EDI_PWS_DRAFT.pdf

ELECTRONIC DATA INTERCHANGE (EDI) PERFORMANCE WORK

STATEMENT (PWS)

E.1. BACKGROUND

The Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) Center in Chicago focuses on collecting employment, hours, earnings, and wage information from large, multiple establishment companies with locations in multiple states. These raw data are transmitted from firms to the EDI Center as electronic files. The EDI Center staff reviews, edits, and then transmits processed data to either the states or federal government. The EDI Center collects data for two Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) programs, Current Employment Statistics (CES) and Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW).

All glossary words are bolded the first time they appear in this document. Please see Appendix M.

E.1.1. Current Employment Statistics

The Bureau of Labor Statistics collects data each month on employment, hours, and earnings from a sample of nonfarm establishments through the Current Employment Statistics (CES) program. The CES survey includes about 147,000 businesses and government agencies, which cover approximately 634,000 individual worksites drawn from a sampling frame of Unemployment Insurance (UI) tax accounts covering roughly 9.7 million establishments. The active CES sample includes approximately one-third of all nonfarm payroll employees in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. From these data, a large number of employment, hours, and earnings series in considerable industry and geographic detail are prepared and published each month.

The CES survey collects the following data elements from business establishments:

• All employees (AE)

• Women Employees (WE)

• Production and Nonsupervisory Employees (PE)

• AE Payroll

• AE Hours

• AE Commissions (paid at least once per month)

• AE Overtime Hours (manufacturing only)

• PE Payroll

• PE Hours

• PE Commissions (paid at least once per month)

• PE Overtime Hours (manufacturing only)

The primary statistics derived from the CES survey are monthly estimates of employment, hours, and earnings for the nation, states, and major metropolitan areas. Preliminary national estimates for a given reference month are typically released on the third Friday after the conclusion of the reference period in conjunction with data derived from a separate survey of households, the Current Population Survey (CPS). The reference period for the CES survey is the pay period which includes the 12th of the month. For more information on the CES production schedule, please see Appendix I- CES Closing Date Calendar.

The CES central collection option (which requires just one transmittal per month) encourages large employers, who may have refused in the past to complete the CES in all or some states, to begin reporting their data at the worksite level. Companies submit their data to the EDI Center using a 350-position ASCII record format. The formats are coordinated so those data elements common to both programs have common definitions, format locations, and lengths.

Each month the EDI Center processes approximately 90 large CES firms, with approximately 300,000 incoming records. The EDI Center is responsible for almost half of all reports collected (47%). The remaining 53% of reports collected by CATI, web, fax, TDE, and other methods, at the government’s four CES Data Collection Centers come from data received from approximately 147,000 businesses and government agencies.

For more information on CES, please visit https://www.bls.gov/ces/.

E.1.2. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages

The Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages Program is a cooperative program involving the BLS and the State Employment Security Agencies (SESAs). The QCEW program produces a comprehensive tabulation of employment and wage information for workers covered by state unemployment insurance (UI) laws and federal workers covered by the Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) program. The QCEW program serves as a near census of monthly employment and quarterly wage information by six-digit NAICS industry at the national, state, and county levels.

The BLS developed the central collection of the Multiple Worksite Report (MWR) and the Report of Federal Employment and Wages (RFEW) data to streamline the process of data collection from large employers and clients of payroll outsourcing firms. With the opening of the EDI Center in February 1995, multi-state employers have the option of submitting their data for all states to one location instead of multiple state agencies.

The MWR and the RFEW are key components of this program. The MWR asks most multi-location employers to provide employment and wage data for all of their establishments covered under one (1) Unemployment Insurance (UI) account in a state. Most multi-location employers with a total of 10 or more employees combined in their secondary locations are required or requested to complete the MWR. The Multiple Worksite Report is designed to collect information showing the distribution of the employment and wages of business establishments by industry and geographic area. Information on the MWR form is used to more accurately classify employment and wage data of multiple establishment employers by industry and by location within a state. The RFEW allows the QCEW program to obtain worksite level information from federal agencies and reporting agents for federal employers.

The MWR central collection option (which requires just one transmittal per quarter) encourages large employers, who may have refused in the past to complete the MWR or RFEW in all or some states, to begin reporting their data at the worksite level. Companies submit their data to the EDI Center using a 350-position ASCII record format. The formats are coordinated so those data elements common to both programs have common definitions, format locations, and lengths.

https://www.bls.gov/ces/

Each quarter the EDI Center processes approximately 250 QCEW firms, with approximately 600,000 incoming records. Refer to Appendix A for historical data on number of QCEW firms processed per quarter. The EDI Center is responsible for approximately 25% of all MWR and RFEW records collected, representing 10% of all MWR and RFEW employers. The remaining 75% of MWR and RFEW records are collected by other methods not included in this contract.

For more information on QCEW, please visit https://www.bls.gov/cew/.

E.2. SCOPE AND DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES

E.2.1. OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this contract is to maintain and expand MWR, RFEW, and CES data collection through the Electronic Data Interchange Center. The Contractor shall provide data collection and processing support services for the government EDI Center staff at the EDI Center in the BLS Chicago Regional Office. The Contractor shall provide staff to support collection and processing of large multi-establishment corporate reports for the MWR, RFEW, and CES. The Contractor shall provide computer programing staff to support these processes. Additionally, the Contractor shall provide quality control, training and project management to support Contractor operations at the EDI Center.

