SOW_Draft.docx

Statement of Work (SOW) Publication and Administrative Support for Budget Documents Section 1.0 – Introduction

1.1 CLIN Structure

Section 2.0 – Statement of Work

2.1 Background

The Department of the Interior, Office of Budget (POB) prepares annual budget justification materials for Congress and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). In order to meet the requirements and strict timelines of Congress and OMB, as well as standards for information and communication technology for Federal agencies, POB requires non-personal services.

In accordance with 31 USC 1105, the President of the United States is required to submit a budget request to the United States' Congress no later than the first Monday in February (February 4, 2019). However, pending decisions by OMB sometimes delay the budget and budget preparation which means timelines are generally abbreviated due to the legally required deadline. In addition, Section 508 – Standards for Information and Communication Technology for Federal Agencies – of the United States Workforce Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (36 CFR 1194), requires Federal agencies to make electronic and information technology accessible to people with disabilities.

2.2 Objective

POB produces the Congressional Justifications and an annual Budget in Brief (BiB) for Interior's rollout of the President's Budget yearly. This SOW solicits non-personal services in the effort to develop the BiB to gather data, compile it in the proper format, extensively proofread and edit the material for consistency in context, validate numbers, and format the document for publishing both hard copy and online, all compliant with Section 508 requirements, in a short window of time (approximately six to eight weeks).

The BiB is approximately a 200 page summary of the Department's budget, including funding details for every bureau and office within the Department. The document also outlines Secretarial policy on high priority initiatives and proposals. The book consists of text, tables, graphs, photographs, and various appendices, which outline Interior’s funding priorities for the budget year. The DOI FY 2018 BiB can be found at the following link: https://www.doi.gov/sites/doi.gov/files/uploads/2018_highlights_book.pdf

Further, this SOW also solicits Non-personal services throughout the year to support POB to develop other budget documents, including such items as the Payment in Lieu of Taxes National Summary, budget summary reports, and briefing documents

2.3 Period of Performance

The period of performance of this contract is a twelve (12) month base period and four (4), twelve (12) month option periods. Exercise of any of the option periods is contingent upon the Government’s need, availability of funding, and satisfactory performance by the Contractor. The anticipated period of performance is as follows:

2.4 Place(s) of Performance

The work will be predominantly performed at the Government site; however telework up to two days a week is permitted based on an individual position if agreed to by the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) and Contractor management, and a signed telework agreement is in place. Ad hoc telework for off-hours or emergency work would be included in the telework agreement.

2.5.1 Government Site: Office of the Secretary, Office of Budget (POB), U.S. Department of the Interior, 1849 C St. NW, Washington, DC 20240.

2.5 Contractor Qualifications

2.6.1 The Contractor shall have expert knowledge and adept usage of Microsoft Office (particular focus on Word and Excel) and Adobe (particular focus on InDesign) products including accessibility tools within each software package.

2.6.2 The Contractor must possess skill and expertise in English grammar and grammatical structure, as well as the ability to check and validate budgetary numbers against source and control spreadsheets and documents.

2.6.3 Knowledge of the Interior's budget processes, procedures, schedules, program information, and budget data is recommended but not required.

2.6 Program Objectives

The Contractor shall be directly responsible for ensuring the accuracy, timeliness, and completion of all DOI tasks under this effort.

2.6.1 The Contractor shall provide on-going publication and document support, including editorial assistance and assistance in making files accessible.

2.6.2 The Contractor shall prepare for and support meetings, briefings, workshops, training and working groups.

2.6.3 The Contractor shall provide regular progress updates and/or status meetings to the COR. During some work under this task the progress updates will be daily, at other times it will be weekly.

2.6.4 The Contractor shall use management practices and procedures in the performance of this task order that provide for planning and control of costs for this task order and generation of timely and reliable information.

