2B - Attachment 1 - PWS SCINet Engineering Program Support.pdf

Performance Work Statement

SCINet Engineering Program Support

December 12, 2025

Contents

1. Background

2. Scope of Work

3. Goal / Outcome / Objective

4. Technical Requirements

4.1. Technical Labor Support

4.1.1. Strategic Initiatives Manager Tasks

4.1.2. Senior Network Engineer Tasks

4.2. Computing, Storage and Research Support

4.2.1. Collaboration with Research Teams

4.2.2. Problem-Solving in Scientific Computing

4.3. Network and Security Planning, Implementation and Management

4.3.1. Advanced Network Configuration and Management

4.4. Integration of New Technologies

4.5. Documentation and Knowledge Sharing

4.6. Compliance and Reporting

4.7. Support Services

5. Program Management

5.1. Reserved

5.2. Contract Management

6. Deliverables

7. Performance Measures

8. Government Furnished Equipment (GFE)

9. Government Furnished Information (GFI)

10. Period of Performance

11. Place of Performance

12. Contract Type

13. Travel

14. Key Positions

14.1. Strategic Initiatives Manager

14.2. Senior Network Engineer

15. Non-Personal Services

16. Security Requirements

17. Supply Chain Risk Management

18. Data Rights

19. Invoicing

20. Restrictions against Disclosure

21. Inspection and Acceptance

22. Compliance with Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6)

23. Section 508

1. Background The Agricultural Research Services (ARS) is the principal in-house research agency of the USDA. ARS sits within the Research, Education, and Economics (REE) Mission Area. The mission of ARS is to conduct research to develop and transfer solutions to agricultural problems of high national priority and provide information access and dissemination to: ensure high quality safe food, and other agricultural products; assess the nutritional needs of Americans; sustain a competitive agricultural economy; enhance the natural resource base and the environment.

Established in 1953, ARS has more than 2,200 scientists working at more than 90 locations across the country, and internationally, to improve the lives of Americans through agricultural research and information. ARS conducts research to develop and transfer solution to agricultural problems of high national priority, providing real-world solutions to sustain a growing population.

The ARS's Scientific Computing Initiative Network (SCINet) is a high-performance computing network that supports research in the agricultural sciences. The network is designed to help researchers analyze large amounts of data and perform complex simulations, allowing them to better understand and improve crop yields, animal health, and other aspects of modern agriculture. SCINet's infrastructure includes a variety of powerful computing resources, such as high-performance clusters and cloud-based computing services, as well as advanced software and tools for data analysis, modeling, and visualization. With the help of SCINet, researchers can perform more detailed and accurate analyses than would be possible with traditional methods, which is essential for advancing the field of agricultural science and increasing food security.

The SCINet environment is undergoing an expansion with the goal of directly connecting approximately 90 ARS Field Research Locations to the high-speed computing backbone. This expansion effort has reached 65 total sites and can potentially reach all 90+/- sites by the end of FY2025. Additionally, the SCINet environment will add, as a proof-of-concept, an OpenStack cluster to provide private cloud service hosting for the SCINet user community.

SCINet uses a combination of circuits to both the commodity Internet as well as to Internet2 which is a private high-speed network created and operated by the academic Research and Education (R&E) community. Currently five USDA/ARS sites are connected to Internet2 and the remainder of the sites are connected to the commodity Internet. SCINet uses the Cisco SD-WAN solution as the overlay on Internet2 and commodity Internet to provide a unified network and routing between all sites. SCINet is separate and distinct from the USDA’s enterprise network called USDANet.

2. Scope of Work The contractor shall provide comprehensive support for the management and operation of the USDA SCINet program. This includes technical labor support, network engineering services, and collaboration with associated institutions and programs. The work encompasses networking infrastructure and services support for high-performance computing (HPC) clusters, large-scale data storage systems, and associated maintenance and renewal services.

3. Goal / Outcome / Objective The objective of this contract is to secure specialized services that ensure the efficient and effective operation of the USDA SCINet program. The contractor shall enhance the program's capabilities in scientific research and computing by providing technical expertise, managing critical specialized infrastructure, and facilitating the expansion of high-performance network connectivity to USDA locations nationwide.

The contractor must coordinate closely with USDA stakeholders to align efforts with broader organizational objectives. The contractor shall work in close coordination with SCINet administrators, project managers, and the SCINet Program Office. All services should aim to enhance the USDA's scientific capabilities and support its mission of advancing agricultural research.

4. Technical Requirements The contractor shall perform the following functions:

4.1. Technical Labor Support

• Strategic Initiatives Manager: Provide qualified staff responsible for overseeing all aspects of the SCINet program support, ensuring alignment with USDA goals, and serving as the primary point of contact.

• Senior Network Engineer: Supply experienced Network Engineer to manage and optimize network infrastructure, troubleshoot issues, and implement improvements to support high-performance computing needs. The Network Engineer shall be located in the metro Washington, DC region (see details further below).

