ITOPSS_RFP_2010-N-12110_Final.doc

SOLICITATION, OFFER AND AWARD

1. THIS CONTRACT IS A RATED ORDER

UNDER DPAS (15 CFR 700)

RATING

PAGE OF

2. CONTRACT NO.

3. SOLICITATION NO.

2010-N-12110

4. TYPE OF SOLICITATION

X

NEGOTIATED (RFP)

5. DATE ISSUED

03/29/2011

6. REQUISITION/PURCHASE NO.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PGO)

Procurement and Grants Office

2920 Brandywine Rd, RM 3000

Atlanta, GA 30341-5539

Approved as to Form and Legality: _____________________________

NOTE: In sealed bid solicitations “offer” and “offeror” mean “bid” and “bidder.”

SOLICITATION

9. Sealed offers in original and 4 copies for furnishing the supplies or services in the Schedule will be received at the place specified in Item 8, or if handcarried, in the depository located in Block 7 until 2:00pm local time 04/29/2011 CAUTION -- LATE Submissions, Modifications, and Withdrawals: See Section L, Provision No. 52.214-7 or 52.215-1. All offers are subject to all terms and conditions contained in this solicitation.

10. FOR INFORMATION

CALL:

A. NAME

Tailee C. Tucker

B. TELEPHONE (NO COLLECT CALLS)

AREA CODE NUMBER: EXT:

(770) 488-2812

C. E-MAIL ADDRESS

tctucker@cdc.gov

11. TABLE OF CONTENTS

(x)

DESCRIPTION

(x)

DESCRIPTION

X

REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS, AND

OFFER (Must be fully completed by offeror)

NOTE: Item 12 does not apply if the solicitation includes the provisions at 52.214-16, Minimum Bid Acceptance Period.

12. In compliance with the above, the undersigned agrees, if this offer is accepted within calendar days (60 calendar days unless a different period is inserted by the offeror) from the date for receipt of offers specified above, to furnish any or all items upon which prices are offered at the price set opposite each item, delivered at the designated point(s), within the time specified in the schedule.

13. DISCOUNT FOR PROMPT PAYMENT

(See Section I, Clause No. 52-232-8)

10 CALENDAR DAYS

20 CALENDAR DAYS

30 CALENDAR DAYS

CODE

FACILITY

16. NAME AND ADDRESS OF PERSON AUTHORIZED TO SIGN OFFER

15B. TELEPHONE NO.

AREA CODE NUMBER EXT.

15C. CHECK IF REMITTANCE ADDRESS

SUCH ADDRESS IN SCHEDULE.

17. SIGNATURE

18. OFFER DATE

AWARD (To be completed by Government)

19. ACCEPTED AS TO ITEMS NUMBERED

20. AMOUNT

22. AUTHORITY FOR USING OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION:

21. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION

23. SUBMIT INVOICES TO ADDRESS SHOWN IN

(4 copies unless otherwise specified)

ITEM

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PGO)

Procurement and Grants Office

2920 Brandywine Rd, RM 3000

Atlanta, GA 30341-5539

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (FMO)

PO Box 15580 404-498-4050

Atlanta, GA 30333-0080

26. NAME OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print)

27. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

(Signature of Contracting Officer)

28. AWARD DATE

IMPORTANT -- Award will be made on this form, or on Standard Form 26, or by other authorized official written notice.

AUTHORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION

STANDARD FORM 33 (REV. 9-97)

PREVIOUS EDITION IS UNUSABLE

Prescribed by GSA

FAR (48 CFR) 53.214©

Section B - Supplies Or Services And Prices/Costs

Cost Plus Fixed Fee

SubCLINs at the Task Order level:

000101 – Base Period

000102 – Option Period One

000103 - Option Period Two

000104 - Option Period Three

000105 – Option Period Four

The Contractor shall provide International Technical, Operational, and Professional Support Services II (ITOPSS II) to the CDC in international locations as outlined in the Performance Work Statement and specifically ordered through individual task orders. Each task order will be funded separately.

Task Orders will be issued as Cost Plus Fixed Fee in accordance with the Performance Work Statement.

Maximum Value

Not to Exceed:

See below*.

* Line Items 0001shall not exceed $250,000,000.00. The Government intends to issue multiple-award contracts and the aggregate maximum value of all awards shall not to exceed $250,000,000.00.

B.1 Task Order Contract

This is an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) contract utilizing Cost Plus Fixed Fee type Task Orders in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 16. Options will be issued at the task order level.

If an individual task order is a Cost Plus Fixed Fee type task order the Contractor’s proposal for the individual task order shall specify the price for labor, other direct costs, indirect costs and fixed fee to perform the services required of that specific task order.

