JOLTS_PWS_DRAFT.pdf

JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER SURVEY

DATA COLLECTION CENTER

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

J.1 BACKGROUND

J.1.1 JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER SURVEY

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) collects data each month on employment, job openings, hires, and separations from a sample of nonfarm establishments through the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) program. The survey includes about 16,000 business and government agency worksites drawn from a sampling frame of roughly 9.7 million private and government establishments. The JOLTS sample includes establishments located in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The JOLTS survey collects the following data elements from business and government establishments:

• Total Employment (TE)

• Job Openings (JO)

• Hires (H)

• Quits (Q)

• Layoffs and Discharges (LD)

• Other Separations (OS)

• Total Separations (TS)

For more information on the data collected by JOLTS, please see Appendix A - JOLTS Forms and Data elements.

The JOLTS program uses the data collected to produce monthly estimates of job openings, hires, and separations by industry at the national level and for total nonfarm at the Census region level. The JOLTS program produces both levels and rates for each of its published data series. Employment data collected by the JOLTS program is used to calculate rates but is not published separately. The JOLTS program uses three different reference periods. The reference period for employment is the pay period which includes the 12th of the month. The reference period for job openings is the last business day of the month. The reference period for hires, quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations is the entire calendar month.

JOLTS estimates for a given reference month are typically released six weeks after the end of that month.

JOLTS series are indicators of current economic trends in the U.S. labor market each month including:

• The demand for labor (job openings)

• The effect of job matching and training programs (hires)

• Worker’s confidence in the labor market (quits)

• Indications of a contracting labor market (layoffs and discharges)

• Underlying dynamics of the labor market (hires and separations)

The JOLTS job openings series can be compared to the level of unemployment to create a measure of the number of unemployed persons per job opening. It can also be compared to the unemployment rate to create the Beveridge Curve which is used to look at structural vs cyclical changes in the labor market.

JOLTS series can also inform other areas of business, research, and policy

• Monetary policy

• Public policy

• Economic research and planning

• Industry studies

For more information on JOLTS, please visit https://www.bls.gov/jlt/.

All glossary words are bolded the first time they appear in the document. Please see Appendix F – Glossary.

J.1.2 JOLTS DATA COLLECTION

J.1.2.1 JOLTS DATA COLLECTION BACKGROUND

Each month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) collects data on employment, job openings, hires, and separations from a sample of establishments. JOLTS has a comprehensive program of new sample unit enrollment in the JOLTS Data Collection Center (DCC). The DCC performs initial enrollment of each establishment via telephone, collects the data for several months via Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI), and where possible, transfers respondents to the BLS web collection tool. In addition, the DCC conducts an ongoing program of refusal conversion. Nearly all of the initial enrollment and about 34 percent of ongoing monthly collection occur by CATI at the DCC.

The BLS web collection tool allows respondents to complete their monthly data entry online on a secure website. The data are subject to a series of edit & screening checks before being transmitted to JOLTS. About 59 percent of JOLTS data are collected by web.

The JOLTS DCC collects about two percent of JOLTS data by fax and about five percent of JOLTS data by email.

For the establishments that do not use the above methods, data are collected using mail or other special arrangements.

Figure 1 shows the percentage of the reports collected by the various JOLTS collection methods.

https://www.bls.gov/jlt/ https://www.bls.gov/web/empsit/cestn.htm#Fg1

Figure 1. Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey data collection methods by percent

J.1.2.2 JOLTS SURVEY UNITS

The JOLTS survey consists of certainty unit and probability selected units. All sampled establishments with 5,000 or more employees, called certainty selections, are included in the sample with virtual certainty and remain in the sample as long as they remain at or above 5,000 employees. All remaining units are selected by probability and remain in the JOLTS survey for two years. All new probability selections and certainty selections are enrolled by the DCC.

For more information on the JOLTS sample, please visit: https://www.bls.gov/jlt/jltsampl.htm

J.2 SCOPE AND DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES

J.2.1 OBJECTIVE

The contractor shall provide the JOLTS program with survey data collection services at the government DCC in Atlanta, GA. The contractor shall provide quality control, training, and project management to support contractor operations at the DCC.

The government retains responsibility for JOLTS survey methodology, procedures, and tools including:

https://www.bls.gov/jlt/jltsampl.htm https://www.bls.gov/jlt/jltsampl.htm o Sampling methodology and selection.

o Assignment of cases for enrollment and collection to the DCC.

o Data collection instruments, including all hardware and software.

o Policies and procedures for enrollment, collection, and refusal conversion.

