Material Handling PWS for 2025 (07-26-24) DRAFT.docx

RFI 36C79124Q0017

2025 Material Coordinators PWS Contents

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT for MATERIAL COORDINATORS & WAREHOUSE SUPPORT SCOPE OF THE CONTRACT Comment by Kruger, Kelli: Change over all Material Handlers descriptions over to Material Coordinators.

This is a non-personnel services contract to provide facility support staffing services with material coordinators and may cover a range of logistical activities that are normally but not limited to services provided in a similar commercial warehouse facility in accordance to the specifications and requirements contained herein. The Government shall not exercise any supervision or control over the contract service providers performing the services herein. Such contract service material coordinators shall be accountable solely to the Contractor Program Manager and or On- Site Supervisor(s) who, in turn is responsible to the Government. The Contractor shall not perform inherently government functions, including decision-making, supervision of Government Personnel, supervision of other Contractors on other contracts, and activities that create the appearance of performing such functions.

Background: The Denver Logistic Service (DLS), and Service Distribution Center (SDC) facilitate national level, full spectrum end to end supply chain support to the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Medical Centers and individual continuously eligible veterans for commodities, medical supplies and or services. The National Acquisition Center (NAC) – Commodities Services & Acquisition Services (CSAS) along with Denver Logistics Service (DLS) and Service Distribution Center (SDC) procures, stocks and distributes worldwide to veterans and or clinicians commercial commodities that include the following: hearing aids; hearing aid accessories; cochlear implants and accessories; American flags; assistive listening devices and accessories; assistive devices; apnea devices and accessories; batteries; prosthetic socks; orthotic soft goods; aids for the visually impaired; and Home Telehealth equipment and peripherals. Cost efficiencies are realized by utilizing this integrated business model centered on using large scale contracts, streamline logistics management, and centralized distribution operating centers.

This is a recompete of a contract that performs supply chain logistical activities for DLS and SDC in 3 separate distribution warehouses located in the following cities: Golden, Colorado; Lakewood, Colorado; and Hines, Illinois. Duties include order processing, inventory management, stock selection and packaging services for worldwide distribution.

VA Distribution fulfillment requirements come in various methods of request, such as email, VA LOG system and or VA Veterans Health Information System and Technology Architecture’s (VistA) Remote Order Entry System (ROES) module. The ROES catalog consists of the following:

· 4,379 available items in 8 commodity lines

· 2,313 stocked line items in warehouse (STK)

· 2,086 items available that are Buy on Demand (BOD) Portions of Integrated Funds Distribution, Control, Point Activity, Accounting and Procurement (IFCAP) system is used to manage the receipt, distribution, and stock maintenance of items. IFCAP along with ROES, provide information on the supplies, vendors, procurement history, and control point of activity. It is essential that any information entered into IFCAP or ROES, are complete, accurate and correct.

The last five (5) FY’s Orders and Items Shipped for all locations are listed below:

VA Orders & Items Shipped Historical Chart

32,514

108,372

Note: Orders may contain more than one item Historical Personnel Utilization Estimates:

These estimates provided for the number of contract personnel are based on historic data from previous demands at the DLS and SDC within the last five years. The government expectation is that the contractor maintains contractor staff that meets or exceed the 95% accuracy in daily warehouse operations.

* Material Coordinators includes team leaders whom perform the same tasks as material coordinators and has no supervisory authority.

** Onsite Shift Supervisors will be required at each location identified in PWS.

DLS Warehouse Operational Overview & Volume:

The DLS Warehouse has a singular operational focus in which it provides nine core product categories that support the VA Prosthetic and Sensory Aid Services (PSAS) and Office of Connected Care (OCC) Telehealth Program with two separate Colorado locations. Over the last five (5) Fiscal Years (FY), (FY19-23), DLS has averaged 2,000,000+ clinical orders per FY. Daily activities are designed around ROES orders received, between 0900 mtn to 1500 mtn. The clinical orders consist of more than one commodity or items per order. There has been 8 percent increase in orders over the previous year. This increase required DLS to acquire additional warehouse space to facilitate the increase in orders and fulfillment. Average production rates can vary widely from day to day and week to week based on a variety of factors such as inclement weather, staffing shortages, workload transfer, and system malfunctions.