Funds shall be obligated on each individual task order. The Contractor shall not exceed the amount negotiated for each individual task order without prior written approval of the Contracting Officer. The Government is not obligated to reimburse the Contractor for costs incurred in excess of the amount negotiated for each individual task order, or for costs that are specifically identified in this contract as being unallowable.

The Contractor shall not commence work until a task order or other notification for a specific assignment is issued by the Contracting Officer. If mailed, a task order is considered "issued" when the Government deposits the order in the mail. Orders may be issued orally, by facsimile, or electronically.

The Contracting Officer is the only person authorized to request work plans or issue task orders under this contract. The Government is not obligated to reimburse the Contractor for cost incurred before issuance of a task order or other notification by the Contracting Officer.

B.2 Minimum Guarantee

The master ID/IQ contracts have a guaranteed minimum of $25,000.00 for each awarded contract and applicable to the first task order. In the event that during the life of the contract, the Contractor receives obligations (task orders) of less than this minimum, the Government will reimburse the Contractor for the difference between the actual obligations and the guaranteed minimum.

B.3 Maximum Program Value

The maximum dollar value of the collective awards (an estimate of three) is $250,000,000.00. In no event will the sum of the contract or contracts exceed the maximum of $250,000,000.00. If the Government's requirements for services set forth in the solicitation do not result in orders in the amounts described as “maximum," the event shall not constitute the basis for an equitable price adjustment under this contract.

B.4 Ordering of Services

Orders for services shall be placed by individual negotiated task orders in accordance with the Section B.5 “Award of Task Orders” and Section H.10 “Issuance of Task Orders”, I.2 “Ordering”, and I.3 “Ordering Limitations”.

B.5 Award of Task Orders After contracts are awarded by the Government, services will be ordered by the issuance of individual task orders awarded on a competitive basis. Each awardee will be given a fair opportunity to be considered for award of each individual task order.

The fair opportunity process will operate as follows:

a. Task Orders – General:

(1) A written task order, in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth herein, shall be the only basis for acquisition of services under this contract.

(2) Orders will be placed directly with the Contractor by CDC Contracting Officers as a result of a Request for Task Proposal (RFTP) competition.

(3) Some orders may be exempt from competition in accordance with FAR 16.505(b)(2) and paragraph B.6 “Fair Opportunity Exceptions,” as shown below.

(4) The Contractor shall be responsible for performance in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contract when a Task Order is placed by a CDC Contracting Officer.

(5) In accordance with FAR 5.202, Task Orders placed under any resultant contract need not be synopsized.

(6) Contractors may not protest the award of the Task Order issued under the resultant contracts, except on the grounds that the order increases scope, period, or maximum value of the contract or an order valued in excess of 10 million.

b. Ordering Procedures:

Request for Task Proposal (RFTP) - When the Government identifies a specific requirement for work to be performed under this contract, the contracting officer will issue a written Request for Task Order Proposal (RFTP) to each awardee under this RFP. The RFTP will contain information comparable to a competitive solicitation. Such information will include, but is not limited to, (1) Statement of Work that identifies the Government's requirement, (2) instructions to the contractors for responding to the RFTP, and (3) evaluation and award factors. RFTPs will be sent by electronic mail (email) to each awardee and responses will be required via email in Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel. Therefore, awardees are required to have electronic mail capability. If a contractor unable to submit a proposal in response to the RFTP, the contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer electronically via email.

Task Order Evaluation and Selection Procedures - Awardees that elect to respond to an RFTP must submit their proposals to the CDC Contracting Office within 14 calendar days unless otherwise specified in the RFTP via electronic mail in Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel formats. Awardees that elect to respond to a RFTP shall provide a technical proposal and profile of the personnel assigned or to be assigned to the task. The proposal shall include a Person Loading chart. This chart shall indicate for each proposed labor position, the number of man hours subdivided by the specific components of the task. The purpose of this chart is to associate the roles and the amount of effort to be performed by each individual proposed in the direct labor category for each task component required under the Scope of Work. Responses shall also include a budget detailing the cost of each major subtask identified within the proposal. Each offer received in response to a RFTP will be evaluated on both technical and cost merits. The Government, may at its discretion, use past performance and cost control on previous projects as an evaluation factor. Evaluation criteria will be specified in the RFTP. Evaluation criteria may vary for each RFTP depending upon the emphasis of the project.

CDC reserves the right to award individual task orders on the basis of initial offers received without discussion, therefore offers should contain the offeror's best terms from a cost/price and technical standpoint. Offerors are advised that in the evaluation process, the cost/price and technical merit importance will be stated in the RFTP.

Upon receipt of the Contractors' proposals, the Government will evaluate proposals received and select the Contractor who offers the best value for the Task Order. The Government and the Contractor will negotiate projected levels of effort and cost ceiling for the individual tasks. Negotiated cost ceiling for individual tasks shall not be exceeded during performance without prior written authorization of the Contracting Officer.

