NASA Solicitation: Stakeholder Engagement in User-Centered Product Selection and Design
Synopsis – May 22, 2012
General Information
Solicitation Number: NNM12435536R
Posted Date: May 22, 2012
FedBizOpps Posted Date: May 22, 2012
Recovery and Reinvestment Act Action: No
Original Response Date: Jun 05, 2012
Current Response Date: Jun 05, 2012
Classification Code: A — Research and Development
NAICS Code: 541712
Contracting Office Address
NASA/George C. Marshall Space Flight Center, Procurement Office, Marshall Space Flight Center, AL 35812
Description
NASA/MSFC has a requirement for services involving stakeholder engagement in user-centered product selection & design. This procurement will provide the Regional Visualization and Monitoring System (SERVIR) program with user requirements for the design of a selected set of products, guidance for SERVIR Regional Hubs on product selection & design, and recommendations to the program overall on how to better identify and gather requirements for user-centered climate-related information products. It will also build capacity and raise awareness among users in target sites about climate information, uncertainty, and SERVIR through piloting of the product development process.
NASA/MSFC intends to purchase the items from Columbia University’s International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI). Competition is impractical for the following reasons:
1. This procurement is an enhancement to activities already being conducted by IRI supported by the US Agency for International Development (USAID). NASA, implementing SERVIR in partnership with USAID, has been requested by USAID to leverage existing investments made by USAID. Award to any other entity would result in duplication of costs to USAID and therefore the US Government overall and would not be recovered through competition and would fail to leverage the synergy of the ongoing efforts.
2. Funds available and dedicated to SERVIR from USAID under a Participating Agency Program Agreement included a stipulation that a portion of the funds be dedicated specifically to stakeholder engagement to understand and build demand for climate information products. Furthermore, USAID specifically identified IRI as an institution with whom SERVIR should partner, given IRI’s proven approaches for designing and delivering climate services to address critical regional needs in East Africa.
3. IRI is the only contractor who can meet the current requirements of SERVIR in the near term time frame. To expedite the process of designing new products, the services being sought are uniquely designed to build upon the relationships and experience that IRI possesses in East Africa in the areas of Health and Index Insurance. IRI has a history of engagement with stakeholders in these to areas in East Africa, and IRI has specialized knowledge necessary to satisfy the requirements from the agreement with USAID. Working with an organization other than IRI would involve a significant loss in previously gained experience and effort, and would consume considerably more time.
4. While SERVIR has not had a contract in place with IRI before, SERVIR has worked with IRI in the past and completed a successful collaboration with IRI involving the integration of information products into SERVIR’s geospatial platform. SERVIR can leverage this experience to quickly implement and satisfy additional technical requirements from USAID.
5. SERVIR is a high-visibility project at NASA/MSFC, NASA/HQ, and USAID. It is of benefit to NASA to deepen its affiliation with IRI, since IRI is a globally recognized institution with goals highly complementary to SERVIR’s mission of enhancing developing country government stakeholders’ capability to understand, anticipate, and manage the impacts of climate change. Therefore, it is beneficial for NASA to establish a new and formal relationship with IRI.
The Government does not intend to acquire a commercial item using FAR Part 12.
Interested organizations may submit their capabilities and qualifications to perform the effort in writing to the identified point of contact not later than 4:30 p.m. local time on June 5, 2012. Such capabilities/qualifications will be evaluated solely for the purpose of determining whether or not to conduct this procurement on a competitive basis. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed effort on a full and open competition basis, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the government.
Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this notice.
All responsible sources may submit an offer which shall be considered by the agency.
NASA Clause 1852.215-84, Ombudsman, is applicable. The Center Ombudsman for this acquisition can be found at http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/pub/pub_library/Omb.html .
Point of Contact
Name: Iris Walter
Title: Contracts Administrator
Phone: 256-961-7054
Fax: 256-961-7148
Email: Iris.R.Walter@nasa.gov
