1305M321RNRMA0003 - Attachment 2 - PWS.pdf

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION

OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

SCIENTIFIC, ENGINEERING, AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT SERVICES

FEBRUARY 2021

1305M321RNRMA0003 SETSS - PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

Table of Contents

APPENDICES

1. GENERAL INFORMATION

1.1. Introduction and Background

1.2. Scope

1.3. Performance Requirements Summary (PRS)

2. TECHNICAL TASK AREAS & REQUIREMENTS

2.1. Scientific, Engineering, and Technical Support

2.2. Programmatic Support

3. IDIQ MANAGEMENT & TRANSITION

3.1. IDIQ Program and Project/Task Order Management

3.1.1. Program Management Plan (PMP)

3.1.2. Monthly Status Reports (MSRs)

3.1.3. Project Meetings

3.1.4. Risk Management

3.2. Transition Services

3.2.1. Transition-In

3.2.2. Transition-out

4. PERSONNEL

4.1. General

4.2. Key Personnel – Program Manager

4.3. Replacement of Contractor Personnel

5. PERFORMANCE

5.1. Place of Performance

5.2. Hours of Performance

5.3. Telework

5.4. Quality

5.4.1. Quality Control Plan

5.4.2. Quality Assurance

5.5. Government Furnished Resources

5.6. Delivery Instructions for Deliverables

6. SECURITY

6.1. Computers and Information Technology Systems

6.2. Physical Security

6.3. Export Controls

6.4. Non-US Citizens

7. TRAVEL

APPENDICES

Appendix A: Labor Category Descriptions Appendix B: Performance Requirement Summary

1. GENERAL INFORMATION

1.1. Introduction and Background

The Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) provides the research foundation for understanding the complex systems that support the planet. Working in partnership with other organizational units of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a bureau of the Department of Commerce (DOC), OAR enables better forecasts, earlier warnings for natural disasters, and greater understanding of the Earth system. OAR conducts pioneering research, from the earliest stages of conception through transition. OAR provides unbiased, innovative science that supports better management of the environment, both nationally and globally. The research programs provide the science necessary to help NOAA achieve its goals to:

• serve society’s needs for weather and water information;

• lead the effort to understand and monitor climate variability and change to enhance society’s ability to plan and respond;

• work to protect, restore and manage the use of coastal and ocean resources through ecosystem-based management; and

• support the Nation’s commerce with information for safe, efficient and environmentally sound transportation.

Working under the broad themes of Climate, Weather and Air Quality, and Ocean and Coastal Resources, NOAA scientists study the ocean’s depths and the highest reaches of space to better understand our environment. NOAA’s long-term commitment to the highest quality research includes engaging in-house and extramural talent to:

• continue to conduct experiments to understand natural processes (physical, geochemical, ecological);

• build predictive models for use in weather, air quality, climate, solar, ocean, emergency management, and coastal assessments and predictions;

• develop and deploy new observing technologies to provide data to support predictive models and to document natural variability;

• develop new analytical and forecast tools to improve weather services;

• use new information technology to share information with other federal and academic scientists; and

• prepare scientific assessments and information products to enhance public education and guide governmental action.

The primary components of OAR are:

Laboratories conduct an integrated program of research, development, and services to improve the understanding of the Earth system and describe and predict changes occurring in them. The laboratories and their field stations are located across the country and around the world.

Program offices select, fund, and manage high-priority, competitive research that includes assessments, decision support, outreach, education, and capacity- building activities. Program offices support and foster collaboration within NOAA’s labs and across the environmental science community to advance understanding of the Earth system and foster the application of this knowledge in risk management and resilience efforts.

External partnerships are essential for achieving NOAA’s mission and support the delivery of world-class science.

Partnerships include, but are not limited to, NOAA Cooperative Institutes, National Sea Grant College Program, state and local governments, academia, and the private sector.

For more information on OAR programs and labs (to include geographic locations), please visit:

https://research.noaa.gov/Labs-Programs

1.2. Scope

The contractor shall provide Scientific, Engineering, and Technical Support Services (SETSS) to the multiple OAR programs, labs, and office noted above. Specific tasks and requirements are defined in sections 3 and 4. Emphasis should be placed on identifying and tracking the interdependent requirements necessary to sustain the NOAA and OAR missions.

http://ci.noaa.gov/ https://research.noaa.gov/Labs-Programs

1.3. Performance Requirements Summary (PRS)

See Appendix B: Performance Requirement Summary. This document includes: the task, service or requirement being measured, a number or some form of identification, often mapping back to the performance work statement (including the specific paragraph in the PWS), a performance indicator and/or quality standard.

