. Even if you successfully upload your proposal to the SAFE site, notification will not be sent to the government recipients until you verify your email address. Entering an incorrect email may result in the rejection of your submission for lateness. An Offeror can confirm proper submission by the Drop-Off Completed screen which generates based on proper file submission. NOTE: It has been reported that documents are more quickly uploaded into the SAFE website when using a Firefox web browser. The Government cannot verify that this is true and offers no guarantee that Offerors will have more success utilizing any particular browser. RECEIPT OF SUBMISSIONS: For the purposes of establishing whether a proposal submission is considered timely, the government considers the date and time the submission is completely uploaded into the DoD SAFE website. For proposals larger than ...