ACAN - NatureServe Habitat Climate Change Vulnerability Index (HCCVI)

Amendment 001 - Parks Canada has been made aware that our fax lines are down, please remove any and all references to fax submissions 1-866-246-6893. Inquiries and statements of capabilities are to be directed to andrea.mcgraw-alcock@pc.gc.ca.

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 the requirement
Parks Canada Agency (PCA) has a requirement to pilot the NatureServe Habitat Climate Change Vulnerability Index (HCCVI) framework for 15 select upland and wetland ecosystems located within the western and central boreal forest and temperate grasslands biomes of Canada’s national parks system. Each of the 15 ecosystems to be assessed will be classified at the group level of the Canadian National Vegetation Classification and will be assessed at both the range-wide scale and individual park scale for 5 national parks – Wood Buffalo National Park, Prince Albert National Park, Riding Mountain National Park, Grasslands National Park, and Elk Island National Park. This work is integral in enabling PCA to build upon current and past species-level climate change vulnerability assessment projects conducted using the NatureServe Climate Change Vulnerability Index (CCVI) and will allow PCA and conservation partners to adopt a standard for scientifically grounded, ecosystem-based climate change adaptation.

2.1 The work will involve the following:
2.1.1 Identify target wetland and upland boreal forest and grasslands ecosystems based on CNVC classification efforts and in the context of conducting assessments for Wood Buffalo National Park, Prince Albert National Park, Riding Mountain National Park, Grasslands National Park and Elk Island National Park
2.1.2 Map range-wide distributions of ecosystems
2.1.3 Conduct literature review for each ecosystem to assure the current knowledge of key ecological processes and stressors has been considered
2.1.3.1 Ecological composition, structure, dynamic processes, interactions with major change agents, etc.
2.1.4 Develop a checklist/matrix of required resources/information to be supplied by Parks Canada during the HCCVI assessment process
2.1.5 Obtain relevant resources and information for the HCCVI assessment inputs (for example, national scale wildfire modelling, forest insect and disease modelling, landscape condition layers, etc.)
2.1.6 Conduct HCCVI assessments for each ecosystem:
2.1.6.1 Determine projected climate exposure: Characterize historic climate; Climate regime departure; Change in ecosystem climate suitability; Calculate composite index of climate change exposure.
2.1.6.2 Determine ecosystem sensitivity
2.1.6.3 Determine ecosystem adaptive capacity
2.1.6.4 Determine overall ecosystem climate change vulnerability:
2.1.7 Produce Final Project Outputs: Technical documentation, associated maps, and tabular summaries will be produced for each assessed ecosystem type. Documentation will include a description of all environmental components assessed, summary results, and initial type-specific considerations for adaptive management.
2.1.7.1 Technical Report: Detailed methods. Ecosystem descriptions – conceptual models, classification and distribution, and ecosystem composition and key ecological attributes. Assessment results for each ecosystem - at both the range-wide and individual park scale of the ecosystem (summary maps, tabular, and text information). Climate change adaptation strategies characterized at both the range-wide and individual park scale of the ecosystem.
2.1.7.2 Data files (Geomatics, spreadsheets, etc.).
2.1.7.3 Presentation of results.

3. Criteria for assessment of the Statement of Capabilities (Minimum Essential Requirements)

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

3.1 Experience: The Research team must have:
3.1.1 Conducted at least 3 ecosystem-level climate change vulnerability assessment projects utilizing the NatureServe Habitat Climate Change Vulnerability Index (HCCVI) framework;
3.1.2 Published at least 3 habitat and ecosystem-level climate change vulnerability assessments in peer-reviewed publications;
3.1.3 Conducted species-level climate change vulnerability assessments using the NatureServe Climate Change Vulnerability Index (CCVI);
3.1.4 Developed ecosystem-based climate change adaptation strategies for national parks or protected areas;
3.1.5 Experience in advanced spatial climate and ecological modeling.

3.2 Knowledge and understanding: The Research team must have:
3.2.1 Successfully conducted large (range-wide) and small-scale (sub-range) ecosystem-level climate change vulnerability assessments;
3.2.2 Knowledge and experience in creating conceptual models, conducting ecosystem classification and mapping, and characterizing ecosystem composition and key ecological attributes;
3.2.3 Knowledge of grassland, boreal forest, and wetland ecosystems within Canada and is familiar with the Canadian National Vegetation Classification system;
3.2.4 Knowledge and experience conducting climate modelling and identifying bioclimatic variables that predict ecosystems;
3.2.5 Knowledge and experience conducting suitability and ecological niche modelling;
3.2.6 Knowledge and experience determining ecosystem sensitivity and adaptive capacity to climate change;
3.2.7 Knowledge and experience developing climate change adaptation strategies for protected areas and species at risk.

3.3 Academic qualifications: The Research team must be led by a team member with a Ph.D. in ecology who has experience:
3.3.1 conducting habitat and ecosystem-level climate change vulnerability assessments using the NatureServe HCCVI framework;
3.3.2 conducting species-level climate change vulnerability assessments using the NatureServe CCVI tool;
3.3.3 conducting ecological classification and range mapping; conducting advanced spatial modelling.
 
4. Applicability of the trade agreement(s) to the procurement
This procurement is subject to the following trade agreement(s):
- Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA)
- Canada-Chile Free Trade Agreement (CCFTA)
- Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement
- Canada-Honduras Free Trade Agreement
- Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement
- Canada-Panama Free Trade Agreement
- Canada-Peru Free Trade Agreement (CPFTA)

5. Justification for the Pre-Identified Supplier
The supplier mentioned in section 13 below 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. Government Contracts Regulations Exception(s)
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".

7. Exclusions and/or Limited Tendering Reasons
The following exclusion(s) and/or limited tendering reasons are invoked under the:
- Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) – Article: 513.1(b) (iii);
- Canada-Chile Free Trade Agreement (CCFTA) – Article(s) Kbis-09 (b),Article Kbis-09 (c)
- Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement – Article(s): 1409 (b) (iii);
- Canada-Honduras Free Trade Agreement – Article(s): 17.11 2 (b) (iii)
- Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement – Article 14.3, Under the Revised GPA - Article XIII, 1 (b) (iii);
- Canada-Panama Free Trade Agreement – Article(s) 16.10 (b) (iii)
- Canada-Peru Free Trade Agreement (CPFTA) – Article(s) 1409 (b) (iii)

8. Ownership of Intellectual Property
Not applicable. 

9. Period of the proposed contract or delivery date
The proposed contract is for a period of one (1) year, from January 8, 2024, to January 7, 2025.

10. Cost estimate of the proposed contract
The estimated value of the contract is $175,000.00 CAD (GST/HST extra).

11. Name and address of the pre-identified supplier
NatureServe
2550 South Clark Street, Suite 930
Arlington, VA 22202

12. Suppliers' right to submit a statement of capabilities:
Suppliers who consider themselves fully qualified and available to provide the goods, services or construction services described in the ACAN may submit a statement of capabilities in writing to the contact person identified in this notice on or before the closing date of this notice. The statement of capabilities must clearly demonstrate how the supplier meets the advertised requirements.

13. Closing date for a submission of a statement of capabilities
The closing date and time for accepting statements of capabilities is January 4, 2024 at 14:00 MST.

14. Inquiries and submission of statements of capabilities
Inquiries and statements of capabilities are to be directed to:
Andrea McGraw-Alcock
A/ Advisor, National Contracting Services
Parks Canada Agency
Telephone: (587) 436-5908
E-mail address: andrea.mcgraw-alcock@pc.gc.ca