Mining Environmental Engineering Services – Abandoned Sites in the Yukon - Set-Aside for Aboriginal Business

RFP NUMBER: 1000180632

PROJECT TITLE: ­­­­­­­ Mining Environmental Engineering Services – Abandoned Sites in the Yukon - Request for Standing Offer Agreements – Set-Aside for Aboriginal Business

DIAND seeks to award one (1) Standing Offer Agreement (SOA) to a qualified Firm.

In a companion Request for Standing Offers (RFSO) under 1000180631, DIAND is seeking to establish up to two (2) SOAs.

In the event that less than 2 SOAs are awarded under solicitation 1000180631 to this solicitation, DIAND may increase the number of competitively awarded SOAs under this solicitation up to a total of three (3) SOAs overall.

The period of the standing offer Agreements are from award until March 31, 2019 with two (2) one (1) year option periods;

BACKGROUND

The Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (DIAND) supports northern Canadians in their efforts to improve social and economic well-being, to develop healthier, more sustainable communities and to participate more fully in Canada's political, social and economic development. The Department’s responsibility for many of the Government of Canada's roles in the North, as mandated by the DIAND Act, is met primarily through the programs and services of the Northern Affairs Organization (NAO), which supports these goals.

DIAND must balance the need to support the North's economic potential with sustainable development and environmental protection. A major component of the fulfillment of these goals is the addressing of sites in the North, on Crown lands which have become contaminated. A contaminated site is defined as: a site at which substances occur at concentrations (1) above background levels and pose (or are likely to pose) an immediate or long-term risk to human health or the environment, or (2) exceeding levels specified in relevant policies or regulations. Under Treasury Board’s Policy on Management of Real Property, all federal government departments are charged with environmental stewardship that contribute to the preservation and protection of the environment; however DIAND faces some unique challenges in the discharge of this duty.

Unlike other contaminated sites, those in the North have occurred largely as a result of private sector resource development activities on federal Crown lands. In recent decades, the number of sites, their scale, and the pressures for the Department to take action has increased, due to a large number of mine and resource industry closures and abandonment. The environment in the North also presents multiple challenges to the assessment, monitoring, and remediation of these sites. These include, but are not limited to: the uniqueness of the climate, ecology, and land composition; their remote location, and the relatively short window open for work to be conducted. Canada’s North is also home to a diverse group of peoples. Northern communities, often reliant on traditional food sources, have been identified as being particularly vulnerable to the potential negative impact of contaminated sites, on their health and safety, and the environment in which they live. The Department further recognizes the need to include Northern communities and businesses in the assessment, monitoring and remediation of contaminated sites.

The Northern Contaminated Sites Branch (NCSB – formerly the Northern Contaminated Sites Program) within DIAND’s NAO is responsible for a portfolio of abandoned mine and other sites in the North, which require assessment, Care and Maintenance, remediation and closure to mitigate the effects of contamination on environmental and human health and safety, as well as monitoring to validate the impacts of these activities on the reduction of environmental and human health risks. This responsibility extends to a number of sites within the Yukon Territory, including a variety of former mines and other sites. Many of these sites are remote, located proximate to isolated community settlements, and some are located within the Traditional Territory of Yukon’s First Nations peoples.

To support the work of the Branch, the Department requires access to professional advisory and technical services in a variety of Mining Environmental Engineering disciplines, to supplement internal capacity and assist NCSB in moving each project forward in a manner that reduces the environmental and human health liability associated with abandoned mines in the Yukon Territory in an effective and compliant manner.

OBJECTIVE

DIAND requires qualified Contractors to provide Mining Environmental Engineering services to assist NCSB in its work in support of abandoned sites in the Yukon, on an as and when requested basis. Services include a variety of assessment, advisory and review services as described in section SW6.0, below.

Through this competitive procurement process, DIAND seeks to award up to a total of three (3) Standing Offer Agreements (SOAs) to qualified firms, including one (1) qualified Aboriginal Business.

In the event that the number of firms, including Aboriginal Businesses, qualified is less than the maximum number of firms required by DIAND, (as identified in section 3.2 above), DIAND reserves the right to Award additional SOAs to qualified firms, up to the maximum number of SOAs.

