1264R419R0003_-_Attachment_02_-_PWS.pdf

1264R419R0001

Attachment 2

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

C.1. Introduction

The Mark Twain National Forest (also referred to as “Forest” or “Mark Twain”) has a requirement to enter into a Performance Based Service Contract (PBSC) for control of nonnative invasive forbs and shrubs and selected “invasive-like” native plants using goats.

C.2. Background

The Mark Twain National Forest administers approximately 1.5 million acres in southern Missouri. This constitutes approximately 10% of the forested land and 84% of the publicly owned forested land in Missouri. The Forest is composed of nine separate geographic units in 29 counties which span the state 200 miles east to west and 17 5 miles north to south. Private land parcels are scattered throughout the Forest boundaries. On average, Federal ownership within the boundaries of the National Forest is about 49%, and ranges from a low of 24% at Cedar Creek unit to a high of 71% at Doniphan/Eleven Point unit.

The Mark Twain has over 2,000 acres of open lands or pasture lands that have been acquired or created over time. The Mark Twain maintains approximately 1,300 (fluctuates annually based on demand) acres of pasture lands through haying permits issued to individual’s for the purposes of providing forage and maintenance of these hay fields. In addition, the Forest has old fallow fields that have been maintained in the past but have fallen into disrepair through the encroachment of native and non-native invasive woody shrubs and forbs such as blackberry, black locust, honeysuckles, spotted knapweed and Sericea Lespedeza. In addition the Forest has up to 40 thousand acres of map infestations that includes invasive forbs and shrubs occupy rights of ways, woodlands and forest and old field habitats.

The Mark Twain plans to utilize goats to manage vegetation in these areas with the objective to eradicate, reduce, or contain invasive grasses, forbs and shrubs, thereby minimizing the threat to native plant communities, sensitive wildlife habitat, and the reducing the economic impact to public lands and adjacent landowners. The projects shall emphasize control activities on highly invasive native nonnative plant species infestations but will also be used for general vegetation management. To accomplish this objective the Forest Service uses an integrated pest management (IPM) approach for NNIP control activities as required by the Mark Twain National Forest Land Management Plan (Forest Plan) and in the Forest-wide Integrated Non-native and Invasive Environmental Impact Statement.

C.3. Scope of Work

The Contractor shall provide all goats, expertise, labor, supervision, services, materials, equipment, supplies, transportation and incidentals necessary to perform the required work, for which the desired outcome is in strict accordance with the standards of the contract. The PBSC-Statement of Work (SOW) shall consist of completing the ordered tasks to the Acceptable Quality Level (AQL). The awarded contract shall constitute the entire agreement including all terms and conditions applicable to the contract.

C.4. General Project Description

C.4.1 General Project Description and Specifications

This is part of a forest-wide project to control undesirable native and non-native invasive plants in a variety of settings. Individual task orders shall be competed and issued.

Small Area Targeted Grazing – These treatment areas are generally small infestations of invasive shrubs and forbs such as kudzu, bush honeysuckle, multiflora rose and autumn olive. These treatment areas would generally be less than 10 acres and will require electric fencing and water. The individual task order will identify the treatment area and its invasive cover. The Contractor would be responsible for determining the number of goats required to reduce target specie(s) within the time frame identified the task order. Treatment area may require to have more than one defoliation within a growing season.

Large Area Prescriptive Grazing – These treatments units will occur on larger areas occupied by multiple target species such as Sericea lespedeza, blackberries, honeysuckles, multiflora rose that have invaded old fields, right of ways and other large open areas. The treatments area will general range from 20 to 100 acres. Use of fences and herders would be required and would be determined by the contract based on the individual task order. Water may or may not be available. The duration of the treatment would range between 3 to 5 months depending on the size of the treatment units and the number of defoliation desired during the grazing season which will generally be two with a minimum of 30 day rest period for regrowth. Each task order may have more than one treatment unit included.

Woody Shrub Understory Grazing – These treatment units will occur in woodland and forested areas where native and non-native understory trees, shrubs and forbs need to be controlled and reduced in density. Treatment objectives range from fuel reduction to invasive species control. Targets species could include oak brush, maple, bush honeysuckles and autumn olive. Treatment units would range from 10 to 50 acres. Grazing duration would range between 1 to 5 months depending on treatment unit size and target species. Grazing duration between 1 to 3 months.

C.4.4 Recordkeeping

The Contractor will maintain an accurate daily log record that will document daily activities.

C.5 ATV/UTV Use

Wet weather conditions may preclude the use of vehicles and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), utility terrain vehicles (UTVs) or off-highway vehicles (OHVs) in off road areas along trails or fields for indefinite periods or possibly the entire area at certain times of the year. The COR will determine those conditions or locations that warrant cession of vehicle or ATV/UTV/OHV use. Use of ATV/UTV/OHV Forest Service roads must be in compliance with Missouri State motor vehicle regulations (MSMVR). The appropriate county permits must be obtained in those counties in which work will be performed.

Additional information regarding s of ATVs/UTVs can be found at:http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fsm8_045366.pdf

Contractors cannot use ATVs with liquid cargo tanks exceeding 15 gallons. Contractors may continue using UTVs or off-road vehicles with mounted sprayers where appropriate with prior approval.

http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fsm8_045366.pdf

QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE PLAN

This Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) has been developed pursuant to the requirements of the Performance Work Statement (PWS) in this contract. This plan sets forth procedures and guidelines that will be used in evaluating the technical performance of the contractor. This plan does NOT relieve the contractor of their responsibility to practice proactive quality control.