2. TECHNICAL TASK AREAS & REQUIREMENTS

2.1. Scientific, Engineering, and Technical Support

The following list describes significant tasks and work activities representing the SETSS requirement for OAR. Potential tasks include, but are not limited to:

• Provide science and technical services involving observing, modeling and analysis related to the generation, transport, transformation and removal of atmospheric trace gases and aerosols and their impacts on climate, ecosystems and health.

• Provide scientific and technical service that support studies of chemical reactions and radiative processes (heating, cooling and reactions) and their impact on atmospheric change.

• Support research related to electro-dynamical space environment physics and processes, monitoring of the earth & solar particle, radiation, and magnetic fields environments; and analysis of satellite-based observations of magnetic fields, electron densities and current and changed particle environments as they relate to space weather modeling and prediction.

• Support the development of more realistic model representation of cloud-radiative feedback. This is to help the broader research community determine the impacts of climate change as part of the U.S. climate research program and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) climate change assessment in 2014.

• Identify and evaluate sources of climate “drift” in long-running, higher resolution, coupled climate models, including investigation of the effects of the deep ocean circulation on model behavior.

• Support research involving hurricanes, ocean current and temperature structures, ocean/atmosphere chemical exchanges, and the coastal ocean using research ships and aircraft, satellite remote sensing techniques, numerical and statistical models, radar, acoustics, and drifting buoys.

• Support the research of the ocean’s role in removing excess carbon dioxide; the process of ocean acidification and the consequences to marine life; assessing environmental changes and local and global consequences to coral reefs; assessing marine impacts from pollutions to the coasts from the land; and monitoring of pathogens indicators of fecal pollution, and harmful algae and development of sensors and assay to improve detection of contamination.

• Support the interdisciplinary scientific investigations of the physics of ocean currents and water properties, and on the role of the ocean in extreme weather events, and ecosystems.

• Provide scientific and technical services that support research on physical and geochemical processes operating in the world oceans that contributes to assessments of seasonal-to-interannual and decadal-to-centennial climate predictions, that advancing short-term ocean warning and forecast services for marine commerce and sustainable fisheries.

• Provide scientific and technical services that support development of new understanding of severe convective storms and other severe weather phenomena through development, testing and deployment of advanced modeling and assimilation, data integration and synthesis techniques, information analysis and decision support techniques, and exploitation of advanced in situ and space based observing technologies.

• Support the building and sustain of global climate observing system. Developing and maintain long time-series indicators of climate variability and change and standard data sets of initialization and evaluation of climate forecast modes, assessments of climate change, and informed risk management.

• Support the process-level understanding of the climate system through observation, modeling, research analysis and field studies to support the development of improved climate models and predictions by: elucidating the physical climate mechanisms involving land-atmosphere-ocean-ice interactions responsible for intra-seasonal to multi-centennial climate variability, including abrupt climate change; identifying the location, magnitude, dynamics, and variability of global carbon sources and sinks; understanding how ecosystems are impacted by changes in carbon cycling and associated changes in climate; and improving understanding of the role of aerosols and chemically-active greenhouse gases in the global climate system.

• Support the capability to predict variability and changes in Earth’s climate system by: improving Earth System models; supporting an integrated Earth System analysis capability; improving methodologies for global and regional-scale analysis, predictions, and projections: and developing integrated assessment and prediction capabilities relevant to decision makers based on climate analyses, predictions, and projections.

• Support research, assessments and climate services development activities designed to bring sound, interdisciplinary science to bear on climate-sensitive resource management and adaptation challenges in key sectors and regions by: identification of, and support for innovative and broadly applicable approaches to support decision-making, especially for risk characterization (initially with regard to water and coastal resources);

establishment of a broad network of regionally scoped, long-term efforts to support risk management and decision support at scales of relevance to local to regional to decision making; and promotion of the transfer of knowledge, tools, and products across climate service development efforts (within NOAA, across the federal government, nationally, and internationally).

• Support the development of an indicator framework choice of prototype indicators and options for the architecture (i.e. presentation, interaction data management and method transparency) in the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) Global Change Information System (GCIS), which includes identifying research priorities for indicator system and presenting/answering questions about indicators; and provide direction for integration as indicators are selected and developed.

