REGION IVSTATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES



Description, Purpose, and Background



The purpose of this acquisition is to obtain engineering and mapping support that will allow FEMA Region IV to accomplish its? goals of implementing the Multi-Hazard Flood Map Modernization (Map Modernization) program. FEMA's long-term objective for Map Modernization is for the entire U.S. population to have reliable digital flood hazard data and maps for flood-prone areas.



FEMA's Mitigation Division manages the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), the cornerstone of the nation's strategy for preparing communities for flood disasters. The NFIP was created to reduce flood damage by identifying flood risks, encouraging sound floodplain management practices, and providing a mechanism through which people can insure their investments. FEMA and its partners provide flood hazard data and maps to support flood insurance and floodplain management activities. Map Modernization uses state-of-the-art technology, and engineering and digital mapping standards, to deliver reliable digital flood hazard data and maps in GIS format. The national objectives of Map Modernization are as follows:



1. Establish and maintain a premier flood-hazard data collection and delivery system

FEMA will create a state-of-the-art, geospatial system that collects and maintains the best data available, integrates it into a national flood-layer theme, and provides easy access to reliable flood-hazard data and other information to support risk management applications and operations.



2. Build and maintain mutually beneficial partnerships

FEMA will foster mutually beneficial partnerships that achieve shared outcomes through the communication of flood risk and other hazards, and by improving the systems that support them. Partnerships result in enhanced delivery of risk management applications and operations. Map Modernization includes innovative local, state, and Federal partnerships that use advanced technologies for determining and depicting flood hazards. Map Modernization also includes improving E-Government processes for flood-hazard data collection and distribution. Through this objective, FEMA intends to maximize the reuse of existing data and cost sharing in the collection of new data with local, state, and Federal partners.



3. Achieve effective program management

FEMA will develop and provide a sound program management structure that motivates partners to share responsibilities and aligns with partners' missions to reduce the Nation's vulnerability to floods and other hazards. FEMA will develop and manage data quality standards and product specifications in a way that minimizes the complexity of the standards while maximizing interoperability of the data and systems.





4. Expand and better inform the user community

FEMA will foster public and stakeholder understanding of where to obtain flood and other hazard data, and how to use and analyze it in order to make sound decisions to reduce their vulnerability to natural and manmade hazards.



The Multi-Year Flood Hazard Identification Plan (MHIP) describes FEMA's strategy for updating flood maps used for NFIP purposes (http://www.fema.gov/fhm/mh_mhip.shtm). It builds on the recommendations of the Technical Mapping Advisory Council, and FEMA's objectives for Map Modernization. It provides a five-year forecast of flood mapping activities and quality standards thereby enabling mapping partners and flood map users to better plan for map updates.



Statement of Objectives for this Procurement



This Statement of Objectives (SOO), applies to Region IV. The overall objectives of this procurement are in support of the strategic goals of the Department of Homeland Security www.dhs.gov, the goals of FEMA?s Strategic Plan, www.fema.gov, the purposes of the National Flood Insurance Program (42 U.S.C. ??4101 et. seq.), the objectives of Map Modernization and the annual statement of priorities established pursuant thereto, www. http://www.fema.gov/plan/prevent/fhm/mm_main.shtm.



The specific objectives for this procurement include the following:



1. Region IV requires continuing contractor support to procure the capability to produce seamless county-wide DFIRMs including county-wide FIS reports, which meet the requirements of FEMA?s Guidelines and Specifications for Flood Hazard Mapping Partners, and the quality standards outlined in Procedural Memorandum No. 38 ? Implementation of Floodplain Boundry Standards (Section 7 of MHIP V1.0), for selected counties within its territory; to produce flood insurance studies (FIS); and, to produce disaster recovery maps.



2. Region IV requires continuing contractual support to build and maintain mutually beneficial partnerships which includes the ability to assist and train mapping partners and stakeholders in the support functions and technical aspects of flood hazard mapping and DFIRM creation (e.g. Cooperating Technical Partner (CTP), and Map Modernization Management Support (MMMS) activities).



