Attachment_1_-_IDIQ_PWS_Amendment_0001_0001.pdf

MISSION SUPPORT: OPERATIONAL

EFFICIENCIES AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCES

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR (DOI)

VERSION 2.0 DATED AUGUST 22, 2025

General Information Background

The Department of the Interior (DOI) plays a crucial role in the daily lives of all Americans. As the caretaker of 20 percent of the nation’s land, the DOI serves as the primary agency for managing the country’s lands, waters, natural resources, and cultural heritage. The Department oversees and conserves the nation’s energy resources, including access to the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS); fulfills federal obligations to Indian Tribes, Alaska Natives, the Native Hawaiian Community, and insular areas; supplies and distributes water in the Western states;

collaborates with other federal agencies to safeguard our borders; and manages national parks, historic sites, and wildlife. The Department's mission involves many stakeholders including those living in neighborhoods across our great country and we are committed to ensure our goals promote technological progress exploring cutting-edge technologies that can help us achieve those goals.

By utilizing practical strategies and advanced technological systems, we can enhance returns and experiences for Americans that utilize the lands and resources we manage, as well as taxpayers, while preserving our stunning landscapes, supporting wildlife, and ensuring clean air and water.

Purpose & Objective

The Department of the Interior (DOI) is committed to efficiency, security, and responsiveness in the protection and managing of public service delivery to the American taxpayers. Prioritizing the American taxpayers needs allows the Government to increase compliance, participation, and satisfaction, while reducing costs. Equally important, the Government’s focus on reducing costs to taxpayers ensures responsible use of public funds and maximizes value of delivered services. By operating efficiently and eliminating waste, the Government can deliver high-quality public services without unnecessary spending of taxpayer money, while still meeting the public’s needs. Through technology modernization and streamlined processes, the Government can enhance end-user/customer experiences for the American public; streamline operations and improve productivity; reduce operational costs, as well as costs to taxpayers, and programmatic redundancies.

The objective of this requirement is to support the Government with all aspects related to the following areas 1) the implementation of technology solutions and tools; and 2) business process management to support a range of mission-critical, strategic goals and objectives. Both areas involve the utilization of agile methodologies and continuous integration practices;

resulting in adaptable technologies and business processes that can evolve with the Government’s strategic direction and objectives, customer needs, as well as support unique mission requirements. Emphasis is placed on scalability, interoperability, accessibility, and long-term sustainability that are adaptable to changes in federal policy and/or Government mission requirements.

It is important to note that technology solutions and tools may stem from business process management, or it may be a separate effort on its own. Examples of technology solutions and tools and/or business process enhancements may include, but are not limited to:

• Artificial Intelligence (AI): Solutions that leverage AI for business process data analysis, risk assessment, predictive modeling, and improving decision-making processes.

• Robotic Process Automation (RPA): Automation of repetitive tasks to streamline processes, reduce errors, and improve speed.

• Chatbots and Virtual Assistants: Tools that enhance user interaction, provide real-time support, and facilitate communication for both grant applicants and administrators.

• Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT): Innovative approaches to enhance transparency, security, and traceability in the management of funds and resources.

Scope / Requirements

General requirements are identified below, further defined requirements will be provided at the task order level.

The scope of this requirement focuses on the full life cycle of technology solutions and tools, and business process management to support a range of strategic, mission-critical goals within the federal Government, creating efficiencies and economies of scale to DOI customers, employees, and the general public at large. Specifically, requirements involve supporting the Government’s full life cycle of technology requirements to include analysis, writing requirements, recommending solutions, developing solutions, implementing COTS products, deployment, implementation, support and maintenance. Requirements also include the full-spectrum of business process management (BPM) for a range of operations, to include project planning; process analysis and data gathering; mapping; design/development; implementation;

and monitoring and control.

Technology Solutions: The Contractor shall support the full life cycle of advanced technology solutions and tools, to include requirements gathering and analysis; project planning; design, development, implementation; enhancements, and maintenance, as required by the Government. Technology solutions and tools include a range of requirements within the information technology industry and can require support for highly unique, complex, large-scale, and inter-related missions within the Government.

At minimum, all technology solutions should consider the following factors:

1. Compliance. All solutions and tools must comply with federal cybersecurity standards, including but not limited to the Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) guidelines and, where applicable, Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) requirements for cloud-based services. Solutions must support secure authentication, encryption, access controls, and continuous monitoring.

