request for qualifications to provide travel model data assistance - OKI

7/17/2012REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONSTO PROVIDE TRAVEL MODELDATA ASSISTANCEIssued byOhio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments720 East Pete Rose Way, Suite 420Cincinnati, Ohio 45202513-621-6300FAX 513-621-9325Key Dates:RFQ Released to the Public July 17, 2012Deadline for RFQ Written Questions 4 p.m. EDT, August 17, 2012Posting of Question Responses 4 p.m. EDT, August 20, 2012Submittal Date 4 p.m. EDT, August 28, 2012Public Opening 2 p.m. EDT, August 29, 2012Short List August 31, 2012Selection September 7, 2012OKI Board Ratification September 13, 2012Final Contract September 17, 2012Notice to Proceed September 18, 20121

SECTION IINVITATION AND INSTRUCTION TO INTERESTED CONSULTANT FIRMS1.0 Invitation: The Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments (OKI) is now acceptingStatements of Qualifications (SOQs) from firms interested in engaging professional services for theprocessing of travel survey data files that can be used for trip rate estimation, trip distributioncalibration, mode choice calibration, auto ownership model estimation and daily activity patterns.SOQs submitted for evaluation by interested firms shall be evaluated according to the followingcriteria: a) demonstrated understanding of the project, b) sound approach to completing elements ofthe Scope of Work, and c) experience and key personnel. Bids for the cost of the proposed projectshall not be a factor in the evaluation of firms until negotiations are begun in accordance with OhioRevised Code section 153.691 and KRS 45A.750.Sealed SOQs will be received at the office of the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council ofGovernments until 4 p.m. EDT on August 28, 2012. The SOQ should be placed in a sealedenvelope and clearly marked “Travel Model Data Assistance – Statement of Qualifications”.SOQs received after the 4 p.m. deadline on August 28, 2012 will be unopened.Consultant Questions and Inquiries: Interested firms’ questions and inquiries on the specificationsof this SOQ shall be submitted in writing to Karen Whitaker at karenw@oki.org, FAX 513-621-9325. Questions will be accepted via e-mail or in writing until 4 p.m. EDT on August 17, 2012.Responses to all questions will be posted on www.oki.org by 4 p.m. EDT on August 20, 2012.Any information provided is not official unless reduced to writing by OKI. Any unauthorizedcontact with any other official or employee in connection with this Request for Qualifications(RFQ) is prohibited and shall be cause for disqualification of the Consultant.Careful attention must be paid to all requested items contained in this Request for Qualifications(RFQ). Interested firms are invited to submit SOQs in accordance with the requirements of thisRFQ. Please read the entire package before bidding. Interested firms shall make the necessaryentry in all blanks provided for the responses.The entire set of documents constitutes the RFQ. The consultant must respond in total and in thesame numerical order in which the SOQ was issued. Consultant's notes, exceptions, and commentsmay be rendered on an attachment, provided the same format of this SOQ text is followed. Allnotes, exceptions, and comments shall be made in ink or be typewritten. Mistakes may be crossedout and corrections typed or written in ink adjacent thereto and must be initialed in ink by theperson signing the bid. All SOQs shall be returned in a sealed envelope and clearly marked “TravelModel Data Assistance – Statement of Qualifications” on the outside of the envelope.By submitting an SOQ, the consultant acknowledges and agrees to be bound by the terms andconditions of the solicitation. This SOQ document including all terms, conditions and specificationscontained herein shall become the basis of contract upon award by OKI. It is further agreedbetween the parties, that any change of the contractual agreement must be formalized by issuanceof a written modification from the OKI Finance Department. If any modifications are made to thisRFQ, notice will be posted on www.oki.org.1.1 Proposal Opening: Sealed SOQs will be accepted in accordance with the instructions detailed insection 1.0. The opening will be held on August 29, 2012 at 2 p.m. in the OKI offices and is opento the public. The Consultant shall file all documents necessary to support its proposal and include

them with its proposal. Interested firms shall be responsible for the actual delivery of SOQs duringbusiness hours to the following address:Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of GovernmentsAttn: Finance DepartmentTravel Model Data Assistance – Statement of Qualifications720 E. Pete Rose Way, Suite 420Cincinnati, Ohio 45202It shall not be sufficient to show that the proposal was mailed in time to be received beforescheduled closing time for receipt of SOQs.4

