Network Upgrade Solutions Pty Ltd Proposal Design and Documentation Services for the Telemetry Rain and Flow Network upgrade Robbie, Lucy, Edward, Weilin, Terry, Ken 5/21/2013 Cover Letter NUPS Pty Ltd King William Street Adelaide, SA, 5000 15 May 2013 Dr Michael Leonard School of Civil, Environmental and Mining Engineering The University of Adelaide South Australia, 5005 Dear Dr Leonard Re: Request for Proposal on 3rd May, Subject to Addendum on 7th May Please accept our proposal submission to provide design and documentation services for the Telemetry Rain Network Upgrade across significant catchments in South East Queensland. Network Upgrade Solutions (NUPS) Pty Ltd is a newly developed engineering service firm, with recognised client delivery service, who bring a wide range of knowledge and skills. Our team of 6 individuals has the necessary experience to undertake the development of each proposed scope of services. This will allow us to confidently deliver performance improvements to each of your flood forecasting services. NUPS Pty Ltd will identify, through the considered proposal, suitable network location sites across three significant catchment regions (Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Brisbane) in South East Queensland which require appropriate upgrade or installation. NUPS will then carry out the required work packages to ensure a timely construction delivery phase for both 200 new and 300 existing pluviometer sites. Once the proposed works are completed, it is expected that the outcomes will allow for an improved accuracy and reliability of each flood forecasting service operated by the Bureau of Meteorology. Key issues associated with this design and documentation service have been clearly understood, and are identified in section 2 of our proposal. NPUS have made strong recommendations to avoid further risk as a result of the proposed upgrade packages. We are confident that the given timeframe will allow us to complete the proposed works without further risk to the environment, communities and our staff. NUPS proposes to deliver the identified scope of services outlined in the proposal request and addendum for a lump sum of $600,000. The breakdown of this fee can be identified in Appendix A of the proposal. If circumstances force a change to the scope identified, we will request your approval. NUPS is excited to assist in the review, management, design and supervision for the Telemetry Rain Network Upgrades, whilst in collaboration with the Bureau of Meteorology’s Strategic Alignment. We welcome your acknowledgement of our submission and look forward to presenting our proposal on Tuesday 4th June, with the view to working with the Bureau towards a credible solution as of July 1st. Yours Sincerely Robert Goedecke Proposal 2013 Executive Summary The Bureau of Meteorology (Bureau) currently owns and operates a diverse network of pluviometer and telemetry instruments for recording and transmitting rainfall amounts. In addition, the Bureau also receives telemetry and manual riverine flow data from existing pool level recording gauges, currently owned by The Department for Environment and Resource Management (DERM). Due to the recent experience of the 2010/11 Queensland floods, the Bureau has requested the appropriate design and documentation services to upgrade the South East Queensland (SEQ) network of both rainfall and pool level recording gauges. This proposal has been developed to enable the following scope of services to be carried out, A review of existing telemetric system performance of existing rainfall and flow gauges Development of appropriate work packages to provide network and system upgrades Engagement with external stakeholders, departments and authorities Management and supervision of all network and system upgrades Three regions across SEQ have been considered for the proposed scope of services, covering the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Brisbane regions. The Bureau has provided budgetary provision for approximately 200 new rainfall pluviometer sites, as well as upgrade potential for 300 existing rain gauge sites across all three regions. Additional funding has been provided for the upgrade to 200 existing flow gauge sites. Identification of suitable network site locations for additional rain gauges, in addition to considering the upgrade and decommissioning potential of existing rain and flow gauges, based on their locations, will allow the Bureau to improve the accuracy and reliability of its flood forecasting services into the future. The proposal consists of the following sections which look to address the key requirements of this project as identified within the proposal brief, Identification of the project tasks being offered as part of the scope of service (section 2) Methodology of how the project will be carried out (section 3) Detailed project schedule (Appendix A) Project organisation chart (section 4) Breakdown of the Lump Sum cost and details of its estimation (section 5) Schedule of rates for key roles, for use in Variations (Appendix A) Nomination of key personnel and their relevance to individual project roles (Section 6) Assumptions or exclusions to the proposed scope of services (section 6) This proposal outlines the key requirements to undertake the identified scope of services by using the knowledge and experience of all NUPS employees to provide excellent project management services across the entire upgrade stage. NUPS is also confident in its project delivery expectations through showing a great appreciation of the project scope, identifying key risks and proposing a reasonable approach, based on our experience, in order to complete the project on time. NUPS is proposing a disclosed lump sum of $500,000 to undertake the required works. The breakdown is shown in appendix A of this proposal. We believe this sum is an appropriate reflection of the skills and suitability we bring to this project, as a newly formed team of energetic graduates. i|Page Table of Contents Executive Summary.................................................................................................................................. i 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Project Scope .................................