4.1.1. Strategic Initiatives Manager Tasks

The Strategic Initiatives Manager shall be responsible for documentation management, change management, inventory tracking, project oversight, and communication facilitation. Tasks and responsibilities include:

• Create, capture, maintain, and manage configuration control of all major meeting documentation.

• Utilize extensive knowledge of SCINet systems and stakeholder organizations to monitor all SCINet initiatives.

• Maintain the SCINet Operations Kanban board.

• Maintain a Risk Management Program which captures and tracks risks to SCINet initiatives.

• Collaborate with the SCINet Team to maintain the Stakeholder Register and validate currency annually.

• Redesign, develop, and maintain a comprehensive Change Management system, including standardized forms and a tracking dashboard.

• Maintain and revise as necessary a Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RACI) document for SCINet programs.

• Assist with capturing SCINet hardware inventory and monitor the database for accuracy.

• Plan, monitor, control, and close initiatives related to the continued success of SCINet operations.

• In collaboration with the SCINet Program Office, develop plans, timelines, and outcomes for emerging initiatives.

• Monitor and maintain the scinet@usda.gov email inbox, addressing and escalating issues as required.

• Serve as a primary point of contact for network and high-performance computing cluster administrators.

• Monitor SCINet processes and procedures for inefficiencies, initiate corrective actions, and follow through to completion.

• Engage with the SCINet help desk for clarification and issue escalation.

• Collaborate with SCINet Project Managers, Project Leads, and the Program Office.

• Perform duties as assigned by the SCINet Program Office and SCINet Program Manager.

• Respond within 2 business hours on emails, chats, and phone calls.

• Provide weekly activity report to the SCINet Program Manager.

• Keep the Team calendar updated with any periods of out-of-office, providing at least two business days of notice for non-emergency leave.

• Complete all required training as assigned in AgLearn.

• Risk and conflict mitigation efforts shall be proactive and effective.

• Stakeholder engagement shall be maintained at a high level of professionalism and efficiency.

• Security policies and compliance measures shall be strictly enforced.

4.1.2. Senior Network Engineer Tasks

The Senior Network Engineer shall be responsible for network infrastructure, performance optimization, security enforcement, operational support, and coordination with external and internal stakeholders. This role shall work in close coordination with SCINet administrators, project managers, and the SCINet Program Office. Tasks and responsibilities include:

• Design, implement, and maintain SCINet’s high-performance network infrastructure.

• Conduct performance tuning and optimization to ensure network reliability and scalability.

• Develop and enforce network security policies, procedures, and best practices.

• Manage and troubleshoot complex network issues across multiple sites and architectures.

• Will provide any SCINet-related, on-site services and support of SCINet resources as needed at the National Agriculture Library in Beltsville, MD.

• Serve as the Subject Matter Expert for the operation and maintenance of the Lantronix Out-of-Band Management environment. Ensure all components are functioning as required, escalating service issues to Lantronix support as needed.

• Evaluate and implement emerging networking technologies and innovations to improve SCINet performance.

• Develop and maintain network documentation, including diagrams and configurations.

• Collaborate with Strategic Initiatives Manager and SCINet leadership to align network strategy with program goals.

• Guide and coordinate the work of GlobalNOC to ensure SCINet network infrastructure is operating optimally and in alignment with program objectives.

• To resolve SCINet issues, daily collaboration with the GNOC and ISU is required.

• Maintain open lines of communication with IT Points of Contact at ARS locations with SCINet connections to ensure network support and issue resolution.

• Provide support to the SCINet help desk for network-related escalations.

• Perform other related duties as assigned by the SCINet Program Manager.

• Respond within 2 business hours on emails, chats, and phone calls.

• Provide weekly activity report to the SCINet Program Manager.

• Keep the Team calendar updated with any periods of out-of-office, providing at least two business days of notice for non-emergency leave.

• Complete all required training as assigned in AgLearn.

• Participation in all meetings is expected, with active contributions.

• All assigned tasks and responsibilities must be executed in accordance with the RACI matrix on a daily basis.

• Risk and conflict mitigation efforts shall be proactive and effective.

• Stakeholder engagement shall be maintained at a high level of professionalism and efficiency.

• Security policies and compliance measures shall be strictly enforced.

4.2. Computing, Storage and Research Support

The Strategic Initiatives Manager and Network Engineers under this Purchase Order shall have a deep knowledge of and extensive working experience within the HPC networking community and specifically the R&E Internet2 community in addition to being technical experts. Understanding the culture, practices and relationships in this community is as important as understanding the underlying infrastructure and technologies.

Often times the technical challenges faced in support of HPC applications and data systems require extensive collaboration across an inter-disciplinary team from various organizations and infrastructure operating entities including the computing and storage system managers, application and software developers, local network operators, Internet service providers and the Internet2 engineering and operations. Understanding the needs of the USDA domain-expert scientists and researchers and how SCINet can best meet their end-to-end performance requirements is critical to the success of the SCINet program.

4.2.1. Collaboration with Research Teams

• Work closely with scientists and researchers to understand their networking needs.