(d) Actions that endanger the health, safety or welfare of OKI or citizens of the region.B. At Will TerminationNotwithstanding the above provisions, OKI may terminate this contract at will in accordancewith the law upon providing thirty (30) days written notice of that intent. Payment for servicesor goods received prior to termination shall be made by OKI provided those goods or serviceswere provided in a manner acceptable to OKI. Payment for those goods and services shall notbe unreasonably withheld.2.6 Assignment of Contract: The Consultant shall not assign or subcontract any portion of theContract without the express written consent of OKI. Any purported assignment or subcontractin violation hereof shall be void. It is expressly acknowledged that OKI shall never be requiredor obligated to consent to any request for assignment or subcontract; and further that such refusalto consent can be for any or no reason, fully within the sole discretion of OKI.2.7 No Waiver: No failure or delay by OKI in exercising any right, remedy, power or privilegehereunder, nor any single or partial exercise thereof, nor the exercise of any other right, remedy,power or privilege shall operate as a waiver hereof or thereof. No failure or delay by OKI inexercising any right, remedy, power or privilege under or in respect of this Contract shall affectthe rights, remedies, powers or privileges of OKI hereunder or shall operate as a waiver thereof.2.8 Authority to do Business: The consultant must be duly organized and authorized to do businessunder the laws of Ohio and Kentucky. Consultant must be in good standing and have full legalcapacity to provide the services specified under this Contract. The Consultant must have allnecessary right and lawful authority to enter into this Contract for the full term hereof and thatproper corporate or other action has been duly taken authorizing the Consultant to enter into thisContract. The consultant will provide OKI with a copy of a corporate resolution authorizing thisaction and a letter from an attorney confirming that the consultant is authorized to do business inthe States of Ohio and Kentucky if requested. All SOQs must be signed by a duly authorizedofficer, agent or employee of the consultant.2.9 Governing Law: This Contract shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the lawsof the States of Ohio and Kentucky. In the event of any proceedings regarding this Agreement,the Parties agree that the venue shall be the Ohio Court of Claims, Franklin County or statecourts of Kentucky or the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky, LouisvilleDivision. All parties expressly consent to personal jurisdiction and venue in such Court for thelimited and sole purpose of proceedings relating to this Agreement or any rights or obligationsarising thereunder. Service of process may be accomplished by following the proceduresprescribed by law.2.10 Ability to Meet Obligations: Consultant affirmatively states that there are no actions, suits orproceedings of any kind pending against consultant or, to the knowledge of the consultant,threatened against consultant before or by any court, governmental body or agency or othertribunal or authority which would, if adversely determined, have a materially adverse effect onthe authority or ability of consultant to perform its obligations under this Contract, or whichquestion the legality, validity or enforceability hereof or thereof.2.11 Once submitted, an SOQ becomes the property of OKI. OKI will release no information about theSOQ submittal until all requests have been received and are deemed a matter of public record.6

2.12 No news releases pertaining to the Request for Qualification, or any project that may arise, are tobe made without prior approval of OKI.2.13 All solicitations made by OKI are open and free to all competing firms, whereby all have areasonable chance to be successful and be awarded the contract. If an individual or firm feels thatthe RFQ is unfair for whatever reason, they should request, in writing, a copy of OKI’s Title VIComplaint Procedure.2.14 The project is being funded with Consolidated Planning Grant (PL) funds through the Safe,Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU),in cooperation with the Ohio Department of Transportation and Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.And will be a Cost Plus Fee contract.2.15 No SOQ can be withdrawn after it has been opened.2.16 All data included in the SOQ is proprietary to OKI. It will be used exclusively for this processand will not be shared with any other firm or used for any other purpose.2.17 OKI encourages the use of Disadvantaged Business Enterprises. If any DBE firms areparticipating in the project, include in the SOQ:a. The name(s) and address(es) of DBE firm(s) that will participate in the project and acopy of their DBE certificate.b. A projected percentage of each DBE participating in this project.c. A brief description of the work that each DBE will perform.VIOLATIONS OF AND COMPLIANCE WITH OHIO AND KENTUCKY LAWSThe consultant shall reveal any final determination of a violation by the consultant or subconsultant withthe previous five (5) year period pursuant to Ohio Revised Code sections 5733, 5740, 5747, 4111, 4101,4141 and 4123 and KRS Chapters 136, 139, 141, 337, 338, 341, and 342 that apply to the consultant orsubconsultant. The consultant shall be in continuous compliance with the provisions of Ohio Revisedcode sections 5733, 5740, 5747, 4111, 4101, 4141 and 4123 and KRS Chapters 136, 139, 141, 337, 338,341 and 342 the apply to the consultant or subconsultant for the duration of the contract.7

STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONSUBMITTED BY:By signing below you are agreeing to all OKI Terms & Conditions that are a part of thisRequest for Qualifications.Include this page in your response to this RFQFirm:By:Title:E-Mail Address:Address:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________TelephoneFax:Date:______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Federal ID Number:Consultant's DUNS Number:If you do not have a DUNS number, contact Dun & Bradstreet at (866) 705-5711 or go tohttp://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/displayHomePage.do.Consultant must be registered as a vendor in the federal Central Consultant Registration (CCR). Theonline registration is at www.ccr.gov. Is the consultant registered in CCR? Yes NoNon-collusion Statement: By my signature below, I, individually and as an agent for the consultantresponding to this Statement of Qualifications, certify that neither I, nor the business entity for which I aman agent, nor any other agent for that business entity, have entered into any agreement, participated in anycollusion, or otherwise taken any action, in restraint of free competitive bidding in connection with thissubmitted bid. I understand that failure to submit this statement as part of the bidding documents shallmake this bid nonresponsive and therefore not eligible for award consideration.(Consultant Signature)(Date)8

SECTION IIIHOLD HARMLESS AND INDEMNIFICATION CLAUSE,AND INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS3.0 HOLD HARMLESS AND INDEMNIFICATION CLAUSEConsultant agrees to indemnify, hold harmless, and defend OKI, its elected and appointed officials,employees, agents and successors in interest from all claims, damages, losses and expenses includingattorneys' fees, arising out of or resulting, directly or indirectly, from the Consultant's (or Consultant'ssubconsultants if any) performance or breach of the contract provided that such claim, damage, loss, orexpense is (1) attributable to personal injury, bodily injury, sickness, death, or to injury to or destructionof property, including the loss of use resulting therefrom, or from negligent acts, errors or omissions and(2) not caused by the negligent act or omission or willful misconduct of OKI or its elected and appointedofficials and employees acting within the scope of their employment. This Hold Harmless andIndemnification Clause shall in no way be limited by any financial responsibility or insurancerequirements and shall survive the termination of this Contract.3.1 INSURANCE REQUIREMENTSPrior to commencing work, Consultant shall obtain at its own cost and expense the following types ofinsurance through insurance companies licensed in the State of Ohio and the State of Kentucky.Insurance written by non-admitted carriers will also be considered acceptable, in accordance with OhioRevised Code section 3905 and Kentucky Insurance Law (KRS 304.10-040). Workers' Compensationwritten through qualified group self-insurance programs in accordance with Ohio Revised Code section4123 and Kentucky Revised Statutes (KRS 342.350) will also be acceptable. The Consultant shall notcommence work under this Contract until all insurance required under the Contract Document has beenobtained and until copies of policies or certificates thereof are submitted to and approved by the OKIFinance Department. The Consultant shall not allow any subconsultant to commence work until theinsurance required of such subconsultant has been obtained and copies of Certificates of Insuranceretained by Consultant evidencing proof of coverages.Without limiting Consultant's indemnification requirements, it is agreed that Consultant shall maintain inforce at all times during the performance of this agreement the following policy or policies of insurancecovering its operations, and require subconsultants, if subcontracting is authorized, to procure andmaintain these same policies. OKI may require Consultant to supply proof of subconsultant’s insurancevia Certificates of Insurance, or at OKI’s option, actual copies of policies.A. The following clause shall be added to the Consultant's (and approved subconsultants)Comprehensive General Liability Policies:1. "OKI, its elected and appointed officials, employees, agents and successors areadded as an "Additional Insured" as respects operations of the Named Insuredperformed relative to the contract.”B. The insurance to be procured and maintained and the minimum Limits of Liability shallbe as follows, unless different Limits are specified by addendum to the Contract:1. COMMERCIAL GENERAL LIABILITY, via the Occurrence Form, with a$1,000,000 Combined Single Limit for any one occurrence and $2,000,000aggregate for Bodily Injury, Personal Injury and Property Damage, including:a. Premises - Operations Coverage9

