-- Request for Proposals --

National Historic-Property Inventory Initiative (NHPII) Survey Project

Sponsors:

National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers (NCSHPO)

In cooperation with

National Park Service (NPS) A Bureau U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI)

Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP)

Purpose: Complete a nationwide study of historic-property inventory data collection and management systems utilized by State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPOs), Tribal Historic Preservation Offices (THPOs) and Federal Preservation Offices (FPOs).

Objectives: 1) Analyze information obtained from a comprehensive nationwide survey of   

SHPOs, THPOs, and FPOs historic-property inventory systems conducted by         the National Park Service in the spring of 2008 as well as similar other recent surveys;

2) Complete additional survey and interview work necessary to adequately identify   current conditions, needs, and best practices among SHPOs, THPOs, and FPOs with respect to historic-property inventory data collection management and distribution.

Background: In October 2006, the Preserve America Summit convened preservation experts,    government agencies, and other stakeholders to consider ways to improve the nation’s historic preservation program. The participants gave top priority to completing a comprehensive and more-readily accessible inventory of the nation’s historic properties that would contain information necessary for the effective management of those resources. They affirmed that: 

·        Knowledge of the location and significance of the Nation’s historic properties is essential for informed decision-making;

·        Government agencies, Native American tribes, businesses, and citizens need readily accessible information as the basis for decisions on protecting, funding, revitalizing, and interpreting historic resources;

·        The national historic preservation program does not yet have comprehensive, readily accessible, and searchable databases on historic properties;

·        Such databases constitute a fundamental underpinning of the entire  national preservation program;

·        The Federal government [in concert with states and tribes] should take a leading role in the development of keyword search-capable electronic data collection and management systems that meet a minimum content standard. The systems will be managed and maintained at a state or local level, and may be used at a national level, as well as the state and local levels. The Federal government will provide funding, technical assistance, criteria, and guidelines;

·        A comprehensive and accessible inventory of the nation’s historic legacy is a realistic goal and should be in place by the 50th anniversary of the National Historic Preservation Act in 2016.

In May 2007, the ACHP membership unanimously endorsed completion of the comprehensive national inventory as one of its 13 recommendations for priority implementation.

Federal law, primarily through Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, requires Federal agencies and applicants for Federal assistance and permits, to consider the impact of their proposed actions on historic properties. Since passage of the Act in 1966, government agencies and project proponents at the Federal, state, tribal, and local levels have conducted surveys of cultural resources. This has produced substantial information on a large number of historic properties, although many gaps in survey information continue to exist. Furthermore, the data generated by this activity is currently stored in many different manual and electronic information systems with varying degrees of compatibility, depth, and complexity involving databases and other structured collections of historic-property records.  As a result:

·        A significant proportion of this information exists only in paper records that requires travel and/or manual retrieval and reproduction prior to use; 

·        Convenient, quick, and consistent access to this information (or any part of it) which is vital for the timely, accurate, and cost-effective completion of the Section 106 reviews is often precluded by lack of readily accessible electronic data; and

·        Historic properties in many areas of the country remain unsurveyed, requiring Federal agencies and applicants for Federal assistance and permits to undertake cultural resource surveys in advance of construction; this situation often adversely impacts the timely completion and cost-effectiveness of federal and state project reviews mandated by Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended.

Improved collection of and access to historic-property data is also of growing importance to educators, interpreters, and heritage-tourism professionals in the public and private sectors, who increasingly incorporate historic-property information into their work.

Required Consultant Qualifications:

1. The Consultant must be able to demonstrate extensive knowledge and experience working with state and Federal partnerships, and be able to collaborate with multiple partners;
2. The Consultant must be able to demonstrate extensive experience working with cultural resources as well as extensive knowledge of state-of-the-art digital information collection and management practices;
3. The Consultant must have demonstrated experience working with State Historic Preservation Offices, Tribal Historic Preservation Offices, and/or Federal Preservation Offices; and
4. The Consultant must demonstrate thorough knowledge of the provisions and requirements of the Section 106 review process required pursuant to the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 as amended and 36CFR800 .

The Consultant must produce a final report for NPS based on, but not necessarily limited to the following:

Project Work Plan

General Provisions:

The Consultant will be required to meet with and provide a written progress report to NPS on a monthly basis.

