PRESOL | B | Climate Change Impact | 06-Aug-08

FBO DAILY ISSUE OF AUGUST 06, 2008 FBO #2445
SOLICITATION NOTICE

B -- Climate Change Impact

Notice Date: 8/4/2008
Notice Type: Modification/Amendment
NAICS: 541990 — All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
Contracting Office: Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency, Acqusition Management Division Kansas City Acquisition Branch, P. O. Box 419205, Kansas City, Missouri, 64141-6205, United States
ZIP Code: 64141-6205
Solicitation Number: AG-AG-645S-S-08-0015
Response Due: 8/11/2008 4:00:00 PM
Archive Date: 8/26/2008
Point of Contact: Steven M Prado, Phone: 816-926-6759
E-Mail Address: steven.prado@kcc.usda.gov
Small Business Set-Aside: N/A
Description: This amendment is changing sections C.1 (Objective) and section C.3.1 (Program Impact Model Concept & Direction Report). Changes have been incorporated below. For questions please feel free to e-mail me at the address below. For an electronic copy of this solicitation please e-mail your request to steven.prado@kcc.usda.gov. Section A: General Information1 A.1Requiring Agency1 A.2Contract Objectives1 A.3News Releases1 A.4Scope of Authority1 A.5Non-Disclosure and Confidentiality1 A.6Paperwork Reduction Act2 A.7Acronyms and Definitions2 Section B: Price/Costs3 Section C: Background and Work Statement3 C.1Objective3 C.2Scope…………………………………………………………………………………….4 C.3Specific Tasks and Work Requirements4 C.4Delivery Schedule5 C.5 Monthly Progress Reporting6 C.6Government Furnished Documentation6 C.6.1Government Data7 C.6.2Government Furnished Resources7 C.6.3Government Furnished Facilities7 C.7Contractor Furnished Items7 Section E: Inspection and Acceptance7 E.1 Inspection of Services7 E.2 General7 E.3 Inspection and Acceptance by the Government7 E.4 Inspection of Deliverables by the Government8 E.5 Report Style8 Section F: Deliveries or Performance8 F.1Places of Performance8 F.2Ship To and Points of Contact8 F.3 Period of Performance9 Section G: Contract Administration Data9 G.1 Contract Administration9 G.2 Contract Management10 G.3 Billing and Payment10 Section I: Contract Clauses11 Section K: Representations, certifications, and other statements of offerors or respondents12 Section L – Instructions, Conditions and Notices to Offerors15 L.1 Instructions to Offerors15 L.2 Provisions15 L.3 Solicitation Release16 L.4 Alternate Proposals16 L.5 Submission of Offers16 L.6 Notice of Exceptions to Solicitation Requirements16 L.7 Proposal Format17 L.8 Instructions for Preparation of Technical and Price Proposals18 L.9Technical Proposal18 L.10 General Guidelines for Cost Proposal20 Price Proposal20 L. 11Other Proposal Information21 Section M: Proposal Evaluation Criteria21 M.1 General21 M.2 Basis for Award21 M.3 Technical Evaluation Factors for Award21 M.4 Proposal Evaluation Factors (in descending order of importance)22 M.4.1Technical Approach22 M.4.2Project Management Plan (WBS, delivery schedule & Quality Control Plan):22 M.4.3Past Performance:22 M.5Price Evaluation23 M.6 Evaluation Method23 Section A: General Information A.1Requiring Agency United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Risk Management Agency (RMA), Office of Product Management. A.2Contract Objectives The goal of this statement of work (SOW) is to obtain proposals for an analysis of the potential long-term implications of climate change for the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) and the development of a program impact model that incorporates the impacts of the implications identified to the Standard Reinsurance Agreement (SRA). To provide guidance to potential offerers, a copy of the Government Accountability Office report “Climate Change: Financial Risks to Federal and Private Insurers in Coming Decades Are Potentially Significant” can be found at (http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d07285.pdf). A.3News Releases The Contractor shall not make any news release pertaining to this procurement without prior Government approval and then only in coordination with the Contracting Officer or Contracting Officer Technical Representative (COTR). A.4Scope of Authority The offeror is advised that the Contracting Officer is the only person who can legally obligate the Government for the expenditure of public funds in connection with this procurement, and that only the Contracting Officer or the COTR is authorized to accept or reject deliverables described in the statement of work. A.5Non-Disclosure and Confidentiality Section 502(c) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. § 1502(c)) states that no person may disclose to the public information provided by a producer under the Act unless the information has been transformed into a statistical or aggregate form in which the individual submitter is unidentifiable or the producer consents to such disclosure. The Contractor shall maintain the confidentiality of all data provided by RMA, all analyses and the results of such analyses conducted under this SOW, all programs, models, formulas, etc., all graphs, charts, and any other document or information used, created or generated through the performance of any task under the SOW. No person may view or have access to any data provided by RMA, any analyses and the results of such analyses conducted under this SOW, any programs, models, formulas, etc., any graphs, charts, and any other document or information used, created or generated through the performance of any task under the SOW unless such access is necessary to perform a task under this SOW. The Contractor shall keep all information contained in source documents or other media furnished by the Government in the strictest confidence. The Contractor also agrees not to publish or otherwise divulge such information in whole or in part in any manner or form, or to authorize or permit others to do so, taking such reasonable measures as are necessary to restrict access to such information while in the Contractor's possession, to those employees needing such information to perform the work provided herein, i.e., on a "need to know" basis, unless prior written approval is obtained from the Contracting Officer. The Contractor shall immediately notify the Contracting Officer, in writing, in the event that the Contractor determines or has reason to suspect a breach of this requirement. The Contractor shall insert the substance of this clause in any consultant agreement or subcontract hereunder. At the completion of this contract, the Contractor shall be required to destroy or return all data or information made available by the Government that are not intended for public disclosure. A.6Paperwork Reduction Act For any information collection activities subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) that may be performed under this contract, the Contractor shall comply with the PRA. A.7Acronyms and Definitions Appendix III (Manual 13) - Data Acceptance System Handbook ARPA - The Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000 Board - FCIC Board of Directors CAT - Catastrophic Risk Protection - The minimum level of coverage offered by RMA. Catastrophic Risk Protection is referred to as "CAT" or "CAT coverage". See Catastrophic Risk Protection Endorsement (01-CAT) for additional information. CCSP - Climate Change Science Program CO - Contracting Officer COTR - Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative FCIC - The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation, a wholly owned corporation within USDA. IPCC - Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change QASP - Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan RMA - The Risk Management Agency of the United States Department of Agriculture Standard Reinsurance Agreement (SRA) - A cooperative financial assistance agreement between FCIC and approved insurance providers that establishes the terms and conditions for subsidy and reinsurance on eligible Federal crop insurance contracts by authority of the Act and promulgated regulations codified in 7 C.F.R. chapter IV. Section B: Price/Costs Please list price/cost according to Section L.9 Section C: Background and Work Statement Concerned about the implications of climate change for weather-related losses incurred by federal agencies, Congress directed the GAO to conduct a study to describe what is known about how climate change might affect insured and uninsured losses incurred by federal agencies. The result of that GAO study directed the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) to obtain an analysis of the potential long-term implications of climate change. Description of Work C.1Objective The objective of this contract is to obtain an analysis of the potential long-term implications of climate change for the crop insurance program -in regard to FCIC and to approved insurance providers (AIP's) and the development of a program impact model that incorporates the impacts of the implications identified to the Standard Reinsurance Agreement (SRA). This analysis shall use the assessments from the Climate Change Science Program (CCSP) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to establish sound estimates of expected future conditions. Key components of this analysis shall include: (1) the scenarios under anticipated climatic conditions of Synthesis and Assessment Product 4.3 "The effects of global change on agriculture, biodiversity, land, and water resources" (See C.6) and Risk Management Agency's expected exposure levels based on the current FCIC book of business along with a baseline (no impact due to climate change) scenario that leads to an estimate of potential future losses for these scenarios; (2) the potential budgetary implications and consequences of these scenarios' potential future loss estimates for FCIC and AIP's expressed in the program impact model; and (3) potential mitigation options that the FCIC might use to reduce exposure to loss. The development of a program impact model is required to express potential climate changes as changes in mean or variance of crop yields or shifts in production areas. The program impact model shall have the capability to analyze the budgetary impacts climate change (or baseline) scenarios have on FCIC and on AIP's under current terms, or potential alternative terms, of the Standard Reinsurance Agreement (SRA). There shall be training provided to key RMA personnel on the use of the program impact model. C.2Scope The work will require skills and experience in climatology, agricultural meteorology, crop insurance underwriting, agricultural risk management, data analysis, actuarial science, statistical modeling, project planning, scheduling, quality control, categorizing, analyzing, research, critical thinking, innovative problem solving techniques, oral presentations, report writing, and the use of Microsoft product applications. Travel will also be required. Many studies have indicated that global temperatures are increasing and are projected to continue increasing. Warming is expected to change rainfall patterns. Increased drought is possible in many regions of the U.S. while rainfall could increase in other areas. The frequency and severity of extreme events are also expected to increase. These factors could have a major impact on U.S. agriculture and consequently, FCIC and AIP’s. C.3Specific Tasks and Work Requirements The contractor shall deliver to the government a program impact model and a report that analyze the potential long term implication of climate change for the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation C.3.1 Program Impact Model Concept & Direction Report The Program Impact Model Concept and Direction Report is to outline the process that the contractor will follow in developing the program impact model that will incorporate the impact of the implications to be identified into the Standard Reinsurance Agreement. After submission of the Program Impact Model Concept and Direction Report the contractor will participate with RMA in a teleconference that outlines and discusses what the anticipated inputs and results of the model will be. C.3.2Report and Program Impact Model: Climate Change Impacts on Crop Insurance The report shall include expected changes in the frequency and severity of weather by region and the corresponding impacts on the expected distribution of crop yields and shifts in production areas. The report shall also include the results of a program impact model of the financial impacts of the expected yield distributions (and corresponding price changes) on both FCIC and AIP’s. In evaluating the financial impacts on FCIC and AIP’s, the program impact model shall consider current, or potential, risk-sharing terms of the SRA. The report and program impact model shall also consider whether catastrophic modeling is needed to maintain actuarially sound programs and also consider loss mitigation options such as limiting coverage. The program impact model shall include a stress testing component. The report and the program impact model shall analyze at the state/crop/plan of insurance level of aggregation for the major crops in the FCIC book of business. C.3.3Summary Report of Climate Change Program Impact Model Stress Tests The report shall provide a summary of the various scenarios that the contract has arrived at with regards to the Climate Change Program Impact Model and the impact from the various stress tests that the contractor has accomplished. C.3.4 Final Report After approval of the work outlined in C.3.1, C.3.2, C.3.3 – Draft Climate Change Report, the Program Impact Model Development, the Summary Report of Climate Change, Stress Tests and oral presentation, the contractor shall deliver to the Government a Final Report that summarizes and takes into account any concerns or changes that may be requested by RMA. C.3.5Training on the Program Impact Model Model documentation and training on the program impact model shall be provided