Notice of Intent to Award a Sole-Source Contract Notice of intent to award a sole source contract to Donald R. Cumberland, dba Cumberland Curatorial, 147 Meadow Bluff LN, Kearneysville, WV 25430-4875. The Contractor will develop a Museum Collections Emergency Operations Plan (MCEOP) for Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve and Yukon-Charley National Preserve (YUCH), and Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve (WRST). To accomplish this, the Contractor will be required to: A. Work with curatorial staff at each site to conduct an on-site assessment. The assessment would include a survey of museum collections, determination of collection risks, development and listing preventative measures, and development and listing of recovery actions necessary in the event of an emergency situation that could affect the park museum collections. B. TASKS: The Contractor shall accomplish the above purpose by performing the following tasks for each site: 1) Task 1: Conduct a site visit 2) Task 2: Consult with park staff regarding museum collection risks3) Task 3: Consult with park staff regarding resources available during and after an emergency4) Task 4: Prepare Museum Collection Emergency Operations Plan5) Task 5: Provide to the site three copies of the MCEOP and an electronic copy on disk This Notice of Intent is not a request for Expressions of Interest (EOIs), proposals or quotations. No solicitation document exists and no telephone inquiries will be accepted. No contract award will be made on the basis of EOIs, proposals or quotations received in response to this notice. This service will be procured under Firm Fixed Price kService in accordance with FAR 12 procedures and Other Than Full and Open Competition as authorized under FAR 6.302-1. The anticipated award date will be after 30 April 2010. Point of Contact for this acquisition is Mr. Bernard R. Pitts at 907/644-3308 or email at
[email protected]. ***************************************************************************************************************************************** JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPENCOMPETITION (or SOLE SOURCE) BACKGROUND: The Department of the Interior (DOI) and the National Park Service (NPS) require parks to protect and preserve their museum collections in perpetuity. In order to accomplish this task, DOI and NPS policies and standards require that certain planning documents be written to aid the park in the management of the collections. These documents include Collection Management Plans, Museum Collection Emergency Operations Plans, and Collection Storage Plans. Care and proper management of AKRO museum collections is not only a priority for the Region but also integral to the mission of the National Park Service. The Museum Emergency Operation Plan is a required document under Directors Order 24 (Museum Collection Management). 1) FAR Statutory Authority cited: 6.302-1, Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Contractor, Cumberland Curatorial is the only consultant with both the needed qualifications for producing these plans and has previously and extensively worked with many of the collections of the region. 2) Nature and description of the supplies or services required to meet the agency's needs: The Alaska Region receives special soft funding that is mandated to be used exclusively for the management of museum collections including the development of required collection management planning documents. The Alaska Region Senior Curator has put considerable effort in arranging for Collection Storage Plans, Museum Collection Emergency Operations Plans and Collection Management Plans to be written for parks in the region. These plans have significantly improved the management of museum collections throughout the Region and have contributed to the protection and preservation of these valuable regional resources. 3) A demonstration that the proposed contractor is the only source available to provide these services or goods (i.e. unique qualifications, proprietary rights, etc.): Cumberland Curatorial is the consultant with most extensive experience in producing these specialized museum plans (116 collectively). The Consultant has done considerable work in the region having produced planning documents for ARCC, GLBA, KLGO, DENA, WRSA, KATM, LACL, ANIA, and SITK. Since the Consultant has worked at ARCC and other sites within the region, he is knowledgeable with the types of collections to be found in the region. Even within the National Park Service service-wide there are very few permanent staff (probably less than five) that have experience in producing some of these specialized documents (CSPs in particular). The Consultant is familiar with regional office and park curatorial staff. National Park Service collection management policies and standards are specific to the service and the Consultant has extensive knowledge of those policies and standard s having worked for over 31 years as a museum professional in the NPS and DOI. The Consultant will require no training by ARCC curatorial staff or park personnel. This unique experience and familiarity of NPS policies and standards will enable Cumberland Curatorial to perform the required work in an expeditious and cost-effective manner. 4) A description of the market research that was conducted and the results, or a statement of the reason a market research was not conducted: This is a continuing Region-wide project. Emergency Plans are completed as funds become available. To date the contractor has completed EOPs for KEFJ, SITK, ARCC, BELA, DENA, NOAT, KOVA, CAKR, NOAT, KATM, ANIA, LACL, ALAG. 5) Any other facts supporting the use of other than full and open competition: The Consultant's past performance has been impressive and is of a highly professional quality. Cumberland Curatorial has an intimate knowledge of collection management standards, practices, techniques, and documents that come only from long-term experience and professional development. In addition, Cumberland Curatorial is familiar with regional safety personnel and emergency operations for Alaska since he produced the Museum Emergency Operation Plan for all park units housing collections at the Alaska Regional Curatorial Center (ARCC) in Anchorage, AK (currently nine units). The current proposed action is very much a follow-on to the work previously performed for the Alaska Region by the proposed Consultant. The newly desired work would be consistent and uniform with previously submitted MCEO Plans devised for other park units. 6) A statement of the actions, if any, the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers to competition before any subsequent acquisition for the supplies or services required: None. Stephanie Stephens, Senior CuratorBernard R. Pitts, Contract SpecialistJoy C. Kucinski, Contracting Officer