The Contractor shall keep appropriate records according to the Firm Notes referenced in Appendixes B, C, and D and notes of all data transmissions. The Contractor shall process the data through government provided editing programs, and conduct necessary follow-up to resolve data discrepancies. MWR, RFEW, and CES data may be received via several different electronic means. In addition to microdata-level review, the Contractor shall check to make sure the microdata file passes basic macro-level checks like completeness of the aggregation, correct reference month or quarter, and summary-level data item reasonability. The Contractor shall transfer all information to the local export tables for the government to export.

Other than processing files for large multi-establishment corporations, the EDI Center is responsible for collecting federal employment and wage data. The EDI Center also processes accounts for Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs). A PEO is a firm that performs human resources and payroll services for businesses in an arrangement known as co-employment. Files submitted by PEOs include all of their client businesses, which tend to be more dynamic than traditional firms (i.e. individual businesses join and exit PEOs at a fairly high frequency). The programmer positions in the EDI Center provide support for processing system operations in the areas of development, testing, and operations. They also develop programs to translate company-supplied data formats into the government standard input formats, develop and maintain the center intranet site, and manage information needed for center operations.

Requested Position Descriptions can be found in Appendix J.

Each month the EDI Center processes approximately 90 CES firms with approximately 300,000 records.

Each quarter approximately 250 MWR/RFEW firms are processed with approximately 600,000 records.

Refer to Appendix A for historical data on number of QCEW firms processed per quarter and number of CES firms processed per month. BLS staff process a portion of these firms and the Contractor staff process the remaining firms that are assigned by the government. Specific tasks and deliverables https://www.bls.gov/cew/ covered by this work statement are listed below.

E.2.2. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

One TBD base period and four 12-month option periods.

E.2.3. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

The EDI Center is located in the government owned facility in Chicago, IL.

EDI Center Address Operation Hours* Contractor Workstations

Chicago 230 S. Dearborn St., Chicago, IL 60604

6:00am – 6:30pm 31

*Operation hours are subject to change by the government.

E.2.4. GENERAL INFORMATION

E.2.4.1. KEY PERSONNEL

The contract holder shall identify the key personnel that will be responsible for managing this contract.The Project Manager (PM) is considered key personnel for the contract as a whole. See Appendix J for PM requirements. The PM shall be the single point of contact for the management of this contract. The PM is responsible to the Contracting Officer’s representative (COR) and the Contracting Officer (CO) for compliance with all the requirements of this contract. Historically, this has been a half-time position.

The PM shall supervise and maintain a hierarchical, comprehensive management organization over staff working on the contract. A staff management plan delineating the lines of authority shall be maintained and provided to the COR on a quarterly basis. The PM must meet with the COR no less than once per month to discuss issues related to the administration of the contract and actual performance. The Contractor shall not remove or divert key personnel unless written notice is provided at least 30 business days prior to the removal. Furthermore, a replacement for the key person must be approved by the CO at least 10 business days prior to the removal to ensure business continuity and transfer of institutional knowledge.

In the event that any of the key personnel named in the Contractor’s quotation, as accepted by the government at the contract award, are unable to perform because of death, illness, resignation from the Contractor’s employ, or other reasons, the Contractor shall submit within 48 hours to the CO, detailed written explanations of the circumstances necessitating the proposed substitutions, complete resumes for the proposed substitutes, and any other information that the CO deems pertinent to approve the substitution. No substitution is to be made without the prior written approval by the CO. No increases in contract pricing will be allowed when substitutions are authorized by the government.

E.2.4.2. HOLIDAYS

The Contractor shall not perform work on government holidays or non-work days (including weekends) without prior written approval of the CO. Approved work performed on holidays or non-work days shall be billable at regular rates.

The following is a list of government holidays:

• New Year’s Day

• Martin Luther King Day

• President’s Day

• Memorial Day

• Independence Day

• Labor Day

• Columbus Day

• Veterans Day

• Thanksgiving Day

• Christmas Day

E.2.4.3. UNSCHEDULED DISMISSALS

Unless requested by the Government Task Monitor (GTM) and approved by the CO, in the event that the government facility closes, on-site contractor personnel working under this contract shall be dismissed. In any situation regarding unscheduled dismissal and/or the closure of government offices, the Contractor shall not be compensated for lost hours. In the event extraordinary conditions require continued contractor support when government offices are closed, at the specific request of the GTM, and with the approval of the CO, the Contractor shall provide sufficient personnel to support. Such work shall be compensated at the normal contractual rate.

E.2.4.4 CONFIDENTIALITY AND SECURITY

The Contractor shall comply with the BLS Confidentiality and Security Requirements. Please see Appendix Q–BLS Confidentiality and Security Requirements.

The Contractor shall safeguard all government equipment, information and property provided for contractor use. At the close of each work period, government facilities, equipment, and confidential materials shall be secured.

E.2.4.5. CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL CONDUCT

Contractor personnel’s conduct shall not reflect discredit upon the government. The Contractor shall ensure that personnel present a professional appearance. The contractor’s employees shall observe and comply with all local policies and procedures posted at each site concerning fire, safety, environmental protection, sanitation, security, and possession of firearms or other lethal or illegal weapons or substances. The Contractor is responsible for ensuring that any contractor employees providing services under this contract conduct themselves and perform services in a professional, safe, and responsible manner. The contractor shall ensure no contractor employees conduct political related activities or events in any government or government-leased facilities.

