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PA Bulletin, Doc. No. 96-1140

NOTICES

Retention of a Geotechnical Engineering Consultant Firm

[26 Pa.B. 3374]

Project Reference No. DEP-FPP-96:1

   The Department of Environmental Protection hereby issues this Request for Proposals to retain a Geotechnical Engineering Consultant to assist and advise the Department on proposed water related projects. The Consultant's area of responsibility shall include projects throughout the entire Commonwealth. The Bureau of Flood Protection Projects' personnel will identify and assign projects to be reviewed.

   The services will include, but are not limited to, a preliminary meeting for each project in the Bureau of Flood Protection Projects' office in Harrisburg, PA, a site visit and review of soil or rock samples and any reports for each project. Subsequently, the consultant will submit a report with recommendations for each project. It is important that upon assignment of a specific project, the selected firm must be capable of completing the necessary work and submitting a report in a timely manner. The selected firm may be required to perform work on multiple sites concurrently. The contract shall be based on the hours of service and qualifying expenses not exceeding the contract amount. The reports will be reviewed and, when acceptable, will be approved by personnel of the Bureau of Flood Protection Projects.

   Some professionals and personnel of interested firms must be registered as professional engineers and have experience in geotechnical engineering.

General Requirements and Information

   Firms interested in performing the required services for this project are invited to submit proposals to Larry E. Oliver, P.E., Acting Director, Bureau of Flood Protection Projects, P. O. Box 8460, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8460. The Bureau of Flood Protection Projects is located in Room 116 Executive House, Second and Chestnut Streets, Harrisburg.

   A complete proposal shall consist of the following:

   1.  Letter of Interest.

   Each letter of interest must include the firm's Federal Identification Number and the Project Reference Number. The letter of interest shall also include three examples and brief descriptions of the most recently completed projects similar to this work being sought. Descriptions shall include the client with contact person and phone number, the cost of the work performed by the firm, the project manager, and names and positions of all personnel who made major contributions to the project.

   2.  Standard DGS Forms 150 and 150-S.

   The standard DGS Forms must accompany the letter of interest and shall indicate the individual in charge.

   3.  SERB Information.

   Commitment to Enhance Socially/Economically Restricted Businesses (SERB).

   The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania strongly encourages the submission of proposals by SERBs.

   To achieve the objective of enhancing SERB participation, the Commonwealth has established SERB utilization as a selection criteria in the evaluation process.

   The Bureau of Contract Administration and Business Development (BCABD) will evaluate the aforementioned criteria and will assign a point value to be considered within the overall RFP total point tabulation.

   Proposals submitted by individuals claiming SERB status or proposals submitted by individuals reflecting joint venture and subcontracting opportunities with SERBs must submit documentation verifying their claim.

   SERBs are businesses whose economic growth and development has been restricted based on social and economic bias. Such businesses are BCABD certified minority and women owned businesses and certain restricted businesses whose development has been impeded because their primary or headquarter facility is physically located in an area designated by the Commonwealth as being in an enterprise zone. Businesses will not be considered socially/economically restricted if one of the conditions listed below exists:

   1.  The business has gross revenues exceeding $4,000,000 annually.

   2.  The concentration of an industry is such that more than 50% of the market is controlled by the same type of SERB (Minority Business Enterprise (MBE)/Women Business Enterprise (WBE)) or businesses within designated enterprise zones.

   Proposers not considered to be socially/economically restricted businesses seeking to identify such businesses for joint venture and subcontracting opportunities are encouraged to contact the Department of General Services, Bureau of Contract Administration and Business Development, Room 502 North Office Building, Harrisburg, PA 17125, Phone: (717) 787-7380, FAX: (717) 787-7052.

   SERBs are encouraged to participate as prime proposers. SERBs qualifying as an MBE/WBE must provide their BCABD certification number. SERBs qualifying as a result of being located in a designated enterprise zone must provide proof of this status.

   Proposers not considered to be SERBs must describe, in a narrative form, their company's approach to enhance SERB utilization on a professional level in the implementation of this proposal.

   The following options will be considered as part of the final criteria for selection:

   Priority Rank 1. Proposals submitted by SERBs.

   Priority Rank 2. Proposals submitted from a joint venture with a Commonwealth approved SERB as a joint venture partner.

