DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Retention of Engineering Firms [27 Pa.B. 4512] Fayette, Greene, Washington and Westmoreland Counties
Project Reference No. 08430AG2105The Department of Transportation will retain two (2) surveying and/or engineering firms, with a minimum of two (2) survey corps each, for preliminary, final and construction surveys for projects in Fayette, Greene, Washington and Westmoreland Counties, Engineering District 12-0.
The Contract will be for a period of thirty (30) months from the date of the notice to proceed. It is estimated that approximately 563 crew days may be required for each of the two (2) firms selected.
The two (2) selected firms will be required to adequately staff a minimum of two (2) four-person survey crews. The firms will be required to furnish each survey crew with all required material, equipment, liability insurance, safety equipment and procedures necessary for the efficient, timely and professional completion of preliminary highway surveys, property surveys, construction stakeouts for structures, and roadways, retracing alignment, referencing control points and right-of-way and other related projects as directed by the Department. Preliminary highway surveys shall be performed using three-dimensional (3D) electronic survey procedures, unless otherwise directed by the Department. To ensure that all survey data is collected in a format that is compatible with the Department's existing Electronic Theodolite Interface (ETI) Software, the Department will provide Department-developed Electronic Survey Collection (ESC) Software and User's Manual to the selected firms. The software will be restricted to use on Department projects. The selected firms will be responsible for providing the hardware configuration necessary to complete surveys using the Department's software.
The hardware requirements are a Corvallis Microtech- nology, Inc., M C V-Q hand-held computer with 640K of memory or compatible data collection equipment: a 3-1/2'' floppy disk drive: and an electronic total station surveying instruments and serial cables to communicate with the hand-held computer. The total-station will be comparable or better than a five second instrument (5'').
The Department will establish an order of ranking of a minimum of five (5) firms for the purpose of negotiating an agreement based on the Department's evaluation of the acceptable letters of interest received in response to this solicitation. The ranking will be established directly from the letter of interest. Technical proposals will not be requested prior to the establishment of the ranking.
The following factors, listed in order of importance, will be considered by the Department during the evaluation of the firms submitting letters of interest:
a. Review of employee's resumes with emphasis on surveying capabilities and specialized experience in Highway/Route Surveying.
b. Geographical location of firm in relation to the Engineering District.
c. Understanding of the Department's requirements, policies and specifications.
d. Ability to provide survey crew on short (3-day minimum) notice.
e. Present workload of survey corps.
f. Past performance.
g. Additional equipment not required such as; laptop computers, calculators, digital levels, etc., will be considered.
The qualifications and experience required of each firm's personnel must meet or exceed the requirements of the Department's surveyor class specification. The descriptions for these classifications can be obtained from the District contact person identified at the end of this solicitation.
The survey personnel and supporting resume information must be submitted with the letter of interest. There shall be no substitution or addition of personnel without first submitting resumes and receiving written approval by the Department.
1. All field survey work shall be under the supervision of a Professional Land Surveyor licensed in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
2. Each survey crew shall consist of a minimum of one (1) party chief, one (1) instrument person and rod/prism/chain personnel to complete the crew, whether it be 3 or 4 people.
3. Electronic equipment and procedures, as described above, must be utilized in completion of surveys, unless otherwise directed by the Department.
4. The party chief should have a minimum of three (3) years experience as a party chief in highway related work. In the absence of the party chief, the corps will cease operations. Operations will commence when corps is properly staffed and capable of executing the assignment.
5. Provisions will be included for railroad insurance, rental of arrow boards, ladders, and/or boats when and if needed.
If a survey firm is submitting a letter of interest, it must indicate in the body of its transmittal letter the names and Professional Land Surveyor License Number of individuals who are directing heads or employes of the firm who have responsible charge of the firm's surveying activities, and whose names and seals shall be stamped on plans, specifications, plans and reports issued by the firm.
The second copy of the letter of interest and required forms (see general requirements and information section) shall be sent to: Mr. Michael H. Dufalla, P.E., District Engineer, Engineering District 12-0, P.O. Box 459, North Gallatin Avenue Extension, Uniontown, PA 15401.
Any technical questions concerning the requirements for this project should be directed to Mr. Donald P. Boord, P. L.S., Chief of Surveys, Engineering District 12-0 at (412) 439-7338.
Any questions concerning the submittal of the letter of interest can be directed to the Consultant Agreement Division at (717) 783-9309.
General Requirements and Information Firms interested in providing the above work and services are invited to submit two copies of a Letter of Interest and required information for each Project Reference Number for which the applicant wishes to be considered.
The first copy of the Letter of Interest and required information must be submitted to:
Mr. Charles W. Allwein, P.E., Chief
Consultant Selection Committee
7th Floor, Forum Place,
555 Walnut Street
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17101-1900The Letter of Interest and required information must be received within thirteen (13) calendar days of this Notice. The Deadline for receipt of a Letter of Interest at the above address is 4:30 P.M. prevailing time of the thirteenth day.
The second copy of the letter of interest and required information must be submitted to the appropriate District Engineer/Administrator or the Bureau Director as indicated in the individual advertisement. This copy must be postmarked or delivered on or before the deadline indicated above.
If an individual, firm, or corporation not authorized to engage in the practice of engineering desires to submit a Letter of Interest, said individual, firm, or corporation may do so as part of a Joint Venture with an individual, firm, or corporate which is permitted under the state law to engage in the practice of engineering.
