SPECIAL NOTICE
M -- Management and Operation of the Wood Education and Resource Center
- Notice Date
- 10/14/2003
- Notice Type
- Special Notice
- Contracting Office
- Minerals Management Service GovWorks (Franchise) 381 Elden Street, MS 2510 Herndon VA 20170
- ZIP Code
- 20170
- Solicitation Number
- DOI-SNOTE-031014-002
- Archive Date
- 10/13/2004
- Description
- The Department of Interior, Minerals Management Service (GovWorks), intends to make a sole source award to the Society of American Foresters, a non-profit organization. This announcement is in accordance with FAR 6.302-1, only one responsible source and no other supplies or service will satisfy agency requirements. This non-competitive action is being issued by GovWorks under the authority of the Department of Interior Franchise Fund on behalf of the United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Area, State and Private Forestry. This acquisition action will be a sole source contract for the management and operation of the Wood Education and Resource Center (WERC) in Princeton, West Virginia. The total estimated value of this procurement is $15,000,000 with a period of performance for 5 years. Over the life of the contract, the contractor will perform the following: " Maintain, manage, and operate the Wood Education Resource Center. " Provide qualified staffing including project management; subject matter experts in forestry, workforce development, primary and secondary forest products manufacturing; distance learning expertise; small woodshop management; administrative support; and, facility maintenance. " Develop annual budgets. " Develop annual maintenance plan and Implement scheduled maintenance. " Conduct annual safety/security inspection and assure compliance. " Assess equipment needs and develop an equipment acquisition schedule. " Acquire needed equipment (rent, lease, buy). " Develop usage policies for shared equipment. " Develop and operate a forestry and forest products Information Clearing House, including a help desk technical assistance function. " Conduct conferences, workshops, seminars and training programs at Princeton, West Virginia and other locations. " Develop and deliver distance learning programs. " Prepare newsletters and publications. " Collaborate with others in applied research projects. " Develop and implement revenue streams for WERC. " Implement technology transfer projects. " Provide technical assistance for work force development activities. " Offer technical assistance in partnership development, communication, and public/community relations. " Perform functions necessary for staff development and evaluation. " Manage the WERC equipment timeshare operation. " Establish and maintain a detailed accounting and fiscal management program. " Develop and maintain performance measurement metrics, data acquisition, monitoring and evaluation and related management information systems. " Accommodate other activities determined by the government to support the WERC mission. The Contractor must provide highly specialized expertise and experience sufficient to support activities along the continuum from forest management through secondary processing and marketing plus technical assistance in forestry and forest products workforce and management skill development. Mission critical activities and core competencies required to ensure effectiveness and efficiency include: 1. Activity: Establishment of distance learning delivery networks in relation to serving the needs of the American forestry and forest products community. Core Competency: Organizational structure and relationships necessary to ensure that training and educational programs developed by, or in behalf of WERC are effectively delivered to end users. Requirements: Adult learning effectiveness requires the combination of lecture formats with more active, hands on learning opportunities. The contractor must provide qualified personnel and logistics support at the regional, state, and local level to assist in the development and delivery of distance learning programs. 2. Activity: Development of an information clearinghouse for the needs of the American forestry and forest products community. Core Competency: Access to significant and diverse subject matter expertise critical to the design and implementation of an information clearinghouse of national significance; demonstrated leadership ability in successfully engaging the diverse perspectives of the natural resource community to assure that information products and services reflect the needs of an increasingly sophisticated and demanding information consumer. Requirements: The assembly of highly respected experts to guide the development and implementation of the clearinghouse to ensure that information provided is: " Of high quality and reliability " User friendly " Relevant to the needs of practitioners - solutions focused " Delivered thru appropriate technologies " Communicated appropriately 3. Activity: Development and delivery of training and educational programs for the needs of the American forestry and forest products community. Core Competency: Ability to direct a process of identification and synthesis of programming needs, access to subject matter expertise which can assist in the development and delivery of content, intimate knowledge of policy initiatives and regulatory changes that may require specialized training, professional standing to assure that programs developed meet educational requirements and expectations of participants, regulatory bodies or other certifying agencies. Requirements: A highly refined ability to identify needs, develop programming, market educational opportunities, and deliver high quality programming. 4. Activity: Development of technical assistance and technology transfer applications and tools for the needs of the American forestry and forest products community. Core Competency: Extensive familiarity with the applications and tools most relevant to the forestry community Requirements: On-going and detailed interactions with practitioners, technical assistance providers, and academia to ensure that applications and tools developed in partnership with others produce practice solutions to problems confronting the target audience. Additional considerations include contractor: ? experience and capabilities in collaborating with diverse constituencies having an interest in the sustainability of forest resources ? experience in developing and marketing initiatives to support continuing education needs of forestry community professionals ? experience planning, organizing, and implementing projects and events national in scale, including: - Management of activities involving multiple sub-contractors and vendors - Quality assurance - Marketing and communication network creation and operation - Financial management and cost control practices - Processes and procedures for program content development The Society of American Foresters is a 501c(3) professional corporation begun in 1903. SAF is the national scientific and educational organization representing the forestry profession in the United States. The mission of the Society of American Foresters is to advance the science, education, technology, and practice of forestry; to enhance the competency of its members; to establish professional excellence; and, to use the knowledge, skills, and conservation ethic of the profession to ensure the continued health and use of forest ecosystems and the present and future availability of forest resources to benefit society. The mission of the Wood Education and Resource Center reflects: o Congressional direction creating the WERC o Client and partner expectations regarding the delivery of information and training o Rapidly evolving societal and economic concerns about natural resources o Advances in manufacturing technology and the life sciences o Emerging innovations in technology transfer enabled by distance learning o The complexity of challenges within the 32-state eastern hardwood region The Society of American Foresters brings unique strengths in support of the WERC mission, including: o A mission closely mirroring that of the Wood Education and Resource Center o A national network of scientists, educators, forestry practitioners and policy makers focused on emerging issues o Credible experience in facilitating collaborative solutions to complex issues o Members and partners at the regional, state, and local level able to identify needs and deliver training and information programs to forestry practitioners o Organizational capabilities and management expertise necessary to consistently produce and distribute timely and credible information products on a national scale o Organizational competency in effectively managing large projects that utilize a combination of professional staff and specialized subcontractor vendors o Commitment to the use of distance learning technologies to meet the information and training needs of its membership and the American forestry community. No other entity provides advantages offered by the Society of American Foresters. Alternative contractor candidates, if available, would require an extended period of intensive orientation, coalition building, and competency development to match the current capabilities of the Society of American Foresters. Development of equivalent strengths by another contractor would result in an unacceptable delay. Further delays to the implementation of the WERC strategic plan and fulfillment of its mission cannot be considered by the Forest Service and will not be viewed positively by Congress. The intent of this synopsis is for informational purposes only. This is NOT a request for competitive quotes. All responsible sources may respond by submitting a written narrative statement of capability within 15 days of date of notice to Susan Benik at the above address for consideration by the agency. Technical capability will be determined solely on the content and merit of the information submitted in response to this provision. Therefore, it is incumbent on the interested party to provide sufficient technical literature, documentation, etc. in order for the Government to make an adequate technical assessment. The Government reserves the right to process the procurement on a sole source basis based upon the responses received. The Government will not pay for any information received. POC: Department of Interior; Attention: Susan Benik, 381 Elden Street - MS 2510, Herndon, VA 20170. Questions must be faxed to the attention of Susan Benik at (703) 787-1022 or emailed to Susan.Benik@mms.gov. TELEPHONIC QUESTIONS OR REQUESTS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED OR ACKNOWLEDGED.
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