SOURCES SOUGHT
R -- Management and Operation of the Mali Service Center in Mali Africa
- Notice Date
- 5/3/2017
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541990
— All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases/AMOB, 5601 Fishers Lane, 3rd Floor MSC 9822, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, United States
- ZIP Code
- 20892
- Solicitation Number
- DHHS-NIH-NIAID(AO)-SBSS-2017-075
- Archive Date
- 9/30/2017
- Point of Contact
- LaDonna R Stewart, Phone: 240-669-5123
- E-Mail Address
-
lstewart@niaid.nih.gov
(lstewart@niaid.nih.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- This is a Small Business Sources Sought notice. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding: (1) the availability and capability of qualified small business sources; (2) whether they are small businesses; HUBZone small businesses; service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses; 8(a) small businesses; veteran-owned small businesses; woman-owned small businesses; or small disadvantaged businesses; and (3) their size classification relative to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for the proposed acquisition. Your responses to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible. An organization that is not considered a small business under the applicable NAICS code should not submit a response to this notice. Background: The Office of Global Research (OGR), the Division of Intramural Research (DIR), and the Division of Clinical Research (DCR) are major components of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) with activities at the International Center for Excellence in Research (ICER) and the University Clinical Research Center (UCRC) at the University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies of Bamako (USTTB) in Mali, Africa. The purpose of the ICER is to conduct research on infectious diseases important to the people of Mali, the surrounding region, and to the NIAID. Various collaborations have been established with Malian scientists within the Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Pharmacy and the Faculty of Science and Technology, which are all components of USTTB. The Mali Service Center (MSC) is an NIAID-managed service center through which a Contractor provides guidance and oversight in the administration and disbursal of NIAID grant/contract funds and material and travel purchases in Mali. The Mali Service Center (MSC) was established by the government of Mali to operate as an independent service center for the management of research funding provided to USTTB or other entities within Mali and the surrounding region. Purpose: The NIAID requires a Contractor to assume responsibility for managing the daily operations of the MSC in Mali, Africa to facilitate and support the research of the NIAID, as well as, ultimately expanding the infrastructure and core capacity of the Center. Specific Statement of Work functions include A. Management of the Mali Service Center (MSC) The contractor will be required to provide administrative and managerial support of the MSC for operation of NIAID-funded scientific research and other partner activities such as trainings and scientific meeting or conference attendance in Mali and the surrounding countries as necessary. Support will include the disbursement of payroll, which is funded under a separate NIAID contract for Malian staff at USTTB; disbursement of payroll of staff working under NIAID extramural grants; payment of expenses in support of field studies; payment of expenses related to the operations of laboratory facilities; facilitation and payment of travel of ICER scientists; and assisting in the management of operations of ICER activities in Mali. MSC staff shall be fluent in English and French, both in oral and written forms. To the fullest extent possible, the preference is that all in-country support staff be Malian. The Contractor shall: 1. Recruit a MSC Director as necessary. The MSC Director shall be responsible for day-to-day management of the MSC, ensuring the proper receipt and disbursement of NIAID funds as provided by the Contractor, and sending financial reports including invoices to NIAID officials and officials at institutions for which the MSC provides receipt or disbursement services. 2. Provide a local driver who shall be responsible for providing safe transportation of MSC, contractor and consultant staff to and from various locations such as airport, meetings, administrative and University offices, bank, etc., in and around the Mali region. 3. Maintain, operate, and update, as necessary, administrative and financial policies, procedures, and systems for management of NIH funds to include banking; accounting and inventory management; procurement and property management; payroll processing and reporting; and other related administrative activities. 4. Provide training for Malian scientists and administrators on MSC's policies and standard operating procedures (SOPs) that support implementation of the NIAID collaboration in Mali. 5. Provide legal services, as necessary, principally for the interpretation of Malian laws or regulations related to employment. 