Discussion: Mapper wanted for West Point map updates

Passing this along; note tight deadlines.
____________________________________

All,

I received a call today from the procurement office of the United States Military Academy in West Point. They will be updating a portion of their maps. If you are interested, read on. If you know someone who may be interested pass it along quickly. The timing is very aggressive.

Sincerely,
Glen Schorr
OUSA

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Per Our Phone Call Regarding a Mapping Requirement at West
Point (UNCLASSIFIED)
From: "Niebuhr, Kevin CIV USA AMC ACC/MICC"
Date: Wed, September 12, 2012 3:57 pm
To: "'gjs@orienteeringusa.org'"

Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE


Glen,

Thanks for taking the time to chat with me earlier. We have a solicitation now posted for a firm to provide an update to one of West Point’s Orienteering Maps. The solicitation is posted at a website called FedBid. Their link is http://www.fedbid.com/ . There will be a Site Visit at 1:30 PM on Monday 17 Sep, 2012 for firms to have a chance to see the area which would need to be updated. The actual bids would be due thru the FedBid site no later than 11:00 AM on Monday 24 Sep 2012. This site works on a reverse auction method which means that when a firm enters their bid, they are notified right away if they LEAD or LAG. If they lead, then they are in 1st place at that moment. Vendors can bid as many times as they wish with each bid possibly being lower than their previous bid by at least $10.00.

In order for a firm to bid on this requirement, they first need to have a DUNS number. They then need to register at a Government website https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/

They would also need to register at the first site for FedBid. Neither of these sites require any sort of fee or cost to register. I am also attaching a copy of the solicitation and its attachments which might help firms decide if they are interested. Thanks for any assistance in getting the word out about this requirement.

Feel free to provide my contact info below to any interested parties.


Kevin M. Niebuhr
Contract Specialist/Contracting Officer
MICC - West Point
681 Hardee Place
West Point, NY 10996-1514
Ph: (845) 938-4763 Fax: (845) 938-4495
E-Mail: Kevin.M.Niebuhr@us.army.mil


Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE

The timing's not the only thing that's aggressive - that's the scariest request for an O mapper I've ever seen. :)

That's the U.S. Government for you.

I would not be bidding but I was curious about the solicitation so I went to the Fedbid site but I couldn't find anything about it. Any chance of getting the soliciation and attachments posted here just in case someone might be interested. I see that copies were emailed to Glen (or at least it says there were)

That may be scary for the bidders but it could save a lot of money for the government when applied across all purchases.
But how do they handle quality control?
How do they know the bidder can perform the task at hand?
Is there any requirement for a reference check?
What recourse does the contracting officer have if the completed updated map is a piece of crap? Like cotractors on traditional contracts does the successsful bidder have to post a performance bond or letter of credit?

The US Army does have a reputation for having made some unwise purchases in the past from time to time.

If they're going to be unwise again, it could be a good deal for the mapper.

Nothing wrong with the US Govt trying to get the best for its taxpayers. What does your govt do Juffy?

Wanting a fixed price quote for a mapping job is another matter, but the US Govt is not alone in seeking prices for an essentially unknown quantum of work.

What does your govt do Juffy?

(Thankfully) not get involved in the production of O maps.

Look out, Juffy - you've just become the go-to guy for questions about the Aust. Government... or was it because you do mapping and stuff... Nah.

I'll just handball them to Blair, I hear he's a government lackey perpetuating the communosociofascist one-world-government conspiracy anyway.

Nothing wrong with the US Govt trying to get the best for its taxpayers.

As long as it is understood that "best" is not necessarily (rarely?) the same as "least costly".

Anyone truly interested in the attachments can get them from Glen: gjs at OrienteeringUSA dot org