Revised SOW.docx

Attachment 1

Statement of Work

FSIS Meeting Planning and Site Selection Services

Background

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS), is responsible for ensuring that USDA-inspected meat, poultry and egg products are safe, wholesome, and accurately labeled. The FSIS education and training program advances the Agency’s public health mission and requires rapid response, flexible, and on-time delivery of effective training and related services.

FSIS inspection personnel are responsible for verifying that the establishments’ sanitation procedures, Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) plans, and pathogen reduction strategies are working to prevent adulterated meat and poultry products from entering commerce. There is a need to provide inspection specific, classroom-based training to FSIS inspection personnel throughout the country. It is imperative that effective training programs equip inspection personnel, frontline supervisors, and other FSIS employees with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to carry out the Agency’s public health mission.

In addition to providing training to FSIS personnel, FSIS also provides ongoing outreach activities to assist small and very small operators to help them improve their food safety and food defense systems. There is a need to provide education to small and very small plants. FSIS regularly conducts workshops on a variety of scientific and technical issues. Holding outreach workshops and providing technical assistance for the regulated industry provides critical assistance to help them comply with federal regulations.

For informational purposes the incumbent contractor is: Accommodations Unlimited, Inc. and these services are provided under no cost contract AG-3A94-C-15-0001.

Scope

The contractor will provide all services and support needed to assist FSIS in site selection and planning support for meeting and training events.

Description of Work

· FSIS requires services to assist with site selection and meeting planning accommodations for FSIS meeting and training events. Working with Agency personnel, referred to as Meeting Organizers, the contractor must locate and secure location(s) to conduct meetings and training events for the Agency. The contractor will also provide logistical planning support and services to organize the setup of the meeting room facility, accommodations for participants, audio visual requirements, refreshments (if required), and additional meeting requirements as requested.

· It is estimated there will be between 70 -120 events per year, in the continental U.S., with events running on average between 4 days through 4 weeks, for approximately 15 – 200 employees.

· Sometimes, a continental breakfast may be served during the training/meeting sessions.

· The Contractor must arrange for meeting space that is within the dates and in the location identified by the FSIS Meeting Organizer. The facility must be a modern, full-service hotel conducive to a training or meeting environment.

· The Contractor must secure a block of lodging rooms for the training/meeting event. Hotels must offer guest room blocks at or below the US government per diem rate for Federal employees (Federal Travel Regulations).

· The contractor must manage the process and make recommendations for selection based on availability, cost and ability to meet FSIS requirements. Initial recommendations must be delivered within 48 hours of request from the FSIS Meeting Organizer and must include at least three (3) sites for consideration. If three (3) sites are not available, a statement of the efforts used must be provided.

· The contractor must arrange for audio-visual services to be available for the training/meeting room and breakout rooms based on the event requirements. Typical audio-visual services could include laptop, projectors, speakerphones, high-speed internet, printer, overhead projector, flip charts, screens, audio recording equipment and supplies, staging, lighting, visual and sound support, etc. as determined in the requirements. At a minimum, internet connectivity and standard A/V equipment must be provided for a professional presentation.

· The contractor must arrange for a dedicated secure storage room only in each meeting site used for the Inspection Methods course. The storage room must be large enough to hold two 5-foot high by 4-foot wide by 3-foot deep rolling carts and several cardboard boxes containing course supplies, such as photocopy paper, pencils, and sticky notes. The secure storage room needs a single entrance/egress with access key(s)/card(s) for specified USDA/FSIS employees.

· The contractor must prepare an Event Order (EO) for each training/meeting event and review and confirm arrangements with the FSIS Meeting Organizer. At a minimum the EO must include:

· Date of Event

· Hotel Contact Information

· Type of Event

· Guest Count Room and Location

· Timeline of Event

· Meeting Space

· In-depth details of room set-ups, location set-ups, table set-ups, including table sizes/types, linen, glassware, flatware, audio/visual, chairs, etc.

· Additional resources

· The contractor must prepare a Letter of Intent (LOI) for each training/meeting event and work with the Meeting Organizer to sign the final letter with the hotel. At a minimum the LOI should include:

· Location

· Contact Information

· Meeting Name

· Dates

· Accommodations

· Rate

· Meeting Rooms

· Set-up details

· Rental Fees

· Food/Beverage

· Audio Visual Set-up

· The contractor will manage the training/meeting location event arrangement (between the contractor and facility) to include implementation and enforcement of the services prior to, during, and at the end of the event.