E.2.4.6. DATA RIGHTS

The government has unlimited rights to all documents and materials produced under this contract. All documents and materials, to include the source codes of any software, produced under this contract shall be government owned and are the property of the government with all rights and privileges of ownership and copyright belonging exclusively to the government. These documents and materials may not be used or sold by the Contractor without written permission from the CO. All materials supplied to the government shall be the sole property of the government and may not be used for any other purpose. This right does not abrogate any other government rights.

E.2.4.7. WORKING REMOTELY

The Contractor shall make an email request to the COR with a cc to the EDI Manager requesting permission prior to authorizing remote working (i.e. other than at the assigned BLS office) for contract staff. It is expected that these requests shall be seldom in nature and only cover staff who normally work in BLS provided space.

E.2.4.8 GOVERNMENT FURNISHED MATERIALS

E.2.4.8.1. FURNISHED BY THE GOVERNMENT

The government will provide Contractor workstations, including a desktop computer (or equivalent), monitor, all necessary software, telephone and access to shared network printers, and normal office supplies (pens, paper, staplers, etc.) to contract staff at the EDI Center. The government may provide laptop computers to supervisory staff, programmers, and a limited number of analysts in lieu of a desktop computer. Analyst and programmer workstations consist of a cubicle. Supervisory workstations are typically in a private office, dependent on availability.

The total number of workstations, which includes cubicles and private offices, available to contract staff is located in the chart above and represents the maximum number of staff that can work at the EDI Center. Supervisors shall be required to be at the EDI Center whenever contract staff is working.

The government will not provide office space for a project management office. The government will provide a laptop computer to the PM.

The government will retain title to all government-furnished property. All materials developed by the Contractor under this contract shall become the property of the U.S. Department of Labor.

The government-furnished property and the materials developed by the Contractor under this contract, shall only be used for the performance of this contract.

The government will maintain all facilities and equipment that shall be provided for use by the Contractor. Additionally, the Contractor shall ensure that its personnel do not misuse any government furnished property.

E.2.4.8.2. CONTRACTOR RESPONSIBILITY

If due to the default, negligence (whether of action or omission), or dishonesty of the Contractor or its employees, any government-owned or controlled property is lost or damaged as a result of the Contractor’s performance of this contract, the Contractor shall be responsible to the government for such loss or damage, and the government at its option, may, in lieu of payment therefore, require the Contractor to replace at its own expense, all property lost or damaged. The Contractor shall not provide computer hardware or software without approval from the government.

E.2.4.8.3. FURNISHED BY THE CONTRACTOR

Copiers and scanners are located throughout the EDI Center and are available for Contractor use;

however, if the Contractor desires to have a copier or scanner for their project management office, they may do so at their own expense.

E.2.4.9. SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

The Contractor shall abide by all applicable regulations, publications, manuals, and local policies and procedures. The Contractor shall adhere to and use the versions and revisions in effect. The Contractor shall comply with the policies and procedures set forth in all such documents. This includes, but is not limited to the following documents, which are subject to change at the discretion of the government:

E.2.4.9.1. Commissioner’s Order: Using E-mail to Communicate with Respondents.

Please see Appendix N.

E.2.4.9.2. BLS Commissioner’s Order: Ensuring Quality in the Data Collection Process.

Please see Appendix O.

E.2.4.9.3. BLS Commissioner’s Order: Bureau Policy on Data Collection Integrity. Please see Appendix P.

E.2.5. TASK INDEX

Task Sub-task Sub-task Number

Page number

QCEW File Retrieval E.3.1. 8 QCEW Pre-Processing E.3.2. 8 QCEW Processing E.3.3. 9 QCEW Post-Processing E.3.4. 11 CES File Retrieval E.4.1. 12 CES Pre-Processing E.4.2. 13 CES Processing E.4.3. 13 CES Post-Processing E.4.4. 14 Questions and Firm Follow-up

Questions and Firm Follow-up requirements

E.5.1. 15

Programming Programming requirements E.6.1. 16

Quality Control and Training Quality Control and Training requirements

E.7.1. 17

Project Management Project Management requirements

E.8.1. 20

Deliverable Schedule Deliverable Schedule E.9. 22 Options Increased Processing E.10.1. 23 Options EDI Center Expansion E.10.2. 25

E.3. QCEW TASKS

E.3.1. FILE RETRIEVAL

E.3.1.1. The government will provide a list of firms to be processed by the Contractor. The Contractor shall assign firms to the appropriate level Contractor analysts.

E.3.1.2. The Contractor shall create the appropriate firm folder on the EDI Server per firm notes.

The government will provide the Contractor with the input files and initial firm notes. Input files will be in the format of an Excel spreadsheet or text file. Sample firm notes are provided in Appendixes B, C, and D. The government reserves the right to have the input file in another type of file format.

E.3.1.3. The Contractor will receive notification the file is available. The Contractor shall retrieve the firm file from the appropriate location: Email, FTP server, or Web upload server. The government reserves the right to change the method of file transmittal.