2.7 Estimated Hours and CLIN Overview

The Contractor shall provide an estimate for the following work hours across all CLINs:

2.8.1 Publication Support for Budget Documents: Budget Release Documents (CLIN 0010) Work under this CLIN will be broken up into two major categories: a) Budget in Brief (BiB) and b) Other Documents for Budget Release. Work for this CLIN will be concentrated during a short time period, normally about six to eight weeks prior to the budget release date. Requirements and standards for both work categories will be the same as detailed further below.

2.8.1.1 Budget in Brief

The Contractor shall prepare, proof, input, and finalize materials using Adobe InDesign publishing software to develop the BiB. This work effort will be concentrated during a short period of time of about six to eight weeks. It is expected the contractor will work full time during this period. The Contractor will need to provide support outside normal working hours and will need to be on-call as necessary during this time period. Often this work occurs during the end of December, the full month of January, and the beginning of February; however, timing may differ and possibly shorten depending on OMB schedules which are outside the control of POB.

In order to reach the publication final stage, the Contractor will also provide support to POB in developing source materials. These materials include text documents, spreadsheets, graphics, templates, document covers, appendices, and other materials as required.

Production deadlines are fast and require quick turnaround time, with read-out before finalizing documents. Document delivery and production schedules will be established once final deadlines are determined. Interim deliverable updates (draft documents, final documents ready for publication, reports, etc.) shall be provided daily and final products delivered as the schedule requires in coordination with POB. The Contractor will provide two separate print quality files. The first will be due approximately 7 days before the budget due date in order to conduct a mini-print for final internal review. The second will be due approximately 6 days before the budget due date and will be used for final publication of the document.

POB staff will coordinate and discuss assignments with the Supervisory Project Coordinator as needed, but at a minimum daily meetings will be necessary to establish items completed and work required for the following the day.

2.8.1.2 Other Documents for the Budget Release

The Contractor will be assigned additional tasks related to the budget releases to develop documents to be published, format documents, and/or update documents to meet current accessibility standards. These documents may be finalized when the budget is released or shortly thereafter. Examples of other budget documents include but are not limited to the following:

a) Tri-Fold – Format and provide a publish-ready tri-fold budget pocket guide in consultation with POB assigned staff based upon information included in the BiB. This pocket guide clearly summarizes the Department's budget and provides information at a glance to Departmental leadership. The guide is a one-page, double-sided, tri-fold that includes high level funding request information by bureau, highlights Department budget policy facts and figures, and summarizes legislative proposals addressed in the budget. This document is completed immediately following the BiB work.

b) Provide support in finalizing documents related to the President's Budget rollout, including preparation and review of briefing papers, budget handout materials, presentations, and press call documents. The documents will be prepared in a to-be-determined prescribed format and data must be consistent throughout all documentation.

c) Support the production of crosscut tables in Microsoft Excel and Adobe InDesign formats based upon data from several disparate sources and include tables in documents in the correct location and template format.

2.8.2 Publication Support for Budget Documents: Other Documents (CLIN 0020) The Contractor will be assigned additional tasks throughout the year to support the development of cyclical and ongoing budget exhibits such as but not limited to summary documents for land acquisition and construction as well as Payment in Lieu of Taxes report information.

The Contractor shall provide the following services for Publication Support for Budget Documents (CLIN 0010 and 0020):

a) Compile budgetary data required by Congress, OMB, and other sources into a cohesive and consistent format. Compile data to input into Excel workbooks/worksheets and into Word documents to ensure data is consistent across multiple sources. Data should be consistent between all tables throughout all documents.

b) Update, format, create, and input data into templates used to import text and tables. It may be necessary to modify the documents' designs using the previous year's work and the current year outline.

c) Cross reference and match all budgetary data to a comprehensive table provided by POB. The Contractor must ensure all data is consistent throughout the documents.

d) Proofread all justifications and other materials throughout the process to ensure quality control and consistency. The format must be consistent with POB style guidelines, which will be provided to the Contractor.

e) Input materials into the design publishing software, Adobe InDesign, in order to assemble final documents.

f) Support development of graphics, tables, and charts for use in the overarching documents. The Contractor will create a layout of graphics and cover designs, as required, and modify items based upon requirements and consultation with assigned POB staff.

