SOLICITATION NOTICE
R -- Provide ship simulator services for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center.
- Notice Date
- 4/20/2007
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- NAICS
- 541330
— Engineering Services
- Contracting Office
- Vicksburg Consolidated Contracts Office, Vicksburg, ATTN: ERDC, 4155 Clay Street, Vicksburg, MS 39183-3435
- ZIP Code
- 39183-3435
- Solicitation Number
- W912HZ-07-T-0012
- Response Due
- 5/1/2007
- Archive Date
- 7/7/2007
- Point of Contact
- Cynthia Brown, 601-631-7291
- E-Mail Address
-
Vicksburg Consolidated Contracts Office, Vicksburg
(Cynthia.M.Brown@mvk02.usace.army.mil)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- Total Small Business
- Description
- This solicitation is currently available for viewing on the FedBizOps website at www.fbo.gov/. This procurement is set-aside for total small businesses under NAICS Code 541330 (SIC 8711) with a size standard of $4,500,000.00. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center, proposes to award an indefinite delivery-indefinite quantity (IDIQ) requirements contract. The total minimum quantity for the base year is 400 hours and the maximum is 20,000 hours. The total minimum quantity for the option years is 200 hours and the maximum is 20,000 hours. The minimum and maximum quantities that the government may order on an individual task order are 8 to 800 hours. In this contract the terminology delivery order means task order. Only work directed by individual task orders issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Vicksburg Consolidated Contracting Office are authorized under this contract. Requirement: The contractor will be responsible for furnishing pilot services for the simulator. This includes travel costs. The travel costs will be negotiated with each delivery order. The simulation projects will be for a variety of ports and the pilot s for each study must be licensed for the harbor or waterway being studied. CONCEPT: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE) is responsible for authorizing and maintaining the nations navigable waterways. Occasionally, the authorized channel must be modified. Usually this is to address a safety issue, or to improve the channel an d allow larger, deeper-drafted ships to call at the port. The COE requires a model study to evaluate nearly all proposed channel modifications. Often the model study involves real-time ship simulation. Real-time means ship movements on the simulator require the same amount of time as they do in real life. Being r eal-time allows professional mariners to operate the simulator as they would a real ship. Usually the simulation work is done on the ERDC Ship/Tow Simulator. The ERDC simulator is shown in Figure 1. However, occasionally ERDC oversees work done at private simulators. Mariner simulation duties fall into two categories, validation and testing. Validation is the exercise during which the existing condition simulation model is adjusted until real-life conditions are replicated on the simulator. Testing is simulation of bot h proposed and existing conditions. Ship-handlers rely upon local knowledge of navigation conditions to safely maneuver vessels through a waterway. This local knowledge allows them to anticipate a force upon the ship (current, wind, bank effects, etc). If this local knowledge is not incorporated into channel design by having mariners licensed for a project site involved in the simulation exercises, the resulting channel dimensions would most likely be too large to economically dredge and maintain. Two types of mariners are involved in a deep-draft channel design simulation project. These are ship pilots and docking pilots (sometimes referred to as docking masters). Ship pilots are licensed for particular port and handle all vessel traffic into and o ut of the port. Docking pilots are employed by the tug companies and are in control while the ships are under tug assistance. Docking pilots are typically found only in east coast ports. Ship pilots handle docking duties elsewhere. The simulation duties of all mariners are essentially the same. They are to travel to ERDC or a private facility where ERDC is overseeing simulation modeling and operate the simulator as they would a vessel in real-life. Validation mariners are expected to make verbal comments upon the accuracy of the simulator and provide input to modifications the engineers make to improve realism. They are to observe the visual scene and radar image, noting that objects are in the proper location and that all necessary o bjects are displayed. They are to note whether or not the vessel model responds to their commands as a real vesse l would. They are to observe environmental conditions in the harbor (current, wind, waves, bank effects, etc) and provide comments as to their realism. Upon completion of the validation effort, the pilots are to complete a short form (one or two pages). Th is form, which will vary from project to project, will document the models realism and additional modifications that should be made prior to testing. This form should be completed prior to the pilots leaving the simulator facility. Testing program mariners are to operate the simulator during runs of existing and proposed conditions. They are to provide comments as to the safety of the proposed conditions. They are to provide input into changes that could improve the proposed channels . These changes could involve channel widening, placement of aids-to-navigation, or be operational in nature. Their written input and comments will be documented on a short questionnaire to be completed after each simulator run and a final