6. Update, or develop as necessary, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) regarding administrative procedures, and management and financial policies for each of the programs. Topics will be approved, in writing by the COR, and the MSC Director will be responsible for the creation and maintenance of the SOPs. Currently there are approximately 25-30 SOPs and supporting documents such as checklists. The SOPS are developed and maintained in English and French. All SOPs shall be considered a deliverable under the contract and reviewed and approved by the COR and MSC Director prior to implementation. 7. Establish and maintain policies and procedures for hiring, retaining, and training employees as appropriate to work in the MSC, and for management of the MSC. The existing personnel manual for the management of human resources shall be updated as necessary and a copy provided to the COR. The MSC Director shall develop evaluation tools for measuring the progress of the MSC staff in gaining the expertise necessary to manage, operate, and expand the MSC as the research infrastructure in the country grows. The MSC Director must also work collegially with the USTTB leadership on the development and implementation of expansion activities. 8. Manage the financial resources of the MSC, to include: a. Operating costs such as salaries and benefits of staff of the Mali Service Center. b. NIAID intramural funds (NIAID funds) c. NIAID extramural funds (i.e. funds received from other Universities or Institutes holding Agreements with USTTB ) d. Other funds (i.e. third-party clients of the MSC as a result of growth and development). These funds will not be paid, or billed, under this Contract, but instead under, and subject to execution of, separate agreement(s) between the MSC and other parties collaborating with, or using the services of the USTTB or other infrastructure in Mali or surrounding countries. 9. Manage, support, and assist NIAID extramural awardees, and assist in the development of intramural research agreements and associated funds for research programs, and other operations, in Mali. Fully executed "Agreements for Services provided by the Mali Service Center" are necessary for all new NIAID grantees, contractors or subcontractors of the grant/contract prior to providing support activities. All agreements and service requests shall be entered into a tracking system developed and maintained by the Contractor. An approved and executed "Agreement for Services provided by the Mali Service Center" must be completed by the Contractor whenever a NIAID Contractor, NIH or NIAID grantee needs to utilize the services of the MSC. 10. Establish bank accounts for receipt of United States deposits in order to oversee receipt and disbursement of all funds, to include grantee/contractor funds. The Contractor must maintain accounting methods consistent with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) to ensure said funds are accounted for and disbursed according to grant, contract, and subcontract approved budgets, and to ensure appropriate financial reports are submitted by the grantee/contractor to the NIH and the US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Bank accounts may be with local banks in the foreign country for operational purposes or established banks in the United States. All invoices must be submitted in U.S. currency. 11. Oversee the disbursement of grantee/contractor funds while providing training to administrative and USTTB staff on the appropriate procedures for managing NIH awards including use of required NIH, DHHS reporting forms. The Contractor will serve as the disbursement agent only up to the life of this contract as agreed to by the COR and approved by the Contracting Officer. 12. Provide administrative support and assistance to clients of the Mali Service Center, including NIAID, USTTB, and third-party clients established as a result of MSC's growth and development. 13. Prepare, evaluate, or amend the MSC Business Plan that includes the actionable steps to enable the MSC to operate independently by building infrastructure and core capacity. The MSC Business Plan is a deliverable under the contract and shall be evaluated and updated as necessary every six (6) months from the contract start date. 14. Comply and assist with the audit requirements of the American financing organization (OMB circular A-133). The audit results shall be provided to the COR and CO. 15. Provide a quarterly financial and operations report of the MSC to the COR. 16. Provide security for the MSC and MSC Director's residence, as necessary. 17. Provide support to the Malian IRB when it meets, to review studies in which DIR is involved. While variable from one year to the next, this will occur no more than 5-10 times in a year. B. Scientific, Technical, and Administrative Staff at the USTTB The Contractor responsible for management of the Mali Service Center shall provide guidance and assistance to USTTB with administration of this personnel contract to include the following: 1. Assist with preparing administrative responses and periodic reports as required or requested, by NIAID staff. 