Award of Task Order will be made as a result of "best value" source selection. Best value means that the Government will perform a cost/technical trade-off analysis such that business judgment will be exercised in selecting the most advantageous alternative to the Government, considering both the costs and technical merit of proposals. The determination of best value will be made by comparing the differences in the value of performance capability factors with the differences in the costs proposed. The Government will not make an award at a significantly higher overall cost to the Government to achieve only slightly superior performance capability features. The Government will make this assessment through the development of trade-off analyses that involve the assessment of benefits of superior performance capability features - for example, economic benefits clearly attributable to superior productivity; probability of successful contract performance; and/or unique and innovative approaches or capabilities - versus the added costs. Overall cost to the Government may become the ultimate determining factor for award of the contracts as proposals become more equal based on the other factors. The degree of equality between Offerors' proposals will be measured by the quantity, significance, and applicability of the superior features proposed and not by the total scores achieved.

Cost reasonableness and Cost/price realism to the Government are of significant importance in the overall task order award decision. Therefore, Offerors are reminded that award will be made to that Offeror whose proposal provides the combination of features that offers the greatest overall value to the Government.

The Cost portion of contractor responses to RFTP will not be assigned quantitative scores. The information contained in the proposals will be analyzed and evaluated to determine validity, realism and reasonableness of each cost proposed, and to determine the cost risk and most probable cost to the Government. The purpose of this cost realism analysis will be to determine if:

(a) The Offeror's proposed costs are realistic for the work to be performed;

(b) The proposed costs demonstrate that the Offeror understands the Government's requirements; and

(c) The proposed costs are consistent with the various elements contained in the proposal.

Based upon this cost realism analysis, an assessment will be made of the most probable cost to the Government when awarding a Task Order.

Task orders will be issued to the Contractor by the Contracting Officer. Task orders will include written specifications detailing and describing the nature of the work to be performed. Successful Contractor will be authorized to commence work only upon receipt of specific Task Orders issued by the Contracting Officer.

B.6 FAIR OPPORTUNITY EXCEPTIONS FAR 16.505 (b) (1) Exceptions to the fair opportunity process. The contracting officer shall give every awardee a fair opportunity to be considered for a delivery-order or task-order exceeding $3,000 unless one of the following statutory exceptions applies:

(i) The agency need for the supplies or services is so urgent that providing a fair opportunity would result in unacceptable delays.

(ii) Only one awardee is capable of providing the supplies or services required at the level of quality required because the supplies or services ordered are unique or highly specialized.

(iii) The order must be issued on a sole-source basis in the interest of economy and efficiency because it is a logical follow-on to an order already issued under the contract, provided that all awardees were given a fair opportunity to be considered for the original order.

(iv) It is necessary to place an order to satisfy a minimum guarantee.

Performance Work Statement

Section C - Description/Specification/Work Statement C.1.

BACKGROUND and NEED

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) mission is to promote the health and quality of life by preventing and controlling disease, injury, and disability. As part of this mission, CDC is tasked with implementing programs to ensure that people around the world will live safer, healthier lives through protecting Americans at home and abroad from health threats via international prevention, detection and response networks and promoting CDC and the United States Government as trusted and effective resources for health development around the globe. CDC addresses critical global public health challenges through working with a diverse set of partners to support the development and implementation of culturally-appropriate public health interventions. Through health promotion activities, both domestically and abroad, CDC contributes to reductions in global morbidity and mortality.

The mission of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is to promote the health and quality of life of people by preventing and controlling disease, injury, and disability. CDC through its newly created Center for Global Health (CGH) is in a position to bring its scientific expertise and credibility to the U.S. Global Health Initiative (GHI): “to protect the health of our people, while saving lives, reducing suffering, and supporting the health and dignity of people everywhere.” The key elements of CDC’s global health strategy are:

· Assist Ministries of Health to plan, effectively manage, and evaluate health programs;

· Achieve goals adopted by USG programs and international organizations to improve health, including disease eradication and elimination targets;

· Expand CDC’s global health programs that focus on the leading causes of mortality, morbidity and disability, especially chronic disease and injuries;

· Generate and apply new knowledge to achieve health goals; and

· Strengthen health systems and their impact.

As part of this mission, CDC is tasked with implementing programs in international settings, primarily in developing countries. To reach these goals HHS/CDC focuses on the following major program areas: HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Global Immunizations, Influenza, Global Disease Detection, Safe Water, Injury & Violence, Birth Defects & Developmental Disability, Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training, Sustainable Management Development, Reproductive Health, Workforce and Career Development, and Global Preparedness & Program Coordination.

