Procurement

Professional Services
Question and Answer
For Current Technical Proposals

Technical Proposal

Question 1: Please clarify the duration and cost ceiling limitation of the agreement and any limitation for individual tasks.

Answer 1: 3 years, $3 million max, and $500,000 max per task.

Question 2: Will a NJ Licensed Professional Planner with AICP Planning Certification and experience in managing Complex NEPA EIS, EA and CED documents with oversight and management of Socioeconomics and Environmental Justice Technical Studies and with Contact Sensitive Design training satisfy the requirements for Socioeconomics Task leader without specific certifications as noted in Section 9?

Answer 2: It is a business decision of your firm to propose the individual who best fits the qualifications for the Project Manager and/or Key Staff team leader. Specific education and experience substitution questions for Project Manager and Key Staff positions cannot be addressed during the solicitation process, because each project is different, the solicitation provides the stated requirements, and if an answer were supplied it could inadvertently be considered as receiving a “pre-score” for the position before the closing date of the technical proposal submission.

Question 3: In Section 10 Team Leader/Key Staff Similar Project Experience, only the first 3 similar projects for a Key Staff/Team Leader will be evaluated, but one of the criteria for the Ecology Team Leader requires a list of 8-10 permit related projects. Do you want 3 projects identified for the Ecology Team Leader or 8-10 projects?

Answer 3: Three (3) permit related projects are required.

Question 4: In Section 9, for Socioeconomic Team Leader, can a Bachelor’s degree in Planning, Communications, Political Science, or Marketing be substituted for the Bachelor’s degree requirement?

Answer 4: It is a business decision of your firm to propose the individual who best fits the qualifications for the Project Manager and/or Key Staff team leader. Specific education and experience substitution questions for Project Manager and Key Staff positions cannot be addressed during the solicitation process, because each project is different, the solicitation provides the stated requirements, and if an answer were supplied it could inadvertently be considered as receiving a “pre-score” for the position before the closing date of the technical proposal submission.

Question 5: In Section 9, for Socioeconomic Team Leader, can professional registration with the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), the American Planning Association (NJ), and/or NJ Professional Planner (NJPP) credentials be substituted for the Bachelor’s degree requirement?

Answer 5: It is a business decision of your firm to propose the individual who best fits the qualifications for the Project Manager and/or Key Staff team leader. Specific education and experience substitution questions for Project Manager and Key Staff positions cannot be addressed during the solicitation process, because each project is different, the solicitation provides the stated requirements, and if an answer were supplied it could inadvertently be considered as receiving a “pre-score” for the position before the closing date of the technical proposal submission.

Question 6: In Section 9, for Socioeconomic Team Leader, can a consultant contract manager for NJDOT’s prior Statewide Public Involvement/Community Impact Assessment Program, who is also a certified NHI instructor of the Transportation and Land Use Course, and who also has professional papers/presentations on Environmental Justice (EJ) and Community Impact Assessment (CIA) to the Transportation Research Board, substitute such professional experience for the requirement to provide certificates/documentation of attendance at EJ/CIA training programs?

Answer 6: It is a business decision of your firm to propose the individual who best fits the qualifications for the Project Manager and/or Key Staff team leader. Specific education and experience substitution questions for Project Manager and Key Staff positions cannot be addressed during the solicitation process, because each project is different, the solicitation provides the stated requirements, and if an answer were supplied it could inadvertently be considered as receiving a “pre-score” for the position before the closing date of the technical proposal submission.

Question 7: In Section 9 and Section 10, for Asbestos Team Leader qualifications/experience, an Asbestos Safety Technician (AST)/Asbestos Remediation Consultant (ARC) would not normally be involved with a project during the NEPA/EO 215 environmental documentation process. Please clarify how the Asbestos Team Leader/AST qualification pertaining to “Knowledge of…regulations indicated by preparation of environmental documents” and experience pertaining to “Prepared input associated with the environmental documentation” is supposed to be satisfied.

Answer 7: The Statement of “The Asbestos Safety Technician (AST)/Asbestos Remediation Consultant (ARC) would not normally be involved with a project during the NEPA/EO 215 environmental documentation process” is true. But per the SOW the Asbestos Safety Technician (AST)/Asbestos Remediation Consultant (ARC) must conduct asbestos site surveying and sample analysis, develops removal specifications with time/cost estimates, and provides project oversight and air-monitoring ensuring adherence to N.J.A.C. 5:23-8 standards during asbestos removal operations. These are the environmental document required for the Asbestos Team Leader.

Question 8: If a firm pursues as a prime can that firm also pursue as a subconsultant on a team?

Answer 8: Yes.

Question 9: The Technical Proposal Instructions for Part 5 - Project Approach, Section 11 - Critical Path Model request “The consultant shall enclose a critical path model utilizing Primavera or equivalent software to indicate Start/Completion dates and Key milestones for this project.” The Evaluation Criteria also includes instructions for enclosing a Critical Path Model; however, the evaluation score is showing a maximum score of zero. Is the Critical Path Model required for this submission?

Answer 9: No.

Question 10: The experience requirements for the Socioeconomics Team Leader include a degree in Natural, Chemical, or Physical Science or a Bachelor degree in Civil, Chemical, or Environmental Engineering. This education is not typically required of a Socioeconomics Team Leader. Previous solicitations have required degrees in Planning or Economics. Please consider revising these requirements for this team leader position.

Answer 10: There will be no change to the degree requirements.