J.2.2 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

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

J.2.3 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

J.2.3.1 JOLTS DATA COLLECTION CENTER (DCC)

The DCC is located in a Federal Government facility in Atlanta, GA.

The DCC is responsible for enrolling new sample units, known as cases, and the ongoing monthly collection of these cases. This work is primarily done using the government CATI and phone system.

During the initial four to five months of collection by CATI, the DCC works to transition respondents to the government web collection tool. Respondents that are unable or unwilling to provide data by web will be transitioned to fax reporting, email reporting, or assigned to permanent CATI collection.

The government will send web respondents, who fail to report reliably for three months, back to CATI collection.

*Hours of operation are subject to change.

The total number of workstations, which includes cubicles and private offices, available to contract staff at the DCC is located in the chart above and represents the maximum number of staff that can work at the DCC. Interviewer workstations are cubicles and supervisory workstations are typically in private offices, dependent on availability.

For more information on the JOLTS production schedule, please see Appendix B - JOLTS Schedule.

J.2.4 GENERAL INFORMATION

J.2.4.1 KEY PERSONNEL

The contractor shall identify the key personnel that will be responsible for managing the contract.

The Project Manager (PM) is considered key personnel for the contract. See section J.4.1 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 not been a full-time position.

DCC Address Hours of Operation* Workstations

Atlanta 61 Forsyth St., S.W.

Atlanta, GA 30303

6 am – 7 pm (Eastern)

The PM shall supervise and maintain a comprehensive management organization over staff working on this 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 and other program officials no less than once per month to discuss issues related to the administration of the contract and actual performance on respective tasks. The contractor shall be available to attend in-person at the BLS National Office in Washington, DC for these meetings at least once quarterly; other meetings can be held by conference call or other virtual method. 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 personnel 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 proposal, as accepted by the government, are unable to perform because of death, illness, resignation from the contractor’s employ, or other reasons, the contractor shall submit a written notice within 48 hours to the CO. A detailed explanation 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 shall be submitted to the CO as soon as possible, but no later than 30 days after this initial written notification. No substitution is to be made without prior written approval by the CO.

J.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

J.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.

J.2.4.4 CONFIDENTIALITY AND SECURITY

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

J.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.

J.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/copyright belonging exclusively to the government. All materials supplied to the government will 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.

J.2.4.7 WORKING REMOTELY

The contractor shall make an email request to the COR with a cc to the DCC Manager requesting permission prior to authorizing remote working (i.e. other than at the assigned BLS office) for contract staff. Interviewer staff are not permitted to work remotely. It is expected that these requests shall be seldom in nature and only covers staff who normally work in BLS provided space.

J.2.4.8 GOVERNMENT-FURNISHED MATERIALS

J.2.4.8.1 FURNISHED BY THE GOVERNMENT

The government will provide office space for the Data Collection Center that includes office furniture (desks, chairs, and office storage), information technology (computers, printers, monitors, keyboards, and internet connections), normal office supplies (pens, paper, staplers, etc.), fax machine, internet, and telephone access.

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.

The government will provide CATI software.

J.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, or any combination of the prior activities, 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. 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.

J.2.4.9 SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

The contractor shall abide by all applicable regulations, publications, manuals, and local policies and procedures. The contractor shall be familiar with and use the versions/revisions currently in effect. The contractor shall comply with the policies and procedures set forth in all such documents.

J.3 TASKS

Task Sub-task Sub-task Number

Page number

Enrollment Address Refinement J.3.1.1 Enrollment Enrollment of New Sample J.3.1.2 Enrollment Refusal Conversion J.3.1.3 Enrollment Address Refinement and

Enrollment Performance Measures J.3.1.4

Collection Multi-modal Collection J.3.2.1 Collection Collection Performance Measures J.3.2.2 Edit Reconciliation Edit Reconciliation and Data

Quality J.3.3.1

Edit Reconciliation Edit Reconciliation Performance Measures

J.3.3.2

Quality Control and Training Government Quality Assurance J.3.4.1 Quality Control and Training Contractor Quality Control J.3.4.2 Quality Control and Training Training J.3.4.3 Project Management Phase-in of work J.3.5.1 Project Management Program Support Activities J.3.5.2 Project Management Phase-out of work J.3.5.3

J.3.1 ENROLLMENT

J.3.1.1 ADDRESS REFINEMENT

J.3.1.1.1 The government will provide enrollment panels, containing business establishments that need to be enrolled into the JOLTS survey each month. A business establishment consists of a single location of an Unemployment Insurance (UI) account. The government will cluster UIs by Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN) and load the resulting cases into the government CATI system.

