Q. In the RFQ, are the annual values to be reported for a proponent alone, or for a parent firm, if there is one?

A. The annual values should be reported for the proponent alone as well as for a parent firm.

Q. Are the annual values to be for work performed in BC alone?

A. It is up to a proponent to choose whether they report worked performed only in BC or outside BC.

Q. In the RFQ, would you please define and differentiate between "relevant" and "principal" projects?

A. The difference between "relevant" and "principal" projects - relevant pertains more to "maintenance work", principal could be other work that the company has performed other than "maintenance work".

A. Yes.

Q. Are bailey/acrow bridge parts inventory required to be in stock?

A. Yes, refer to Chapter 7-810 of the Maintenance Specifications.

Q. What are the features and functions of the RWIS stations?

A. To provide real time reporting of pavement and weather information.

Q. Will the Ministry provide the name of the firms that have successfully pre-qualified?

A. Yes, view this information on the Ministry website.

Q. With regards to financial caps, should Section G apply to Quantified Maintenance items and Provisional Sum items?

A. Yes. The Ministry is reserving the option of asking the Contractor to provide Quantified Maintenance Services up to the $35,000 cap and then asking another contractor to complete the work or completing the work in-house. Alternatively, the Ministry may ask the Contractor to complete all the work as Quantified or as additional work.

Q. Is it correct that the Contractor is no longer off the hook when the work is greater than $35,000; the Contractor must now work up to the $35,000?

A. That is correct.

Q. Is mowing/brushing what you want to control noxious weeds?

A. Yes. No herbicides.

Q. Should there be quantified credits available for other types of Retaining Structures (other than concrete)?

A. Credits are available through the Maintenance Specification for Concrete Structure Maintenance and the Maintenance Specification for Bridge Piling Maintenance. There is also a quantity for Retaining Structure component replacement (refer to Chapter 10 of the Maintenance Specifications).

Q. Ref. Bridge Railing Maintenance specification – can the Contractor provide ‘treated' timber Wheelguards?

A. Yes. As stated previously, 3.3.b are minimums.

Q. Will there be gravel process fees?

A. No, there will be a gravel usage fee, $1.75/m3 for each Service Area within the Province.

Q. Will the Ministry sell the radios to Contractors or dispose of them through the Purchasing Commission? Will the Ministry allow Contractors to use an alternative to the Provider System?

A. The Ministry is considering selling radios currently leased to Contractors, pending approval by the Purchasing Commission. The Ministry's Provider System must be utilized.

Q. With respect to the "Strategic Yards" listed on your "Yard Options" web page, is the lease option available and is it mandatory?

A. These yards are mandatory and proponents should contact BCBC directly to discuss the specific situations for those yards listed under that category.

Q. In terms of clause 9.9 of the new Maintenance Agreement, the Ministry may elect to treat Damage to Government Property as Emergency Services or Additional Maintenance Services with compensation to the contractor pursuant to the terms of the Agreement. Will the contractor be exposed to the deductible? Subject to the Ministry proceeding with the claim and recovering the costs of repair, will the contractor be reimbursed with the deductible?

A. Yes, the Contractor will be exposed to the deductible, as well, subject to the Ministry proceeding with a claim and recovering the costs of the repair, the contractor will not be reimbursed the deductible.

Q. With respect to Chapter 1-190 of the specifications, do we not pickup up dead animals from the Travelled Lanes in the same timeframe as from the sidewalks and Shoulders?

A. Yes, the response times are the same. The definition of Debris includes dead animals. See the response times in 3.1.1. b and c.

Q. In Chapter 2-250 of the specifications, are the response times for Quantified Maintenance Services accurate?

A. Yes. Contractors will get credit for ditching when they use earth moving equipment but they must meet the shorter response times during periods of high water flow.

Q. Chapter 6-660 of the specifications states that repair and replacement of timber and log Retaining Structures is in accordance with the Maintenance Specification for Bridge Piling Maintenance. Is that reference accurate?

A. Yes.

Q. Chapter 6-570 of the specifications requires Contractors to prepare and coat all surfaces of Bridge structures and steel rail systems to a minimum level of SSPC SP6. This is a higher standard than in the past. Why is the Ministry willing to accept a lower standard on one of the bridges that is currently being rehabilitated, specifically the Haslam Creek Bridges?

A. The SSPC SP6 is a higher standard. All minor painting of bridges is quantified therefore Contractors should set their unit price accordingly. As for the Ministry accepting a lower standard for the rehabilitation of the Haslam Creek Bridges, SSPC SP3 is adequate in this particular case for a number of reasons, one of which is the area being treated.