2. Scalability and Flexibility. Solutions and tools should be scalable to meet current and future operational demands and adaptable to evolving mission requirements. Tools must support modular implementation, integration with existing systems, and the potential for expansion within the Department.

3. Interoperability and Integration. Solutions and tools must integrate seamlessly with existing Government infrastructure and support standardized protocols for data exchange and communication, as applicable. Open standards, application programming interface, and data interoperability are essential to ensure functionality across platforms.

4. Usability and Accessibility. Solutions and tools must be user-friendly and designed with the end user in mind. They must comply with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act to ensure accessibility for individuals with disabilities. User interfaces should enhance the end user and/or customer experience, to include ease of navigation, low training requirements, and role-based access, as applicable.

5. Reliability and Performance. Solutions and tools should offer high availability and minimal downtime. Performance benchmarks should be defined, measurable, and maintained consistently across all applicable environments.

6. Support and Maintenance. Ongoing technical support, routine maintenance, and timely updates, including patch management and vulnerability remediation. Thorough documentation and training materials with ease of usability and readability should be made available for the Government.

7. Data Management and Reporting. Solutions and tools must enable secure data storage, retrieval, analysis, and reporting. They should support role-based access to data, audit trails, and the ability to generate customizable, real-time reports in support of decision-making and compliance obligations.

8. Cost-Effectiveness. Proposed solutions should be cost-effective over their lifecycle, with transparent pricing models and minimal proprietary constraints. The Government may prioritize tools that reduce operational costs through automation, consolidation, or reuse of existing assets.

Business Process Management (BPM): The Contractor shall support the structured approach to managing the entire lifecycle of a business process management, to include requirements gathering and process analysis/mapping; project planning; writing requirements; process development, design, and implementation; and process monitoring and refinement, as required by the Government. Business process management can include the development of new processes, refinement of existing processes, processes transformation, or process modernization. Processes can apply to a singular operational area to highly, integrated, multi-faceted operations within the Government.

At minimum, all BPM solutions should consider the following factors:

1. Compliance. The contractor must ensure that all business processes are designed, executed, and continuously monitored to meet applicable regulatory, legal, contractual, and internal policy requirements.

2. Interoperability and Integration. Processes must integrate seamlessly with existing Government infrastructure and support standardized protocols and operations, as applicable.

3. Flexibility & Scalability. Processes must adapt to changing business requirements and process variations. Processes should also consider scale to handle increased volume, users, and complexity as program requirements change and/or to align with the Government’s strategic direction.

4. Continuous Improvement Culture. Processes must involve the analysis, refinement, and enhancement of business processes to achieve higher efficiency, effectiveness, quality, and customer satisfaction over time. New, refined, or reengineered processes must have a means for performance assessments, as required by the Government.

5. Customer Focus. Process designs must consider ease of usability, with a focus on customer needs and experiences and afford customer feedback. Specifically, all process design, optimization, and management efforts must prioritize the needs, expectations, and experiences of the customer to drive customer value and satisfaction.

6. Cost-Effectiveness. Proposed processes should be cost-effective, with transparent pricing, and minimal proprietary constraints. The Government may prioritize processes that enhance customer experiences and reduce operational costs through automation, consolidation, or reuse of existing assets.

Mission Support. The contractor shall provide support for technology improvements or projects identified within DOI to further enhance the DOI mission to the American people.

Support could include analysis, drafting requirements, recommending solutions, developing solutions, implementing COTS products, deployment, implementation, support and maintenance.

Contractor Personnel Requirements Key Personnel

Key Personnel are identified below:

IDIQ program manager meeting the below requirements:

- A minimum of 15 years’ experience in IT modernization efforts, implementation of technology solutions and tools.

- Experience with the full spectrum of business process management to include project planning, process analysis and data gathering, mapping, design/development, implementation and monitoring and control.

No substitutions shall be made of accepted Key Personnel except for sudden illness, death, or termination of employment. Substitutions shall only be accepted if in compliance with the substitution of Key Personnel provision identified below. Before replacing any individual designated as Key by the Government, the contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) no less than ten (10) business days in advance, submit written justification for replacement, and provide the name and qualifications of any proposed substitute(s). All proposed substitutes shall possess qualifications equal to or superior to those of the key person being replaced, unless otherwise approved by the COR. The Contractor shall not replace Key personnel without approval from the COR.

Management of Contractor Personnel

The Contractor shall be responsible for managing and overseeing the activities of all Contractor personnel, as well as subcontractors 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 PWS and individual orders.