SDC Warehouse Operational Volume:

The SDC warehouse is divided into two separate operations, known as Enterprise Distribution Operations Section (EDOS) and Healthcare Equipment Distribution Operations Section (HDOS). Contract personnel will work in both sections, depending on operational need. HDOS daily order fulfillment rate is estimated around 14000 items. EDOS daily order fulfillment is estimated to be 150. The SDC has seen a 15% increase in orders from 2022 to 2023 and a 17% increase from the first half of 2023 to the first half of 2024 due to the HDOS program.

a. Enterprise Distribution Operations Section (EDOS) is a storage-focused warehouse operation that provides a storage place and distribution for various supplies, such as, but not limited to, flags, forms, x-ray film, and publications. These items are shipped to veterans and various organizations across the United States utilizing freight and parcel courier services.

b. Healthcare Equipment Distribution Operations Section (HDOS) is a faster pace, Just-in-Time warehouse operation supplying health care commodities, for various programs such as the Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) program. Most personnel will work in this section.

SDC EDOS Storage-Focused Warehouse Operational Overview

The current EDOS requirement requires the contractor to use a government furnished GSA fleet vehicle to perform daily mail runs to Hines Post Office, and to the Ronald McDonald House to deliver and pick up mail. This will require the contractor to obtain liability insurance since they will utilize a government vehicle. Comment by Yeo, Star: Deliverable/Submittal Liability Insurance Clause Comment by Yeo, Star: Terms and conditions applicable to this requirement are VA Directive 0637 May 2013 and Handbook 0637 VA Fleet Management Program (https://www.va.gov/vapubs/search_action.cfm?dType=2), and FAR clause 52.228-8, Liability and Insurance which will be included in the solicitation and resultant contract.

SDC HDOS Just-In-Time Warehouse Operational Overview

There is likelihood that the volume may change, upward or downward, although total change cannot be estimated due to the size of the served veteran population being in constant flux and other variable factors, including but not limited to fluctuations in the demand, and the modernization of receiving and packing equipment; therefore, it is impossible to determine the exact quantities that will be required during the contract term or any option years.

Contract Objectives:

This services requirement is to provide contractor personnel, with warehouse operations in support of the DLS/SDC mission.

1. Maintain the “No Fail” Mission of the DLS/SDC with a 95% or better rate for order fulfillment to our clinicians and Veterans.

2. Cost Effective Solutions to maintain operations of the multiple worksites within budget constraints. Comment by Kruger, Kelli: Look at estimated of $8.6 million per year. Will need to add statement.

Place of Performance:

The work to be performed under this contract will be performed at three (3) government facilities located in the Denver Metro Area, Colorado and Hines, Illinois:

Location Address

Note: Warehouse floor maps are provided in Attachment 05- DLS Warehouse Maps and Attachment 06- SDC Warehouse Map Hours of Operations:

Work will be performed Monday through Friday beginning no earlier than 6:00 A.M. and ending no later than 6:00 P.M. depending on the warehouse. DLS follows Mountain Time and SDC follows Central Time. Business hours may be extended with the operating hours to be from 6:00 A.M. – 9:30 P.M, Monday thru Friday as deemed necessary to address surges in orders.

Recognized Holidays:

Contractor shall not perform services on the following federal holidays:

Independence Day

Period of Performance:

The period of performance begins with a 30-day Phase-In period from January 1, 2025 to January 31, 2025. Full performance shall commence on February 1, 2025.

Below table demonstrates the entire period of performance including all possible options:

DLS Period of Performance starts January 1, 2025 SDC Period of Performance starts August 1, 2025

DESCRIPTION OF SERVICE TASKS:

The contractor shall provide all personnel, supervision, and reporting requirements through non-personal services as defined in this Performance Work Statement utilizing government furnished property (computers, forklift, pallet jacks, auto-baggers, etc.) and or services. These contracted services are essential to ensure that the logistics achieves the agency’s core mission of caring for our nations Veteran’s and meeting the 95% accuracy rating in all areas of logistical support which are outlined in this PWS and performance requirement summary.

Position Descriptions: The contractor shall provide personnel for the following positions: (See Attachment 01 – Position Descriptions)

· Program Manager

· Shift Supervisors

· Material Coordinators

As this is a non-personal services contract, the Contractor shall ensure oversite of all contract workers in addition to providing sufficient personnel to accommodate the varying services outlined in this PWS. The contractor shall be responsible for obtaining all information required to successfully perform the services under the awarded contract. In cases where the contractor believes that available information is not adequate, poor quality, or unusable, the contractor shall immediately notify the CO and COR.

