Florida Administrative Code › 14 - DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION › 14 - Departmental › Chapter 14-75 - QUALIFICATION, SELECTION AND PERFORMANCE EVALUATION REQUIREMENTS FOR PROFESSIONAL CONSULTANTS TO PERFORM WORK FOR DOT › Section 14-75.0022 - Consultant Qualification Process

Current through Reg. 50, No. 138; July 16, 2024
(1) This rule
				chapter establishes minimum qualification standards by type of work for
				consultants, the consultant competitive selection process, and the work
				performance evaluation system for professional consultants who seek to provide
				professional services to the Department pursuant to Sections
				287.055,
				337.107 and
				337.1075, F.S.
(2) The provisions of Rule
				28-106.103, F.A.C., will be used
				in computing any period of time prescribed by this rule chapter.
(3) Application for Qualification.
(a) A Professional Consultant who desires to
				qualify with the Department shall submit a Request for Qualification Package
				for Professional Consultants, Form No. 375-030-01, Rev. 01/06, incorporated
				herein by reference, which may be obtained from the Procurement Office, MS 20,
				Haydon Burns Building, 605 Suwannee Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0450, or
				from the Department's web page at
http://www.dot.state.fl.us/procurement/
.
(b) Professional Consultants who are not
				qualified at the time of advertisement for a consultant project must file with
				the Department a completed Request for Qualification Package for Professional
				Consultants on or before the project's advertised letter of response date. The
				Department is not obligated to delay any part of the consultant selection
				process or the execution of a contract, for a consultant who has not been
				qualified.
(c) The Request for
				Qualification Package for Professional Consultants will include the following
				items:
1. An audit report prepared by an
				independent Certified Public Accountant or governmental agency. The audit
				report must be received by the Department within six months of the end of the
				fiscal year it addresses, and will include the following:
a. A statement indicating the existence of an
				adequate accounting system that meets the Department's audit requirements, as
				evidenced by certification by an independent Certified Public Accountant or
				governmental agency. The system must be adequate to support all billings made
				to the Department and other clients.
b. A statement indicating the direct labor
				costs incurred, listing allocable indirect costs, and listing other direct
				costs incurred for the most recently completed fiscal year.
c. A statement of reimbursement rates for
				indirect costs (overhead), direct expenses, and Facilities Capital Cost of
				Money (FCCM) for the most recently completed fiscal year.
d. A statement that the consultant's method
				of estimating costs for proposals is consistent with the accounting
				system.
e. A statement that the
				audit was performed in accordance with generally accepted governmental auditing
				standards, the Department's
Reimbursement Rate Audit
				Guidelines
, 2005, and the
Government Auditing
				Standards
, 2003 Revision, published by the U.S. Government Printing
				Office, which are hereby incorporated by reference.
2. Consultants who have been operating for
				less than one complete fiscal year, consultants who have reorganized to the
				extent that the most recent reimbursement rate audit does not reflect currently
				valid reimbursement rates, and consultants who have established and operated an
				accounting system in accordance with the minimum standards provided in the
				Department's
Reimbursement RateAudit Guidelines
, 2005, for a
				period of less than one year, will prepare a projected overhead direct expense,
				and FCCM rates which will be supported by estimated revenues and expenditures
				for the first fiscal year's operations since organization, reorganization, or
				implementation of the acceptable accounting system. The Department's Office of
				Inspector General shall review the estimate and establish provisional
				reimbursement rates, which may be used in Department contracts until the
				consultant has completed its first fiscal year of operation, at which time the
				consultant shall submit an annual reimbursement rate audit performed by an
				independent Certified Public Accountant or governmental agency.
3. Consultants requesting qualification for
				minor projects only, with contract fees under $250,000, or consultants
				qualifying solely for contracting under Group 20, Appraisal Services, or Group
				22, Acquisition Business Damage Estimating and Estimate Review, in any dollar
				amount, are not required to submit a reimbursement rate audit. They may submit
				a self-certified overhead report and statement describing their accounting
				system, certified by a principal, in lieu of an audit report and accounting
				system certification prepared by an independent Certified Public Accountant or
				governmental agency. Such report will be in the format specified in the
				Department's
Reimbursement Rate Audit Guidelines
,
				2005.
4. Proof of professional
				liability insurance by one of the following methods:
a. Submittal of a current certificate of
				professional liability insurance from a company or companies authorized to do
				business in Florida; or an unequivocal commitment letter from such an insurance
				company stating that professional liability insurance would be provided to the
				applicant; or
b. Submittal of a
				commitment letter from a financial institution meeting the requirements of
				Section 337.106, F.S., stating that a
				nonassignable and nontransferable irrevocable letter of credit, established
				pursuant to Chapter 675, and Section
				337.106, F.S., and Rule Chapter
				14-116, F.A.C., can be provided to the applicant in a minimum amount of
				$250,000.