g) Identify and gather, high-quality, open source photos for publication in the documents. Photos and graphics must be subject relevant and meet leadership approval. Use POB and DOI image libraries and other sources to develop graphic options relevant to the text for approval.

h) Track all materials produced on a standardized control sheet to demonstrate progress towards completion. All tracking must be rolled into an overall status report daily for POB management review and submitted to the COR.

i) Provide technical assistance as needed throughout the processes.

j) Incorporate comments into the documents and modify based upon continuous feedback.

k) Identify and incorporate additional improvements to the documents as necessary.

l) Develop PDF files which are print ready and 508 compliant for distribution on the website, within the Department, and printing.

m) Once documents are published, identify and record procedures, improvements, and modifications to assist in future work plans.

2.9 Deliverables Tables

All documents and materials developed during the life of the task shall be delivered to the Government with unlimited rights. The Contractor shall provide all final publication InDesign (Indd) files, graphics, press quality PDFs, Section 508 compliant PDFs, Word documents, and Excel spreadsheets as determined by the COR.

2.10 Post Award Conference

The Contractor agrees to attend a post award conference convened by the contracting activity or contract administration office in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) subpart 42.5. The CO, COR and other government personnel, as appropriate, may meet periodically with the contractor to review the contractor’s performance. These meetings shall be at no additional cost to the government.

2.11 Progress Updates and/or Status Meetings

The Contractor shall conduct in person status meetings and/or conference calls on an as needed basis. The status meeting shall include, at a minimum:

2.11.1 Program status, to include objectives met, work completed and work outstanding

2.11.2 Notable achievements

2.11.3 Summarize the efforts of each primary task

2.11.4 Issues or obstacles impeding progress, recommended solutions and remedial plans

2.11.5 Status of deliverables/milestones

2.11.6 Resource planning/status

2.11.7 Track all materials produced on a standardized control sheet to demonstrate progress towards completion. All tracking must be rolled into an overall status report daily for POB management review and submitted to the COR

2.11.8 Topics or issues identified by the government COR.

2.12 Deliverable Inspection and Acceptance Criteria

2.12.1 Deliverable General Acceptance Criteria

General quality measures, as set forth below, will be applied to each work product received from the Contractor under this statement of work.

a) Accuracy - Work Products shall be accurate in presentation, technical content, and adherence to accepted elements of style.

b) Clarity - Work Products shall be clear and concise. All diagrams shall be presented in a manner that facilitates understanding of a non-technical and executive audience and be relevant to the supporting narrative.

c) Consistency to Requirements - All work products must satisfy the requirements of this statement of work.

d) File Editing - All text and diagrammatic files shall be editable by the Government.

e) Format - All documentation shall be in a format editable by the Government and maintained in the appropriate provided tool. Where applicable, work products shall be submitted in hard copy or in media specified by the COR and mutually agreed upon prior to submission.

f) Timelines - Work Products shall be submitted on or before the due date specified in this statement of work or submitted in accordance with a later scheduled date determined by the COR.

2.12.2 Deliverable Quality Assurance

The COR will review, for completeness, preliminary or draft documentation that the Contractor submits, and may return it to the Contractor for correction. Absence of any comments by the COR will not relieve the Contractor of the responsibility for complying with the requirements of this work statement. Final approval and acceptance of documentation required herein shall be by letter of approval and acceptance by the COR. The Contractor shall not construe any letter of acknowledgment of receipt material as a waiver of review, or as an acknowledgment that the material is in conformance with this work statement. Any approval given during preparation of the documentation, or approval for shipment shall not guarantee the final acceptance of the completed documentation.

2.12.3 Deliverable Review

For CLIN 0010, the Government will have a maximum of two (2) working days from the day the draft deliverable is received to review the document, provide comments back to the Contractor, and approve or disapprove the deliverable(s). The Contractor will have a maximum of one (1) working day from the day comments are received to incorporate all changes and submit the final deliverable to the Government.

