U -- One Year Extension of Heron Group contract

The Agency for International Development/Africa Bureau intends to extend for a period of one (1) year its present contract with the Heron Group, Georgetown, DE 19947 to allow additional activities under this requirement. The activities shall include the following: 1) conducting a third training course in West Africa with a Francophone emphasis; 2) Support the communication of uses and applications of multivalent logic, Boolean logic and dependency networks being developed or used in Africa; 3) Communicate the utility of the approach and decision-support tool to USAID Missions and partners in Africa; 4) Continue training on a regional basis; 5) Expand the use of multivalent tools in field settings focusing on strategic planning and natural resource management as determined by Mission and stakeholder demand; and 6) Establish regional (in Africa) help desk capability. The actual tasks will consist of:1) Carrying out training at a venue in West Africa for the training of three to four teams, of two to three persons each, who have a demonstrated need and clear application of NETWEAVER or GEONETWEAVER in natural resource management of strategic planning; 2) Provide post-training support to trainees through a help desk, depending largely upon telephone or e-mail communications; 3) Promote the use of multivalent analysis among USAID missions in the region; and 4) Communicate to a larger audience the results and methodologies of the use of multivalent logic and decision support tools in Africa through maintenance of an in-house web site and linkages to EIS-Africa. This notification is posted in accordance with FAR 5.201 and AIDAR 706.302-70(c)(11) for a one-year period only through September 30, 2004. Firms that believe they can provide similar required services are encouraged to identify themselves and give written notification to the Contracting Officer. Firms believing they can provide the required services must provide conclusive supporting evidence that they can furnish the services identified above in sufficient detail to demonstrate the respondent?s ability to meet the stated critical requirements. This notice is not a request for competitive quotes. All responses received from date of publication of this synopsis and the Government will consider intended award. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed action for the one-year extension period will be based on responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Inquiries will be accepted by FAX at 202/216-3131, US Mail, Courier and Overnight mail service. The mailing address is: U.S. Agency for International Development, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W., Room 7.10-061, M/OP/HRAM/AFM, Washington, DC 20523, Attention: Gwendolyn Ruffin. Responses should include the firm?s Dun and Bradstreet number (DUNS) and Tax Identification (TIN). Firms should identify themselves as either small business, or other than small business, in accordance with the size standard for North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code 541990. Numbered/Non-Numbered Notes: Do Not Apply.