Writing Successful GIS RFPs (2010)

Presentation to the WVAGPPresentation to the WVAGP

Writing a Successful GIS RFPRobert A. Rickard – Geospatial PM

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OverviewOverview

•Situation…..•You are putting out an RFP to seek

QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS to do work that meets your requirements

•Clarity in the needs•Why?•What is driving the need for this RFQ?

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RFI vs RFQ vs RFPRFI vs RFQ vs RFP

•RFI = Request for Information = Request made typically during the project planning phase where a buyer cannot clearly identify product requirements, specifications, and purchase options. RFIs clearly indicate that award of a contract will not automatically follow.

•RFQ = Request for Quotations =Documents used in soliciting price and delivery quotations that meet minimum quality specifications for a specific quantity of services. Consultants respond to a RFQ with firm quotations, and generally the lowest-priced quotation is awarded the contract.

• Source “www.businessdictionary.com”

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RFI vs RFQ vs RFP (cont.)RFI vs RFQ vs RFP (cont.)

•RFP = Request for Proposal = Document used in sealed bid procurement procedures through which a purchaser advises the potential suppliers of (1) statement and scope of work, (2) specifications, (3) schedules or timelines, (4) contract type, (5) data requirements, (6) terms and conditions, (7) description of services to be procured, (8) general criteria used in evaluation procedure, (9) special contractual requirements, (10) technical goals, (11) instructions for preparation of technical, management, and/or cost proposals. RFPs are publicly advertised and suppliers respond with a detailed proposal, not with only a price quotation. They provide for negotiations after sealed proposals are opened, and the award of contract may not necessarily go to the lowest bidder.

• Source “www.businessdictionary.com”

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Best PracticesBest Practices

•Consider these first:– Research your subject (What is GIS? Orthos?

LiDAR?). Call Kurt, Tony, Hussein, WVAGP members, Me

– Organize the RFP– Allow for a question/answer period– Contact Person?– Potential Cost (does it meet your expectations?

Are there huge differences?)– Create a Checklist to grade the respondents– Qualifications…qualifications…qualifications

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Best PracticesBest Practices

•Consider these first:– Experience– References (call and check the references)– How many copies– Cost Estimates separately sealed from RFP– Alternatives and Options– Pages per section– Schedule– Resource Availability and Location– SBE or MBE (Small or Minority Businesses) or

Local percentage required or suggested?

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QBSQBS

• The West Virginia Qualification Based Selection (QBS) Council is comprised of the American Council of Engineering Companies of West Virginia, the West Virginia Society of Professional Engineers, and American Institute of Architects-West Virginia, and advocates the use of Qualifications Based Selection because it is the most widely recommended method for obtaining quality engineering and architectural services, and quality design is more likely to result in a constructed project that is highly economical to build, maintain and operate over its useful life. Chapter 5G of the WV Code, passed by the WV Legislature in 1990, mandates the use of a QBS-type procedure by all state and local government entities.

• Brooks Act - Since 1972, all agencies of the federal government have been required to use the QBS procedure. This law is known as the Brooks Act. There have been several updates to the Brooks Act since 1972.

• The QBS process is endorsed by the American Public Works Association and included in the American Bar Association's Model Procurement Code for State and Local Governments.

• http://wvqbs.org/?nav=home

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Determine NeedsDetermine Needs

•What are the needs of not only your department but other departments within your organization– Properties/Parcels - Assessors

– Traffic Design – Planning/Engineering

– Roadway Design – Engineering

– Mapping – Planning/Assessor/Engineering

– Terrain Models – Planning/Engineering

– Accidents – Police/Commissioners/Ops & Maintenance

– ID of Features – Planning/Assessor/Engineer

– Environmental Impact Studies -– Asset Management – Engineer/Ops & Maintenance

• How will data be utilized• How will data be stored

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Determine Output & Delivery MethodDetermine Output & Delivery Method

•What datasets or output do you want– Digital Orthophotography– DTM– Boundaries– Utilities– Structures (buildings over ?? Sq foot) /Bridges– Planimetric Features – manmade features and

vegetation– Parcels – Roadways (centerlines and/or edges of pavements)

– Hydrography• Delivery Methods

– CD/DVD/Hard Drive– Web Based– Flat Files

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Determine Budget and Funding SourcesDetermine Budget and Funding Sources

•Where is the money•Who is contributing•Grant applications and their stipulations•Flexibility

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Technical Specifications – ScalesTechnical Specifications – Scales

Mapping Acquisition Pixel UsedScale Altitude Resolution For1"=50' 2,400-feet AGL 0.25-foot Engineering1"=100' 4,800-feet AGL 0.5-foot Eng + Plan1"=200' 9,600-feet AGL 1.0-foot Planning1"=400' 19,200-feet AGL 2.0-foot Planning

