The Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine
205 Church Hill Road, Suite 1; Augusta, Maine 04330
Attn. David Trahan
Request for Qualifications (RFQ)
For Owner’s Project Manager (OPM) Services
Issued: November 13 2023 Due Date: November 25, 2023
Introduction
The Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine (SAM) is a state-wide advocacy and Non-Profit conservation group focused on preserving Maine’s outdoor heritage. SAM has been awarded a federal grant to commission a study to identify potential sites for a new State of Maine-owned fish hatchery. SAM is soliciting applicants to act as SAM’s Project Manager (OPM) for procurement and oversight of the services of an engineering and hydrogeological consultant that will be retained to develop this study. This study is for the sole benefit of the State of Maine and the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW) efforts to maintain the sustainability of Maine’s freshwater fisheries.
Background
The State of Maine has successfully operated eight fish hatcheries for decades. While these hatcheries have allowed the State to maintain some of the best cold-water fisheries in the country, the capacity of these existing hatcheries is limited. Maine’s premier freshwater fisheries provide significant economic benefit for the State. Due to growing interest in fishing and emerging environmental requirements, there is a need to explore new hatchery sites to supplement the existing fish production capacity. Working with MDIFW and the federal government, SAM was able to secure a federal grant to explore new hatchery sites.
SAM envisions that this study will include at least two phases. Phase I will be a desktop study (including site visits) that will identify and rank prospective sites. Phase II will include field investigations to confirm the suitability of the preferred sites from a water supply and wastewater disposal perspective. It is expected that this entire project will take about 2 years to complete.
Among other considerations, the ideal hatchery site will have access to a high yield ground water source with high quality water and allow a viable wastewater effluent disposal solution, either via river discharge or groundwater discharge. Accordingly, the two primary site selection criteria will be water supply and wastewater disposal related. Obviously, there will be other site selection considerations (e.g., minimum size of the site, access to 3-phase power, site access, etc.). The list of selection criteria will be jointly developed by the consultant, SAM and MDIFW.
Scope of Owner’s Project Manager (OPM) work
1. Assistance procuring the services of an engineering and hydrogeological consultant through a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) process.
2. Review and oversight of the consultant’s study, schedule, and budget.
3. Coordination of various project stakeholders (e.g., SAM staff, SAM Hatchery Committee, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW) representatives, consultant, etc.). 4. Progress reports to SAM staff.
5. Confirm grant requirements are addressed.
The OPM will be an independent contractor working for a negotiated hourly rate with a not-to-exceed budget. SAM has tentatively budgeted $70,000 for the OPM services over the duration of this project.
Minimum OPM Requirements
The OPM shall be an experienced project manager from Maine with:
1. Project Management experience,
2. Experience overseeing consultants,
3. Strong communication skills,
4. Strong facilitation skills,
5. Experience siting and permitting facilities in Maine, and
6. Knowledge of Maine water withdrawal and wastewater discharge issues.
Schedule
SAM hopes to select the OPM, then the engineering and hydrogeologic consultant, and initiate the Phase 1 early in 2024. Ideally the Phase 1 work can be completed in time to initiate Phase 2 investigations in the summer of 2024. It is expected that the OPM services will be required over the next two years.
Submittal Requirements
All interested respondents for the OPM assignment will be required to submit a cover letter, resume, and a minimum of three references that demonstrate the respondent’s availability, understanding of the project and qualifications for this OPM assignment.
Submissions
SAM will receive the OPM respondent submittals by electronic submittal only and will be acknowledged via email. Submittals are due by November 25,2023 at 2pm. Submittals should be directed to David Trahan, Executive Director of SAM at [email protected].
Questions
All questions concerning this RFQ should be directed to David Trahan, via email: [email protected]
OPM Selection
The OPM submittals will be ranked by the SAM selection committee, which will include a subset of the SAM Fish Hatchery Committee and a MDIFW representative, based on an objective set of criteria (e.g., project understanding, relevant experience with the key aspects of this project, references etc.). The highest ranked respondents will be invited to an interview. Selection will be based on the submittal and interview rankings and reference checks. Once the preferred respondent is selected, the scope and fee will be negotiated.
Contract
SAM intends to use an industry standard consultant agreement.