The objectives of the work are to support NCSB in:

1. Meeting federal and departmental policy requirements and legal obligations regarding the management of contaminated sites;
2. Requiring that, where a suspected contaminated site has been identified, the site be assessed in a timely, consistent and cost-effective manner;
3. Providing a scientifically valid, risk management based framework for setting priorities, planning, implementation and reporting on the management of contaminated sites;
4. Remediating, based on approved resource levels, all National Contaminated Sites Classification System (NCSCS) Class 1 contaminated sites in the North, on a priority basis, unless it can be demonstrated that for a specific site an alternative form of management is appropriate;
5. Promoting the social and economic benefits that may accrue to First Nations, Inuit and Northerners when carrying out activities required by this policy; and
6. Promoting the federal "polluter pay" principle.

Specific project objectives will be contained within any resulting Call-up(s).

Services under the resulting SOAs will be used to deliver services in support of sites in the Yukon. The mechanism will be used by DIAND’s NCSB headquarters in the National Capital Region (NCR), and by DIAND’s Yukon Regional office.

SCOPE OF WORK

The scope of work attached to each Call-up against the SOA will identify the objectives of the Call-up, the site(s) for which services are required, and the particular scope of services to be provided in support of the SOA objectives (as defined in section SW3.0).

All work shall be done in conformity with the instructions issued by the Departmental Representative, as described within an issued Call-up.

The purpose of DIAND’s Mining Environmental Engineering Services is to provide support, technical and subject matter expertise to support NCSB’s work in relation to abandoned sites in the Yukon. The Contractor shall provide any combination of services indicated herein and any other related services and support, without limitation, as indicated in any resultant Call-up:

Site assessment strategies and other strategic initiatives in support of DIAND’s Project Life Cycle Phase 1. This may include determination of the types, numbers, and frequencies of samples to be taken (for example soil, water, or air samples); option investigation, assessment and recommendation; feasibility studies; and development of preliminary project charters, preliminary project approvals, or definition phase work plans;

Assistance in the identification, development of and assessment of design options and alternatives at each stage of the Project, including conceptual design, preliminary design, detailed design, and pre-construction design; including consideration of cost, technical feasibility, long-term effectiveness, life-cycle costing, time to implement, risk of technology, environmental impact and ability to address environmental assessment issues, and ability to monitor progress;

Closure planning support, including, but not limited to, technical review, input, and related advice to develop, update or finalize draft closure plans, reviewing and updating plans to ensure alignment to regulatory and socio-economic requirements, ensuring plans are in a form that is suitable for review and consultation with project participants and with the public and Affected First Nations to ensure concerns are identified, assessed and appropriately addressed within the closure plan; and that the plans are appropriate for submission to project funding organizations, regulatory authorities (including the Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Board - YESAB) and other parties to seek and obtain all necessary approval(s);

Providing technical subject matter expertise in Mining Environmental Engineering disciplines in support of NCSB's management and oversight of assessment, Care and Maintenance, planning, regulatory approval, remediation, closure, and monitoring activities. Specific expertise and capacity is required in Site Closure and Remediation including mine waste assessment and remediation, contaminated soil assessment and remediation, water treatment technologies, and site risk assessment and mitigation. As requested in the Call-up, the Contractor shall provide subject matter expertise in the following technical subject matter disciplines:

1. Mine Closure, in Cold Regions;
2. Geotechnical Engineering in Cold Regions, including dams and permafrost;
3. Covers specialist in Cold Regions;
4. Rock Mechanics;
5. Hydrology and Water Management in Cold Regions, including diversions and spillways;
6. Mine Water Treatment, in Cold Regions;
7. Hydrogeology; and
8. Civil Engineering in Cold Regions, including earthworks, covers and concrete;

Cost Analysis, related to mines in remote and Cold Regions. Review available site information, identify information gaps and provide multidisciplinary technical guidance on additional work required in support of site Care & Maintenance, risk mitigation, decommissioning, remediation, and monitoring requirements;

Attend and support, moderate and/or facilitate technical meetings, focus groups, issue forums, public consultations, presentations, seminars, workshops and/or advisory committees, working to communicate, analyze or resolve specific technical issues relevant to NCSB and project participants;

Provide technical expertise in preparation and review of technical documentation, strategies and submittals, including project work plans, project agreements, scopes of work / terms of reference, tender documents, proposals and project submittals;

Provide expertise and support the conduct of cost reviews, cost validation, affordability reviews, liability reviews and in optimization of engineering approaches and improvements to site conditions and work to enhance project value while realizing opportunity through cost savings, risk reduction, schedule improvements, more effective design and enhanced collaboration;

Assist in the development, implementation, analysis and verification of monitoring regimes and site-specific monitoring programs to validate the quality and effectiveness of planned and implemented risk mitigation and remediation measures at project sites;

Provide technical and subject matter review, advice, input and recommendations on draft and updated Human Health and Ecological Risk Assessments (HHERA) of chemical, physical and radiological hazards in the context of former mine and waste sites in the Yukon (a permafrost environment), to support validation of their completeness, utility and accuracy; and

Provide other related professional advisory and technical services to support the advancement and approval of NCSB initiatives for sites in the Yukon, as requested by the Departmental Representative.

