R -- ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES INFORMATION TRANSFER MEETINGS FOR THE ALASKA AND PACIFIC OCS REGIONS

Notice Date

April 10, 2001

Contracting Office

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

ZIP Code

20170-4817

Solicitation Number

0101RP31150

Response Due

May 2, 2000

Point of Contact

Jackie Halprin, Contracting Officer, (703) 787-1341 or jackie.halprin@mms.gov

E-Mail Address

Contracting Officer (jackie.halprin@mms.gov)

Description

The Department of the Interior, Minerals Management Service (MMS), intends to competitively award a contract for support of its Environmental Studies Information Transfer Meetings (ITM's) and Workshops for the Alaska Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Region. It is anticipated that meetings will also be held for the MMS Pacific OCS Region beginning in Fiscal Year 2002. INTRODUCTION: A considerable amount of data and information has been and continues to be gathered in the course of research conducted for the MMS Environmental Studies Program. In addition, other agencies, academia, and industry consultants have collected and continue to collect environmental data in the OCS Regions as well. To improve the accessibility, use and exchange of this information, the MMS Alaska and Pacific OCS regional offices conduct public meetings with a variety of formats. The meetings are of 3-day duration. Workshops are of shorter duration, 1-to-2 days in length, and focus on a single discipline or topic. The general format of the two types of meetings is essentially the same. The differences are in the duration of the meetings and the breadth of topical coverage. The meetings and workshops are documented in proceedings. The contractor shall provide support for up to five (5) ITM's and seven (7) workshops. The meetings shall be open to the public. Also, the contractor shall provide for pre-meeting plans, advertising, letters of invitation, procurement of meeting facilities, meeting logistics and staffing, and post-meeting reports as indicated below. The MMS will notify the contractor of the dates at least eight (8) months prior to the meetings. The Government is not obligated to order beyond a "Guaranteed Minimum" amount that will be stipulated in the contract. The contractor must be capable of performing all of the tasks described below. The MMS will describe specific services and tasks in a task order that the contracting office will issue for each meeting or workshop. Pre-Meeting Planning: a) Meeting Location and Facilities. The MMS will determine when they will take place and the city where each meeting will be held. Meetings and workshops will be held in Anchorage, AK, and Camarillo, CA, unless specified otherwise. For estimating purposes the projected attendance is 80 to 200 for ITM's and 20 to 100 for each workshop. For a particular location, the contractor shall investigate and evaluate suitable meeting site facilities for MMS's approval following the guidelines described below. The audience and invited speakers shall consider meeting site facilities for their accessibility. The expected audience will consist of federal, state and local government personnel, industry representatives, individuals and scientists from academia, and the general public. If possible, the facilities should be in close proximity (within walking distance) to shops, tourist facilities, restaurants, etc. The facilities shall have adequate space for meeting sessions, workshops, and coffee breaks. At a minimum, the necessary accommodation shall be a main meeting room to seat the maximum estimated attendance previously provided, and at least two additional breakout rooms to accommodate 40 to 75 people. The contractor shall provide slide projector, computer projector, overhead projector, projection screens, microphones, pointers (electronic and mechanical), lectern, reception tables, sound and audiovisual equipment, and any other equipment that will be necessary. For ITM's and workshops, upon MMS's approval of a suitable meeting site facility, the contractor shall reserve the facility not later than six (6) months prior to the meeting. The contractor shall also reserve a sufficient number of hotel or motel rooms in or as near as possible to the meeting facilities for invited out-of-the-area speakers at the meeting. b) Advertising: The advertising shall consist of direct mailings (MMS will provide addressed mailing labels from its list, approximately 1,000 labels), notices to scientific and technical and personal contacts. The contractor shall add to the mailing list where appropriate and shall work with MMS to develop a list of personal contacts (these contacts may be a follow-up to previous mailings). The contractor shall initiate advertising at least six (6) months prior to each meeting. There shall be three direct mailings, personal contacts, and notices in three technical/scientific journals or local newspapers if requested by MMS. In the last mailing, a pre-registration form shall be included to be returned to the contractor. c) Agenda, Meeting Format, and Presenter's Guidelines. The contractor shall prepare a draft agenda. In consultation with MMS, the contractor shall list the names of the conveners in the agenda. The agenda, including topics and talks, will be derived from the speakers