General Information

The U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS)

Cartographic Services Contract (CSC) is

used to award work for photogrammetric

and mapping services under the umbrella

of Architect-Engineer (A&E) contracting.

The A&E contract is broad in scope and

can accommodate any activity related to

standard, nonstandard, graphic, and

digital cartographic products. Services

provided may include, but are not limited

to, photogrammetric mapping and

aerotriangulation; orthophotography;

thematic mapping (for example, land

characterization); analog and digital

imagery applications; geographic

information systems development;

surveying and control acquisition,

including ground-based and airborne

Global Positioning System; analog and

digital image manipulation, analysis, and

interpretation; raster and vector map

digitizing; data manipulations (for

example, transformations, conversions,

generalization, integration, and

conflation); primary and ancillary data

acquisition (for example, aerial

photography, satellite imagery,

multispectral, multitemporal, and

hyperspectral data); image scanning and

processing; metadata production,

revision, and creation; and production or

revision of standard USGS products

defined by formal and informal

specification and standards, such as those

for digital line graphs, digital elevation

models, digital orthophoto quadrangles,

and digital raster graphics.

The contract is qualifications based, and

task orders are negotiated directly with

selected firms to provide contract

services. The CSC can accommodate the

mapping and photogrammetric

requirements of all USGS offices and is

available to any Federal, State, or local

agency. USGS personnel are available to

help agencies write standards,

specifications, and task orders, conduct

negotiations, perform quality assurance,

and validate the contractor-produced

data.

Administrative oversight of the CSC is

with the Mid-Continent Mapping Center

(MCMC) in Rolla, Mo. The Contracting

Officer's Representative and immediate

staff are located at the MCMC.

Technical points of contact are also

located in Denver, Colo., Sioux Falls, S.

Dak., Menlo Park, Calif., and Reston, Va.

Benefits of CSC

The CSC gives customers quick accessone-stop shopping-to the professional

services they require. CSC contractors

are selected through a competitive

process and are well known to the

Contracts Team. The CSC contractors

are likewise familiar with USGS

standard products. Most have received

product-specific training and maintain

technical liaisons with the USGS.

Customers for nonstandard products or

those requiring singular applications of

geospatial data have ready access to the

same pool of certified firms. The

Contract Team's familiarity with each

contractor and the breadth and depth of

USGS technical expertise create an

environment whereby detailed products

are accurately described and

appropriately assigned.

Summary Listing of CSC

Advantages

 Government experts provide technical 

analysis of customer requests, thereby 

ensuring the right product the first 

time.

 Immediate connections to A&E 

quality-based contractors eliminates 

the search for and uncertainties of 

selecting firms capable of meeting 

requirements (note: CSC comprises 7 

prime contractors and 80-plus 

subcontractors).

 Experienced Government negotiators 

work with contractors to ensure the 

appropriate match of contractor to 

customer and competitive pricing.

 Government cost estimates are based 

on in-house and known industry 

capabilities, ensuring fair prices and 

timely delivery schedules.

 Contractors are USGS trained.

 The USGS performs technology 

assessments when industry capabilities 

are uncertain.

 USGS source material is made 

available to the contractor (for 

example, geodetic control, map 

manuscripts, and so on).

 Objective quality assurance is 

optionally provided.

 The CSC provides established product 

standards and expertise in geospatial 

data standards.

 The USGS develops methods and 

procedures for special products.

 The USGS provides expertise in 

geographic science, data application, 

and production processes and trains 

contractors when necessary.

The combination of qualified A&E

contractors and an experienced

Government contracting staff with access

to broad-ranging subject matter experts

ensures obtaining the desired product or

service expeditiously at the best possible

price.

Contract Costs

Contract costs are negotiated with

appropriate contractor(s). The USGS

maintains resident expertise to ensure

that fair market value can be determinedwe perform independent Government

Cartographic Services Contract...for everything geographic

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey USGS Fact Sheet 066-03

July 2003
cost estimates for each task and negotiate

with the contractors toward that amount.

A 5-percent administrative charge is

assessed on all contracts. Additional

services, such as quality assurance, are

available at extra cost if the customer so

chooses.

Accessing the Contract - Points of

Contact

Names and contact information follow.

Contracting Officer's

Representative

Phil Havens, Mid-Continent Mapping

Center (MCMC), Rolla, MO,

573-308-3757

Technical Points of Contact

Dale Russell, Western Mapping Center

(WGSC), Menlo Park, CA, 650-329-

5058

Doug Binnie, EROS Data Center (EDC),

Sioux Falls, SD, 605-594-6160

Matt Mladinich, Rocky Mountain

Mapping Center (RMMC), Denver, CO,

303-202-4452

Mike Lee, Eastern Region Geography

(ERG), Reston, VA, 703-648-5660

Regional Points of Contact

Robert Lemen, MCMC, 573-308-3736

Thomas Sturm, WGSC, 650-329-4326

Lee Aggers, RMMC, 303-202-4123

Roger Barlow, ERG, 703-648-5189

Information

For information on other USGS products

and services, call 1-888-ASK-USGS, or

visit the general interest publications

Web site on mapping, geography, and

related topics at

erg.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/pubslists/.

For additional information, visit the

ask.usgs.gov Web site or the USGS home

page at www.usgs.gov.