questionnaire to be completed at the end of their testing session. The final questionnaire is due at ERDC one week after completion of the pilots testing session. Labor Categories: A ship pilot shall be licensed by the appropriate State Pilot Board for handling vessels in the project harbor or waterway. Any special requirements for class of license based on ship tonnage will be handled on each Delivery Order. A docking pilot shall be licensed by the appropriate State Pilot Board for handling vessels in specific reaches requiring tug assistance. Any special requirements for class of license based on ship tonnage will be handled on each Delivery Order. A tow captain shall be licensed by the appropriate board for handling the required class of towboat. Any special requirements for class of license will be handled on each Delivery Order. Ordering Procedures: After the Vicksburg Consolidated Contracting Office (VCCO) receives a valid requirement for these services the VCCO shall communicate the requirement to the contractor including: " The particular qualifications required by the task for each labor category included in the order. " The number of participants needed by labor category. " The total hours required by labor category for the task. " The schedule and location of the task. Once the requirement has been communicated to the contractor the contractor shall provide VCCO with a NOT TO EXCEED (NTE) estimate of specific travel expenses necessary to complete the task in accordance with the paragraph below. If the travel estimate app ears reasonable VCCO will issue the order for the hours required and include a NTE line item for travel expenses. Once the Navigation Branch has accepted the questionnaires or other documentation required by the specific order the task is complete. The con tractor shall then invoice for the hours ordered and for actual travel expenses NTE the amount of the travel line item. Travel Expenses: Contractor will recruit professionals with specific qualifications and experience from whatever location is the subject of the study specified in the order and arrange for these individuals to travel to a particular study location. Conseq uently, it will be necessary for the contractor to pay and be reimbursed by the Government for travel cost including meals and incidental expenses as provided for in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 31.205-46, Travel Cost. The contractor will invoi ce the Government for actual travel expenses, up to the allowable rates as provided for in FAR 31.205-46 including the regulations that are referenced therein. Quality Control: The contractor shall implement a quality control program (QCP) that identifies potential and actual problem areas in providing requirements of the contract as specified and results in corrective action throughout the life of the contract. A copy must be provided to the Contracting Officer Representative (COR). Any changes to the QCP shall be submitted to the COR not later than ten (10) working days prior to effective date of change. The basic intent of the plan is that the Contractor is responsible for quality. Quality Assurance: The Contracting Officer Representative (Government employee) will investigate issues and approve services provided under the contract to determine if the Contractor has complied with the performance requirements of this contract (listed below). Government inspections will follow FAR 52.212-4. Contract Performance: The Government will monitor the Contractors performance under this contract using the following deficiency definitions or such other procedures as may be necessary to ascertain Contractor compliance with the contract. 1. Completion of work after due date is a deficiency. 2. Provide a sufficient number of qualified personnel which results in the ability to provide the sponsor with an adequate number of simulation tests for analyzing the project design alternatives, etc. 3. Validation of accuracy of the vessel, environmental, and visual models in ship simulation study. 4. Evaluate feasibility of safe navigation for proposed future alternatives. 5. Provide comparative analysis of different proposed alternatives of channel alignments. 6. Payment will not be made for unsatisfactory performance. The Contracting Officer and COR will determine whether performance is satisfactory. It is very important that you are registered in Central Contractor Registration (CCR). If you are not registered in the CCR, an award CANNOT be made to your company. You may register electronically at http://www.ccr.gov. Registering electronically will expedite the registration process. Quotes are due May 1, 2007 not later than 4:30p.m. at the Vicksburg Consolidated Contracting Office, ATTN: Cynthia Brown, 4155 Clay Street, Vicksburg, MS 39183-3435. For information contact Cynthia Brown at (601) 631-7291 or email at Cynthia.m.brown@mvk 02.usace.army.mil. NOTE: THIS NOTICE MAY HAVE POSTED ON FEDBIZOPPS ON THE DATE INDICATED IN THE NOTICE ITSELF (20-APR-2007). IT ACTUALLY APPEARED OR REAPPEARED ON THE FEDBIZOPPS SYSTEM ON 03-JUL-2007, BUT REAPPEARED IN THE FTP FEED FOR THIS POSTING DATE. PLEASE CONTACT fbo.support@gsa.gov REGARDING THIS ISSUE.
- Web Link
-
Link to FedBizOpps document.
(http://www.fbo.gov/spg/USA/COE/DACA38/W912HZ-07-T-0012/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: Vicksburg Consolidated Contracts Office, Vicksburg ATTN: ERDC, 4155 Clay Street Vicksburg MS
- Zip Code: 39183-3435
- Country: US
- Zip Code: 39183-3435
- Record
- SN01334593-F 20070705/070703223706 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
| FSG Index | This Issue's Index | Today's FBO Daily Index Page |