RE: City of Grande Prairie - Storm & Transportation Capital Infrastructure Projects
REQUEST FOR ENGINEERING SERVICES – STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS
The City of Grande Prairie has identified its 2008 to 2010 Capital Infrastructure Plan.
The PROJECT INFORMATION SHEETS outline specific Capital Infrastructure Projects in the areas of Storm and Transportation that are in the City’s work program for the next three years are available from the Purchasing Department. Interested Engineering Consultants are required to provide professional services key to the planning, design and delivery of these projects.
The following outlines the steps and expectations of the City in selecting Consultants to complete these projects.
Statement of Qualifications
Consultants are asked to submit a statement of qualification for a specific project, or group of projects that they are interested in. For each project the City has provided a Project Information Sheet that gives a general definition of scope and services, estimated project budget, milestone dates (general time frames) and evaluation criteria/ weighting.
If interested, consultants are asked to provide a statement of qualifications by
July 4th, 2008.
Consultants submitting SOQ’s will be evaluated, for the specific project according to the following measures:
I. Project Team - qualifications and extent of involvement
II. General understanding of project requirements - Project Team and corporate involvement on similar projects
III. Local Knowledge and Experience (on similar projects)
IV. Scheduling - Availability to undertake task in the time frame identified
V. References (on similar projects within the last 5 yrs)
Consultants are asked to follow the general format and order of evaluation criteria listed above.
The Consultant must clearly demonstrate that it has staff to lead the work and has sufficient backup and corporate resources.
Additional criteria may be added to this list if it is felt that consideration of unique criteria is required for a specialty project. These details will be identified on individual Information Sheets if applicable.
Following the July 4th submission deadline, consultants will be ranked by the City on
the projects that they have expressed interest in.
The City will notify Consultants, by letter after July 21st, 2008 advising of which
projects they successfully achieved a top three rating in.
The City reserves the right to accept or reject any or all qualification packages.
Teams consisting of multiple consultants must clearly identify a ‘Prime Consultant’.
Joint Development of Scope of Service
The highest ranked Consultant, determined through evaluation of their SOQ’s, will advance and be asked to develop a scope of services with the City on the specific project in question.
Consultants who share the City’s objective of achieving best outcomes will be asked to provide their skill, knowledge and experience and work with the City to jointly developed a scope of services. A common understanding of the assignment will be further defined and each party will develop an understanding of one another’s’ goals, objectives, needs, preferences, risk tolerance and similar concerns before the assignment is priced.
Joint scope development will ensure that the appropriate level of attention is given to quality issues such as effective analysis of design alternatives including, lifecycle cost analysis, sustainability, innovation and creative ideas and value-engineering analysis.
Negotiated Fee Agreement
By way of submitting an SOQ’s the consultant agrees that if they advance to this stage and successfully negotiate a fee agreement, they will enter into the client-engineering agreement supplied by the City, a copy of which it attached.
At this time the Consultant will be asked to submit their proposed fee and payment schedule. Allocation of hours will be based on the agreed scope of work while hourly rates for professional services will not exceed the standard hourly rates for staff classification that is published by the Consulting Engineers of Alberta. Modification of the scope may be mutually agreed to at this time if adjustment of fees can not be made to reflect each other’s goals. While it is the City’s desire to enter into an hourly contract with upper fee limit, other forms of payment such as lump sum, payment subject to deliverables or percent of construction costs may be negotiated in order to minimize administrative needs.
Negotiation will occur until both parties are comfortable that the project can be delivered to the mutually understood scope of services while providing a fair and cost effective outcome.
If agreement can’t be achieved, the City will undertake the negotiation process with the second-ranked consultant. This process is continued until agreement is reached.
No payment will be made by the City for reimbursement of time spent by the Consultant in assisting with developing a scope of work if the City and Consultant are unable to agree to a fee.
Development of a scope of services and negotiation of a fee agreement, for time sensitive projects, is expected to occur before the end of August 2008. Projects not planned until 2009 or not requiring lead up work will be addressed when mutually agreed upon by the Consultant and City.
Award Assignment
This stage will see the formal consulting contract for the agreed project scope and fee estimate.
Subject to spending approval limits as identified by Council, the client-engineer agreement will be awarded.
Authorization for award will adhere to existing City Policy and is as follows:
Council > $100,000
Administratively < $100,000
Written notification and thank you will be extended to unsuccessful Consultants.
Evaluation of Consultant Performance
The City will evaluate consultant performance and include the results of these evaluations in the future selection process for other engagements. A consultant’s past performance is a good predictor of future performance and provides capable insight into how they undertake their responsibilities, their technical and managerial abilities, how well they respond to the City and public needs, etc.
Consultant evaluation will:
Ø Ensure that the services provided are meeting high-level performance objectives, including that;
§ The City’s expectations set out in the SOQ evaluation criteria have been met.
§ Project targets for quality, budgeting and scheduling were achieved.
§ Internal and external communications and citizen engagement processes were satisfactorily carried out.
Ø Provide for documented annual reviews
Ø Provide feed back to consultant
Ø Be implemented by the Engineering Services Manager or designate and require ‘sign-off’
Ø Include an appeal mechanism.
For assistance in determining project details and in understanding this process, the following items are attached:
o Project Information Sheets for all Projects
o Selection Process – Overview and Model
o Sample – Client - Engineer Agreement
o Sample – Consultant Evaluation Form
Details on specific projects can be obtained from the contact person identified at the bottom of each Project Information Sheet. Addition information is avail from the Purchasing department.
Statement of Qualification Packages shall be clearly marked:
ENGINEERING SERVICES - STATMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS
2008 to 2010 CAPITAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS
And be received at the office of the Purchasing Administrator up to 2:00pm local time, July 4th, 2008.
City of Grande Prairie
Purchasing Department
PO Bag 4000
10205-98th Street
Grande Prairie Alberta, T8V 6V3
Qualification packages will not be opened publicly. Package opening, review and evaluation will be conducted by Engineering Services Staff following closing.
If you have any questions regarding the intent and follow through of this selection process, please do not hesitate to contact myself at (780) 538-0361.
Sincerely,
Colin Farynowski, C.E.T.,
Supervisor Engineering Services
Roads & Transportation