The functions of the Center for Global Health include the following:

(1) Provides strategic direction and guidance on the execution of CDC’s global health strategy, including decision-making, policy development and program planning and evaluation; (2) ensures the impact and effectiveness of Congressionally-mandated programs; (3) improves implementation and coordination of CDC global programs; (4) harmonizes CDC global health priorities with host country priorities to improve essential public health functions and maximize positive health outcomes, country ownership and sustainability; (5) supervises all CDC country directors and provides leadership in the selection of additional countries to expand or establish collaboration; and (6) measures the performance of CDC’s global health programs in terms of public health impact and fiscal accountability; (7) facilitates the conduct and maintenance of ethical and high quality, evidence-based scientific investigations by implementing regulatory requirements, monitoring human subjects compliance, and clearing scientific products; (8) promotes cross-cutting agendas and harmonizes CDC’s global laboratory science activities to improve diagnostic methodologies and respond to threats of emerging pathogens; (9) provides leadership to promote growth of CDC global health programs; (10) analyzes, measures, and evaluates the global burden and distribution of disease; (11) promotes scientific innovation and best technical practices in global health surveillance, epidemiology, outbreak investigation, monitoring and evaluation, and informatics; (12) provides leadership on issues management, budget formulation and performance integration, and country-specific issues through triaging to programs; (13) participates in defining, developing, shaping and implementing US global health policy and actions; (14) manages inter-governmental and external affairs and cultivates strategic partnerships; (15) plans and executes CDC’s global health communications strategy and public affairs media response/outreach; (16) provides oversight, guidance, and accountability for all operations functions, human resources, workforce management, budget formulation and distribution, extramural reviews and processing, internal and domestic travel, and property management responsibilities of CGH; and (17) develops standardized management processes and solutions for CDC country offices.

The first phase of the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR I) was a 5-year, $15 billion multi-faceted approach to combating HIV/AIDS in more than 100 countries around the world. Since the United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act of 2003 (Public Law 108-25) was signed by the President on May 27, 2003, the Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator (OGAC) has coordinated the U.S. Government’s world-wide response to HIV/AIDS. In full partnership with the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. Departments of Commerce, Defense, and Labor, and the Peace Corps, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], the National Institutes of Health [NIH], and the Health Resources & Services Administration [HRSA]) provides essential technical assistance to implement PEPFAR.

On July 30, 2008, President George W. Bush signed into law the Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act (H.R. 5501) which reauthorizes PEPFAR to continue with a similar mandate for another five years at higher funding levels. The second phase of PEPFAR, or PEPFAR II, seeks to expand HIV prevention, care, and treatment, building on the successes of PEFPAR I and advancing in several important new directions, including:

· Ensuring that programs are sustainable, country-owned and country-driven

· Transitioning from an emergency response to promotion of sustainable country programs

· Strengthen partner government capacity to lead the response to this epidemic and other health demands

· Expand prevention, care, and treatment in both concentrated and generalized epidemics.

· Integrating and coordinating HIV/AIDS programs with broader global health programs to maximize impact on health systems

· Investing in innovation and operations research to evaluate impact, improve service delivery and maximize outcomes Specific targets for PEPFAR II include:

Prevention:

· support the prevention of more than 12 million new HIV infections;

· ensure that every partner country with a generalized epidemic has both 80% coverage of testing for pregnant women at the national level, and 85% coverage of antiretroviral drug (ARV) prophylaxis and treatment, as indicated, of women found to be HIV-infected;

· double the number of at-risk babies born HIV-free, from the 240,000 babies of HIV-positive mothers who were born HIV-negative during the first five years of PEPFAR;

· in every partner country with a generalized epidemic, provide 100% of youth in PEPFAR prevention programs with comprehensive and correct knowledge of the ways HIV/AIDS is transmitted and ways to protect themselves, consistent with Millennium Development Goal indicators in this area.

Care and Support and Treatment

· provide direct support for more than 4 million people on treatment, more than doubling the number of people directly supported on treatment during the first five years of PEPFAR

· support care for more than 12 million people, including 5 million orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs)

· Ensure that every partner country with a generalized epidemic reaches a threshold of 65% coverage for early infant diagnosis at the national level, and testing of 80% of older children of HIV-positive mothers, with increased referrals and linkages to care and treatment.

Sustainability

· support training and retention of more than 140,000 new health care workers to strengthen health systems

· in order to support country ownership, ensure that in each country with a major PEPFAR investment (greater than $5 million), the partner government leads efforts to evaluate and define needs and roles in the national response

· ensure that in every partner country with a Partnership Framework, each country will change policies to address the larger structural conditions which contribute to the spread of the epidemic.