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Project Location ...................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Scope of Services..................................................................................................................... 1 Project Appreciation ....................................................................................................................... 2 2.1 Clients Requirements .............................................................................................................. 2 2.2 Project Risks ............................................................................................................................ 2 2.3 Risk Mitigation ........................................................................................................................ 2 Project Delivery ............................................................................................................................... 3 3.1 Project Management Approach .............................................................................................. 3 3.2 Project Tasks and Work Packages ........................................................................................... 3 3.2.1 Review ............................................................................................................................. 3 3.2.2 Planning........................................................................................................................... 4 3.2.3 Design.............................................................................................................................. 4 3.2.4 Documentation ............................................................................................................... 4 3.2.5 Construction .................................................................................................................... 5 3.2.6 Completion ...................................................................................................................... 5 3.3 Schedule .................................................................................................................................. 5 3.4 Milestones............................................................................................................................... 5 Team Allocation .............................................................................................................................. 6 4.1 Organisation Structure ............................................................................................................ 6 4.2 Role allocation for review and construction stage ................................................................. 6 4.3 Works requiring further resources ......................................................................................... 6 4.4 Suitability of Project Team ...................................................................................................... 6 Assumptions and Exclusions ........................................................................................................... 8 5.1 Assumptions ............................................................................................................................ 8 5.2 Exclusions ................................................................................................................................ 8 Break down of fee ........................................................................................................................... 9 6.1 Lump Sum ............................................................................................................................... 9 6.2 Details ..................................................................................................................................... 9 Appendix A .................................................................................................................................... 10 7.1 Schedule of Rate ................................................................................................................... 10 7.2 Detailed project schedule ..................................................................................................... 12 Appendix B .................................................................................................................................... 13 8.1 Project Team CV’s ................................................................................................................. 13 Proposal 2013 9 Appendix C .................................................................................................................................... 16 9.1 Proposal Preparation Documentation .................................................................................. 