NOTICES
DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES
Retention of Surveying Firms; Project Reference No. FDC-500-821
[55 Pa.B. 322]
[Saturday, January 11, 2025]The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (Department), is issuing this Request for Proposals (RFP) from interested and qualified surveying professional firms (Consultant or Offeror) for an open-end contract or contracts to perform surveying for various projects located in State forests and State parks throughout this Commonwealth. The contract or contracts will be for a 12-month period with four 12-month extensions possible. Projects will be assigned on an as needed basis to ensure proper and safe operations of the Department's infrastructure and facilities. The contract or contracts will be managed by the Department's Bureau of Facility Design and Construction (Bureau).
The number of open-end contracts and the dollar amount of each contract will be at the discretion of the Department for the first year. The extent of the work for the subsequent 4 years of the contract will be dependent on the availability of additional funds and additional projects for those years, also at the discretion of the Department.
Proposals will only be accepted from individuals, firms or corporations duly authorized to engage in the practice of surveying. If an individual, firm or corporation not authorized to engage in the practice of surveying wishes to submit a proposal, the individual, firm or corporation may do so as part of a joint venture with an individual, firm or corporation which is permitted under State law to engage in the practice of surveying in this Commonwealth.
Background
Established on July 1, 1995, the Department is charged with maintaining and preserving the 124 State parks; managing the 2.2 million acres of State forest land; providing information on the ecological and geologic resources in this Commonwealth; and establishing community conservation partnerships with grants and technical assistance to benefit rivers, trails, greenways, local parks and recreation, regional heritage parks, open space and natural areas.
The Bureau provides multidisciplined facility and infrastructure technical support to the other bureaus in the Department in the areas of project design, project inspections, construction management, contract administration, surveying and other technical advice and consultation. This Bureau is comprised of three divisions: Dams, Bridges and Roadways Engineering; Environmental Engineering and Architecture; and Field Engineering and Contracts Management.
The Bureau's Central Office (located in Harrisburg) is responsible for the development of architectural, landscape architectural, water and sanitary, bridge and roadway, and civil and environmental projects required to support the Department's facility construction and maintenance program. The Central Office is comprised of five design sections: Architectural Design; Landscape Design; Sanitary and Water Management; Bridges and Road Management; and Civil Design. In addition to project design, staff also provides technical architectural and engineering support and advice to assist field operations in State parks and State forests.
The Bureau also has four field offices: Northcentral Office in Emporium; Western Office in Moraine State Park; Southcentral Office in Shawnee State Park; and Eastern Office in Nockamixon State Park. Each office is responsible for providing direct engineering and technical support to the State parks and State forests field operation staff in their area. Staff is responsible for project inspection and construction management to ensure contractor compliance with the construction contract documents as well as some project design.
PART I
GENERAL INFORMATIONI-1. Issuing Office. The Department has issued this RFP on behalf of the Commonwealth. The sole point of contact for this RFP will be the Issuing Officer listed as follows. Refer all inquiries to the Issuing Officer at https://bidexpress.com/solicitations/.
Issuing Officer:
Ryan B. Rhoades, PE
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Bureau of Facility Design and ConstructionI-2. Purpose. Services to be provided primarily will be topographic surveying for the design of bridges, roads, dams, various buildings and sanitary systems or boundary/property surveys. The latter could include all necessary subdivision requirements. They may occasionally include other related surveying work such as plot topography and cross sections, or title and record research to determine ownership and boundary locations.
The Department will make project assignments through individual Work Orders. Projects will be located throughout this Commonwealth. The Consultant will be required to travel to the project sites.
The Consultant will be required to submit project data and documents in both written and electronic form. Drawings will be required to comply with the Department's computer aided drafting (CAD) standard.
I-3. Qualifications. The Consultant shall have staff available to provide rapid services associated with assigned projects. The Consultant may be called upon to provide services on multiple projects at the same time.
The following minimum qualifications will be required of all Consultants:
• Possess current professional registrations required to perform required services.
• Be licensed to conduct business in this Commonwealth.
• Have sufficient staff or subconsultants experienced in the various required services.
• Have an established quality control and assurance program that includes all members of the team including subconsultants, for checking documents for accuracy, consistency, coordination, quality and compliance with all necessary codes and regulations and Department standards.
• Have drafting capabilities in digital format (AutoCAD).
I-4. Type of Contract. The type of contract as a result of this RFP will be an open-end, requirements contract. The Department will assign work on an as needed basis as determined by the Department. Reimbursement for services will be by either fixed fee percentage based upon project allocation or hours of service per task and qualifying expenses. Reimbursement type may vary from project to project and will be at the Department's discretion. Bureau staff will review and, when applicable, approve the work. The selected Offerors will be expected to enter into an agreement for professional services with the Department in substantially the same form as the contract found at https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/programs-and-services/business/construction-bids.html.