to key RMA personnel. C.4Delivery Schedule The offeror shall determine and submit a Delivery Schedule to RMA that takes into consideration the 30 day Government review period so that the schedule accommodates the review period while minimizing disruption to the remaining delivery due dates. Early submission of a deliverable and/or early RMA acceptance of a deliverable is permitted without affecting the due dates for the subsequent deliverables. Suggested Delivery Schedule Format to be included in the Offeror’s Proposal DeliverableTimeframe Program Impact Model Concept &Award plus “X” calendar days Direction Report Draft Climate Change Report “X” calendar days from Program Impact & Program Impact Model Development Model Setup & Direction Report Summary Report of Climate Change“X” calendar days from Draft Report On Program Impact Model & ProgramClimate Change Report & Program Impact Impact Model Results and Stress TestsModel Development Oral Presentation“X” calendar days from Summary Report of Climate Change on Impact Model & Program Impact Model Results and Stress Tests Final Report“X” calendar days from completion of the oral presentation Training“X” calendar days from Final Report The contractor’s proposed schedule must take into account that RMA needs this contract completed by June 30, 2009, which would include the training deliverable. C.5 Monthly Progress Reporting The Contractor shall deliver progress reports by the 15th of each month that address progress on the contract work requirements, as they occur. The reports shall also include trip descriptions and significant meetings held or attended in performance of this contract. The progress reports shall be sufficiently detailed to allow the COTR to determine that the work efforts and level of progress are satisfactory. For example, the reports shall display hours expended by key personnel by phase and task. This is for quality assurance purposes, not necessarily for invoice payment or cost tracking purposes. C.6Government Furnished Documentation The Contractor may access RMA's public website at www.usda.rma.gov for information pertaining to existing crop policies, underwriting and loss adjustment procedures, data reporting requirements, and other publicly accessible information. Any information not available through the website but is considered necessary may be requested through the COTR. Following is a list of website addresses that the Contractor may use for this contract. This list is not intended to be all-inclusive. •RMA’s Public Website: http://www.rma.usda.gov/ •Reinsurance Agreements: http://www.rma.usda.gov/pubs/ra/ •Basic Provisions and Catastrophic Risk Protection Endorsement: http://www.rma.usda.gov/policies/2007policy.html •The Federal Crop Insurance Act: http://www.rma.usda.gov/aboutrma/ •The Actuarial Document Browser: http://www.rma.usda.gov/tools/adb.html •Data Acceptance System Appendix III and Summary of Business: http://www.rma.usda.gov/data/ •Bulletins and Handbooks: http://www.rma.usda.gov/handbooks/ •GAO Report Climate Change – Financial Risks to Federal and Private Insurers in Coming Decades Are Potentially Significant. http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d07285.pdf •Final Report “The Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture, Land Resources, Water Resources, and Biodiversity” http://www.climatescience.gov/Library/sap/sap4-3/final-report/default.htm C.6.1Government Data The contractor shall provide RMA detailed requests of RMA datasets and RMA will furnish them within 30 business days. If the requested data sets require contractor revision, RMA will cooperate with the contractor to avoid excessive or unnecessary delays of any contract deliverable. C.6.2Government Furnished Resources RMA personnel knowledgeable about specific subjects or topics will be made available for consultation by telephone or electronic mail. The contractor shall submit all resource requests to the COTR. C.6.3Government Furnished Facilities RMA will furnish appropriate facilities when the Contractor provides oral presentations to RMA personnel. C.7Contractor Furnished Items The Contractor shall provide all materials required to perform the contract, beyond Government furnished information or resources described in section 5. Section E: Inspection and Acceptance E.1 Inspection of Services The following clause is incorporated by reference. 52.246-4 -- Inspection of Services -- Fixed-Price. (August 1996) E.2 General Determination of the acceptability of each completed deliverable will be made by the Government in accordance with the inspection and acceptance requirements and standards of performance stated herein and in Section F. E.3 Inspection and Acceptance by the Government The Government will review and verify that all services associated with this contract have met requirements and standards stated in the contract. Final acceptance of all services performed as specified under this contract will be made in writing, by the Contracting Officer Representative (COR), as defined by contract. E.4 Inspection of Deliverables by the Government The Contracting Officer or Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR) will inspect each deliverable within 30 days of receipt by the Government. At the Government’s discretion, comments specifying improvements needed or minor deficiencies noted may be provided to the Contractor, along with an acceptance of the deliverable, in which case the Contractor may be required to document the corrections or improvements that were taken in the subsequent deliverable. However, major deficiencies in a deliverable may result in its rejection, to include the failure of a resubmission to address the improvements or deficiencies submitted by the COTR regarding the prior version of the deliverable. In the case of a rejection, specifics will be provided to the Contractor as to the reasons for the rejection, as well as a deadline for re-performance (correcting deficiencies and resubmitting the deliverable). There shall be no constructive or inferred acceptance of any deliverable if the Government fails to meet the review deadline; however, in such cases an equitable adjustment to the delivery schedule may be granted. A deliverable that does not fully satisfy a requirement could also be subject to acceptance with a penalty, e.g., an equitable price reduction for the deliverable or other consideration deemed appropriate by the Contracting Officer. The Government also reserves the right to monitor the Contractor’s performance in accordance with its proper authority and contractual rights. Authorized Government personnel may visit the appropriate work area of the Contractor and may either observe the Contractor performing the tasks or review documentation, as appropriate. Monitoring may also include analysis of the key personnel hours expended as reported in the monthly reports submitted. If key personnel hours show significant deviation below projected hours as