At CDC, the Global AIDS Program (GAP) has been actively involved in PEPFAR since its beginning in 2003, with its highly-trained behavioral, health, and laboratory scientists, epidemiologists, medical officers, and public health advisors working at headquarters and in the field and regional offices to support national strategies for sustainable, integrated HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and treatment programs. GAP staff provides expertise in the areas of HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and treatment, infrastructure development, laboratory capacity building, monitoring and evaluation, surveillance, and public health evaluation research.

CDC will furnish the Contractor with the information and materials needed to complete the tasks described below. These materials may include country program descriptions and scopes of work as well as relevant policies, procedures, and guidelines that become available periodically throughout the contract period. Additional information about PEPFAR can be obtained at www.pepfar.gov, and for CDC’s Global AIDS Program at www.cdc.gov/nchhstp.

C.2. SCOPE OF WORK

The services to be acquired under this contract provide a mechanism for various operational, technical and professional tasks, studies, and projects to be performed for CDC in various countries as identified in Section F3. The Contractor is advised that it is not possible to determine the precise types or quantities of services, supplies, and/or equipment that will be ordered during the term of the contract. The Contractor shall be obligated to perform within the minimum and maximum order limitations set forth in clauses 52.216-19, Order Limitations. The time of issuance and amount of work in task orders cannot be accurately predicted. The Government will make every effort to give the Contractor advance notice of requirements, but the services for which this contract will be used could address an immediate need involving an emergency or short notice requirement. Services to be performed shall be both personal and non-personal and not inherently governmental services. Supplies and equipment are incidental to the required services to be performed and shall be ordered on an as-needed basis for each individual task order.

C.3. TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

The following are representative examples of tasks, which may be ordered through the issuance of individual task orders under this contract. This listing provides the types of tasks which may be conducted, and is not represented as being complete or all-inclusive. This Statement of Work shall function as a Performance Work Statement.

C.3.1. Provide Technical, Operational Support and Professional Services

The Contractor shall provide short-term and long-term technical, operational, and professional services in various locations throughout the world in support of the CDC as outlined in the individual task orders. The list of services in this section is not all inclusive of the activities that are supported by CDC. As the support of global health initiatives increase, this contract will provide support. The Contractor shall design, manage, participate in and implement programs for global health activities including, but not limited to, HIV/AIDS, Infectious Diseases, Global Disease Detection (GDD), conducting staff training and training programs for indigenous populations, including some basic education activities. The Contractor shall perform tasks that fall into three categories: technical, operational and professional support services. Most of the tasks will take place on long-term assignments (up to 5 years) in non-U.S. locations. The contractor must be capable of providing travel management services and assistance to their employees, including, but not limited to: airline e-tickets, immunizations, passports, visas, local work permits, emergency evacuations. In addition, the contractor must have the means to provide support in the following areas for their employees: background checks, housing, medical and evacuation insurance, foreign government taxation, filing income tax returns with country of origin, compliance with international and local laws, emergency medical care and other details necessary to successfully place personnel to perform the services required.

See Attachment J.5 for more details concerning requirements necessary for performing services overseas.

C.3.1.1.Technical Services

This category includes services that require technical expertise to provide technical advice and assistance to CDC staff and other public health, medical and scientific professionals in both laboratory and office activities. One characteristic of the services in this category is the requirement for knowledge of scientific research techniques and analyzing data. This category may also include services that require technical expertise in providing solutions with regards to security compliance, training, operational support, technical and development support, international or global experience and technical knowledge in a myriad of international activities. Characteristic of the services in this category are the requirements for knowledge of information technology principles and techniques and public health program management experience that is less than full professional knowledge, but which nevertheless enables the technician to understand how and why a specific device, skill, or system operates.

Examples of these technical services include, but are not limited to public health, laboratory coordination and management, training, demographics, counseling, database development and management, data management, technical writing, building and design coordination, communications, Informatics, human capacity development, emergency operations, research and science and Information technology. Contractors providing these services must possess the ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing and the ability to effectively relate to diverse groups of people.

C.3.1.2. Operational Support Services

This category includes services that require providing operational assistance and support to technical, professional, medical, and scientific personnel. This category may include tasks that involve preparing, transcribing, transferring, systematizing, and preserving written communications and records; gathering and distributing information; operating office machines; storing, distributing, and accounting for storage of material; operating office equipment; originating and distributing correspondence in both written and electronic formats, and performing other administrative duties. The computer skill requirements shall include but not limited to Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Microsoft Outlook.

Examples of these tasks include, but are not limited to secretarial services, program coordination, financial consulting, facilities projects, project analysis, interviewing, extramural resource management, public affairs, real estate maintenance, study coordination, program operations, administrative support services, office automation services and other related fields. The contractor staff assigned to these tasks must possess the ability to communicate well both orally and in writing and the ability to relate to diverse groups of people.

