SOURCES SOUGHT
R -- Conservation Aide
- Notice Date
- 4/27/2006
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 561110
— Office Administrative Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Pennsylvania State Office, One Credit Union Place, Suite 340, Harrisburg, PA, 17110-2993
- ZIP Code
- 17110-2993
- Solicitation Number
- 2
- Response Due
- 5/5/2006
- Archive Date
- 5/8/2006
- Small Business Set-Aside
- Total Small Business
- Description
- NRCS Pennsylvania is considering a position using the following draft statement of work. This is a small business set aside. The awardee must obtain a Dun & Bradstreet number, register on the Central Contractor Registery at WWW.CCR.GOV and complete the Online Certifications and Represenations at https://orca.bpn.gov prior to award. STATEMENT OF WORK 1. TITLE. Conservation Planning and Implementation Aide (CPIA) 2. GENERAL. The services of a CPIA will be under the supervision of a District Conservationist (DC) and will work in cooperation with other professional Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) staff as required to assist with Farm Bill Program workload primarily for Blair County with a position located at the NRCS office in Hollidaysburg, PA. There may be some occasions when services will be required in Cambria and Somerset Counties and when that occurs, the reporting location will remain the Hollidaysburg Field Office and travel will be provided. These are commercial services for a three county area of Blair, Cambria and Somerset Counties. Services are support functions for professional agency Soil Conservationists and other staff to help process program applications, gather and assemble conservation planning and contracting data and assist with field work that is required to properly plan, design, layout, construct and document installation of conservation works of improvement. The services will require attainment of knowledge necessary to utilize NRCS automation tools for application processing, conservation planning, contracting and progress reporting and to recognize on a limited basis, resource issues and conservation practices and systems to use to treat them as necessary to facilitate compilation of detailed data from professional agency staff for plan and contract assembly. 3. OBJECTIVE. The objective of this effort is to enhance productivity of professional field staff by performing duties that facilitate the: processing of program applications, development of complete conservation plans and program contracts, recording of data in a national reporting database, assembling of bills and other documents for contracts payment, completion of field work to design, layout and construct conservation practices and systems and documentation of installation. 4. SPECIFIC TASKS. The following tasks shall be performed under government direction, supervision and control: a) Enter new program applications into the NRCS planning database via Customer Service Toolkit (CST), Protracts & Performance Results System (PRS). b) Use Arc Map to outline property and field boundaries and to locate and include physical features for program applicant lands included in existing county data layers. c) Assemble program applicant case files, computer and hardcopy. This includes receiving and assembling program applications and collecting producer eligibility information. d) Enter conservation planning, contracting and application data provided by NRCS employees into CST, Protracts and PRS. e) Assemble final copies of conservation plans and program contracts with provided data for NRCS case files and for program participants. f) Provide assistance related to collecting and assembling cost data and processing payment application requests. g) Review a wide variety of invoices, vouchers, and other miscellaneous payment requests for payment validation. h) Compile supporting documents that substantiate payment requests. i) Review accuracy of documentation of vouchers, invoices, claims, statements and other requests for payment of goods and services. j) Process program payment information. k) Prepare items for District Conservationist approval and signature and forward completed documents to financial management staff for payment. l) Conduct field checks of tree plantings, fencing locations, grass seeding and other non-technical application. m) Conduct non technical Status Reviews of program contracts with land users. n) Assist NRCS staff with field measurements for inventory, evaluation, planning, construction and final inspection activates associated with conservation systems. o) Assist NRCS staff with other non technical duties required for farm bill program work as assigned. 5. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. Since the position will be under direction, supervision and control of the District Conservationist, no reports will be required other than occasional verbal reports as requested by the COR. 6. QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS. Incumbent will need a working knowledge and command of the English language, basic math skills, Micro Soft (MS) Windows XP, MS Word, MS Excel, MS Outlook, Arc Map GIS and will need an aptitude for rapidly learning new windows based menu driven NRCS software such as Protracts, Customer Service Toolkit (CST) and the Performance Results System (PRS). Due to the specific nature of the NRCS software, NRCS can provide on-the-job training for the incumbents in Protracts, Customer Service Toolkit and the Performance Results System. Incumbent will also need a valid PA driver?s license. Contractor employees should be able to demonstrate handiness with learning new computer programs and will need average dexterity and the ability to traverse rough terrain, like pastures, woodlands and plowed crop fields. 7. PLACE AND PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE, WORK DAYS, EQUIPMENT TRAVEL & TRAINING. a) Place of Performance: Except for the travel listed in paragraph 7. e. & f. below, all work will be at the NRCS Hollidaysburg Field Office or in and around Blair County at various program participant properties. b) Period of Performance: The period of performance for the Base Year of the contract is 12 months from execution of the contract and there are four (4) one-year option periods to renew. c) Work Days: Work schedule is Monday through Friday, except federal holidays, from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, !/2 hour lunch, 40 hours per week from the first work day in January to the day before Thanksgiving Holiday in November. There will be no need for contracted services from the COB on day before Thanksgiving till first weekday after New Years Holiday. Work schedule may be adjusted with approval of the District Conservationist and the COR but will remain 40 hours per week with no work on holidays or weekends and will comply with the FLSA. d) All equipment and supplies needed to perform these services will be supplied by NRCS. NRCS will not provide work clothes, shoes, boots or other apparel for outdoor work. e) Travel: part of the services required entail travel during regular work schedule to and from NRCS offices in Somerset & Cambria Counties and to and from various program participant properties with and or without NRCS employees, as directed by the District Conservationist. A federal vehicle will be assigned for use if available. If a federal vehicle is not available, incumbent may, with approval of the District Conservationist, chose to use a privately owned vehicle. When this occurs, approved travel expenses will be billed to NRCS at the rates specified in NRCS Travel Regulations. f) Basic training required to bring incumbent up to entry level knowledge will not be covered by NRCS. Training necessary for the performance of NRCS specific tasks using specific NRCS tools will be provided by NRCS when approved by the District Conservationist and the COR. If travel is necessary and approved as above, it will be billed to NRCS at the rates specified in NRCS Travel Regulations. 8. RESTRICTIONS. There is no known existing or potential conflicts of interest associated with this task. 9. SECURITY CLEARANCE. Employees to be provided by the contractor will be required to obtain a background investigation prior to reporting to work.
- Place of Performance
- Address: USDA-NRCS, 1407 Blair Street, Hollidaysburg, Blair County, Pennsylvania
- Zip Code: 16648
- Zip Code: 16648
- Record
- SN01036263-W 20060429/060427220356 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
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