16 List of Tables Table 1: Key milestone dates for Project ................................................................................................ 5 Table 2: Breakdown of Lump Sum Estimates ......................................................................................... 9 Table of Figures Figure 1: Location of existing networks within SEQ region .................................................................... 1 Figure 2: Work Breakdown Structure Within work packages of Project for Stages 1, 2 and 3 .............. 4 Figure 3: NUPS Pty Ltd Organisational Structure .................................................................................... 6 3|Page Proposal 2013 1 Project Scope 1.1 Project Location The proposed scope of works will be carried out over seven catchment locations across the South Eastern Queensland region. Each catchment has a specific number of gauges in which the Bureau owns, of either ALERT, TELEMOB or MANUAL setup, as well as a series of gauges owned by additional agencies that provide their data to the Bureau. Flow gauges provided by the DNMR are also conveyed throughout each catchment location. Figure 1: Location of existing networks within SEQ region 1.2 Scope of Services The following scope is to be undertaken following an awarding of design and documentation services Review of existing system performance (accessibility, data alignment, hydrology) Development of Work Packages (planning, design, documentation and specification) Liaison with 3rd party agencies for access to and location of new flow and rain gauges Contract administration services for the management and supervision of each upgrade 1|Page Proposal 2013 2 Project Appreciation 2.1 Clients Requirements The following list has been addressed by NUPS Pty to ensure that the Bureaus requirements are met throughout the entire project stage right from review to completion of each upgrade stage Improvements to infrastructure associated with each upgrade stage Suitability of new technology and software and their upgradable ability Network to meet certain reliability standards Value of upgrade to current accuracy and reliability of Flood Forecasting Service is evident Milestones are met ahead of schedule Schedule identified encompasses key requirements identified in scope Location, distance and accessibility of new and existing telemetry services Opportunities to be made through the use of current transmission network Boundary allocation and distance between existing and new sites to be considered Services to include upgrade of data storage and electrical hardware Accuracy of data to be considered for use in decision making through strategic alignment Format, length and understandability of data being presented Improvements made to lead in times Adequate information to decide whether to decommission, upgrade or remain Thorough transparency of documentation provided to Bureau Coverage requirements of new and existing locations to be addressed Improvements to system forecasting are shown and better results can be obtained 2.2 Project Risks In addition, risks of most importance to the client have been identified. These are, Costs associated with the upgrade and installation of telemetric gauges Risk associated with heavy rainfall seasons Contractual issues Traffic build up through existing mobile phone network Software taking on more data than before Software providing effective real time simulation to Bureau Communication with external parties and communities on behalf of the Bureau Communication between Bureau and NUPS with regards to progress work Competency and integrity of each upgrade delivery stage Costs associated with each additional engineering delivery services and resource allocation 2.3 Risk Mitigation 2|Page Proposal 2013 3 Project Delivery 3.1 Project Management Approach NUPS Pty Ltd is committed to provide extensive project management across all three upgrade stages. NUPS will follow common practices while considering available tools to assist in an efficient use of resources within the given timeline. These skills will be combined to manage task completion, review performance and client expectations throughout each stage. In addition, the following list of critical services will be provided; Project Management of review stage, development of work packages and construction work Consultation with team during review, planning, design and construction phases Identification and allocation of key tasks and roles involved for each stage of the project Evaluation of task completion and review of team individual performance Resource allocation to complete specified work program within given timeframe Reviewing risk assessments when ever undertaking site investigations or contractual work Weekly Budget estimates and forecasting of future resources to assist with additional scope Schedule and program review including weekly team meetings Review of design and specification documentation for each stage of the upgrade Maintain stakeholder relations and negotiations with DERM and all other 3rd party agencies Identification and planning of scope restructure and or modifications to project timeline Authorisation for inspection and testing of telemetric sites Development of administration services for each stage of the upgrade Preparation of construction management plans for each upgrade and installation stage Regular communication with sub contractors once construction of each stage commences Delivering of environmental assessment reports prior to and during construction phase Approval of upgrade or decommissioning elements for individual gauge stations Responsible for direct communication with Bureau Documentation completed on time and submitted to client to acknowledge completion of work Review of contract conditions throughout project timeline 3.2 Project Tasks and Work Packages The following Work break down structure identifies tasks which will be undertaken to complete the identified scope of services in a timely manner, while giving high regard to the Bureau’s requirements. 