Oppts Contract Support Group, Environmental Protection Agency, Fairchild Building -- 7th Floor, 499 S. Capitol Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20024

A -- COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY & PESTICIDE APPLICATOR SAFETY SOL KW0010 DUE 100997 POC Felicia M. Williams WEB: NOT AVAILABLE, NOT AVAILABLE. E-MAIL: NOT AVAILABLE, williams.feliciam@epamail.epa.gov. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is issuing an request for proposals to which the Government intends to award a firm fixed price contract using the Simplified Acquisition Procedures of FAR Part 13. The EPA is FACNET certified. Any contractor/vendor able to meet requirement must demonstrate in writing by closing date. You may E-mail the contracting officer at williams.feliciam@epamail.epa.gov. Please include the following: Company Name; Address; Phone Number; Business Class; and Email Address. NO PHONE CALLS ACCEPTED. All questions must be addressed in writing and will be answered in writing. Quotes are due in writing no later than 15 days of notice of this solicitation. This is a combination synopsis/solicitation for these services and will be the only solicitation to be issued. Any contractor/vendor able to meet the requirements must demonstrate in writing by the closing date. Award will be made to the firm whose offer provides the greatest value to the Government, price, quality and delivery performance considered. Award may be based on lowest overall evaluated cost and/or cost related factors. Two copies of all proposals, for the following statement of work, should be delivered to the following address, (fax/e-mail copies will not be accepted): Mail to: US EPA; 401 M Street, SW; Bid and Proposal Room -- 6th floor; Mail Code 3803R; Washington, DC 20460 Attn: Felicia M. Williams -- HANDCARRY TO: 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW; Bid and Proposal Room -- 6th floor; Washington, DC 20003; Attn: Felicia M. Williams -- Due Date: 10/9/97, 1997; -- 2:30pm EST (Any proposal received after the due date will not be considered.) STATEMENT OF WORK TITLE: Communication Technology and Pesticide Applicator Safety: A Pilot Recertification Program PURPOSE: The purpose of this statement of work is to provide assistance to the US EPA in testing the hypothesis that CD-ROM and internet tools can provide an effective, efficient and economical means to establish successful, nationally consistent, pesticide applicator training, certification and recertification programs. BACKGROUND: Federal regulation (40 CFR 171) requires pesticide applicators be certified as competent to apply restricted use pesticides in accordance with national standards established by EPA. Training, certification and recertification programs are conducted by trade organizations, universities, state cooperative extension services, and pesticide lead agencies in states, territories and tribes. Training prepares applicators to demonstrate competency to become certified and recertified. There are approximately 1,400,000 certified applicators, of which 500,000 receive initial or recertification training annually. Successful, nationally consistent, pesticide applicator training, certification and recertification programs result in risk reduction to human health and the environment. Knowledgeable pesticide applicators, making practical use of pesticide label information, can more safely apply pesticide products to achieve the intended results. STATEMENT OF WORK 1. Prior to other contract activity, the contractor will obtain written agreement from a state pesticide lead agency, as well as from the same state's cooperative extension service, to participate in the pilot project, if the contractor meets certain conditions regarding the substance of the training program to be developed. 2. The state department of agriculture and the state extension service will guide the contractor in establishing the substance of the training that will constitute acceptable state curriculum for a pesticide applicator recertification training program. 3. The state pesticide lead agency and the state cooperative extension service will agree to acknowledge that the contractor's training materials, the mode of training, and mode of testing satisfy continuing education requirements and other specified requirements for the recertification of pesticide applicators in the state. 4. The contractor, before beginning field tests, will present to the EPA project officer for review and approval: a copy of the state agreements; a written copy of the proposed core training material; a written copy of the proposed field test evaluation criteria. 5. The contractor will field test an internet delivered recertification training and testing program in at least 300 test sites. 6. The contractor will field test a multi-media CD-ROM recertification training and testing package in at least 200 test sites. DELIVERABLES: 1. The contractor will supply the EPA project officer with a written copy of the final, approved core training material. 2. The contractor will supply the EPA project officer with a copy of the internet delivered recertification training and testing program. 3. The contractor will supply the EPA project officer with a copy of the inter-active CD-ROM software program for training and testing. 4. The contractor will supply the EPA project officer with a written copy of the project evaluation report on the pilot field tests and the pilot on-line training, which will include the supporting field test data, assessment results and evaluation conclusions. COST REIMBURSEMENT PROCEDURES: The EPA will pay the contractor an agreed upon fixed fee. This fee is intended to cover the contractor's fees for developing training materials, a testing program, an inter-active CD-ROM software program for training and testing, a field test, and a field test evaluation report. In addition, this negotiated fee includes expenses for economy airfare, local transportation and incidental expenses. Once the deliverables that are listed above have been provided, the contractor may submit an invoice to EPA for reimbursement of a properly justified sum up to the negotiated amount. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: Upon award of the contract through December 30, 1998. NOTICE REGARDING GUIDANCE PROVIDED UNDER THIS STATEMENT OF WORK: Guidance is strictly limited to technical and analytical support. The contractor shall not engage in activities of an inherently governmental nature such as the following: 1) Formulation of Agency policy 2) Selection of Agency priorities 3) Development of Agency regulations Should the contractor receive any instruction from an EPA staff person that the contractor ascertains to fall into any of these categories or goes beyond the scope of the contract or work assignment, the contractor shall immediately contact the EPA Contracting Officer. The contractor shall also ensure that the work under this purchase order does not contain any apparent or real personnel or organizational conflict of interest. The contractor shall certify that none exist. Proposed Selection Criteria for Contractor for "Communication Technology and Pesticide Applicator Safety: A Pilot Recertification Program" 1. The contractor must be familiar and conversant with 40 CFR Part 171 and the relevant state pesticide applicator recertification requirements. 2. The contractor must have extensive experience in successfully planning, developing and implementing internet and CD-ROM training media . 3. The contractor must have experience in public/private, multi-organization sponsored projects focusing on multimedia, distance learning and communication. 4. The contractor must have sufficient staff so that the pilot is initiated by late January, 1998. Staff must also be available for consultation with EPA throughout the planning phase and the implementation phase of the pilot. 5. The contractor must be perceived as a "neutral" facilitator by pilot participants, without policy positions, official views, and a preconceived agenda on the subject of pesticide applicator certification and training. (0261)

Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0001 19970922\A-0001.SOL)