Guam Habitat Conservation Initiative 2023 Request for Proposals T&E Surveys

This Request for Proposals concerns Threatened and Endangered Species surveys. For a related Request for Proposals concerning fire risk management strategies, click here.

 

OVERVIEW

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation seeks qualified independent Contractor(s) to perform pre-consultation Threatened and Endangered (T&E) Species surveys for the Guam Habitat Conservation Initiative. Successful offeror(s) will be selected through a competitive process that is based on an assessment of the offeror’s proposed plan for achieving work items, technical qualifications, and cost considerations. 

 

BACKGROUND

In 2020, the Guam Habitat Conservation Initiative (Program) was established through a cooperative partnership between the Department of Defense (DoD) Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program, Joint Region Marianas, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF). The Program aims to protect, restore, and enhance targeted native limestone forest, ravine forest, and savanna habitats in Guam to establish precursory conditions towards improving the baseline status of federally listed Threatened and Endangered (T&E) Species. In collaboration with DoD, NFWF, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Guam Department of Agriculture (Program Partners), a 5-year implementation plan (Implementation Plan) was developed to guide future investments to achieve targeted habitat conservation goals on key Government of Guam conservation lands. A copy of the Program’s Implementation Plan is available on NFWF’s website at: https://www.nfwf.org/sites/default/files/2022-04/guam-REPI-implementation-plan.pdf

While the Implementation Plan includes a variety of goals and objectives, NFWF is seeking qualified contractors to conduct pre-consultation T&E Species surveys to successfully implement future restoration actions to improve native plant coverage and diversity on strategic Government of Guam lands. NFWF intends to use the data collected to inform future management actions on the property, secure necessary permits and compliance requirements, and track progress towards the Program’s goals.

Program goals to be addressed through this contract include conducting on‐site surveys to determine the presence of species listed under Endangered Species Act at Masso, Pagat, Anao, COTAL, As Gadao, and Quinene Road Plantation.

 

GEOGRAPHIC FOCUS

To be eligible for funding, projects must occur within the priority project areas illustrated on the map below (Map 1). The priority project locations include Masso, Pagat, Anao, COTAL, As Gadao, and Quinene Road Plantation. For more information about the sites, please refer to the Program’s Implementation Plan at: https://www.nfwf.org/sites/default/files/2022-04/guam-REPI-implementation-plan.pdf
 
Map of Guam regions that projects need to be within to be eligible for funding

 

SCOPE OF WORK

The following tasks constitute the Scope of Work for this Request for Quotations. The selected Contractor(s) will be expected to work on at least one (1) or more locations described below. The Contractor should anticipate regular check-in calls with NFWF and other partners throughout the duration of the contract. Please provide time and cost proposals for each Task using the Contractor Budget template provided. The deliverable for each Task will be time and resource dependent, and one or more tasks may be added or removed from the contract’s Scope of Work at NFWF’s discretion due to funding limitations, time constraints, the results from earlier tasks or other reasons.

Task 1: Conduct pre-consultation T&E Species surveys at Masso, Pagat, Anao, COTAL, As Gadao, and Quinene Road Plantation.

Future priority protection, enhancement, and restoration projects that meet native forest health and habitat objectives of the Program may require preliminary surveys and data collection to lay the groundwork for securing applicable permits. Recognizing this need, NFWF is seeking qualified contractors to conduct pre-consultation T&E Species surveys in both forest and savanna settings to support compliance activities. 

Qualified applicants should be prepared to meet USFWS and U.S. Department of Navy standards for surveys for listed T&E Species on Guam, including snails, orchids, and trees. A minimum of 100 search hours per species and documentation that these surveys included positive identification of the species are required. Proposals should demonstrate an understanding of the regulatory considerations to be addressed by this work, and indicate plans to work closely with NFWF, Guam Department of Agriculture (DOAG), and DoD as the lead project proponent and funder of the program. 

The Contractor will develop a survey protocol document to be reviewed and approved by NFWF and Program Partners before survey work may commence. The Contractor will perform the survey targeting relevant species likely to use the sites, including listed plants, invertebrates, and vertebrates. Species of interest include: Tuberolabium guamense, Bulbophyllum guamense, Dendrobium guamense, Phyllanthus saffordii, Hedyotis megalantha, Cycas micronesica, Heritiera longipetiolata, Tabernaemontana rotensis, Eugenia bryanii, Psychotria malaspinae, Partula gibba, Partula radiolata, Samoana fragilis, Nervilia jacksonii, Tinospora homosepala, Solanum guamense.