DELIVERABLES

In accordance with the activities defined in SW6.0 ‘Scope of Work’ and the specific requirements of any Call-up under the SOA, the Contractor shall submit any combination of the following to the Departmental Representative, as described in the Call-up:

Detailed requirements, plans, approaches and models for the development and implementation of risk mitigation, remedial or interim measures at site(s);

Summary and Detailed Cost Estimates; These deliverables must detail all assumptions, and may include recommendation of appropriate cost escalation factors, methods and timing intervals, and may include identification of appropriate contingencies based on anticipated risks to the work, including associated substantiated rationale(s);

Cost Validation Checklists and reports;

Meeting agenda, consultation documents, presentation materials, technical briefs, minutes, records of decision, consultation and other meeting reports and related outcome documents;

Data collection and analysis, completed site studies, volumetrics and establishment of confirmed baselines;

Sampling and monitoring programs, plans, analysis, and recommendations;

Technical documents, advice, briefs and reports to support the submission of well-substantiated project documents to move forward in the regulatory, socio-economic and other project approval processes in compliance with applicable requirements (including but not limited to those under the YESAA and the Fisheries Act);

Evaluations and technical recommendations on prepared technical documents, designs, risk assessments and other project-specific and program documents; and

Any other technical documents, reports, or analyses developed, written advice, or other deliverables related to the Scope of Work herein, as described in any resultant Call-up(s).

MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS

M1 Firm Work Summaries

1.1 The Offeror MUST demonstrate that the Offeror possesses ten (10) years of experience in providing Mining Environmental Engineering Services (as defined in Section 6.3 of the Statement of Work). To do so, the Offeror MUST include within its Offer, Firm Work Summaries that collectively demonstrate this experience.

Note: The Offeror may provide as many Firm Work Summaries as required to demonstrate it meets requirement 1.1, provided that a minimum of three (3) Work Summaries are included in the Offer.

Firm Work Summaries may be completed or may be on-going, provided that at least six (6) months of work has been completed.

1.2 At least two (2) Firm Work Summaries MUST demonstrate the Firm’s experience providing similar services to the Mining Environmental Engineering Services (as defined in Section 6.3 of the Statement of Work) in relation to environmental or closure aspects of mining in Cold Regions.

1.3 At least one (1) Firm Work Summary provided in demonstration of the above MUST demonstrate experience providing similar services to the Mining Environmental Engineering Services (as defined in Section 6.3 of the Statement of Work) in support of a Major Project. To be considered as a Major Project, the Offeror MUST clearly demonstrate the value of the client’s Major Project, including capital costs is valued greater than $50,000,000.

Within each Firm Work Summary provided, in order to demonstrate the above, and allow for a thorough point-rating, the Offeror should indicate (a-i):

1. the name and a description of the client organization;
2. a description of the site for which the services were provided, including the location and characteristics;
3. a summary of the client’s project including the overall budget for the project to the Firm (please also the Client’s/Owner’s budget and identify Capital Costs), objectives, needs, and issues which necessitated the contribution of the Firm;
4. a description of the services provided by the Firm and its Resources;
5. a description of the scope and complexity of the work;
6. the dates and duration (in years/months) of the Firm’s work (for example, November 2012 to June 2013, 8 months);
7. the names and categories of the Resources involved, as well as the total Resource level of effort (in days) for the duration of the work;
8. the outcome and results of the Firm’s contribution, together with the extent to which the work was completed on-time, on-budget and in accordance with the client’s established goals; and
9. the name, title, and contact information (at least one of: e-mail address or telephone number) of a client representative to whom the Firm reported.

The Offeror should use Table M1 – Firm-Level Work Summary Form – for each Work Summary submitted. The Offeror is encouraged to provide detailed responses for each of the requirements set out in the Table. The Offeror should copy Table M1 as required.