The contractor shall distribute cases to contractor staff using the government CATI system.

For more information, please see Appendix D – JOLTS CATI System.

J.3.1.1.2 The government will provide case registry information that will usually contain the business name, FIPS, UI, Reporting Unit Number (RUN), EIN, North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code, and address. Point of contact (POC) information, including name and phone number, is sometimes provided to the contractor.

The contractor shall verify and update case registry information, confirm that the business is still operating, and call the establishment to identify a POC who will receive a mailed survey enrollment package. The contractor shall use the government CATI system telephone auto dialer for all outgoing calls. The contractor shall enter the POC information into the government CATI system. The contractor shall use the government CATI system to print forms.

J.3.1.1.3 The government will provide brochures, pocket folders, and envelopes to be used in an enrollment package prepared for each case.

The contractor shall prepare enrollment packages, including cover letter, form, brochures, and pocket folder, for mailing by assembling materials and stuffing envelopes. The contractor shall prevent confidentiality breaches by verifying that inserts for each envelope are only for one POC.

The government will provide pre-paid postage envelopes for all enrollment packages. The contractor shall deliver completed enrollment packages to a designated onsite location for mail pick-up.

J.3.1.2 ENROLLMENT OF NEW SAMPLE

J.3.1.2.1 The contractor shall call the POC for the new enrollment case to verify receipt of the enrollment package. The contractor shall use the government CATI system telephone auto dialer for all outgoing calls. The contractor shall solicit survey participation, which will typically include the following steps:

J.3.1.2.1.1 Explain the JOLTS survey J.3.1.2.1.2 Detail the scope of the survey request J.3.1.2.1.3 Answer respondent questions J.3.1.2.1.4 Verify UI number and RUN are correct for the Physical Location Address

(PLA)

J.3.1.2.1.5 Update respondent contact information J.3.1.2.1.6 Collect respondent email address J.3.1.2.1.7 Collect data for all JOLTS data elements that are available J.3.1.2.1.8 Determine if data are consistent with quarterly UI records, and J.3.1.2.1.9 Plan for future monthly collection

Survey enrollment typically requires multiple contacts to successfully convert a POC to a JOLTS respondent. The contractor shall make the necessary number of contacts to complete enrollment. The contractor shall work to convert initial refusals to productive cases before marking initial refusals as final refusals. The contractor shall identify another POC or transfer the case to a different interviewer if necessary in order to convert an initial refusal into a productive case.

J.3.1.3 REFUSAL CONVERSION

The government will identify previous refusal cases that should be re-attempted for refusal conversion.

The contractor shall distribute refusal conversion cases to contractor staff using the government CATI system. The contractor shall attempt to obtain survey participation from the cases selected for refusal conversion by following the steps for Address Refinement and Enrollment.

J.3.1.4 ADDRESS REFINEMENT AND ENROLLMENT PERFORMANCE MEASURES

J.3.1.4.1 QUALITY STANDARDS

J.3.1.4.1.1 The government will provide enrollment panels containing approximately 600 cases per month.

J.3.1.4.1.2 The contractor shall perform address refinement duties on new cases within one calendar month and enrollment duties on new cases within a second calendar month.

J.3.1.4.2 ACCEPTABLE QUALITY LEVEL (AQL)

The following rates are calculated based on the number of months from when the enrollment panel is provided to the contractor. For more information on the calculation of these rates, please see Appendix C- JOLTS Performance Measure Calculation.

Performance measure 1st month 2nd month 3rd month (JOLTS 1st closing)

Address Refinement rate 98% 98% 100% Enrollment rate - 85% 100% Collection rate - - 80%

J.3.1.4.3 MONITORING METHOD

Review by DCC Manager, COR, and GTM.

J.3.2 COLLECTION

J.3.2.1 MULTI-MODAL COLLECTION

The contractor shall collect monthly JOLTS data primarily via CATI. The contractor shall collect data at the earliest time they are available from each respondent. The contractor shall collect these data according to the JOLTS production schedule with the goal of maximizing collection by JOLTS 1st Closing. The contractor shall collect data that were not available by JOLTS 1st Closing as soon as they become available, preferably before JOLTS 2nd Closing.