Contractor personnel shall be professional in demeanor, responsiveness, appearance, and deportment. The Contractor personnel may be required to interface with senior Government and Industry officials. Contractor personnel shall have excellent written and oral communications skills sufficient to provide clear and concise communication and documentation.

An integral part of successful performance under this contract is not only the production of quality work products, but also the responsiveness of Contractor personnel to the day-to-day performance and administration of assigned workload. While an end product or deliverable is vital to successful performance, day-to-day activities also include interaction and responsiveness. Accordingly, the Contractor shall be proactive in accomplishing assigned tasks and be responsive to all entities with business dealings related to the assigned tasks. For any work that was determined by the Government to be late, incomplete, or unsatisfactory, the Contractor shall take necessary action to ensure that future performance conforms to contract requirements.

See Appendix 03: Contractor Onboarding for required onboarding processes.

This process is subject to change as policies and procedures are updated.

Removal of Contractor Personnel

Where a contractor employee demonstrates performance or behavior issues, the Contracting Officer (CO) may request/require that individual be removed from supporting the Government under this contract.

Program Manager The Contractor shall provide a Program Manager, as required, to facilitate Government- Contractor communications. The Program Manager shall be the primary technical and managerial interface between the Contractor, CO, and COR. The name of this person and an alternate or alternates who shall act for the Contractor when the Program Manager is absent, shall be designated in writing to the CO. The Program Manager or alternate will have full authority to act for the Contractor on all contract matters relating to daily operations. The Program Manager or alternate must be available during normal duty hours, as specified herein and to meet with Government personnel within two (2) business days after being notified to discuss problems.

The Contractor's Program Manager 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 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 two (2) business days of the subject meeting.

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

Contractor Knowledge Transfer

In the event a Contractor resource leaves the contract, the Contractor shall ensure knowledge transfer to the new Contractor resource to ensure proficiency to successfully perform the required duties, where applicable.

Contractor Training Requirements

Contractor personnel are expected to possess the described and required knowledge, skills, and expertise to fulfill the requirements of this contract. Training of contractor staff to maintain current knowledge, skills and expertise is the responsibility of the Contractor and at their expense.

Identification of Contractor Resources and Access to Government Facilities

When Contractor personnel attend meetings, answer phones, and work in other situations where their status is not obvious to third parties, they must identify themselves as such to avoid creating the impression that they are Government employees.

Special Performance Work Statement (PWS) Requirements

Productive Direct Labor Hours (Applicable to Time and Materials Line Items)

The Contractor shall only charge the Government for “Productive Direct Labor Hours”.

Productive direct labor hours are defined as those hours expended by contractor personnel in performing work under this effort. This does not include sick leave, vacation, Government or other Contractor holidays, jury duty, military leave, or any other types of administrative leave such as acts of God (i.e. hurricanes, snowstorms, tornadoes, etc.), presidential funerals, or any other unexpected Government closures.

Hours spent by any individual, Contractor employee or otherwise, to complete the forms and any other paperwork required by the Government to process background clearances, or for the purpose of obtaining required fingerprints, are not billable to the Government. Time spent by any individual to participate in interviews conducted by OPM, or its designees, for the purpose of completing background investigations is not billable to the Government. The Government considers these costs to be overhead and estimates that between three and ten hours may be required on the part of an individual to complete background clearance processing.

No billable hours will be allowed until Contractor staff have completed all security requirements and such requirements are approved by the Government.

Government Holidays The following Government holidays are normally observed by Government personnel:

1. New Year’s Day

2. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday

3. Presidential Inauguration Day

(metropolitan DC area only)

4. President’s Day (Washington’s

Birthday per 5 U.S.C. 6103(a))

5. Memorial Day

6. Juneteenth

7. Independence Day

8. Labor Day

9. Columbus Day

10. Veterans Day

11. Thanksgiving Day

12. Christmas Day

13. Any other day designated by

Federal Statute, Executive Order, and/or Presidential Proclamation, or any other kind of administrative leave such as acts of God (i.e., hurricanes, snowstorms, tornadoes, etc.) Presidential funerals or any other unexpected government closures.

A full list of Federal Holidays by specific year and date is available at:

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/.

For Federal Holidays not observed by the Contractor, the unobserved Federal Holiday is not billable under this contract.