3.2.1 Review Ranking of locations without telemetric gauges that are away from telemetric access gauges Review performance and location of each service - Telemetry access through use of appropriate maps - Data alignment through consideration of software package requirements - Hydrological system performance – how well the system performances under floods or heavy rain (is the information going to be skewed/inaccurate) or risk of services to flooding (location) 3|Page Proposal 2013 Figure 2: Work Breakdown Structure Within work packages of Project for Stages 1, 2 and 3 3.2.2 Planning Assessing old and new sites (criteria) Use ranking from previous section (review) Choosing which sites Contacting relevant land owners to discuss proposition Consideration of contracting services Greater estimation of external costs – could contract out to estimators Develop more sophisticated scheduling program of upgrade 3.2.3 Design How is it going to be done (design of construction stage) Software / data design / improvements – to deal with increased data flow 3.2.4 Documentation Regular safety reports for all parts of upgrade package / construction phase Weekly client reports to be built and delivered Design reports to be developed for external review and checking with BOM 4|Page Proposal 2013 3.2.5 Construction Compliance with legal (environmental law) standards Consider strategic alignment Negotiation to consider needs of external parties and work out a compromised solution 3.2.6 Completion Assessment reports Quality Assurance and performance reliability test of both data and telemetry performance Hand over date of telemetric services to be determined 3.3 Schedule The provided schedule encompasses all tasks required for completion and their allocated length of completion. The schedule will be used to provide both the client and NUPS Pty Ltd of work progress to date and to evaluate whether further resources may be required. A detailed schedule of tasks as well as a Gant chart identifying task lengths as well as key milestones can be seen in Appendix A 3.4 Milestones The following milestones identified will be important to monitor, to ensure project scope is met on time. Table 1: Key milestone dates for Project Milestone Awarding of Contract Team Relocation Commencement of works Completion of Review Stage Stage 1 Upgrade Commencement Stage 1 Completion Stage 2 Upgrade Commencement Stage 2 Completion Stage 3 Upgrade commencement Stage 3 Completion Status Confirmed Forecast Confirmed Forecast Forecast Confirmed Forecast Confirmed Forecast Confirmed Date 01.07.13 10.07.13 15.07.13 29.12.13 05.01.13 31.12.14 01.04.14 30.06.15 01.07.14 30.06.16 5|Page Proposal 2013 4 Team Allocation 4.1 Organisation Structure The following organisation hierarchy will be applied from the commencement of services Client Bureau of Meteorology (Bureu) Director/Team Leader NUPS Pty Ltd Robert Goedecke Structural Engineer 1 Weilin Shi Hydrology Structural Engineeer 2 Edward Stewart Geotechnical Engineer Software Engineer Electrical Engineer Zheng Ou Ken Ear Lucy Griffith Structural Analysis Ground Assessment Software and Data Storage Telecommunciations and Documentation Figure 3: NUPS Pty Ltd Organisational Structure 4.2 Role allocation for review and construction stage All team individuals have been allocated different roles for each stage of program works. A full detail of project team breakdowns can be seen in Appendix A. Of major inclusion will be the role of a project engineer to oversee the construction of all three design stages. Zheng Ou will take on this role. 4.3 Works requiring further resources Subcontracting will be required throughout the stage to assist with installation of services. Telemetric installation: our preferred contractor is Peak Environmental Monitoring Telemetric resources: Environdata Electrical connections and field services: Broadcast Australia Footings: Bayside Footings & Slabs 4.4 Suitability of Project Team Robert Goedecke is the current lead engineer for NUPS Pty Ltd. Mr Goedecke will use his relevant experience, working closely with the project team to allocate individuals to specific roles, based on their skills and experience, as they are identified during the review stage and design of work packages. He will oversee the supervision and management of construction work and will be the key contact for any contractual issues and negotiations with the DERM. He will consult with the Bureau weekly to update them on progress, and to provide technical and design documentation to ensure that the Bureau’s requirements are met. Robert’s experience in project management and in design has proven vital for many of our previous projects and proven his reliability. 