1. Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN)
An ACAN is a public notice indicating to the supplier community that a department or agency intends to award a contract for goods, services or construction to a pre-identified supplier, thereby allowing other suppliers to signal their interest in bidding, by submitting a statement of capabilities. If no supplier submits a statement of capabilities that meets the requirements set out in the ACAN, on or before the closing date stated in the ACAN, the contracting officer may then proceed with the award to the pre-identified supplier.
2. Definition of the requirement
Statistics Canada requires the purchase of support and maintenance services for the Integrated Meta Database – Data Documentation Initiative (IMDB-DDI). This project requires a contractor who is conversant in the data documentation standard–DDI and has strong computer programming skills.
The services to be provided consist of:
1. Fixing bugs and enhancing existing Nesstar DDI2 to DDI3 upgrade tools and related quality assurance utilities, as well as a Metadata Editor application and the IMDB DDI webservice application
2. Implementing a DDI3 to DDI2 downgrade transformation
3. Developing data quality and documentation metadata reports integrated into the Metadata Editor
4. Upgrading the platforms to ensure that the application underlying libraries and other components are using most recent stable versions
5. Providing guidance and assistance for loading metadata into the RDC repository
6. Providing general technical support via email, web based helpdesk, or scheduled conference calls
The above services will need to be available between 9:30am-17:30pm EST. Support requests should be acknowledged within a day. A response or solution proposal will need to be provided within 2 business days.
3. Criteria for assessment of the Statement of Capabilities (Minimum Essential Requirements)
The Contractor must demonstrate a minimum of 5-7 years of experience:
- in the delivery of business transformation projects
- in the development of Information/data management tools leveraging metadata component based on the Data Documentation Initiative (DDI) standard for statistical data
- in the development of:
o Web services, JSP based web applications, Eclipse RCP based desktop applications
- using the following technologies:
o Java 6.0+ (aka 1.6+), Spring framework, Apache Tomcat, Apache XML Beans, BaseX, Eclipse, JDBC, Oracle
4. Applicability of the trade agreement(s) to the procurement
This procurement is not subject to any of the international trade agreements.
5. Justification for the Pre-Identified Supplier
Statistics Canada has run 3 competitive processes in the last 5 years in which we solicited for a consultant who was familiar with the DDI standard and who had strong programming skills and experience. The most recent call was early 2013. MetaData Technologies through the Aim Group has been the only consulting firm to respond to these calls. No other qualified vendor currently exists.
6. Government Contracts Regulations Exception(s)
The following exception to the Government Contracts Regulations is invoked for this procurement under subsection:
subsection 6(d) - "only one person is capable of performing the work".
7. Period of the proposed contract or delivery date
The proposed period of the contract is from date of contract award to March 31, 2014 inclusive.
8. Cost estimate of the proposed contract
The estimated value of the contract, including options, is $48,300.00 (GST/HST extra).
9. Name and address of the pre-identified supplier
Metadata Technologies North America
200 Prosperity Drive
Knoxville, Tennessee 37923
10. Suppliers' right to submit a statement of capabilities
Suppliers who consider themselves fully qualified and available to provide the goods, services or construction services described in the ACAN may submit a statement of capabilities in writing to the contact person identified in this notice on or before the closing date of this notice. The statement of capabilities must clearly demonstrate how the supplier meets the advertised requirements.
11. Closing date for a submission of a statement of capabilities
The closing date and time for accepting statements of capabilities is December 30, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. EST.
12. Inquiries and submission of statements of capabilities
Inquiries and statements of capabilities are to be directed to:
Michael Tsoukanas
Statistics Canada
150 Tunney’s Pasture Driveway
Main Building – SC 1405
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0T6
Tel.: 613-951-2488
Fax: 613-951-2073
m••••••••@•••••••.••.ca