DIAND reserves the right to contact the named client representatives to verify the accuracy and veracity of the information provided in the Offeror’s Offer which may include providing a copy of the Firm Work Summary Form to the client representative for verification. Should DIAND choose to contact the client representatives and should one (1) or reference more named client reference representatives provide a negative response regarding the accuracy or veracity of the Offer will be deemed non-compliant and given no further consideration.

M2 Representative Resource Capacity

2.1 The Offeror MUST propose at least one (1) Resource in each of the following four (4) Categories, representative of the qualifications of Resources the Offeror would provide to DIAND under any Standing Offer:

1. Team Lead;
2. Principal Consultant;
3. Senior Consultant; and
4. Consultant.

2.2 At least one (1) Resource in each Category MUST demonstrate meeting the minimum qualifications for the Resource Category in which they are proposed, as stated in the Statement of Work, section 8.4.1.

Table M2 has been provided to assist Offerors in providing clear information. Notwithstanding, it is the Offeror’s responsibility to ensure that there is sufficient substantiated information in the Offeror’s Offer for the Evaluation Committee to fully assess the qualifications of the Proposed Resources.

M3 Other Resource Requirements

3.1 In addition to the requirements of Mandatory Requirement M2 above, the Offeror MUST demonstrate the following requirements:

1. At least one (1) of the Team Lead, Principal Consultant or Senior Consultant Resource demonstrates a minimum of ten (10) years professional work experience with heavy civil engineering projects (e.g. dams, highways, dredging and land drainage). This may include experience in any of: production of new construction, rehabilitation or repairs, or undertaking of additions, alterations, or maintenance and repairs to existing structures and works.
2. At least one (1) Principal Consultant or Senior Consultant Resource demonstrates a valid certification as a Professional Engineer, licensed to practice in a Canadian jurisdiction.
3. At least one (1) of the Team Lead, Principal Consultant or Senior Consultant Resource demonstrates a minimum of ten (10) years professional work experience on Major Projects in the North.

3.2 Resources included in the Proposal to address the above requirements (1-3) MUST also demonstrate meeting the minimum qualifications for the Resource Category in which they are proposed, as stated in the Statement of Work, section 8.4.1.

M4 Technical Disciplines - Minimum Resource Capacity

4.1 The Offeror MUST demonstrate how it will provide DIAND with access to qualified Resources in the breadth of Technical Disciplines required (as listed in the SOW, section 6.3.4, and reproduced below. The Offeror MUST demonstrate qualified Resources in all Technical Disciplines, with at least one (1) Team Lead, Principal Consultant or Senior Consultant Resource with specialization per Discipline:

1. Mine Closure, in Cold Regions;
2. Geotechnical Engineering in Cold Regions, including dams and permafrost;
3. Covers specialist in Cold Regions;
4. Rock Mechanics;
5. Hydrology and Water Management in Cold Regions, including diversions and spillways;
6. Mine Water Treatment, in Cold Regions;
7. Hydrogeology;
8. Civil Engineering in Cold Regions, including earthworks, covers and concrete; and
9. Cost Analysis, related to mines in remote and Cold Regions.

4.2 In order to be considered demonstrating specialization, the Resource MUST demonstrate a minimum of ten (10) years professional work experience in the Technical Discipline and at least and at least one (1) project of the Resource’s experience in the Technical Discipline MUST include professional work experience in a mining engineering environment.

4.3 One (1) Resource may demonstrate specialization in more than one (1) Technical Discipline above; however, collectively over the nine (9) Technical Disciplines the Offeror MUST propose a minimum of three (3) separate qualified individuals.

4.4 Resources included in the Proposal to address the above requirements (4.1-4.3) MUST also demonstrate meeting the minimum qualifications for the Resource Category in which they are proposed, as stated in the Statement of Work, section 8.4.1.

The SOAs will be awarded based on a determination of Best Value taking into account both the technical merit of the Proposals and the Financial Evaluation.

The Bidder(s) will be selected on the basis of the highest combined rating of technical merit and price:

Security: Pursuant to the Government of Canada Security Policy, the nature of the services to be provided under the Standing Offer Agreement requires a Government of Canada Security Clearance.

This procurement is set aside under the federal government Procurement Strategy for Aboriginal Business. For more information on Aboriginal business requirements of the Set-aside Program for Aboriginal Business, seeAnnex 9.4of theSupply Manual."