Questions & Answers |
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| Cover Letter - "...the proposal
should not exceed 12 pages." |
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Question: |
The cover letter states that the proposal should
not exceed 12 pages. Does this include only the scope of work
or does it also include team members’ resumes, examples
of similar projects, lead organization history and project budget? |
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Answer: |
This includes only the Scope of Work. |
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| Cover page – deadline
is December 4 Page 1 deadline is December 8 |
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Question: |
Which date is correct? |
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Answer: |
December 8 is the correct date. |
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| Page 1 – Introduction
The last paragraph in the Introduction states that several
firms will be interviewed before a selection is made. |
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Question: |
Will these interviews be conducted by telephone or will they
require the team to be on site? |
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Answer: |
We would like to interview the person who will be responsible
for the entire project in person and have key team members available
by phone when we are conducting that interview. |
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| Page 2 – National
Heritage Area - “The Crossroads of the American Revolution
NHA comprises 213 municipalities and all or parts of 14
of the 21 counties in the State of New Jersey.” |
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Question: |
Are the NHA boundaries set? Is there any dispute about the
boundaries that the consultant team should be aware of? |
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Answer: |
The boundaries were set by Congress in the 2006 legislation
that established the heritage area. Yes, there are folks outside
the defined boundary who are dissatisfied. |
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| Page 4 – Visioning
Workshop/Pilot Area - “The CA will supply the contractor
with a copy of the Visioning Workshop for the Pilot Area
report upon request.” |
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Question: |
Can a draft of this report be provided for review at this time? |
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Answer: |
The report is attached. |
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Question: |
What contact has continued with Morris and Somerset counties
since the 2006 workshops toward development or implementation
of the pilot area? |
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Answer: |
We have been working on a model management plan with the governments,
NGO’s and other interested people in the 14 town Pilot
Project Area since 2007 and will have a final report on that
project in January 2008. |
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| Page 4 – Public Involvement Strategy
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“The strategy could encompass public hearings, meetings throughout the
study area, workshops or one-on-one meetings.” |
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Question: |
How many hearings, meetings, workshops or one-on-one meetings
are estimated during the project period? |
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Answer: |
Those numbers will be determined during negotiations with the
successful bidder. There will need to be meetings with all the
municipalities and counties and all the historic site organizations.
Crossroads Association members will assist with these meetings. |
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| Page 4 – Resource Inventories
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“Extensive inventories were developed during the course of the Special
Resource and Feasibility Study.” |
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Question: |
What format are the inventories in (e.g. Word documents or
lists vs. a searchable database?) |
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Answer: |
Historic site and natural resources inventories are available
in a common format in the counties at the NJDEP Historic Preservation
Office. |
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Question: |
Is the CA using a common inventory format that would allow
these inventories to be merged? If not, what role would the contractor
be expected to fulfill in compiling/
merging the inventories? |
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Answer: |
The State Historic Preservation Office has created a common
inventory format for historic and natural resources and has been
working with New Jersey’s counties to use the same format
and to share data. XRDS will use the already existing format
to compile the inventories. |
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| Page 5 – Interpretation Plan -
“The CA will complete the pilot area phase of the interpretation plan by
early 2009.” |
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Question: |
The Heritage Area legislation states that the management plan
will include an interpretive plan. Since the pilot area encompasses
two of the 14 counties, will the contractor be required to expand
this work to an interpretation plan including the entire Heritage
Area? |
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Answer: |
The Pilot Area study is an in-house working document that will
be available for reference, but has not been developed to take
the place of a NPS Heritage Plan for that area. |
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Question: |
Are the themes for the NHA set or still in development? |
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Answer: |
Yes, the themes for the NHA were discussed and agreed on during
extensive public hearings in the feasibility study process and
are set forth in the Feasibility Study. |
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| Page 5 - Business Plan -
“The CA is working this fall with the Rutgers University MBA Team Consulting
Program to develop a strategic business and marketing plan….” |
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Question: |
Is the marketing component of the plan a tourism marketing
focus or an internal (building support within the Heritage Area)
plan? |
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Answer: |
The marketing component is primarily internal. |
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Question: |
If the business plan does not include tourism marketing, is
that addressed elsewhere in the management plan? |
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Answer: |
Yes, tourism marketing will be an element of the management
plan. |
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| Page 5 - Finalize and Implement Public
Involvement Strategy -
“The contractor will assist the CA in finalizing the public involvement
strategy, implement the strategy and provide logistical support.” |
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Question: |
In addition to the administrative tasks outlined, should the
contractor be prepared to facilitate meetings, conduct interviews,
etc. in order to incorporate these findings into the management
plan? |
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Answer: |
Yes. |
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| Page 5-6 – General Planning Project
Tasks -
“Generate and maintain a mailing list.” |
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Question: |
Has the CA assembled any mailing lists of stakeholders? If
so, how many have been identified? |
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Answer: |
YES. We have a database of 1500 email addresses and 1000 regular
mail. We also rely on other organizations to distribute XRDS
information to their members and lists. |
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Question: |
What format are the lists in? |
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Answer: |
The lists are in Giftworks software which is exportable to
Excel spreadsheets. |
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| “Compile the administrative
history of the planning project….” |
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Question: |
Have records – phone calls, files, drafts, agreements – been
maintained to date or will this record need to be reconstructed? |
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Answer: |
Yes, we have records on file. |
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| Page 6 – Develop Alternatives
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“…develop draft alternative concepts.” |
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Question: |
Please clarify what is meant by “alternatives.” Are
these suggestions of activities that could be done but are not
included in the management plan? (The example questions seem
to be issues that would be addressed by a management plan.) |
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Answer: |
The alternatives are all included as part of the management
plan as alternate sets of "policies and strategies and recommendations
including no action”, including the environmental, social
and historic impact of each alternative. |
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| Page 8 – Contract
Planning Process Schedule and Budget |
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Question: |
How many printed copies of the management plan will be needed? |
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Answer: |
The contractor will be expected to furnish interim drafts on
disk for review and comment by the board. The final document
requirements are: one printed copy of the management plan and
a printer-ready copy on disk. |
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PDF Document 