T&E Species surveys may include the following activities: 

  • Trained observers walk transects to observe and document federally listed species presence or use of habitats at Masso, select sections of Pagat and Anao sites, COTAL, As Gadao, and Quinene Road Plantation;
  • Documentation of species encounters in both written and GPS formats, and;
  • All survey work should be non-intrusive and should not remove vegetation.

Task 1a Deliverable: Prepare a detailed written survey protocol that will be used to guide the T&E survey of each property as described in Task 1b. Draft protocols will be shared with NFWF and Program Partners for review and comment, which should be addressed prior to conducting the surveys.

Task 1b Deliverable: Implement the protocol developed in Task 1a to conduct pre-consultation T&E Species surveys at Masso, Pagat, Anao, COTAL, As Gadao, and Quinene Road Plantation, to gather information to support Endangered Species Act (ESA) consultation. 

Task 1c Deliverable: Prepare a written, detailed summary of significant findings including maps of completed surveys, maps of confirmed locations of listed species, descriptions of site conditions and any other relevant information. The Contractor is expected to provide NFWF with data collected as part of this effort including spatial data such as survey tracks, coordinates of confirmed listed species sightings, databases and any other relevant data.

Task 1 Deliverable Schedule (Subject to Change)

  • Awards Announced: January 2024
  • Contract for Services Executed: March 2024
  • Draft Survey Protocol Submitted to NFWF for Review and Approval: May-June 2024
  • Field Surveys Conducted: July-August 2024
  • Preliminary and Draft Reports Submitted to NFWF for Review: September 2024
  • Finalized Reports Due: November 2024

 

REQUIRED EXPERTISE AND PROPOSED STAFF 

To be competitive, successful offeror(s) will meet the following qualifications: 

  • Demonstrated expertise through academic training and work experience performing relevant surveys, assessments, and/or workplan development. Listed species survey personnel must be able to provide information showing at least 100 hours of survey time looking for Guam’s listed species, including bats and invertebrates, and evidence that some of these survey hours included positive identification of listed species including those referenced in Task 1 above. 
  • Good working relationships with DoD, Government of Guam, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and/or other Territorial program partners. Experience with similar partnerships in other regions will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Please provide letters of support from applicable organizations.
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills.
  • Experience working with and engaging diverse groups. 
  • Ability to work independently in a rapidly changing environment.
  • Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail. 
  • Computer proficiency, including databases, spreadsheets, and word processing.
  • Experience providing contractual services similar to those sought by NFWF through this RFQ.

 

CRITERIA FOR COMPETITIVE APPLICATIONS 

Proposals will be evaluated and scored on the following criteria.  Offerors should organize their Proposal Narrative based on these sections:

  1. Understanding of the Scope of Work. The Scope of Work must demonstrate an understanding of the goals of the activities involved. This section should include a description of how you will communicate with NFWF and Program stakeholders and report on progress, results, and deliverables. Weight: 10%
  2. Technical Approach. The proposed technical approach for conducting the task(s) should clearly describe the proposed methods necessary to conduct the project. The section must demonstrate that those methods are robust and appropriate for conducting the project and address any areas of complexity or uncertainty associated with conducting the project. Weight: 20%
  3. Qualifications of Proposed Personnel. This section should clearly describe which tasks each member of the team will conduct and how their training and experience provide the requisite experience to do so successfully. Weight: 20%
  4. Contractor’s Past Performance. The proposal should include information on the primary investigator(s)’s past performance experience in the requested field.  List recent (last 2-5 years) accomplishments and previous services related to the technical expertise offered. If subcontractors are to be used, information should be provided that demonstrates their past performance as well. Describe how that past performance is applicable to this evaluation. Weight: 20%
  5. Budget. The proposed budget should itemize work in sufficient detail to enable reviewers to evaluate the appropriateness of the entire funding request. You must use attached Contractor Budget Template. You may add columns to the template for additional tasks if needed, but should not make any other changes. If applicable, please include the proposed budget for equipment purchase in the proposal separate from the Contractor Budget Template. Weight: 30%

 

ELIGIBLE OFFERORS & CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT


Eligible offerors include institutions of higher education, other nonprofits, commercial organizations, international organizations, and local and state governments. Small and minority businesses, and women's business enterprises are strongly encouraged to apply.