Q. Can proponents have electronic editable format access to the RIMS tables included in Volume III of the RFP packages?

A.   No, to acquire an editable format, do not try to copy from BC Bid, copy the document, or portion you want to extract to your desktop and then copy and paste using ADOBE PDF FULL VERSION (not ADOBE READER only). The formatting will differ slightly depending on the "Text Select Tool" that you choose, in this case select the "COLUMN SELECT TOOL".

Q. It is our understanding that the Ministry's Valuation (or estimate) of the Quantified Maintenance Services will be used as a base reference for how much Quantified Work that the proponent is prepared to offer - 100% at target levels or less. The same estimate (or the amount) has no bearing on unit rates the proponent will submit and the extension total based on the rates and same level of work. Please confirm.

A. Correct. The quantities will be reduced by the proponent's % reduction. The proponent's unit prices will be applied to the revised quantities.

Q. Two Envelope Process - Is there any submission filing standard that the Ministry or BC Bid has contemplated for those instances where a proponent will be submitting more than one 5 megabyte file for their QMS Proposal/Third Party Documents in addition to their Price Proposal in order that the "envelopes" are not mistakenly opened in the wrong order?

A. No, it will be the proponent's responsibility to label the file names adequately in order to identify all the files relevant to the QMS Proposal/Third Party Documents and the Price Proposal submission.

Q. Third Party Documentation - Letter of Support from Bank - Appendix "E" of Volume 1: Chapter 2 provides details that need to be in any letter of support from our bank. Reference is made to the need for the bank to confirm that our financial statements for any given proposal have been reviewed. Further reference is made to "notes the proforma statements should be included...." Are these notes to be included in the bank's letter of support or does that statement mean that we must provide the bank with notes to our statements for their review?

A. The notes to the pro forma balance sheet are to be provided to the bank for their review. The Ministry does not need to see the notes.

Q.  The Ministry has identified Structural Conditions that are Poor and Very Poor. Has the Ministry informed the current Maintenance Contractor of the existence of these conditions?

A. The Ministry inspections are done for many purposes including identifying maintenance issues. Where Poor and Very Poor structural conditions are encountered during inspections, Maintenance Contractors are notified if the conditions impact the maintenance programs.

Q. Assuming that the Ministry has informed the Maintenance Contractor of the existence of conditions that require Maintenance Services, has the Ministry instructed the Contractor to include the repair to these poor or very poor conditions in their Annual and Preventative Maintenance Work Plan?

A. Where the existence of poor or very poor conditions require or impact maintenance and where the maintenance is an Annual or Preventative activity, the Ministry may have reviewed the priorities of the Maintenance Contract presented in the Annual and Preventive Plans.

Q. Has the Maintenance Contractor presented the Ministry with a work plan that includes the Ministry's inspection findings?

A. There is no requirement for the Maintenance Contractor to include Ministry's inspection results in their work plans.

Q. Has this work plan also included Maintenance Contractor inspection information pertaining to poor and very poor Bridge and Structure component conditions?

A. Maintenance Contractor work plans are normally based on Maintenance Contractor inspection information, however, poor and very poor conditions may have the highest maintenance priority based on a variety of other factors such as traffic, safety issues, load restrictions, etc.

Q. Assuming that the Maintenance Contractor presented a work plan to the Ministry, was that work plan acceptable to the Ministry and did it then form part of the Maintenance Services provided by the Maintenance Contractor for the contract year?

A. Annual and Preventative Plans are subject to Ministry approval when submitted but are subject to change throughout the year based on changing priorities within the contract area.

Q. Has the Maintenance Contractor presented the Ministry with Annual and Preventative work plans in each of the years 2000, 2001 and 2003? Will the Ministry provide copies of the Ministry and Maintenance Contractor's approved Plans?

A. Yes, they have submitted work plans. No, the plans include unit prices and they cannot be provided.

Q. Assuming that the Maintenance Contractor and the Ministry have signed off on a Works Plan in each of the years 2000, 2001 and 2003, has the Maintenance Contractor completed the work identified in the plan to the satisfaction of the Ministry?

A. The plans are subject to change and may not have been completed as signed off by a Ministry Representative.

Q. Assuming that the Maintenance Contractor has completed the planned work to the satisfaction of the Ministry, have the Ministry Bridge and Structure Inspection reports, made available, identified that the poor and very poor rated components, (rated by Ministry Staff and identified to the Maintenance Contractor), have been repaired or replaced prior to the distribution of the RFP on February 25th, 2003?

A. The Ministry Inspection Reports have a short history of recent work done by either the Ministry or the Maintenance Contractor on each structure.