• Manage the development of indicators that may be static, dynamic, or customizable; analyze data to ensure that the correct data set is identified and conduct any data analysis and calculations; and draft technical documentation and narratives to communicate key messages.

• Provide support to manage and develop scientific content for the program website; and interact with program managers and investigators to develop material for the website that promotes and communicate research and facilitates the integration of the research results.

• Provide support in organizing NOAA laboratories, operational centers, cooperative institutes and external collaborators to maximize research investments and activities; and to integrate research results into useful activities and products.

• Support the development of Earth systems model that builds on the physical climate model to include interactions with terrestrial and marine biospheres; this model will be a prototype for at future ecosystem-based forecasting tool.

• Support the development of computer models representing the emissions, transport, chemical transformations, and sinks of trace gases and aerosols throughout the troposphere, and stratosphere; and evaluation of models using in situ and remote sensing observations.

• Support the development or research to advance the fundamental understanding of atmospheric processes in governing climate variability and change, with the goal of developing more accurate representations of them in climate models.

• Support the research in improving projections of climate change on the time scale of decades to centuries based on scenarios of carbon emissions, sulfur emissions, land use changes, and other anthropogenic (human-caused) forcing agents; and develop and use global coupled ocean-atmosphere climate models to improve understanding of climate variability and change on seasonal to centennial time scales, to assess the predictability of the climate system, and to advance the state of the art in climate predictions.

• Support the development of the next-generation coupled research model using increasingly realistic physics, higher resolution, and full ocean atmosphere-soil coupling and evaluate its skill for seasonal-inter-annual climate prediction and its capability for elucidating the processes controlling El-Nino-Southern-Oscillation events.

• Support the development of a more advanced Hurricane Prediction System to further improve track forecasting accuracy and to provide improved prediction of wind and precipitation fields, storm surge, and changes in storm intensity.

• Support observational and modeling studies related to understanding and predicting climate change and variability on inter-annual to decadal and centuries time scales, focusing on the interactions among external and internal radiative forcing, chemical, biogeochemical and biological processes, and oceanic, atmospheric geophysical fluid dynamical processes, and other factors.

• Provide integrated, interdisciplinary environmental research in support of resource management and environmental services in coastal and estuarine waters, and Great Lakes, which could include: (1) maintaining a set of long-term observation on biological, chemical, and physical variables with process-based studies that will serve as the foundation for developing new concepts and modeling tools to explore impacts of various stressors (e.g., invasive species, climate change, nutrient loading, overfishing) on the ecosystem; and (2) development of databases of remote sensing data from in situ optics and airborne sensors that would include satellite and hyperspectral imagery.

• Support improving existing observing systems and support the development of new technologies and systems that monitor chemical and biological impacts of ocean acidification worldwide, document trends, and develop early warning systems.

• Support research to examine species-specific and multi-species physiological responses including behavioral and evolutionary adaptive capacities.

• Support the development of comprehensive models to predict changes in the ocean carbon cycle, ocean carbonate-buffer systems, and impacts on marine ecosystems and organisms.

• Support the development of vulnerability assessments for various CO2 emissions scenarios.

• Provide support with maintaining and operating the vessel’s hydrographic survey equipment, and managing associated mapping data, which include: and sonar data acquisition, data processing, data management, product generation; assist in managing and archiving all data aboard the vessel including mapping data and any video and photo imagery associated with remotely operated vehicles (ROV); assist with ROV operations.

• Support operations of mapping-related applications and sonar data acquisition / data management such as preliminary processing and storage; and support mission-related applications and infrastructure. Provide shore support with the following, but not limited to:

o Post-processing and product development of mapping data and other non-charting mapping missions, including development and production of cartographic products;

o Supporting the processing center’s data management and archiving paradigms; develop advanced, nontraditional mapping products;

o Assisting in the preparation for and execution of multidisciplinary exploration expeditions that integrate science, education, and outreach objectives;

o Support with planning, coordination, and development of remote ocean exploration methods and tools for the OAR programs by translating scientific, operations, education and outreach needs into technical requirements for OAR engineers, technicians and scientists;

o Contributing to the planning and executing of discovery voyages and ensuring deliverables are generated and distributed to multiple audiences;

o Assistance in the development of strategic plans, iconographic products, web sites and services, and other tools for improving the program’s scientific impact and making OAR data and information more accessible.