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Technical Specifications – ScalesTechnical Specifications – Scales

•ASPRS – American Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (http://www.asprs.org/)

•NMAS – National Map Accuracy Standards

•NSSDA – National Standard for Spatial Data Accuracy

•Sample Standards– Ground Sample Distance—0.48-foot– Output Resolution—0.5-foot– Flying Altitude—4,800-feet above mean terrain height– Forward Lap—imagery is captured at Nadir continuously– Side Lap—30 % (maximum)– Climatic Conditions—sufficiently clear sky– Ground Conditions—free from snow, haze, fog, or dust;– when streams are within their normal banks– Sun Angle—greater than 30-degrees

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Technical Specifications – Push Broom vs Frame cameraTechnical Specifications – Push Broom vs Frame camera

• There are two basic types of large-format digital camera systems

1. Push-broom camera systems—Push-broom cameras capture imagery in strips

2. Single-frame camera systems—Single-frame camera systems capture imagery as single frame images.

This difference in technology gives the push-broom system numerous advantages over a single-frame system, especially for large project areas

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Technical Specifications – Push Broom vs Frame cameraTechnical Specifications – Push Broom vs Frame camera

• A typical 500 square mile area would require +/-25 ADS40-SH80 image strips, which in turn would require:

– image processing– aerial triangulation– Orthorectification– ortho mosaicking for +/-25 strips

• A typical 500 square mile area would require approximately +/- 1,000 single-frame images, which in turn would require:

– image processing– aerial triangulation– Orthorectification– ortho mosaicking for the +/-1,000 images

• With a single-frame system there is a greater possibility of errors along seamlines because there are a far greater number of single images to mosaic together. This increases the likelihood of buildings/vehicles/bridges being split by a seamline and unequal water colorization or balance

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Technical Specifications – Digital vs FilmTechnical Specifications – Digital vs Film

• Preliminary images within 3 weeks• Film must be:

– Shot– Unloaded– Processed– QC’d– Scanned into digital format– Georeferenced– Must mosaic, color-balance, stitch each frame image

• Digital imagery is:– Shot– Unloaded on a hard drive– Automatically Digital and Georeferenced– QC’d– More accurate than Film– Easier to mosaic, color-balance, stitch between strips

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DTM vs DEM vs DSMDTM vs DEM vs DSM

• DEM (Digital Elevation Model), which is required for the generation of digital orthophotography, is a less accurate representation of the ground surface using a regularly spaced grid of mass points and breaklines.

• DSM (Digital Surface Model) is the first surface on the ground which includes terrain, buildings, vegetation, etc.

• DTM (Digital Terrain Model), which is needed for the generation of contours, is a highly accurate representation of ground surface using mass points and breaklines. Can be derived from DSM by removing vegetation and features

• DTM and DEM can be created from either stereo orthophotos or LiDAR

• Flight scale determines if DTM or DEM is produced. Higher altitude=lower accuracy=DEM

• DTM can be used for the rectification of the orthos• Rectification = adjustment of images to simplify stereo vision

or to map images to a map coordinate system (GIS)

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Technical Specifications – LiDARTechnical Specifications – LiDAR

•What can LiDAR be used for?– Rectify the new orthoimagery– 3D values for new planimetrics– DEM/DTM production– Contours– Automatic Building Extraction– Change Detection– Impervious Surface Analysis– Land Use/Land Cover Extraction– Forestry Analysis– Flood Analysis– Addressing

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Technical Specifications – LiDARTechnical Specifications – LiDAR

• Flying altitude, average posting, and side lap should match or be better than the orthoimagery specs.– EX: 0.5 foot orthoimagery requires

• Flying Height: 6,300 feet AGL– Avg. Posting collected: 1-meter (or std. 2 meter)

• Side Lap: 30%

• Leaf-off• Less than 5% atmospheric interference• Flight Plan to take advantage of terrain and boundaries

plus overlap (half mile buffer)• Review for voids• Validation – compare LiDAR points to a separate sample

set of control points• Require a LiDAR report (avg pt spacing, RMS error,

Validation results)• Deliverable: Classified .LAS format v1.2

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DetailsDetails

•In the RFP, be as specific as possible•EX:

– Planimetric Mapping: Transportation: centerlines of paved and unpaved roads. Include Federal and State Parks.

– Hydrographic Features: Edges of Waterways greater than 25’ wide and Water Bodies (lakes and ponds) greater than 0.5 acres.

– Structures: Buildings greater than 100 sq. ft. ID structure as New, Changed, Deleted, Existing

– Classified Bare Earth data in .LAS format (version 1.2)

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Estimated CostsEstimated Costs

•Differentiation in costs are during the Processing stage

•Costs are cheaper with volume•Costs vary depending on Terrain•Ohio Statewide = $4.3m