Q. Has there been an increase in the amount of work included in Quantified Plan when compared to Round 4 quantities?

A. There has been no significant increase in the total value of the work between Round 4 and the currently tendered contracts. Specific contracts have decreased or increased in Quantified work as a result of reductions to mowing, area mowing, redistribution between Contract Areas, changes in unit costing, activity definition reporting units or transfers within contract areas between Quantified and Routine Activities. There have also been increases and decreases in specific service areas as a result of inventory changes. The Ministry expects the bidders to establish the reduced amount of Quantified work to be done for the Upset Price (or the reduced Upset Price to do all the Quantified work identified in the RFP).

Q. Where can an interested proponent obtain information on the lease/purchase of BCBC yards?

A. Interested proponents should contact BCBC directly for this information. There is a link to the BCBC website on the Ministry's site that has information on yards available to lease/purchase. Visit that site at: http://www.bcbc.bc.ca/Doing_Business With_Us/Highway_RFP_Yards/

Q. Can the Ministry provide current rents paid to BCBC for each yard occupied by the incumbent contractor?

A. Contact BCBC directly for this information.

Q. Can the Ministry provide proposed rents to be paid to BCBC for each yard available to rent for the proposed 10-year term?

A. Contact BCBC directly for this information.

Q. Is the Ministry able to provide for each Service Area, winter salt, liquid de-icers and winter abrasive usage information?

A. No the Ministry does not have this information

Q. Is the Ministry able to provide the number of regular and winter temporary employees, broken down by job classification, and foreman area, including supervisory, management and hourly workers?

A. The Ministry's Highway Maintenance Contracts website, each Service Area's Collective Agreement and Memorandum of Agreement have been posted or will be posted when received by the union. In most cases, the listing of employees has been included as an appendix to the agreement. If the employee information has not been included in the agreement, contact the local BCGEU Area Office.

Q. Can the Ministry provide Annual Maintenance and Preventative Maintenance Plan quantities for each activity in the current maintenance agreements being tendered?

A. The Ministry will be posting this information on our website later this week.

Q. In the past, the warranty on quantified work performed was for workmanship and materials supplied. Has this changed? The contract language pertaining to warranties simply states, "The contractor warrants all……………against defects for a period of 365 days.

A. Warranties will cover all workmanship, materials and defects.

Q. Temporary Line Marking and Eradication Specification Section 2 states the Contractor will place temporary markings anywhere as required, while Section 3 states it will be done if it is required as a consequence of the Contractor's provision of Services. Which is correct?

A. Section 2 is a general reference, Section 3 in specific circumstances where it is required.

Q. How do you extract forms from the RFP packages rather than having to manually recreate them?

A. Do not try to copy from BC Bid, copy the document, or portion you want to extract to your desktop and then copy and past using ADOBE PDF . The formatting will differ slightly depending on the "Text Select Tool" that you choose. With a few edits the document will be workable.

Q. What happened to the 9 Principles? Will they form part of the Maintenance Agreement?

A. Many concepts, like the 9 Principles, have evolved and changed over the past year as the Ministry considered all the options and implications. Many of the 9 principles are no longer necessary with the introduction of ISO 9001 2000 principles. The Ministry is unwillingly to incorporate language into the winter specifications, which would give the perception of reducing winter service levels from previous contract rounds. As a result, the 9 Principles will not be part of the 2003 2004 maintenance documents. The contractor's QMS must meet the specifications.

Q. Why is a $100,000 ILOC required for each proposal submitted? Last Round a $100,000 ILOC could be used for multiple Service Areas.

A. The Ministry is concerned with meeting the requirements of the Highway Act, which requires adequate security when tendering contracts. Allowing a $100, 000 ILOC to be used for multiple Service Areas may not meet the Act requirements. The ministry will monitor the RFP process and proposal submission.

Q. What are the maintenance costs of the RWIS stations?

A. $1,500/station forecast fees, $5,000/station for maintenance fees. These fees are subject to review each year.

Q. Does successorship apply to the Nicola Service Area that does not have a Memorandum of Agreement?

A. Yes, it applies.

Q. Is there going to be gravel process fees?

A. Yes, $1.75/m3, the same amount for every Service Area.

Q. Will the Ministry be using BC Bid exclusively to issue the 2003-2004 Highway Maintenance Contract Request for Proposals?

A. Yes

Q. Will the Ministry be exclusively requiring proponents to submit their Quality Management Systems Proposals and their Price Proposal using BC Bid's e-bidding system?

