RFP - Attachment 2 Amendment 2 - PWS.docx

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

A procurement by the U.S. General Services Administration Region 5 Contracting Division on behalf of

CLIENT AGENCY:

National Air & Space Intelligence Center (NASIC)

CLIENT PROGRAM:

NASIC/GXK

PROJECT TITLE:

Library Support Services

PROJECT NUMBERS:

GSA Solicitation ID:47QFLA21R0022

Original Version Dated:

22 June 2021

Post Award Document Revision History

Contents

1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Organization

The National Air & Space Intelligence Center (NASIC) is the Department of Defense’s (DoD) primary source for foreign air and space threats. NASIC produces integrated predictive intelligence in the air, space, and cyberspace domains enabling military operations, force modernization, and national policymaking. NASIC requires the operation and maintenance of a special Library.

1.2 Objective

The objective of this requirement is to provide easily accessible information resources to NASIC’s analysts and customers to enable their national security missions.

1.3 Scope

The Library will identify, acquire, organize, and distribute information in English and several other languages. This requirement includes maintenance of the Library’s permanent collection of materials, providing Library reference and research services, limited translation services, providing Library technical services support, development of the Library’s collection to satisfy client information requirements, acquisition of materials for participating client libraries, distribution of materials and information to customers, maintenance of the Library’s catalog, and maintenance of the Library’s website. The Library will also be responsible for acquisition of digital subscription for access by single individuals or multiple individuals and clients.

1.4 Background

This activity has been executed over the past two decades by multiple vendors and has gradually increased the amount of purchasing and services provided by a factor of 4 over this period. The current web services provide access to over 1,000 Scientific and Technical databases that are accessible 24 hours a day by over 4,000 users. The library services curate and announce new relevant content weekly as well as purchase print content for more than 10 clients. (Sentence Deleted)

1.5 Applicable Documents

The documents (i.e., certifications, specifications, standards, policies, and procedures), versions current at time of contract/order award, identified in the list below are incorporated with the same force and effect as if provided in full text. Succeeding revisions may be substituted or incorporated as required with full notice and disclosure to the contractor. The Government will provide access to available documents and technical information as required and upon contractor request, if not available via a hyperlink within this PWS.

2 REQUIREMENTS AND TASKS

2.1 General Performance Requirements

2.1.1 Resources

Unless otherwise stipulated, the contractor shall furnish or provide all personnel, personnel management and supervision, all related internal supporting business functions (including background and “overhead” personnel), materials, supplies, equipment, and facilities to perform the full range of services required by this PWS.

2.1.2 General Communication

Regular and direct contractor interface with the Contracting Officer (CO); the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), and other identified Government representatives is mandatory. The contractor shall not contact nor take direction from unauthorized Government representatives, under any circumstances.

2.1.3 Identification

All contractor personnel shall be required to wear Government-approved or provided picture identification badges so as to distinguish themselves from Government employees when working at the Government site. Additionally, the contractor shall comply with all visitor identification requirements when visiting the Government site. When conversing with Government personnel during business meetings, over the telephone or via electronic mail, contractor personnel shall identify themselves as such to avoid situations arising where sensitive topics might be better discussed solely between Government employees. Contractors shall identify themselves on any attendance sheet or any coordination documents they may review. Electronic mail signature blocks shall identify their company affiliation. Where practicable, contractors occupying collocated space with the Government should identify their work space area with their name and company affiliation

2.1.4 Business Relations

A primary element of project success is the business relationship between the contractor and Government representatives. Within this context the Government will monitor the contractor’s contribution to business relations and provide feedback when required. The contractor shall make every effort to establish and maintain clear and constant communication channels with the Government primaries (CO, COR, and other identified Government representatives) of the contract/order for the purpose of:

· Promptly identifying PWS and/or business relationship issues of controversy and the bilateral development and implementation of corrective action plans.

· Ensuring the professional and ethical behavior of contractor personnel.

· Maintaining effective and responsive subcontractor management (if applicable).

· Ensuring the contractor support team is fully aware and engaged in strengthening the interdependency that exists between the contractors and their Government counterparts.

· Facilitating contractor–Government collaboration for continuous improvement in performing PWS tasks, reducing risks and costs, and meeting the mission needs.

