REQUIREMENTS FOR PROPOSALS SUBMITTED FOR POTAS TASKS

1.0 Background:

The U.S. Support Program (USSP) periodically seeks developers for tasks defined by the IAEA. These tasks address improvements that are necessary to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of IAEA Safeguards. Tasks may consist of research and development of new inspection methods, production of equipment and instrumentation, inspector training, processing of information and computer hardware and software design.

The IAEA Department of Safeguards requests support from the USSP by issuing task request forms called SP-1s. These SP-1s are forwarded through the U.S. Mission to the International Safeguards Project Office (ISPO) at Brookhaven National Laboratory. ISPO acts as the agent of the Subgroup on Safeguards Technical Support (SSTS) in evaluating the requests, identifying appropriate contractor candidates, and determining the appropriate procurement mechanism.

In order to fulfill these IAEA requests, ISPO draws on the expertise available in the U.S. public and private sectors. ISPO recommends the appropriate source of assistance based on the requirements of SSTS Policy Statement No. 1.

2.0 Purpose:

The purpose of this policy statement is to advise potential task developers of the information that should be included in a proposal submitted to ISPO.

3.0 Policy:

Proposals received from prospective developers should comply with the requirements outlined in Section 4.0 of this policy statement. Section 4.1 identifies information that must be included in all proposals. Section 4.2 recommends additional information that can be provided to strengthen a proposal. Organizations with a history of cooperation with the USSP may opt to omit the optional information suggested in Section 4.2. This guidance is provided for contractors, especially new contacts in the private sector, that may not be acquainted with USSP or the policies and practices of the SSTS.

In all cases, proposals must provide assurance that the contractor is capable of performing the task.

4.0 Requirements:

4.1 Required Information

The items listed below must be provided on all proposals responding to IAEA task requests. Omission of any of this information is grounds for exclusion of the proposal from further consideration. ISPO will not be responsible for informing contractors that they omitted required information.

4.1.1 Name and address of organization

4.1.2 Principal contact (with phone number)

4.1.3 Description of problem to be resolved

This section of the proposal can include information from the SP-1 as well as from contact with Agency staff. The need should be stated in the contractor's own words to show ISPO, the SSTS, and the IAEA that the contractor fully understands the need under consideration.

4.1.4 Proposed solution

The contractor can concur with the proposed solution outlined in the SP-1 or can propose an original solution. In either case, the contractor should discuss the technical basis for achieving the solution.

The contractor must provide a detailed outline of the activities required for successful implementation of the proposed solution. The contractor should indicate whether the solution relies on commercially available products and technologies or requires significant research and development to perfect techniques.

4.1.5 Cost proposal

Contractors must provide a cost proposal so that the SSTS knows the financial commitment associated with approving a task. Contractors must provide good faith estimates based on their proposed solution. The estimated cost represents the cost for completing the entire task. Cost proposals should include a break down of costs to show the cost of travel, labor, capital equipment, subcontracts, overhead, fees and other expenses.

4.1.6 Proposed Schedule

The contractor should propose a schedule for carrying out the task, which includes activities, deliverables, and completion dates.

The schedule proposed by the contractor may reflect scheduling requirements indicated in the SP-1. When possible, the contractor should try to adhere to such constraints. However, schedules suggested by the SP-1s are often flexible and sometimes impossible to meet. Milestones should be identified.

4.2 Optional Information

A proposal should contain as many of the following elements as necessary to provide proof of qualification and assurance of capability. Omission of any element is not grounds for exclusion of the proposal from consideration.

4.2.1 Summary of experience in the subject area

Unless the contractor is currently involved in similar work for POTAS, it will be informative to include a description of major efforts in the subject area.

4.2.2 List of references

Identify clients for whom similar work has been successfully completed. Letters of recommendation from these clients would be valuable.

4.2.3 List of Publications

List publications that are relevant to the subject area and demonstrate the organization's experience.

4.3 Due Dates

Each call for proposals will indicate a date on which all proposals are due. The time period allowed for proposal development, and the associated due date, will be based on the urgency of the task request. To guarantee ISPO's consideration of a proposal, submit all proposals on or before the specified date.

Contractors may request extensions to the due date. Extensions will be granted on an individual basis.

4.4 Submission of Proposals

4.4.1 General

Contractors should submit proposals to the cognizant ISPO staff member. ISPO will distribute proposals to IAEA task officers and SSTS members for review. ISPO, the SSTS, and the IAEA will use the proposals to determine the best contractor for the task. If paper copies are provided, five copies should be provided. Electronic copies are preferred.

4.4.2 Mailing Address

Each call for proposals will identify the ISPO Task Monitor who is responsible for the subject task. Proposals can be mailed, faxed, or e-mailed to ISPO. Proposals should be mailed to the attention of the Task Monitor at the following address:

International Safeguards Project Office

Brookhaven National Laboratory

Building 197C

P.O. Box 5000

Upton, NY 11973-5000

The proposal can be faxed to the ISPO Task Monitor at (631) 344-5344.

Electronic copies can be sent to pepper@bnl.gov or to the Task Monitor. MS Word and pdf (Adobe Acrobat) are the preferred software for electronic submissions.

5.0 Review of Proposals:

ISPO receives proposals and reviews them for the purpose of evaluating the approach and technical feasibility. In most cases, the proposals are forwarded to the IAEA task officer for review. The IAEA identifies its preferred contractor. ISPO uses the results of these reviews to make recommendations regarding task approval and contractor selection to the SSTS. A package of related information is prepared for presentation at an SSTS meeting. ISPO presents the assembled information to the SSTS and the SSTS uses it to make decisions regarding approving the task and selecting a contractor.