• Assist in setting up specialized network environments for specific research projects.

4.2.2. Problem-Solving in Scientific Computing

• Address challenges inherent to scientific research and computing, such as handling large datasets and optimizing computing resources over the SCINet.

• Implement solutions that enhance computational efficiency and support the evolving needs of researchers utilizing the SCINet.

4.3. Network and Security Planning, Implementation and Management

• Plan, implement and manage direct SCINet network connections between the relevant ARS locations and the

Internet2 backbone network, across various locations including Maryland, California, Colorado, and Mississippi building on the 65 locations already connected.

• Only the Beltsville, Maryland site requires the Network Engineer under this purchase order to be on site as needed.

• For all other sites, when local “remote hands” type physical support (moves, power cycles, cabling, etc.) is needed, the Network Engineers under this task order will have access to local staff resources.

• Manage SD-WAN and IP routing between Internet2 and commodity Internet, in coordination with the Internet2 related Network Operations Center (NOC) services provided by the Indiana University (IU) referred to as GlobalNOC.

• IU’s Global NOC will have the 24/7/365 monitoring responsibilities. The Network Engineers under this task order shall work with the GlobalNOC to resolve the network issues as needed.

• Provide security operations and compliance with governing policies as related to connections to Internet2 and USDANet and commodity Internet, in coordination with the Internet2 Security Operations Center (SOC) services provided by the IU referred to as OmniSOC. Leverage expertise to monitor network performance, address security threats, and ensure continuous operation.

• Plan, implement and manage local loop and last mile access circuits between the ARS facilities and the Internet2 PoPs in coordination with the local IT support functions, Internet2 and GlobalNOC.

• Manage the terminating routers and switches at the connecting ARS locations ensuring they are up-to-date and functioning efficiently.

• Ensure fine-tuned high-performance, reliable, and secure connectivity that supports collaborative research and sharing of very large datasets across USDA sites.

4.3.1. Advanced Network Configuration and Management

• Configure and manage complex network infrastructures supporting high performance computing (HPC) clusters and large data transfers.

• Implement VLANs, QoS policies, and multicast configurations to optimize network performance.

• Implement and manage network security measures, including access control lists, encryption protocols, and secure authentication methods.

• Perform regular security audits and vulnerability assessments.

• Deploy and manage virtual networks using technologies like SD-WAN

• Automate network configurations using scripting languages (e.g., Python, Ansible).

• Monitor network traffic patterns and implement policies to manage bandwidth usage effectively.

• Ensure critical applications and services have the necessary network resources.

4.4. Integration of New Technologies

• Evaluate and integrate emerging networking technologies that could benefit the SCINet program.

• Stay updated on advancements in network hardware and software relevant to scientific computing.

4.5. Documentation and Knowledge Sharing

• Maintain detailed network diagrams, configuration files, and operational procedures.

• Provide training and support to network staff or other team members.

4.6. Compliance and Reporting

• Ensure all activities comply with federal regulations, USDA policies, and cybersecurity requirements.

• Provide regular reports on project status, network performance, security incidents, and other relevant metrics.

4.7. Support Services

• Offer additional support services as needed to fulfill the SCINet program's mission, including recommendations, analysis, training, documentation, and user support.

5. Program Management

5.1. Reserved

5.2. Contract Management

The Contractor shall establish clear organizational lines of authority and responsibility to ensure effective management of the resources assigned to performance of the contract.

The Contractor shall establish processes and assign appropriate resources to effectively administer the contract. The Contractor shall respond to Government requests for contractual actions in a timely fashion. The Contractor shall have a single point of contact between the Government and Contractor personnel assigned to support task orders.

The Contractor shall assign work effort and maintaining proper and accurate time keeping records of personnel assigned to work on the requirement.

The Contractor shall be responsible for any subcontract management necessary to integrate work performed on this requirement and shall be responsible and accountable for subcontractor performance on this requirement. The prime

Contractor will manage work distribution to ensure there are no Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI) considerations.

6. Deliverables Most deliverables require at least two iterations – a Draft and a Final. All written deliverables must be submitted as Draft version prior to Final version. The Government will review and provide written feedback on the deliverable to the Contractor. The Contractor shall address all Government comments in the Final version of the document. The Government will have ten (10) business days to review and comment on each deliverable. The Contractor will have five (5) days to incorporate the Government comments.

Deliverable formatting, structure and required content for each deliverable will be determined by the Government and the Contractor during the Project Kick‐Off period. All deliverables must meet Section 508 standards for accessibility.

General quality measures, as set forth below, will be applied to each work product received from the Contractor.

• Accuracy – Work products shall be accurate in presentation, technical content, and adherence to accepted elements of style.

• Clarity – Work products shall be clear and concise; all diagrams shall be easy to understand and be relevant to the supporting narrative.

• Consistency to Requirements – Work products shall satisfy the requirements of the TO.

• File Editing ‐ All text and diagrammatic files shall be editable by the Government.

• Creativity – Devise actionable workarounds and solutions to problems encountered.