2.1.5 Contractor Response

The contractor shall ensure prompt response to Government inquiries, requests for information or requests for contractual actions. Responses shall be provided within 24 hours to acknowledge receipt of inquiries, requests for information or requests for contractual actions. The time to complete these requests will be decided after discussions between the Government and contractor take place.

2.1.6 Professional Appearance

Contractor personnel shall present a neat and professional appearance appropriate to the work being performed at all times when interacting with Government representatives, working in Government facilities, or representing the Government at meetings or before third parties.

2.2 General Meeting Requirements

The contractor shall participate in the following meetings. Nothing discussed in any meetings or discussions between the Government and the contractor shall be construed as adding, deleting, or modifying the contractual agreement without written authorization from the CO.

2.2.1 Initial Business/Kickoff Meeting

Within 15 business days unless specified by the Government following the contract/order award (or other time mutually agreed between the parties), the contractor shall meet with the GSA CO, GSA COR, and other identified Government representatives to ensure a common understanding of the requirements, goals, expectations, end products, and objectives of the contract/order. The contractor shall discuss the overall understanding of the project and review the background information and materials provided by the Government. Discussions will also include the scope of work, deliverables to be produced, how the efforts will be organized and project conducted; assumptions made/expected end results. A concerted effort shall be made to gain a thorough understanding of the Government expectations. However, nothing discussed in this or in any subsequent meetings or discussions between the Government and the contractor shall be construed as adding, deleting, or modifying any contract/order requirements, including deliverable specifications and due dates. The contractor shall also address the status of any issues that will affect contractor start-up/ramp-up toward achieving full service/support capability. The contractor will be responsible for taking minutes of this meeting.

2.2.2 Ad hoc Technical / Work Status

The contractor shall, if requested by the Government, participate in monthly status meetings or ad hoc technical meetings at a mutually agreeable time and place to discuss tasking, demos, work progress, technical problems, performance issues, or other technical matters. During these meetings the contractor shall at least provide accomplishments, problems and issues, and planned actions. The contractor shall take minutes of these meetings and include them in the Monthly Status Report. These meetings will occur at a time and place mutually agreed upon by the parties.

2.2.3 Contract Administration Meetings

The CO may require the authorized contractor representative to meet or participate in a teleconference with authorized Government personnel as often as deemed necessary to discuss performance or administrative issues. The contractor may also request a meeting with the CO when deemed necessary. The content of meetings shall be documented in writing, as agreed between the parties. Minutes shall be approved by both parties and shall be included in the Government contract file.

2.3 Program/Project Management

2.3.1 General Program/Project Management Requirements

The contractor shall be solely responsible for managing the work performed in the execution of the contract/order. This includes the responsibility to:

· Assign appropriate resources to each task.

· Maintain clear organizational lines of authority.

· Ensure effective task management and administration, following the requirements set forth in the PWS.

· Maintain the personnel, organization, and administrative control necessary to ensure that the work delivered meets the specification requirements.

· Establish and use proven policies, processes, analyses, and best practices.

· The contractor shall be fully responsible for management, control, and performance of any subcontractor used in support of the contract/order. Use of a subcontractor on the contractor’s team shall not relieve the prime contractor of responsibility nor accountability in the execution of the contract/order

Additionally, the contractor shall:

· Bring problems or potential problems affecting performance to the attention of the CO as soon as possible.

· Notify the COR, CO, and other identified Government representatives immediately of any projected, anticipated, or known delays that may impede contractor performance.

· When requested, deliver written reports to the CO to memorialize all verbal reports.

· Provide, in writing, the results of all meetings in which proposals are put forth that have the potential for affecting and/or changing contract agreements, requirements or conditions, and these shall be brought to the attention of the CO.

2.3.2 Phase-In Support

The contractor shall provide phase-in support in accordance with the phase-in plan as required per PWS paragraph 4.7.

2.3.3 Phase-Out Support

The contractor shall provide phase-out support in accordance with the phase-out plan as required per PWS paragraph 4.8.