The selected contractor will provide competent staff to complete the requirements and all having the necessary ability, knowledge and skill to deliver a variety of warehouse activities to include but not limited to, shipping, receiving, order fulfillment and inventory counts/controls in accordance to VA Policies, Procedures and Standards utilizing internal systems such as VA Veterans Health Information System and Technology Architecture’s (VistA) Remote Order Entry System (ROES) module, the Integrated Funds Distribution, Control, Point Activity, Accounting and Procurement (IFCAP) module, other VA internal software systems, auto baggers and other logistical equipment (Auto-baggers, Pallet Jacks, Forklifts).

Note: The contractor personnel cannot be onsite, or work without Government FTE on duty.

Warehouse Operation Requirement: Comment by Kruger, Kelli: Need to get Inventory Counts calendar and as attachments. Comment by Kruger, Kelli: Need to add in surge language The contractor shall provide all personnel (shift supervisors, material coordinators) who will handle the receiving, stocking, inventory, packaging and shipping, of ordered commodities authorized on a daily basis from VHA Clinicians through the logistic centers. Material Coordinators will rotate operational areas within the warehouses quarterly or based upon needs to due to staffing shortages or production requirements based upon government needs. The contractor shall provide all the necessary onsite supervision for these services.

Warehouse operations are contingent upon several factors, including receipt of order authorizations from VHA Medical centers with appropriated funding and the annual Government’s continuation of work appropriations.

Daily Warehouse Taskings: All locations adhere to standard operating procedures, VA policies, directives and regulation which include and are not limited to the following tasks: (See Attachment 02- DLC SOP, Attachment 03 – SDC EDOS SOP & Attachment 04- SDC HDOS SOP)

a) Receiving: The contractor personnel shall ensure to complete the daily receiving, processing, stocking of incoming commodities from various courier services that include and not limited to UPS, DHL, Federal Express, and USPS. This includes the processing of items being returned to the warehouse from vendors, veterans, and others due to errors, cancellations or other. Comment by Kruger, Kelli: Need to address RETURNS

b) Refurbishment: The contractor personnel shall ensure to complete the refurbishment tasks for returned telehealth equipment in accordance to standards set forth in the SOP. These duties are primarily located in the Golden, Colorado facility, however, can be moved at any time in the future as government needs change.

c) Shipping: The contractor personnel shall ensure to complete the daily packaging, processing, and shipping of any orders received in accordance with SOP for daily pickup by courier, freight or USPS services. This includes the maintenance of records in VISTA to acknowledge order fulfillment.

Surge Support:

The Contractor shall have the necessary technical depth to support surge requirements.

for warehouse logistical upswings without effecting current Contractor support to the daily activities. Contractor shall respond to requests for surge support within 24 hours of request. Response and support shall directly address the Government’s request.

Contract Performance Mandatory Tasks and Standards The Contractor shall at all times maintain an adequate workforce for the uninterrupted performance of all tasks defined within this PWS when the Government facility is not closed for holidays, national disaster or other reasons at the acceptable quality to maintain 95% accuracy rate. When hiring personnel, the Contractor shall keep in mind that the stability and continuity of the workforce are essential to maintain the 95% accuracy rate.

Note: The contractor may utilize part time employees to fill an full-time equivalent employee FTEE position. (One employee starts the shift; however, another employee replaces that employee to complete the 8 hour per day requirement). An FTEE is equivalent to 8 hours per day. However, it is still incumbent upon Contractor to meet the 95% no fail mission rate.

The contractor must have a sufficient qualified pool of replacement personnel to support all services in the event contract personnel that are scheduled to work become ill, resign, are terminated, or are otherwise unavailable to work. The Contractor shall be expected to provide the full complement of staff for the duration of each shift. Contract requirements are not altered or mitigated by inclement weather, illness, death, or the Contractor’s inability to provide the required services. Any excess costs incurred by the government or the contractor due to the Contractor’s inability to provide staffing levels as required, will be the responsibility of the contractor.