E.3.1.4. The Contractor shall copy and paste the firm file to the appropriate firm folder on the EDI Server and name it based on the government file-naming convention as noted in the Firm Notes referenced in Appendixes B, C, and D. If the file is late arriving, the Contractor shall contact the firm respondent via email as noted in firm notes. If the file is more than one week late from the due date, the Contractor shall notify the EDI Manager. The government will provide the Contractor a schedule of due dates.The 2017 QCEW Processing calendar is located in Appendix I.

E.3.1.5. FILE RETRIEVAL PERFORMANCE MEASURES

E.3.1.5.1. QUALITY STANDARDS

E.3.1.5.1.1. All data shall be processed in time to meet deadlines.

E.3.1.5.2. ACCEPTABLE QUALITY LEVEL (AQL)

E.3.1.5.2.1. The Contractor shall validate that the correct reference month or quarter is being processed 100 percent of the time.

E.3.1.5.3. MONITORING METHOD

E.3.1.5.3.1. Review by the Government Task Monitor(s), the EDI Manager, and the COR.

E.3.2. PRE-PROCESSING

E.3.2.1. The Contractor shall create the appropriate firm processing status which consists of entering the proper year and quarter on the EDI Website in SPIFF Pre-Processing system.

E.3.2.2. The Contractor shall follow pre-processing procedures noted in firm notes and load specified file into SPIFF pre-processing system (see sample pre-processing procedures in firm notes in Appendixes B, C, and D.) The Contractor shall address any file or data issues, including comparing aggregated data to prior quarters to check for reasonableness.

E.3.2.3. The Contractor analysts shall address any firm note issues.

E.3.2.4. The Contractor shall copy and paste SPIFF file outputs into assigned firm folder. The government reserves the right to change the method of file transmittal or output.

E.3.2.5. PRE-PROCESSING PERFORMANCE MEASURES

E.3.2.5.1. QUALITY STANDARDS

E.3.2.5.1.1. All data shall be processed in time to meet deadlines.

E.3.2.5.2. ACCEPTABLE QUALITY LEVEL (AQL)

E.3.2.5.2.1. All MWR/RFEW quarterly data processing shall be completed by the government designated week 10 export deliverable deadline for QCEW. All MWR/RFEW files shall begin pre-processing within three business days.

E.3.2.5.3. MONITORING METHOD

E.3.2.5.3.1. Review by the Government Task Monitor(s), the EDI Manager, and the COR.

E.3.3. PROCESSING

E.3.3.1. The Contractor shall input the SPIFF Load file into SLED processing system and begin following the government established processing procedures as noted on the government standard checklist located in Appendix F. Processing includes resolving all new units, missing units, employment and wage changes, and all changes in administrative information like firm name, address and other identifying information. The Contractor shall address any file or data issues.

E.3.3.2. The Contractor shall process pre-edits. At the pre-edits module the Contractor shall resolve all issues following the established government procedures referenced in the QCEW Processing Checklist in Appendix F.

E.3.3.3. The Contractor shall process new units in two steps: crosswalk error module and new units module. At the crosswalk error module the Contractor shall assign UI number and RUN. At the new units module the Contractor shall assign NAICS, county, town, and appropriate comment code. The Contractor shall determine the NAICS code using firm notes, government tools, internet research, and prior experience.

E.3.3.4. The Contractor shall validate RUN aggregations and correct all errors in aggregation based upon established government procedures referenced in the QCEW Processing Checklist in Appendix F.

E.3.3.5. The Contractor shall verify that the SINGLE RUN does not meet the MWR requirements as established in government procedures indicated in the singles module in Appendix F. The Contractor shall update the RUN in the crosswalk if the SINGLE RUN does meet the MWR requirement.

E.3.3.6. The Contractor shall process missing units according to the missing units module of the checklist in Appendix F. See line 186 on the checklist.

E.3.3.7. The Contractor shall process employment and wage edits according to checklist in Appendix F. Processing employment and wage edits consists of comparing current employment and wages to employment and wages from previous quarters. The Contractor shall add a comment code to records that fail employment and wages edits as indicated by SLED.

Comment code usage is based on firm notes.

E.3.3.8. The Contractor shall process the closed worksite review module according to the checklist in Appendix F following govenment procedures. Processing the closed worksite review module consists of running the SLED generated closed worksite review report and resolving all issues following government procedures referenced in the QCEW Processing Checklist in Appendix F.

E.3.3.9. The Contractor shall process PEO Client Data Processing Module and correct all errors based upon established government procedures referenced in the QCEW Processing Checklist in Appendix F.The Contractor shall process the employment warnings module according to the checklist in Appendix F following government procedures. Processing the employment warnings module consists of running the SLED generated employment warnings report and resolving all issues following government procedures referenced in the QCEW Processing Checklist in Appendix F.

E.3.3.10. The Contractor shall process predecessor/ successor module according to the checklist in Appendix F following government procedures. A predecessor/ successor event involves documenting the movement of worksite(s) from one UI account to another UI account.

E.3.3.11. The Contractor shall process the post aggregation singles module according to the checklist in Appendix F following government procedures. Processing the post aggregation singles module consists of running the SLED generated post aggregation report and resolving all issues following government procedures referenced in the QCEW Processing Checklist in Appendix F.