If a Joint Venture responds to a project advertisement, the Department of Transportation will not accept separate Letters of Interest from the Joint Venture constituents. A firm will not be permitted to submit on more than one (1) Joint Venture for the same Project Reference Number. Also a firm that responds to a project as a prime may not be included as a designated subcontractor to another firm that responds as a prime to the project. Multiple responses under any of the foregoing situations will cause the rejection of all responses of the firm or firms involved. The above does not preclude a firm from being set forth as a designated subcontractor to more than one (1) prime responding to the project advertisement.
If a goal for Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) participation is established for an advertised project, firms expressing interest in the project must agree to ensure that Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) firms as defined in the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 and currently certified by the Department of Transportation shall have the maximum opportunity to participate in any subcontracting or furnishing supplies or services approved under Form 442, Section 1.10(a). The Act requires that firms owned and controlled by women (WBEs) be included, as a presumptive group, within the definition of Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE). The goal for DBE participation shall be as stated in the individual project advertisement. Responding firms shall make good faith efforts to meet the DBE goal using DBEs (as they were defined prior to the act), WBEs or combinations thereof.
Proposing DBE firms must be certified at the time of submission of the Letter of Interest. If the selected firm fails to meet the established DBE participation goal, it shall be required to demonstrate its good faith efforts to attain the goal.
Responses are encouraged by small firms, Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) firms, and other firms who have not previously performed work for the Department of Transportation.
Each Letter of Interest must include the following information and the information must be packaged and presented in the following order:
1. Transmittal Letter (Maximum of two (2) typed pages, one side)
The subject heading of the transmittal letter must include the project reference number for which the applicant wishes to be considered, the firm's legal name, fictitious name (if applicable), and the firm's federal identification number. If the project advertisement indicated the Department will retain an engineering firm for the project, the applicant must indicate in the body of their transmittal letter the names and Professional engineer License Number of individuals who are directing heads or employees of the firm who have responsible charge of the firm's engineering activities, and whose names and seals shall be stamped on all plans, specifications, plats, and reports issued by the firm.
2. Project Organization Chart (one page, one side)
This Chart should show key staff from the prime and each subconsultant and their area of responsibility.
3. Standard Form 255, ''Architect-Engineer and Related Services Questionnaire for Specific Project'' (one Form 255 for the project team).
The Standard Form 255 must be signed, dated, and filled out in its entirety, including Item No. 6 listing the proposed subconsultants and the type of work or service they will perform on the project. Under Item 4 of this form, Column A should include the number of subconsultant personnel and Column B should include the number of prime consultant personnel to be assigned to work on this project reference number.
If a Disadvantage Business Enterprise (DBE) goal is specified for the project, the DBE must be currently certified by the Department of Transportation, and the name of the DBE and the work to be performed must be indicated in Item No. 6. If a Woman Business Enterprise (WBE) firm is substituted for the DBE, the WBE firm must also be presently certified by the Department of Transportation and indicated in Item 6.
4. Standard Form 254, ''Architect-Engineer for Related Services Questionnaire''
A Standard Form 254, not more than one (1) year old as of the date of this advertisement, must accompany each Letter of Interest for the firm, each party to a Joint Venture, and for each subconsultant the firm or Joint Venture is proposing to use for the performance of professional services regardless of whether the subconsultant is an individual, a college professor, or a Company, unless an acceptable Standard Form 254 for the prime and each subconsultant/subcontractor is on file in both the Bureau of Design and the Engineering District Office or Central Office Bureau identified in the individual project advertisement.
If the Standard Form 254 is not submitted with the Letter of Interest, the transmittal letter shall indicate the dates that the Standard Forms 254 were submitted to the Bureau of Design and appropriate Engineering District/Central Office Bureau.
These Forms shall be assembled with the prime's first, followed by the subconsultant's in the same order as they appear in Item 6 of Form 255.
5. Workload Projection Graph (Not required for Construction Inspection Services)
A Workload Projection Graph for the prime and each subconsultant should indicate the firm's current and anticipated workload compared to the anticipated capacity available for the next two-year time frame. The Workload Projection Graph should be submitted for the office(s) where the work would be performed and should only include the personnel classifications required for providing the advertised services and work.
6. Authorization Letters (if required)
If the advertisement requires a letter signed by individuals giving their approval to use their name in the Letter of Interest, the letters from proposed prime employees should be first, followed by subconsultant employees, in the same order as shown in Item 6 of Form 255.
7. Registration To Do Business
Firms with out-of-state headquarters or corporations not incorporated in Pennsylvania must include, with each Letter of Interest, a copy of their registration to do business in the Commonwealth as provided by the Department of State. Firms who are not registered to do business in Pennsylvania at the time of this advertisement must document that they have applied for registration to the Department of State, Corporation Bureau. The telephone number for the Corporation Bureau is (717) 787-1057 or (717) 787-2004.
8. Overhead Rates (one page)
This page must show the latest audited overhead rate developed in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) for the prime consultant and each subconsultant. If a FAR rate is not available, the latest rate available from a Certified Public Account must be indicated. New firms should indicate how long the firm has been in existence and when an audited overhead rate would be available.
9. Additional Information
Additional information, not to exceed ten (10) one sided pages or five (5) double sided pages may be included at the discretion of the submitting firm.
The assignment of the agreement/contract for the above advertisement(s) will be made to one of the firms who submitted an acceptable Letter of Interest in response to the project advertisement. The assignment will be made based on the Department's evaluation of the firm's qualification and capabilities. The Department reserves the right to reject all letters submitted, to cancel the solicitations requested under this Notice, and/or to readvertise solicitation for the work and services.
BRADLEY L. MALLORY
Secretary[Pa.B. Doc. No. 97-1414. Filed for public inspection August 29, 1997, 9:00 a.m.]
