AWARD
R -- Recovery - Exercise Option on Contract No. SB1341-09-CN-0031 (Interim Smart Grid Interoperability Roadmap)
- Notice Date
- 7/7/2009
- Notice Type
- Award Notice
- NAICS
- 813920
— Professional Organizations
- Contracting Office
- Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Acquisition Management Division, 100 Bureau Drive, Building 301, Room B129, Mail Stop 1640, Gaithersburg, Maryland, 20899-1640
- ZIP Code
- 20899-1640
- Archive Date
- 7/22/2009
- Point of Contact
- Joseph L. Widdup, Phone: (301) 975-6324
- E-Mail Address
-
joseph.widdup@nist.gov
(joseph.widdup@nist.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Award Number
- SB1341-09-NC-0031-Modification-Number-M005
- Award Date
- 6/29/2009
- Awardee
- Electric Power Research Institute, Inc., 3420 Hillview Avenue, Palo Alto, California 94304-1338, United States
- Award Amount
- 543,445.80
- Line Number
- 0002
- Description
- This notice is being published in accordance with the requirements of FAR Subpart 5.705, Publicizing-post-award. Required services for this option period, as set forth in Section C of the contract, are as follows: C.1 1352.211-70 STATEMENT OF WORK/SPECIFICATIONS (MAR 2000) The Contractor shall furnish the necessary personnel, material, equipment, services and facilities (except as otherwise specified) to perform the following the Statement of Work. (End of clause) C.2 STATEMENT OF WORK Under Title XIII, Section 1305 of the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007, the U. S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has “primary responsibility to coordinate development of a framework that includes protocols and model standards for information management to achieve interoperability of smart grid devices and systems…” C.2.1 Scope 2.1 The Contractor shall develop an Interim Roadmap that has consensus support of industry stakeholders, including those identified in EISA, no later than May 28, 2009. The Interim Roadmap shall be a document that describes the issues and priorities for interoperability standards development and harmonization, with an action plan that addresses these issues. 2.2 Applicable Documents, Definition of Terms and Acronyms - For the purposes of this document, Smart Grid is defined by EISA of 2007. C.3.0 General Administrative Requirements The Contractor shall, as an independent Contractor, and not as an agent of the Government, furnish all management, labor, tools, supplies, and material (except as provided by the Government as indicated herein) necessary to perform the requirements contained herein. C.3.1 CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL C.3.1.1 Qualified Personnel. The Contractor shall provide qualified personnel to perform all requirements specified within this contract. The Contractor shall provide a sufficient number of key personnel for this contract, one of which shall be responsible for overall project management for this contract and one or more others that are responsible for technical aspects for this contract. C.3.3 PROGRESS MEETINGS AND REPORTS The Contractor shall submit weekly written progress reports to the COTR and to the Contracting Officer via electronic mail for the Base Period and the Option Period (if exercised). The progress reports shall include project cost expenditures and estimates, status of project schedule (including any delays) and status of the requirement deliverables. The Contractor shall submit its weekly written progress report to the COTR by 12:00 noon Eastern Time on each Friday. Following each submission, the Contractor shall teleconference with the COTR and others that the COTR determines necessary. Individual meetings with the Contractor will be scheduled as requested by the Government to review and approve the comprehensive work plans and discuss project schedule status. C.4.0 FURNISHED PROPERTY, SPACE, EQUIPMENT AND MATERIAL/ITEMS C.4.1 Contractor Furnished Property/Materials/Equipment The contractor shall furnish all facilities, materials, equipment and services necessary to fulfill the requirements of this contract. C.5.0 CONTRACTOR REQUIREMENTS The Contractor shall deliver an Interim Roadmap no later than May 28, 2009, that describes the high-level Smart Grid architecture, principles and interface design; describes the current status, issues and priorities for interoperability standards development and harmonization; and includes an action plan that addresses these issues including, but not limited to: C.5.1 Base Period Requirements and Deliverables (Item No. 0001 in Section B) a.Requirement 1: Attend a Start-of-Work Meeting with the Contracting Officer and other designated representatives at the Government’s facility (Gaithersburg, MD) within 2 workdays of contract award. At this Meeting, the Contractor shall (1) engage in a discussion of requirements and reach understanding of how performance will proceed, and (2) provide a plan for the Interim Roadmap Workshop and the Roadmap Summit to the COTR. Deliverable 1a: Within 2 workdays of the Start-of-Work Meeting, the Contractor shall produce a revised action plan with milestones and timelines sufficient to meet contract requirements. The Contractor shall submit this revision (and subsequent electronic document deliverables identified below) to the COTR by electronic mail and, if requested by the COTR, through posting on electronic forums or electronic mailing lists. Deliverable 1b: Within 3 workdays of the Start-of-Work Meeting, the Contractor shall produce a revised plan for the Interim Roadmap Workshop and the Roadmap Summit. The plan shall include but not be limited to: (1) the proposed agendas, (2) meeting details and (3) a list of invited attendees (and proper notice will be given to the public) with balanced technical expertise covering the Smart Grid domains and representing the broad Smart Grid stakeholder community, including but not