There may be times when due to unplanned circumstances, coverage is needed on short notice and the contractor will be asked to fill additional unscheduled shifts within a twenty-four (24) hour notice. The contractor shall be prepared for such eventualities throughout the life of the contract. The contractor shall prepare detailed notification and scheduling to their material coordinators during night or early morning hours, if necessary, with limited notification from the Government. An example would be a snowstorm that hits during the night and the Government facility has modified hours the next day or closes for the entire day.

Program Management: The Contractor shall provide a Program Manager(s) who will manage the contractor personnel at all the locations and provided the Government with regular reporting on activities assigned in this PWS.

Limited Travel: The Program Manager(s) may have to travel to or from VA sites under this effort to perform the tasks associated with the effort, as well as, to attend program-related meetings or conferences through the period of performance. Travel will not be allowed when virtual means of communication will suffice. No travel expense shall be incurred by the Contractor unless authorized in writing by the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) and Contracting Officer (CO). Justification from the Contractor shall be provided to the Government for all Contractor requested travel within a minimum of five (5) days advance notice along with Attachment 11 – Travel Request.

Authorized travel shall be conducted in accordance with the terms of the Performance Work Statement, and travel expenses shall be made in accordance with Federal Travel Regulations (FTR). For purposes of calculating travel reimbursement, the Contractor shall use its headquarters facility as the duty station. Local travel, within a 50 -mile radius from the place of performance is considered the cost of doing business and will not be reimbursed. Non-local travel will require advance written authorization from the COR and CO. Expenses for travel will be reimbursed based on actual expenses incurred up to the limits authorized by the current General Services Administration’s (GSA) per diem rates published on the GSA website at . Contractors performing official travel shall include copies of all receipts that support the travel costs claimed in the invoice.

General and Administrative (G&A) cost shall not be applied. No travel shall be planned unless prior approval has been obtained, in writing, from the COR and CO.

Quarterly COR Meetings:

The Contractor Program Manager shall attend quarterly meetings—via remote conference—with the COR to discuss milestones, progress and challenges related to the contract, and provide recommendations for improvements to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the contract-related activities. The Contractor shall submit the quarterly COR meeting agenda and the quarterly COR meeting minutes to the COR for approval, prior to the dissemination of the quarterly COR meeting agenda and the quarterly COR meeting minutes. The Contractor shall submit the quarterly meeting agenda and the quarterly meeting minutes to the COR, for approval and prior to the dissemination.

At a minimum, the quarterly meeting agenda shall include the following: date of meeting, meeting access information, topics to be discussed—outlined in order or presentation, status updates of unresolved action items, individual(s) responsible for presenting each topic, and any materials or any link to materials distributed at the meeting. At a minimum, the quarterly meeting minutes shall include the following: date of meeting, names of attendees, a summary of all discussion topics in the order outlined in the agenda, action items to be addressed, individual(s) responsible for completing each action item, due dates of action items, any materials or link to materials, distributed at the meeting, and date of follow-up meeting (if any).

Program Management Plan:

The Contractor shall provide a detailed PMP for the requirements and receive CO/COR approval prior to the implementation of the PMP. This PMP shall be responsive to this performance work statement (PWS) and shall present the Contractor’s plan for managing and completing the contract. Additionally, the PMP shall include a detailed description of the technical approach, management plan, organizational structure and resources, and management controls. The Contractor shall update the PMP throughout the period of performance and provide recommended updates in the form of tracked changes in Microsoft Word. The status updates of the PMP shall be documented in the Monthly Progress Report and may include the addition of activities not included in the initial plan. The Contractor shall specify in the Monthly Progress Report if no updates were made during the reporting period. The Government may, at any time, request additional updates that shall be completed by the Contractor and delivered to the Government no more than ten (10) calendar days after the Government’s request. The PMP and recommended changes to the PMP shall be submitted to the CO/COR, for approval prior to the implementation, in accordance with the PWS. Changes that may impact the price shall be identified and submitted, along with details outlining the price impact, to the CO/COR, and shall not be implemented until approved by the CO through a contract modification.