For work under CLIN 0020, the Government will have a maximum of seven (7) working days from the day the draft deliverable is received to review the document, provide comments back to the Contractor, and approve or disapprove the deliverable(s). The Contractor will have a maximum of three (3) working days from the day comments are received to incorporate all changes and submit the final deliverable to the Government.

All days identified are intended to be workdays unless otherwise specified.

2.13 Other Direct Cost/Travel

Other Direct Costs (ODCs): ODC’s are not authorized on this order.

Travel: Travel costs are not authorized on this order.

2.14 Section 508 Requirements

All products developed under this Statement of Work shall meet accessibility requirements as outlined in Section 508 – Standards for Information and Communication Technology for Federal Agencies – of the United States Workforce Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (36 CFR 1194).

2.14.1 Section 508 Program Need

Requirements for accessibility based on Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794d) are determined to be relevant for the following program need: Electronic Documents.

2.14.2 Section 508 Service Requirements

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. 794d) requires federally procured Information and Communication Technology (ICT), also referred to as Electronic and Information Technology (EIT), to provide disabled federal employees with access to and use of information that is comparable to information provided to nondisabled federal employees. Section 508 also requires federal agencies to provide disabled public citizens with access to and use of information that is comparable to information provided to nondisabled public citizens. For additional information see Section508.gov.

The U.S. Access Board is an independent federal agency that established the standards for federally procured ICT products and services. ICT includes software, hardware, electronic content, support documentation & services. For more information, see the U.S. Access Board’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Standards and Guidelines (36 CFR Part 1194).

The following requirements from the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Standards and Guidelines (36 CFR Part 1194) apply to electronic content:

· Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, Level A and AA Guidelines

· Chapter 3: Functional Performance Criteria

· Chapter 6: Support Services and Documentation Requirements

When the service provider provides electronic content development or remediation services pursuant to this contract, the service provider shall ensure that the electronic content fully conforms to the applicable ICT Standards and Guidelines prior to delivery and before final acceptance.

The service provider shall ensure the personnel providing the labor hours possess the knowledge, skills, and ability necessary to address the applicable ICT Standards and Guidelines defined in this contract, and shall provide supporting documentation upon request.

The service provider shall test and validate electronic content, Microsoft Office and PDF documents, for conformance to the ICT Standards and Guidelines, in accordance with the Harmonized Testing Guidance from the Accessible Electronic Documents (AED) Accessible Community of Practice (ACOP). The service provider must describe the test process and provide the testing results to the agency upon request.

Before acceptance, the agency reserves the right to perform independent testing to validate the electronic content provided by the service provider conforms to the applicable ICT Standards and Guidelines.

After final acceptance of products or services, including updates and replacements, if the service provider claims its products or services satisfy the applicable ICT Standards and Guidelines specified in the statement of work and contracting officer determines that any furnished product or service is not in compliance with such requirements, the contracting officer will promptly inform the service provider in writing of the noncompliance. The service provider shall, at no cost to the agency, repair or replace the non-compliant products or services within the period specified by the contracting officer.

2.15 Government Furnished Equipment, Property, Information

The Government will furnish facilities, items, or services for the following: Office space, phone, and Government issued laptop and related peripheral equipment at the Main Interior Building (MIB) located in Washington, DC. The contract shall be responsible for safeguarding all government equipment, information, and property provided for Contractor use.

The Contractor shall maintain all Government Furnished Equipment in good working order and shall promptly report damage to the equipment to the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR). The Contractor shall retain all necessary inventories and management tools to comply with Government reporting.

2.16 Hours of Operation

Normal office working hours are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. After hours, including weekend support may be required and should be anticipated during budget submissions timeframes.

Late night and weekend work beyond the hours noted above will be necessary in order to complete the work in timelines identified for the BiB. During the BiB production time, the Contractor’s time must be flexible in order to meet short and often moving work deadlines. The Contractor may have minimal notice and will need to be on-call as needed. Work for the BiB is primarily concentrated during the end of December, the full month of January, and the beginning of February, although these time frames may change due to outside schedules which the Department does not control.