suggested by MMS. The final agenda, including topics, shall be based on a format provided by the MMS Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR). Generally, the opening session of an ITM is a plenary meeting including introductions and MMS overviews. Within each subsequent session, topics and talks shall be established and presented as a panel seating of four to six speakers of complementary and varying perspectives on the same topic. The panel for each topic will be convened and moderated by a representative of MMS. A general plenary session will conclude an ITM on the afternoon of the third day. For each meeting, the COTR will provide Presenter's Guidelines that are suitable for the anticipated audience. Some presentations will be oriented to a technical audience and some to the layman. d) Letters of Invitation and Submission of Papers: The contractor shall contact and invite speakers from the speaker list compiled by MMS. The invitation shall include Presenter's Guidelines for (a) written papers and (b) oral presentations. The contractor shall obtain acceptance from each speaker that he or she agrees to comply with the Presenter's Guidelines. The contractor shall obtain copies of all illustrations and tables to be used in the talk. These illustrations and tables shall be distributed with the papers in the proceedings from the meeting. e) Travel Arrangements for Speakers. For an ITM, the contractor shall provide transportation to and from the meeting and per diem and subsistence for up to three (3) days for approximately 12 invited speakers traveling from locations outside of Anchorage or Camarillo, as applicable. The Contractor shall make travel arrangements for these speakers. The MMS will identify the individual speakers for whom these costs shall be paid by the contractor. Honoraria: The contractor shall pay honoraria for non-government speakers. 2. Responsibilities during the Meeting: The contractor shall be responsible for the logistics of the meeting during the meeting period. The contractor shall be specifically responsible for insuring that all equipment necessary is available and functioning, providing a liaison between the facilities staff and MMS at each meeting room, staffing a registration table and coordinating any handouts at the table. The contractor shall provide a person for each session to take notes on the talks and discussions through the meeting. This person should be familiar with the discipline of the particular talk or topic. The MMS will provide staff members in appropriate disciplines to act as conveners for the meeting and individual meeting sessions. The COTR shall provide the contractor an evaluation form prior to the meeting or workshop. The contractor shall assist speakers who have traveled to the meeting by responding to their questions regarding travel. 3. Post Meeting Responsibilities: a) Proceedings Report. The contractor shall provide a meeting proceedings report in a form and number defined in the respective task order. The report shall include the papers presented, a list of attendees and participants including addresses and telephone numbers, and short summaries of the discussions sessions, as appropriate. MMS will review the draft proceedings prior to mailing. Upon the recommendation of MMS, some of the draft papers or transcriptions of presentations and comments shall be sent to the corresponding speakers for personal review. The contractor shall print and mail copies of the proceedings to the attendees requesting them, and forward remaining copies to MMS. The proceedings report shall conform to the report specifications provided by the MMS. b) Payment of Expenses: The contractor shall make payment of all allowable expenses incurred including meeting rooms, audiovisual equipment, honoraria and travel for speakers, and finish any related processing. 4. Project Coordination. Project Coordinator: The Project Coordinator will be the primary contact with MMS and shall have sufficient authority to ensure timely completion of the above items (items 1-3). The Project Coordinator shall have demonstrated abilities to organize, prepare for, and run a scientific meeting in Alaska of the complexity described above. Further, the Project Coordinator shall have demonstrated abilities/capabilities to communicate effectively with the COTR. The Project Coordinator shall be charged with supervising and directing the support staff during the planning and running of the meeting. b) Support Staff: The contractor shall assign sufficient staff to prepare for and run a scientific meeting of the complexity described above. Each staff member shall have demonstrated abilities to perform the necessary support functions. These functions include, but are not limited to, managing correspondence, preparing and monitoring organizational agendas, technical note taking, meeting registration, etc. Note takers shall have a technical background in the discipline on which they are taking notes. This will be an Indefinite Delivery-Indefinite Quantity, Task Order driven contract for services, containing cost reimbursable elements, with a performance period of a twelve (12) month base year and four (4), twelve month option years. The period of performance shall be no more than 60 months from the contract effective date. The estimated cost