The US EPA intends to negotiate on a sole source basis with the Association of Boards of Certification (ABC) under the authority of FAR Part 6.302-1 in support of its National Tribal Operator Certification Program. The Office of Water, under regulations promulgated under the Safe Drinking Water Act, is required to ensure that public water systems must be operated by qualified personnel, including those systems in Indian country. The National Tribal Operator Certification Program will be similar in nature to the current SDWA Operator certification program that applies to states. This would include the development and administration of standardized exams testing operators knowledge, skill, ability, and judgment relative treatment and distribution systems ABC is uniquely qualified to implement EPA's Tribal Operator Certification Program based upon its experience in assisting state with environmental certification. It has developed standardized exams available for Drinking Water Treatment Plant Operators, Class I-IV; Distribution System Operators, Class I-IV; and Very Small Water System Operators. The questions on these exams have gone through an extensive validation process. ABC also has extensive experience in administering these exams and has established the prerequisite certification, exam, education and experience requirements required for operators to demonstrate prior to taking the exams. Based upon the foregoing, EPA finds ABC uniquely qualified to develop EPA?s National Tribal Operator Certification Program. It has an existing program that can be easily modified to accomplished the required tasks. Further, using the current SDWA Operator certification program as a baseline should allow transferability of certifications between Indian country operators and state operators. THIS NOTICE OF INTENT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS. However, interested parties may identify their interest and capability by responding to the office identified above. The capability statement should address the interested party?s knowledge of operation of drinking water systems, both treatment and distribution, from very basic simple systems to complex systems. Interested parties should also address its experience in developing examination questions and exams for varying levels of certification and a proven methodology for validating questions. Finally, interest party?s should address its experience in administering paper-based and web-based exams. This documentation must be received by April 6, 2007 in order to be considered by the EPA. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract based upon assessment of responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. Interested parties should submit a written response to David Plagge by fax (513) 487-2107 or by e-mail
[email protected] to receive consideration for this contract. Telephone responses will not be honored.