Government facilities are normally closed on Federal holidays and during times of inclement weather. During these times, Contractors will not be permitted to work at those facilities unless specifically authorized by the Government.

Telework is permitted based on an individual position if agreed to by the COR and Contractor management, and a signed telework agreement is in place. Ad hoc telework for off-hours or emergency work would be included in the telework agreement.

The Contractor shall not charge the Government for performance of work on Government Holidays or for any other kind of administrative leave authorized for acts of God (i.e. hurricanes, snow storms, tornadoes, etc.), Presidential funerals, or any other unexpected Government closures, with the exception of work authorized as ad hoc telework, after hours, or weekend support.

The following Government Holidays are normally observed by Government personnel: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday, Presidential Inauguration Day (DC metropolitan area (including Herndon, Reston, and DOI’s Main Interior building (MIB)/headquarters location in downtown Washington, DC only), President’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and any other day designated by Federal Statute, Executive Order and/or Presidential Proclamation.

2.17 Contractor & Contractor Personnel, Conduct, and Cooperation Requirements

2.17.1 Contractor Interfaces

The Contractor and/or his sub-contractors may be required as part of the performance of this effort to work with other Contractors working for the Government. Such other Contractors shall not direct this Contractor and/or their sub-contractors in any manner. Also, this Contractor and/or their sub-contractors shall not direct the work of other Contractors in any manner.

The Government shall establish an initial contact between the Contractor and other Contractors and shall participate in an initial meeting at which the conventions for the scheduling and conduct of future meetings/contacts will be established. Any Contracting Officer’s Representatives (COR) of other efforts shall be included in any establishment of conventions.

2.17.2 Contractor Key Personnel

The Contractor shall be responsible for managing and overseeing the activities of all Contractor personnel, as well as sub-contractor efforts used in performance of this effort. The Contractor's management responsibilities shall include all activities necessary to ensure the accomplishment of timely and effective support, performed in accordance with the requirements contained in the statement of work. The Contractor may combine roles as desired. Resumes submitted for employees assigned to perform under this statement of work shall contain documented experience directly applicable to the functions to be performed. Further, these prior work experiences shall be specific and of sufficient variety and duration that the employee is able to effectively and efficiently perform the functions assigned.

As assigned, personnel should have expert knowledge in Microsoft Office (with particular expertise in Word and Excel) and Adobe Creative Cloud products (with particular expertise in Adobe InDesign). Knowledge of the DOI budget structure is highly suggested but not required. It is preferred personnel have experience and familiarity with budget and/or financial publications. The preparation of budget materials requires attention to detail and accuracy.

Staff will require two distinct skill sets normally associated with the title of Editor and Publication Designer. Personnel must demonstrate an ability to write clearly and edit/proofread large documents quickly and accurately. All of the work on computers will in the PC environment and the Contractor must be familiar with the Windows operating system. Non-disclosure agreements will be required for all personnel assigned to the task.

2.17.2.1 Supervisory Project Coordinator

The Contractor shall provide a Project Coordinator to facilitate Government/ Contractor communications with at least ten (10) years project coordination experience. The Project Coordinator shall be the primary technical and managerial interface between the Contractor and Contracting Officer and the Contracting Officer’s Representative. The name of this person, and an alternate or alternates, who shall act for the Contractor when the Coordinator is absent, will be designated in writing to the CO. The Project Coordinator or alternate will have full authority to act for the Contractor on all contract matters relating to daily operations.

The Contractor's Project Coordinator shall meet with the CO/COR as necessary to maintain satisfactory performance and to resolve other issues pertaining to Government/Contractor procedures. At these meetings, a mutual effort will be made to resolve any and all problems identified. Written minutes of these meetings shall be prepared by the Contractor, signed by the Contractor's designated representative, and furnished to the Government within one (1) workday of the subject meeting.

The Project Coordinator and alternate or alternates must be able to read, write, speak, and understand English.

The Project Coordinator will supervise subordinate personnel and manage the overall project including responsibilities for reporting and timelines. The Project Coordinator will be responsible for ensuring the team meets all deadlines and delivery of the final products. Established deadlines must be met and may not be extended by POB. The Project Coordinator will assign tasks, based on need and skill sets, to supervised personnel.

