MODIFICATION
R -- South and Southeast Asia: Emergency Communications Definitional Mission
- Notice Date
- 5/24/2005
- Notice Type
- Modification
- NAICS
- 541611
— Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services
- Contracting Office
- United States Trade and Development Agency, USTDA Contracts Office, USTDA, 1000 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 1600, Arlington, VA, 22209-3901
- ZIP Code
- 22209-3901
- Solicitation Number
- USTDA-05-Q-21-270
- Response Due
- 6/1/2005
- Archive Date
- 6/16/2005
- Small Business Set-Aside
- Total Small Business
- Description
- SCOPE OF WORK ?DEFINITIONAL MISSION? FOR ADVISORY AND ASSISTANCE SERVICES BY NON-GOVERNMENTAL SOURCES FOR HAWAII, INDIA, INDONESIA, SRI LANKA, AND THAILAND.? PROJECT TITLE: HAWAII, INDIA, INDONESIA, SRI LANKA, AND THAILAND: EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS DEFINITIONAL MISSION 1 SCOPE OF WORK The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (?USTDA?) requires services under this non-personal services Contract to support or improve its decision-making relative to the funding of projects and activities in developing and middle income countries. The Contractor shall provide a report to USTDA, which will: 1.2 assess and justify whether or not USTDA should provide funding for proposed study, technical assistance or other trade capacity building activity(ies) herein after referred to as ?study(ies)?; 1.3 assess any alternative study or activities which the Contractor sees as viable options for USTDA/U.S. Government consideration; 1.4 evaluate a minimum of two studies in each country to recommend for USTDA funding; and 1.5 provide supporting analysis and recommendations on the above information in a final report that analyzes all the relevant issues. 2 DELIVERY & PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS 2.1 KICK-OFF MEETING WITH THE USTDA PROGRAM OFFICE Upon award, the Contractor shall contact USTDA?s Contracting Officer?s Technical Representative to schedule a meeting to discuss details of the Contract assignment. Unless otherwise advised by the COTR, this meeting will be held at USTDA?s office in Arlington, Virginia. The COTR shall provide the Contractor with names and addresses of the project sponsor(s), other pertinent entities to contact in the United States and overseas, and any other relevant details that may impact upon the design and/or evaluation of the proposed project(s). 2.2 PRE-VISIT REPORT (3-5 PAGES) Prior to departure to the host countries, the Contractor shall provide the COTR a pre-visit written report containing the proposed schedule or itinerary, preliminary strategies or findings on viability of the project(s), financing options, U.S. company interest in the project (s), a list of contacts to be made during the visit and a pre-visit checklist of issues, information and questions to be utilized during the visit. The Contractor shall consult with USAID, NOAA, DHS-FEMA, U.S. Geological Survey, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and the U.S. private sector to discuss potential projects and funding. 2.3 USTDA RESPONSIBILITY USTDA will advise the U.S. Embassy in the host countries of the Contractor?s proposed travel itinerary prior to departure and request that the Commercial Section of the Embassy provide the Contractor with names and addresses of appropriate host country officials with whom to meet. 2.4 CONTRACTOR?S RESPONSIBILITY AND BACKGROUND USTDA has approved up to $90,000 for a Definitional Mission (DM) to Hawaii, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand to review potential technical assistance, feasibility studies, and other activities related to emergency communication systems and an integrated communications backbone for disaster mitigation and risk management. Communication links have always been a critical component of disaster response, reduction and relief. The tragic events in South and Southeast Asia, resulting from the earthquake and tsunami in December 2004, are the most recent example. During Ambassador Howard H. Baker Jr.?s address at the January 2005 World Conference on Disaster Reduction in Kobe, Japan, he asserted that the United States Government is committed to strengthening the world?s ability to reduce risk from hazards in order to prevent those risks from turning into disasters. This includes warning systems that alert the public about all major hazards and that communicate warning messages via all available notification technologies. The support of early warning systems and backbone communications projects in India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand promotes economic development through the improvement of each country?s emergency communications infrastructure, productivity improvement, and disaster mitigation technology transfer. The United States is one of the most advanced nations in the field of information communication technologies, and U.S. companies are well-represented and particularly active through USAID and development-bank financed projects in South and Southeast Asia. The goal of public warning is to reduce the damage and loss of life caused by a natural or man-made hazardous event because people that are properly alerted will be better able to respond to the emergency. To assure that everyone can be alerted, it is essential to leverage all available communications media as appropriate, including broadcast or individual targeting. The content of alert messages is now being standardized across all hazard types, including severe weather, fires, earthquakes and tsunami. Operational systems based on international standards have shown that a single authoritative and secure alert message can quickly launch Internet messages, news feeds, television text captions, highway sign messages and synthesized voice over automated telephone calls or radio broadcasts. Appropriate communications systems and coordination among local authorities are two key components of effective disaster early warning systems. Technical assistance is needed to define a system for