Knowledge transfer in hydrogeological

1. Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN)

An ACAN is a public notice indicating to the supplier community that a department or agency intends to award a contract for goods, services or construction to a pre-identified supplier, thereby allowing other suppliers to signal their interest in bidding, by submitting a statement of capabilities. If no supplier submits a statement of capabilities that meets the requirements set out in the ACAN, on or before the closing date stated in the ACAN, the contracting officer may then proceed with the award to the pre-identified supplier.

2. Definition of Requirements

The Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) has characterized 19 important regional aquifer systems in 8 Canadian provinces in the last 20 years within the framework of its Groundwater Geoscience Program. The knowledge transfer towards authorities in charge of the groundwater protection and management is crucial to ensure efficient impact of this characterization program in Canada. To do so, this transfer must take into account both available scientific knowledge and user requirements in order for the stakeholders to assimilate this knowledge and, ultimately, integrate it into their decision-making process.

The department of Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) requires that a methodology of knowledge transfer be developed and/or adapted, then applied, so that the acquired hydrogeological knowledge is efficiently transferred to regional and provincial stakeholders. The objective is that this knowledge be eventually integrated into water protection and management plans and land-development schemes in regions where groundwater characterization projects have been carried out by the GSC. This project thus aims at improving the knowledge of water managers and land-use planners on groundwater and available hydrogeological results to the point that they can integrate it into their work. Two regions with contrasted conditions have been targeted for this pilot project: southern New Brunswick and the Nanaimo area in southern British Columbia. These two regions have been selected based on available results and provincial interest during earlier interviews.

This research work requires that adapted learning material be developed for a given region and that workshops be carried out, allowing knowledge exchange between the people that have developed the deliverables (maps, conceptual and numerical models, databases, scientific reports) and those who must use these data when performing their planning and management duties to make sure that aquifers are safe. The strategy should also be beneficial to provincial departments because they are the regulatory authority over natural resources sector.

3. Criteria for Assessment of the Statement of Capabilities

Any interested supplier must demonstrate by way of a statement of capabilities that it meets the following requirements:

• Have 3 years of experience over the last 5 years in research on knowledge transfer in hydrogeology to stakeholders (e.g., managers and land-use planners) following the carrying out of regional groundwater characterization projects.
• Have learning material ready and have organised and run at least 10 workshops on knowledge transfer in hydrogeology over the last 2 years, gathering researchers, land-use planners, as well as water and database managers.
• Have in the research team:
  • A person with a B.Sc. in geology or other pertinent field with 3 years of experience in hydrogeology
  • A person with a Ph.D. in land-use planning.

4. Trade Agreements

This procurement is subject to the following trade agreement(s):

North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA);

Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT);

5. Justification for the Pre-Identified Supplier

We intend to deal directly with the supplier mentioned in section 11 below as, it is the only known supplier that meets the mandatory criteria set out in section 3 above.

Should Canada receive a statement of capabilities from a supplier that contains sufficient information to indicate that it meets the requirements set forth in this ACAN, a competitive process will be triggered with a technical and financial evaluation methodology of the bids proposed by the potential bidders

6. Exception to the Government Contracts Regulations

The following exception(s) to the Government Contracts Regulations is (are) invoked for this procurement under subsection:

6(d) – “only one person is capable of performing the work.

The identified provider, l’Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR), is the only one able to meet all of the criteria identified in paragraph 3 above.

7. Exclusions and/or Limited Tendering Reasons

The following exclusion(s) and/or limited tendering reasons are invoked under the: 

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA): Article 1016, 2, b.

Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT): Article 506.12 (b)

8. Ownership of Intellectual Property

Ownership of any Foreground Intellectual Property arising out of the proposed contract will vest in the Contractor.

9. Contract Period

The contract period will be from January 4th, 2017 to March 31, 2018.

10. Estimated Cost

The estimated maximum value of the contract is $113 277.65 CAD inclusive.

11. Name and Address of the Proposed Contractor

Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR)

Département des sciences de l’environnement

Dr. Julie Ruiz, professeure agrégée

C.P. 500

Trois-Rivières, QC G9A 5H7

12. Suppliers’ right to submit a statement of capabilities

Suppliers who consider themselves fully qualified and available to provide the services/goods described herein, may submit a Statement of Capabilities in writing, preferably by e-mail, to the contact person identified in this Notice on or before the closing date and time of this Notice. The Statement of Capabilities must clearly demonstrate how the supplier meets the advertised requirements.

13. Closing Date

The closing date for a submission of a Statement of Capabilities is December 22th, 2016 Eastern Standard Time.

14. Contract Authority

France Bolduc

Procurement Specialist

Natural Resources Canada

1055, rue Du P.E.P.S., C.P. 10380

Quebec, QC G1V 4C7

418 648-5043

france.bolduc@canada.ca