Under FAR Part 6.302-1, the Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service intends to award on a sole source basis a Purchase Order for Technical consulting services to Dr. Robert Faust. A sole source award is contemplated due to the unique knowledge and expertise possessed by Dr. Faust. He is the only individual who knows the needs and requirements of the ARS National Program in Field and Horticultural Crop Entomology with emphasis on the Agency?s regional and national area-wide pest management programs. These programs were designed, developed, and implemented only through expertise possessed solely by Dr. Faust and available through no other contractor. Dr. Faust is the only contractor able to perform this work since he is the only person who has unique, detailed knowledge of the Agency?s Hawaii fruit fly area-wide research program. No other contractor has the necessary leadership or contacts to move the Agency?s area-wide Hawaii fruit fly research programs forward in a timely manner. This synopsis is for notification purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation for bids or proposals. Any company/individual that feels they have expertise that meets the needs of the Government must submit their technical data (no more than 2 pages) to support their claim. Please submit it to Shelia Tucker, Contracting Officer via email at
[email protected], by 9 a.m. EST on Friday, November 9, 2007. The Government will not pay for any information provided under this synopsis. Statement of Work Pest Management Activities Background The services to be performed are associated with the duties and responsibilities of the National Program Leader for Field and Horticulture Crop Entomology with emphasis on leadership and direction for national and regional research programs for all area-wide programs particularly the Hawaii fruit fly program. A critical meeting is scheduled in two months for the Hawaii fruit fly program that cannot take place and move the Agency?s program forward without the specific expertise that only Dr. Faust can provide. At this time Government personnel does not have the knowledge, expertise, and experience required to fulfill the responsibilities of this assignment with the specific scientific knowledge and established key contacts to lead the Agency?s national and regional area-wide research programs. This request is for services until such time as the vacant is filled, after which Dr. Faust will train the new employee in the specialized skills necessary to lead the area wide programs. Duties: 1.Implement 3-4 new Agency Wide Pest Management (AWPM) projects in October 2007- (a) prepare extensively detailed implementation letters to the PI?s of the selected projects as a result of panel recommendations; (b) request the PI?s to address any provisos generated by the panel; (c) negotiate final budgets and have PI?s submit -0500 416/417s CRIS?s in which to receive funding; prepare letter of request to ARS headquarters? budget office and transfer FY 08 funding to the 5 currently active projects (methyl bromide alternatives, 2 projects, phase II; Hawaiian fruit flies, phase II/III; fire ants, phase III; Russian wheat aphid/green bug, phase III) and the 3-4 new projects. Note: This will total 8-9 projects in various phases of activity/implementation to lead, guide and oversee. The first year of implementation (phase I) of any new project will be critical to the success of the project in years 2-5 (phases II-III), and requires active participation by NPS. 2.Oversee, advise and guide the process of implementation of the 3-4 new AWPM projects, which will involve the following- (a) establishment of a CORE Management Team (I may co-chair or be a member of this team, depending on the project); (b) work closely with the CORE Management Team to establish the partnership teams and their roles and responsibilities, develop a more defined conceptual plan, as needed, and other plans related to full implementation; (c) participate to help better define the scope of the project?s implementation; (d) provide advise and guidance in terms of the criteria for final selection of the demonstration sites and help better define the bounds of the implementation area, as needed; (e) ensure that baseline data collection and feasibility studies on the selected demonstration sites activities are in place as the implementation progresses; (f) working with the CORE Team better define more concisely the range of supporting research, extension, and outreach/education activities, economic, sociological, and environmental impact assessments, and technology transfer activities; (h) begin to guide the team in beginning the process for a sustainability plan that can be ready to put in place once the formal part of the program ends. Note: The educational component, which is to a greater extent the role of our university extension partners, is needed to ensure continued and broad adoption of the technologies being demonstrated beyond the local study sites and enables technical training , communication, and support targeted to the potential adopters, as well as early on user buy-in to the project. 3.Provide and discuss recommendations for the educational and training component of the 3-4 new projects, including, for example, field days, short courses and seminars, training materials, communications such as newsletters, electronic decision support tools, and web sites, bulletin boards, trade journals, etc. These activities can be useful in the sustainability of the program in the out years as well. 4.Guide the CORE Team of the new projects in developing an organizational and lines of communication chart once all the teams and other required pieces are decided and in place, i.e., how it all fits together in a nutshell. 5.Participate in the 8-9 current and newly implemented AWPM projects? conference calls, CORE and other team meetings, stakeholder meetings (as needed), and other periodic meetings, as well as progress reviews, and provide guidance and recommendations; review documents generated there from, as well as other documents generated as a result of the program (e.g., monthly newsletters, ARS Information Staff news releases, etc.). 6.Work with the CORE Teams of the new projects in formulating implementation time tables (e.g., stakeholder buy-in meetings, work team appointments, work plans for final proposed demonstration sites, work plans for educational and assessment components, selection of the supporting research projects where needed, program implementation phase activities, etc.). Keep in mind that the AWPM concept and program is quite new for the new PIs and their partners, and is a huge commitment in terms of a scope that is regional and often a multi-state effort, which requires it to be well organized and instituted from the very beginning in order to ensure a high degree of success, and even be viewed as award winning in the end, and requires keen oversight and attention by NPS. 7.Participate and guide the wrap-up activities for the fire ant and Russia wheat/green bug projects, as well as guide them through the implementation plan for sustainability; the Hawaiian fruit fly program still has a number of intense activities to complete in FY08, especially with the Oriental fruit fly demonstration sites, the end-use commercial registration activities of the various companies working with the project and the 4 fruit fly targets, and implementation of the sustainability plan. Other week?to-week/month-to-month activities involving issues with the projects and cooperators that inevitably arise and require NPS attention, as well as week-to-week communications and project status reports.