India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Maldives that will provide a suitable means for warning reception, warning dissemination, and community preparedness. Capacity enhancement for disaster risk management is needed, including communications infrastructure development. A successful system in these countries should also be able to be subsequently replicated in other countries in the region. This DM shall evaluate projects to help Indian Ocean countries prepare for natural disasters and other hazards. This work will contribute to a better communications system that will allow governments and local entities in Indian Ocean countries to better communicate and to respond to emergencies. A key goal is to promote the development of effective response capabilities to a range of natural and man-caused disasters and emergencies. Another goal related to warning systems is the promotion of interoperability of the various national systems as a regional approach emerges. While many donor countries and international organizations are providing technical and capacity building assistance in this area, this USTDA-funded DM will focus on command and control and backbone infrastructure for emergency communication systems. The Contractor shall evaluate possible technical assistance support for early warning systems as well. The Contractor must consult and coordinate assistance plans with NOAA, USGS, DHS-FEMA, USAID, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and others. USTDA June 6-10 Asia-Pacific All Hazards Workshop will be an excellent opportunity to meet key officials from both the U.S. Government and the South and Southeast Asia region to gather information and ideas. USTDA will consider projects that leverage other donor assistance. In addition, USTDA will place priority on leveraging U.S. private sector contributions and support for projects that have a mutual economic benefit. 2.5 CONTRACTOR?S HOST COUNTRY TRAVEL The Contractor shall travel to the host countries no later than July 2005 to meet with relevant project officials and with the U.S. Embassy. The Contractor shall spend at least 3-4 business days each in India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand. While a visit to the Maldives is not required, the Contractor shall be responsible for reviewing and considering assistance for that country. The Contractor shall contact the Commercial Economic Section at the U.S. Embassy in each country upon arrival and prior to departure for briefing and debriefing meetings. While the Embassy may be able to assist the Contractor in arranging some initial meetings with host country officials, the Contractor is responsible for arranging the meetings as well as logistics for the visit, i.e., hotel accommodations, transportation, and interpretation services. In some cases, the Contractor may need to Contract with a local entity to assist with these logistics. Local entities may not provide the technical work of substance for the creation of the DM report. The Contractor shall also participate in USTDA?s June 6-10, 2005 Asia-Pacific All Hazards Workshop in Hawaii for a minimum of 3 days. 2.6 CONTRACTOR MEANINGFUL DISCUSSIONS The Contractor shall hold meaningful discussions with appropriate contacts to determine and gauge the interest of potential project financiers and potential U.S. suppliers and assess whether the proposed project(s) is economically, financially, and technically viable. The Contractor shall consult with USAID, NOAA, DHS-FEMA, U.S. Geological Survey, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and the U.S. private sector to discuss potential projects and funding. The Contractor shall investigate projects related to command and control, backbone systems and emergency communications technology solutions, among others. The Contractor shall analyze the potential procurement of U.S. goods and services for project implementation by categories and dollar values. The analysis shall include an assessment of the project risks and its financial viability, the priority of the project and political/social/organizational support it has, potential sources of financing, and the capability and experience of the project sponsor. The analysis shall also include an assessment of the social and economic development impacts of the proposed project and any related impacts on trade capacity building in each host country. 2.7 USTDA REPORT OBJECTIVES If the Contractor recommends that USTDA fund the study (ies) in a phased approach, and/or if any outstanding issues should be resolved or conditions met before funding is approved, those phases, issues and/or conditions should be clearly explained in the recommendation. 2.7.1 The Contractor shall provide a final report to the USTDA, which will: 2.7.1.1 assess and justify whether or not USTDA should provide funding for a study of the proposed project(s); 2.7.1.2 assess any alternative or other activities which the Contractor sees as viable options for USTDA consideration; and 2.7.1.3 provide recommendations on the above information in a final report that analyzes all relevant issues 2.7.1.4 evaluate all studies in the context of the overall assistance package 2.7.2 Contractor recommendations shall be based upon USTDA funding criteria, which are that the project must: 2.7.2.1 be likely to receive implementation financing, and in addition, have a procurement process that provides ?equal access? to U.S. firms; 2.7.2.2 represent an opportunity for sales of U.S. goods and services that is many times greater than the initial investment of USTDA assistance; 2.7.2.3 be a development priority of the project sponsor and country where the project is located and have the endorsement of the U.S. Embassy in that nation; and 2.7.2.4 involve U.S. companies that are facing market entry problems and/or strong competition from foreign companies, which often receive subsidies, and other support from their governments. 3 DEFINITIONAL MISSION FINAL REPORT 3.1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (1-2 PAGES) The Contractor shall submit an executive summary of the report?s findings and recommendations. 