detailed in the Offeror’s proposal, it could trigger an on-site inspection or other compliance actions. The COTR may also conduct evaluations to check compliance with the Contractor's approved quality control plan. E.5 Report Style Research reports submitted as deliverables under this contract shall be written and composed in a style suitable for publishing by the Government (i.e., conforms to U.S. Government Printing Office Style Manual standards--see http://www.gpoaccess.gov/stylemanual/browse.html). Section F: Deliveries or Performance F.1Places of Performance Continental United States; RMA Office, Kansas City, Missouri; and the Contractor’s Offices. F.2Ship To and Points of Contact Point of Contact - Contracting Officer (CO). The CO is the point of contact for clarifying contract issues or negotiations, and can be reached at the following addresses and phone number Contracting Officer Pamela Wellons mailto:pamela.wellons@kcc.usda.gov Telephone (816) 926-6084 Points of Contact - Contracting Officer’s Representative (COTR) – The COTR is the point of contact for administrative issues and for formal problem notification, and can be reached at the following address and phone number. Contracting Officer Technical Representative Terry Katzer mailto: Terrence.katzer@rma.usda.gov Telephone (816) 926-6237 F.3 Period of Performance From the date of contract award through July 30, 2009. The contractor shall propose the period of performance, allowing a minimum of 30-business day’s review for each deliverable proposed. Section G: Contract Administration Data G.1 Contract Administration This contract will be administered by the Contracting Officer and the assigned Contracting Officers Technical Representative (COTR). All communications pertaining to contractual or administrative matters under the contract shall be addressed to the assigned Contracting Officer. The Contractor will be notified, in writing, of the assigned COTR at the time of contract award. The Contracting Officer address is: Regular Mailing Address Hand carried and Overnight Mailing Address Pamela S. Wellons, Contracting Officer U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency (FSA) Acquisition Mgmt. Branch (AMB) P.O. Box 419205 Mailstop 8388 Kansas City, MO 64141-6205 9240 Troost Kansas City, MO 64131 Telephone: 816-926-6084 FAX: 816-627-0717 G.2 Contract Management G.2.1 Role of the Contracting Officer The Contracting Officer is the only person authorized to issue, modify, or terminate this contract. G.2.2 Role of the Contracting Officer Technical Representative(s) (COTR) The Contracting Officer will appoint a COR(s) in writing for the contract. The COR(s) will receive all status reports for the Government, and will represent the Contracting Officer in the technical phases of the contract. The COR(s) will not provide supervisory or instructional assistance to the contractor. The COR(s) is not authorized to change any terms and conditions of the Contract. Changes in the scope of work will be made only by the Contracting Officer by properly executed modifications to the contract. Additional responsibilities of the COR include: •Monitoring the Contractor’s performance to ensure compliance with technical requirements of the contract. •Review and approval of weekly mailing progress reports. •Verifying and certifying that the forms meet IRS and contract requirements. •Immediately notifying the CO if performance is not meeting contract requirements. •Ensuring that changes in work under this contract are not initiated before written authorization or a modification is issued by CO or Administrative Contracting Officer (ACO). •Providing the CO a written request and justification for all changes. •Visiting the Contractor’s facility to check privacy & security, performance capabilities and sample testing. •Preparing a performance report detailing compliance with contract requirements, timely completion and any problems associated with the contract. G.3 Billing and Payment G.3.1 Submission of Invoices The contractor shall submit the original and one copy of the invoice to a designated office identified below: Invoice Contact Representative Maureen Ferentz mailto: Maureen.ferentz@rma.usda.gov Telephone (816) 926-3477 Section I: Contract Clauses Clauses Incorporated by Reference (Feb 1998) This contract incorporates one or more clauses by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. Also, the full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at this/these address(es): http://farsite.hill.af.mil/vffara.htm The following clauses and provisions are hereby incorporated by reference: 52.202-1 -- Definitions. (July 2004) 52.203-3 – Gratuities. (April 1984) 52.203-5 -- Covenant Against Contingent Fees. (April 1984) 52.203-6 -- Restrictions on Subcontractor Sales to the Government. (Sep. 2006) 52.203-7 -- Anti-Kickback Procedures. (July 1995) 52.203-8 -- Cancellation, Rescission, and Recovery of Funds for Illegal or Improper Activity. (January 1997) 52.203-12 -- Limitation on Payments to Influence Certain Federal Transactions. (Sept 2007) 52.204-2 -- Security Requirements. (August 1996) 52.204-7 -- Central Contractor Registration. (April 2008) 52.209-6 -- Protecting the Governments Interest When Subcontracting with Contractors Debarred, Suspended, or Proposed for Debarment. (Sept 2006) 52.215-2 -- Audit and Records – Negotiation. (Dec 1989) 52.215-8 -- Order of Precedence -- Uniform Contract Format. (October 1997) 52.222-21 -- Prohibition of Segregated Facilities. (February 1999) 52.222-26 -- Equal Opportunity. (March 2007) 52.222-35 -- Equal Opportunity for Special Disabled Veterans, Veterans of the Vietnam Era, and Other Eligible Veterans. (Sept 2006) 52.222-36 -- Affirmative Action for Workers With Disabilities. (June 1998) 52.222-41 -- Service Contract Act of 1965. (November 2007) 52.222-44 -- Fair Labor Standards Act and Service Contract Act -- Price Adjustment. (Feb 2002) 52.223-6 -- Drug-Free Workplace. (May 2001) 52.223-14 -- Toxic Chemical Release Reporting. (August 2003) 52.224-1 -- Privacy Act Notification. (April 1984) 52.224-2 -- Privacy Act. (April 1984) 52.225-13 -- Restrictions on Certain Foreign Purchases. (June 2008) 52.227-14 -- Rights in Data – General. (December 2007) 52.229-3 -- Federal, State, and Local Taxes. (April 2003) 52.232-1 -- Payments. (April 1984) 52.232-9 -- Limitation on Withholding of Payments. (April 1984) 52.232-23 -- Assignment of Claims. (January 1986) 52.232-25 -- Prompt Payment. (October 2003) 52.232-33 -- Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer--Central Contractor Registration. (October 2003) 52.233-3 -- Protest After Award. (August 1996) 52.233-4 -- Applicable Law for Breach of Contract Claim. (October 2004) 52.239-1 -- Privacy or Security Safeguards. (August 1996) 52.242-13 -- Bankruptcy. (July 1995) 52.243-1 -- Changes -- Fixed-Price. Alternate I (April 1984) 52.244-6 -- Subcontracts for Commercial Items. (March 2007 52.246-25 -- Limitation of Liability – Services. (February 1997) 52.249-2 -- Termination for Convenience of the Government (Fixed-Price). (May 2004) 52.249-8 -- Default (Fixed-Price Supply and Service). (April 1984) Section K: Representations, certifications, and other statements of offerors or respondents 52.209-5 -- Certification Regarding Responsibility Matters. (May 2008) (a) (1) The Offeror certifies, to the best of its knowledge and belief, that -- (i) The Offeror and/or any of its Principals -- (A) Are * are not * presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, or declared ineligible for the award of contracts by any Federal agency; (B) Have * have not *, within a three-year period preceding this offer, been convicted of or had a civil judgment rendered against them for: commission of fraud or a criminal offense in connection with obtaining, attempting to obtain, or performing a public (Federal, state, or local) contract or subcontract; violation of Federal or state antitrust statutes relating to the submission of offers; or commission of embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification or destruction of records, making false statements, tax evasion, violating Federal criminal tax laws, or receiving stolen property; and (C) Are * are not * presently indicted for, or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity with, commission of any of the offenses enumerated in paragraph (a)(1)(i)(B) of this provision; and (D) Have [ ], have not [ ], within a three-year period preceding this offer, been notified of any delinquent Federal taxes in an amount that exceeds $3,000 for which the liability remains unsatisfied. (1) Federal taxes are considered delinquent if both of the following criteria apply: (i) The tax liability is finally determined. The liability is finally determined if it has been assessed. A liability is not finally determined if there is a pending administrative or judicial challenge. In the case of a judicial challenge to the liability, the liability is not finally determined until all judicial appeal rights have been exhausted. (ii) The taxpayer is delinquent in making payment. A taxpayer is delinquent if the taxpayer has failed to pay the tax liability when full payment was due and required. A taxpayer is not delinquent in cases where enforced collection action is precluded. (2) Examples. (i) The taxpayer has received a statutory notice of deficiency, under I.R.C. §6212, which entitles the taxpayer to seek Tax Court review of a proposed tax deficiency. This is not a delinquent tax because it is not a final tax liability. Should the taxpayer seek Tax Court review, this will not be a final tax liability until the taxpayer has exercised all judicial appeal rights. (ii) The IRS has filed a notice of Federal tax lien with respect to an assessed tax liability, and the taxpayer has been issued a notice under I.R.C. §6320 entitling the taxpayer to request a hearing with the IRS Office of Appeals contesting the lien filing, and to further appeal to the Tax Court if the IRS determines to sustain the lien filing. In the course of the hearing, the taxpayer is entitled to contest the underlying tax liability because the taxpayer has had no prior opportunity to contest the liability. This is not a delinquent tax because it is not a final tax liability. Should the taxpayer seek tax court review, this will not be a final tax liability until the taxpayer has exercised all judicial appeal rights. (iii) The taxpayer has entered into an installment agreement pursuant to I.R.C. §6159. The taxpayer is making timely payments and is in full compliance with the agreement terms. The taxpayer is not delinquent because the taxpayer is not currently required to make full payment. (iv) The taxpayer has filed for bankruptcy protection. The taxpayer is not delinquent because enforced collection action is stayed under 11 U.S.C. 362 (the Bankruptcy Code). (ii) The Offeror has [ ] has not [ ], within a three-year period preceding this offer, had one or more contracts terminated for default by any Federal agency. (2) “Principals,” for the purposes of this certification, means officers; directors; owners; partners; and, persons having primary management or supervisory responsibilities within a business entity (e.g., general manager; plant manager; head of a subsidiary, division, or business segment, and similar positions). This Certification Concerns a Matter Within the Jurisdiction of an Agency of the United States and the Making of a False, Fictitious, or Fraudulent Certification May Render the Maker Subject to Prosecution Under Section 1001, Title 18, United States Code. (b) The Offeror shall provide immediate written notice to the Contracting Officer if, at any time prior to contract award, the Offeror learns that its certification was erroneous when submitted or has become erroneous by reason of changed circumstances. (c) A certification that any of the items in paragraph (a) of this provision exists will not necessarily result in withholding of an award under this solicitation. However, the certification will be considered in connection with a determination of the Offeror’s responsibility. Failure of the Offeror to furnish a certification or provide such additional information as requested by the Contracting Officer may render the Offeror nonresponsible. (d) Nothing contained in the foregoing shall be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render, in good faith, the certification required by paragraph (a) of this provision. The knowledge and information of an Offeror is not required to exceed that which is normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings. (e) The certification in paragraph (a) of this provision is a material representation of fact upon which reliance was placed when making award. If it is later determined that the Offeror knowingly rendered an erroneous certification, in addition to other remedies available to the Government, the Contracting Officer may terminate the contract resulting from this solicitation for default. (End of Provision) Section L – Instructions, Conditions and Notices to Offerors 52.252-1 -- Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference. (Feb 1998) This solicitation incorporates one or more solicitation provisions by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. The offeror is cautioned that the listed provisions may include blocks that must be completed by the offeror and submitted with its quotation or offer. In lieu of submitting the full text of those provisions, the offeror may identify the provision by paragraph identifier and provide the appropriate information with its quotation or offer. Also, the full text of a solicitation provision may be accessed electronically at this/these address(es): http://farsite.hill.af.mil/vffara.htm_ (End of Provision) L.1 Instructions to Offerors The following provisions are hereby incorporated by reference: 52.215-1 -- Instructions to Offerors -- Competitive Acquisition. (January 