   Priority Rank 3. Proposals submitted with subcontracting commitments to SERBs.

   Each proposal will be rated for its approach to enhancing the utilization of SERB. The optional approach used will be evaluated with option number 1 receiving the greatest value and the succeeding options receiving a value in accordance with the above-listed priority ranking.

   The dollar value designated for SERB Commitment should be placed in a separate sealed envelope and stapled to the SERB section of the proposal. Contractor proposals should also include the SERB value in the Cost and Price Analysis section of the proposal. The applicable items shown in the Cost and Price Analysis section should also be used to prepare and detail the proposed SERB Commitment value including, if applicable, fiscal year breakdown. The selected contractor's SERB Commitment amount will be included as a contractual obligation when a contract is entered into.

   4.  Cost and Price Analysis

   In addition to the letters of interest, the DGS Forms 150 and 150-S and SERB information, a single copy of the hourly rates of the persons who will be working on the projects shall be submitted. Such copy shall be in a sealed envelope clearly identified as to its contents. The contents of this envelope will be opened after the evaluation committee submits its report to the Bureau Director on other aspects of the proposal.

   The hourly rates shall be itemized to show the basic rates plus fringe benefits, profits, administrative costs, and the like for these persons. Examples of such people shall include a firm principal, professional staff, draftspersons and secretary. Travel expenses shall be based on the current State rates per mile of automobile travel and for subsistence. Miscellaneous expenses such as telephone, printing and mailing shall be reimbursed at cost upon approval by the Department.

   This contract will be a multiple year contract for a period of 4 years with an anticipated effective date of July 1, 1996. The extent of work for the second, third and fourth years will be dependent on the availability of additional funds and additional projects. Should hourly rates change during the second, third or fourth year of the contract, these rates must also be included in the sealed proposal.

Criteria for Selection:

   The following factors will be considered during the evaluation of the firm's proposal:

   a.  Understanding the Problem. This refers to the contractor's understanding of the agency needs that generated the RFP, of the agency's objectives in asking for the services or undertaking the study, and of the nature and scope of the work involved.

   b.  Contractor Qualifications. This refers to the ability of the contractor to meet the terms of the RFP, especially the time constraint and the quality, relevancy, and recency of studies and projects completed by the contractor. This also includes the contractor's financial ability to undertake a project of this size.

   c.  Personnel Qualifications. This refers to the competence of professional personnel who would be assigned to the job by the contractor. Qualifications of professional personnel will be measured by experience and education, with particular reference to experience on studies/services similar to that described in the RFP. Particular emphasis is placed on the qualifications of the project manager.

   d.  Soundness of Approach. Emphasis here is on the techniques for collecting and analyzing data, sequence and relationships of major steps, and methods for managing the study/service. Of equal importance is whether the technical approach is completely responsive to all written specifications and requirements contained in the RFP and if it appears to meet agency objectives.

   e.  SERB Participation. Emphasis here is placed on:

   1.  Proposals submitted by MWBEO approved SERBs.

   2.  Commitments by proposers not considered to be SERBs which significantly utilize approved SERBs in joint ventures.

   3.  Commitments by proposers not considered to be SERBs which aggressively pursue the utilization of approved SERBs in subcontracting opportunities.

   f.  Cost. While this area will be weighted heavily, it will not normally be the deciding factor in the selection process.

   Maximum weights for each major criterion have been established by the developers of the RFP prior to the review of the proposals.

   The first four criteria will be rated by a panel of at least four members. BCABD will rate the ''SERB Participation'' criterion. The cost criterion will be rated by the Bureau Director and other Department personnel independent of the first five criteria.

   Five copies of the letter of interest, the required standard DGS forms, and the SERB information, and a single separately sealed copy of the cost and price analysis must be received no later than 4 p.m. on August 13, 1996. The envelope containing the proposal should be clearly marked ''PROPOSAL--DEP PROJECT NO. DEP-FPP-96:1''.

   The Commonwealth reserves the right to reject any and all proposals received as a result of this request, or to negotiate separately with competing contractors.

JAMES M. SEIF,   
Secretary

[Pa.B. Doc. No. 96-1140. Filed for public inspection July 12, 1996, 9:00 a.m.]


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