2. Assist USTTB with maintaining the roster of scientists, technicians, and administrative and support personnel required by NIAID to conduct the various research programs in Mali. 3. Assist with the development of appropriate subcontracts and consultation agreements between USTTB and individual employees in compliance with Malian law. These agreements will be reviewed by the USTTB and approved by the NIAID contracting officer in collaboration with the NIAID Mali technical representative. 4. Ensure, to the maximum extent possible that the salary scale for personnel is uniform with the salary scale used for the management of salaries paid through NIAID extramural grants or contracts, and any third-party clients. 5. Monitor the level of effort of all staff supported simultaneously by the intramural and extramural programs, as well as any other third-party clients to ensure that no one employee exceeds 100 percent cumulative effort for all work managed via the MSC. 6. Verify payroll and disburse salaries for personnel in accordance with the terms of the Scientific, Technical, and Administrative Staff at USTTB contract. Invoices for payroll expenses shall be verified by the Contractor prior to submission to NIAID for payment. 7. Assist the USTTB Rectorate, as needed, in the preparation and filing of monthly, and other, reports. D. Travel Management The Contractor will oversee the management of travel and accommodations for investigators associated with NIAID-funded projects. This shall include Malian staff supported under the Scientific, Technical, and Administrative Staff at USTTB contract, Malian staff supported by extramural funds and other invited researchers. The Contractor shall: 1. Make authorized travel arrangements for approximately 50 people traveling per year from Mali to the United States, or to a third country, to attend professional meetings, or to visit NIH or other US or international research institutions for training. 2. Purchase airline tickets, arrange for and purchase accommodations, provide payment of meeting registration fees, and disbursal of cash advances to cover meals and incidental expenses in compliance with Federal Travel Regulations for all approved travel. 3. Manage and track receipts and disbursements of approved travel expenses and maintain appropriate records and proper accounting of all travel related activities in a monthly Travel Management Services Summary E. Procurement of Services, Supplies, and Equipment The Contractor shall be responsible for procuring: office equipment and supplies; medical or research equipment and supplies; medical, clinical, and basic science laboratory reagents from either local or international vendors; supplies for field studies; laboratory and guest house equipment and furnishing; and repair parts as necessary to maintain scientific equipment and vehicles for use in-country. Services include subcontracting with appropriate domestic and international entities to establish agreements necessary for installation, maintenance, repair, or upgrade of infrastructure, laboratory and field site equipment, telecommunications, security, and IT systems and equipment; and for shipment of reagents and samples domestically and internationally. The Contractor shall subcontract with responsible sources and assist USTTB staff with preparing procurement requests for approval by COR and the NIAID to procure supplies and services as needed to support MSC and USTTB activities. Procurement requests and invoices including receipts shall be translated into English for review and approval. The Contractor shall: 1. Order and receive laboratory supplies and equipment; ship materials from Mali to NIAID or other institutions, as requested; or contract for services related to the continued day-to-day operations of the ICER laboratories and field sites. 2. Maintain records of such transactions and provide monthly financial reporting of these activities. 3. Handle disbursal of all payments as agreed and upon delivery of services or supplies. Any Government-Furnished Property and Contractor Acquired property will remain in place as part of this contract and be managed in accordance with DHHS policy. F. Administration and Disbursement Management of Core Funds, Research Program Funds, and funds to support the University Clinical Research Center NIAID DIR supports several research programs in Mali, and maintains core funds that provide support across the DIR research programs. The programs include: • Malaria vaccine • Malaria immunoepidemiology • Malaria Pathogenesis • Malaria Immunity • Malaria Entomology • Leishmaniasis • Filariasis • HIV/TB co-infection • Emerging Pathogens program Core funds cover general support functions, including maintenance of IT systems; vehicles; offices, laboratories and field sites affiliated with the Mali ICER; and the storage and parking facilities located on the USTTB campus. Core funds are used for non-separable costs and day-to-day expenses. Accordingly, potential core fund distributions include expenditures for repairs, maintenance, and operation of vehicles in the motor pool (approximately 20); laboratory infrastructure; generators; biomedical research equipment; air conditioners; water system; communications/internet; office support equipment; renovations, repairs, and maintenance of ICER