This is not an announcement of a Solicitation. The U.S. Geological Survey needs to assess industry interest and capability to provide environmental time-series-data software and software support services.In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.215-3, Request for Information for Solicitation and Planning Purposes (October 1997), this notice is issued solely for information and planning purposes. It does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP). The Department of the Interior (DOI)/U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) intends to assess the responses to inform its decision-making. This notice is not to be construed as a commitment by the government to contract for services. The government will not pay for any information provided as a result of this notice and will not recognize or reimburse any cost associated with RFI submission. Responses to this RFI will not affect a potential offeror's ability to respond to any RFP that might follow. Please ensure that any sensitive or protected information is marked as such and the government will ensure this information is not released externally. The overarching objective for this RFI is information gathering and not acquisition of products or services.Part of the mission of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is to provide hydrologic information that contributes to the wise management of the Nation's natural resources and that promotes the health, safety, and well-being of the people. This information consists of databases and descriptions and analyses of the water resources of the United States. Much of the streamflow, groundwater, and water-quality data collected by the Water Mission Area of the USGS are time-series data measured at a frequency of as much as 12 times per hour. The USGS currently stores and processes its time-series water data in an internally developed and maintained system. Recent evaluations of the efficiencies of our time-series data processes have identified our greatest need to be a modern, powerful set of software tools to increase the efficiency of our time-series data collection, processing, review, and dissemination. The immediacy and scope of this need requires that we look beyond our normal software development process.Consequently, we are performing market research on a data-processing system that supports these needs for our surface-water, groundwater, and water-quality time-series data. For this, we are issuing a general request for information to vendors of time-series water-data processing software. The ideal software system should include the following features and characteristics:
A. Software System functionality
- Allows for full support of any type of time-series data and meta-data (e.g.
groundwater, surface water, water quality, atmospheric).
- Includes an intuitive graphical user interface
- Not tied to a specific data model/database but adaptable to read other
data and meta-data structures.
- Allows for different user-level privileges to maintain access to data
editing, data approval, and site and database administrative functions.
- Provides the ability to ingest historical data from legacy systems
- Functions under the most recent versions of Windows (7, XP, 2003, Vista,
etc ).
- Allow for implementation on a portable PC and its operation in standalone
mode in the field.
- Used in a network environment where data is replicated over multiple
nodes
- Allows for integration of external, user written, scripts or modules for
data processing or display.
B. Data acquisition
- Includes system for time-series data acquisition using GOES satellite,
modem, and other telemetry systems.
- Allows for manual uploading of time-series logger files.
- Includes ability to manually and automatically process files containing
discrete measurements, site inspections, calibrations, and other site
visit data.
- Supports loading and use of site metadata information such as surveying
data, cross-sections, photos, etc.
- Includes the capacity to apply automated QA/QC procedures to screen and
flag real-time data, to monitor site and sensor conditions, and to issue
automated reporting/alerts.
C. Data processing
- Includes the ability to display and manage site visit data (discrete
measurements, inspections, calibrations, etc.)
- Includes a computation module to generate discharge and other parameters
both manually and automatically, applying relevant data corrections,
ratings, and shifts.
- Includes a module to develop other user-selected models for the
computation of parameters from one or more time-series data sets and a
computation module to apply those models both manually and automatically.
- Includes a module for the graphic creation and maintenance of
stage-discharge ratings and rating shifts.
- Includes a module for the graphical development of data corrections for
sensor fouling, sensor drift or other corrections that integrates time
series and site visit data.
- Includes a module for graphical and tabular editing of time-series data
and daily summary statistics (e.g. daily mean values)
- Includes the ability to automatically compute and apply data corrections
and rating shifts based on entered site visit data.
- Includes methods to develop regression models and to estimate missing
time-series data from regression equations or other means.
- Includes the ability to automatically apply data grades or uncertainty to
time-series data.
- Stores an audit trail of data editing, corrections and processing steps.
- Includes the ability to store comments related to all processing steps
(edits, corrections, rating application, estimates, etc.) and to compile
those comments into a site analysis history.
- Includes the ability to generate daily, monthly, and annual statistics
- Includes the ability to analyze time-series data for peak events and
other period of record extremes.
D. Data review
- Maintains levels of data processing to track the status of the
time-series data review up to data approval.
- Includes a comprehensive data review module supporting displays and
reports of multi-parameter data plots and tables, integrated time-series
and site visit data, automated QA/QC checks, and other data review tools.
- Includes the ability to track revisions to approved data
E. Output and dissemination
- Includes module to manage the dissemination of data to the web. Provides
alerts when data acquisition or dissemination processes fail.
- Ability to output data in various formats (graphical, tabular, and flat
file) in manual and batch processes
o Instantaneous data
o Daily statistics
o Processing instructions (corrections, models, ratings, shifts)
o Site visit data
Interested parties who believe they have the software that will provide the required functions as described are invited to submit a response of no more than 10 pages by 4:30 pm on March 4, 2011. Response should include the following information: company name, address, point of contact, email address, business type, and approximate cost information (i.e. rough order of magnitude) for up to 1,500 users and approximate maintenance cost. Additionally, the capabilities of the application, any systems requirements for the application such as the type of server needed, operating system and version, database and version, and web server and version should be included. The summary should include any literature, brochures, and other such information which demonstrates the vendors ability to provide the required software. Include details of training requirements and methods of delivery.Past performance information should be submitted for applicable references with projects conducted within the last three (3) years. Demonstrations of the software may be requested as part of the market research. Complete contact information for the reference to include contact name/telephone/email, business name, software provided, years software was used, and brief description of the software that was provided.To notify the Government of sensitive information, data identified as Proprietary [e.g., 41 USC section 423, the Procurement Integrity Act restrictive legend per Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.215-1)] contained in a response to this RFI, offerors shall mark the cover page of the response and each affected page of the response with indications that it contains proprietary information. The Government assumes no liability for the disclosure or use of information contained in a response if it is not marked proprietary.Questions regarding this RFI may be submitted to the Contraacting Officer no later than February 23, 2011. Please submit all responses to this notice by 4:30 PM, March 4, 2011, via email to the Contracting Officer, Joanne Lowe, at jlowe@usgs.gov . Responses received after this date will not be evaluated. No feedback or evaluations will be provided regarding the information provided.
Haytham Faraj, Esq.
PUCKETT & FARAJ, PC
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