E.3.3.12. The Contractor shall process the non-employment/non-wage module according to the checklist in Appendix F following government procedures. Processing the non-employment/non-wage module consists of running the SLED generated non-employment/ non-wage report and resolving all issues following government procedures referenced in the QCEW Processing Checklist in Appendix F.

E.3.3.13. The Contractor shall process the detail edits module according to the checklist in Appendix F following government procedures. Processing the detail edits module consists of running the SLED generated detail edits report and resolving all issues following government procedures referenced in the QCEW Processing Checklist in Appendix F.

E.3.3.14. PROCESSING PERFORMANCE MEASURES

E.3.3.14.1. QUALITY STANDARDS

E.3.3.14.1.1. All data shall be processed in time to meet deadlines.

E.3.3.14.2. ACCEPTABLE QUALITY LEVEL (AQL)

E.3.3.14.2.1. The Contractor shall process a maximum 575,000 incoming records. The government will assign the incoming records to the Contractor. Refer to Appendix A for historical data on processing times of firms of different incoming record sizes. See Option E.10.1 for the Increased Processing Option.

E.3.3.14.2.2. All MWR/RFEW quarterly data processing shall be completed by the government designated week 10 export deliverable deadline for QCEW. All processing work of financial firms shall be completed by week five of the processing quarter. The 2017 QCEW Processing Calendar is located in Appendix I.

E.3.3.14.2.3. 50% of total assigned incoming records for the current quarter shall be processed by week five of the processing quarter. The 2017 QCEW Processing Calendar is located in Appendix I.

E.3.3.14.2.4. 90% of total assigned incoming records for the current quarter shall be processed by week eight of the processing quarter. The 2017 QCEW Processing Calendar is located in Appendix I.

E.3.3.14.2.5. 100% of total assigned files with greater than 5000 incoming records shall be processed by week eight of the processing quarter. The 2017 QCEW Processing Calendar is located in Appendix I.

E.3.3.14.2.6. 100% of assigned PEO files shall be processed by week nine of the processing quarter. The 2017 QCEW Processing Calendar is located in Appendix I.

E.3.3.14.3. MONITORING METHOD

E.3.3.14.3.1. Review by the Government Task Monitor(s), the EDI Manager, and the

COR.

E.3.4. POST-PROCESSING

E.3.4.1. The Contractor shall update firm notes based on any new information and changes to processing steps found during quarterly processing.

E.3.4.2. When all processing procedures are completed, the Contractor shall enter all firm processing data metrics into the EDI website. The government will provide a checklist of procedures on how to enter firm processing data metrics. See Appendix G for a sample of the checklist and firm processing data metrics on the EDI website.

E.3.4.3. The Contractor shall update the EDI website with any changes to firm name, address, telephone number, changes to firm point of contact, and address information.

E.3.4.4. POST-PROCESSING PERFORMANCE MEASURES

E.3.4.4.1. QUALITY STANDARDS

E.3.4.4.1.1. All data shall be processed in time to meet deadlines.

E.3.4.4.2. ACCEPTABLE QUALITY LEVEL (AQL)

E.3.4.4.2.1. All MWR/RFEW processing work shall be completed by the 10-week deadline.

E.3.4.4.3. MONITORING METHOD

E.3.4.4.3.1. Review by the Government Task Monitor(s), the EDI Manager, and the COR.

E.4. CES TASKS

E.4.1. FILE RETRIEVAL

E.4.1.1. The Contractor shall assign firms to the appropriate level Contractor staff. The government will provide a list of firms to be processed by the Contractor. CES firm files are processed monthly.

E.4.1.2. The Contractor shall create the appropriate firm folder on the EDI Server per firm notes.

Government will provide the Contractor with the input files and initial firm notes. Input files will be in the format of an Excel spreadsheet or text file. Sample firm notes are provided in Appendices B, C, and D. The government reserves the right to provide files in another type of file format.

E.4.1.3. The Contractor shall receive notification when the file is available. The Contractor shall retrieve the firm file from the appropriate location: Email, FTP server, or Web upload server. The government reserves the right to change the method of file transmittal.

E.4.1.4. The Contractor shall copy and paste the firm file to the appropriate firm folder on the EDI Server and name it based on government file-naming convention. If a file is late arriving, the Contractor shall contact the firm respondent via email as noted in firm notes. If the file continues to be delinquent, the Contractor shall follow government procedures. The government will provide to the Contractor a schedule of due dates.

E.4.1.5. FILE RETRIEVAL PERFORMANCE MEASURES

E.4.1.5.1. QUALITY STANDARDS

E.4.1.5.1.1. All data shall be processed in time to meet deadlines.

E.4.1.5.2. ACCEPTABLE QUALITY LEVEL (AQL)

E.4.1.5.2.1. All usable files shall be processed within two business days unless approved by the government. However, if a file arrives within two business days of a CES closing date, the Contractor shall process that file before 4:00 pm CT on the upcoming closing date. See Appendix I for an example of CES closing dates schedule.

E.4.1.5.3. MONITORING METHOD

E.4.1.5.3.1. Review by the Government Task Monitor(s), the EDI Manager, and the COR.

E.4.2. PRE-PROCESSING

E.4.2.1. The Contractor shall create the appropriate firm processing status which consists of entering the proper year and month on the EDI Website in SPIFF Pre-Processing system.

