Title: Reading and Audio-Visual Assignments
Course: WGF 106 DEVELOPMENT > Section: Content

Sub-Title | Examples for Best IEQ Management Practices Plans (BMPs) – Meeting & Conference Services, Landscape Services
Content
Meeting & Conference Services

Meeting and Conference Services include activities related to planning and executing meetings and conferences. Examples of these activities are facility and lodging selection; food and beverage selection; selecting transit and travel options; and choosing materials used, such as name tag holders, handouts, and signs/banners. (At this time, this guidance does not cover facility, lodging, and travel selection.) Opting for green meeting and conference strategies which reduce GHG emissions are measures federal agencies can take to reduce negative environmental impacts. The Federal Government has a responsibility to decrease GHG emissions and make sustainable choices. Below are some suggestions to help you get started.

Required Green Products

In accordance with FAR Subpart 23.1, federal contracts for meeting and conference services must require contractors to use or supply products covered by the following environmental programs:

- BioPreferred
- Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines
- Energy Star
- EPEAT

Examples of products covered by these programs include paper products, trash bags, cleaning products, and tableware. In the introductory section above, you may download a suggested list of related products covered by federal environmental programs.

You should also consider requiring contractors to submit regular reports identifying the quantity and type of green products used or delivered during contract performance.

Optional Green Practices

There are many commercial practices that can result in a more sustainable and environmentally preferable service. Consider those listed just below when defining performance requirements and developing evaluation criteria. For more comprehensive guidance on planning a sustainable conference, review the Federal Travel Regulation Guide to Sustainable Conferences. In the early stages of conference planning, be sure to check out the Travel MIS Conference Planning Tool. This tool combines historical travel data with per diem tables, City Pair Program (CPP) airfares, car rental agreement rates, and an advanced CO2 emissions calculator to generate a city comparison spreadsheet with the following key features:

- Total cost estimates to compare up to ten potential conference cities at a time;
- Full cost breakdown per traveler and per originating city; and
- CO2 emissions estimate for each potential conference location.
- Location
- Local Transportation
- Food and Beverage Service
- Marketing, Registration, & Exhibits
- In all cases, the meeting or conference not held is the one which is most sustainable. On the basis of your program’s essential requirements, re-evaluate the need to engage in any meeting or conference to which participants must travel, or in which participants must physically attend. If possible, offer virtual attendance to reduce the number of in person meeting attendees. Consider using the Travel MIS Conference Planning Tool to seek a location that minimizes the distance the attendees have to travel.
  - Seek a general location where the facilities needed for your meeting are closely accessible (i.e. airport, hotels, attractions, mass transportation).
  - Select accommodations that allow for efficient transportation routes (walking paths, bicycle paths, public transportation).
  - Choose accommodations and conference facilities within walking distance of each other and within walking distance of area restaurants and attractions.
  - Choose accommodations and conference facilities with easy access to public transportation, both to/from airports and intra-city.

Evaluation Factors

The concept of best value allows federal buyers to account for many competing interests and policies, including environmental considerations. When contracting for meeting and conference services, include environmental criteria in your evaluation factors. This will aid in the selection of environmentally conscious contractors and promote federal sustainability objectives.

It is important to tailor your evaluation factors to each individual acquisition. The contracting team must decide whether environmental considerations should be represented as a stand-alone evaluation factor (e.g. Sustainability), used as a threshold determinant, or incorporated into other factors (e.g. Technical Approach, Past Performance, etc.). Below are just a few examples of possible factors.

- Location – Consider locations that minimize travel for attendees, including distance to local airports, hotels, and mass transportation.
- Sustainability Plan – Require contractors to propose a comprehensive sustainability plan that details how they will help the Government achieve its environmental objectives, including sustainable acquisition requirements, waste management, low carbon/GHG emission transportation, and more sustainable food service.
- Technical Approach & Management Plan – Require contractors to address sustainability practices, develop environmental project goals and objectives, and develop a project plan that will achieve sustainability objectives.
- Past Performance – Evaluate how well the contractor performed previous projects and the degree to which they implemented green conference and meeting services, including the use of green products.
- Previous Experience – Require contractors to demonstrate their experience and capability to provide green conference and meeting services similar in size, scope, and complexity to the required work.
- Staffing Plan – Give preference to staffing plans that propose persons with previous experience in sustainable meetings and conferences.

Where to Buy

Federal agencies may purchase a full range of meeting and conference planning services under GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) 541 Special Item Number (SIN) 541 4D. This includes the making of all necessary arrangements for conferences, seminars, and trade shows (project management, liaison support with venue, registration support, audiovisual and IT support, site location research, communication with attendees, etc.). In addition, MAS 599 SIN 599 6 now covers specialized conference facilities and services. Under this SIN, agencies can purchase services for the provision of specialized conference facilities providing complete meeting packages (CMP) (to include sleeping room, meeting space, all food and beverage, conference technology services, business center services and other related services).

While these contracts include basic terms and conditions, the ordering agency is responsible for inserting the appropriate green requirements and language into the solicitation. More information on ordering through GSA Multiple Award Schedules can be found here.

References

- Concessions and Cafeterias: Healthy Food in the Federal Workplace
- Federal Travel Regulation Guide to Sustainable Conferences
- EPA Green Meetings
- Travel MIS Conference Planning Tool
- Convention Industry Council's Green Meetings Report
- Green Meeting Industry Council Best Practices
- GSA Conference and Meeting Planning
- Green Hotels Association
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Landscaping Services

Federal landscaping services are quite varied and can consist of many activities, including routine maintenance (e.g., mowing, fertilizing, watering), development of new sites (from design to execution), and/or the rehabilitation of existing space (e.g., tree removal, installation of irrigation systems). Landscaping services have the potential to have significant negative impacts on the environment. For example, water used for landscaping and irrigation purposes accounts for close to 20% of a facility’s overall consumption. As the largest land owner in the nation, the federal government has a responsibility to employ sustainable landscaping practices in attempt to reduce such impacts. Federal buyers can employ sustainable landscaping practices by considering and accounting for environmental factors in federal solicitations and contracts. Below are some tips to help get you started.