Task 1:  Review and Methodology

Part A:

The Consultant must conduct a review and provide a detailed analysis of:

·    A comprehensive nationwide historic-property data collection/management survey of  SHPOs,  THPOs, and  FPOs conducted by the National Park Service in the spring of 2008;

·    Similar surveys of the SHPO’s conducted for the National Conference of State Historic Preservation in 2007 and the spring 2008; and

·    Current information from an ongoing survey by the National Park Service of SHPO spatial-data collection and management systems.

Part B:

The Consultant, in consultation with the NPS will develop a proposed final project work plan within the first 30 days after the contract has been awarded.  Based on the information generated from Part A, and in collaboration with NPS staff, the Consultant will generate the proposed final work plan that shall include but not necessarily limited to:

·    A series of more detailed follow-up questions to be addressed to targeted SHPOs, THPO’s and/or FPOs;

·    A preliminary list of no less than 18 SHPOs, 18 THPOs, and 8 FPOs, to be contacted for follow-up interviews and systems reviews.

·        An NPS-approved methodology for generating the information identified in Task 2, Part A.

 Part C:

Upon approval of the final work plan by NPS (in consultation with the NHPII Working Group) the Consultant will:

·    Complete, analyze, and review additional survey work based on the follow-up activities identified in Task 2; and

·    In consultation with NPS, finalize a list of SHPOs, THPOs, and/or FPOs to be contacted to request detailed onsite review by the Consultant of their data collection and management systems.  

Task 2: Project Deliverables

            Part A:

       By December 31, 2008, a completed draft of a Final Project Report for review and comment by NPS, the NHPII Working Group, and theACHP which includes, but will not necessarily be limited to:

1)  A statement describing the complete project methodology;

2)  A summary description of the results generated by the historic-property survey of the SHPOs, THPOs, and FPOs conducted by the NPS in the spring of 2008;

3)  The list of follow-up survey questions utilized by the Consultant, and a summary of the responses received;

4)  A summary of current historic-property inventory needs, data collection and management systems and practices SHPOs, THPOs, and FPOs;

5)  Identification of best practices related to the collection, management and/or accessibility of historic-property inventory information.

Part B:

By January 31, 2009, the Consultant must deliver to the NPS a final project report, which analyzes and incorporates input received from NPS, the NHPII Working Group, and ACHP.

All products provided by the Consultant, including the Final Project Report in its entirety shall become the property of NCSHPO, NPS, and the ACHP and shall be considered part of the public domain.

Proposal Submission Requirements:

The Consultant’s proposal packet must include 3 copies of:

·        A cover letter on consultant’s letterhead;

·        A proposed Project Timeline;

·        A proposed Project budget not to exceed  $250,000;

·        The following Credentials-

a)      Names and Resumes of the consultant’s project manager

b)      Names and Resumes of other individuals working on the project as part of the consultant team, if applicable

c)      Examples of successfully completed similar projects;

·        Three professional references for consultant firm;

·        A proposed Methodology Statement for the project.

The proposals must be received by the Primary Project Management contact, Paul Loether, no later than 4:00 p.m. on May 15, 2008, at the address noted below.  Please note, all proposals must be mailed by alternate carriers because packages using the United States Postal Service risk being irradiated and delayed.  

 Facsimile copies of submissions will not be accepted.

The Consultant will be selected based upon the credentials, demonstrated success with similar projects, and overall quality of the proposals as submitted. As the organization responsible for administering and paying for all project costs, NCSHPO reserves the right to waive minor irregularities and reject all proposals. 

Place of Performance: Limited workspace will be made available in the offices of NPS Historical Documentation Programs. Consultant project work will require onsite interaction with selected SHPOs, THPOs, and FPOs a agreed upon by the Consultant and the NPS.  The Consultant will be responsible for providing any workspace required other than as noted herein.

 Primary Project Management Contact for Study:

            Paul Loether*

Chief, National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmarks,

National Park Service 2280, 8th floor

1201 "I" (Eye) Street, NW,

Washington D.C. 20005

Fax: (202) 371-2229

 *Note: With respect to items sent to Paul Loether at the National Park Service, please have any Fed Ex, UPS packages sent to the above address. Please continue to use alternate carriers, as all mail delivered to 1201 Eye Street via United States Postal Service may be irradiated and subsequently damaged.