2.17.2.2 Senior Consultant/ Design Publication Support

The Senior Consultant shall have at least ten (10) years’ experience and primary responsibility for publication design. The Senior Consultant will utilize word processing, page-layout, imaging, and illustration applications to receive and construct textual data, images, tables, graphs, and illustrations in prescribed publications ready for print and/or electronic dissemination. The position will also design and prepare templates for preparation of publications and internal use of budget documents. The Senior Consultant must be familiar with technical characteristics of reproduction processes and accessibility standards. The position must have proficient knowledge, understanding, and skills to implement standard accessibility requirements as required by Sec. 508. The primary software applications for this work will be Microsoft Word and Excel and Adobe InDesign, and the Senior Consultant must demonstrate adept understanding of these programs.

2.17.2.3 Consultant/ Editor

The Editor is responsible for proofreading narrative and tables throughout various budget documents and shall have at least five (5) years’ experience. This position will be responsible for reviewing all documents for basic grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, accepted English usage, and grammatical structure. The position requires substantive knowledge of English grammar and the ability to follow the GPO Style Manual.

The position will review documents for internal factual inconsistencies in the material, such as spelling of proper names, references, and citations; will verify the accuracy of statements, figures, illustrations, and subject matter terms; compare illustrations, tables, and charts with the text to assure consistency.

The position will review and crosscheck all tables, figures, and graphs for consistency and mathematical accuracy.

2.18 Contractor Personnel Requirements

The Contractor shall provide fully trained and experienced personnel (including replacement personnel) required for performance of this task order. This includes training necessary for keeping personnel abreast of industry advances and for maintaining proficiency within an employee’s labor category. Training of personnel shall be performed by the Contractor at its own expense.

2.19 Conduct & Cooperation – Contractor

2.19.1 Standards of Conduct

a) The Contractor will be responsible for maintaining satisfactory standards of employee competency, conduct, appearance, and integrity. The Contractor is also responsible for ensuring that its employees and those of its subContractor(s) do not disturb papers on desks, open desk drawers or cabinets, use Government telephones, except as authorized, or otherwise jeopardize the security and the privacy of Government employees, its clientele, and the contents and property of the federal building(s) in which the task order work is performed. Each employee or supervisor of the Contractor is expected to adhere to standards of behavior that reflect credit on themselves, their employer, and the Federal Government.

b) The Contractor will be responsible for taking such disciplinary action, including suspension without pay or removal from the worksite, with respect to its employees, as may be necessary to enforce those standards.

c) Where applicable, the requirements of this clause must be expressly incorporated into subcontract(s) and must be applicable to all subContractor employees who may perform recurring services or work at the federal building and grounds of this task order.

d) The Government retains the right to permanently remove any employee of the Contractor from performing duties assigned under this task order at the federal building should the employee's performance so warrant. The Government will request the Contractor to immediately remove any employee of the Contractor from the federal building/work-site should it be determined by the Contracting Officer that the individual employee of the Contractor is "unsuitable" for security reasons or for otherwise being found to be unfit for performing his assigned duty at a federal building. The following areas (not all-inclusive) are considered justification for requesting the Contractor to immediately remove an employee from a federal building/work site:

i. Neglect of assigned duty and refusing to render assistance or cooperate in upholding the integrity of the security programs at the worksite;

ii. Falsification or unlawful concealment, removal, mutilation, or destruction of any official documents or records, or concealment of material facts by willful omissions from official documents or records;

iii. Disorderly conduct, use of abusive or offensive language, quarreling, intimidation by words or actions, or fighting; participation in disruptive activities which interfere with the normal and efficient operations of the Government;

iv. Theft, vandalism, immoral conduct, or any other criminal actions;

v. Selling, consuming, or being under the influence of intoxicants, drugs, or controlled substances which produce similar effects;

vi. Improper use of official authority or credentials, as a supervisor or employee of the Contractor;

vii. Violation of agency and Contractor security procedures and regulations; and

viii. Violation of the rules and regulations governing federal public buildings and grounds, set forth in 41 CFR Subpart 101-20.3 Conduct on Federal Property.