C.3.1.3. Professional Services

This category includes services that require professional expertise having a recognized status based upon acquiring professional knowledge through the study of sciences such as biology, chemistry, physics, physiology, psychology, and medicine. These tasks require medical, public health, epidemiology, or behavioral sciences expertise. This category also includes services that require professional expertise based upon acquiring professional knowledge through the study of public health, epidemiology, and behavioral sciences.

Examples of these professional services include, but are not limited to, microbiology services, pharmaceutical services, nursing, medical and surgical services, epidemiology and research, science (behavioral and health), occupational therapy, health economy, entymology, virology, laboratory quality assurance, behavior modification services and other related services.

C.3.1.4. Historical/Relative Frequency of Services

While the contractor will be responsible for providing all services listed in this PWS, the following services (and tasks) have historically been requested the most (from most frequent to less frequent):

A. HIV/TB SUPPORT SERVICE:

Including HIV/TB CARE AND TREATMENT, COUNSELING AND TESTING, MONITORING AND EVALUATION, TRANSMISSION, PREVENTION, AND SURVEILLANCE SUPPORT SERVICES: Some examples of tasks that could be included in future task orders include but are not limited to :

Sample Tasks related to HIV/TB Support Services:

a. Provide primary HIV prevention through development of voluntary counseling and testing services, development of community outreach for populations (e.g., drug users, sex workers) at high risk for HIV/AIDS, demonstration projects aimed at prevention of maternal-to-child transmission of HIV, promotion of effective “universal precautions” policies and exposures for health care and other workers, promotion of blood safety programs and other activities.

b. Promote practical, effective HIV care and treatment programs through development of systems linking HIV-infected persons to care, provision of training on HIV management and care to health care providers, development of sustainable treatment models for opportunistic infections (OIs), provision of model systems & training for laboratory workers in OI diagnosis, and support in developing effective national HIV management and treatment guidelines.

c. Provide technical assistance in local and national HIV and STD surveillance, development of provincial program protocols, support for short and long term training in HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and program management, and ensuring integrated HIV services at the local level with GAP and other local HIV activities. Specifically, assisting in the development of prevention strategies, monitor program implementation and evaluations, identify program priorities, and work primarily with the LIFE/GAP Representative Office, National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Provincial AIDS Committees, and other bilateral and multilateral donors to achieve the CDC/GAP goals.

d. Provides the CDC Office and Deputy of Programs with technical expertise on research and intervention. Provide technical expertise to the international scientific community, industry, universities and other centers of excellence in the area of HIV/AIDS, other sexually transmitted diseases and tuberculosis. Monitor and assess the work of guest consultants and researchers, graduate students and personnel of collaborating institutions working with the unit.

e. Assists the in-country CDC Office with the design, implementation, and evaluation of CDC/GAP prevention and research activities in-country. Reviews and evaluates program cost effectiveness. Provides formal recommendations to ensure optimum use of resources and changes that will increase the productivity of activities. Such efforts will be done in collaboration with the in-country MOH and other collaborating partners to ensure coordination of programmatic activities, which avoids duplication of effort and strengthen the overall MOH HIV/AIDS and prevention programs portfolio.

g. Under the direction of the Country Director and CDC employees and provides technical assistance in the development of CDC HIV/AIDS programs aimed at helping the in-country Ministry of Health (MOH) B. OPERATIONAL AND MANAGEMENT SUPPORT SERVICES: Some examples of tasks that could be included in future task orders include but are not limited to:

a. Help maintain staffing continuity in-country as current staff transition out, and new staff is brought on board.

b. Provide support and advice to PEPFAR and specifically the CDC country team related to policies and guidelines concerning several key technical issues in-country, including the implementation of Methadone therapy (including possible expansion of the program), expansion of the geographic coverage of all in-country PEPFAR programming, and provision of comprehensive support to former IDU being released from centers.

c. Working with GAP, in-country technical staff, the PEFAR Coordinator’s Office in-country, and the Embassy’s Human Resources Office, assist with developing position descriptions and documentation for new positions to be requested in the next fiscal year.

d. Provide coordinative and facilitative support to CDC Office in the preparation for several high level visitors.

e. Facilitate implementation of policies and guidelines of the CDC, the DHHS, the Department of State as it relates to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), and the U.S. Federal Government.

f. Provide guidance and expertise in the administration of the extramural program and performs a variety of functions involving major grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, interagency agreements, and memoranda of agreement.