• Provide support for telepresence engineering projects that includes assisting with the design / development, operating, and upgrading a vessel’s telepresence systems. Additionally, these services include but are not limited to:

o Support operations that involve internet protocol (IP)-based intercoms, video encoding equipment, video/audio routing equipment, video/audio recording equipment, HD PTZ cameras, HD camcorders, a KVM matrix, RAID and SAN- based data storage systems, highly customized automated data management workflows and web-based collaboration tools;

o Design and develop science, communications and engineering workflows and products to assist all aspects of telepresence operations at-sea and onshore; on shore will support engineering, design, development and upgrades to the NOAA-owned equipment; recommend improvements;

o Troubleshoot and resolve problems in a time-critical environment and demonstrate creativity and initiative in solving technical and operational problems;

o Documents all upgrades, maintenance and repairs performed on the systems, maintain inventory reports of tools, spare parts and consumables, as well as maintain existing system, process and product documentation and technical specifications; and o Support telepresence-based outreach and education events.

• Provide scientific and technical services to the NOAA National Earth System Prediction Capability (ESPC) program and coordinate closely with the National Unified Operational Prediction Capability (NUOPC) program so these programs will effectively develop, plan, implement and track projects, assess and control performance, and manage risk and interdependencies to meet the project goals and objectives throughout the project life cycles.

• Coordinate and facilitate training that is mission related to NOAA and OAR operations.

2.2. Programmatic Support

Provide a variety of programmatic and administrative support services to effectively develop, plan, implement projects and monitoring issues and identifying creative solutions to challenges. Additionally, these support services may include, but are not limited to:

• Support the research in managing coastal resources; coastal ecosystems functions and how human activities affecting coastal habitats and living resources; and the complexities of coastal environments and the interactions between human use and coastal ecosystem health.

• Support the management and decision‐making processes that are based on sound information, involve citizens who have a stake in America’s coastal resources and include mechanisms to evaluate trade‐offs between human and environmental needs.

• Support the overall effort to assess the benefits of uncrewed technologies for Earth observation and develop transition, information, and communication plans for operational implementation of uncrewed observing strategies. In particular, these technologists will contribute to OAR’s Uncrewed Systems Research Transition Program study to examine how unscrewed observations could be used to address potential satellite and other observing gaps needed for severe weather prediction in the United States.

• Support the development of a cost effective and feasible concept of operations including staffing, training, maintenance, data dissemination, data visualization, and data management for selected technologies; evaluation, planning, managing, and implementing transition strategies for selected uncrewed observing technologies; the testing of concepts of operations and the analysis of full life cycle support for transitioning potential uncrewed observing strategies in application.

• Support the development of recommendations for information management planning by reviewing current real-time data assimilation and product delivery protocols currently in use within NOAA; for portal supporting real time data delivery, visualization, and archival needs while avoiding duplication of effort with other NOAA information management activities; for a competitive request for proposals to manage uncrewed observations collected during implementation of prototype and final concept of operations

• Support services under this contract may also include technical support of a clerical or administrative nature which will be considered in scope with the professional technical services of this contract.

• Coordinate and facilitate training that is mission related to NOAA and OAR operations.

3. IDIQ MANAGEMENT & TRANSITION

3.1. IDIQ Program and Project/Task Order Management

The Contractor shall provide IDIQ Program Management (PM) and IDIQ Task Order (TO) Project Management support for the NOAA SETSS requirement to include the effort to plan, structure, coordinate, schedule, manage, communicate, report, and steward all respective work activities throughout the IDIQ period of performance (POP). The Contractor shall provide both IDIQ-level Program Management services and TO-level Project Management services to establish control, management, monitoring, and notification mechanisms for the Integrated Support Services requirement.

Moreover, the Contractor shall work with the IDIQ CO, CS, and COR to ensure that tasks stay on track and that milestones are met. Representative activities include, but are not limited to:

• Preparing an IDIQ Order Management Plan (OMP) for each individual TO describing the technical approach, organizational resources, and management controls throughout TO execution;

• Preparing monthly progress and financial reports, per section 3.1.2;

• Establishing structured pro-active process to notify NOAA when Government inputs are required (e.g. acceptance of a contract data requirements list (CDRL), approval of a decision, change review);

• Complying with reporting requirements, as tasked;

• Following escalation procedures for problems, issues, and recommendations, and risks as tasked;

• Safeguarding information;

• Managing staff and resources;

• Manage and account for all contractor travel arrangements, authorizations, reimbursements, and required approvals o Contractor shall obtain COR approval for travel requests. The contractor shall track each trip by an individual authorization number. When invoicing for travel, the contractor shall provide all support documentation used to justify the final cost (vouchered amount) of each trip.