2004) L.2 Provisions 52.233-2 -- Service of Protest. (Sep 2006) (a) Protests, as defined in section 33.101 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation, that are filed directly with an agency, and copies of any protests that are filed with the Government Accountability Office (GAO), shall be served on the Contracting Officer (addressed as follows) by obtaining written and dated acknowledgment of receipt from Steven Prado; Contract Specialist at P.O. Box 419205; Kansas City, MO 64154. (b) The copy of any protest shall be received in the office designated above within one day of filing a protest with the GAO. (End of Provision) L.3 Solicitation Release All solicitations and other instructions will be made available to the Offerors via e-mail or GSA FedBizzopps. Offerors are responsible for monitoring their designated company e-mail account. No other solicitation release notification will be provided. L.4 Alternate Proposals Contractors are cautioned and warned that neither alternate nor multiple proposals will be accepted or evaluated. The receipt of multiple offers demonstrates to the Government that the Contractor does not understand the basic requirements and will not be considered. Contractors may submit one proposal. Contractors should submit the proposal which presents their “best approach” to meet the requirements of the solicitation. L.5 Submission of Offers Failure to properly address the outer cover of an offer could be the cause of an offer being misdirected or received too late at the required destination. If the Offeror chooses to mail their offer it should be sent to the address below: Packing and Addressing – Failure to properly address the outer cover of an offer could be cause of an offer being misdirected or received too late at the required destination. If a contractor chooses to mail its proposal via regular mail, the proposal is not considered “received”, until the proposal is delivered to the Contracting Officer. United States Department of Agriculture Acquisition Management Division Attn: Steven Prado Beacon Facility – Mail Stop 8388 P.O. Box 419205 Kansas City, MO 64141-6205 For e-mail submission send to: steven.prado@kcc.usda.gov L.6 Notice of Exceptions to Solicitation Requirements In compliance with the requirement of this solicitation, offers shall make an affirmative statement in the cover letter of their proposal indicating that no exceptions to the solicitation have been taken. If the Offeror takes exception to any of the terms, conditions, clauses, etc., each exception shall be identified in the cover letter and cross-referenced to the specific place it appears in the solicitation. All deviations, exceptions or conditional assumptions taken with respect to the technical proposal instructions or requirements must be supported by sufficient rationale to justify further evaluation. Also, the benefit to the Government shall be explained for each exception or deviation taken, or conditional assumption made. Such exceptions, deviations or conditional assumptions will not, of themselves, automatically cause a proposal to be deemed unacceptable. However, a large number of exceptions, or one or more significant exception not providing benefit to the Government may result in rejection of the offer as unacceptable. Proposals may also be determined unacceptable if award is made without discussions and the offer contains exceptions or deviations taken or conditional assumptions made with respect to the requirements of the solicitation. L.7 Proposal Format Proposals submitted in response to this solicitation shall be formatted in accordance with the instructions provided in this section. The following general instructions apply: 1.The proposals must be prepared in one volume consisting of: a Technical Proposal and a Price Proposal. 2.Clarity and completeness are of the utmost importance in each proposal. Complex or costly presentation is neither required nor desired. 3.Address all aspects of the requirements. 4.Contractors are expected to examine the entire solicitation document. Failure to do so will be at the Contractor’s own risk. 5.Proposals shall set forth full, accurate, and complete information as required by this solicitation document (including any/all attachments, appendices, exhibits, etc.) The penalty for making false statements in proposals is prescribed in 18 U.S.C. 1001. 6.The Government will evaluate proposals in accordance with the evaluation criteria set forth in Section M. 7.Proposals will be sent to Steven.Prado@kcc.usda.gov. Proposals should be in either Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat PDF format. Questions regarding this solicitation shall be directed to Mr. Steven Prado at the email address listed or (816) 926-6759. Regular MailHand carried Proposals and Overnight Mailing Steven Prado USDA,FSA,AMD, KCAB Mail Stop 8388 P.O. Box 419205 Kansas City, MO 64141-6205 Steven Prado USDA, FSA, AMD, KCAB Room 108 9240 Troost Ave. Kansas City, MO 64131 L.8 Instructions for Preparation of Technical and Price Proposals L.8.1 General Guidelines for Technical Proposal The following general guidelines shall be used to develop the technical proposal. Technical proposals are limited to 20 pages, on standard letter-size paper. All pages shall have a minimum of a 1-inch margin on the top, bottom, left, and right. Page numbering, offeror identification, and disclaimers may be placed in the 1-inch margin. Font size shall be no smaller than 10-point. The 1-inch margin required for text pages is not required for foldouts. Electronic versions of the proposal shall be submitted in Microsoft Word™, Excel™, and Project™, as appropriate. The number of copies to be submitted, to which location, and in what form shall be as directed by the Request for Proposal (RFP). The Government will not count the following documents toward the 20-page limit: •Charts, Tables and Graphs (when on separate pages); •Examples of existing reports on climate change of insurance, and climate change models on insurance agreements; •Letter of Transmittal (cover letter); •Title Pages; •Divider Pages; •Table of Contents; and •List of Exhibits L.9Technical Proposal In response to this solicitation, offerors shall submit a technical proposal that contains their proposed solution(s) to the SOW objectives. The technical proposal shall include: L.9.1Technical Approach, containing a technical discussion covering the following points: •An explanation of the steps the offeror would take to provide an analysis of the potential long-term implications of climate change on crop insurance and the development of a program impact model that incorporates the impacts identified to the Standard Reinsurance Agreement (SRA). •The contractor is also asked to provide examples of existing reports they have completed on impact of climate change to any type of insurance, and climate change models they have developed on insurance agreements. A list of key personnel (those who would have