C. EPIDEMIOLOGY SUPPORT SERVICES: Some examples of tasks that could be included in future task orders include but are not limited to:

a. Conducts data analysis and participates in the development of written summaries of findings of surveillance and research activities to be used for reports of record, peer-reviewed publications, and for presentations at national and international meetings. Prepares and presents data on clinical and epidemiological findings to in-country ministry of health and other foreign governmental health offices.

b. Provides technical input on a variety of epidemiological and possibly clinical matters to CDC staff. Describes the epidemiologic and clinical characteristics of patients with various laboratory-confirmed infections identified through an ongoing studies local provinces. Advises IEIP (International Emerging Infections Program) senior staff on strategic planning to strengthen infectious disease surveillance, research, and training activities.

c. Describes the economic and disease burden of specific causes of severe infectious disease illnesses in Thailand. Works closely with CDC IEIP staff, the in-country MOPH Bureau of Epidemiology, and other MOPH departments to ensure that tasks are carried out collaboratively

d. Describes the economic and disease burden of specific causes of severe infectious disease illnesses within country. Works closely with IEIP staff, the in-country MOPH Bureau of Epidemiology, and other MOPH departments to ensure that tasks are carried out collaboratively.

e. Reviews scientific literature on infectious disease pathogens identified as possible causes of illnesses as part of IEIP surveillance and research activities. Identifies possible clinical discriminators that may aid in diagnosis of infectious disease illnesses caused by these pathogens. Provides technical advice on questionnaires, related forms, and instruction documents, including Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), for use in collecting data from a surveillance system and from subjects in research studies. The contractor will provide technical advice to 5-10 staff in local in-country provinces involved with infectious disease surveillance and research activities.

f. Contributes to the development of new projects for inflectious disease surveillance and research, and provides guidance to program and projects in accordance with WHO recommendations and priorities. Reviews data to ensure accurate completion of study instruments, timely specimen collection, and proper maintenance of patient records, databases, and documentation. Identifies additional clinical data needed for analysis and supervises collection of this data in the field when necessary. Provides technical advice to 2-3 research and data management staff in routine analysis and evaluation of data derived from surveillance systems and research studies.

g. Assists with the organization and implementation of regional training sessions on rapid outbreak response and risk communications. Provides technical advice on the development and conduct of training activities for surveillance, research and outbreak response.

D. LABORATORY SUPPORT SERVICES: Some examples of tasks that could be included in future task orders include but are not limited to:

a. Participates with the in-country laboratory team to provide overall expert technical support to the host-country Government laboratory activities being supported through CDC, PEPFAR. This may include development of strategies to improve the quality of laboratories within country.

b. Assist in the development of the laboratory section of the annual PEPFAR Country Operational Plan submitted by the in-country USG PEPFAR team to the Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator, Washington DC.

c. Provide input and assistance to the laboratory sections of the annual and semiannual reports submitted by the in-country USG PEPFAR team to the Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator, Washington DC.

d. Assess and provide recommendations to improve quality assurance and bio-safety practices in provinces being supported by PEPFAR, in-country.

e. Modify/develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the clinical and diagnostic laboratories at the local Government’s National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE) and National Institute of Infectious and Tropical Diseases and conduct training of trainers on how to write SOPs that are specific for their own laboratories.

f. Assist the NIHE staff to develop SOPs, forms and relevant documentation for ISO15189 for HIV, including documentation for WHO accreditation for the laboratory.

g. Collaborate with the host-government, Ministry of Health LIFE GAP project and an international partner in the US Laboratory Consortium to assess current quality assurance and bio-safety practices through a needs assessment in the HIV diagnostic and clinical laboratory system.

h. Collaborate with other international partners in-country, including WHO, Clinton Foundation, and USG partners through meetings, discussions and observation of procedures to modify/develop SOPs for quality assurance and bio-safety to provide high quality test results. SOPs developed will be appropriate and applicable to the tiered laboratory network.

i. Enhance staff capacity to lead/train personnel of other levels of the tiered laboratory network through training in SOP writing and implementation as part of the development of quality assurance and biosafety systems.

j. Assist the NIHE Quality Manager (QM) in the development of a quality system plan of the requirements for the management system and technical competence needed to meet the International Standard, ISO 15189 for international accreditation.

k. Assist the QM at NIHE and other designated staff in WHO accredited Influenza laboratory to meet ISO15189 standards.

E. DATA MANAGEMENT, INFORMATICS, DATA RESEARCH, STUDY/PROGRAM COORDINATOR, WRITER/EDITOR, AND COMMUNICATION SUPPORT SERVICES: Some examples of tasks that could be included in future task orders include but are not limited to:

a. Assisting in providing modes of communication for various partners including between MOH (Ministry of Health) and NGO (Non governmental office) partners as well as with relevant Atlanta-based Advisors

b. Reviewing of protocols and tools under guidance from the CDC office in-country

c. Ensure adequate quality and scientific soundness to ensure appropriate policies are adhered to

d. Track the submission and approval process with US and incountry-based approval boards

e. Assist with training of data collectors, data entry and management staff where needed

f. Travel to local study sites during periods of site preparation and data collection

g. Participation in data analysis and assistance with interpretation of study findings and writing of study and public health evaluation reports

h. Participation in write up of presentations and publications as a result of the above studies

i. Documenting all actions relevant to procedures for USG and the local Government to ensure that future staff or contractors are able to seamlessly pick up on work remaining.