. Completed Operationsc. Contractual Liabilityd. Broad Form Property Damagee. Independent Consultants Protective Liabilityf. Personal Injury2. AUTOMOBILE LIABILITY insuring all Owned, Non-Owned and HiredMotor Vehicles. The minimum coverage Liability Limit is $1,000,000 CombinedSingle Limit for any one accident. The Limit of Liability may be subject toincrease according to any applicable State or Federal Transportation Regulations.3. WORKERS' COMPENSATION insuring the employers' obligations underKentucky Revised Statutes Chapter 342.EMPLOYERS' LIABILITY with a$100,000 Limit of Liability for Each Accident/$500,000 Disease - PolicyLimit/$100,000 Disease - Each Employee.4. PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY (Errors and Omissions Liability) insurancepolicy, which includes a minimum limit of liability of $1,000,000 for eachWrongful Act. In the event that the Consultant's policy is written on a "ClaimsMade" Form, the Consultant shall, after work has been completed, furnishevidence that the liability coverage has been maintained for at least one year aftercompletion of work, either by submitting renewal policies with a RetroactiveDate of not later than the date work commenced under this contract, or byevidence that the Consultant has purchased an Extended Reporting PeriodEndorsement that will apply to any and all claims arising from work performedunder this contract.3.2 ACCEPTABILITY OF INSURERSInsurance is to be placed with Insurance Companies with an A. M. Best Rating of no less than "B+ VI",unless proper financial information relating to the Company is submitted to and approved by OKI’sFinance Department.3.3 MISCELLANEOUSA. The Consultant shall procure and maintain insurance policies as described herein and forwhich the OKI Finance Department shall be furnished Certificates of Insurance upon the execution of theContract. The Certificates shall include provisions stating that the policies may not be cancelled withoutOKI having been provided at least thirty (30) days written notice. The Certificates shall identify theContract to which they apply and shall include the name and address of the person executing theCertificate of Insurance as well as the person's signature. If policies expire before the completion of theContract, renewal Certificates of Insurance shall be furnished to OKI’s Finance Department before theexpiration date.B. Certificates of Insurance as required above shall be furnished, as called for:No later than five (5) days after the successful submitting firm is notified of award by OKI to:Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of GovernmentsAttn: Finance Department720 East Pete Rose Way, Suite 420Cincinnati, Ohio 4520210

C. The Consultant agrees that it will not materially alter any of the insurance policiescurrently in force and relied on under this agreement. Further, the Consultant will notreduce any coverage amount below the limits required in this agreement.D. Approval of the insurance by OKI shall not in any way relieve or decrease the liability ofthe Consultant hereunder. It is expressly understood that OKI does not in any wayrepresent that the specified Limits of Liability or coverage or policy forms are sufficientor adequate to protect the interest or liabilities of the Consultant.11

4.0 INTRODUCTIONSECTION IVREQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONSTO PROVIDE TRAVEL MODEL DATA ASSISTANCEOKI, as the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Cincinnati-Northern Kentuckymetropolitan area, is responsible for regional transportation planning. As part of that regionaltransportation planning effort, OKI maintains a regional travel demand model that covers 11 counties.Eight of these counties are in the OKI region, and three are in the Miami Valley Regional PlanningCommission (Dayton) region. In 2010-2012, The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) ResearchDepartment undertook a GPS Household Travel Survey for the region. This survey included up to threedays of travel for 2,591 households. In addition, in 2011, OKI undertook a transit on-board survey, whichincludes 6,623 records of transit trips made by the major transit agencies serving the OKI region. Duringthe time period of the transit on-board survey, OKI staff and transit agency staff collected counts at parkn-ridelocations of the number of persons accessing the station via walk, bicycle, parking, and drop-off.The scope of work includes several tasks relating to the two surveys and some associated projects. Adetailed project scope is included as Attachment A.4.1 SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS AND CRITERIAAll pertinent state, local, and federal regulations, including those related to DBE requirements, apply,whether or not specifically identified.The consultant shall reveal any final determination of a violation by the consultant or subconsultantwithin the previous five (5) year period pursuant to Ohio Revised Code sections 5733, 5740, 5747, 4111,4101, 4141, and 4123 and KRS Chapters 136, 139, 141, 337, 338, 341 and 342. The consultant shall be incontinuous compliance with provisions of the Ohio Revised Code sections 5733, 5740, 5747, 4111, 4101,4141 and 4123 and KRS Chapters 136, 139, 141, 337, 338, 341 and 342 that apply to the consultant orsubconsultant for the duration of the contract. All pertinent state, local, and federal regulations, includingthose related to DBE requirements, apply, whether or not specifically identified. All organizationssubmitting an SOQ must be pre-qualified by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC). Informationabout prequalification by the KYTC can be found at http://transportation.ky.gov/Professional-Services/Documents/Prequalification%20Criteria%20and%20Instructions.pdf under the categoryEngineering Service User-Planning Division, Transportation Corridor & Systems Planning.Interested firms are encouraged to submit their qualifications which shall include the following:1. Firm’s contact information2. Narrative explaining the firm’s qualifications for the project3. Summary of firm’s recent experience in similar/representative projects4. Name and experience of key personnel5. Ability to meet required timelines6. Ability to integrate this project into the firm’s present workload7. References: names and telephone numbers of previous clients with a description of the typeof project completed, the time frame for the process, and the date completed8. A list of any proposed subconsultants that may be used on this project along with theirdesignated contacts, phone numbers9. The qualification must indicate the submitting firm’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprises(DBE) status12