A. PURPOSE OF THE QASP

The QASP is intended to accomplish the following:

• Define the roles and responsibilities of participating government officials and the contractor;

• Identify the types of work to be performed and the inspections to be performed to validate adequacy;

• Describe the evaluation methods that will be employed by the government in assessing the contractor’s inspection program and performance to the quality/performance standards required for each task;

• Provide copies of the contractor’s inspection records and Government quality assurance monitoring forms that will be used by the government in documenting and evaluating the contractor’s performance;

• Describe the process of performance documentation.

The contractor is responsible for performing inspection services pursuant to the inspection clause and for providing and maintaining the inspection forms, approved by the government, to perform the contractor’s inspection services. The contractor has represented themselves, to be responsible for meeting the prescribed quality/performance standards in the statement of work.

B. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS

The Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) will be designated on each Task order. The COR’s roles and responsibilities will be listed on their designations and include the following: monitoring, assessing, recording, and reporting on the technical performance of the contractor on the schedule of inspections submitted by the contractor and approved by the government. The COR will either witness the contractor’s performance of the inspections performed by the contractor or will evaluate the contractor’s inspection results as to documented findings relative to meeting the standards for each task/subtask within the statement of work. The COR will have primary responsibility for completing quality assurance monitoring forms which will be used to document the inspection and evaluation of the contractor’s work performance.

The Contracting Officer (CO) will have overall responsibility for overseeing the contractor’s performance and for the day-to-day monitoring of the contractor’s performance in the areas of contract compliance, contract administration, cost control, and property control; reviewing the COR’s assessment of the contractor’s performance; and resolving all differences between the COR’s and the contractor’s version.

C. TYPES OF WORK TO BE PERFORMED/SCHEDULE OF INSPECTIONS

This contract calls for the contractor to perform the following tasks and subtasks and to perform inspections at the completion of the tasks/subtasks as a minimum and or for intermediate inspections as determined at contract award by the COR/CO. The contractor’s quality control plan/schedule will be modified accordingly and will be one of the basis for the award of the contract.

D. METHODS OF SURVEILLANCE

The government will monitor the contractor’s performance on a continuous basis. The methods the government will use are identified above. The COR will first verify the results of the contractor’s inspection, completeness and adequacy of the documentation of the contractor’s inspection results. The government COR will perform periodic independent inspections. The contractor shall be required to rework/repair or replace the effort until the quality/ performance standard is achieved. In the case of COR performed inspections that differ from results noted by the contractor performed inspections the costs for these re-inspections will be deducted from the Task Order amount. These costs will be determined by multiplying the hourly burdened rated for the COR by the hours necessary to re-inspect – not to exceed 10 hours per re-inspection. Inspections will be performed to the schedule submitted by the contractor and approved by the government. Variances from the schedule must be pre-approved by the CO – submit requests to Primary

COR.

E. QUALITY ASSURANCE (QA) FORMS AND REPORT

1. The COR will use a quality assurance monitoring form to document and evaluate the contractor’s performance under the contract. This can consist of a Form, a Memo for record or an entry in a daily or weekly diary. The form when completed will document the COR’s understanding of what the contractor was supposed to do, what was actually done, and the impact or consequences of what was done. The documentation will also identify the additional steps required of the contractor if there is a nonconformance.

The COR will judge each event in accordance with the performance standards and performance requirements stated in the Quality/Performance Requirements stated in the contract. The COR must substantiate all tasks which he judges to be indicative of “unacceptable” performance. Performance at the “acceptable” level is expected and need not be substantiated.

In accordance with Section C above, the contractor shall furnish (weekly, at a minimum) to the COR copies of all inspection forms generated by the contractor witnessing inspections performed. The COR will forward copies of all completed QA monitoring forms to the CO and contractor inspection records prior to processing payments. The contractor is required to respond in writing to any negative QA monitoring form(s) within 5 working days after receipt of the form(s).

F. ANALYSIS OF SURVEILLANCE RESULTS

The CO will review each QA monitoring form prepared by the COR. When appropriate, the CO may investigate the event further to determine if all the facts and circumstances surrounding the event were considered in the COR’s opinion outlined on the forms. The CO will immediately discuss every event receiving a substandard rating on the forms. The CO will immediately discuss every event receiving a substandard rating with the contractor to assure that corrective action is promptly initiated.

Upon completion of the contract/task order the COR will perform a performance evaluation of the contractor using the results documented as above and provide to the CO for further action.

Attachment 02

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PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS SUMMARY

Task Quality/Performance Standard Acceptable Quality Level

(AQL)

Inspection Type Penalty/Disincentive Incentives

ALL

Work performed meets the specifications contained within the Performance Work Statement AND the individual Task Order if applicable.

minimum AQL is 85%

85% of target infestations defoliated per the Base Contract AND Task Order Specifications within the time frame specified in the Task Order

Note: The intent of the AQL is that a total of 85% of the combined target species are defoliated within the treatment area.

1) Verify contractor, records, data & reports

2)Periodically witness contractor inspection

3)Independent Government verification

1) Rework at no additional cost to Government until work is performed to AQL;

2) Acceptance with consideration;

3) Less than satisfactory performance evaluation;

4)Non-compliant contractor inspection system: Contractor bears 100% of government re-inspection cost;

5) Poor performance may lead to Option Periods not being exercised.

Note – These are all remedies available to the Government.

Contractors do not decide whether to re-work or not.

Satisfactory or better performance rating.