F. AVIAN AND HUMAN INFLUENZA SERVICES: Some examples of tasks that could be included in future task orders include but are not limited to:

a. Refer to sample tasks identified for HIV/TB G. BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SUPPORT SERVICES: Some examples of tasks that could be included in future task orders include but are not limited to:

a. Provides technical assistance to the cohort study of HIV, STI and preventive interventions among men who have sex with men (MSM) within country.

b. Assesses HIV infection and risk behavior among populations of MSM within country.

c. Provides technical assistance within focus groups to study the acceptability of male circumcision as a measure to prevent HIV infection in MSM within country.

d. Provides technical assistance with the assessment of HIV infection and risk behavior among in-country MSM.

e. Provides technical assistance with HIV VCT and STI treatment and care services for MSM at a Community Clinic within the country’s largest metropolis.

f. Assists with the planning and implementation of longitudinal studies evaluating the safety, acceptability, and efficacy of pre-exposure prophylaxis trials of ARVs in MSM.

H. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT SERVICES: Some examples of tasks that could be included in future task orders include but are not limited to:

a. Develop software for SmartCare application (Electronic Health Records Management System)

b. Provide systems integration and application architecture expertise to in-country development team who have adopted SmartCare and derived systems

c. Provide guidance, conduct code reviews, and perform testing of SmartCare software developed by application development team, reporting all technical issues to the Contracting Officer Technical Representative

d. Provide guidance, technical advice, and help set development priorities, in collaboration with cooperating partners who are working within the domain of the SmartCare program

e. Provide trainings for developers on the team as appropriate for a Technical Lead for the C# and application development team

f. Coordinate consolidation of all Contemporary data concepts into a prospective national standard update drawing on international standards (eg, ICD10, ICPC2, SNOMED, LOINC, etc.) and existing EHR elements in ZEPRS, SmartCare, OpenMRS, etc.

I. SUPPORT FOR OTHER DISEASES: Some examples of tasks that could be included in future task orders include but are not limited to:

a. Provides expert technical assistance (refer to tasks identified for HIB/TB) in agency-wide activities on malaria, polio, dengue, Japanese encephalitis, sexually transmitted diseases, typhoid, hepatitis, nosocomial infections, and other emerging infectious diseases, occupational health, injury prevention, immunizations, and chronic disease prevention.

C.4. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

As part of providing services under this contract, the Contractor shall meet the following requirements:

C.4.1. Management

The Contractor shall employ management practices that ensure all requirements are fulfilled in a technically compliant and timely manner and manage services on a global basis. This includes both day-to-day contract requirements and individual task order requirements and objectives.

C.4.1.2. Management of Contractor Employee Benefits

The Contractor shall consistently apply all company practices, processes, and methodologies utilized in determining contractor employee benefits (e.g. if applicable: benefits concerning housing, health/life insurance, relocation/repatriation, leave, travel, etc.). Such determinations and methodologies shall be explicitly stated in the Contractor’s proposal for the overall contract and in response to subsequent task orders .

C.4.2. Recruitment, Replacement, and Retention The Contractor shall employ hiring, replacement, and retention practices that ensure the Contractor is able to identify, screen, place, monitor, train, practice good management and payment practices to retain qualified candidates to fulfill service requirements under this contract. The Contractor shall maintain a database of applications for appropriate candidates, accessible by education, field of expertise, work experiences, certifications, languages and other skills.

C.4.3. Personal versus Non-Personal Services Task Orders

Differing task order requirements, as well as the number and types of skills involved, will necessarily result in a variety of different approaches to supervision. This contract will be for both personal and non-personal services. These two examples are intended to be illustrative rather than definitive when providing a wide variety of services in a number of locations:

C.4.3.1. Personal Service Task Orders

A task order may require personal services in which the USG will have an employer-employee relationship. As such, the CDC will have responsibility for the direct control over the day-to-day activities or the day-to-day supervision of the contractor employee who is performing service requirements

The Contractor will be responsible for all benefits (including obtaining visa/work permits and health insurance) provided to contractor employees. Contractor employees who are performing services, regardless of non-personal or personal, may only supervise other contractor employees within their own company if it is stated in the SOW and necessary to perform the services identified within the task order PWS. Additionally, contractor’s employees performing personal services will not have USG signatory authority, be able to represent themselves as USG personnel, or perform any inherently Government functions as stated in FAR 7.5.