· The contractor must not partake of the actual Government meeting or training.

· The contractor must provide daily room block updates for the week prior to the reservation cut-off date to the Meeting Organizer.

The Agency Meeting Organizer must have final approval on all meeting aspects (i.e. room setup and design, etc.) prior to the contractor entering into any final arrangement with the facility.

Project Management Requirements:

· Participate in meetings, as needed, via conference call with the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) and FSIS Meeting Organizer to plan the project.

· Participate in pre-event meetings, as needed, via conference call with the Training/Meeting Event Organizer(s) to ensure requirements are met.

· Share materials via email in a format compatible with FSIS technology.

· Provide to FSIS a project plan and monthly reports.

· All final materials must be approved by the Meeting Organizer.

· Arrange briefings and progress reports, as requested, for COR and FSIS Meeting Organizer. Any onsite briefings required would be held in the DC metro area.

· Activity Report:

· The contractor must provide a monthly report due on the fifth day of the following month to the COR and contracting officer, listing the event(s) held, dates, location, Meeting Organizer and office, incidental costs and amount, and service fee received.

PERSONNEL REQUIREMENTS

All proposed personnel must have experience in event planning., At minimum, the Project Manager’s relevant work history must include no less than 50 projects during the past 5 years with experiences in planning and managing training and meetings events for up to 1000 people.

GOVERNMENT FURNISHED MATERIALS AND INFORMATION

· FSIS is responsible for developing the course calendar for the fiscal year, which includes the courses, dates of the courses, locations, and trainers.

· FSIS is responsible for sending the calendar to the contractor as it is developed. Note: The schedule is subject to change throughout the year and is often revised due to trainer scheduling conflicts and needs of the Agency.

· FSIS Meeting Organizer is responsible for sending the contractor a “Request for Meeting Services” including date agreement needed, location, course/meeting name, course/meeting dates, number of lodging nights, class schedule dates and times, travel days, anticipated attendance, classroom set-up specifications, audio-visual and training equipment needed, and other desirable amenities.

· FSIS Meeting Organizer will review list of potential sites provided by contractor and make final site selection.

CONTRACTING OFFICER TECHNICAL REPRESENTATIVE (COR)

The COR will:

(1) Monitor the Contractor’s technical progress, including surveillance and assessment of performance, and recommend to the CO, any changes in the requirement;

(2) Assist the Contractor in the resolution of technical problems encountered during performance; and

(3) Perform inspection and acceptance or recommendation for rejection of Contractor deliverables and identify deficiencies in delivered items. This does not replace any other quality assurance inspection requirements that are specified elsewhere within this SOW.

TRAVEL

Virtual site visits are encouraged. Travel is not reimbursable under this contract.

FUNDING

This is a “no-cost” contract at no point is the contractor entitled to payment under this contract for any services provided.

MILESTONES/DELIVERABLES

The contractor will provide the required deliverables and meet the required milestones for the following:

a) Conduct Kick-off meeting

The contractor must conduct an initial kick-off meeting. Agenda for the meeting must be sent to participants 24 business hours before meeting. The kick-off meeting will take place by conference call or in person within seven (7) days of contract award.

b) Monthly Progress Reports The contractor must submit monthly reports, due the fifth day of the following month, to the COR, that summarizes the results of meeting/training events, ongoing meeting/training events, actual versus scheduled progress, problems to be resolved by the contractor (if any), proposed solutions, problems needing resolution by the COR and the effect on the training/meeting schedule. The report should also list and provide a brief description of work proposed for the next month. The contractor must provide the reports in electronic formats to the COR via email in a format compatible with Microsoft (MS) Office products.

c) Event Orders

The contractor must prepare an Event Order (EO) for each training/meeting event to the Meeting Organizer within 24 hours. At a minimum, the EO must include items addressed in the Description of Work section above.

d) Letter of Intent (LOI)/contract

The contractor must prepare an LOI for each training/meeting event to the Meeting Organizer. At a minimum, the LOI/contract must include items addressed in the Description of Work section above.

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The period of performance of this contract will be one (1) year from contract award with four (4) option years.

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE--SERVICES

The services specified by this order must be primarily performed at the contractor’s site. Occasional travel which will not be reimburse may be required for site selection evaluation or meetings with Office of Employee Experience and Development (OEED) personnel at 1400 Independence Ave, SW, Washington, DC.