The contractor shall work with respondents during the initial five-month CATI collection period (this may change to a four-month period in the future) with the goal of preparing the respondent for a successful transition to web reporting. The contractor shall use this five-month period to effectively train the respondent on providing accurate and timely data in preparation for moving the respondent to web reporting. The contractor shall work to minimize the number of respondents that transition to fax reporting, email reporting, or remain on permanent CATI, which should be reserved only for respondents that are unable or unwilling to submit data using the government web collection tool.

The contractor shall ensure that respondent contact information remains up-to-date. If the respondent is no longer available at the establishment, the contractor shall identify and enroll a new respondent. The contractor shall verify the UI number and RUN for each case at least annually. The contractor shall document in government CATI system if the establishment has been part of a merger, acquisition or experienced any other major structural change.

The government will provide updates, when applicable, to FIPS, UI, and RUN information. These changes typically consist of updates to the UI number and RUN, or change to NAICS industry code.

When needed, the contractor shall confirm these updates with the respondent and ensure that data reported match the updated UI and RUN information.

J.3.2.1.1 CATI COLLECTION

J.3.2.1.1.1 The government will provide a CATI system designed specifically for JOLTS collection. The contractor shall use the government CATI system telephone auto dialer for all outgoing calls. For more information, please see Appendix D – JOLTS CATI System.

The government will print and mail or email monthly reminders, based on the respondent’s preference, to CATI respondents specifying the previously agreed upon date for collection.

J.3.2.1.1.2 The contractor shall call respondents that have agreed to participate in the JOLTS survey to collect all data elements for the current month and any missing data for previous months. The contractor shall enter data provided by the respondent into the government CATI system.

The contractor shall review and address edit & screening errors flagged by the government CATI system. The contractor shall verify the data with the respondent and either correct it or address it by entering an appropriate comment code and documenting in the notes section.

The contractor shall schedule with the respondent a date and time for collecting data for the subsequent month and enter this date and time into the government CATI system. The contractor shall attempt to schedule future collection so that data can be collected before the next month’s JOLTS 1st closing.

The government will provide a notes template used to record all pertinent information about all contacts with respondents. The contractor shall enter notes in the government CATI system based on this template.

J.3.2.1.1.3 During the initial five-month period of CATI collection, the contractor shall prepare respondents for a transition to reporting data via the government provided data collection website (web reporting). The contractor shall collect and enter a valid email address into the government CATI system. The contractor shall provide detailed information to the respondent on entering data on the BLS web collection tool.

Some JOLTS respondents have experience with JOLTS web reporting from prior requests. For these cases, the contractor shall determine if the respondent is capable of a conversion to web reporting on an accelerated schedule (i.e. prior to five months of CATI reporting).

Further, the contractor shall be responsive to those, both experienced and inexperienced in JOLTS web reporting, who would otherwise become final refusals if not converted to web reporting. In all cases, the contractor shall always ensure that a respondent has provided data by CATI for at least one month and fully understands the survey request before being converted to web reporting. The contractor shall work to minimize these accelerated web conversions and reserve them only for situations when it is a necessity to maintain a productive respondent.

The contractor shall collect data by fax, email, or permanent CATI from respondents who are unable or unwilling to report by web. For these cases, the contractor shall document in the case notes why the respondent will report by fax, email, or permanent CATI and not by web.

J.3.2.1.2 WEB COLLECTION

J.3.2.1.2.1 The government will provide and operate a web collection tool. The government will provide all hardware, software and technical staff to support the web collection tool.

The government will develop updates, both major and minor, to the web collection tool. For more information, please see Appendix E – JOLTS Web Collection Tool.

During initial rollover of a unit to web collection, the government will email the respondent with the web letter embedded in the body of the email explaining the web process and a link to the instructions for web collection. For respondents who insist on receiving the instructions via mail, a traditional web rollover package is sent to them. Note: these forms are used by web respondents as reference and not used for actual data submission.

The government will send monthly email reminders to web respondents. The current schedule for sending these emails is listed in the chart below. The government may alter this schedule in the future, based on either internal or external research, with the goal of improving web response.

The contractor shall place Non-Response Prompt (NRP) telephone calls to web respondents who did not submit data after receiving reminder emails. This should occur during the week leading up to JOLTS 1st closing. If the contractor is not able to speak with the respondent during the first call, the contractor shall place a follow-up call to the respondent to remind him or her to report by web. If the contractor is unable to speak to the respondent during a follow-up call, the contractor shall leave a voicemail reminder to report data. If the respondent offers to provide data by phone instead of by web, the contractor shall enter these data into the government CATI system. The contractor shall use the government CATI system telephone auto dialer for all outgoing calls.