6|Page Proposal 2013 Lucy Griffith will be the appointed document officer and is in charge of all formal administration that will be processed over the course of the project. Miss Griffith will work hand in hand with the PM to ensure all documentation is completed, and appropriate courses of action are taken prior to the construction of the upgrades. It is also her responsibility to organise any outsourcing and to liaise with any third parties that may be involved. Miss Griffith will be responsible for overseeing all logistics that the project incurs. NUS has full confidence that Miss Griffith will provide the required documentation and organisational skills required to complete the upgrade. Weilin Shi, our current Structural Engineer, and Edward Stewart, our other current Structural Engineer will be appointed as Project Team 1. They will be responsible for the oversight of each stage as they become available. The design, maintenance, construction supervising, and planning of each individual stage will be undertaken by this team. It is also understood that this team will work with Project Team 2 to ensure each stage of the project runs within the time frame provided and is completed with a high degree of quality. Both Miss Shi and Mr Stewart have extensive experience in structural engineering that will aid in the successful completion of the project. Ken Ear , our current Software Engineer, and Zheng Ou, our current Geotechnical Engineer, are appointed as Project Team 2. This team will function is the same manner as team 1, however their responsibility will lie with different stages of the project at different times. The team will liaise with team 1 to ensure that each area of the project is done consistently and to ensure no discrepancies. Ken’s technical software knowledge and Terry’s Geotechnical background will allow for effective engineering analysis over the course of the project. 7|Page Proposal 2013 5 Assumptions and Exclusions 5.1 Assumptions The following list of assumptions are made clear as per proposal requirements to ensure that any extra details are negotiated throughout design and construction phases Work will be carried out Monday to Friday throughout review and design stages with the need to consider construction time frames further into the schedule Conditions of contract are acceptable for the purposes of the identified scope of works The bureau will make available all metadata, gauge coordinates and geographical maps for completion of the review stage Schedule of rates has been based on each individuals qualifications Risks will be identified throughout the project stages The Bureau will determine which resource areas are to be subcontracted out due to limited experience or insufficient resources Upgrades for stage 1 will be undertaken concurrently with design work for stage 2 and 3 Each team member will undertake regular documentation services throughout each upgrade stage and preceding work packages 5.2 Exclusions The following exclusions will apply to the provided program of activities unless otherwise notified by the Bureau throughout each of the identified work packages Construction works will not be undertaken by NUPS NUPS will not expect to review all sites 8|Page Proposal 2013 6 Break down of fee 6.1 Lump Sum The figure to which NUPS Pty Ltd has disclosed is one that is representative of the current market. Each employee’s skill level has been taken into account to determine this estimate. NUPS Pty Ltd believes this estimate will be appropriate going forward 6.2 Details A breakdown of the ongoing rates determined by our firm can be seen below. Table 2: Breakdown of Lump Sum Estimates Project Role Project Manager Project Engineer Document Controlling Officer Design Reviewer Contractor 1 Contractor 2 Review Manager Hourly Rate ($) 150 120 100 80 60 60 100 9|Page Proposal 2013 7 Appendix A 7.1 Schedule of Rate Produced by: Robert Goedecke Checked by: Network Upgrade Solutions (NUPS) Pty Ltd South Australia 5005 Australia SCHEDULE OF RATES Item No. Description 1 Unit of Measurement Quantity Rate $ Amount $ Engineering Service Fees 1.1 Lead Engineer Hour 8 $120.00 $2,000 1.2 Electrical Engineer Hour 52 $100.00 $9,100 1.3 Software Engineer Hour 260 $80.00 $26,000 Subtotal (Engineering Service Fees) 2 $37,100.00 Construction Service Fees 2.1 Project Manager Hour 200 $150.00 $52,000 2.2 Project Engineer Hour 2 $100.00 $2,000 Subtotal (Construction Service Fees) $90,015.00 Page 1 of 2 10 | P a g e Proposal 2013 Item No. Unit of Measurement Description 3 Quantity Rate $ Amount $ Review Service Fees 3.1 Project Manager Hour 16 $100 $240 3.2 Design Reviewer Hour 16 $50 $1,200 3.3 Document Controller Hour 16 $75 $1,200 Subtotal (Review Service Fees) 4 $90,015.00 Miscellaneous 6.1 Purchase of Office Item 5 $500 6.2 Travel Expenses Item 10 $110 Subtotal (Miscellaneous) TOTAL TENDER SUM: $14,720 $90,015.00 $90,000.00 Page 2 of 2 11 | P a g e Proposal 2013 7.2 Detailed project schedule 12 | P a g e Proposal 2013 8 Appendix B 8.1 Project Team CV’s Robbie Goedecke Robbie has invaluable experience in leading and managing teams through his role as sales assistant and team supervisor with Australian Geographic Retail. With qualifications in both Civil & Structural and Civil & Environmental engineering, Robbie is able to apply a well-rounded approach to any service. He understands new concepts easily, whilst using analytical skills to develop practical and feasible solutions. Having benefited from current experience within the engineering industry, Robbie is able to understand the relationships required between clients, consultants and contractors. This has allowed Robbie to confidently develop new and innovative ideas to address problems, whilst committing himself towards providing excellent client service and results delivery. As a result, Robbie has been able to build positive relationships with all of his clients. Robbie has a wide range of project management and service upgrade experience which spans from assisting in the upgrade of a new water distribution network within greater metropolitan Adelaide, to