Department of the Interior, Minerals Management Service, Procurement Operations Branch, MS2500, 381 Elden Street, Herndon, Virginia 20170-4817

B -- ASSESSING AND MONITORING INDUSTRY LABOR NEEDS SOL 1435-01-98-RP-30898 DUE 031398 POC Jane M. Carlson, Contracting Officer, (703) 787-1364 E-MAIL: Contracting Officer's email, Jane.Carlson@mms.gov. The Department of the Interior, Minerals Management Service (MMS) intend to competitive award a contract to conduct a study entitled "Assessing and Monitoring Industry Labor Needs." PLEASE READ THIS ENTIRE NOTICE CAREFULLY AS IT CONSTITUTES THE ONLY NOTICE THAT WILL BE ISSUED. The basic objectives of the study: The Minerals Management Service (MMS) seeks to develop and implement a system for collecting valid and reliable measures of oil and gas industry expenditures and employment related to the MMS outer continental shelf (OCS) oil and gas program. The resulting measures should support accurate estimates of impacts at the county/parish (or groups of counties/parishes) level. The MMS needs a system that will allow it to assess important changes to the industry due to technological or policy changes such as the scale of employment effects due to increased deepwater activity or to royalty relief. The purpose of this system is to allow MMS to make more accurate overall estimates of future changes in industry expenditures, labor markets and employee demographics and the effects of these changes on onshore communities. Information developed by this study will be used for: improving regional economic impact assessments in NEPA documents; monitoring industry changes and their implications for the workforce and local communities; and answering labor and development questions from local and state officials in the affected areas. The Location of the Study is primarily the Gulf coast states of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Scope of Work: The Contractor shall (a)establish a joint industry/government committee that includes relevant representatives of the oil and gas and supporting industries, as well as Quality Review Board (QRB) that includes MMS and outside subject experts. These groups will ensure that expenditure, employment, and other information will be gathered efficiently and accurately and that appropriate methodologies and survey instruments are used; (b)develop a study design, sampling procedures, and survey instruments that provide MMS with relevant, valid and reliable measures of expenditures, employment, and related information over time. Groups to be sampled include the oil and gas industry, supporting industries and businesses, and employees of both groups; (c)administer surveys to both industry and employees; formulate a study design that will guide multiple rounds of surveys administered to industry and employees. Included will be tests of the validity and reliability of both sampling procedures and survey instruments. Where necessary, procedures and questionnaires will be modified after each survey round. The survey results should provide MMS with a useful database to analyze the oil and gas industry and its economic effects.(d) initiate a process to ensure that the survey procedures and instruments developed in this study/survey instrument will be viable and useful after the contract is completed. This process includes: (1) creating a working joint industry/government committee and qualityreview board; (2) developing a well-documented and justified OMB-approved study design and questionnaires; and (3) assuring that data collected will supply the needed inputs for the regional economic impact spreadsheets used by MMS. (e) analyze the information collected in the surveys and describe the patterns and trends contained in the data. The narrative resulting from this analysis, including statistical analysis and tables, at a minimum will describe how the labor market for the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) offshore oil and gas industry operates, how it resembles and differs from other regional labor markets, and what trends appear to be influencing its direction. In order to compete for this contract, an offeror must demonstrate that they are qualified to perform the work by providing, Not Later Than March 13, 1998, a capabilities statement which should describe in detail A.(1) your key personnel (those who would have primary responsibility for performing and/or managing the study) with their qualifications and specific experience; and (2) your organizations experience with this type of work and a description of your facilities. You must provide information that your organization and personnel on this project has experience and expertise in survey techniques and statistical analyses, diachronic evaluation in the social sciences, regional economics, and socioeconomic impact assessment is essential; (3) The QRB shall include individuals with experience in survey techniques and statistical analysis, regional economic and socioeconomic effects, and the oil industry; and (4) experience in Office of Management and Budget survey review procedures and in working with the oil and gas and related industries is also important. (5) Submit names and resumes of potential industry members for the joint industry/government committee.(6) specific references (including project identifier and description, period of performance, dollar amount, client name and telephone number) for previous work of this nature that your personnel or organization is currently performing or has completed within the last two years. REFERENCES WILL BE CHECKED. Offerors shall submit their Capabilities Statement in original and two copies to Jane M. Carlson, Contracting Officer at Minerals Management Service, 381 Elden Street, MS-2500, Herndon, Virginia 20170-4817. Three additional copies shall be submitted to Dr. Harry Luton, Minerals Management Service, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, 1201 Elmwood Park Blvd., MS-5430, New Orleans, LA 70123-2394. Timeliness of receipt of any submission will be determined by the time received in the Procurement Operations Branch, Herndon, Virginia. The period of performance of the resultant contract will be thirty-six (36) months with an estimated value of $ 425,000 to $450,000. Your Capabilities Statement will be evaluated based on (1) the currency, quality and depth of experience of individual personnel in working on similar projects. "Similar project" is meant to convey similarity in topic, methodologies, dollar value, duration and complexity; (2) quality and depth of education; experience on other projects which may not be similar enough to include in response to (1), but may be relevant; and publication history; (3) organization's history of successful completion of projects; history of producing high-quality reports and other deliverables; history of staying on schedule and within budget. Questions should be faxed to (703) 787-1364 or emailed as soon as possible to Jane.Carlson@mms.gov and should include the RFP number, your full name, address, phone and fax nos. Requests or questions by telephone are strongly discouraged. (0049)

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