It is not anticipated during the performance, that contractor resources will be required to work on Federal holidays. If an exception arises, and work is required on a Federal Holiday in support of the contract, the support requirement will be mutually agreed to in advance by the Government and Contractor.

Overtime

Overtime is not authorized under this contract.

Payment for Unauthorized Work

No payments will be made for any unauthorized supplies or services or for any unauthorized changes to the work specified in this document. This includes any services performed by the Contractor of their own volition or at the request of an individual other than a duly appointed CO. Only a duly appointed CO is authorized to change the specifications, terms, and conditions under this contract.

Place of Performance

The primary place of performance is the Contractor’s facility, or an alternate Contractor designated location within the fifty (50) United States and official U.S. territories.

The vast majority of meetings will be conducted virtually through Microsoft Teams or similar platform. In order to ensure effective communications, the Contractor shall ensure all personnel have functional, accessible web cameras, which are required to be used in all meetings, where applicable. Exceptions for web camera usage includes if the meeting host has specifically stated that cameras should not be used or if attending a large-scale meeting (e.g.

50+ attendees), unless presenting, answering, or asking a question.

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/

All Contractor personnel must use Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) while working. All connections to DOI networks and remote systems require two-factor authentication. When connecting to the DOI network to access certain DOI applications via the contractor personnel’s Information Service Provider's portal or internet gateway, contractor personnel must connect to the DOI network via the Virtual Private Network (VPN).

At the end of each day, Contractor personnel must ensure all records are saved to the official designated secured network shared drive. Contractor personnel shall disconnect from the VPN during extended periods of inactivity. Any security incidents or violations must be reported immediately to the IBC Customer Support Center and the CO.

Other Direct Costs (ODCs)

Other Direct Costs billed under Materials may be required for tasks under this award for Government required items. ODCs shall receive Government Contracting Officer approval prior to funds being expended. The ODCs shall be shown with three quotes or documented why the Contractor anticipates these costs are fair and reasonable.

ODCs may be required for licensure for any software or tools necessary to support the operating environment and user community. Some examples for licenses include, but are not limited to, licenses for a sprint tracking and ticket management system, database modeling tools, workflow engines, Business Intelligence tools for data visualizations and analytics, e- Learning authoring tools, platforms, and software.

Travel

1. Travel is anticipated to be required during the period of performance.

2. Where needed, travel will be issued as a not to exceed (NTE) line item.

3. Local travel, within 50 mile radius, to the scheduled premise is not reimbursable. Travel reimbursement between the Contractor site or residence and the DOI work site will NOT be authorized.

4. All travel requirements, including plans, agenda, itinerary and dates shall be approved in writing by the COR PRIOR TO commencement of travel. The contractor shall be reimbursed for actual allowable, allocable, and reasonable travel costs incurred during performance of this effort in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulations (FTR) currently in effect on the date of travel and FAR 31.205-46, however, receipts are required for all travel reimbursement under this PWS where travel is requested and approved. Travel other than economy class will not be reimbursed.

5. All travel shall be scheduled and approved sufficiently in advance to take advantage of offered discount rates, unless authorized by the COR.

6. Invoices submitted for reimbursement of travel SHALL include documentation of COR approval prior to travel.

7. Government Per Diem shall be used for daily expenditures. Reference:

https://www.gsa.gov/travel/plan-book/per-diem-rates.

8. Rental cars are limited to economy – unless more than 2 travelers. If more than 2 travelers, a mid-size care is authorized – rental of larger cars for more than 4 travelers will be authorized on a case-by-case basis and ONLY by the CO in advance of travel.

9. Global Positioning System (GPS) will not be reimbursed.

10. Short term parking will not be reimbursed for travel that is more than one (1) business day in length.

11. The Contractor shall submit travel expenditures in a timely manner. Therefore, travel expenses invoiced later than sixty (60) calendar days after the actual travel end date will not be reimbursed and are considered untimely.

Government Travel References Include:

• 41 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Chapters 300 through 304

• FAR 31.205-46 Travel Costs

• Federal Travel Regulations (FTR) & Per Diem Information Travel Resources:

www.gsa.gov

Performance Measures

Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan

The following performance measures have been established to guide the expected levels of service for the required services to be delivered and/or performed under individual task orders.

The COR will maintain the method of surveillance. The COR will inform the CO in writing of Contractor performance issues as detailed in the Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP).

The CO will ensure adequate documentation and corrective action is taken to ensure acceptable performance standards are maintained by the Contractor.