laboratory and clinic facilities at Hôpital Point G (the main hospital associated with USTTB); and ICER field sites, most of which are located within a 100 KM radius of Bamako (approximately a 2-3 hour drive from Bamako). At present, there are approximately 10 field research stations, or research sites, utilized by the ICER program. Additional sites may be added in the future. Research Program funds cover any and all items that can be directly apportioned to the program's activities, and eventually, could include some of the expenditures listed above as expenditures to be paid for by core funds, specifically in relation to the motor pool and the ICER laboratory. Accordingly, potential research program fund distributions may include payments for consultants for assisting with field-based studies; per diems for Malian research staff; payment of trial participant compensations/allowances; payment for institutional review board (IRB) services; payment of medical or travel insurance; and advanced payment for expenses related to field trips to ICER field study sites. The latter activity includes advanced payments for procuring provisions for field trips; hiring of local guides and assistants; fuel for vehicles; and local expenses. i. Field station trips: generally involve 3-10 Malian staff hired under another contract and occur several times a week, if not daily, for almost the entire year. The Contractor will need to monitor and pay per diem for these travelers, as well as, pay local hires as consultants or field workers (approximately 10 per site as needed) to assist with communication, location, and transport of trial participants. This is the case for six field sites at which clinical trials are conducted. ii. Collection trips: generally involve 5-15 Malian staff hired under another contract, and are usually between 5-20 days, or longer if necessary. Per Diem will need to be paid under this contract, as well as, payment for local consultants and field workers (approximately 5-20, depending on the nature of the mission) to act as guides. The number of such collection trips is approximately 70 trips per year, but there can be variation depending on the dynamics of the malaria, filariasis or leishmaniasis transmission seasons. UCRC funds will come from DCR funds and will include potentially all of the administration and disbursement management activities required for the DIR Core funds and the DIR program funds as outlined above. In support of UCRC, DCR anticipates that the MSC will provide administrative and management services. In addition, the procurement request form and process that is used by the UCRC staff for project procurement needs through the USTTB subcontract will be maintained by the Contractor awarded this SOW. The Contractor will be required to work together with DCR through email and phone calls on other project requests with USTTB such as renovation activities, UCRC staffing requests, meetings/events, etc. The Contractor will ensure that DCR funds, records, and reports are maintained separately, and are not co-mingled, with other clients of the MSC. The Contractor shall: 1. Ensure that proper authorization from the NIAID In-Country Representative, NIAID Resident Scientist, COR, or CO as needed, is received prior to approving and executing disbursements for each transaction. Disburse only verified and authorized transactions. 2. Manage and track all transactions as core fund or program fund expenditures by establishing and maintaining a detailed accounting system. 3. Maintain records all expenditures by type (core, research program, or UCRC-related), and provide detailed monthly financial reports of all activity, including field trip expenses of transactions, by program. 4. Assist the NIAID/NIH Mali Representative, who is responsible for assigning the use of the vehicles and overall management of the NIAID ICER motor pool by providing accounting; disbursement management, including the licensing, operational expenditures, purchase of insurance, and payment of regular and emergency repairs; and auditing services for the motor pool activities. Vehicles must be maintained and operated in accordance with regulations established by the NIH and DHHS. 5. Maintain or revise as necessary, the current fee-for-service plan for apportioning costs to each program's usage of the motor pool. Maintain records of program usage and update monthly financial reports. Drafts of changes to the fee-for-service plan are to be provided to the COR for review. Final changes shall be incorporated into the contract after approval by the COR. 6. Assist the NIH/NIAID Mali Representative with the financial management of the NIAID ICER core laboratory resources, consisting of a clinical laboratory operated under Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) and a core immunology laboratory, by providing accounting, disbursement management, and auditing services for the activities undertaken in the core laboratory facilities. 