E.4.2.2. The Contractor shall follow pre-processing procedures noted in firm notes and load specified file into SPIFF pre-processing system (see sample pre-processing procedures in firm notes in Appendixes B, C, and D). The Contractor shall address any file or data issues including comparing aggregated data to prior months to check for reasonableness with supervisor or government staff.

E.4.2.3. The Contractor shall address any firm notes issues.

E.4.2.4. The Contractor shall copy and paste SPIFF file outputs into appropriate firm folder.

E.4.2.5. PRE-PROCESSING PERFORMANCE MEASURES

E.4.2.5.1. QUALITY STANDARDS

E.4.2.5.1.1. All data shall be processed in time to meet deadlines.

E.4.2.5.2. ACCEPTABLE QUALITY LEVEL (AQL)

E.4.2.5.2.1. All usable files shall be processed within two business days unless approved by the government. However, if a file arrives within two business days of a CES closing date, the Contractor shall process that file before 4:00 pm CT on the upcoming closing date. See Appendix I for an example of CES closing dates schedule.

E.4.2.5.3. MONITORING METHOD

E.4.2.5.3.1. Review by the Government Task Monitor(s), the EDI Manager, and the COR.

E.4.3. PROCESSING

E.4.3.1. The Contractor shall load SPIFF Load file into the COMET processing system and begin following government established processing procedures as noted on the government standard checklist located in Appendix E. Procedures include resolving all new units, all edit and screening errors, and all changes in administrative information like firm name, address and other identifying information. The Contractor analyst shall address any file or data issues.

E.4.3.2. The Contractor shall assign new units a Report Number according to firm notes and the established government procedures referenced in the CES Processing Checklist in Appendix

E. Note that some report numbers are temporary report numbers. Processing the new units module consists of running the COMET generated new units report, and resolving all issues following the government procedures referenced in the CES Processing Checklist in Appendix E.

E.4.3.3. The Contractor shall process the edits and screening errors according to the checklist in Appendix E following the government procedures. Processing the edit and screening errors module consists of running the COMET generated edit and screening report, the Failed Reporter Count report, and resolving all edit and screening errors following the government firm notes and procedures. See Appendix H for an example of a Failed Reporter Count report.

E.4.3.4. PROCESSING PERFORMANCE MEASURES

E.4.3.4.1. QUALITY STANDARDS

E.4.3.4.1.1. All data shall be processed in time to meet deadlines.

E.4.3.4.1.2. 100% of usable files shall be processed within two business days unless exempted by the government. However, if a file arrives within two business days of a CES closing date, the Contractor shall process that file before 4:00 pm CT on the upcoming closing date. See Appendix I for an example of CES closing dates schedule.

E.4.3.4.2. ACCEPTABLE QUALITY LEVEL (AQL)

E.4.3.4.2.1. The government will assign the incoming records to the Contractor. The Contractor shall process a maximum 300,000 records. Refer to Appendix A for historical data on processing times of firms of different incoming record sizes. See Option E.10.1 for the Increased Processing Option.

E.4.3.4.3. MONITORING METHOD

E.4.3.4.3.1. Review by the Government Task Monitor(s), the EDI Manager, and the COR.

E.4.4. POST-PROCESSING

E.4.4.1. The Contractor shall update firm notes based on any new information and changes to processing steps found during monthly processing.

E.4.4.2. When all processing procedures are completed, the Contractor shall enter all firm processing data metrics into the EDI website. The government will provide a checklist of procedures on how to enter firm processing data metrics. See Appendix G for a sample of the checklist and firm processing data metrics on the EDI website.

E.4.4.3. The Contractor shall update the EDI website with any changes to firm name, address, telephone number, changes to firm point of contact, and address information.

E.4.4.4. The Contractor shall review the COMET Registry for updates following the government procedures referenced in the CES Processing Checklist in Appendix E..

E.4.4.5. The Contractor shall process the CONES file following the government procedures referenced in the CES Processing Checklist in Appendix E.

E.4.4.6. The Contractor shall process the Benchmark file following the government procedures referenced in the CES Processing Checklist in Appendix E.

E.4.4.7. POST PROCESSING PERFORMANCE MEASURES

E.4.4.7.1. QUALITY STANDARDS

E.4.4.7.1.1. All data shall be processed in time to meet deadlines.

E.4.4.7.2. ACCEPTABLE QUALITY LEVEL (AQL)

E.4.4.7.2.1. The Contractor shall complete all post processing subtasks within 10 business days following the CES closing date unless other specified by the government. See Appendix I for an example of CES closing dates schedule.

E.4.4.7.3. MONITORING METHOD

E.4.4.7.3.1. Review by the Government Task Monitor(s), the EDI Manager, and the COR.

E.5. QUESTIONS AND FIRM FOLLOW-UP

E.5.1. QUESTIONS AND FIRM FOLLOW-UP REQUIREMENTS

E.5.1.1. The Contractor shall address any file or data issues that arise during pre-processing or processing using established EDI procedures. File or data issues involved in firm follow-up will often come in the form of less than ten On-track tickets per month.

E.5.1.2. The Contractor shall answer state and government questions and also make state changes within government-designated timeframes and by deadlines.

E.5.1.3. The Contractor shall contact reporters for incomplete or missing information.

E.5.1.4. QUESTIONS AND FIRM FOLLOW-UP PERFORMANCE MEASURES

E.5.1.4.1. QUALITY STANDARDS

E.5.1.4.1.1. The Contractor shall provide responses to questions which are clearly worded and accurately address the issue(s) cited in the original query.