The Government will not apply penalties for events outside of the Contractor’s control and not directly attributed to the Contractor’s performance.

https://www.gsa.gov/travel/plan-book/per-diem-rates

Table 1: QASP Table

PWS Ref. Required Service Performance Standards Acceptable

Quality Level Method of Surveillance

7.4 Monthly

Status Reports (MSPRs)

Delivered MSPRs are accurate, timely, and comply with reporting requirements and the COR shall not have to rework or normalize data within the reports

100% of the time

MSPR;

Observation & COR assessment

2.0

3.0

Assigned Functions

Contractor personnel complete assigned functions completely, accurately, and timely within agreed upon timelines.

95% of the time

Random Sampling;

Feedback;

Review of

MSPR

Deliverable Requirements

Deliverables

The Contractor shall provide the Deliverables outlined in the Schedule of Deliverables Table below. All deliverables shall be provided to the Government in Microsoft Office 365 compliant format via secure digital delivery or as directed by the COR. Deliverables developed at the order level shall be provided to the COR and CO. An additional distribution to other Government personnel may be directed at the order level.

Table 2: All Deliverables shall be submitted to the CO and COR Electronically.

Deliverable Item #

Milestone / Deliverable Due Dates

3 Onboarding Packages Within 3 business days after task order award

4 Management Plan Within 30 business days of task order award

5 Monthly Status Reports Monthly by the fifth business day of the Month for each task order

6 GFE Inventory Reports - 30 calendar days after performance start date;

- At the end of the fifth (5th) month for each PoP;

- 30 calendar days before the end of each PoP

Non-Disclosure Agreement & Certificate for no Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI)

3 business days after onboarding adjudication

Management Plan

The Management Plan will be provided at the task order level and will detail the Contractor’s approach the Contractor will implement for performance of the requirements in this PWS and task order specific requirements. The Contractor should include key details to fully describe their approach and, at a minimum, include details on areas such as quality control, performance metrics, metric reporting, recruitment, retention, and training.

The Management Plan should be thorough with ease of usability, meet the requirements as outlined, and not to exceed 5 pages. The front cover, the inside front cover, the table of contents, the back cover and the inside back cover do not count toward the overall page count of the Management Plan. The document shall be concise and include specifics and details.

Unnecessary details, filler, and irrelevant information and/or graphics will adversely affect the quality and evaluation of the deliverable.

The Contractor shall structure the sections within the Management Plan according to the following:

• Quality Control. The Contractor shall describe their approach in ensuring that high quality support services and deliverables are provided in compliance with the requirements set forth in the QASP; reference table 2. This shall include measures put in place to ensure contractor personnel complete assigned functions and programs within agreed upon timelines and in accordance with the Government’s requirements.

• Support Resources. The Contractor will describe how they will ensure all requirements will be met as outlined in the PWS. In the approach, specifics on how the requirements will be met should be included; however, the Contractor shall not simply restate the requirements as found in the PWS. The Contractor should in this section, begin with a statement that all requirements as stated in the PWS shall be delivered as required or that all requirement as stated in the PWS shall be delivered as required except as documented below, and include those exceptions. Any requirements that the Contractor is taking exception to shall be clearly identified.

• Performance Metrics & Reporting. The Contractor shall describe in the Management Plan proposed techniques by which the Contractor will manage performance during the life of the contract. The Contractor shall consider the processes by which they will manage service delivery of requirements set forth in this PWS. The Contractor shall define the proposed performance standards and metrics by which performance across all task requirements will be assessed, including the benchmark standard(s) of acceptable performance, and describe how performance will be reported and communicated to the Government. This section of the Management Plan shall include an excerpt of a simulated or sample report that demonstrates how performance will be reported to the Government.

• Retention. The Management Plan shall clearly and concisely demonstrate their approach to retaining highly qualified resources for the support service requirements throughout the life of the contract.

At a minimum, the Management Plan shall be reviewed and updated annually; or as needed that is mutually agreed upon between the Government and the Contractor.

Monthly Status Reports

The Contractor shall prepare and submit monthly status reports to the CO and COR on each task order, due by the fifth (5th) business day of the month for the previous month’s work status. The monthly status reports shall be in sufficient detail to describe all work accomplished and results achieved during the month. The status report shall include, at a minimum:

• Contractor Accomplishments

• Burn Rate

Contractor Accomplishments

The contractor accomplishments section shall summarize the work accomplished by the contractor personnel.