limited to stakeholders identified in section 1305, Title XIII of the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA). b.Requirement 2: Review existing materials relevant to Smart Grid standards provided from the NIST Domain Expert Working Groups (DEWGs) at the Start-of-Work Meeting and other reasonably available information relevant to Smart Grid standards. The Contractor shall be responsible for obtaining all other publicly available information. Deliverable 2: Provide an electronic document to the COTR that (1) lists all reviewed documents; (2) briefly summarizes each reviewed documents; and provide electronic copies of all reviewed documents not provided by NIST. The Contractor shall submit these documents to the COTR within 5 workdays of the Start-of-Work Meeting. c.Requirement 3: Provide a Structured Outline for the Final Interim Roadmap to the COTR, including a description of each Roadmap component, so that the COTR and other designated representatives can understand the content that will be developed and included. This Structured Outline shall include but not be limited to: (1) an executive summary, (2) an overall description, diagram and discussion of the Smart Grid high-level architecture, (3) architectural principles and interface design, and (4) a list and description of appropriate smart grid documentary standards, stakeholders, issues and standards gaps for each interface, and (5) prioritized actions and timelines to address identified issues. Deliverable 3: Provide the Structured Outline in electronic format to the COTR within 5 workdays of the Start-of-Work Meeting. d.Requirement 4: Attend a Roadmap Structure Meeting, within 2 workdays of submitting the Structured Outline, with the COTR and other designated representatives to review comments on the Structured Outline to make appropriate revisions. Deliverable 4: Provide a final Revised Structured Outline to the COTR that incorporates comments and outcomes from the Roadmap Structure Meeting, and produce a revised action plan with milestones and timelines sufficient to meet contract requirements within 2 workdays of the Roadmap Structure Meeting. The Contractor shall submit these documents to the COTR in electronic format. e.Requirement 5: Develop an Initial Draft Interim Roadmap with technical content, based on the Contractor’s technical expertise and in response to comments and outcomes from the Revised Structured Outline. Deliverable 5: Provide Initial Draft Interim Roadmap to the COTR, in electronic format, within 4 workdays of submitting the Revised Structured Outline. f.Requirement 6a: (1) Organize and facilitate an Interim Roadmap Workshop to present, review and develop roadmap content based on stakeholder consensus. This Workshop shall be held in the Washington, DC area no later than April 30, 2009 for duration of 2 to 3 days. (2) The Contractor shall invite the following individuals, at a minimum: (a) the leaders of the DEWGs and (b) representatives from the various Smart Grid stakeholders as identified in the EISA and (c) the general public. (3) In addition, the Contractor shall arrange logistical operations for the Workshop, including: (a) Workshop meeting facilities, (b) necessary audio/visual equipment and wireless Internet access, (c) publicity for Workshop and (d) handouts for the Workshop, and any other necessary logistical requirements. The Contractor shall not assume that the Workshop will be held at the NIST Gaithersburg, Maryland campus. g.Requirement 6b: Provide a Second Draft Interim Roadmap to the COTR in preparation for the Roadmap Summit. This draft shall provide additional information and detail to the structured outline, using the Contractor’s technical expertise, and incorporate the outcomes from Interim Roadmap Workshop. Deliverable 6: Submit a Second Draft Interim Roadmap in electronic format to the COTR by May 15, 2009. h.Requirement 7: (1) Organize and facilitate a Roadmap Summit to present, review and develop approval of the Second Draft Interim Roadmap with the maximum amount of consensus as practical and possible. This Summit shall be held in the Washington, DC area on or about May 19-20, 2009, for an anticipated duration of 2 to 3 days. (2) The invited attendees shall include but are not limited to: (a) the members of the DEWGs and (b) various Smart Grid stakeholders as identified in the EISA and (c) the general public. (3) In addition, the Contractor shall arrange logistical operations for the Summit, including: (a) Summit meeting facilities, (b) necessary audio/visual equipment and wireless Internet access, (c) publicity for Summit and (d) handouts for the Summit, and any other necessary logistical requirements. The Contractor shall not assume that the Workshop will be held at the NIST Gaithersburg, Maryland campus. i.Deliverable 7: Provide an electronic Final Interim Roadmap to the COTR by May 28, 2009. j.Requirement 8: Develop an action plan for fulfilling the requirements and deliverables of the option period. k.Deliverable 8: Provide documentation to the COTR by June 30, 2009. The Contractor shall provide all documents to the COTR in electronic format. l.Requirement 9: Prepare weekly progress reports and attend weekly phone meetings as specified in paragraph 3.3. Deliverable 9: The weekly written progress report shall be submitted to the COTR in electronic format and meetings attended as specified in paragraph 3.3. C.5.2 Option Period Requirements and Deliverables (Item No. 0002 in Section B) m.Requirement 10: The Contractor shall brief the COTR on Deliverable 8 and on July 2, 2009. n.Requirement 11: Develop a report of the development of the Interim Roadmap and Workshops from both the Base Period and Option Period, including methodologies used and lessons learned, and attend a debriefing covering all contract activities. Deliverable 11: Provide documentation on processes and methodologies