7. Assist the NIAID/NIH Mali Representative with the financial management of the UCRC, by providing accounting, disbursement management, and auditing services for the activities undertaken by or related to the UCRC. 8. Maintain or revise as necessary, the current plan for apportioning costs for use of the core laboratory facilities. The facilities will be utilized by various ICER components, including Malian scientists, contractors, grantees, and possible third-party clients of the MSC. The Contractor will be responsible for tracking these costs under each program. Drafts of changes are to be provided to the COR for review and approval. Final changes shall be incorporated into the contract. G. Customs Clearance and Shipment Delivery The Contractor shall: 1. Utilize the established authority for duty-free importation of supplies and equipment. 2. Use the system of delivery from the customs storage facility to the appropriate ICER program site. This is particularly important for shipments via express services such as DHL and for shipments of supplies and reagents on dry ice or liquid nitrogen. No select agents or highly pathogenic agents will be shipped. 3. Make use of the established system for shipping frozen (dry ice or liquid nitrogen) materials from Mali to the U.S. and other destinations. The ICER currently uses the duty free authority and expeditor of the U.S. Embassy to clear and deliver shipments to the various units. 4. Request, on behalf of the MSC, exoneration of custom duties, and all taxes on goods acquired with funds provided by NIAID, based on the Arrangement between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the Malian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research signed in the U.S. and Mali, respectively on 12 and 17 November, 2008, and renewed by Agreement signed on 1 December, 2015. Request for exoneration of custom duties, and all taxes on goods acquired with funds provided by other U.S. Government Agencies should be requested based on the Agreement for Economic and Technical Assistance between the U.S. and Mali dated 4 January, 1961. H. USTTB Guest House An existing account and funds have been established by USTTB for the operation of the USTTB Guest House for visiting researchers. The Contractor shall provide financial oversight and management of operations of the USTTB Guest House to ensure its viability and habitability. The Contractor, on behalf of the MSC, shall establish authority to withdraw funds from the USTTB account, in conjunction with USTTB, for management of the Guest House. The Contractor shall maintain and provide detailed monthly records of all financial and operation activities related to the USTTB Guest House. The monthly report shall include record of any problems encountered with the house and the solution to each problem. Contract Type and Period of Performance: A combination IDIQ/Cost type contract is anticipated to be awarded in July 2017 for a base period of 12 months plus the option of four (4) additional 12-month periods. Capability Statements: Interested small business sources may submit their capability statements of no more than 5 numbered pages excluding resumes which demonstrates their understanding of the requirement, history of any current or previous contracts performed of similar nature and scope including the dollar value for each, relevant personnel, summary of partnerships and teaming agreements, or any other relevant information necessary to assist the NIAID with assessing the respondents capacity for performing the work as described. ALL questions and capability statements must be submitted in writing via email in either Word or PDF format and should be submitted to LaDonna Stewart at lstewart@niaid.nih.gov, no later than 10am EST, May10, 2017. Facsimile responses will not be accepted CAPABILITY STATEMENTS RECEIVED AFTER THIS DATE AND TIME WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. Capability statements should not include links to other sources and the e-mail subject line must specify the Sources Sought Reference Number: DHHS-NIH-NIAID(AO)-SBSS-2017-075. Respondents should be sure to include a Business Point of Contact, Phone Number, DUNS Number, and Small Business Classification (e.g. Small business; HUBZone; Service-Disabled, Veteran-Owned; 8(a); Woman-Owned; or other small disadvantaged business status based NAICS (541990) associated with this requirement within the 1st page of their capability statement. Information on small business size standards can found at the Small Business Administration at https://www.sba.gov/contracting/getting-started/size-standards Disclaimer and Important Notes: This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in the response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization's qualifications to perform the work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received, a pre-solicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published in Federal Business Opportunities. Responses to this notice will not be considered an adequate response to any future solicitation. Confidentiality: No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation(s)."
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/HHS/NIH/AMOB/DHHS-NIH-NIAID(AO)-SBSS-2017-075/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: Mali, Africa, Mali
- Record
- SN04494727-W 20170505/170503235210-df180f08f87243de08ed74bc68a2544e (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 |