The Government may opt for this information to be input into a Government Provided reporting tool requiring collection and data entry.

Burn Rate Management

The Burn Rate Management section shall include the following data points:

• Total labor hours (current month and cumulative)

• Total labor dollars expended (current month and cumulative)

• Total travel dollars expended (current month and cumulative)

Reporting Information

The Government may opt for the information within the Monthly Status Reports to be input into a Government Provided reporting tool requiring collection and data entry.

GFE Inventory Reports

An inventory of GFE must be completed by:

• 5 calendar days after performance start date;

• At the end of the fifth (5th) month for each PoP;

• 5 calendar days before the end of each PoP

The Contractor and the COR or other Government representative must jointly determine the working order and condition of all equipment and document their findings on the inventory.

Non-Disclosure Agreements

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 CO.

Non-disclosure agreement forms shall be signed by each proposed Contractor employee and submitted with their on-boarding packages. Non-Disclosure Agreement forms are provided at Appendix 1.

Deliverable Inspection and Acceptance

Inspection and acceptance of all work performance, reports, and other deliverables under the contract shall be performed by the COR or a duly authorized representative. Inspection and acceptance will be performed in writing, via electronic mail.

Unless otherwise specifically indicated in the PWS, one (1) iteration of each deliverable shall be delivered, unless mutually agreed to by the vendor and Government that additional iterations are required due to quality of the deliverable being unacceptable. If there is not a meeting of the minds between the Contractor and the Government, the CO shall make the final decision.

Draft Deliverables – Written Acceptance/Rejection by the Government

The Government will provide written acceptance, comments, and change requests, if any, within fifteen (15) business days (unless specifically otherwise agreed to) from Government receipt of the draft deliverable.

Upon receipt of the Government comments, the Contractor shall have five (5) business days to incorporate the Government's comments and change requests and to resubmit the deliverable in its final form.

Final Deliverables – Written Acceptance/Rejection by the Government

The COR will provide written notification via electronic mail of acceptance of all final deliverables within five business days (unless specifically otherwise agreed to). All notifications of rejection will be accompanied by an explanation of the specific deficiencies causing the rejection.

Upon receipt of the Government comments, the Contractor shall have three business days to incorporate the Government's comments and change requests and to resubmit the deliverable in its final form.

Deliverable Inspection and Acceptance Criteria

All deliverables will be inspected by the COR through coordination with the Division and/or Branch Chiefs of the Division and Branch contractor employees are assigned to support.

Deliverables will be inspected for content, completeness, accuracy, and conformance to contract requirements and assigned tasks.

The Government requires a period not to exceed (NTE) fifteen (15) business days after receipt of draft and five (5) business days after receipt of final deliverable items for inspection and acceptance, or rejection.

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

• Accuracy - Work products shall be accurate in presentation, technical content, and adherence to accepted elements of style.

• Clarity - Work products shall be clear and concise. Diagrams shall be easy to understand and be relevant to the supporting narrative.

• Consistency to Requirements - All work products must satisfy the requirements of this

PWS.

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

• Format - Work products shall be submitted in media mutually agreed upon prior to submission.

• Timeliness - Work products shall be submitted on or before the due date specified in this PWS or submitted in accordance with a later scheduled date determined by the Government.

Deliverable Quality Assurance

The Contractor is responsible for editing and proofreading all materials prior to delivery to IBC AQD and to submit products of the highest technical and editorial standards. Reports, documents, and narrative-type deliverables will be accepted when all discrepancies, errors, or other deficiencies identified in writing by the Government, have been corrected. The Contractor shall establish an effective quality control process to assure that the final end-product(s) meets professional requirements. All due dates are in business days unless otherwise listed.

Other Contract Requirements

Invoicing Requirements

Invoicing procedures will be established within the contract. The Contractor shall submit a Monthly Summary of Invoices to the CO designated in the contract and in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.212-4(g).

Security Requirements

Contractor Personnel Security and Suitability Requirements

The following section defines minimal applicable departmental mandates as they apply to the contract. The Contractor will work within all applicable departmental guidance pursuant to the latest policies. Contractor staff with Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) or network access must be able to obtain a moderate public trust clearance. No billable hours will be allowed until the Contractor staff has completed all security requirements, and such requirements are approved by the Government. The Department currently requires moderate public trust clearance in order for Contractor staff to obtain GFE; however, the Department reserves the right to upgrade the clearance level requirements due to mission-specific needs at any time.