• Specifically, conducting and coordinating all on-boarding activities, to include the badging and system access for all Contractor personnel, in order to ensure Contractor staff members are available to work immediately upon the completion of the background/security processes that are generally 2-4 weeks in length;

o Contractor shall collect and provide COR with initial onboarding documentation via the NOAA Kiteworks secure file transfer.

o Conduct cursory background checks/investigations, to ensure that onboarding process is as efficient as possible.

o Conduct exit procedures as necessary.

• Providing risk management and mitigation, per section 3.1.4;

• Conducting and participating in progress meetings, facility meetings, training meetings, performance meetings, program/project reviews, management briefings, stakeholder presentations, demonstration meetings, transition meetings, and COR site visits, and post requirements meetings;

• Communicating and responding to ad hoc data calls & queries.

3.1.1. Program Management Plan (PMP)

At the IDIQ-level, the Contractor is required to provide a Program Management Plan, to include:

• The management approach, organizational structure, organizational resources, and management controls to be used to meet the IDIQ requirements throughout the contract’s POP;

• The process to oversee and manage work activities at the IDIQ level;

• The process to recruit, train, and retain personnel at the IDIQ level;

• A communication diagram illustrating all lines of communication between the Government and the Contractor.

In addition to the PMP, an Order Management Plan (OMP) may be requested, as directed. The OMP may include:

• Process to oversee and manage work activities at the TO level;

• A schedule that details activities, dependencies, and timeframes for meeting NOAA objectives and deliverables;

• A staffing plan and organizational chart identifying relationships, authorities, and responsibilities;

• A level three (3) Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) to account for all of the work requirements and activities, as described in the individual TO. Specifically, the WBS elements illustrate the sequence and resources required for each work package;

• A description of the management controls that the Contractor shall employ to meet the performance, cost, and schedule requirements, and other areas the Contractor deems relevant and important to the management of the

TO;

• A communication diagram illustrating all lines of communication between the Government and the Contractor.

The Contractor shall update the OMP when re-planning any activities and submit to the assigned TO COR for approval.

3.1.2. Monthly Status Reports (MSRs)

The Contractor shall provide an IDIQ Monthly Status Report (MSR) to the assigned IDIQ CO, CS, and COR incorporating all tasks at a high level and their progress. Within the first 30 calendar days after IDIQ award, the Government and the Contractor shall design and agree upon a standard reporting format and timeframe. Moreover, the Government may request a TO-level MRS, as tasked in each TO. At a minimum, unless otherwise specified in individual TOs, each MSR shall contain the following information:

• The previous month’s activities (completed and in-progress);

• Deviance from previous month’s planned progress (either positive or negative);

• The current month’s planned activities (complete and in-progress);

• Risks and planned mitigations;

• Status of unfilled positions and actions untaken to fill open positions;

• The status of the action items from any Kickoff Meetings and other follow-on meetings, as appropriate.

The MSR must be submitted via email on the third business day of the month to the IDIQ CO, CS, and COR.

3.1.3. Project Meetings

As tasked in each individual TO issued under this IDIQ, the Contractor shall participate in meetings and discussions that support the overall efforts of the IDIQ requirement and the TO work activities (e.g. kick-off and task related meetings). The Contractor shall participate in different capacities, such as leading discussions; contributing questions and answers; raising issues, risks and concerns; and developing and giving presentations. The Contractor shall prepare and track meeting agendas, minutes, issues, risks, and action items as requested by the Government. Meeting minutes shall be of sufficient detail, in order to accurately document meeting date and location, meeting purpose, items discussed, decisions made, attendees, and action items. Representative activities include, but are not limited to:

• Preparing and distributing agendas to include call-in/teleconference information and review materials

• Completing and distributing meeting minutes and action items to meeting participants

• Tracking of meeting minutes, action items, and associated materials relating to all meetings/calls

3.1.4. Risk Management

The Contractor shall identify and report for resolution to the Government any issues that prevent the Contractor from performing the work activities that the Contractor is unable to resolve independently. The Contractor shall maintain an IDIQ-level risk registry and provide it CO, CS, COR, as requested. Additionally, the Government may request a TO-level risk registry, as specified per individual TO. The risk registry shall contain, at a minimum, unless otherwise specified in the individual TOs:

• Issue Number: a sequential numbering of all issues;

