2.2.1_Attachment B_QASP_FINAL_11-18-2024.pdf

Continuous Improvement Division (CID)

Continuous Improvement Program Support

Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan

Dated 11/18/2024

1. PURPOSE.

This Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) provides a systematic method to evaluate performance for the Continuous Improvement Division Blanket Purchase Agreement. This

QASP explains the following:

• What will be monitored.

• How monitoring will take place.

• Who will conduct the monitoring.

• How monitoring efforts and results will be documented.

This QASP does not detail how the contractor accomplishes the work. Rather, the QASP is created with the premise that the contractor is responsible for management and quality control actions to meet the terms of the contract. It is the Government’s responsibility to be objective, fair, and consistent in evaluating performance. In addition, the QASP should recognize that unforeseen and uncontrollable situations may occur.

This QASP is a “living document” and the Government may review and revise it on a regular basis. However, the Government shall coordinate changes with the contractor. Updates shall ensure that the QASP remains a valid, useful, and enforceable document. Copies of the original

QASP and revisions shall be provided to the contractor and Government officials implementing surveillance activities. The following FAR clauses apply to this BPA:

52.246-4 Inspection of Services – Fixed-Price

52.246-6 Inspection of Services – Time-and-Material and Labor-Hour

Attachment "B"

2. GOVERNMENT ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.

The following personnel shall oversee and coordinate surveillance activities.

a. Contracting Officer (CO) - The CO shall ensure performance of all necessary actions for effective contracting, ensure compliance with the contract terms, and shall safeguard the interests of the United States in the contractual relationship. The CO shall also assure that the contractor receives impartial, fair, and equitable treatment under this contract. The CO is ultimately responsible for the final determination of the adequacy of the contractor’s performance.

Assigned CO: Gregory Crouse

Organization or Agency: FEMA

Telephone: 301-447-1136

Email: gregory.crouse@fema.dhs.gov

b. Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) - The COR is responsible for technical administration of the contract and shall assure proper Government surveillance of the contractor’s performance. The COR shall keep a quality assurance file. At the conclusion of the contract or when requested by the CO, the COR shall provide documentation to the CO. The

COR is not empowered to make any contractual commitments or to authorize any contractual changes on the Government’s behalf. The contractor shall refer any changes they deem may affect contract price, terms, or conditions to the CO for action.

Assigned COR: Christina Graves

Telephone: 202-374-0831

Email: christina.r.graves@fema.dhs.gov

Alternate COR: Kristen Larsen

Telephone: 256-282-8620

Email: Kristen.larsen@fema.dhs.gov

c. Other Key Government Personnel: Michael Icardi

Title: CID Division Director

Telephone: 202-957-4120

Email: michael.icardi@fema.dhs.gov

c. Other Key Government Personnel: Emily Trundle

Title: RFI Branch Chief

Telephone: 202-957-4120

Email: michael.icardi@fema.dhs.gov mailto:gregory.crouse@fema.dhs.gov mailto:christina.r.graves@fema.dhs.gov mailto:michael.icardi@fema.dhs.gov mailto:michael.icardi@fema.dhs.gov

3. CONTRACTOR REPRESENTATIVES:

The following employees of the contractor serve as the contractor’s representatives for this contract.

a. Program Manager: TBD

Telephone:

Email:

b. Project Manager: TBD

c. CIIS Project Lead: TBD

d. CITAP Project Lead: TBD

e. Disaster After-Action Review Lead: TBD

4. PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.

Performance standards define desired services. The Government performs surveillance to determine if the contractor exceeds, meets or does not meet these standards.

The Performance Requirements Summary, paragraph in the Performance Work Statement includes performance standards. The Government shall use these standards to determine contractor performance and shall compare contractor performance to the Acceptable Quality

Level (AQL).

Surveillance of contractor performance will be performed by the employees named in the government roles and responsibilities listed above based on the surveillance methodologies identified in the QASP. The following performance areas of the call order will be the basis from which all surveillance will originate:

4.1 Timeliness and Schedule

4.2 Quality

4.3 Organization and Coordination

4.4 Effective Reporting

5. METHODS OF QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE.

Various methods exist to monitor performance. The COR shall use the surveillance methods listed below in the administration of this QASP.