See Appendix 03: Contractor Onboarding for required onboarding processes. This process is subject to change as policies and procedures are updated.

Federal Personal Identification Card Requirements

1. Performance of the contract requires Contractor personnel to have a Federal Government-issued personal identification card before being allowed access to a DOI facility and/or information systems. The COR will be the sponsoring official and will make the arrangements for personal identity verification and card issuance.

2. At the post award meeting, the Contractor will identify all Contractor and subcontractor personnel who will require physical and/or logical access for the performance of work under the resulting contract. The Contractor must make their personnel available at the place and time specified by the COR in order to initiate screening and background investigations. The following forms will be used to initiate the credentialing process and must be presented to the COR no later than three (3) business days after the contract award:

a. OPM Standard Form 85 or 85P

b. Declaration of Federal Employment Optional Form (OF) 306

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

d. Release to Obtain Credit Information

e. Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card application (web-based)

f. Contractor employees are required to give and 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 the provision of information may constitute a ground 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 them available for such contact.

3. 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 shall provide the COR with documentation that supports the individual’s status.

4. During the performance of the contract, the Contractor will keep the COR apprised of changes in personnel to ensure that performance is not delayed by compliance with credentialing processes.

5. Cards that have been lost, damaged, or stolen must be reported to the COR and Issuing Office within one business day. Replacement will be at the Contractor’s expense. If re-issuance of expired credentials is needed, it will be coordinated through the COR.

6. At the end of contract performance, or when a Contractor employee is no longer working under the contract, the Contractor will ensure that all identification cards are returned to the COR.

7. Before starting work under the contract, a National Agency Check (NAC) will be conducted to verify the identity of the individual applying for a background clearance.

Upon successful completion of the NAC process, an identification card will be issued, and access will be granted.

8. 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 the contract, the Government shall have the right to a final determination.

9. These requirements must be incorporated into any subcontracts.

Contractor Personnel Security Policies and Procedures

1. All Contractor personnel shall be subject to DOI and IBC security policies and procedures for access to facilities and parking.

2. All Contractor personnel requiring access to the Internet from DOI facilities shall comply with the DOI security process, policies, and procedures. Contractor personnel shall be required to complete annual security training, including, at a minimum: Federal Information System Security Awareness, Rules of Behavior for Network access, Privacy Awareness, Records Management, and Insider Threat Awareness. Minimum training requirements are subject to change.

3. All Contractor personnel shall comply with all DOI and DOI IT security policies, procedures, and requirements. If required, Contractor personnel will make Contractor owned equipment (hardware, software, etc.) used on the contract available for Government inspection.

4. IT security requirements for unclassified information technology resources are applicable to all or any part of the contract that includes information technology resources or services in which the Contractor must have physical or electronic access to DOI’s sensitive information contained in unclassified systems that directly support the mission of the Agency. This includes information technology, hardware, software, and the management, operation, maintenance, programming, and system administration of computer systems, networks, and telecommunications systems. Contractor resources may be subject to additional security evaluation and requirements when working on an implementation/integration at the customer site.

Security / Safeguard of Government Property

The Contractor shall be responsible for safeguarding all Government property provided for Contractor use. At the end of normal duty hours and/or after normal duty hours, all Government facilities, equipment, and materials must be secured.

In the performance of work under this award, the Contractor must, without additional expense to the Government, be responsible for obtaining any necessary licenses and permits and for complying with any federal, state, and municipal laws, codes, and regulations applicable to the performance of the work.

Marketing Restriction Requirement

The Contractor shall not collect, store, or use any email addresses or Government personnel contact information obtained through interaction for support under this contract for Marketing or Outreach efforts. The information is not to be provided to a third party. Email addresses shall only be used for the sole intention of communication and used only when needed as it relates to delivering services under this contract.

Endorsements Restriction Requirement

Department of the Interior Acquisition Regulation (DIAR) 1452.203-70 Restrictions on Endorsements (Jul 1996). The Contractor shall not refer to contracts awarded by the Department of the Interior in commercial advertising, as defined in FAR 31.205-1, in a manner that states or implies that the product or service provided is approved or endorsed by the Government or is considered by the Government to be superior to other products or services.

This restriction is intended to avoid the appearance of preference by the Government toward any product or service. The Contractor may request the CO to make a determination as to the propriety of promotional material.