3. Region IV requires continuing effective program management of its Map Modernization work, including work with the flood hazard data collection and delivery system requirements of FEMA Headquarters as identified in the Mapping Information Platform. Elements of this objective include:



? The need to track contractor costs and progress on tasks for the timely support of Data Management and Project Control using Earned Value Management techniques;

? The need to use FEMA?s Mapping Information Platform (MIP) to share management and flood-hazard data and store the products of tasks completed by contractors;

? The need to have contractors generate products that are compatible with the mapping and engineering tools of the MIP; and,

? Work with flood-hazard data collection and delivery systems required of FEMA headquarters as identified in the MIP.



4. The Region may require the contractor to respond in other regions nationwide. In addition to disaster related taskings, this objective may encompasses taskings associated with the first three objectives for other FEMA Regions.



The above objectives encompass taskings, including, but not limited to:



? Conducting reconnaissance of study area to determine/verify actual field conditions and generate data for studies, including field survey and the production of topographic map data by aerial procedures where necessary;

? Conducting hydrologic and hydraulic modeling;

? Conduct hydrologic and hydraulic modeling for risk assessment purposes, which could include the use of automated procedures and geo-referenced database applications;

? Producing flood insurance study including NFIP digital maps suitable for publication in accordance with FEMA guidelines;

? Conducting riverine and coastal modeling for risk assessment purposes, which could include the use of automated procedures and geo-referenced database applications;

? Preparing study background material for archiving;

? Coordinate final documents with the National Service Provider (NSP) and administer a comments and appeals process;

? Delivering services to review, revise and/or supplement Cooperative Technical Partners (CTP) products and flood study data developed by federal or state agencies;

? Providing disaster recovery maps in a timely manner that could include the use of automated procedures and geo-referenced database applications; and

? Attending meetings in various communities and/or FEMA facilities.



Constraints



The principal activities of the FEMA regional offices for which engineering and mapping support is needed are described in the Guidelines and Specifications for Flood Hazard Mapping Partners (http://www.fema.gov/fhm/gs_main.shtm). The Guidelines and Specifications... are organized into three volumes and 14 appendices as described below:



Volume 1 explains the activities involved in the completion of Flood Map Projects and provides guidelines for performing those activities in the following phases:



? Mapping Needs Assessment

? Project Scoping

? Topographic and Flood Hazard Data Development

? Map and Report Production

? Preliminary/Post-Preliminary Processing



Volume 2 provides guidelines for the processing of revisions and amendments to Flood Hazard Maps initiated by communities and other Flood Hazard Mapping Partners, including the following:



? Coastal Barrier Resources System revisions

? Letters of Map Amendment

? Letters of Map Revision Based on Fill

? Letters of Map Revision

? Physical Map Revisions



Volume 3 provides guidelines and specifications for support activities performed for FEMA by various Mapping Partners in the following general categories:



? Program coordination

? Special technical and program support

? Public outreach activities

? Special correspondence support

? Post-flood hazard verification/recovery tools

? Hazard identification and mapping activities

? Other program support



Appendices provide additional guidelines and specifications for the processes and products covered in Volumes 1, 2, and 3. Appendices cover the following topics:



? Aerial Mapping and Surveying, including LIDAR

? Converting to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988

? Riverine Flooding Analyses and Mapping

? Coastal Flooding Analyses and Mapping

? Shallow Flooding Analyses and Mapping

? Ice-Jam Analyses and Mapping

? Alluvial Fan Flooding Analyses and Mapping

? Mapping of Areas Protected by Levee Systems

? Project Scoping Toolbox

? Format and Specifications for Flood Insurance Study Reports

? Format and Specifications for Flood Insurance Rate Maps

? Preparing Draft Digital Data and DFIRM Database

? Preparing and Maintaining Technical and Administrative Support Data

? Data Capture Standards and Data Capture Guidelines



Additionally procedural memoranda can be found at http://www.fema.gov/fhm/gs_memos.shtm and are issued to:

? To implement updates to the Guidelines and the Document Control Procedures Manual;

? To provide additional clarification of procedures to be followed by FEMA, contractors, and Mapping Partners that are not documented in published guidance documents; and

? To establish procedures and policies for FEMA, contractors, and mapping partners



The MHIP details FEMA's 5-year plan for providing updated digital flood hazard data and maps for areas with flood risk. The completion of flood map updates initiated in the plan extends to 2010. This plan is revisited and updated yearly.



Region IV requires the ability to enhance its capability to respond to disasters by accomplishing appropriate engineering studies and mapping on an accelerated schedule when needed.



Region IV?s ability to achieve its? goals for the Map Modernization Program depend on the level of funding available. Planned distributions of funds to the regions are addressed in Section 3 of the MHIP.



Region IV?s ability to achieve its? goals may be affected by the quality of related products produced by other mapping partners, and by the ability of other partners to meet delivery schedules.



Contractors may be working with data that is restricted from release to the public. This may include data that is protected by the Privacy Act. Additionally, contractors may also be working with data (especially topographic data) that has either been acquired by FEMA or contributed by state or local partners. Be aware that some of this data is for flood hazard mapping work only and may be restricted to this defined purpose by licensing or subscription agreements.



Region IV will be working closely with FEMA?s National Service Provider (NSP) to achieve the goals of Map Modernization. Contractors will also be required to work with the NSP to ensure that quality standards are met, to ensure that their work conforms to FEMA?s MIP, and to coordinate on other requirements. A relationship should be established with the NSP to utilize the MIP and MIP tools to the maximum extent.



Contractors shall be responsible for meeting all quality standards outlined in both Chapter 7 of the Multi-Hazard Identification Plan, and all procedural memoranda issued (http://www.fema.gov/fhm/gs_memos.shtm), as of the date a Task order is awarded.



Contractors must meet all appropriate State and Federal licensing and certification requirements for engineering, surveying, and mapping work.



The solution must address federal mandates regarding business practices, including, but not limited to: the Government Paperwork Elimination Act; the Government Information Security Reform Act; the Clinger-Cohen Act; the Government Performance and Results Act; the Federal Records Act; the Computer Security Act; the Freedom of Information Act; the Disabilities Act; Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act; the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000; the National Flood Insurance Reform Act of 1994; the Stafford Act; the Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973, the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1969; and other laws and regulations specific to FEMA.



Definitions



The following definitions are provided for use in further understanding the requirements of this Statement of Objectives:



E-Government: E-Government uses improved Internet-based technology to make it easy for citizens and businesses to interact with the government, save taxpayer dollars, and streamline citizen-to-government communications.



Partner: An entity that leverages resources with FEMA (and others) to achieve a shared vision of hazard information communication. Partners provide access to data that they maintain.



Premier System: State-of-the art, interoperable, continuously evolving, living, dynamic, integrated system.



Risk: The possibility of loss or injury.



Risk Management: Risk identification and assessment, risk communication, and risk mitigation.



Reliable: Information that balances appropriate hazard mitigation actions with the additional economic burdens on property owners identified as ?at risk.? Information is based on known standards.



Stakeholder: Has a vested interest in the system but may not be contributing data. Current stakeholders include state and local officials, lenders, insurance agents, realtors, homebuilders, environmental groups, engineers, surveyors, planners, flood insurance policy holders, other Federal agencies, Congress, Office of Management and Budget and others.



User: Technical and non-technical customers accessing the system to obtain information.



Definitions of additional terms that pertain to the National Flood Insurance Program and Multi-Hazard Flood Map Modernization can be found in 44 CFR 59.1 and in the Glossary for FEMA?s Guidelines and Specifications for Flood Hazard Mapping Partners.

This presolicitation notice is canceled in its entirety.