3.2 PROJECT DESCRIPTION (3-5 PAGES) The Contractor shall submit a description and history of the project, including, among other things, host country and/or other project sponsors, sector, project location, source of raw materials, infrastructure requirements, proposed technological approach, legal and regulatory framework (licenses, permits, etc.), implementation schedule, economic fundamentals (estimated capital cost, operating costs, expected revenues, etc), and any other key variables or issues that the Contractor deems critical as part of a thorough activity/project evaluation. 3.3 PROJECT SPONSOR?S CAPABILITIES AND COMMITMENT (1-2 PAGES) The Contractor shall submit a description of the host country project sponsor(s) business/government operations or authority and an assessment of the project sponsor?s commitment and ability to implement the project. This should include a description of the project sponsor?s previous commitments, business activities or government mandate. 3.4 IMPLEMENTATION FINANCING (2-4 PAGES) The Contractor shall submit a review of the financing options for project implementation, including an assessment of the overall cost estimate of the project and, for projects involving potential U.S. equity investment, the project?s proposed debt-equity structure to ensure that it corresponds to the requirements of the prospective lenders (this aspect is critical to USTDA?s decision making). As part of this review, the Contractor is required to contact officials from the potential financing institutions, including, where appropriate, multilateral lending institutions, Ex-Im Bank, OPIC, and private/commercial sources, to assure that the project sponsors have adequately explored their financing options. The Contractor shall provide names and phone numbers of contacts at the potential lending institutions and summarize their comments. The Contractor must determine the most likely source(s) of implementation financing and ensure that the terms of reference for any proposed study fulfill the requirements of the most likely source(s), or suggest appropriate revisions to ensure that they do. 3.5 U.S. EXPORT POTENTIAL (1-2 PAGES) The Contractor shall submit a best estimate of potential procurement of U.S. goods and services for project implementation. This estimate should be supported by a breakdown by category and dollar value of goods and services likely to be imported for the project and an illustrative list of potential U.S. suppliers of the goods and services for those goods and services listed as likely U.S. exports. A report of discussions with a reasonable number of U.S. companies that could be exporters, and their level of interest in the project, should also be included. 3.6 FOREIGN COMPETITION AND MARKET ENTRY ISSUES (1-2 PAGES) The Contractor shall discuss the foreign competition for goods and services likely to be procured for project implementation by category, including a discussion of U.S. industry competitiveness in each category, taking into account geographic factors, local industry capabilities, technology and licensee issues, past procurement tendencies of the project sponsor, and how the procurement is likely to be conducted. The contractor shall discuss the extent to which market entry issues impede trade and how the project will help overcome these obstacles. 3.7 DEVELOPMENTAL IMPACT (2-3 PAGES) The Contractor shall submit an assessment of the development impact of the project (s) on the host country. In this section, the Contractor shall discuss two aspects of ?developmental impact?. 3.7.1 Primary Developmental Benefits - The Contractor shall discuss the most important benefits that the project(s) will provide to the host country. Items of primary interest to USTDA include: Infrastructure (including any positive environmental impacts); Human Capacity Building (including jobs and training); Technology Transfer and Productivity Improvements; and Market-Oriented Reforms. Other host country economic development benefits such as financial revenue enhancements, increased good governance and others should also be mentioned where appropriate (For more detail see the Guidance on USTDA Development Impact Measures at www.ustda.gov/resources ) 3.7.2 Alternatives ? Are there competing ways to achieve host country objectives? At the Definitional Mission stage, it will not be possible to address these questions definitively, but the DM Contractor, at a minimum, shall define and comment on the broad alternatives available to the host country project sponsor. 3.8 IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT (1-2 PAGES) The Contractor shall submit a statement regarding the likely consequences the proposed project(s) may have on the environment and ensure that the terms of reference for the study include, at a minimum, a preliminary review of the project?s impact on the environment, with reference to local environmental requirements and those of potential lending agencies. The study should identify potential negative impacts and discuss the extent to which they can be minimized. 3.9 IMPACT ON U.S. LABOR (1-2 PAGES) The Contractor shall submit an assessment of the impact of the project(s) on U.S. labor, addressing the legislative prohibitions on the use of Foreign Assistance Funds described in Annex I. 3.10 QUALIFICATIONS (1-2 PAGES) The Contractor shall submit the study team qualifications required to conduct the study(ies) and the evaluation criteria to be used by the Project Sponsor in cases of completed study(ies). 3.11 JUSTIFICATION (1-2 PAGES) The Contractor shall provide an explanation of why USTDA?s grant funding is needed. PLEASE SEE AMENDMENT 2 FOR REMAINDER OF STATEMENT OF WORK
- Place of Performance
- Address: Headquarters, USTDA, 1000 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 1600, Arliington, Virginia,
- Zip Code: 22209-3901
- Country: USA
- Zip Code: 22209-3901
- Record
- SN00814836-W 20050526/050524212630 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
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