10. One (1) original and five (5) copies of the SOQ are required. Submittals should be bound orstapled only. Effort should be made to limit the number of pages.Respondents are responsible for all costs associated with the preparation of materials in response to thisRFQ. OKI assumes no responsibility for such costs. OKI reserves the right to waive any formality in thesubmitted statements of qualifications, to reject any and all statements of qualifications or to re-advertisefor additional Statements of Qualifications.All items requested as part of the RFQ must be completed in their entirety. Failure to do so can result inthe qualification being declared unresponsive and will be automatically DISQUALIFIED.OKI must be in receipt of all written proposals by 4:00 p.m. EDT, August 28, 2012 at the followingaddress:Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of GovernmentsAttn: Finance DepartmentTravel Model Data Assistance – Statement of Qualifications720 E. Pete Rose Way, Suite 420Cincinnati, Ohio 4520213

ATTACHMENT A: PROJECT SCOPE AND TIMELINEREQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONSTO PROVIDE TRAVEL MODEL DATA ASSISTANCEDescription:The scope of work includes several tasks relating to the two surveys and some associated projects.Task 1: Initial Survey AnalysisPart A: Basic data logic checks, including verification that travel days making one transit trip made onlyone transit trip, zero-worker households that made work-related trips, if travel times make sense, andother checks.Part B: Compare the household survey expanded dataset to the Census 2010 and Census ACS (latest 5year ACS dataset available at time of Notice to Proceed (NTP)). Adjust weighting as necessary to match2010 socioeconomic conditions.Part C: Check the transit survey weighting and expansion. In the transit survey weighting and expansion,the two smaller agencies (TANK and CTC) were computed by the consultant that collected the data. Theweighting and expansion for the largest transit agency, Metro, was computed by OKI staff.Part D: Merge the household survey and transit survey datasets, with weights and expansion factors andadjust as necessary. Also, assign trip purpose, tour id, and tour type based on the survey responses.Finally, a discussion and recommendation of if- and how- to utilize the additional travel days collected inthe household survey.This task's deliverable will include a technical memorandum describing: The checks that were performed, any data imputation performed as a result of the checks The initial and final comparisons of the weighting to the Census data and discussion of theadjustments made to the weighting and expansion factors Discussion and recommendation on the use of the additional travel days of household surveydata, including supporting documentationThe final merged travel survey data table will be delivered to OKI as DBF files.Task 2: Development of Model Estimation Data FilesThe second task is the development of data files that can be used for trip rate estimation and calibration ofvarious steps. Because OKI is in a transition period, deliverable files will include files for both trip-basedmodeling and tour-based modeling.Part A: Trip-based modeling - This includes files to be used for the estimation and calibration of the tripgeneration, trip distribution, and mode choice models. The selected consultant will deliver the followingdata files:Estimated trip production and attraction totals by purpose, district, and county, and wherepossible, by area type, number of autos, workers, and people in household.An estimated matrix of total person trips by, district, and county.Estimated tables of trips by mode and origin county (and, if possible, destination county). Modein this case will include 11 modes used in the model (Local bus walk, park-n-ride, kiss-n-ride,14