The contractor shall deliver all electronic versions of deliverables by email or removable electronic media (as specified by the Government), as well as placing deliverables in USDA’s designated repository (often SharePoint).

The following are the required electronic formats, whose versions must be compatible with the latest, commonly available version on the market.

1. Text - Commonly used word processing software compatible with Microsoft Word or searchable PDF

2. Spreadsheets - CSV or tab delimited format compatible with Microsoft Excel

3. Briefings - Compatible with Microsoft PowerPoint

4. Drawings - Compatible with Microsoft Visio and/or searchable PDF

5. Schedules - Compatible with Microsoft Project and/or searchable PDF

6. Dashboards - Linkage to USDA technologies Tableau Dashboard Files

Table 1: Deliverables

Item No. Deliverable Description Delivery

Format Due By

1 Monthly Report Monthly report describing outcomes achieved, actions completed, issues, plan going forward, etc.

Email to SCINet

PM &

COR

No later than five (5) business days after end of month

2 Weekly Status Report Weekly report describing task completion, project statuses, and any outstanding issues requiring attention.

Email to SCINet

PM

End of each week

3 Strategic Initiatives Manager – Meeting Documentation

Meeting documentation and configuration control reports

Email to SCINet

PM

Weekly

4 Strategic Initiatives Manager – Kanban

Update SCINet Operations Kanban board

Email to SCINet

PM

Weekly

5 Strategic Initiatives Manager – Change Management Documentation

Change Management system implementation and documentation

Email to SCINet

PM

Within 6 months of project initiation

6 Strategic Initiatives Manager – RACI

Review and update program-wide RACI documents

Email to SCINet

PM

Annually

7 Strategic Initiatives Manager – Inventory Tracking

Inventory tracking system updates Email to SCINet

PM

Within 15 calendar days of change

8 Strategic Initiatives Manager – Issue Tracking

SCINet email issue tracking and resolution logs

Email to SCINet

PM

Daily

9 Engineer – Network Performance Report

Network performance report analysis and optimization recommendations

Email to SCINet

PM

Monthly

10 Engineer – Network Security Reports

Network security audit reports analysis and remediation plans documentation and coordination

Email to SCINet

PM

Bi-weekly

11 Engineer – NOC Coordination Reports

Coordination reports detailing GlobalNOC activities and ARS IT Point of Contact engagements

Email to SCINet

PM

Weekly

12 Engineer – Network Diagrams

Documentation and diagrams shall be updated within two business days of any changes being identified or notified, and they must be reviewed every six months.

Email to SCINet

PM

As needed

13 Engineer – Network Connectivity Issues

Network connectivity and performance issues must be investigated promptly, and status updates shall be provided via email weekly.

Email to SCINet

PM

Weekly

14 Engineer – Network Upgrade Reports

Network upgrades and expansions shall be addressed as required, accompanied by a summary report submitted quarterly.

Email to SCINet

PM

Quarterly

15 Engineer – Emerging Technology Reports

Reports on emerging networking technologies shall be implemented and evaluated every six months.

Email to SCINet

PM

Semi-annually

7. Performance Measures

Table 2: Performance Measures

Performance Objective Performance Standard Surveillance Method Monthly Reports Reports are timely, accurate, concise, and well-formed Monthly review

Documentation Accuracy All documentation and records shall be maintained with 100% accuracy.

Periodic Review

Change Management System

The Change Management system shall be fully operational and consistently updated.

Periodic Review

Kanban Board The Kanban board shall reflect real-time operational priorities.

Periodic Review

SCINet Email Inbox The SCINet email inbox shall be monitored and addressed within designated response times.

Periodic Review

Network Uptime Network uptime and performance shall meet or exceed agreed upon standards for SCINet program. Work in coordination with SCINet PM and GlobalNoc.

Periodic Review

Task Acknowledgement An acknowledgement of all assigned tasks is expected within 2 business hours of receipt.

Respond within 2 business hours on emails, chats, and phone calls.

Periodic Review

Inventory Updates Inventory shall be maintained accurately and kept current within three business days of change.

Periodic Review

8. Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) USDA may provide GFP/GFE on a case‐by‐case basis. The Contractor shall track and account for all GFP/GFE through applicable procedures provided by the CO. All GFP/GFE shall be returned to USDA at the completion of each order unless otherwise specified. USDA will provide equipment, laptops, PIV cards as needed.

9. Government Furnished Information (GFI) USDA may provide information (e.g., technical data, applicable documents, plans, regulations, specifications). The Contractor shall store and provide access to Government provided information in accordance with the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) Moderate specifications and for FOUO purposes respectively. All GFI will be transferred, returned, or destroyed at the end of the contract as directed by the CO.

USDA will provide equipment, laptops, PIV cards as needed.

10. Period of Performance The period of performance for this contract will be for one (1) base period of 12 months from the date of award plus four (4) 12 month option periods.

11. Place of Performance Work can be performed remotely or at contractor sites but at times will need to be temporarily on site depending on program needs.