Staffing Plan:

The contractor shall provide a staffing plan that demonstrates offeror’s relevant integrated approach to hiring, mandatory training, and retaining personnel in Logistics/Supply Chain (shipping, receiving, order fulfillment)/Warehouse Operations. The Staffing Plan shall include the Contractor’s organizational structure, specifically in support of the contract, and detail the Contractor’s plan for hiring staff. The Staffing Plan shall also demonstrate the Contractor’s process for immediately identifying and taking appropriate remedial action in addressing Contractor personnel determined to be unacceptable in terms of technical competency or personal conduct in performance of contract activities. The Contractor’s remedial actions shall be executed in a manner that does not disrupt or degrade the quality or timeliness of services. The Contractor(s) must provide a narrative explaining the work distribution if one (1) person is fulfilling multiple responsibilities.

· The contract requires no less than 100% staffing for all PWS requirements no less than 10 days after award.

· Target Requirement: 75% staffing of all Key Requirement Positions within 5 days of contract award, and 100% staffing for all PWS requirements within 10 days of award.

· Objective Requirement: 100% staffing of all PWS requirements within 5 days of award.

The Contractor shall also provide and maintain a Staffing Tracking Tool and Background Investigation Staff Roster, that shows the hiring status, including background checks, Personal Identification Verification (PIV) status, and start dates of staff as well as mandatory training. The Staffing Tracking Tool shall include any challenges related to hiring and shall be included on the risk and issues matrix for mitigation. The Staffing Plan and Staffing Tracking Tool shall be submitted to the CO & COR, for approval prior to the implementation, in accordance with the PWS. In the Monthly Progress Report, the Contractor shall provide status updates on the planning, implementation, and completion of the Staffing Plan and Staffing Tracking Tool.

Monthly/Weekly Personnel Work Schedule:

The contractor is responsible for creating the monthly and bi-weekly work schedules for employees for each warehouse location. The personnel work schedule shall be approved by the COR prior to month starting. The Government Facility may close due to local or national emergencies, administrative closings, or similar directed facility closings. The contractor must be prepared for potential closings and adjust their schedule during or after work hours.

Contractor Responsibilities:

Staffing & Scheduling:

The contractor shall be fully qualified and have the level of experience necessary to accomplish the requirements of this PWS. The contractor shall at all times maintain an adequate workforce for uninterrupted performance of all warehouse operations when the Government Faculty is not closed for the stated above reasons. When hiring of personnel, the contractor shall keep in mind that the stability and continuity of the workforce is essential to maintain the “no fail” mission of 95% accuracy.

Contract personnel shall have the level of experience necessary to accomplish the requirements of this PWS. In addition, contractor personnel shall be acceptable to the Government in terms of personal and professional conduct, and in technical knowledge. Furthermore, contractor personnel are expected to have sufficient written and verbal communication skills to support the Logistics Divisions and their customers. Should any contractor personnel be determined to be unacceptable in terms of technical competency or unacceptable conduct or behavior while on-site or while working on contract activities, the contractor shall immediately remove and replace the unacceptable on-site personnel at no additional cost to the Government. Contract personnel are to serve in a support role; therefore, final decisions regarding inherently governmental functions will always be made by Government personnel.

Contract staff must be at assigned stations ready for work at the beginning of their schedule tour of duty and immediately before and after breaks and lunch. The contractor will ensure breaks, lunches, time off are scheduled appropriately to ensure coverage and support during business hours, as specified in the performance requirements, or as required by the COR during other times. Contract staff must continue to work until they achieve a full completion of their schedule tour of duty. Contract staff must be released prior to end of schedule shift if workload ques has been cleared and Government FTE has given approval.

Note: Contractor personnel are only permitted in the warehouses when Government FTE are on duty.

Timekeeping:

The Contractor shall provide their time keeping method and all necessary hardware/software for detailed electronic timekeeping. The contractor shall describe the hardware/software that will track personnel to physically clocking-in and clocking-out at Government locations. Time and attendance logs shall be submitted per the Contractor’s pay schedule to the COR and shall be used to verify Contractor's performance.

Note: The government recommends following government bi-weekly time and attendance methodology, where pay period begins on Sunday and ends on Saturday, every two weeks and follows the 26 pay periods per calendar year. This recommendation allows for contractor and government personnel to be instep to inventory controls, and or surges. (See Attachment 12 – Govt Pay Calendar)

Overtime: Overtime may be required through the life of the contract. The scheduling of overtime is coordinated between contractor program manager, and COR. Overtime shall be considered as any excess of regular scheduled hours and outside of normal operating hours. Overtime shall be separately ordered by an authorized Contracting Officer and the scheduling of Overtime must be authorized in writing by the COR and approved by Contracting Officer the one (1) pay period and or two (2) weeks before the scheduled overtime shall occur. The Government reserves the right to cancel overtime at any time.

