15A00021R00000007 ATTACHMENT C (Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan).pdf

Solicitation

Department of Justice

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Operations Division (SOD) and

Distribution Supply and Service Center Contract Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP)

1. Vision and Mission ATF has a requirement to provide basic duty uniforms, investigative equipment and personal protective equipment to its special agents, industry operations investigators (IOI), explosives enforcement officers, firearms enforcement officers, and other authorized users in an efficient and cost effective manner. The contractor will be responsible for the acquisition, storage, protection, and distribution of such uniform, investigative equipment, and personal protective equipment items. These duties will be executed in a manner that will provide superior customer service, logistical management of ATF-owned property, and minimal ATF administrative involvement.

2. Purpose

This Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan is a government-developed document used to determine if the contractor’s performance meets the performance standards contained in the contract. The QASP establishes procedures on how this assessment/inspection process will be conducted. It provides the detailed process for a continuous oversight process:

• What will be monitored?

• How monitoring will take place.

• Who will conduct the monitoring?

• How monitoring efforts and results will be documented.

The contractor is responsible for implementing and delivering performance that meets contract standards using its Quality Control Plan. The QASP provides the structure for the government’s surveillance of the contractor’s performance and their Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) actions to assure they meet contract standards. It is the government’s responsibility to be objective, fair and consistent in evaluating contractor performance. The QASP is not part of the contract nor is it intended to duplicate the contractor’s quality control plan. This QASP is a living document.

Flexibility in the QASP is required to allow for an increase or decrease in the level of surveillance necessary based on contractor performance.

The government may provide a copy of the QASP to the contractor to facilitate open communication. In addition, the QASP should recognize that unforeseen or uncontrollable circumstances might occur that are outside the control of the contractor.

Bottom line, the QASP should ensure early identification and resolution of performance issues to minimize impact on mission performance.

3. Authority

Authority for issuance of this QASP is provided under Part 46 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation, Inspection of Services clauses, which provides for inspection, acceptance and documentation of the service called for in the contract or order. This acceptance is to be executed by the contracting officer or a duly authorized representative.

4. Roles and Responsibilities

The following personnel shall oversee and coordinate surveillance activities. Program Manager (PM). The PM provides primary program oversight. Ensures the COR is trained before performing any COR duties and supports the COR’s performance assessment activities. While the PM may serve as a direct conduit to provide Government guidance and feedback to the Contractor on technical matters, they are not empowered to make any contractual commitments or any contract changes on the government’s behalf.

This information will be filled out subsequent to contract award: Assigned PM:

Kimberly Guay, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Telephone:

202/631-1507, Email: Kimberly.Guay@ATF.gov.

The CO shall ensure performance of all necessary actions for effective contracting, ensure compliance with the contract terms, and shall safeguard the interests of the United States in the contractual relationship. The CO shall also ensure that the contractor receives impartial, fair, and equitable treatment under this contract.

Determine the final assessment of the contractor’s performance.

This information will be filled out subsequent to contract award:

Assigned CO: Jim Huff, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Telephone: 202/648-9117, Email: James.Huff@atf.gov.

Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) The COR is responsible for providing continuous technical oversight of the contractor’s performance. The COR uses the QASP to conduct the oversight/surveillance process. The COR shall keep a Quality Assurance file that accurately documents the contractor’s actual performance. The purpose is to ensure that the contractor meets the performance standards contained in the contract.

The COR is responsible for reporting early identification of performance problems to the CO. The COR is required to provide an annual performance assessment to the CO which will be used in documenting past performance. The QASP is the primary tool for surveillance of the contractor’s quality program and helps the COR to document contractor performance. The COR will ensure scheduled biannual reviews, site visits, and inspections are performed to verify all standards are met satisfactorily. The review schedule will be established during the kick off meeting and subsequently published after COR and Contractor mutual agreement. The COR is not empowered to make any contractual commitments or to authorize any contractual change on the Government’s behalf. This may include performance monitors, inspectors, technical experts, or others mailto:Kimberly.Guay@ATF.gov mailto:James.Huff@atf.gov who provide information that helps the COR monitor contractor performance.

Contractor Representatives The following employees of the contractor serve as the contractor’s Program Manager and Task Manager for this contract.

This information will be filled out subsequent to contract award:

Contractor Program Manager-<upon award, enter name>Telephone: <enter number>Email: <enter address>Contractor Task Manager-<upon award, enter name>Telephone: <enter number>Email: <enter address>Other Key Contractor Personnel- <upon award, enter name or delete these lines if not applicable>Title: <enter title>Telephone: <enter number>Email: <enter address>

5. Performance Requirements and Method of Surveillance

5.1. Contract Surveillance

The goal of the QASP is to ensure that contractor performance is effectively monitored and documented. The COR’s contribution is their professional, non-adversarial relationships with the CO, PM and the contractor, which enables positive, open and timely communications. The foundation of this relationship is built upon objective, fair, and consistent COR evaluations of contractor performance against contract requirements. The COR uses the methods contained in this QASP to ensure the contractor is in compliance with contract requirements. The COR function is responsible for a wide range of surveillance requirements that effectively measure and evaluate the contractor’s performance. Additionally, this QASP is based on the premise that the contractor, not the government, is responsible for management and QC/QA actions to successfully meet the terms of the contract.

5.2. Surveillance Matrix

The Surveillance Matrix (see below) is the list of performance objectives and standards that must be performed by the contractor. This matrix details the method of surveillance and frequency the COR will use to validate and inspect these performance elements.