• Severity: assessment of issue severity i.e., likelihood and consequences (High/Medium/Low);

• Date Found: – date that issue was identified by the Contractor;

• Duration: number of days that issue has been open;

• Status: representing issue status as open or closed. The Contractor shall maintain a complete list of all issues – no issues should typically be deleted from the Contractor’s delivered list;

• Title: short description of issue;

• Updated: date for updated status;

• Details: narrative description of activities that have been completed to resolve issue;

• Assigned To: identify Government POC or Contractor that is assigned to resolve the issue;

• Solution or Workaround: description of the actions and activities taken to resolve or mitigate the issue

3.2. Transition Services

Transition activities take place to efficiently transfer all activities from the incumbent Contractor to the new IDIQ Contractor. As tasked, the Contractor shall develop transition plans and conduct transition activities for TOs issued against this IDIQ.

3.2.1. Transition-In

The Contractor shall transition-in and assume the responsibility for activities and duties from the prior (incumbent) Contractor in a manner that does not interrupt or negatively impact the Agency’s mission critical operations and activities. During this period, the Contractor shall ensure that no degradation in service or support is experienced. The Government may request an IDIQ-level and TO-level Transition-In Plans. Representative activities include, but are not limited to:

• Developing a Transition-In Plan to ensure full operating accountability and responsibility of the IDIQ and/or TOs.

• Familiarizing the incoming Contractor staff with NOAA processes and requirements and work with the incumbent

Contractor as related to transferring tasks and work activities being performed.

• Coordinating with assigned COR to obtain access to the required data, Government furnished equipment (GFE), systems / applications, and required training.

• Participating in Transition-in meetings and other technical exchange meetings and opportunities to facilitate the transfer of information, processes, and data needed to continue the services being performed by the incumbent Contractor.

• Certifying that employees working on the contract have completed their review and understand Integrated Services requirements, documentation, processes, and technical environments prior to the completion of the Transition-in activities.

• Verifying to the COR that all Transition-in documents are available.

3.2.2. Transition-out

The Contractor shall facilitate the transition-out of contracted activities and services to the Government or, to a follow-on Contractor by the end of the POP. Additionally, the Contractor shall provide support for all IDIQ transition-out activities. During this period, the Contractor shall ensure that no degradation in service or support is experienced. The Government may request an IDIQ-level and TO-level Transition-Out Plans. Representative activities include, but are not limited to:

• Developing a Transition-Out Plan to ensure full operating accountability and responsibility of the IDIQ and/or

TOs Providing the Government with current versions of all documentation (i.e. electronic and hardcopies).

• Providing the Government with a current inventory of all GFE and Government Furnished Information (GFI) utilized by the Contractor along with full support in the reconciliation of this inventory.

• Providing the follow-on Contractor with the ability to “shadow” and participate in technical exchange meetings and opportunities to facilitate the transfer of information, processes, and data needed to continue the services being performed by the Contractor.

4. PERSONNEL

4.1. General

The Contractor shall ensure that all personnel have the expertise, knowledge, and training and possess credentials to meet the requirements of the IDIQ labor categories. The Contractor shall ensure that all its personnel meet the education and experience requirements, as specified in PWS Appendix A – Labor Category Descriptions.

The Contractor shall, when communicating with outside parties, NOAA personnel, and other NOAA contractors, advise that they are Agency Contractors to ensure they are not mistaken as Government employees. Contractor employees shall identify themselves as an Agency Contractor in all documents (e.g. reports, correspondence, etc.), which the contractor employees are listed as the Point of Contact. Email messages from contractor employees shall contain a signature block identifying the individual as a contractor employee with the firm’s name with a reference to being a NOAA Agency Contractor.

4.2. Key Personnel – Program Manager

The contractor shall designate a Program Manager (PM) for the contract. The PM shall be responsible for the management of all assigned contractor personnel and overall coordination of the contract, to include the following responsibilities:

• Act act as the central point of contact with the Government and interact directly with COR regarding administration of this contract.

• Have the authority to represent and commit the contractor in dealing with the Government.

• Be responsible for supervision, overall management, and reporting for the contract.

• Responsible for the cost, schedule and technical performance of company programs/projects.

• Directs all phases of program/projects from inception through completion.

• Participates in the negotiation of TOs and contract changes.

• Coordinates the preparation of proposals, business plans, proposal work statements and specifications, operating budgets and financial terms/conditions of contract.

• Establishes milestones and monitors adherence to master plans and schedules, identifies program problems and develops solutions.