I-5. Small Diverse Business and Veteran Business Enterprise Information. For projects where the scope of work is estimated at $600,000 or greater, the Department may include requirements regarding Small Diverse Business (SDB) or Veteran Business Enterprise (VBE) participation through the setting of SDB and VBE participation goals. Those goals will be calculated for each individual Work Order based upon the scope of the design work and available SDB or VBE firms, but they will not be greater than 16% for SDB participation and 3% for VBE participation. SDB and VBE participation goals—and commitments made toward meeting those goals—will be calculated based upon the cost of the Work Order for that project. For a Consultant to be retained for the Work Order, the Consultant must agree to meet both project-specific goals in full or receive an approved waiver for any unmet portion of the goals. Commitments to utilize SDBs and VBEs for a project will become contractual obligations of the Consultant for that Work Order.
Only those firms that have received a Department of General Services (DGS) issued SDB or VBE verification as of the Work Order submittal date and time can be used towards meeting SDB and VBE participation goals. Because the SDB and VBE verification process can take up to 6 months and the Department anticipates that the response times for these projects may be very short, the Department encourages firms who may be eligible for SDB or VBE verification to begin the process immediately. Information regarding SDB or VBE verification is available at https://www.dgs.pa.gov/Small%20Diverse%20 Business%20Program/Documents/Small%20Business%20 Application%20Guide.pdf.
Offerors can locate DGS-verified SDBs and VBEs within the Supplier Search database at http://www.dgs.internet.state.pa.us/suppliersearch.
Additional information regarding the SDB and VBE participation requirements will be provided along with each project scope.
I-6. Worker Protection and Investment. Under Executive Order 2021-06, Worker Protection and Investment (October 21, 2021), the Commonwealth is responsible for ensuring that every worker in this Commonwealth has a safe and healthy work environment and the protections afforded them through labor laws. Contractors of the Commonwealth must certify that they are in compliance with all applicable State labor and workforce safety laws in this Commonwealth. The certification must be made through the Worker Protection and Investment Certification Form (BOP-2201) and submitted with the proposal. See Part II, Section II-1, J.
I-7. Rejection of Proposals. The Issuing Office may, in its sole and complete discretion, reject any proposal received as a result of this RFP.
I-8. Incurring Costs. The Issuing Office is not liable for any costs the Offeror incurs in preparation and submission of its proposal, in participating in the RFP process or in anticipation of award of the contract.
I-9. Questions and Answers. If an Offeror has any questions regarding this RFP, the Offeror must submit the questions at https://bidexpress.com/solicitations/. Questions must be submitted as individual questions. Questions must be submitted no later than 7 days prior to the proposal response date. Offerors shall not attempt to contact the Issuing Officer for questions by any other means. Questions and responses are considered an addendum to, and part of, this RFP. The Issuing Office is not bound by any verbal information, nor is it bound by any written information that is not either contained within the RFP or formally issued by the Issuing Office. The Issuing Office does not consider questions to be a protest of the specifications or the solicitation.
I-10. Addenda to the RFP. If the Department deems it necessary to revise any part of this RFP before the proposal response date, the Issuing Office will post an addendum at https://bidexpress.com/solicitations/. It is the Offeror's responsibility to periodically check the website for any new information or addenda to the RFP.
I-11. Response Date. To be considered for selection, electronic proposals must be submitted on or before the time and date specified. The Issuing Office will reject any late proposals.
I-12. Notification of Selection. The Department will notify Offerors whose proposals are not selected when the Department has successfully completed contract negotiations and has received the final negotiated contract signed by the selected Offeror.
I-13. Debriefing Conference. The Department will not offer a debriefing session to the unsuccessful Offerors.
PART II
PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTSOfferors must submit their proposals in the format, including heading descriptions, outlined as follows. To be considered, the proposal must respond to all requirements in this part of the RFP. Offerors should provide any other information thought to be relevant, but not applicable to the enumerated categories, as an appendix to the proposal.
II-1. Technical Submittal. Proposals must include the following items and information:
A. Proposal Cover Sheet (Appendix A).
B. A description of the Offeror's understanding of the Department's needs and the services required. This description must include why and how the Offeror is qualified to provide these services.
C. A description of the Offeror's project approach and methodology, including the approach to the managerial, technical and administrative aspects of the project. Describe how the scope, budget and quality of a project are managed and controlled. Address communication and coordination strategies internal to the team, with subconsultants, with the client and with other outside agencies.
D. A detailed description of the Offeror's quality control and assurance program, including how subconsultants are included in this program. Provide the name of the person responsible for quality control and describe their qualifications to perform this task.
E. A description of the Offeror's qualifications to complete the required services. Include firm history and experience on similar projects. Describe the resources of the firm, including number/discipline of personnel. Include roles and experience of proposed subconsultants.