J.3.2.1.3 FAX COLLECTION

J.3.2.1.3.1 The contractor shall minimize the use of fax collection and shall use fax collection only to avert a refusal. The government may, at its discretion, decide to discontinue fax collection during the term of this contract.

J.3.2.1.3.2 The contractor shall fax monthly reminders to fax respondents using the government CATI system. The contractor shall pick up faxes from fax machine(s) and distribute to assigned contractor staff. The contractor shall manually enter data into the government CATI system. The contractor shall review and address edit & screening errors flagged by the government CATI system. The contractor shall verify the data with the respondent and either correct or address the data by entering an appropriate comment code and documenting in the notes section.

J.3.2.1.4 EMAIL COLLECTION

J.3.2.1.4.1 The contractor shall minimize the use of email collection and use email collection only to avert a refusal. The contractor shall follow all established rules and guidelines on the use of email for data collection provided by the government.

J.3.2.1.4.2 The government will email monthly reminders to email respondents.

J.3.2.1.4.3 The contractor shall manually enter data into the government CATI system from emails received. The contractor shall review and address edit & screening errors flagged by the government CATI system. The contractor shall verify the data with the respondent and either correct or address the data by entering an appropriate comment code and documenting in the notes section.

J.3.2.1.5 COLLECTION REMINDERS SCHEDULE

*Respondents can elect to not receive email prompts.

J.3.2.1.5.1 The government will prepare and print all postcard reminders.

J.3.2.1.5.2 The contractor shall be responsible for taking all printed reminders to the mail room onsite for mailing.

J.3.2.1.5.3 The government will be responsible for all email reminders.

J.3.2.2 COLLECTION PERFORMANCE MEASURES

J.3.2.2.1 QUALITY STANDARDS

Sent to Timing

Postcard reminder All respondents 2nd day after prior month’s closing

1st email reminder All respondents (if requested)

Day prior to collection period beginning

2nd email reminder Nonrespondents Generally on the 6th day of the month.

3rd email reminder Nonrespondents Monday prior to closing

J.3.2.2.1.1 The contractor shall attempt to collect cases before JOLTS 1st closing. The contractor shall collect additional cases not available by JOLTS 1st closing before JOLTS 2nd closing.

J.3.2.2.1.2 The contractor shall attempt collection on approximately 16,000 cases monthly.

J.3.2.2.1.3 The contractor shall attempt conversion on units identified by the government as refusal conversion units.

J.3.2.2.2 ACCEPTABLE QUALITY LEVEL (AQL)

The following rates are calculated based on the JOLTS closing schedule. For more information on the calculation of these rates, please see Appendix C- JOLTS Performance Measure Calculation.

Performance measure 1st Closing rate 2nd Closing rate Response rate 63% 68% Collection rate 80% (not measured) Item response rates

Job Openings 86% 86% Hires 98% 98% Quits 93% 93% Layoffs and Discharges 93% 93% Other Separations 93% 93% Total separations (calculated as sum of Q, LD, and

OS; or reported directly as TS) 96% 96% Maximum Total Employment only reporting units 0.5% 0.5% Maximum units that report Total Separations without Q, LD, and OS breakouts 4% 4%

Maximum refusal rate 25% 25% Refusal conversion rate 25% 25%

*Units reporting only Total Employment (TE) with no other data elements (job openings, hires, quits, layoffs and discharges, other separations, total separations) will not count as respondents. The interviewer will attempt to collect additional data elements from these units for three months. After three months of employment-only reporting, these units will be considered refusals and dropped from collection. These refusals may be targeted for future refusal-conversion efforts.

J.3.2.2.3 MONITORING METHOD

Review by DCC Manager, COR, and GTM.

J.3.3 EDIT RECONCILIATION

J.3.3.1 EDIT RECONCILIATION AND DATA QUALITY

J.3.3.1.1 The government will provide a list of reports 3 or 4 times per month whose microdata failed edit & screening tests for any of the JOLTS data elements.

J.3.3.1.2 The contractor shall call respondents whose microdata failed these edit & screening tests. The contractor shall obtain corrected data when possible or assign explanatory comment codes and enter these data and notes into the government CATI system. This process is referred to as Edit Reconciliation (ER). The contractor should expect approximately 500 cases per month that require ER.