12. Contract Type The contract type is firm fixed price (FFP).

13. Travel Travel may be needed. All travel must be approved by the COR and reimbursed IAW Federal Travel Regulations.

14. Key Positions During the first ninety (90) days of performance, the Contractor shall make no substitutions of key or non-key personnel unless the substitution is necessitated by illness, death, or termination of employment. The Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer within 15 calendar days after the occurrence of any of these events and provide the information required by paragraph (c) below. After the initial 90-day period, the Contractor shall submit the information required by paragraph (c) to the Contracting Officer at least 15 days prior to making any permanent substitutions.

The Contractor shall provide a detailed explanation of the circumstances necessitating the proposed substitutions, complete resumes and/or qualifications for the proposed substitutes, and any additional information requested by the Contracting Officer. Proposed substitutes should have comparable qualifications to those of the persons being replaced. The Contracting Officer will notify the Contractor within 15 calendar days after receipt of all required information of the decision on substitutions. The contract will be modified to reflect any approved changes of key personnel.

The Contractor shall attempt to provide an overlap pairing period, of at least 14 calendar days, or as agreed upon by the COR, between outbound and inbound Key Positions to ensure continuity and information transfer.

The Contractor is responsible for the immediate removal of employee(s) from the task order, if any person is identified as being a potential threat to the health, safety, security, general well-being, or operational mission of the USDA and its population. Additional items revealed in the background check that may be unacceptable are:

conviction of a felony, a crime of violence or serious misdemeanor, a record of arrests for continuing offenses, adverse financial issues, or falsification of security documentation. As a reminder, an unfavorable FBI fingerprint check will eliminate a contractor’s employee for further consideration under this task order. Additionally, if unfavorable information is noted on the security questionnaire or developed during the ongoing or final background investigation, the Government retains the right to have the employee immediately removed from the task order at the Government’s discretion. Unless otherwise directed by the Contracting Officer, the contractor shall provide a replacement within ten (10) business days. New hires or substitute personnel are subject to the same security background requirements.

The contractor shall provide the following key positions:

14.1. Strategic Initiatives Manager

• Duties may include: Outlining, defining, and initiating the project, Implementing document control policies and documentation templates, Monitoring project progress and implementing changes where necessary, Monitoring expenditures in accordance with the budget, Ensuring compliance with objectives, organizational policies, procedures, and standards, Compiling project reports, Ensuring project complies with best practices, SOPs, and other policies.

• Oversees project teams and to ensure IT projects are completed on time, directs and coordinate the utilization of resources across teams of the project to reach targets, ensures compliance with budget and other project requirements.

• Liaising with stakeholders such as project personnel, vendors, and end‐users regarding project requirements.

• Excellent verbal and communication skills with the ability to work with all levels within the organization.

• Ability to perform independently and under pressure of time constraints with the proven ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.

• Possess excellent interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills.

• Ability to understand technical vision and communicate it to both technical and non-technical parties.

• Experience managing network engineering projects, scientific research projects, customer communications, agile project management, assigning resources to proactively accomplish workloads.

• At least 8 years of IT program/project management experience.

• Experience working in scientific computing and research environments required.

14.2. Senior Network Engineer

• Minimum: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Network Engineering, or a related field.

• Preferred: Master's degree or specialized training in network engineering or high-performance computing networking.

• Experience with high-performance computing environments or large-scale enterprise networks.

• Proven track record in configuring and managing routers, switches, and firewalls.

• Minimum of 8 years of experience.

• Extensive experience with designing and implementing complex network architectures.

• Background in managing networks that support scientific research or data-intensive applications.

• Familiarity with cloud networking concepts and services (AWS, Azure).

• Experience with network virtualization technologies (VMware NSX, Cisco ACI).

• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to diagnose and resolve complex network issues.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills for collaborating with team members and documenting processes.

• Ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary team, including scientists, IT staff, and external partners.

• Skills in planning, executing, and overseeing network projects, ensuring they are completed on time and within budget.

15. Non-Personal Services The Government shall neither supervise Contractor employees nor control the method by which the Contractor performs the required tasks. It shall be the responsibility of the Contractor to manage its employees and to guard against any actions that are of the nature of personal services or give the perception of personal services. If the Contractor believes that any actions constitute, or are perceived to constitute personal services, it shall be the Contractor’s responsibility to notify the Contracting Officer (CO) immediately.

16. Security Requirements The contractor shall work with USDA to ensure outputs and work products comply with all relevant USDA policies. Externally available policies can be found here: Directives by Category | USDA.

17. Supply Chain Risk Management The contractor shall comply with the latest version of the USDA Information and Communication Technology Departmental Regulation DR 3540-004. This DR is available at https://www.usda.gov/directives/dr-3540-004.

18. Data Rights The Government asserts Unlimited Rights to all data produced by the contractor in performance of this PWS.

