# Presentation: 739691

## Hydrographic Services Contracts

- Brief History of Program
- Where we are today
- Time Charter
- Future Plans
- Challenges

- Jeffrey Ferguson
- Program Analyst/COTR
- Hydrographic Surveys Division

## The Early Days (pre-1998)

- Small projects through COE contracts
- First major NOAA contract awarded 1994
- “Best Value” to government
- Awarded to SAIC for $1.24 Million
- Side Scan Sonar and Multibeam
- LI Sound
- Vineyard Sound

## Current Program (post-1998)

- HSIA 1998
- “shall award contracts for the acquisition of hydrographic data in accordance with title IX of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 (40 U.S.C. 541 et seq.)
- “Brooks Act”
- A/E Services
- Qualification Based Selection

## Contractor Selection

- Source Evaluation Board meets to evaluate submissions on the following criteria;
- Professional qualifications,
- Specialized experience,
- Capacity to accomplish the work,
- Past performance,
- Location and knowledge of locality,
- Small business subcontracting opportunities.

## Contract Awards

## Current Program (post-1998)

- 14 Contracts Awarded
- Regional, 2-5 years, $4-40 Million.
- 8 Different Firms;
- Gulf of Mexico
- SAIC, JECA, C&C
- Alaska
- Terra, Racal Pelagos
- Other
- OSI, DEA, SAIC, Tenix LADS

## Current Program (post-1998)

- $102.5 Million
- 4,955 square nautical miles
- 100% bottom coverage
- Shallow Water Multibeam (SWMB)
- Side Scan Sonar

## Today

- 5 Contracts in place
- AK - Fugro Pelagos
- AK SB - Terra Surveys
- TX - C&C Technologies
- Hydro Anywhere (except AK) - SAIC
- Lidar Anywhere - Tenix LADS

## Future Contracts

- Number dependent on funding.
- Fugro Pelagos Contract expires Aug 2004.
- Advertise replacement next month
- C&C TX contract may reach ceiling
- Advertise GOM contract late summer
- Tenix LADS lidar contract may reach ceiling
- Advertise replacement early next year

## Time Charter

- 2002 Appropriations
- “...the Committee directs NOAA to enter into a long-term lease or charter of a U.S. purpose-built, U.S. flag hydrographic survey vessel which is capable of performing the full scope of necessary hydrographic services.”
- MOU with MSC
- August 2002 - Advertise for vessel complete with all equipment and operators.

## Time Charter

- MSC legal opinion on Brooks Act
- Procurement split
- MSC acquire vessel
- NOAA acquire surveyors via A/E
- MSC proposal evaluation begins - Jan 2003
- Several protests and GAO review/decisions
- Ocean Services cleared to work April 2004
- NOAA selects SAIC as A/E provider

## Time Charter

- One year contracts w/ options
- Ocean Services provides vessel and two launches with hull mounted multibeams
- SAIC provides all other equipment and equipment operators
- NOAA provides 3-5 individuals for contract oversight, quality control, planning, etc.

## Time Charter

## Challenges

- Constraints on spending Contract funds
- “...address the hydrographic survey backlog detailed in the National Survey Plan.”
- Test/Development of new technologies?
- Supporting activities?
- Homeland Security, other events?
- Pros/Cons

## Challenges

- Meaningful Performance Measures
- The Square Nautical Mile “trap”
- Not all squares created equal
- Remote, shallow, AK vs Deep GOM
- Large price variations
- Normalize effort/costs?
- Other performance measures?

## Challenges

- Developing Hydrographic Expertise
- Mandate to maintain expertise within NOAA
- Should that extend to private sector?
- Role of Contract funding?
- Training
- Small business, 8a, disadvantaged, etc. set asides?

## Challenges

- Efficient Administration of Contracts
- Contract award time lines
- HSD review
- Contract Office review
- Legal review
- Ways to streamline?
- Project planning, COTRs, data acceptance, etc.

## Slide 18