primary responsibility for performing and/or managing the effort, including subcontractors) with their qualifications and specific experience; and specific organizational experience for previous work of this nature that the key personnel or organization have performed within the last five (5) years. L.9.2Project Management Plan containing: •A work breakdown structure (WBS) organized around the contract deliverables, and identifying work activities (tasks) down to the work package level, and labor resource estimates (categories and hours) assigned to each task; •A clear statement of the deliverables to be provided, the delivery schedule, which shall identify the number of calendar days the deliverables are due to RMA from contract award or project start date; •A performance requirements summary containing performance standards and metrics that the Government can use to monitor contract performance and assess quality of deliverables; and •Quality Control Plan that details how the offeror will identify and maintain quality standards, keep the project on time during each task, and monitor and report task progress. The plan should include: oA method to monitor and report task progress; oA detailed narrative specifying the quality control progress flow including who reviews, rejects, or accepts work and how that information is reported, stored, and processed; oWhat corrective actions will be taken to meet deliverable due dates if the task is off schedule; and oA quality control matrix of the productive hours each skill type will devote to quality control on each task. L.9.3Past Performance: The offeror will submit the following information with regards to past performance for similar work performed: •A list of three (3) references for contracts performed within the last three (3) years for the Federal Government and/or commercial customers that demonstrate recent and relevant past performance for the type of work described in this Statement of Work. •Include the following information: oProject title and description; oContract number, type of contract, and amount; oGovernment agency or organization; oCOTR’s name, address and telephone number; oCurrent status; (e.g. completed and/or if in progress, start and estimated completion dates.) oKey personnel; and (please highlight those individuals who worked on the relevant project(s) and are also being proposed for this effort.) oA brief narrative of why you deem the reference to be relevant to this effort and the SOW paragraph to which the reference applies. Note: The government may also consider information obtained through other sources. Past performance information will be utilized to determine the quality of the contractor’s past performance as it relates to the probability of success of the required effort. If a contractor does not have past performance information they will be provided a neutral rating. L.10 General Guidelines for Cost Proposal Price Proposal The Price and Cost (Business) Proposal shall include a price breakdown that includes not only the total contract price (or estimated cost if cost reimbursable contract type is proposed), but also shows the labor categories and charges, other direct costs, travel expenses and miscellaneous or material costs for deliverables and major components of deliverables in order to facilitate the Government’s assessment of cost realism and performance risk. The price/cost proposal must include the following: •Prices for all work identified in this solicitation, along with labor categories and charges, other direct charges, travel expenses and methodology for determining travel costs, and other direct costs shall be shown for the deliverables and major components of deliverables in order to facilitate the Government’s assessment of cost realism and performance risk. •Subcontractors, Consultants, and Subject Matter Experts (SME’s): Each offeror’s written price/cost proposal shall contain the following information for each subcontractor, consultant, and SME that will provide work under this proposal: oName of the company or individual; oType of work, hourly rate, and number of hours; oTotal cost to the Government Payment Schedule: Offerors shall propose a payment schedule suitable for the type of contract proposed. For firm-fixed-price contracts, the proposed payment schedule may correspond to actual deliverables submitted under the contract. L. 11Other Proposal Information The party authorized to bind the company must sign all proposals. Section M: Proposal Evaluation Criteria M.1 General a. The Government is conducting this source selection in accordance with the competitive negotiation source selection procedures contained in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), part 15. b. In accordance with FAR 52.215 1 (f), the Government intends to award a contract to the responsible offerors whose proposals represent the best value. Per FAR Part 2, best value is defined as the expected outcome of an acquisition that, in the Government's estimation, provides the greatest overall benefit in response to the requirement. The Government will conduct the best value analysis using the factors listed in Section M.3. In performing its best value analysis, the Government will compare any relevant differences among the evaluated proposals to determine which proposal offers the overall best value. This effort will include comparing the strengths, weaknesses and risks associated with each offer. c. The Government intends to evaluate proposals and award contracts without discussions with offerors except clarifications if necessary as described in FAR 15.306(a) and will evaluate each offer on the basis of the offeror's initial proposal. Therefore, the initial proposal should contain the offerors' best terms from a technical and price standpoint. d. When conducting the evaluation, the Government may use data included by offerors in their proposals, as well as data obtained from other sources. Each offeror is responsible for ensuring that the information provided is thorough, accurate, and complete. M.2 Basis for Award The Government will make an award to the offeror whose proposal is determined to represent the best overall value based on the pass/fail criterion and evaluation factors listed in M.4. FSA has established a Technical Evaluation Board (TEB) to evaluate proposals submitted for this acquisition. Proposals will be evaluated by the TEB members in accordance with the procedures contained in FAR part 15, and the Evaluation Factors hereinafter described. M.3 Technical Evaluation Factors for Award Proposals will be rated and ranked on evaluation factors listed below. Proposals are evaluated based on information in the proposal. All technical evaluation factors other than cost or price, when combined, are significantly more important than cost or price. But as technical proposals approach parity, price will become more important. The proposed prices will be evaluated separately but in conjunction