Mandatory Training:

The Government will provide VA specific training to Contractor(s) employees. The Contractor(s) shall maintain records of training qualifications, certifications, and licenses.

VA Security and Privacy Requirements/Trainings: All contractor employees shall be required to complete the following training, which is required for every employee working on VA property, within the first week of employment: Comment by Kruger, Kelli: Need to address building access and security measures.

a) VA Privacy and Information Security Awareness and Rules of Behavior (TMS Course #VA10176),

b) Harassment Prevention & Accountability Training (TMS Course #VA45224, and

c) Government Ethics – The Essentials (TMS course number VA3812493).

d) VA Core Values Training (I CARE) (TMS course number VA 3901227)

e) The EEO, D&I, No FEAR, and Whistleblower Rights and Protection Policy Statement (TMS course number VA 4309852) These courses shall be obtained through self-registration at the website https://www.tms.va.gov/SecureAuth35/.

All trainings shall be completed on an annual basis in accordance to VA policies. Failure to complete the required training will result in contractor employee termination and negative reporting in CPARS. These trainings are subject to change, and contractor will be provided awareness of change by COR or CO at such time.

Contractor Personnel Qualifications:

The Contractor(s) shall provide qualified personnel to accomplish all work and services required by this PWS, within specified time frames. Staffing shall be at a level to ensure all prescribed work is executed in a timely manner. Contractor(s) employees shall be trained, qualified, certified, and or licensed as required prior to starting work. All Contract Personnel, shall have a thorough knowledge of English grammar, have a high school diploma or better and shall have basic knowledge and skills with computers and typing. All contracted personnel shall have the ability to effectively listen and communicate accurately and clearly about inventories, processes, and procedures. The Contractor(s) shall maintain the workforce in such a manner as to ensure that the contractor personnel remain fully qualified to perform the work assigned.

All contractor personnel shall hold the appropriate security clearance as determined by the level of access, as determined by the COR. All background checks and security clearances shall be processed in accordance with this section.

Note: The Contractor(s) may utilize the same employee to fulfill multiple key personnel positions except for the Program Manager and Shift Supervisors.

Key Personnel:

The Program Manager and Shift Supervisors are identified as Key Personnel for this contract. An organizational chart for the key personnel is required that includes all roles, responsibilities, and resumes. Resumés shall not exceed three pages in length for each resumé. Pages beyond the page limit will not be reviewed. Contractor(s) employee résumés shall reflect the following minimum required qualifications or certifications for the following positions:

a) Program Manager: The contractor shall designate a Program Manager who has 10 years of experience in Warehouse Distribution or Supply Chain Logistics Management relevant to the tasks defined in this PWS. Such experience shall include planning, initiating, managing, executing and closing out programs in support of an integrated supply chain distribution system. The Program Manager shall assist VA in the execution of targeted program goals. Additionally, contractor personnel shall possess a either Master’s or Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or similar in quality with a minimum of ten years’ experience supporting a large corporation or government agency. PM is required to do quarterly site visits to both Colorado and Illinois locations. Requires Tier 1 Background Investigation (BI).

b) On-Site Shift Supervisors: One- or two-years higher education or equivalent with minimum five years’ experience in supervising warehouse logistical operations. Knowledge shall be intermediate to advance in logistics with experience in supply chain management (e.g. shipping, receiving, order fulfillment processes and procedures). Conflict management skills and the ability to anticipate and solve problems. Time management skills in order to adhere to scheduling and prioritizing. Requires Tier 1 Background Investigation (BI).

Employee Coverage, Replacement, and Substitution The Contractor(s) shall provide coverage for all Key Personnel positions from 6:00 am mountain time through 6:00 pm mountain time, during all continuity of operations in accordance with pws, and during any outages.

During the first 90 days of performance, the Contractor(s) shall not replace or substitute Key Personnel who the Contractor(s) proposed pre-award unless the replacement is necessitated by illness, death, or termination of employment.

The Contractor(s) shall provide a Key Personnel substitution list for pre-approval post-award (see VAAR 852-237-75 Key Personnel for additional information).