e) Following a recommendation from an agency program official or security officer, the Contracting Officer will make all determinations regarding the removal of any employee of the Contractor from and denial/termination of clearance and access to the federal building worksite for non-performance, misconduct, or failure to abide by all laws and regulations. The Contracting Officer will verbally inform the Contractor about the employee, followed by a written confirmation or determination. Specific reasons for the removal of an employee will be provided to the Contractor in writing. In the event of a dispute, the Contracting Officer will make a final determination.

f) Upon a determination of the Government that an employee of the Contractor be removed from or denied access to a federal building worksite, the employee's clearance and access to the federal building must be immediately revoked or otherwise terminated. Furthermore, if applicable, the building pass and/or other access device(s) previously given to the employee must be immediately surrendered, returned, or delivered to the security officer of the federal building.

2.20 Contractor Personnel Security and Suitability Requirements The Contractor and Contractor Personnel must have, or be able to obtain, at least a Public Trust clearance level to access computers, databases and data defined above, including budgetary data. Performance of this of effort requires Contractor personnel to have a Federal government-issued personal identification card before being allowed unsupervised access to a DOI (facility and/or information system). The Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) will be the sponsoring official, and will make the arrangements for personal identification verification and card issuance.

At least three weeks before start of contract performance, the Contractor shall identify all Contractor and sub-contractor personnel who will require (physical and/or logical) access for performance of work under this task order. The Contractor must make their personnel available at the place and time specified by the COR in order to initiate screening and background investigations. In accordance with DOI Department Manual Part 441, Interim Guidance – Background Investigation of Contract Employees, Personnel Security and Suitability Requirements, dated January 31, 2005, “Contractors and Contractor employees acting for or on behalf of the Department of the Interior must obtain, and maintain, a favorably adjudicated background investigation at a level equal to that which would be conducted for a federal employee with similar duties and responsibilities.” The following forms, or their equivalent, will be used to initiate the credentialing process:

a) OPM Standard Form 85 or 85P

b) OF 306

c) Fingerprint card (local procedures may require the fingerprinting to done at a police station; in this case, any charges are to be borne by the Contractor)

d) Release to Obtain Credit Information

e) PIV card application (web-based)

Contractor employees are required to give, and to authorize others to give, full, frank, and truthful answers to relevant and material questions needed to reach a suitability determination. Refusal or failure to furnish or authorize provision of information may constitute grounds for denial or revocation of credentials. Government personnel may contact the Contractor personnel being screened or investigated in person, by telephone or in writing, and the Contractor agrees to make available for such contact.

Alternatively, if an individual has already been credentialed by another agency through OPM, and that credential has not yet expired, further investigation may not be necessary. The Contractor agrees to provide the COR with documentation that support the individual’s status.

During performance of the task order, the Contractor shall keep the COR apprised of changes in personnel to ensure that performance is not delayed by compliance with credentialing processes. Cards that have been lost, damaged, or stolen must be reported to the COR and Issuing Office within 24 hours. Replacement shall be at the Contractor’s expense. If reissuance of expired credentials is needed, it shall be coordinated through the COR. At the end of performance, or when a Contractor employee is no longer working under this task order, the Contractor shall ensure that all identification cards are returned to the COR.

Before starting work, a National Agency Check (NAC) will be conducted to verify the identity of the individual applying for clearance. Upon successful completion of the NAC process, an identification card will be issued and access granted.

Simultaneously, a NAC with Inquiries (NACI) will be initiated to determine the individual’s suitability for the position. If the NACI adjudication is favorable, nothing more needs to be done. If the adjudication is unfavorable, the credentials will be revoked. In the event of a disagreement between the Contractor and the Government concerning the suitability of an individual to perform work under this task order, DOI shall have the right of final determination.