range is between $525,000 and $600,000 for the five years. In order to compete for this contract, offerors must demonstrate that they are qualified to perform the work by providing, not later than close of business on May 2, 2001, a CAPABILIITES STATEMENT describing in detail: (A) Key personnel with the education, professional credentials, knowledge, and publications in relevant disciplines. Relevant disciplines are: physical oceanography, fate and effects of marine contaminants, marine biology, protected marine species, and social science and economics. Relevant knowledge includes knowledge of the relationship of oil and gas activity on the Outer Continental Shelf to the environment; and knowledge of environmental studies supporting documentation under the National Environmental Policy Act. Key personnel with expertise, education, and experience to carry out the following tasks: 1. Plan information transfer and information update meetings. 2. Moderate panel sessions and provide introductions and conclusions with professionals in appropriate disciplines, specified above, as needed. 3. Take professional notes in relevant disciplines, specified above, as needed during the meetings. 4. Carry out logistical and other responsibilities during the meetings. 5. Produce proceedings of the meetings. 6. Adhere to budget parameters and carry out the tasks and specific scheduling deadlines. The tasks are summarized above. (B) The organization's expertise with this type of work and a description of your facilities and resources; and (C) Specific references (including project identifier and description, period of performance, dollar amount, and client name and phone number) for previous work of this nature that your organization or personnel is currently performing or has completed within the last three (3) years) REFERENCES WILL BE CHECKED. Your Capability Statement will be evaluated based on: (A) Experience and expertise of all technical Key Personnel, their experience in the types of work proposed, and demonstrated ability to do the work. Key personnel shall have education, professional credentials, knowledge, and publications in relevant disciplines. Relevant disciplines are: physical oceanography, fate and effects of marine contaminants, marine biology, protected marine species, and social science and economics. Relevant knowledge includes knowledge of the relationship of oil and gas activity on the Outer Continental Shelf to the environment; and knowledge of environmental studies supporting documentation under the National Environmental Policy Act. Scientific personnel must demonstrate relevant experience in the scientific disciplines demonstrated through authorship in appropriate peer reviewed publications. Evaluation factors include: 1. The length and quality of experience for each person assigned to perform specific tasks. 2. The level and quality of formal education in the disciplines and technical fields necessary, including the level of relevant education attained as well as honors, awards, and recognition of previous work. 3. Experience with similar projects in Alaska. (B) Key personnel shall have experience in: 1. Moderating panel sessions and provide introductions and conclusions with professionals in appropriate disciplines as needed in information transfer and information update meetings. 2. Taking professional notes in relevant disciplines as needed during the meetings. Key personnel shall also have expertise, education, and experience in: 1. Planning information transfer and information update meetings. 2. Carrying out logistical and other responsibilities during the meetings. 3. Producing proceedings of the meetings. (C) Your organization's history of: 1 Successful completion of comparable projects (similar in size, scope, complexity, duration, and dollar value to the current project). 2. Producing high-quality documents. 3. Conducting similar projects on schedule and within budget. 4. Demonstrated degree of mutually beneficial cooperation between offeror's key personnel and its clients. The qualifications of subcontracts and partners will also be considered in these respects. The most qualified offerors, based on an evaluation of their Capabilities Statements, will be expected to provide a separate oral presentation of their technical proposal to a Technical Proposal Evaluation Committee (TPEC). The offeror's key personnel will give the oral presentation. Following the oral presentations, there will be a one-hour question and answer session where the Government will query the presenters on their proposals. ORAL PRESENTATIONS WILL TAKE PLACE IN ANCHORAGE, ALASKA, and are tentatively scheduled for mid-to-late June, 2001. Offerors should submit their Capabilities Statement in original and six (6) copies to Ms. Jackie Halprin, Minerals Management Service, 381 Elden Street, Mail Stop 2500, Herndon, VA 20170-4817. THIS PROCUREMENT IS SET-ASIDE FOR SMALL BUSINESS. Questions must be e-mailed to the Contracting Officer, jackie.halprin@mms.gov. Please include the solicitation number in the subject line and include your full name/company name, address, phone and fax numbers, and e-mail address in the message. TELEPHONE INQUIRIES WILL NOT BE ACKNOWLEDGED NOR ACCEPTED

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010412/RSOL013.HTM (W-100 SN50I818)