By submitting a proposal in response to this solicitation, the offeror warrants and represents that it does not currently have any apparent or actual conflict of interest, as described herein.  In the event an offeror currently has, will have during the life of the contemplated contract, or becomes aware of an apparent or actual conflict of interest, in the event an award is made, the offeror must notify NFWF in writing in the proposal, or in subsequent correspondence (if the issue becomes known after the submission of the proposal) of such apparent or actual conflicts of interest, including organizational conflicts of interest.  Conflicts of interest include any relationship or matter which might place the contractor, the contractor’s employees, or the contractor’s subcontractors in a position of conflict, real or apparent, between their responsibilities under the award and any other outside interests, or otherwise.  Conflicts of interest may also include, but are not limited to, direct or indirect financial interests, close personal relationships, positions of trust in outside organizations, consideration of future employment arrangements with a different organization, or decision-making affecting the award that would cause a reasonable person with knowledge of the relevant facts to question the impartiality of the offeror, the offeror’s employees, or the offeror’s future subcontractors in the matter.  Upon receipt of such a notice, the NFWF Contracting Officer will determine if a conflict of interest exists and, if so, if there are any possible actions to be taken by the offeror to reduce or resolve the conflict.  Failure to resolve conflicts of interest in a manner that satisfies NFWF may result in the proposal not being selected for award.  

By submitting a proposal in response to this solicitation, the offeror warrants and represents that it is eligible for award of a Contract resulting from this solicitation and that it is not subject to any of the below circumstances:

Has any unpaid Federal tax liability that has been assessed, for which all judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted or have lapsed, and that is not being paid in a timely manner pursuant to an Contract with the authority responsible for collecting the tax liability, where the awarding agency is aware of the unpaid tax liability, unless the agency has considered suspension or debarment of the corporation and made a determination that this further action is not necessary to protect the interests of the Government; or 

Was convicted (or had an officer or agent of such corporation acting on behalf of the corporation convicted) of a felony criminal violation under any Federal or State law within the preceding 24 months, where the awarding agency is aware of the conviction, unless the agency has considered suspension or debarment of the corporation and made a determination that this further action is not necessary to protect the interests of the Government; or

Is listed on the General Services Administration’s, government-wide System for Award Management Exclusions (SAM Exclusions), in accordance with the OMB guidelines at 2 C.F.R Part 180 that implement E.O.s 12549 (3 C.F.R., 1986 Comp., p. 189) and 12689 (3 C.F.R., 1989 Comp., p. 235), “Debarment and Suspension, ” or intends to enter into any subaward, contract or other Contract using funds provided by NFWF with any party listed on the SAM Exclusions in accordance with Executive Orders 12549 and 12689. The SAM Exclusions instructions can be found here: https://www.sam.gov/SAM/

 

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS  

Proposals must be submitted under the same cover at the same time, in three distinctly labeled and separate documents: 1) Technical Proposal, 2) Budget, and 3) Evidence of Financial Stability.  Interested parties should submit proposals electronically to NFWF (Jana Doi, jana.doi@nfwf.org) using the requirements below:

  1. Technical Proposal
    • Format: Proposals must be provided in Word format or searchable PDF with a font size no smaller than 11 pt.
    • Contact information: Primary contact person, company name, address, phone, email, website, UEI number, and EIN/Taxpayer ID#.
    • Narrative: Concise (10-page limit) description of the work plan and a summary of the offeror’s expertise and experience, organized by the Criteria for Competitive Applications. 
    • Biographies: Resumes and/or Vitae of key staff and their role in the proposed work area.
    • References: List two clients who have received services from the offeror that is similar in nature to the proposed work; include names, phone numbers, and email address. 
  2. Budget: The budget proposal must be submitted using the NFWF budget template found above in the "Related Content" section.
  3. Evidence of Financial Stability: The offeror shall provide proof of financial stability in the form of financial statements, credit ratings, a line of credit, or other financial arrangements sufficient to demonstrate the offeror’s capability to meet the requirements of this solicitation.


SELECTION PROCEDURE      

A panel of NFWF staff, agency and funder representatives will review the proposals. Offerors may be asked to modify objectives, work plans, or budgets prior to final approval of the award. Multiple awards may be made for this project. Offerors may include subcontract(s) in their proposals.


SUBMISSION DEADLINES (DATES SUBJECT TO CHANGE) 

September 1, 2023
Deadline for questions about the solicitation to NFWF. 
Offerors should submit questions regarding this solicitation via email to Jana Doi (jana.doi@nfwf.org). NFWF will post all the questions and responses to all questions so that all offerors have access to them at the same time. In order to provide equitable responses, all questions must be sent to NFWF no later than 5:00 PM Chamorro Time September 1, 2023.

September 15, 2023
NFWF will post the questions submitted regarding the solicitation and responses on the NFWF website here.

September 29, 2023
Deadline for receipt by NFWF of proposals. Proposals must be sent electronically as an email attachment to Jana Doi (jana.doi@nfwf.org) by 5:00 PM Chamorro Time September 29, 2023. Proposals must be provided in Word format or searchable PDF.

January 2024    
Contract award(s) to selected offeror(s) announced. 

November 2024
Final Deliverables Due