Minimum Qualifications:

• BA/BS in management/business or scientific/engineering/technical discipline and Project Management Certificatio (PMP).

• Minimum of 10 years of full-time professional experience managing staff and programs. Advanced degrees or certifications may qualify for shorter periods of required experience.

Should the PM be temporarily absent, an individual shall be designated in writing to act as their alternate. The Contracting Officer (CO) and COR shall be notified of the name of the individual to act as alternate. The PM shall provide current staffing plans and organizational charts to the NOAA COR or technical leads during the term of this IDIQ.

4.3. Replacement of Contractor Personnel

The success of this contract is highly dependent upon the quality of contractor personnel that support the effort. Through the course of the POP, it is likely that contractor personnel will be replaced for a variety of reasons. Any candidates proposed by the contractor to replace a departing contractor employee would ideally be at a minimum equally as qualified in terms of training and experience as the contractor employee being replaced. The replacement shall at least meet the minimum qualifications stated in the PWS Appendix A: Labor Category Descriptions. When a new hire is being considered, the COR will be given an opportunity to review the qualifications of the proposed candidate(s) and confirm that the minimum qualifications associated with the position are met. On a case by case basis, the COR has the discretion to approve education or experience substitutions from the minimum qualifications associated with a respective position.

In the instance where there is a dispute between the contractor and the Government on a potential employee’s qualifications, the final decision will rest with the COR.

5. PERFORMANCE

5.1. Place of Performance

The preponderance of the work will be performed at the NOAA OAR’s Headquarters located at SSMC3, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD, 20910. However, task orders may required some performance at other OAR Labs and Programs located throughout the United States. Please refer to the publicly accessible site:

https://research.noaa.gov/Labs-Programs/OAR-Labs. The Place of Performance will be identified in each individual

TO.

5.2. Hours of Performance

For contractor personnel providing support on NOAA worksites, normal workdays are Monday through Friday, except US Federal Holidays. Daily operations span eight (8) hours per day, 40 hours per week, 80 hours per two-week pay period. In the case of inclement weather and Government closures and delays, the Contractor staff shall be responsible for checking the operating status of the Federal Government in the cases of inclement weather via the cited Office of Personnel Management (OPM) operating status website.

• OPM Operating Status Link:

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/snow-dismissal-procedures/current-status/

• OPM Federal Holiday Link:

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/#url=2020

5.3. Telework

When inclement weather or emergency telework is expected, the COR may allow Contractor staff to telework without prior approval. All other telework requests shall be submitted to the COR and Technical Lead(s)/Program Managers. Each request will be reviewed and approved/denied by the COR on a case-by-case basis and shall include a telework plan indicating the specific tasks the individual shall perform while teleworking. Additional telework guidance may be provided in individual TOs.

5.4. Quality

5.4.1. Quality Control Plan

For individual TOs referencing a Performance Work Statement (PWS), a quality control plan may be requested and submitted to the TO CO, CS, and COR for review and approval. The CO will notify the Contractor of acceptance or required modifications to the plan within fourteen (14) calendar days. The Contractor shall make appropriate modifications and obtain acceptance of the plan within ten (10) calendar days of receipt of comments. The plan shall include:

• A description of the inspection system to cover all proposed services. The description shall include specifics as to the areas to be inspected on both a scheduled and unscheduled basis, frequency of inspections, and the title of the inspectors.

• A description of the methods to be used for identifying and preventing defects in the quality of service performed.

• A description of the records to be kept to document inspections and corrective or preventive actions taken.

At a minimum, the Quality Control Plan should specify processes related to the following topics:

• Ensuring assigned projects are being completed timely;

• Providing quality monthly progress reports to the COR on work completed to date;

• Ensuring accurate and timely submission of travel requests with pertinent supporting documentation;

• Monitoring and ensuring effective communication of leave with pertinent government officials;

• Ensuring clear communication in correspondence, meetings, email, etc. of the individual being a contractor employee; and

• Ensuring timely training of contract requirements and submission NOAA Support Contractor Non-disclose agreement.

https://research.noaa.gov/Labs-Programs/OAR-Labs https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/snow-dismissal-procedures/current-status/ https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/#url=2020

• The records of inspections shall be kept by the Contractor and made available to the CO, when requested, throughout the contract performance period and for the period after contract completion until final settlement of any claims under this contract.

5.4.2. Quality Assurance

The Government will evaluate the Contractor's performance under this contract using a PRS; see Appendix B:

Performance Requirement Summary document. Government personnel will record all surveillance observations.

