1. Context
Air quality and acid deposition are two issues of great importance to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), both nationally and internationally. These issues have costly implications for industry and government. It is therefore essential that monitoring data collected by ECCC, from which policy decisions are made, is of high quality and scientifically defensible.
The Air Quality Research Division (AQRD) of ECCC collects air and precipitation chemistry data at selected rural and remote sites across Canada using a number of measurement techniques. One of the monitoring networks is the Canadian Air and Precipitation Monitoring Network (CAPMoN) which provides a basis for air quality and acid deposition research and policy setting in Environment and Climate Change Canada.
2. Objective
The objective of the work program described in this statement of work is to produce high quality, quality assured, and finalized air chemistry data in a timeframe that meets ECCC’s international and national obligations. These obligations include the Canada-US Air Quality Agreement (Articles VII, VIII, Annex 2.1 and 2.2), ECCCs program on air pollution and climate change, and the Canada-wide Acid Rain Strategy for Post 2000. The work program associated with this Statement of Work is an essential component of ECCCs data management process, which supports ECCCs commitment to publication of air and precipitation data via the Government of Canada’s Open Government Portal.
3. Requirement
ECCC carries out systematic measurements of atmospheric chemicals across Canada through the Canadian Air and Precipitation Monitoring Network (CAPMoN). CAPMoN makes daily measurements of atmospheric gases and particles, and 1- or 5-minute measurements of selected gases and particles, to name a few. The measurement types are summarized in Table 1 – Firm Requirement and Deliverables. Table 2 identifies requirements that are non-routine and completed only if requested by scientific authority.
Deliverables in this work program are primarily quality-controlled air and precipitation chemistry data files created by the contractor through objective and timely quality control and management of raw measurement data files provided by CAPMoN. Quality control of the data must be carried out in a consistent, timely and scientifically credible manner. The quality control and data management processes are detailed and are based on carefully controlled network data flow and delivery processes.
The quality control and management of the data must either be carried out using (1) the SAS®-based quality control and data management software system designed and developed by ECCC called the Research Data Management and Quality Control System (RDMQTM) or (2) an RDMQTM equivalent system able to define and apply RDMQ™ prescribed quality control checks for all measurement types and chemical species utilizing a SAS® equivalent platform (e.g., World Programming System) providing compatible SAS® BASE and GRAPH modules. The RDMQ™ equivalent system and SAS® equivalent platform is referred to as “Equivalent” hereafter in this document.
The Contractor will be granted, upon request, a non-exclusive license for RDMQTM for the execution of the work program. For utilizing RDMQTM, the contractor must possess, at their own cost, a valid SAS® license (9.4 or later) for Windows Workstation 32-bit including the BASE, AF, FSP, and GRAPH modules, for the execution of the work program.
Alternatively, the Contractor can opt to utilize an “Equivalent” system. In each case, the contractor must demonstrate the ability to utilize the respective systems by providing a sample of SAS® code for SAS BASE and GRAPH as defined in the Technical Evaluation Criteria attached herein.
The Contractor must also possess a valid license for the Windows 32-bit version of Microsoft Excel version 2016 or later.