E.5.1.4.1.2. The Contractor shall make state-requested Ul/RUN changes and update predecessor/successor information and liability dates as needed.

E.5.1.4.1.3. The Contractor shall provide timely follow-up with respondents who missed their typical processing cycle, document in email with notes that include who in the firm was contacted and when. If no response is obtained, the Contractor shall document all relevant information.

E.5.1.4.2. ACCEPTABLE QUALITY LEVEL (AQL)

E.5.1.4.2.1. All questions from state agencies and BLS regional offices shall be provided with a preliminary response, at minimum, within five business days and shall be addressed completely within 15 business days by the Contractor.

E.5.1.4.2.2. The Contractor shall answer all questions from QCEW Program Office within five business days.

E.5.1.4.2.3. The Contractor shall answer all questions from CES Program Office within five business days.

E.5.1.4.3. MONITORING METHOD

E.5.1.4.3.1. Review by the Government Task Monitor(s), the EDI Manager, and the COR.

E.6. PROGRAMMING

E.6.1. PROGRAMMING REQUIREMENTS

E.6.1.1. The government will provide all necessary software. The software will be used to maintain current EDI developed applications such as SPIFF and the EDI Website. The Contractor programmers shall write programs to reformat firm-supplied data into formats compatible with the government systems and run jobs to reformat data into specified standard data formats.Current programs are in Visual Basic, however future programs can be in other BLS approved and provided programming languages.

E.6.1.2. The Contractor programmers shall develop and maintain technical documentation and user manuals for any systems developed in-house.

E.6.1.3. The Contractor programmers shall evaluate program enhancements for systems redesign and assist the government in development, testing, and implementation of new data processing systems.

E.6.1.4. The Contractor programmers shall develop and maintain the EDI Center's intranet website.

E.6.1.5. The Contractor programmers shall assist the government in troubleshooting and resolving system problems.

E.6.1.6. The Contractor programmers shall plan, conduct, and coordinate the development of moderately complex computer applications to meet requirements.

E.6.1.7. The Contractor programmers shall translate design specifications into computer program instructions, prepare test plans, and conduct tests.

E.6.1.8. The Contractor programmers shall formulate recommendations on complex technical problems.

E.6.1.9. The Contractor programmers shall gather requirements information from users, design potential solutions, develop specifications, perform software analysis, and recommend software and hardware changes as necessary.

E.6.1.10. The Contractor programmers shall resolve all problem tickets expeditiously. These tickets shall be given priority over other work unless otherwise noted by the EDI manager. The contactor can generally expect to see less than 60 Problem-Tickets per month.

E.6.1.11. PROGRAMMING PERFORMANCE MEASURES

E.6.1.11.1. QUALITY STANDARDS

E.6.1.11.1.1. The EDI Manager retains the right to label any software changes or problem tickets an “Emergency Programming Task.” These Emergency Programming Tasks are subject to their own timeframes described in the below Acceptable Quality Levels.

E.6.1.11.2. ACCEPTABLE QUALITY LEVEL (AQL)

E.6.1.11.2.1. The EDI Manager will set task-specific timelines for each Emergency Programming Task. All Emergency Programming Tasks shall be completed by the EDI Manager-defined deadline.

E.6.1.11.2.2. All programming support shall be provided by agreed upon time frames.

E.6.1.11.3. MONITORING METHOD

E.6.1.11.3.1. Review by the Government Task Monitor(s), the EDI Manager, and the

COR.

E.7. QUALITY CONTROL AND TRAINING

E.7.1. QUALITY CONTROL AND TRAINING REQUIREMENTS

E.7.1.1. GOVERNMENT QUALITY ASSURANCE

E.7.1.1.1. The government will provide Quality Assurance (QA) in the EDI Center as a formal review to examine the accuracy and completeness of processed data and to verify that current procedures were followed, coding was done correctly, and edit errors were properly resolved for both CES and QCEW firms.

E.7.1.1.2. The government will use processed files to review critical elements for pre-processing, processing, and post–processing from plan. For more detailed information on CES QA see Appendix K. For more detailed information on QCEW QA see Appendix L.

E.7.1.1.3. The government will share results of these QA activities with the Contractor on a workflow basis. The Contractor shall satisfactorily address any errors the government finds within 5 business days of notification by the government. If this is not possible the Contractor shall provide the EDI Manager with a reasonable explanation.

E.7.2. CONTRACTOR QUALITY CONTROL

E.7.2.1. The Contractor shall develop, implement, and maintain a comprehensive Contractor Quality Control Plan approved by the government to ensure MWR, RFEW, and CES information collected data meets government standards and is obtained in the most efficient way possible. A final Quality Control Plan must be provided within 90 days following award.

E.7.2.2. The Contractor shall perform reviews on files where data falsification is suspected. The Contractor shall immediately notify the EDI Manager of a potential falsification of data.

E.7.2.2.1. The Contractor shall immediately begin an investigation including a complete file review of the analyst’s completed assignment.

E.7.2.2.2. The Contractor shall document the files in which falsification occurred, correct the data in the files, and provide these results to the government EDI Manager throughout the investigation.