When an observation indicates defective performance, the COR will require the contract manager or representative at the site to initial the observation. The initialing of the observation does not necessarily constitute concurrence with the observation, only acknowledgement that he or she has been made aware of the defective performance. Such surveillance will be done according to standard inspection procedures or other contract provisions. Any action taken by the CO as a result of surveillance will be in accordance with the terms of this Contract.

5.5. Government Furnished Resources

All Government furnished information, data, materials, and property will be identified at the TO-level. The Government shall retain all rights and privileges, including those of patent and copy, to all Government-furnished data and materials.

The Contractor shall neither retain nor reproduce, for private or commercial use, any data or other materials furnished under this contract. The Contractor shall not assert any rights at common law or in equity, or establish any claim to statutory copyright in such data.

5.6. Delivery Instructions for Deliverables

The Contractor shall submit all preliminary, intermediate, and final deliverables in electronic formats (i.e. Microsoft Office, Adobe, or original source file) to the identified COR. All deliverables that are original source files for eLearning modules, simulations, audio and video files shall be editable and in the format of the respective product. Requirements for inspection and acceptance are as follows:

The COR or Government POC designated in each TO, will inspect and accept the services and / or deliverables provided to ensure they meet the requirements detailed in the relevant individual TO.

• The Government will accept products and services only if they conform to all terms and conditions of the IDIQ and the respective TO.

• The Government will provide written notification of acceptance or rejection within ten (10) calendar days of receiving the service / deliverable. If no written notification is provided within that timeframe, the contractor can assume the Government has accepted the deliverable.

• The Government will reject non-conforming products and services. The Contractor shall correct any deficiencies within thirty (30) calendar days of when the Government issues the rejection notice. If the Contractor cannot correct the deficiencies within this timeframe, the Contractor shall immediately notify the TO COR of the reason for the delay and provide a proposed corrective action plan within ten (10) calendar days.

6. SECURITY

6.1. Computers and Information Technology Systems

Contractor personnel working on site shall take and pass an online IT security awareness course. Access information to this website will be provided by the COR after issuance of TOs. Evidence of completion of the course shall be provided to the COR within one (1) week after starting work.

6.2. Physical Security

The Contractor shall be responsible for safeguarding all government property and information. The contractor shall proactively work to ensure that all Government equipment, information, and materials is secured on a daily basis.

6.3. Export Controls

Due to the nature of the work and equipment utilized, NOAA must ensure that it complies with export control regulations.

As a result, the contractor shall request approval from the CO and COR prior to considering any individual that is a foreign national (also see 1352.237-73 – Foreign National Visitor and Guest Access to Departmental Resources).

6.4. Non-US Citizens

Additionally, there may be security concerns with access to the facility for an individual that does not possess an I-551 Permanent Resident Card {Green Card}. Though an individual may have a right to work in the country, they may not meet the facility’s security requirements if they do not possess an I-551. In order to avoid potential concerns, the contractor shall consult the government regarding any non-us citizen that does not possess an I-551.

7. TRAVEL

The Government does anticipate that both local and non-local travel will be required during the term of this contract. If deemed necessary and appropriate, the Contractor shall identify, forecast, and manage travel requests per each individual TO. All unplanned travel must be approved in writing by the COR for the corresponding individual TO, at least 10 calendar days in advance of the travel. The Contractor shall maintain a travel log of all approved trips and include all estimated/vouchered costs, which may be reviewed by the COR(s) as needed. During performance, travel costs shall be proposed in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 31.205-46 and Federal Travel Regulations. Estimated travel requirements will be provided at the TO level

All travel requests being sent for COR approval shall include the following items:

• Purpose of the Travel;

• Tentative Travel Dates;

• Method of Travel (e.g. Private vehicle, airplane, etc.) & cost for that method, and baggage expense, if applicable;

• Duration of Travel;

• Departure Location and Arrival Location;

• Per diem expenses per day;

• Lodging Expenses per day, if applicable;

• Lodging Taxes per day, if applicable;

• Distance from Office or Home to Airport or Other Transportation Facility, if applicable;

• Parking costs per day at the Airport, if applicable;

• Method of Transportation at Arrival Destination (e.g. – Subway/Metro, Bus, Taxi, Rental Car} with projected costs, if applicable); and

• Quantity and Cost of Fuel for a Rental Car, if applicable.

7. TRAVEL