Attachment_J-6_-_QASP.docx

ATTACHMENT 6

QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE PLAN (QASP)

for Performance Work Statement for RESTORE Act Subject Matter Expert Services

Issued by

U.S Department of the Treasury – Office of Gulf Coast Restoration

Issued Date___________

Contracting Specialist: Veronica Lewis

Signature:

Date:

Contracting Officer: Christian Fowler

Signature:

Date:

Contracting Officer’s Representative: Tynia Gorham

Signature:

Date:

Contractor Point of Contact: TBD

Signature:

Date:

QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE PLAN (QASP)

1. PURPOSE

The QASP is a Government developed and applied document used to make sure that systematic quality assurance methods are used in the administration of this Performance Based Work Statement Contracts (PBWSC). Standards identified in the Surveillance Activity Checklist in Attachment I. The intent is to ensure that the Contractor performs in accordance with the performance metrics set forth, that the Government receives the quality of products/services called for in the contract and that the Government only pays for the acceptable products/services received.

This Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) has been developed to evaluate contractor performance of the requirements set forth in the PWS. It is designed to provide an effective and systematic surveillance method of monitoring contractor performance for each Performance Requirements Summary (PRS).

The Contractor, and not the Government, is responsible for management and quality control actions to meet the terms of the task order. The role of the Government is to promote quality assurance to ensure PRS standards are achieved.

The Contractor is required to develop a Quality Control Plan (QCP) that describes its method for measuring quality and plan for meeting or exceeding the Performance Requirements Summary (PRS) standards. The QCP will be evaluated and approved by the Contracting Officer within 15 days of task order award and shall provide the measures needed to lead the contractor to success.

2. AUTHORITY

This QASP provides for the inspection and acceptance of products/services required in the task order. Inspection and acceptance will be accomplished by the Contracting Officer or his duly authorized representative.

3. SCOPE

The QASP contains the basis for inspection and acceptance of all of the products/services required under the anticipated task order.

4. GOVERNMENT RESOURCES

The following definitions for Government resources are applicable to this plan:

Contracting Officer (CO) - A person duly appointed with the authority to enter into, administer or terminate contracts and make related determinations and findings on behalf of the Government.

Treasury COR – An individual acting as the authorized representative of the CO for the technical administration of the task order.

Technical Point of Contact (TPOC) – An individual with technical knowledge and expertise regarding the work-effort.

5. RESPONSIBILITIES

The Government resources shall have responsibilities for the implementation of this QASP as follows:

Contracting Officer (CO) - The CO ensures performance of all necessary actions for the compliance with the terms of the task order and safeguards the interests of the United States in the contractual relationships. It is the CO that assures the Government receives impartial, fair and equitable treatment under this task order. The CO is ultimately responsible for the final determination of the adequacy of the Contractor’s performance.

Treasury COR - The COR provides detailed technical oversight of the Contractor’s performance. The COR will report to the CO as necessary in a timely, complete and impartial fashion to support the CO in the technical contract administration activities. While the COR may serve as a direct conduit to provide Government guidance and feedback to the Contractor on technical matters, he or she is not empowered to make any contractual commitments or to authorize any contractual changes on the Governments behalf. Any changes that the Contractor deems may affect contract, price, terms or conditions shall be referred to the CO for action.

TPOC – The TPOC will provide technical guidance to the Contractor in the performance of the task order. The TPOC will also assist the Treasury COR in reviewing Contractor deliverables.

6. METHODS OF QA SURVEILLANCE

The below listed methods of surveillance shall be used in the administration of this QASP. In addition to specific instructions that may be mentioned, the appropriate and standardized form that is to be used for documentation of a QA surveillance is the QASP/Surveillance Plan Checklist included in Attachment II.

Feedback – Feedback may be obtained either from surveys or from random customer complaints. To be considered valid, complaints must be set forth clearly and in writing the detailed nature of the complaint, must be signed and be forwarded to the CO and to the COR if warranted, The COR will maintain a summary log of all formally received complaints as well as a copy of each complaint in a documentation file. The COR shall also keep the results of all customer surveys on file and shall enter the summary results into the QASP/Surveillance Plan Checklist.

100% Inspection - This level of inspection shall be accomplished by monitoring and documentation. Each month the COR shall review the generated documentation and enter the summary results in the QASP/Surveillance Plan Checklist. Deliveries of code will be fully tested prior to acceptance.

Periodic Inspection – Periodic inspection shall be conducted if and when specified in individual task orders. For the potential tasks that have been identified so far and included in this QASP, the appropriate COR typically performs the periodic inspection on a routine basis.

Random Monitoring – Random monitoring shall be conducted if and when specified in the individual task orders. For the potential tasks that have been identified so far and included in this QASP, the random monitoring shall be performed by the COR and reported to the COR and recorded in the QASP/Surveillance Plan Checklist as appropriate.