F. Resumes of personnel who will be involved in providing the services described in this RFP to the Department. Describe their relevant experience, years of experience, what roles they will fill in providing the required services and percent of time they will be committing to Department-assigned projects. The resumes must include their professional education and professional registrations and licenses. Provide resumes of subconsultant's personnel.
G. A description of the Offeror's ability to work on multiple projects of various sizes at the same time.
H. A list of at least three of the Offeror's most recent completed projects similar to the projects anticipated under the contract. In addition to photographs and a descriptive narrative, the list must include the client, contact person and contact information, the completion date, the firm's Project Manager and the names of all of the firm's personnel who made contributions to the project.
I. A standard Design Professional Selection Application for Professional Services Form (Appendix B), indicating the individual in charge. Additional information pertinent to the Offeror's qualifications to do the work of this contract may be included on this form.
J. Worker Protection and Investment Certification Form (BOP-2201) (Appendix C), certifying that the Offeror is in compliance with all applicable State labor and workforce safety laws.
II-2. Proposal Submission. Offerors must submit their proposals electronically at https://bidexpress.com/solicitations/. Proposals must be signed by an official who is authorized to bind the Offeror to its provisions.
Offerors must submit a complete proposal. Failure to include any of the required information or forms will delay evaluation of the proposal and may, at the Commonwealth's sole discretion, result in its rejection.
II-3. Offeror's Representations and Authorizations. By submitting its proposal, each Offeror understands, represents and acknowledges that:
A. The Offeror's information and representations in the proposal are material and important, and the Issuing Office may rely upon the contents of the proposal in awarding the contracts. The Commonwealth will treat any misstatement, omission or misrepresentation as fraudulent concealment of the true facts relating to the proposal submission, punishable under 18 Pa.C.S. § 4904 (relating to unsworn falsification to authorities).
B. The Offeror has not attempted, nor will it attempt, to induce any firm or person to refrain from submitting a proposal on this contract.
C. The Offeror makes its proposal in good faith and not under any agreement or discussion with, or inducement from, any firm or person to submit a complementary or other noncompetitive proposal.
D. To the best knowledge of the person signing the proposal for the Offeror, the Offeror, its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers, directors and employees are not currently under investigation by any governmental agency and have not in the last 4 years been convicted of or found liable for any act prohibited by Federal or state law in any jurisdiction, involving conspiracy or collusion with respect to bidding or proposing on any public contract, except as the Offeror has disclosed in its proposal.
E. To the best of the knowledge of the person signing the proposal for the Offeror and except as the Offeror has otherwise disclosed in its proposal, the Offeror has no outstanding, delinquent obligations to the Commonwealth including, but not limited to, any State tax liability not being contested on appeal or other obligation of the Offeror that is owed to the Commonwealth.
F. The Offeror is not currently under suspension or debarment by the Commonwealth, any other Federal or state government, and if the Offeror cannot so certify, then it shall submit along with its proposal a written explanation of why it cannot make the certification.
G. The Offeror has not made, under separate contract with the Issuing Office, any recommendations to the Issuing Office concerning the need for the services described in its proposal or the specifications for the services described in the proposal.
H. Each Offeror, by submitting its proposal, authorizes Commonwealth agencies to release to the Commonwealth information concerning the Offeror's taxes in this Commonwealth, unemployment compensation and workers' compensation liabilities.
I. Until the selected Offeror receives a fully executed and approved written contract from the Issuing Office, there is no legal and valid contract, in law or in equity, and the Offeror shall not begin to perform.
J. The Offeror is not currently engaged and will not, during the duration of the contract, engage in a boycott of a person or an entity based in or doing business with a jurisdiction which the Commonwealth is not prohibited by Congressional statute from engaging in trade or commerce.
PART III
SELECTION AND AWARDIII-1. Selection Criteria. The Department will evaluate proposals based on the following criteria:
A. Consultant's understanding of the problem and the services required.
B. Consultant's staff qualifications, experience and ability to perform the required services, including the qualifications, experience and abilities of subconsultant's staff.
C. Consultant's professional personnel in firm and subconsultant.
D. Consultant's project approach and methodology.
E. Consultant's available manpower to perform the required services.
F. Consultant's quality control and assurance program and procedures.
G. Equitable distribution of contracts.
III-2. Final Ranking and Award. The Issuing Office will rank responsible Offerors according to the total overall score assigned to each, in descending order. It is the intent of the Department to select more than one Offeror for projects to be assigned on a regional basis. The Issuing Office may reject all proposals or cancel this RFP at any time prior to the time a contract is fully executed when it is in the best interests of the Commonwealth. The reasons for the rejection or cancellation will be made part of the contract file.
CINDY ADAMS DUNN,
Secretary
[Pa.B. Doc. No. 25-44. Filed for public inspection January 10, 2025, 9:00 a.m.]
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