Express bus walk, park-n-ride, kiss-n-ride, drive alone, 2 person shared-ride, 3+ person sharedride,walk, and bicycle).Tables suitable for mode choice estimation software. 'Suitable' in this case refers to the dataincluded in the table, not necessarily the file format of the table.Part B: Tour-based modeling - This includes files to be used for the estimation and calibration of autoownership, daily activity pattern, free parking eligibility, transit pass eligibility, and destination-timemodechoice. The selected consultant will deliver the following data files:A comprehensive table that can be used to estimate household-level choices, such as autoownership.A comprehensive table(s) that can be used to estimate person-level choices, such as dailyactivity pattern, free parking eligibility, transit pass eligibility, destination-time-mode choice,non-mandatory tours, joint tours.A comprehensive table that can be used to estimate tour-level decisions, including destination,time (beginning and ending by 15-minute intervals), primary mode, the identification ofsubtours, number of stops, stop locations, and parking location (in the CBD areas of Cincinnati,Covington and Newport only).Tables of estimated auto ownership, including estimated number of autos per household (HH) bycounty, household size (person per HH), number of workers per HH, number of adults per HH,and number of adults and school-driving-age children per HH.Tables of estimated number of people with each mandatory daily activity pattern by county, autoownership, household size, and number of workers.Tables of estimated persons receiving free parking by origin county and income level.Tables of estimated persons receiving a free transit pass and those having a transit pass by origincounty and income level.The tables above should, wherever possible, show a comparison between Census, ACS, and HHTS data.Another deliverable of this task is a comprehensive technical memorandum detailing the processesundertaken to estimate the summary tables and estimated matrices, including the data used in theestimation process.Product SpecificationsAll project deliverables provided to OKI under this study shall be submitted with the following conditionsand requirements:1. All files from Microsoft Office products will be delivered in their native format, provided thatthey can be opened in Office 2007.2. Cube Voyager Matrices will be able to be opened with Cube 6.3. Database files will be DBF version 4.4. Scripts used as part of the project (e.g. SQL code in FoxPro, Cube Voyager Scripts) shall bedelivered to OKI at the conclusion of the project5. Executable programs created as part of the project will be open source, and delivered to OKIboth as executable binaries and as source code.Project Schedule:The successful candidate firm will agree to complete the work prior to January 31, 2013.15

5.0 EVALUATION CRITERIASECTION VEVALUATION CRITERIAThe Statements of Qualifications will be reviewed and evaluated by a Selection Committee according tothe firm/project team’s relevant knowledge and experience in the elements described in the summary ofservices requested and the ability to undertake and complete the project in a timely manner. Specificevaluation criteria will include the following:Demonstrated Understanding of the Project 35%Sound Approach to Completing Elements of the Scope of Work 40%Experience and Key Personnel, including DBE participation 25%5.1 SELECTION PROCESSA Selection Committee comprised of the OKI Deputy Executive Director, Transportation ModelingManager, and a Transportation Modeling staff member will be used to evaluate submittals and select aconsultant for this project. This selection committee shall complete the entire selection process withineight (8) days.After the public opening at 2 p.m. EDT on August 29, 2012 in the OKI Offices, the Selection Committeemay engage in individual discussions with all offerors deemed susceptible to award. At the conclusion ofsuch discussions, the offerors will be ranked in order of preference on the basis of the evaluation factorspublished in this SOQ and on all information obtained during the selection process. The final selectionwill be made on September 7, 2012 and will be made based upon qualifications. Once the selection ismade, based upon a ranking process, and all applicants notified of the selection, negotiations may begin torefine the scope of work and associated costs that will lead to a contract.OKI shall thereafter attempt to finalize a contract with the offeror ranked first. If a contract, final scopeand schedule satisfactory and advantageous to OKI can be negotiated for a price considered fair andreasonable, the award shall be made to such offeror; otherwise, negotiations with the offeror ranked firstshall be formally terminated and negotiations conducted with the offeror ranked second, and so on, until acontract can be negotiated for a fair and reasonable price. Should OKI determine in its sole discretionthat only one offeror is fully qualified, or that one offeror is clearly more highly qualified and suitablethan the others under consideration, a contract may be negotiated and awarded to that offeror, pendingOKI Board Ratification on September 13, 2012.16