Unlimited Rights as used in this clause, means the rights of the Government to use, disclose, reproduce, prepare derivative works, distribute copies to the public, including by electronic means, and perform publicly and display publicly, in any manner, including by electronic means, and for any purpose whatsoever, and to have or permit others to do so. The contractor agrees not to assert copyright in computer software produced in the performance of this contract without prior written permission of the Government. When such permission is granted, the Government shall specify appropriate terms, conditions, and submission requirements to assure utilization, dissemination, and commercialization of the data. The contractor, when requested, shall promptly deliver to the Government a duly executed and approved instrument fully confirmatory of all rights to which the Government is entitled.

Data and information developed, entered, and processed in support of this TO shall be considered Government property. All data and/or materials provided to the contractor to accomplish individual deliverables shall be returned to the Government or destroyed at the end of each applicable deliverable, unless the contractor specifically requests and receives approval from the COR to maintain copies of this data. The Contractor is responsible for distributing data and/or materials given to members of the contractor’s team.

None of this data will be released to any other Government organization or other organizations of individuals without the express written approval of USDA unless otherwise specified.

https://www.usda.gov/directives/directives-categories https://www.usda.gov/directives/dr-3540-004

19. Invoicing

• Invoices shall be submitted electronically through the Department of Treasury’s Invoice Processing Platform (IPP). The contractor shall follow Government provided IPP instructions on how to register and submit invoices via IPP as prescribed at the IPP website https://www.ipp.gov .

• Additional Information regarding what constitutes a proper invoice can be found by reviewing the Prompt Payment Act (31 USC Chapter 32 - Prompt Payment Act).

• A complete contractor-generated invoice shall be provided electronically as an attachment via IPP.

• The Contractor shall submit any other information or documentation required by other clauses of the Task Order to support the invoice. Original receipts shall be maintained by the Contractor and made available to Government auditors upon request.

• Contractors shall comply with the government’s invoicing period, which runs from the first through the last day of the calendar month. Contractors shall invoice the government in arrears for every month services are provided, by the 15th day of the following month. All invoicing shall be rendered based on calendar month cycles.

• Proration: When applicable, monthly charges will be prorated by the number of days the service was performed divided by the number of days in that month.

• Rounding: all charges will be rounded to two (2) decimal places.

20. Restrictions against Disclosure The Contractor agrees, in the performance of this contract, to keep all information contained in source documents or other media furnished by the Government in the strictest confidence. The Contractor also agrees not to publish or otherwise divulge such information in whole or in part, in any manner or form, nor to authorize or permit others to do so, taking such reasonable measures as are necessary to restrict access to such information while in the Contractor’s possession, to those employees needing such information to perform the work provided herein, i.e., on a "need to know" basis. The Contractor agrees to immediately notify the Contracting Officer, in writing, in the event that the Contractor determines or has reason to suspect a breach of this requirement.

The Contractor agrees not to disclose any information concerning work under this contract to any persons or individual unless prior written approval is obtained from the Contracting Officer. The Contractor agrees to insert the substance of this clause in any consultant agreement or subcontract hereunder.

21. Inspection and Acceptance Inspection and acceptance of all work performance, reports, and other deliverables under this TO shall be performed by the CO/COR/Technical PM at USDA/REE.

All deliverables will be inspected for content, completeness, accuracy, and conformance to Contract requirements by the CO/COR and the Technical Program Manager (TPM). Inspection may include validation of information or deliverables (e.g. reports) through the use of automated tools, testing, or inspections of the deliverables, as specified in the Contract. The scope and nature of this inspection will be sufficiently comprehensive to ensure the completeness, quality, and adequacy of all deliverables.

22. Compliance with Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6)

(a) Any system, hardware, software, firmware or networked component (voice, video or data) developed, procured or acquired in support or performance of this contract shall be capable of transmitting, receiving, processing, forwarding and storing digital information across system boundaries utilizing system packets that are formatted in accordance with commercial standards of Internet Protocol (IP) version 6 (IPv6) as set forth in the USGv6 Profile (NIST Special Publication 500‐267) and corresponding declarations of conformance defined in the USGv6 Test Program. In addition, this system shall maintain interoperability with IPv4 systems and https://www.ipp.gov/ provide at least the same level of performance and reliability capabilities of IPv4 products:

(b) Specifically, any new IP product or system developed, acquired, or produced must:

(1) Interoperate with both IPv6 and IPv4 systems and products, and

(2) Have available contractor/vendor IPv6 technical support for development and implementation and fielded product management.

(c) As IPv6 evolves, the Contractor commits to upgrading or providing an appropriate migration path for each item developed, delivered or utilized at no additional cost to the Government.

(d) The Contractor shall provide technical support for both IPv4 and IPv6.

(e) Any system or software must be able to operate on networks supporting IPv4, IPv6 or one that supports both.

(f) Any product whose non‐compliance is discovered and made known to the Contractor within one year after acceptance shall be upgraded, modified or replaced to bring it into compliance at no additional cost to the Government.

23. Section 508 Section 508 Compliance

All services and products provided in response to the requirements identified in this document shall comply with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794d), and the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board Electronic and IT (EIT) Accessibility Standards (36 CFR part 1194). All deliverables must be Section 508 compliant, see www.508.gov.