A. Yes. For further information reqarding BC Bid training sessions, please refer to the Ministry's web site at:

Q. What does the Contractor's Quality Management System have to cover?

A. The Contractor's Quality Management System must include all processes and procedures for all activities, work and services to be provided by the Contractor which conform to, but are not be limited to, the following requirements in the contract:
- All Maintenance Specifications;
- Work Identification and Planning;
- Stakeholder Communication;
- Environment;
- Site Safety;
- Emergency Response;
- Equipment;
- Gravel and Stockpile Licences;
- Yards;
- Provider System;
- Signs;
- Bridge Journeyman requirements;
- Reporting requirements.

Q. It was noted on the Tentative 2003-2004 Highway Maintenance Contracts Renewal Schedule that the number of days that a proponent had to prepare a proposal changed?

A. The Ministry decided to allow proponents an additional 14 days to prepare their proposal, a total of 56 days from the opportunity being posted to the RFP closing date.

Q. Will contractors be expected to audit their suppliers' and sub-contractors' quality system, or will it be acceptable for contractors to audit their own purchasing process? (Reference to Section 6.6 Purchasing, page 4 of 'Quality Management System Requirements')

A. Contractors will be required to have an effective and efficient purchasing process to track and ensure quality products/services from their suppliers and sub-contractors; and, contractors will be expected to audit that system.The Ministry expects that, in time, contractors may ask their suppliers and sub-contractors to either have their own Quality Management System or adopt the contractor's. However, this is not mandatory.

Q. The ISO 9001:2000 contains no mention of the eight principles. Is there another document we should be looking at?

A. The ISO 9001:2000 is the framework to be used for registration audit purposes; the Ministry is not requiring contractors to be certified. The standard is described in more detail (including the 8 principles) in the ISO 9000 and 9004 documents.

Q. How will the 4 Service Area rule per contractor be applied in the 2003-2004 Highway Maintenance Contract Request for Proposals process?

A. Contractors can only be awarded 4 Service Areas in the 2003-2004 Highway Maintenance Contracts Request for Proposals process. Service Areas awarded in 2001 for Service Area #11 – East Kootenay and Service Area # 20 – Robson, are not part of the 2003-2004 Request for Proposals process.

Q. What is the status of the reward and penalties process?

A. Refer to Article 12.10 of the Maintenance Agreement for current processes.

Q. What is the status of contractor's yard proposals which have not been completed and or accepted?

A. All yard proposals are still under consideration. However, because the Ministry has limited resources to review and process the proposals, they have been prioritized according to the Request for Proposal dates in reverse order i.e. first priority given to last RFP tender date.

Q. When will the following information be available: Road, sign, bridge, landscape area and rest area inventory; andPlanned inventory additions/deletions that may occur over the term of the next contracts?

A. All of the area specific information will be provided in the Request for Proposals documents applicable to that Service AreA. The Ministry will only be able to provide inventory changes that we are certain of, for example, incorporations, etc.

Q. Will the Ministry be providing data on the last five years consumption of winter salt, liquid de-icers and winter abrasives broken down by year and foreman area?

A. No, the Ministry does not track this data.

Q. Will the Ministry be providing a copy of the current Round IV (1995-96) Maintenance Standards?

A. A copy of the current Round IV Maintenance Standards is available on the Ministry website at www.gov.bc.ca/tran, access Highway Maintenance Contracts under Key Initiatives. The Ministry will post the new Maintenance Standards to be used in the next contracts as soon as possible.

Q. The Current Year Contract Prices posted on the Ministry website do not reflect the elimination of aesthetic mowing in each Service Area. Will the policy be changing? Will the Ministry be using the total of $334,889,962, as the starting point for making reductions?

A. The Upset Prices calculated for each Service Area will be based on the 2004-05 budget target. There will be no change in the policy established this spring of only performing safety mowing.See Maintenance Specifications - Vegetation ControlThe current contract prices provided on the website are dynamic and change according to the Annual Price Adjustment process, inflation, changes to inventory and service level changes. The contract prices are provided for information purposes only.

Q. Can the Ministry provide more detail on the scope of work involved and the timing of implementation of the Adopt-a-Highway initiative?

Q. Reference is made in the Nov 15^th 2002 presentation that there is a proposal to change the wage index used to calculate the Annual Price Adjustment each year. Can the Ministry advise on what is being considered?

A. See the definition of "labour index" in Schedule 2 of the Maintenance Agreement.

Q. Contract prices change every year according to an Annual Price Adjustment, which allows for changes to inflation/deflation (Price Index Adjustment Factor), changes to inventory and service levels. Can you please provide the Price Index Adjustment Factors each year since the contracts commenced in 1995.

1996	1.205%
1997	1.134%
1998	-0.329%
1999	1.423%
2000	3.400%
2001	1.573%