used, “lessons learned for improvement” document to the COTR by August 15, 2009. The Contractor shall provide all documents to the COTR in electronic format. o.Requirement 12: Provide a Revised Interim Roadmap. This shall be based on the Interim Roadmap provided in Deliverable 7, and shall be revised based on feedback from professional/industry organizations, appropriate standard developing organizations (SDOs) and other Smart Grid stakeholders and the general public. Deliverable 12: Provide an electronic Revised Roadmap to the COTR before the Standards Summit on or by July 15, 2009, whichever is earlier. p.Requirement 13: Organize and facilitate a Smart Grid Standards Summit to develop consensus for and to assign responsibilities to entities to address issues identified in the Revised Roadmap. This Summit shall be held in the Washington, D.C. area no later than July 30, 2009 for an anticipated duration of 2 to 3 days. (2) The invited attendees shall include but are not limited to: (a) the members of the DEWGs and (b) various Smart Grid stakeholders as identified in the EISA and (c) the general public. (3) In addition, the Contractor shall arrange logistical operations for the Summit, including: (a) Summit meeting facilities, (b) necessary audio/visual equipment and wireless Internet access, (c) publicity for the Summit, (d) handouts for the Summit, and all other necessary logistical requirements. For planning purposes, the Contractor shall not assume that the Workshop will be held at the NIST Gaithersburg, Maryland campus. Deliverable 13: Provide an electronic document to the COTR that identifies responsible parties for standards development and harmonization with a summary of unresolved issues. This document is due no later than August 15, 2009. q.Requirement 14: The Contractor shall provide all deliverables and other project-related products, reports, and all related documents, as an electronic file via e-mail in both Microsoft Word 2007 (or later) and Adobe Acrobat version 9 (or later).pdf format, to the COTR. In addition, the Contractor shall provide ten hard copies of the Initial Draft Interim Roadmap, the Second Draft Interim Roadmap, and the Final Interim Roadmap. END OF TEXT JUSTIFICATION FOR USE OF TIME-AND-MATERIALS CONTRACT TYPE Upon the basis of the following findings and determination, the contract (both base period and option period) was negotiated as a time-and-materials contract type in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 16.601(d). FINDINGS The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Acquisition Management Division proposes to enter into a time-and-materials contract to acquire non-commercial research services. NIST requires the rapid development of an Interim Roadmap with the maximum amount of consensus as practicable and possible among Smart Grid stakeholders, including those identified in the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007, to be delivered no later than May 28, 2009 to allow review, approval and transmittal by June 2009 to appropriate parties such as the U. S. Congress, the DOE including the Secretary of Energy, and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. An accelerated deadline for the interim roadmap, which will be developed under this contract, is intended to minimize the risk to the Federal Government and private sector stakeholders utilizing the Smart Grid matching grants funds from the DOE. This program requires that standards resulting from the NIST-coordinated interoperability framework be used as criteria for award of grants by the DOE. The earlier those standards are adopted, the less risk to investments made by the Government and the private sector for the grants program. This roadmap is important to the interoperability framework required by EISA 2007, which also requires coordination with DOE and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). The Interim Roadmap provided under this contract shall be a document that describes the high-level Smart Grid architecture, principles and interface design; describes the current status, issues and priorities for interoperability standards development and harmonization; and includes an action plan that addresses these issues. The contract will also include an option period of approximately forty-five days for the delivery of a consensus agreement document by August 15, 2009 identifying responsible (private-sector) entities for standards development and harmonization with a summary of unresolved issues. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) was enacted February 17, 2009 to address urgent national needs; a critical component supported by significant ARRA funding (over $4.5 billion) is to upgrade our Nation’s electric grid to produce the “Smart Grid” as described in EISA. There is joint Obama Administration/Presidential and Congressional agreement on the urgency of this need to build the Smart Grid, and that as a critical part of this effort NIST must now accelerate the development of a framework to achieve interoperability of Smart Grid devices and systems. Standards create stability that mitigates the risk of having equipment purchased and implemented that is not able to interoperate and unable to be upgradeable to remedy its shortcomings, with the result that it must be entirely replaced to be compatible with other equipment as the Smart Grid is developed (i.e., “stranded investment”). The standards roadmap will identify existing standards and those that need to be developed or harmonized to establish the stable basis for Smart Grid devices and systems. This action is required to reduce the risk of wasting substantial investment using ARRA funding and an equal or greater investment by the private sector in the Smart Grid. The Secretary of the DOE and the Deputy Director of NIST, as well as many other government and industry