J.3.3.2 EDIT RECONCILIATION PERFORMANCE MEASURES

J.3.3.2.1 QUALITY STANDARDS

J.3.3.2.1.1 The contractor shall call respondents to address all cases that have been flagged for failing the edit & screening tests.

J.3.3.2.1.2 The contractor shall enter corrected microdata into the government CATI system or enter comment code and explanation in the notes or both.

J.3.3.2.1.3 The contractor shall run reports and programs on schedule.

J.3.3.2.2 ACCEPTABLE QUALITY LEVEL (AQL)

J.3.3.2.2.1 Minimum of 25% of system and program office edits cleared within 7 calendar days of occurrence or posting.

J.3.3.2.2.2 Minimum of 50% of system and program office edits cleared within 14 calendar days of occurrence or posting.

J.3.3.2.2.3 Minimum of 75% of system and program office edits cleared within 30 calendar days of occurrence or posting.

J.3.3.2.2.4 All 100% of system and program office edits cleared within 60 days of occurrence or posting. Government input may be needed to clear the edit.

J.3.3.2.3 MONITORING METHOD

J.3.3.2.3.1 Review by DCC Manager, COR, and GTM.

J.3.4 QUALITY CONTROL AND TRAINING

J.3.4.1 GOVERNMENT QUALITY ASSURANCE

The government will perform Quality Assurance (QA) activities to ensure data collection is in compliance with JOLTS procedures and to ensure data integrity. The government will ensure the integrity of the data collected by confirming the interviewer contacted the respondent and by verifying the accuracy of the data collected. The government will perform case reviews and re-interviews. The government may monitor Interviewer phone calls. The government will verify data entry, data code utilization, collection comments entered, proper use of collection procedures and systems, and employ additional QA activities as needed.

The government will use case reviews to review critical elements including:

J.3.4.1.1 Notes J.3.4.1.2 UI number and RUN verification J.3.4.1.3 Contact information J.3.4.1.4 Data edits J.3.4.1.5 Data item collection, and J.3.4.1.6 Other elements as needed

The government will use re-interviews to review critical elements including:

J.3.4.1.7 Data integrity J.3.4.1.8 UI number and RUN verification J.3.4.1.9 Reporting location J.3.4.1.10 Pay period verification J.3.4.1.11 Data accuracy J.3.4.1.12 Data elements collected, and J.3.4.1.13 Other elements as needed

The government will share results of these QA activities with the contractor. The contractor shall address all issues to the satisfaction of the government within five business days of notification by the government; if this is not possible, the contractor shall provide the DCC Manager a reasonable explanation.

The government will notify the contractor of concerns or issues identified by other methods. The contractor shall address these issues to the satisfaction of the government within five business days of notification by the government; if this is not possible, the contractor shall provide the DCC Manager a reasonable explanation. The contractor shall resolve monthly action items provided by the government.

J.3.4.2 CONTRACTOR QUALITY CONTROL

The contractor shall investigate and resolve the following issues, but not limited to:

J.3.4.2.1 The contractor shall investigate if the reported employment is not similar to the EQUI Database (EDB) employment. The contractor shall review the reported employment and EDB employment and determine if there is an error. The contractor shall correct errors and notify the government within five business days of any issues that the government needs to resolve.

J.3.4.2.2 The contractor shall investigate if the UI and RUN has not been verified for the PLA by the interviewer. The contractor shall verify the UI and RUN are correct for the PLA. If the UI and RUN cannot be verified as correct for the PLA, the contractor shall provide an explanation in the case notes in the government CATI system. If the respondent refuses or is unable to verify the UI and RUN are correct for the PLA, the contractor shall instead verify the EIN with the respondent.

J.3.4.2.3 The contractor shall verify that cases have either been moved to web collection; or email, fax, or permanent CATI after the initial five-month CATI collection period. The contractor shall verify that cases that are being reported by email, fax, or permanent CATI have sufficient justification for not being moved to web collection. Please refer to J.3.2.1.1.3 for discussion of transitioning CATI respondents to web collection.

J.3.4.2.4 The contractor shall perform re-interviews on cases where data falsification is suspected. During re-interviews, if the respondent indicates that he or she did not talk to an interviewer on the day indicated, the contractor shall immediately notify the government DCC Manager of a potential falsification of data. During re-interviews, if the respondent indicates that he or she did not report data that is shown in the government CATI system, the contractor shall immediately notify the government DCC manager of a potential falsification of data.