SECTION 508 – ACCESSIBILITY OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY

Functional Performance Criteria:

301.1 Scope ‐ The requirements of Chapter 3 shall apply to ICT where required by 508 Chapter 2 (Scoping Requirements), 255 Chapter 2 (Scoping Requirements), and where otherwise referenced in any other chapter of the Revised 508 Standards or Revised 255 Guidelines.

302.1 Without Vision ‐ Where a visual mode of operation is provided, ICT shall provide at least one mode of operation that does not require user vision.

302.2 With Limited Vision ‐ Where a visual mode of operation is provided, ICT shall provide at least one mode of operation that enables users to make use of limited vision.

302.3 Without Perception of Color ‐ Where a visual mode of operation is provided, ICT shall provide at least one visual mode of operation that does not require user perception of color.

302.4 Without Hearing ‐ Where an audible mode of operation is provided, ICT shall provide at least one mode of operation that does not require user hearing.

302.5 With Limited Hearing ‐ Where an audible mode of operation is provided, ICT shall provide at least one mode of operation that enables users to make use of limited hearing.

302.6 Without Speech ‐ Where speech is used for input, control, or operation, ICT shall provide at least one mode of operation that does not require user speech.

302.7 With Limited Manipulation ‐ Where a manual mode of operation is provided, ICT shall provide at least one mode of operation that does not require fine motor control or simultaneous manual operations.

302.8 With Limited Reach and Strength ‐ Where a manual mode of operation is provided, ICT shall provide at least http://www.508.gov/ one mode of operation that is operable with limited reach and limited strength.

302.9 With Limited Language, Cognitive, and Learning Abilities ‐ ICT shall provide features making its use by individuals with limited cognitive, language, and learning abilities simpler and easier.

(a) This DISC Software Renewal is subject to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794d) as amended by the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (P.L. 105‐220). Specifically, subsection 508(a)(1) requires that when the Federal Government procures Information and Communications Technology (ICT)2, the ICT must allow Federal employees and members of the public with disabilities comparable access to and use of information and data provided to Federal employees and members of the public without disabilities.

2 Please note that the term Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is synonymous with Electronic and Information Technology (EIT), the previously used term. The term ICT will be used to meet international standards after the release of the Section 508 Refresh.

(b) The ICT accessibility standards as 36 CFR Part 1194 were developed by the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (also known as the Access Board) and apply to contracts, task orders, and indefinite quantity contracts on or after June 25, 2001.

(c) Each Information and Communications Technology (ICT) product or service furnished under this contract shall comply with the Information and Communications Technology Accessibility Standards (36 CFR 1194), as specified in the contract, at a minimum. If the Contracting Officer determines any furnished product or service is not in compliance with the contract, the Contracting Officer will promptly inform the Contractor in writing. The Contractor shall, without charge to the Government, repair or replace the non‐compliant products or services within a period of time specified by the Government in writing. If such repair or replacement is not completed within the time specified, the Government shall have the following recourses:

1) Cancellation of the contract, delivery, or task order, purchase or line item without termination liabilities;

or

2) In the case of custom Information and Communications Technology (ICT) being developed by a contractor for the Government, the Government shall have the right to have any necessary changes made or repairs performed by itself or by another firm for the non‐compliant ICT, with the contractor liable for reimbursement to the Government for any expenses incurred thereby.

(d) The contractor must ensure that all ICT products and services that are less than fully compliant with the accessibility standards are provided pursuant to extensive market research and are the most current compliant products or services available to satisfy the contract requirements.

(e) For every ICT product or service accepted under this contract by the Government that does not comply with 36 CFR 1194, the contractor shall, at the discretion of the Government, make every effort to replace or upgrade it with a compliant equivalent product or service, if commercially available and cost neutral, on either a contract specified refresh cycle for the product or service, or on a contract effective option/renewal date, whichever shall occur first.

Section 508 Compliance

The Disc Software Renewal Vendor shall comply with the standards, policies, and procedures below. In the event of conflicts between the referenced documents and this DISC Software Renewal, the DISC Software Renewal shall take precedence.

Section 508 Accessibility Standards

1) 29 U.S.C. 794d (Rehabilitation Act as amended)

2) 36 CFR 1194 (Section 508 standards)

3) http://www.access‐board.gov/sec508/508standards.htm (Section 508 standards)

4) FAR 39.2 (Section 508)

5) http://www.ocio.usda.gov/document/departmental‐regulation‐4030‐001 (USDA standards, policies, and procedures for Section 508)

In addition, all contract deliverables are subject to these standards.

All web content or communications materials produced, regardless of format (text, audio, video, etc.), must conform to the applicable Section 508 standards to allow Federal employees and members of the public with disabilities comparable access to and use of information and data provided to Federal employees and members of the public without disabilities. All contractors (including sub‐contractors) and consultants responsible for preparing or posting content must comply with the applicable Section 508 accessibility standards and, where applicable, those set forth in the referenced policy or standards document above. Remediation of any materials http://www.ocio.usda.gov/document/departmental that do not comply with the applicable provisions of 36 CFR Part 1194 as set forth in the DISC Software Renewal shall be the responsibility of the contractor or consultant.