Inspection of each element will be documented in the COR file. Performance objectives define the desired outcomes. Performance Standards define the level of service required under the contract to successfully meet the performance objective. The inspection methodology defines how, when, and what will be assessed in measuring performance.

The Government performs surveillance, using this QASP, to determine the quality of the contractor’s performance as it relates to the performance element standards. The Performance Requirement Summary (PRS) should be used to form the foundation of the COR’s inspection checklist.

5.3. Performance Rating Definitions

The performance ratings below reflect definitions at FAR 42.1503 Table 42-1. The COR will use these ratings to evaluate the quality of the contractor’s performance.

Rating Definition Note

(a) Exceptional Performance meets contractual requirements and exceeds many to the Government’s benefit. The contractual performance of the element or sub-element being evaluated was accomplished with few minor problems for which corrective actions taken by the contractor were highly effective.

To justify an Exceptional rating, identify multiple significant events and state how they were of benefit to the Government. A singular benefit, however, could be of such magnitude that it alone constitutes an Exceptional rating. Also, there should have been NO significant weaknesses identified.

(b) Very Good Performance meets contractual requirements and exceeds some to the Government’s benefit. The contractual performance of the element or sub-element being evaluated was accomplished with some minor problems for which corrective actions taken by the contractor were effective.

To justify a Very Good rating, identify a significant event and state how it was a benefit to the Government. There should have been no significant weaknesses identified.

(c) Satisfactory Performance meets contractual requirements. The contractual performance of the element or sub-element contains some minor problems for which corrective actions taken by the contractor appear or were satisfactory.

To justify a Satisfactory rating, there should have been only minor problems, or major problems the contractor recovered from without impact to the contract/order. There should have been NO significant weaknesses identified. A fundamental principle of assigning ratings is that contractors will not be evaluated with a rating lower than Satisfactory solely for not performing beyond the requirements of the contract/order.

Rating Definition Note

(d) Marginal Performance does not meet some contractual requirements. The contractual performance of the element or sub-element being evaluated reflects a serious problem for which the contractor has not yet identified corrective actions. The contractor’s proposed actions appear only marginally effective or were not fully implemented.

To justify Marginal performance, identify a significant event in each category that the contractor had trouble overcoming and state how it impacted the Government. A Marginal rating should be supported by referencing the management tool that notified the contractor of the contractual deficiency (e.g., management, quality, safety, or environmental deficiency report or letter).

(e) Unsatisfactory

Performance does not meet most contractual requirements and recovery is not likely in a timely manner. The contractual performance of the element or sub-element contains a serious problem(s) for which the contractor’s corrective actions appear or were ineffective.

To justify an Unsatisfactory rating, identify multiple significant events in each category that the contractor had trouble overcoming and state how it impacted the Government. A singular problem, however, could be of such serious magnitude that it alone constitutes an unsatisfactory rating. An Unsatisfactory rating should be supported by referencing the management tools used to notify the contractor of the contractual deficiencies (e.g., management, quality, safety, or environmental deficiency reports, or letters).

Note 1: Plus or minus signs may be used to indicate an improving (+) or worsening (-) trend insufficient to change the evaluation status.

Note 2: N/A (not applicable) should be used if the ratings are not going to be applied to a particular area for evaluation.

6. Performance Reporting

6.1. Corrective Action Report (CAR).

Describes how discrepancies are reported and resolved

6.2. Performance Assessment Report (PAR).

6.3. Performance Improvement Form (PRS Attachment E) (in accordance with

SOW).

6.3.1. Performance Data from Performance Improvement Forms collected and summarized for reports (6.1 and 6.2)

Surveillance Matrix

Methods of surveillance are applicable daily, weekly, and monthly reports

All inspections and ratings will be factored into the associated corrective action plan

Task Standards / Acceptable Quality

Limits

Inspections

Rating

4.1. Accessibility to a

multitude of law enforcement and tactical-related specialized products through an on line application

The contractor will maintain a web based on line ordering system. This system will be in compliance set forth in the Contract, Description/Specifications/Statement of Work

Contract provides services to the sites in accordance with SOW 4.6.2

PM will monitor on line system daily to monitor orders and status

COR will address any complaints from the field concerning on line system

PM/COR will create a CAR on any issues with the on line system that do not meet task standards

4.2. Timely completion

of approved items/orders

Contract provides services and products in accordance with Contract, Description/Specifications/Statement of Work sites in accordance with SOW 4.2 and 4.3

The PM will review the contractors adherence to filling orders as required in the contract

PM will coordinate with COR to ensure compliance failures are addressed

4.3. Quality of provided

products

All products provided through this contract will be in accordance with specifications defined in the SOW sites in accordance with SOW 4.3.1

The PM will review the contractors adherence to levels and quality required in the contract

COR will perform reviews to ensure compliance at a quality level acceptable to the government.

Including but not limited to onsite inspections.

4.4 Assistance with

orders

4.5. Other services

The contractor will maintain a help desk to responding to calls/emails from ATF employees. In accordance with SOW 4.6.2

The contractor must have an established process to create a customized kit of related items/materials that is assembled and shipped as one unit. A case in point would be kits for ATF medics.

Activities supporting this process would include as defined in SOW 5.0

PM/COR will monitor will ensure issues are addressed

COR will ensure the compliance with SOW and address identified issues with contractor.