36C25619Q0874-004.pdf

Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP)

Commercial High-Speed Internet Services

1. PURPOSE

This Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) provides a systematic method to evaluate performance for the stated contract. This QASP explains the following:

• What will be monitored.

• How monitoring will take place.

• Who will conduct the monitoring.

• How monitoring efforts and results will be documented.

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

This QASP is a “living document” and the Government may review and revise it on a regular basis.

However, the Government shall coordinate changes with the contractor. Copies of the original QASP and revisions shall be provided to the contractor and Government officials implementing surveillance activities.

2. GOVERNMENT ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The following personnel shall oversee and coordinate surveillance activities.

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

• Assigned Contracting Officer (CO): Anthony Marion

• Organization or Agency: Department of Veterans Affairs, Network Contracting Office (NCO) 16

b. Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) - The COR is responsible for technical administration of the contract and shall assure proper Government surveillance of the contractor’s performance. The COR shall keep a quality assurance file. The COR is not empowered to make any contractual commitments or to authorize any contractual changes on the Government’s behalf.

Assigned COR(S): David Patterson, 501-257-5439

3. CONTRACTOR REPRESENTATIVES

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

a. Program Manager –

b. Other Contractor Personnel –

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

QASP

# PWS

Paragraph

Indicator/Performance Standard

Standard for

Quality Level

Acceptable Quality Level

Method of Surveillance

0F

Incentive

1 1.1 - Provide a fiber path onto VA Fort Roots property, Bldg. 3 and John L. McClellan Hospital to include all cabling necessary.

- Provide a Handoff Router at Fort Roots Bldg. 3, and room GD-101 at the JLM Medical Center

- Provide 4 (four) each EDI 1 Gbps x 1Gbps connections or greater internet service at the JLM facility

- Provide 5 (five) each EDI 1 Gbps x 1Gbps connections or grater internet service at Bldg. 3, located at 2200 Fort Roots Drive / 29 Block minimum

- Provide and configure security routers at each demarcation plus firewall with Network Address Translation (NAT)/Port Address Translation (PAT) for internet access points to interface with the worldwide web. Security device shall protect against spyware, viruses, malicious apps, data leakage, and botnets as a minimum

- Provide programmer access to all equipment

- Provide Operator/Programmer instructions on system

100% 100% Periodic Inspection

Positive Past Performance

Rating

2 1.2 The Contractor shall maintain:

• Cabling to property

• Demarcation routers/security device

• High-Speed Internet Circuit

100% 100% Periodic Inspection

Positive Past Performance

Rating

3 2 The Contractor shall ensure High-Speed Internet meets or exceeds 1Gbps x 1Gbps Ethernet Dedicated Internet Circuit

100% 100% Periodic Inspection

Positive Past Performance

Rating

5. INCENTIVES/RATING STANDARDS

Incentives shall be based on exceeding, meeting, or not meeting performance standards.

6. METHODS OF QA SURVEILLANCE

Various methods exist to monitor performance.

a. DIRECT OBSERVATION

1 See “Methods of Surveillance,” paragraph 6 of this QASP, for additional methods of monitoring performance.

b. PERIODIC INSPECTION

c. USER SURVEY

d. VALIDATED USER/CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS

e. INSPECTION

f. PERIODIC SAMPLING

g. RANDOM SAMPLING

h. PROGRESS OR STATUS MEETINGS

i. ANALYSIS OF CONTRACTOR’S PROGRESS REPORTS

7. RATINGS

Metrics and methods are designed to determine if performance exceeds, meets, or does not meet a given standard and acceptable quality level. A rating scale shall be used to determine a positive, neutral, or negative outcome. The following ratings shall be used:

8. DOCUMENTING PERFORMANCE

a. ACCEPTABLE PERFORMANCE The Government shall document positive OR NEGATIVE performance. Any report may become a part of the supporting documentation for any contractual action.

b. UNACCEPTABLE PERFORMANCE

When unacceptable performance occurs, the COR shall work with the Contracting Officer (CO) inform the contractor. This will normally be in writing unless circumstances necessitate verbal communication.

In any case, the COR shall document the discussion and place it in the COR file. To assure that the contractor receives impartial, fair, and equitable treatment under this contract, the COR will work with the contractor to increase performance to an acceptable level.

When the COR and CO determines formal written communication is required, the COR and CO shall prepare a Contract Discrepancy Report (CDR) and present it to the contractor's program manager.

The contractor shall acknowledge receipt of the CDR in writing. The CDR will specify if the contractor is required to prepare a corrective action plan to document how the contractor shall correct the unacceptable performance and avoid a recurrence. The CDR will also state how long after receipt the contractor must present this corrective action plan to the COR. The Government shall review the contractor's corrective action plan to determine acceptability.

See above Acceptable Quality Level & Method of Surveillance located in QASP

Any CDRs may become a part of the supporting documentation for any contractual action deemed necessary by the CO.

9. FREQUENCY OF MEASUREMENT

a. Frequency of Measurement.

During contract performance, the COR will periodically analyze whether the negotiated frequency of surveillance is appropriate for the work being performed.

b. Frequency of Performance Assessment Meetings.

The COR shall meet with the contractor as needed to assess performance and shall provide a written assessment.

Contractor

David Patterson Contracting Officer Representative

Various methods exist to monitor performance.