J.3.4.2.4.1 The contractor shall immediately begin an investigation, including a case review of the interviewer’s completed assignment.

J.3.4.2.4.2 The contractor shall document the cases in which falsification occurred, correct the data in the government CATI system, and provide these results to the government DCC manager throughout the investigation.

J.3.4.2.4.3 The contractor shall evaluate the circumstances and consult with the DCC Manager, CO, and COR to determine whether or not the interviewer should be removed from data collection activities.

J.3.4.2.5 The contractor shall provide the government with a Contractor Quality Control Plan that ensures data is in compliance with JOLTS procedures and ensures data integrity utilizing the surveillance and recording functions included in the telephone system software. A final Quality Control Plan must be provided within 90 days following award.

J.3.4.3 TRAINING

The contractor shall certify new employees for the applicable new hire training modules before the new employees can independently collect data for each module topic that is relevant to their assigned work. The contractor shall provide email documentation that certifies a new contractor hire is capable of independently collecting data that are in compliance with JOLTS procedures and data integrity guidelines.

The government will provide new hire training materials with four separate module certifications:

Address Refinement, Enrollment, Data Collection, and Non-Response Prompting. Each module involves 2-3 days of classroom training.

The contractor shall provide all training, using government provided or government approved training materials.

J.3.4.3.1 The contractor shall certify that new hires complete the Address Refinement module.

The contractor shall not allow interviewers to independently perform Address Refinement without this certification. The contractor shall ensure that this training is completed within 60 calendar days of a new hire’s starting date if the new hire will be performing Address Refinement duties.

J.3.4.3.2 The contractor shall certify that new hires complete the Enrollment Module successfully and complete five scheduled enrollment interviews under the observation of a contractor mentor to receive their Enrollment Certification. The contractor shall not allow interviewers to independently enroll cases without this certification. The contractor shall ensure that this training is completed within 60 calendar days of a new hire’s starting date if the new hire will be performing Enrollment duties.

J.3.4.3.3 The contractor shall certify that new hires complete the Collection Module successfully and complete fifteen data collection interviews under the observation of a contractor mentor to receive their Collection Certification. The contractor shall not allow interviewers to independently collect cases without this certification. The contractor shall ensure that this training is completed within 60 calendar days of a new hire’s starting date if the new hire will be performing data collection duties.

J.3.4.3.4 The contractor shall certify that new hires complete the NRP module and complete fifteen non-response cases under the observation of a contractor mentor to receive their NRP Certification. The contractor shall not allow interviewers to independently contact NRP cases without this certification. The contractor shall ensure that this training is completed within 60 calendar days of a new hire’s starting date if the new hire will be performing NRP duties.

J.3.4.3.5 The contractor shall provide annual email re-certification documentation for all employees actively collecting data.

J.3.4.3.6 The contractor shall conduct training of the trainers.

J.3.4.3.6.1 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.

J.3.4.3.6.2 The contractor shall use government provided training materials to train the trainers on government and JOLTS specific content.

J.3.4.3.6.3 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.

J.3.4.3.7 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 DCC 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.

J.3.5 PROJECT MANAGEMENT

J.3.5.1 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 10 calendar days following the kick-off meeting.

J.3.5.2 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.

J.3.5.2.1 PERSONNEL

J.3.5.2.1.1 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.

J.3.5.2.1.2 The Contractor shall attend a kickoff meeting located at the BLS HQ in Washington D.C., to review and finalize phase-in plans, quality control plans, security procedures, and any other contractual matters. The kick-off occurs within ten business days of contract award (not separately priced).

J.3.5.2.1.3 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. The contractor shall ensure that actual employee hours worked are documented on time sheets or time clocks, which correspond with employee hours billed on monthly invoices prior to submission to the government. The contractor shall provide this documentation in a format (preferably electronic) which is an easily audited format acceptable to the government.

J.3.5.2.1.4 The contractor shall use automated government contract and personnel management applications as required by the COR. These include, but are not restricted to:

J.3.5.2.1.4.1 BLS Employee Database: The contractor PM staff shall enter all employees into the BLS Employee Database before a new employee starts. A network account will not be created for the employee until the employee information is entered into the database. The BLS Employee Database is used by several BLS applications, including an application to process security investigations and an application to process IT security requirements. The contractor shall keep the employee information current, including changes in labor categories and work locations.

J.3.5.2.1.4.2 Contractor Timesheet System (CTS): The contractor shall use the BLS CTS and make entries in the application at the start and end of each work day.