E.7.2.2.3. The Contractor shall evaluate the circumstances and consult with the EDI Manager,COR, and CO to determine whether or not the analyst should be removed from processing activities. The Contractor shall permanently remove the analyst from any BLS contract if the falsification is substantiated.

E.7.2.3. The Contractor shall document EDI Center operational procedures.

E.7.2.4. The Contractor shall develop and document production standards and quality control measures. The Contractor shall provide production standards and quality control measures to the government.

E.7.2.5. The Contractor shall develop reporting tools to monitor EDI Center production progress including work logs and checklists.

E.7.2.6. The Contractor shall follow all program policies at all times and deviations shall be corrected by the Contractor key personnel.

E.7.2.7. The Contractor shall provide support related to testing and evaluating definitions, software, and procedures aimed at improving the overall MWR/RFEW and CES data collection functions.

E.7.2.8. TRAINING

E.7.2.8.1. The Contractor shall train new staff using government provided training materials.

E.7.2.8.2. The Contractor shall certify new employees that do not have experience at the EDI Center for the new hire training modules. Training modules will be provided upon award.

E.7.2.8.3. The Contractor shall review all data processed by the Contractor new hires for the first three months of data processing for CES and one quarter of data processing for QCEW before the new employee can independently process data to be exported without complete review. The Contractor new hires shall start processing QCEW firms the next quarterly cycle following the employee’s third month of employment.

E.7.2.8.4. The Contractor shall provide email documentation to the EDI Manager that certifies a new Contractor hire is capable of independently processing data that are in compliance with government procedures and data integrity guidelines outlined in training provided by the government to the Contractor.

E.7.2.8.5. The Contractor shall ensure either the QCEW or the CES new hire module is completed by employees within three months of the new hire start date. The government reserves the right to determine the order in which the CES and QCEW training modules are completed.

E.7.2.8.6. The Contractor shall ensure the CES new hire training module and the QCEW new hire training module are completed by employees within the first nine months of the new hire’s starting date.

E.7.2.8.7. The Contractor shall certify that new hires complete the CES new hire training module successfully and complete a minimum of five CES firms under the observation of a Contractor mentor to receive their new hire certification. The Contractor shall not allow analysts to independently process CES files without this certification.

E.7.2.8.8. The Contractor shall certify that new hires complete the QCEW new hire training module successfully and complete a minimum of five QCEW firms under the observation of a Contractor mentor to receive their new hire certification. The Contractor shall not allow analysts to independently process QCEW files without this certification. The Contractor shall only certify new hires that successfully complete the comprehensive (QCEW and CES) new hire training material provided by the government.

E.7.2.8.9. Any additional or supplemental materials that the Contractor creates for training purposes are owned by the government.

E.7.2.8.10. The Contractor shall conduct training of the trainers.

E.7.2.8.10.1. The Contractor shall train the trainers on skills necessary to be good trainers. The Contractor shall provide the trainers with training materials on how to be a good trainer.

E.7.2.8.10.2. The Contractor shall use government provided training materials to train the trainers on government and CES specific content.

E.7.2.8.10.3. The government will conduct training for contract staff who are training interviewers only when there are not any experienced contractor staff to provide the training within 30 days of the start of the contract.

E.7.2.8.11. The Contractor is not required to provide any additional subject matter training materials, supplies or desk aids. The Contractor shall obtain written government approval from the EDI Manager and the COR prior to creating or using any additional training materials, supplies, or desk aids. Any additional or supplemental materials that the Contractor creates for training purposes are owned by the government. The Contractor shall not put its logo on any material that has been created and approved by the government for training purposes.

E.8. PROJECT MANAGEMENT

E.8.1. PROJECT MANAGEMENT REQUIREMENTS

E.8.1.1. PHASE-IN OF WORK

The Contractor shall establish and implement plans for an orderly phase-in of operations at the start of this contract. The Contractor’s phase-in procedures shall not disrupt or adversely affect the day-to-day conduct of government business. The Contractor plan shall, at a minimum, address the following issues:

o Inventory of government furnished property, and o Data and information transfer of government furnished information, and o Any other actions required to ensure continuity of operations.

The phase-in period shall be approximately 45 calendar days and a separately priced firm-fixed-price line item. The finalized plan shall be due to the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) no later than 5 calendar days following the kick-off meeting.

E.8.1.2. PROGRAM SUPPORT ACTIVITIES

The Contractor shall provide for the program support activities to plan, monitor, and control work assignments issued under this PWS to ensure that all work assignments are completed in a timely, cost effective, and highly competent manner. The integration and coordination of all activity needed to execute the task shall be timely, complete and effective.

E.8.1.2.1. PERSONNEL

E.8.1.2.1.1. The Contractor shall designate a Project Manager who will be the

Contractor's authorized liaison with the Task Monitor, COR, and government management personnel, within three calendar days of award.

The Project Manager shall be available to meet or confer with government personnel as needed. The Project Manager is designated as Key Personnel.

E.8.1.2.1.2. The Contractor shall make the Project Manager available within three days of the awarding of the contract. The total number of personnel working under this contract may vary according to the government's needs.

E.8.1.2.1.3. For labor hours other than fixed price tasks (in accordance with FAR 52.212-

4 Alt 1), the Contractor shall be required to document actual employee hours worked by use of a time sheet, time clock, or other time keeping method. The Contractor shall only bill for actual hours worked.