This requirement must be incorporated into any subcontracts that require sub-Contractor personnel to have regular and routine unsupervised access to a federally controlled facility for more than 180 calendar days or any unsupervised access to a federally controlled Level 3 or 4 information systems.

2.21 Confidentiality, Non-Disclosure & Data

2.21.1 Non-Disclosure

All information regarding the work products developed and made available to the Contractor under the contract must be regarded as sensitive information by the Contractor and not be disclosed or used in any other way than on the performance of this contract to anyone outside the Contractor’s organization without the written permission of the Contracting Officer.

All Contractor personnel shall sign a non-disclosure agreement. The Contractor agrees to assume responsibility for protecting the confidentiality of Government records, which are not public information. The Contractor shall take all reasonable precautions not to divulge information about the requirement and/or use this information for the Contractor’s gain and shall not divulge any information to any other organization (outside DOI) without written permission from the Contracting Officer. This form is provided with the solicitation, and shall be returned to the contracting officer no later than two days after award.

2.21.2 Organizational Conflict of Interest

The Contractor warrants that, to the best of the Contractor's knowledge and belief, there are no relevant facts or circumstances which would give rise to an organizational conflict of interest, as defined in FAR Subpart 9.5, or that the Contractor has disclosed all such relevant information.

The Contractor agrees that if an actual or potential organizational conflict of interest is discovered after award, the Contractor will make a full disclosure in writing to the Contracting Officer. This disclosure shall include a description of actions which the Contractor has taken or proposes to take, after consultation with the Contracting Officer, to avoid, mitigate, or neutralize the actual or potential conflict.

Remedies - The Contracting Officer may terminate this contract action for convenience, in whole or in part, if it deems such termination necessary to avoid an organizational conflict of interest. If the Contractor was aware of a potential organizational conflict of interest prior to award or discovered an actual or potential conflict after award and did not disclose or misrepresented relevant information to the Contracting Officer, the Government may terminate the contract for cause or default, debar the Contractor for Government contracting, or pursue such other remedies as may be permitted by law or this contract.

The Contractor further agrees to insert provisions which shall conform substantially to the language of this clause in any subcontract of consultant agreement hereunder. Attached Certificate for Conflict of Interest must be signed and returned to the Contracting Officer (see Attachment 5).

2.21.3 Release Of Data

The Contractor and/or Contractor personnel shall not divulge or release any data or information developed or obtained in performance of this effort without written approval of the Contracting Officer (CO). The Contractor shall not use, disclose, or reproduce proprietary data that may or may not carry a restrictive legend, other than as required in the performance of this effort.

2.21.4 Limited Use Of Data

Performance of this effort may require the Contractor to access and use data and information proprietary to a Government agency or Government Contractor which is of such a nature that its dissemination or use, other than in performance of this effort, would be adverse to the interests of the Government and/or others.

2.22 Administrative Considerations

2.22.1 Correspondence

To promote timely and effective administration, correspondence shall be subject to the following procedures:

a) Technical correspondence (where technical issues relating to compliance with the requirements herein) shall be addressed to the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) with an information copy to the Contracting Officer (CO) and the Contract Specialist (CS).

b) All other correspondence, including invoices, (that which proposes or otherwise involves waivers, deviations or modifications to the requirements, terms or conditions of this SOW) shall be addressed to the Contracting Officer with an information copy to the COR.

2.22.2 Points of Contact

2.22.2.1 Contracting Officer’s Representative

The Contracting Officer’s authorized representative (COR), for this effort is as follows: Will be identified after award.

2.22.2.2 Contracting Officer

All contract questions and concerns will be directed to the Government Contracting Officer. The Government Contracting Officer is the only individual with the authority to financially obligate the government and to make changes to original terms and conditions of this contract.

The Contractor is responsible for notifying the contracting officer of any potential issues or concerns – technical, scope or financial, concerning this contract. No cost chargeable to the proposed task order can be incurred before receipt of a fully executed task order or specific authorization from the Contracting Officer.

The Contracting Officer (CO) for this effort is as follows: Will be identified at time of solicitation.