J.3.5.2.2 REPORTING

J.3.5.2.2.1 The contractor shall report immediately to the DCC Manager, GTM, and COR any contractor staff who has been identified as falsifying data. The contractor shall follow the steps detailed in J.3.4.2.4 whenever potential data falsification is identified.

J.3.5.2.2.2 The contractor's Task Managers shall schedule regular meetings with the government’s DCC Manager to review the status of this PWS.

J.3.5.2.2.3 The contractor shall issue a report once per month containing the following information in a format agreed to by the government. The reporting period must be for the entire calendar month.

J.3.5.2.2.3.1 The contractor shall provide a summary of work being done to meet or exceed all AQLs. The contractor shall address reasons for not meeting AQLs, if applicable, and provide an explanation of work being done to remedy the situation.

J.3.5.2.2.3.2 The contractor shall provide monthly quality control reports listing any issues and resolutions.

J.3.5.2.2.3.3 If applicable, the contractor shall provide a brief description of any technical or administrative problems that have arisen during the reporting period, or any problems that are expected to arise during the next reporting period. The contractor shall also include a statement of changes in personnel during the reporting period.

J.3.5.2.2.3.4 The contractor shall include the current billing period expenditures and hours in usage of dollars and hours, cumulative expenditures and hours, and balance of contractual funds and hours as of the end of the reporting period. The contractor shall generate this report by labor category.

J.3.5.2.2.3.5 The contractor shall include the number of staff at the DCC, the number of vacancies at the DCC and the number of planned hires at the DCC in the monthly report.

J.3.5.2.2.4 Approximately eight weeks prior to the end of the federal fiscal year, the contractor shall produce a report projecting the amount of labor hour funds remaining until the end of the fiscal year.

J.3.5.3 PHASE-OUT OF WORK

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

J.3.5.3.1 Removal of contractor property, and J.3.5.3.2 Data and information transfer, and J.3.5.3.3 Clean-up of contractor work areas, and J.3.5.3.4 Any other actions required to ensure continuity of operations.

The contractor shall submit the draft plan to the COR for approval no later than 90 calendar days prior to contract completion. The COR will provide any revisions required within 10 calendar days.

The contractor shall submit to the COR the final plan with all revisions no later than 30 calendar days prior to contract completion. The contractor shall not make any further changes without COR approval after acceptance of the final plan.

J.4 PERSONNEL QUALIFICATIONS AND DUTIES

The contractor shall provide the necessary personnel with at least the minimum qualifications to perform each task assignment in accordance with PWS.

J.4.1 PROJECT MANAGER

J.4.1.1 MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

J.4.1.1.1 Bachelor's degree.

J.4.1.1.2 Five years of experience in the administration and management of large contracts comprised of multiple and concurrent tasks. Management includes the planning, budgeting and staffing for each task.

J.4.1.1.3 Three years of experience in corporate on-site decision-making authority.

J.4.1.1.4 Two years of experience developing performance metrics which provide detailed analyses of staffing, requirements matching, and hiring.

J.4.1.2 DUTIES

Typical duties shall include but are not limited to the following:

J.4.1.2.1 Corporate representative who can make commitments on behalf of the contracting company in all administrative and technical matters related to the performance of tasks.

J.4.1.2.2 Responsible for the supervision and direction of all contract personnel assigned to the contract.

J.4.1.2.3 Responsible for management of any subcontracting agreements, security enforcement, and task reporting and coordination.

J.4.1.2.4 Works with the COR and BLS management to ensure proper execution of the contract to meet BLS needs and is the primary liaison between the contractor personnel and the COR.

J.4.1.2.5 Discusses technical, financial, and administrative issues with the COR, CO, Division Chiefs, Task Monitors, and BLS technical leads.

J.4.1.2.6 Ensures that all BLS security and confidentiality requirements and procedures are met for new hires and in place contract staff, including provision of signed Agency Agreements and credentialing documents.

J.4.1.2.7 Supervises contract employees in assigned task areas.

J.4.2 INTERVIEWER 2

J.4.2.1 MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

J.4.2.1.1 High School diploma or equivalent plus two years customer service experience.

J.4.2.1.2 Two years of experience using Microsoft Office suite or equivalent software.

J.4.2.1.3 Experience using the internet for research.

J.4.2.2 DUTIES

J.4.2.2.1 Enrolls the largest, most difficult companies into the JOLTS survey.

J.4.2.2.2 Processes confidential data records obtained…