Required Green Products

In accordance with FAR Subpart 23.1, federal contracts for landscaping services must require contractors to use or supply products covered by the following environmental programs:

- Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines
- BioPreferred
- WaterSense (or other water-efficient products)

Examples of products covered by these programs include mulch, compost, hoses, fertilizers, and edging. Click here to download a suggested list of landscaping-related products covered by federal environmental programs.

Consider requiring contractors to submit regular reports identifying the quantity and type of green products used or delivered during contract performance.

Optional Green Practices

There are many other commercial practices and design principles that will result in a more sustainable and environmentally preferable service. Consider these when defining performance requirements and developing evaluation criteria. Many of the principles identified below are taken from the Guidance for Federal Agencies on Sustainable Practices for Designed Landscapes, which applies to agencies constructing new, or rehabilitating existing owned or leased facilities or otherwise implementing landscaping practices on agency owned or leased land or space. Users are encouraged to review the complete guidance for more detailed information.

- Minimize Impacts to the Natural Habitat
- Plant Selection and Planting Practices
- Water Efficiency and Conservation
- Soil Management and Conservation
- Pest Management
- Use of Fertilizers and Composting
- Additional Considerations
  - Use a decision-making hierarchy of preservation, conservation, and regeneration.
  - Consider the land, climate, and site history before developing a landscaping design.

- Strive to re-establish and maintain the integral and essential relationship between regenerative systems (natural processes) and human activity.
- Inventory the site’s current ecological resources to determine the potential for restoration.
- Protect existing natural areas to the greatest extent possible (woodlands and wetlands, stream corridors, and meadows).

- Avoid development of areas containing habitat for threatened or endangered plant and animal species.
- Maximize and mimic the benefits of ecosystem services by preserving existing environmental features, conserving resources in a sustainable manner, and regenerating lost or damaged ecosystem services.
  - Provide regenerative systems so that future generations may have a sustainable environment supported by regenerative systems and resources.
  - Use prescribed burns to establish and maintain natural landscaping.
  - Attempt to create additional wildlife habitat to partially compensate for land lost to urban/suburban sprawl.

  - Evaluation Factors

The concept of best value allows federal buyers to account for many competing interests and policies, including environmental considerations. When contracting for landscaping services, consider including environmental criteria in your evaluation factors. This should encourage the selection of environmentally conscious contractors and promote federal sustainability objectives.

It is important to tailor your evaluation factors to each individual acquisition. The contracting team must decide whether environmental considerations should be represented as a stand-alone evaluation factor (e.g. Sustainability Plan), used as a threshold determinant, or incorporated into other factors (e.g. Technical Approach, Past Performance, etc.). Below are a just a few examples of possible factors.

- Sustainability Plan – Require contractors to propose a comprehensive sustainability plan that details how they will help the Government achieve its environmental objectives, including sustainable acquisition requirements. This may address areas such as water efficiency and conservation, soil management, composting, plant selection and layout, invasive plant management, and other sustainable design principles).
- Technical Approach – Require contractors to address sustainable practices, develop environmental project goals and objectives, and develop a project plan (site design, installation, and management) that will maximize sustainability objectives.
- Past Performance – Evaluate how well the contractor performed previous projects where they have successfully implemented green landscaping practices, including the use of green products.
- Previous Experience – Require contractors to demonstrate their experience and capability to provide green landscaping practices similar in size, scope, and complexity to the required work.
- Staffing Plan – Give consideration to staffing plans that propose persons with green certifications or to contractors that require employees to take environmental training.

Your evaluation should also consider all costs over the life of the project, not just the initial cost. For instance, some landscaping solutions may call for re-planting, require less water, or result in higher maintenance costs.

Where to Buy

Federal agencies may purchase a full range of landscaping services under GSA Multiple Award Schedule 03FAC. While these contracts include basic terms and conditions, the ordering agency is responsible for inserting the appropriate green requirements and language into the solicitation. More information on ordering through GSA Multiple Award Schedules can be found here.

SourceAmerica (formerly NISH) also offers federal agencies a full selection of grounds maintenance services, with an emphasis on environmentally sound practices.

References

- Guidance for Federal Agencies on Sustainable Practices for Designed Landscapes
- EPA Greenacres: Landscaping with Native Plants
- EPA Low Impact Development
- Xeriscaping: Creative Landscaping
- National Invasive Species Council
- Implementing Instructions: Federal Agency Implementation of Water Efficiency and Management of EO 13514
Links/Uploads
Cafeteria & Food Services – Sustainable Facilities Tool   http://sftool.gov/GreenProcurement/ServiceCategory/9?slug=cafeteria-food-services

Janitorial Services – Sustainable Facilities Tool

http://sftool.gov/GreenProcurement/ServiceCategory/7?slug=janitorial-services

Meeting & Conference Services – Sustainability Facilities Tool

http://sftool.gov/GreenProcurement/ServiceCategory/10?slug=meeting-conference-services

Landscape Services – Sustainability Facilities Tool

http://sftool.gov/GreenProcurement/ServiceCategory/3?slug=landscaping-services
Attributions | Images and content courtesy of Sustainable Facilities Tool – U.S. General Services Administration