recently undertaking the planning phase of a new urban development in Hearne’s Lake, NSW. He has strong experience in decision-making under uncertainty, allowing robust decisions to be made through a management framework. Consequentially, Robbie is a well valued member of the company as demonstrated by his ability to develop a highly competent working team who deliver breakthrough results. Lucy Griffith Qualified in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Lucy has a wide knowledge base to bring to the NUS team. Her knowledge of telecommunications systems will be of particular use during the South East Queensland Telemetry Rain Network Upgrade consultancy project. In addition to this, her recent training in System Engineering will provide a solid framework for the approach of the project. Lucy was exposed to the running and documentation of large projects during her work experience with Electranet during the summer of 2011-2012. She was stationed with the team completing the installation of new high voltage underground power lines near the Adelaide CBD. During her time there she lent a hand with document editing among her other duties. This experience gave Lucy insight into dealing with third parties during a large scale project, including contractors and land owners, as well as the requirements for consistent documentation on a large project. Lucy is also highly valued for her interpersonal communication skills. She has been praised time and time again for her clear and concise written and verbal communication. Lucy is an integral part of the NUS team. 13 | P a g e Proposal 2013 Ken Ear Ken is qualified with a degree in Software Engineering. His ability to analyze situations and provide a series of possible solutions is high. Differentiating between the solutions will require the most cost effective means of solving any situation. Ken’s expertise lies within the bounds of his degree. He is able to efficiently use software to perform many tasks such as data analysis, documentation and high-end computation automation. Through the group projects conducted over years, he can also work effectively with other team members and achieve the milestones set in place. By working with many clients over the years, the experience gained is invaluable to the future deployment of projects. The project of upgrading and commissioning new rain gauges would require hardware and more important, software upgrades. This is where I believe I will be able to utilize my expertise. The act sending and receiving data from those rain gauges would require large knowledge in the software field. Upgrading rain gauges will require the modification of the software which ultimately transmits Weilin Shi Weilin has experience in project planning and scheduling. Having involved in the Hermes Flagship Store Project (Shanghai), China, she has been able to develop realistic project plan and deliver professional project schedule. Benefited from her industry experience, she is able to think as a professional engineer, preparing high quality engineering documents. With qualification in Civil & Structural Engineering and two-month internship in an engineering consultancy, Weilin has solid knowledge to provide for the NUPS and for the project. In addition, Weilin impressed on her line manager and the senior engineer because of her hard working. She is determined to help clients achieve their expectations. Her invaluable experience spanning from project planning, design and scheduling to construction management will bring certain benefits to the NUPS team as well as the clients. Edward Stewart Edward has been involved in the Royal Australian Air Force as an officer, along with multiple retail roles which has provided him with professional training and experience in leadership, followership, task management, social and formal communication and many other relevant areas. Edward is a qualified Architectural Engineer from the University Of Adelaide where he completed many engineering projects such as; The design of a air traffic control tower, a geotechnical bridge plan and a multistorey building project. He has also received educational training in management and project management and has sufficient experience in hierarchy dealings, public speaking and engineering design. Edward’s extensive experience in project design and management has put him in good stead to embark on any engineering project seen fit. 14 | P a g e Proposal 2013 Terry Terry is undertaking the final semester of bachelor of civil and structural engineering in the University of Adelaide. During almost 4 years university study, Terry has deep understanding of geotechnical engineering, water engineering and structural engineering. In this rain gauges upgrading proposal, the location of new rain gauges is one of the critical issue need to be considered. Since the new rain gauges can be installed on soil without footing, the type of soil can directly impact the accuracy of data collected by new rain gauges. Thus, soil assessment has to be done in each region before installation of rain gauges. Terry has designed proper locations of a series of borehole for a project in year 3 and just finished a project about soil bore-logging and relevant calculation of expansive soil surface heave in this semester. Thus, those experiences can assist to find out the appropriate location of new rain gauges. Consequentially, Terry is able to be consultant geotechnical engineer with highly expected in this rain gauge upgrading proposal. 15 | P a g e Proposal 2013 9 Appendix C 9.1 Proposal Preparation Documentation 16 | P a g e