Release of Information Restriction Requirement

No news release (including photographs and films, public announcements, denial, or confirmation of same) on any part of the subject matter of this effort or any phase of any program hereunder shall be made without the prior written approval of the CO. The Contractor is prohibited from releasing to any source, other than the sponsoring activity, any interim, draft, and final reports or information pertaining to services performed under this contract unless approved by the CO. Furthermore, the Contractor shall ensure that the cover of all interim, draft, and final reports contains the following statement:

"The views, opinions, or findings contained in this report are those of the author(s) and should not be construed as an official Government position, policy, or decision, unless designated by other documentation.".

There shall be no dissemination or publication, except within and between the Contractor and any subcontractors, of information developed under this contract or contained in the reports to be furnished pursuant to this effort without prior written approval from the CO. Information made available to the Contractor by the Government for the performance or administration of this effort shall be used only for those purposes and shall not be used in any other way without the written agreement of the CO. The Contractor agrees to assume responsibility for protecting the confidentiality of Government records, which are not public information. Each Contractor or employee of the Contractor to whom the information may be made available or disclosed shall be notified in writing by the Contractor that such information may be disclosed only for a purpose and to the extent authorized herein.

Privacy Requirements

The Contractor shall be in compliance with all applicable Federal privacy laws and regulations to secure Personally Identifiable Information (PII).

The Contractor must secure, lockdown, and restrict all PII according to federal guardianship requirements and comply with current Federal regulations and guidance found in the Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA), Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) for cloud-hosted systems, the Privacy Act of 1974, Section 208 of the E- Government Act of 2002, Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 800-Series Special Publications (SP), and other relevant Federal laws and regulations that DOI must comply with.

Privacy Breach Reporting Requirements

The operational Contractor must provide notice to the DOI CO of any known or suspected breach of PII and meet breach reporting and mitigation requirements in electronic or physical form to the CO via email within one hour of discovery.

The Contractor must provide a detailed written analysis with the following data elements available at the time of the breach:

• Location of breach

• Date and time the breach was discovered

• Nature of the event (loss, theft, unauthorized access)

• Description or summary of events

• Description of PII involved, such as name, address, etc.

• Number of potentially impacted individuals

Contract Administration

The contract is exclusively in support of DOI.

Therefore, warranted COs employed by other Federal Agencies are not authorized and will not be delegated on the contract.

The CO of record for the resulting contract resides in the IBC AQD. An IBC AQD CO will be responsible for executing modifications to the contract.

All questions and concerns will be directed to the Government CO assigned to the contract.

The Government CO and alternate CO are the only individuals with the authority to financially obligate the Government and to make changes to the original terms and conditions of the contract.

Administrative Considerations

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

1. All correspondence shall be addressed to the COR with an informational copy to the CO.

2. All invoice correspondence (which proposes or otherwise involves waivers, deviations, or modifications to the requirements, terms or conditions) shall be addressed to the CO with an informational copy to the COR.

Contracting Officer’s Authority

An IBC AQD CO is the only person authorized to make or approve any changes in any of the requirements of the contract, and notwithstanding any provisions contained elsewhere in the contract, the said authority remains solely with the CO. In the event the Contractor makes any changes at the direction of any person other than the CO, the change will be considered to have been made without authority, and no adjustment will be made in the contract terms and conditions, including price.

Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR)

At the time of award, the CO will appoint a COR in writing for the Contractor through a COR Appointment Letter that will be provided to the Contractor. The COR will represent the CO in the technical phases of the work. The COR will provide no supervisory or instructional assistance to Contractor personnel.

The COR is not authorized to change any of the terms and conditions, scope, schedule, or price of the contract. Changes in the scope of work will be made only by the CO by properly executed modifications to the contract.

Government Furnished Property, Equipment, & Information Government Furnished Property (GFP) / Equipment (GFE)

Government-furnished property (material, equipment, and/or information) may be provided as determined by the Government. At the request of the Government, or at completion of this effort, the Contractor shall immediately return any Government-provided property, material, equipment, or information provided by the Government for the Contractor to use to complete this effort.

The Government, during the performance this contract, may provide the following property to the Contractor as deemed necessary to perform assigned tasks:

• Access to DOI equipment, internet, or systems shall only be provided contingent upon individuals completing the full background investigation process and completing all DOI IT security training requirements.

• When at DOI facilities, the Contractor may be provided with phone service and computer connections for Contractor staff to access email from his/her company.

However, internet access is on an ‘if available” basis and is not guaranteed.

• The Government may furnish the computer hardware, software, and supporting GFE materials and facilities, as…