Performance Management Strategy - The contractor is responsible for the quality of all work performed. The contractor measures that quality through the contractor’s own quality control (QC) program. QC is work output, not workers, and therefore includes all work performed under this contract regardless of whether the work is performed by contractor employees or by subcontractors. The contractor’s QCP will set forth the staffing and procedures for self-inspecting the quality, timeliness, responsiveness, customer satisfaction, and other performance requirements in the PWS. The contractor will develop and implement a performance management system with processes to assess and report its performance to the designated government representative. The contractor’s QCP will set forth the staffing and procedures for self-inspecting the quality, timeliness, responsiveness, customer satisfaction, and other performance requirements in the PWS. This QASP enables the government to take advantage of the contractor’s QC program.

The government representative(s) will monitor performance and review performance reports furnished by the contractor to determine how the contractor is performing against communicated performance objectives. The contractor will be responsible for making required changes in processes and practices to ensure performance is managed effectively. If the contractor has not met the minimum requirements, it may be asked to develop a corrective action plan to show how and by what date it intends to bring performance up to the required levels.

The required performance standards and/or quality levels are included within this document titled, “Performance Requirements Summary.” The contractor will receive past performance ratings in the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) commensurate with the level of performance received. A record of surveillance monitoring forms will be compiled and reviewed by the COR before entering performance ratings in CPARS. This will be reviewed and validated by the CO and the end of the base performance period and each exercised option year determined to be necessary. Optimal performance by the awarded vendor is key in determining the need to exercise an option.

Reporting At the end of each month, or when required, the COR will prepare a written report summarizing the overall results of the quality assurance surveillance of the contractor’s performance. This written report, which includes the contractor’s submitted monthly report and the completed quality assurance monitoring forms (Attachment II), will become part of the QA documentation. It will enable the government to demonstrate whether the contractor is meeting the stated objectives and/or performance standards, including cost/technical/scheduling objectives.

Reviews and Resolution The CO may require the contractor’s project manager, or a designated alternate, to meet with the COR other government IPT personnel as deemed necessary to discuss performance evaluation. The CO will define a frequency of in-depth reviews with the contractor, including appropriate self-assessments by the contractor; however, if the need arises, the contractor will meet with the COR as often as required or per the contractor’s request. The agenda of the reviews may include:

· Monthly performance assessment data and trend analysis

· Issues and concerns of both parties

· Projected outlook for upcoming months and progress against expected trends, including a corrective action plan analysis

· Recommendations for improved efficiency and/or effectiveness

The COR, with the CO, must coordinate and communicate with the contractor to resolve issues and concerns regarding marginal or unacceptable performance.

The CO, COR, and contractor should jointly formulate tactical and long-term courses of action. Decisions regarding changes to metrics, thresholds, or service levels should be clearly documented. Changes to service levels, procedures, and metrics will be incorporated as a contract modification at the convenience of the CO.

PERFORMANCE METRICS

Performance Objective

Levels Government Surveillance Remedy

Detailed Project Plan

submit a performance plan identifying the overall progress against the Project Plans. This is to be delivered no later than the close of business of the tenth business day of the following month.

Accuracy – No more than 5% of the proposed level of effort for the tasks in the final Project Plans are exceeded.

Timeliness – No more than 2% of the tasks identified in the Project Plans are delivered and/or performed after the due date.

provide comments and questions to the Contractor, Contractor will address comments and questions until deliverable is acceptable to include producing additional draft deliverables at no additional cost to the Government.

Weekly Status Report

than 5% of the proposed level of effort for the tasks identified in the final Project Plans are exceeded.

Completeness – No more than 5% omission rate.

Timeliness – No more than 2% are delivered after the due date.

provide comments and Contractor will reconcile or incorporate all comments until deliverable is acceptable to include producing additional draft deliverables at no additional cost to the Government.

Project Deliverables Contractor shall submit deliverables by the due date included in the detailed project plan.

Accuracy – No more than 5% of submitted deliverables require re-submission following Government review.

Completeness – No more than 5% omission rate.

Timeliness – No more than 2% are delivered after the due date.

provide comments and Contractor will reconcile or incorporate all comments until deliverable is acceptable to include producing additional draft deliverables at no additional cost to the Government.

Additional project management related reports Contractor shall submit other project management related reports as defined by the COR.

Accuracy – No more than 5% of the proposed level of effort for the tasks identified in the Project Plans are exceeded.

Completeness – No more than 5% omission rate.

Timeliness – No more than 2% are delivered after the due date.

provide comments and questions to the Contractor, Contractor will address comments and questions until deliverable is acceptable to include producing additional draft deliverables at no additional cost to the Government.

QUALITY ASSURANCE MONITORING FORM

Monthly Evaluation of Contractor’s Performance

Method of surveillance: ________________

The contractor shall be evaluated monthly using the following ratings:

3 = Excellent: Contractor exceeded performance requirements 2 = Satisfactory: Contractor met performance requirements.

1 = Unsatisfactory: Contractor did not meet all performance requirements.

1. Submittal of Deliverables – Contractor personnel’s work is timely.

Rating: 1 _____ 2 _____ 3 _____ Comments:

2. Quality of Work of Deliverables – Contractor personnel’s work is complete and accurate.

Rating: 1 _____ 2 _____ 3 _____

3. Contractors’ adherence to security requirements as required in the task order.

Rating: 1 _____ 2 _____ 3 _____

Additional Comments:

Name of Evaluator:_________________________