with the technical proposal elements. A proposed price that is considered by the Government to be too low to accomplish the proposed technical approach may constitute a potential performance risk to the Government in terms of quality and ability to meet delivery schedules. M.4 Proposal Evaluation Factors (in descending order of importance) M.4.1Technical Approach This factor evaluates the Offeror’s Technical Approach for an analysis of the potential long-term implications of climate change on crop insurance and the development of a program impact model that incorporates the impacts identified to the Standard Reinsurance Agreement (SRA). Aspects that will be considered include analytical rigor, use of appropriate statistical methods, and knowledge of crop insurance. Corporate expertise will be evaluated based upon the submitted reports the contractor has completed on climate change impacts to any type of insurance, and climate change models on insurance agreements (The submitted reports can be submitted as part of the contractor’s appendix and therefore is not included in the page limitation for the proposal submission). Key Personnel will be evaluated based on the individual skills, education, and experience of the key personnel proposed for this project. Individual team member listings shall be limited to one page, utilizing at least 12-point font. M.4.2Project Management Plan (WBS, delivery schedule & Quality Control Plan): Proposals that demonstrate the most effective, efficient and optimal technique to meet the criteria outlined in the solicitation for listed goals, objectives, and requirements found in section C will receive a higher evaluation. M.4.3Past Performance: On this factor the Government will evaluate the quality of previous work products the Offeror and its key personnel have produced. Offerors that combine greater professional competence with a demonstrated ability to deliver consistently high quality products will receive a higher evaluation. Aspects to be considered include the customer’s perspective on: •Usefulness and value of the services and products delivered (e.g., recommendations in previous work products are generally adopted); •The key objectives and initial intent of the contracts are met (customer expectations); •Previous work products contained relatively few substantial deficiencies, and the requested corrections are quickly and correctly made or satisfactorily explained; and •Previous work products contained detailed, logical, and insightful analysis and recommendation, use of appropriate statistical methods, insight into potential program vulnerabilities, etc. M.5Price Evaluation The Government will evaluate the following areas: (a) Price Reasonableness: The proposal will be evaluated to determine reasonableness of the price. A comparison of the proposed prices, Independent Government Cost Estimate, and/or market values will be used to evaluate price. Should price competition not exist, a cost analysis may be necessary to establish price reasonableness. (b) Price Realism: The Offerors are placed on notice that any offers that are unrealistic in terms of technical commitment or unrealistically low price will be deemed reflective of an inherent lack of technical competence or indicative of failure to comprehend the complexity and risk of contract requirements and may be grounds for rejection of the offer. (c) Cost Realism: Cost realism may be performed, if appropriate, as part of the offer’s evaluation process. The purpose of this evaluation shall be: (1) To verify the offeror understands the requirements (2) To assess the degree to which cost/price offers reflects the approaches and/or risk assessment made in the technical proposal as well as the risk the offeror will provide the supplies or services for the offered price/cost; and (3) Assess the degree in which the costs included in the cost/price proposal accurately represents the work effort included in the technical offer. M.6 Evaluation Method To be considered acceptable and eligible for evaluation, offers shall be prepared in accordance with and comply with the instructions set forth in this solicitation. M.7 The Government will rank the offeror’s capabilities for “Technical Approach Methodology”, “Project Management Plan” and “Past Performance”, using the following rating system. Evaluation Rating Standards Rating Standard Exceptional An exceptional factor contains significant strengths and no weaknesses. The factor exceeds the performance and technical requirements defined in the SOW. The factor offers value-added methodologies for improving service that benefits the Government. The evaluator has no doubt that the Offeror can successfully achieve the requirements in the SOW if the technical proposal proposed is followed. The Offeror acknowledges risks and develops an approach that proactively identifies and mitigates risks, and looks to reduce or eliminate future risks. Good A good factor contains significant strengths, and only a few minor weaknesses. The Offeror’s factor meets the performance and technical requirements as defined in the SOW. The evaluator has a high degree of confidence that the Offeror can successfully achieve the requirements in the SOW if the technical proposal proposed is followed. The Offeror acknowledges technical or schedule risk and develops an approach capable of mitigating all apparent risks effectively. Acceptable An acceptable factor contains strengths that outweigh any existing weaknesses. The Offeror’s factor meets the performance and technical capability requirements defined in the SOW. The evaluator is confident that the Offeror can successfully achieve the requirements in the SOW if the technical proposal proposed is followed. Marginal The factor meets the bare minimum performance and technical requirements defined in the SOW, and at the same time have significant weaknesses. The evaluator is not confident that the Offeror can successfully complete the required tasking without significant Government oversight or participation. The factor either fails to address risks or the quoted risk mitigation approach is not deemed to be sufficient to manage the risk. Unacceptable An unacceptable factor that contains one or more significant weaknesses and deficiencies. Factor fails to meet specified minimum performance and technical requirements defined in the SOW. The evaluator is confident that the Offeror will be unable to successfully complete the required tasking. The factor does not adequately acknowledge or address risk, mitigate risk, or may actually introduce risk.
Web Link: FedBizOpps Complete View
(https://www.fbo.gov/?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=701a7241a4f6d4e32aaec2fc92655c41&tab=core&_cview=1)
Place of Performance: Address: Kansas City, Missouri, 64131, United States; Zip Code: 64131
Record: SN01630163-W 20080806/080804221456-701a7241a4f6d4e32aaec2fc92655c41 (fbodaily.com)
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