Code of Behavior:

The contractor personnel will use the available resources such as Job Aids, Knowledge Management, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), email alerts, Bulletins, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and mandated scripts, and reference materials to improve knowledge and utilize these materials as the first source of information/guidance.

Any contractor personnel whose personal conduct does not in any way meet the requirements listed in the PWS shall be removed by the Contractor after notification from the COR or CO for the issue, and replaced with an person whose conduct meets the requirements listed in the PWS at no additional cost to the Government.

All contract employees will comply with the VA’s Standard Code of Conduct as well as the Warehouse Behaviors Standards. All contract employees shall be required to sign and submit the Attachment 14 – Warehouse Behavior Standards at time of employment.

Contractor Employee Removal: If a contractor is identified by the Government Program Manager, COR, or CO as a potential threat to the health, safety, security, general well-being or operational mission of the installation and its population, the contractor shall immediately remove their employee from the facility and replace him/her with another contractor employee who meets the requirements defined in this PWS within ten (10) business days at no cost to the government.

Contractor Responsibilities:

The Contractor shall be entirely responsible for providing appropriate benefits, vacation time, sick days and federal and state requirements for all Contractor Personnel performing under this contract such as, but not limited to; professional liability insurance, worker’s compensation, income tax withholding, social security payment, health examinations, availability of health insurance and payment of overtime.

Service Contract Act: The contractor shall comply with Department of Labor (DOL), Service Contract Act Wage Determinations (WD), utilizing the 2100 – Material Handling and Packing Occupations, 21030 – Material Coordinators in accordance with FAR 22.1002-2.

· 2015-5419 Revision 26 State of Colorado: Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Clear Creek, Denver, Douglas, Elbert, Gilpin, Jefferson, Park Counties.

· 2015-5017 Revision 26 State of Illinois, Cook, DuPage, McHenry Counties The Contractor shall be practicing in accordance with County, City, State and Federal laws where applicable. Verification of current, appropriate, required qualifications (license, certifications, etc.) and competency files for all Contractor Personnel is the responsibility of the Contractor. The Government reserves the right to review those files and request for validation of contract terms and conditions.

Administrative Functions and Meetings: Upon request by the Government, contract employees may be asked to attend and participate in staff meetings, performance improvement activities, or training meetings. Attendance at these functions constitutes billable time.

Communications: All contract personnel attending meetings, answering Government telephones, and working in other situations where their contractor status is not obvious to third parties are required to identify themselves as such to avoid creating an impression in the minds of members of the public that they are Government officials. They must also ensure that all documents or reports produced by contractors are suitably marked as contractor products or that contractor participation is appropriately disclosed.

General Warehouse Work Environment:

Work is performed throughout the facility, that range from a clean environment to hot, cold, drafty, and poorly lighted. The possibility of trips, falls, scrapes, cuts, bruises, or injury are present in the day-to-day work of the position. Work requires stocking supplies in the primary inventory area as well as numerous secondary inventory points throughout the two facilities. Work requires maintaining a clean environment while performing tasks that can produce dust or other pollutants while transitioning between environments. Contractor Personnel are required to maintain OSHA standards and compliance. Employees must comply with safety & health precautions and use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when required.

Physical Work Abilities Required:

The work requires the following during the workday: standing; walking during the entire workday; pushing; pulling; lifting; bending and loading supply packages (occasionally weighing as much as 50 pounds). Work requires pushing loaded carts of supplies. With proper assistance, moves heavier items’ weighing over 40 pounds. Must be able to operate pallet jacks, hand cart and forklifts, as well as other government furnished warehouse equipment.

Personnel Hygiene, Clothing & Other:

In performance of this contract, contract personnel shall be neat, clean and well-groomed and shall otherwise exercise person hygiene. Appropriate attire shall always be worn. Issued government Personal Identity Verification (PIV) shall be worn at all times while in the facilities.

Clothing: All shirts should be vendor supplied with company name and/or logo clearly identifiable. Pants will be made of abrasion resistant material such as denim or canvas. All clothing is to be neat, clean, and in good condition, free from holes, rips/tears and stains. No athletic clothing (sweatpants, or sweat suits, tank/ tube tops, loungewear), miniskirts or shorts, see through or sheer clothing or other prohibited attire.

Footwear: All footwear for contract personnel working in the warehouse should be safety-toed boots/shoes.

