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RFI for computer software for US EPA, Region 7.


Kansas, United States
Government : Federal
RFI
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Request for Information regarding computer software to assist in the management of the drinking water samples and analysis for US EPA, Region 7, Laboratory, Kansas City, KS.

THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)/MARKET SURVEY SOURCES SOUGHT INQUIRY. NO CONTRACT WILL BE AWARDED FROM THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. This is not a Request for Proposal (RFP) or an announcement of a forthcoming solicitation, nor is it a request seeking offerors to be placed on a solicitation mailing list. Response to this survey is voluntary and no reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with providing information in response to this RFI/Market Survey or any follow-up information requests. No solicitation document exists at this time, and calls requesting a solicitation will not be answered.

Please explain how your product(s) can address the needs described below.

BACKGROUND:

Laboratories that test drinking water samples for possible contaminants, in compliance with Federal Regulations, are required to be certified. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 operates a program to provide such certifications. Laboratories are typically certified for multiple analytes. Each analyte may be analyzed using any of several approved methods, and a given laboratory may analyze samples for a particular analyte using any of a selection of methods. Under this program laboratories are certified on three-year intervals for a specific list of analyte / method combinations. There are several hundred possible analyte / method combinations, including chemical, microbiological, and radiochemical analytes. The certification program may certify several hundred individual laboratories.

In order to be certified, a laboratory must demonstrate, on an ongoing basis, itB?s proficiency with the analyses for which it is seeking certification. This is done, in part, through production of acceptable data from the analysis of Performance Testing (PT) samples for each certified analyte / method combination. This must be done at least initially and once each year thereafter. PT samples are obtained by each laboratory from approved vendors, who create PT samples to contain known concentrations of a selection of contaminants. PT samples are provided from the vendor to the laboratory as blinds (concentrations unknown to the laboratory). The laboratory analyzes PT samples and reports the resulting analytical values back to the vendor. The Vendor then evaluates the laboratory's reported values against statistically derived acceptance criteria and provides reports about the laboratory's performance to the laboratory and to EPA Region 7. These reports are provided electronically in ".pdf" and ".csv" (comma delimited) formats. If a laboratory reports data from the analysis of a PT sample which is evaluated as not acceptable, that laboratory must obtain another PT sample and try again.

In addition to PT sample analysis, each laboratory must undergo on-site assessments at least initially and triennially thereafter. On-site assessments are conducted by a team of technical experts from EPA Region 7, using checklists. This team evaluates the laboratory's facilities, records, documents, and operations against established standards. Each on-site assessment results in a written report. Separate on-site assessments are conducted for chemical, microbiological, and radiochemical analytical operations at each laboratory.

REQUIREMENTS

EPA Region 7 is seeking computer software to assist in the management of the program described above. Please explain how your product(s) would capture, store, manage, and analyze the following types of information:
1.    Laboratory Demographics
a.     Laboratory ownership/leadership
b.     Contact information
c.     Laboratory staff, including:
i.     Names
ii.     Duties/analytical responsibilities
iii.     Education
iv.     Experience
v.     No personally identifiable information (PII) will be captured or maintained in this system.
d.     Laboratory certification, including:
i.     Current certification issued date
ii.     Current certification expiration date
iii.     Current list of certified analytes and methods
iv.     Current certification status for each analyte and method, including:
1. Full Certification
2. Provisional Certification
3. Interim Certification
4. Revoked Certification
5. Suspended Certification
6. Pending Certification B? In Process
v. Historic certification issued dates, expired dates, and lists of certified analytes and methods.
2.    PT sample data received from PT vendors.
3.    Information collected during on-site assessments, including images, scans, electronic copies of documents, photos, and information from electronic checklists,
4.    On-site assessment scheduling and progress tracking information.

Please explain how your Product(s) would provide the following Functionality:

1.    Ability to generate printed certificates and lists certified analytes and methods.
2.    Ability to add and remove individual certified analytes and methods at any time.
3.    Ability to assist in the analysis and evaluation of PT sample data for each laboratory. Particularly answering the question - "Has there been acceptable PT sample data reported annually, by a particular laboratory, for each analyte and method for which they are certified?" PT data evaluated as Not Acceptable should be highlighted.
4.    Ability to track milestone dates and provide reminders about milestones, for on-site assessments and certifications.
5.    Ability to allow users to easily create and modify electronic checklists to be used during on-site assessments.
6.    Ability to allow users to place electronic checklists on portable tablet computers, fill out those electronic checklists in the field, and then download checklist information from those tablets onto an EPA server.
7.    Ability to use information from electronic checklists to automatically create editable draft assessment reports.
8.    Ability to allow users to create and use electronic checklists for programs other than the laboratory certification program.
9.    Ability to allow your product(s) to be resident on an EPA server and be fully functional with no external communication outside that server.
10.    Ability to operate in the Microsoft Windows computer operating environment.
11.    Ability to work with and use Microsoft Office programs, such as Word, Excell, Outlook, Access, etcetera.
12.    Ability to perform data searches on multiple fields.
13.    Ability to provide custom reports, both on the computer screen and hardcopy.
14.    Ability to import legacy data from Access databases and Excell spreadsheets

Please answer the following Questions about your Product(s):

1.    Is product customization available initially and on an ongoing basis?
2.    Provide a breakdown of the number of man hours, labor categories, and number personnel under those labor categories utilized to produce this requirement.
3.    How is technical support provided for your product(s) (phone, email, chat, etc.)?
4.    Is technical support included for this requirement or would that be an additional cost?
5.    How often are product updates provided for your product(s) and what mechanism is used to deliver those updates?
6.    Are product updates included or would that be an additional cost?
7.    Will each user have to have a separate license to use your product(s), and if so, approximately what is the cost for each additional license?
8.    How many licensed users will be able to access your product(s) simultaneously?

Please provide any information about your product(s) that may further explain its functions or how it may help with the management of the laboratory certification program described above, beyond what was requested above. Please also provide information about the ongoing technical support and maintenance of your product(s).


Deliverables include the following:

1. Company Name and DUNS
2. Company point of contact name, email address and telephone number.
3. Demonstration of capability by answering the above questions of Product Functionality and the Product Information.
4. Socioeconomic category
5. Your company's experience in producing similar systems for laboratory environments.

Please do not include any cost information at this time.

For more details on this requirement, please go to: www.fedconnect.net

All questions shall be sent through Fedconnect only. All information pertaining to this RFI shall be submitted through Fedconnect only. Questions/information received by other means than Fedconnect will not be accepted. All questions must be submitted, no later than June 3, 2019 @ 12:00 EDT.

All information must be submitted through Fedconnect, no later than June 10, 2019 at 12:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time.

Disclaimer and Important Notes

This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization's qualifications to perform the work.

Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received, a presolicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published in Federal Business Opportunities. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation. No solicitation is guaranteed.

Krueger, Amber

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