The following Section 508 provisions apply to the products and/or services identified in this DISC Software Renewal:

• 36 CFR Part 1194.21 provisions a‐l

• 36 CFR Part 1194.22 provisions a‐p

• 36 CFR Part 1194.23 provisions a‐k[4]

• 36 CFR Part 1194.24 provisions a‐e

• 36 CFR Part 1194.25 provisions a‐j[4]

• 36 CFR Part 1194.26 provisions a‐d

• 36 CFR Part 1194.31 provisions a‐f

• 36 CFR Part 1194.41 provisions a‐c

The following Section 508 provisions apply for software development material identified in this DISC Software Renewal:

For software development, software applications, and operating systems the Disc Software Renewal Vendor shall comply with the following standards, policies, and procedures:

Section 508 Accessibility Standards

1) 29 U.S.C. 794d (Rehabilitation Act as amended)

2) 36 CFR 1194 (Section 508 standards)

a. 36 CFR Part 1194.21 provisions a‐l

b. 36 CFR Part 1194.31 provisions a‐f

c. 36 CFR Part 1194.41 provisions a‐c

For web‐based applications (intranet, internet information and applications, 16 rules), the Disc Software Renewal Vendor shall comply with the following standards, policies, and procedures:

Section 508 Accessibility Standards

1) 29 U.S.C. 794d (Rehabilitation Act as amended)

2) 36 CFR 1194 (Section 508 standards)

a. 36 CFR Part 1194.21 provisions a‐l

b. 36 CFR Part 1194.22 provisions a‐p

c. 36 CFR Part 1194.31 provisions a‐f

d. 36 CFR Part 1194.41 provisions a‐c

For telecommunication products and services the Disc Software Renewal Vendor shall comply with the following standards, policies, and procedures:

Section 508 Accessibility Standards

1) 29 U.S.C. 794d (Rehabilitation Act as amended)

2) 36 CFR 1194 (Section 508 standards)

a. 36 CFR Part 1194.23 provisions a‐k

b. 36 CFR Part 1194.31 provisions a‐f

c. 36 CFR Part 1194.41 provisions a‐c

For video and multimedia applications (including training materials), the Disc Software Renewal Vendor shall comply with the following standards, policies, and procedures:

Section 508 Accessibility Standards

1) 29 U.S.C. 794d (Rehabilitation Act as amended)

2) 36 CFR 1194 (Section 508 standards)

a. 36 CFR Part 1194.24 provisions a‐e

b. 36 CFR Part 1194.31 provisions a‐f

c. 36 CFR Part 1194.41 provisions a‐c

For self‐contained and closed products, the Disc Software Renewal Vendor shall comply with the following standards, policies, and procedures:

Section 508 Accessibility Standards

1) 29 U.S.C. 794d (Rehabilitation Act as amended)

2) 36 CFR 1194 (Section 508 standards)

a. 36 CFR Part 1194.21 provisions a‐l

b. 36 CFR Part 1194.25 provisions a‐j

c. 36 CFR Part 1194.31 provisions a‐f

d. 36 CFR Part 1194.41 provisions a‐c

For desktop and portable computers, the Disc Software Renewal Vendor shall comply with the following standards, policies, and procedures:

Section 508 Accessibility Standards

1) 29 U.S.C. 794d (Rehabilitation Act as amended)

2) 36 CFR 1194 (Section 508 standards)

a. 36 CFR Part 1194.21 provisions a‐l

b. 36 CFR Part 1194.26 provisions a‐d

c. 36 CFR Part 1194.31 provisions a‐f

d. 36 CFR Part 1194.41 provisions a‐c

For help desk and other support services, the Disc Software Renewal Vendor shall comply with the following standards, policies, and procedures:

Section 508 Accessibility Standards

1) 29 U.S.C. 794d (Rehabilitation Act as amended)

2) 36 CFR 1194 (Section 508 standards)

a. 36 CFR Part 1194.31 provisions a‐f

b. 36 CFR Part 1194.41 provisions a‐c

If the help desk or other support services include training, Disc Software Renewal Vendor must also comply with the following standards, policies, and procedures in addition to 36 CFR Part 1194.31 provisions a‐f and 36 CFR Part 1194.41 provisions a‐c:

a. 36 CFR Part 1194.21 provisions a‐l (installable and web‐based training)

b. 36 CFR Part 1194.22 provisions a‐p (web‐based software)

All Information and Communications Technology (ICT) subject to the 36 CFR 1194 standards will have a Section 508 usability and acceptance test where Section 508 compliance will be validated. This test must be administered by a Federal Section 508 Testing Center.

All maintenance for Information and Communications Technology that requires upgrades, modifications, installations, and purchases will adhere to the Section 508 standards and 36 CFR 1194.