Prohibited attire includes:

Any clothing item that contains inappropriate slogans, illustrations, or advertising. Examples of inappropriate slogans, illustrations, and advertising include, but are not limited to clothing that promote or displays alcohol, tobacco products, and drugs; clothing that might be offensive to individuals based on sex, age, race, national origin, or sexual orientation; disability, religion, or clothing that has sexual, political and/or negative connotations or messages.

No personal electronic devices are allowed on the production floor. Phones shall be secured in wall lockers before entering the warehouse. Personal electronic devices include cell phones, music devices, or any electronic device with Bluetooth technology unless a medical exception is requested and approved by the COR.

Security Requirements:

The Contractor(s) shall prescreen all contractor employees to ensure they can maintain the appropriate Background Investigation, and are able to read, write, speak, and understand the English language. The contractor shall not employ any personnel to provide services to DLS or SDC without ensuring they do not pose potential risk to health, safety, security, general well-being, or operational mission of the installation and its entire population.

Background Investigations: Contractor personnel (including subcontractors) performing work under this contract must have background check approved, a PIV card and security door access card to the warehouse. The level and process of background security investigations is Low Risk, National Agency Crime Investigation (NACI). The Office for Operations, Security, and Preparedness is responsible for these policies and procedures. At time of the proposal submission and must maintain the level of security required for the life of the contract.

The Government will provide all background investigations, PIV cards, and facility access cards, as required. Fingerprint adjudication and Tier 1: National Agency Check with Inquires (NACI) investigation will be billed to Station 791 (DLS) or Station 796 (SDC). Any and all Agents assigned to provide the services under the awarded contract shall pass all required background investigation or will not be eligible to perform the services under the awarded contract.

The level of background security investigation will be in accordance with VA Directive 0710 dated September 10, 2004, and is available at http://www1.va.gov/vapubs/viewPublication.asp?Pub_ID=487&FType=2

Background Investigation Staff Roster: Within 5 business days after award, the Contractor(s) shall provide a roster of Contractor(s) employees to the COR to begin their background investigations. The Contractor(s) Staff Roster shall contain the Contractor’s Full Name, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, individual background investigation level requirement. The Contractor(s) shall submit full Social Security Numbers either within the Contractor’s Staff Roster or under separate cover to the COR.

The Contractor’s Staff Roster shall be updated and provided to VA within 1 business day of any changes in employee status, training certification completion status, Background Investigation level status, additions/removal of employees, etc. throughout the period of performance. The Contractor(s) Staff Roster shall remain a historical document indicating all past information and the Contractor(s) shall indicate in the Comment field, employees no longer supporting this contract. The preferred method to send the Contractor(s) Staff Roster or Social Security Number is by encrypted e-mail. If unable to send encrypted e-mail, other methods which comply with FIPS 140-2 are to encrypt the file, use a secure fax, or use a traceable mail service.

The Contractor(s) should coordinate the location of the nearest VA fingerprinting office through the COR. Only electronic fingerprints are authorized. The Contractor(s) shall bring their completed Security and Investigations Center (SIC) Fingerprint request form with them when getting fingerprints taken.

Position/Risk Designation Level(s) Position sensitivity, as defined below, and the level of background investigation commensurate with the required level of access will be defined for each of the Contractor(s) personnel.

Identification of Contractor Personnel:

Personal Identification Verification (PIV) Badge: All contractor personnel shall be issued and wear Government issued PIV, or equivalent to all contract staff rendering services at all three locations. Identification badges shall be always required for facility access. If badges are lost or forgotten, contract personnel must report to the front desk to gain access and follow local warehouse policies with recovery. At no time, will a contract employee gain access to a site through another personnel’s badge. The appropriate badge must be worn at all times while on Government facility grounds in appropriate Identity Credential Holders, clearly displayed on the outermost garment (e.g., coat, jacket, sweater, shirt, blouse, lab coat, etc.) above the waist, with picture and name unobstructed. If worn on a lanyard around the neck, it must be of the break-away type for safety. Comment by Kruger, Kelli: Reference HSPD12 regulations. Need to detail PIV processes. Added layer of Suitablility (SAC adjudication, E-AP, gov't email, another suitability check

The cost of the first issued badge must be borne by the supported warehouse facility. In the event any contract employee loses or damages a badge, the Contractor must be charged the amount prescribed by the replacement badges by policy adopted by each…