leaders, have spoken directly on the urgent need to greatly accelerate the development of Smart Grid interoperability standards and roadmaps, with required timescales on the order of weeks to months instead of months to years. At a March 3, 2009 hearing, the members of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources urged that rapid progress be made to address interoperability standards issues; the Deputy Director of NIST affirmed NIST’s commitment to provide an interim standards roadmap by summer (June 2009). The urgency and short timeline exceed NIST’s ability to produce this interim roadmap with existing staff, requiring that this short-term contract be awarded by the beginning of April to provide sufficient time and resources to produce the Interim Roadmap to meet this urgent national need. If normal, unrestricted full and open competitive procedures that involve publicizing and response times set forth in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 5 for negotiated acquisitions were used, the award timeline of this contract would be at two to three months (fifteen days to advertise an acquisition in FedBizOpps, at least thirty days for potential offerors to submit a proposal, an appropriate time for the Government to evaluate proposals, and an appropriate time for internal agency reviews before an award decision is made) and would prevent the Interim Roadmap from being delivered in time to meet NIST’s deadlines and commitments to Congress. With respect to qualifications to deliver an Interoperability Roadmap by the required date, it is critical that the contractor possess the required technical expertise, capabilities and associated experience in roadmap and Smart Grid standards development and harmonization to be able to develop, describe and implement a solid technical approach and plan. The contractor must also demonstrate experience providing similar services including interacting with broad stakeholder communities, to produce deliverables by required times. Due to the urgent requirement to complete the Interim Roadmap no later than May 28, 2009, the entire acquisition milestones process, including market research, has been significantly accelerated. This accelerated schedule, along with the fact that it is not possible to accurately estimate the extent of Contractor effort required to achieve maximum practicable consensus among the Smart Grid stakeholder community that has widely divergent interests, makes it highly impracticable to utilize any form of fixed-price contract because of uncertainties involved in contract performance do not permit costs to be estimated with sufficient accuracy to use any tope of fixed-price contract. (Fixed-price types of contracts provide for a firm price or, in appropriate cases, an adjustable price when uncertainties are minimal and the Contractor can appropriately determine their risk.) Utilizing a fixed-price contract for this requirement would also have the effect of significantly reducing competition and significantly increasing cost due to the uncertainties involved with contract performance. While cost reimbursement contract types allow the Government to assume an appropriate portion of the risk for contracts with inherent uncertainties in performance, provide for payment of allowable incurred costs to the extent prescribed in the contract as well as a method of calculating profit/fee, the Government anticipates that offers will be received largely from non-profit organizations whose accounting systems may never have been audited by a Government audit agency to provide appropriate capabilities for them to propose provisional indirect cost rates for this requirement, and their accounting systems may not be adequate for determining costs applicable to the contract. Further, requesting and receiving an audit from a Government audit agency for this acquisition is not possible given that it would create unacceptable schedule risk for this acquisition that could jeopardize the required delivery date of May 28, 2009 for the interim roadmap required by this acquisition. Only a time-and-materials contract is suitable for this acquisition. This is because, as demonstrated above, neither fixed-price nor cost-reimbursement contract types are appropriate for this acquisition and it is not possible at the time of placing the contract to estimate accurately the extent or duration of the work or to anticipate costs with any reasonable degree of confidence. And, materials may be required by the Contractor to perform contract requirements, so a time-and-materials contract type is more appropriate than a labor-hour contract type. It is also important to note that contract type, by regulation, is not something that the Government can unilaterally dictate. It is always negotiable, per FAR Part 16. Therefore, the Government must consider that when soliciting offers for this contract. There is not sufficient time to enter into negotiations on this acquisition, and anticipating that the offerors would object to anything other than time-and-materials based on the previous discussion clearly indicates that the time-and-materials contract type should be utilized for this acquisition. DETERMINATION Based on the findings stated above and in accordance with FAR 16.601(c), it was determined that a time-and-materials contract type would be the most appropriate contract type for this acquisition. The COTR will closely monitor the Contractor to keep costs under control. The end result is that the risk to the Government will be minimized. END OF TEXT
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/DOC/NIST/AcAsD/Awards/SB1341-09-NC-0031-Modification-Number-M005.html)
- Record
- SN01867825-W 20090709/090708001655-3fa236140380f5c58deebc0fdb4b8482 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
| FSG Index | This Issue's Index | Today's FBO Daily Index Page |