Regardless of the surveillance method, the COR shall always contact the contractor's task manager or on-site representative when a defect is identified and inform the manager of the specifics of the problem. The COR, with assistance from the CO, if needed, shall be responsible for monitoring the contractor’s performance in meeting a specific performance standard/AQL.

a. DIRECT OBSERVATION. (Can be performed periodically or through surveillance.)

• Daily/Weekly depending on frequency of deliverables, particularly during onsite collection phases.

b. PERIODIC INSPECTION/SAMPLING (Uses a comprehensive evaluation of selected outputs. Inspections may be scheduled [Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, or annually] or unscheduled, as required.)

• Review of product status at select intervals in approval process.

• Review of product status at pre-established decision gates.

• Review and application of Quality Control Plan and Quality Assurance and Quality

Control Checklist.

c. VALIDATED USER/CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS. (Relies on the user of the service to identify deficiencies. Complaints are then investigated and validated. Highly applicable to services provided in quantity and where quality is highly subjective.)

• Proactive response to customer complaints to address problems.

d. 100% INSPECTION/SAMPLING. (Evaluates all outputs. Most applicable to small quantity, but highly important services. May be used where there are written deliverables and stringent requirements such as tasks required by law, safety, or security.)

• Review of product status at select intervals in approval process.

• Review of product status at pre-established decision gates.

• Review and application of Quality Control Plan and Quality Assurance and Quality

Control Checklist.

e. Progress or status meetings.

• Regularly Scheduled based on the individual call order/task requirements

• Analysis of contractor's progress reports. (Evaluate cost, schedule, etc.)

• Monthly progress reports submitted with invoice but can be requested more frequently if desired.

g. Performance reporting.

• Document Contractor performance in Contractor Performance Assessment Rating System

(CPARS).

• Document performance or quality issues via email for the record for official Contractor file.

Surveillance results may be used as the basis for actions (to include payment deductions) against the contractor. In such cases, the Inspection of Services clause in the Contract becomes the basis for the CO’s actions.

6. QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE PLAN TABLE

Desired

Output Performance Standard

Acceptable

Quality Level

(AQL)

Monitoring

Method

Performance

Incentive /

Disincentive

Response to

Call Orders issued.

Completion date and received within timeframe stipulated.

100% COR reviews call order responses

Incentive:

COR will document high quality/high performance and ensure it becomes part of

Contractor’s past performance record which will be entered at least annually into CPARS.

Disincentive:

COR will document low quality/poor performance and ensure it becomes part of

Contractor’s past performance record which will be entered at least annually into CPARS.

Deliverables submitted on time

Deliverables submitted on or before due dates without reminders from FEMA

98% Program

Manager and/or COR monitor due dates and notes when deliverables are submitted / completed

Monthly progress reports to document ongoing activities

Accurate and complete reports by the 15th of every month. On a monthly basis, the Contractor provides a review of contract performance to communicate

Task achievements, progress to date, and identified performance risks.

100% COR reviews submitted reports for accuracy, completeness and quality

High quality deliverables

Deliverables submitted that meet or exceed requirements and support objectives of PWS.

Deliverables do not require significant rework before being accepted by the government.

First Draft 80% or higher

Final draft 100%

(1 or 2 extra reviews based on complexity of feedback

Program

Manager and/or COR review submitted deliverables and measures quality against standards in

PWS, awarded contract, Quality

Control Plan

(QCP),

QA/QC

Checklist, and project plan as appropriate.

Deliverables formatted correctly and without grammatical and punctuation errors

Continuous Improvement

Program Style Guide and commonly accepted grammar and punctuation styles and standards, like APA, MLA and/or Chicago that are fully 508 compliant.

100% Program

Manager and/or COR review submitted deliverables against Style

Guide and applicable style requirements.

Christina Grave 11/18/2024

Continuous Improvement Division Contracting Officer’s Representative

Date