2.4 Content Acquisition

· The Contractor shall purchase print or hardcopy content (e.g., published books and journals not available in digital format) with the appropriate distribution terms to meet the Client’s intent up to but not exceeding the funding amounts identified by the COR/ACOR for different clients. The Contractor shall work directly with a Point of Contact (POC) from each authorized Client to determine what information should be purchased. The Contractor shall receive, inspect, and accept/reject purchased print content and reship the content to the prospective customer(s) as needed, unless otherwise authorized by the COR/ACOR. The cost for the re-shipping should be deducted from the Client’s cost amounts. The Contractor will provide a list of each purchased item and the Client POC who received the information monthly.

· The Contractor shall purchase digital content (e.g., a series of journals for unlimited access) with the appropriate distribution terms to meet the Client’s intent up to but not exceeding the funding amounts identified by the COR/ACOR for different clients. The Contractor shall work directly with a Point of Contact (POC) from each authorized Client to determine what information should be purchased. All acquired digital content will be received at the Contractor facility, duplicated, and then the original shipped (or transmitted) to the Client and the duplicated shipped (or transmitted) to the COR/ACOR as part of the monthly deliverables, any costs for shipping/transmitting should be deducted from the Client’s cost amounts and the duplication costs . If possible, depending on the terms of data license agreement, all digital content purchased will be made available through the website described in section C.1.4. The Contractor will provide a list of each purchased item and the Client POC who received the information monthly.

· The Contractor shall purchase licensed subscription access (e.g., online access to a research library) with the appropriate distribution terms to meet the Client’s intent up to but not exceeding the funding amounts identified by the COR/ACOR for different clients. Note, in some cases, multiple Clients will contribute to a single subscription and the Contractor will ensure the cost amounts are reduced appropriately and the license to the data appropriately reflects proper use. The Contractor shall work directly with a Point of Contact (POC) from each authorized Client to determine what accesses should be purchased. All licensed subscriptions will be made available through the website described in section C.1.4. The Contractor will provide an updated list for all licensed subscriptions, that includes the license amount and dates of service along with a copy of new licensed agreements each month to the COR/ACOR.

· The Contractor shall identify and evaluate world-wide materials and information sources for potential acquisitions relevant to clients’ changing information needs. These acquisitions shall only be in accordance with paragraph 9.6.

· The Contractor shall provide clients with brief listings of selected new materials to serve as timely, first-time notifications of new or high-interest information.

2.5 Online Library Services

· The Contractor shall be responsible for establishing, maintaining, and updating the Contract Library’s website. This includes, but is not limited to, software and hardware maintenance, network security, website development and controlled remote user access. The website will provide access to digital content either purchased or licensed as described in section C.1.3 or provided by the COR/ACOR for distribution. The website will also provide access to all licensed content, with appropriate controls for the license agreements.

· The Contract Library website shall enforce User Authentication and only allow access to Individuals approved by the COR/ACOR based on a user identifier and password. The COR/ACOR will provide a list of users at the start of the contract and will continuously provide updates throughout the life of the contract for changes to the list to the Contractor for implementation.

· The Contract Library website shall protect the IP address of the user accessing the website from discovery by the licensed content provider using standard digital library protocols or virtual network systems.

· The Contract Library website shall provide a search and discovery feature to enable users to find content and subscriptions hosted by the website.

· The Contract Library website shall include a catalog of all content that provides descriptive information on the content or subscription as well as sufficient metadata to properly source the content in derivative publications and to organize the content based on publisher, country, type of content, source of acquisition, and topic. Each digital or subscription holding available through the website will have a form attached that is viewable by the user per item. The Contractor shall provide the Government with a copy of the catalog on request.

· The Contract Library website shall track usage data by the user and include this in monthly and annual reporting.

· The Contract Library website shall include a front page that provides users with the latest uploaded content, administrator notes, and other useful information.

· The Contract Library website shall provide a capability for Users to subscribe to predefined topic areas defined by the COR/ACOR and receive email notifications for any new uploaded content related to these topic areas.

· The Contract Library website shall provide a capability for Users to create a standing search that notifies them through email for any new content added that meets the search criteria.

· The Contract Library website shall provide access to Machine Translation services (e.g., Google Translate) for use against both digital content and licensed subscription content.

· The Contractor shall provide 24 hours a day access to digital materials via the library’s website. Access to these materials is critical to the operation of the Contract Library.

· The Contractor shall provide provisions and policies to monitor and prevent unauthorized access, misuse, modification of, or denial of the library’s website and associated network accessible resources.

· The Contractor shall recommend new technology or alternate solutions to provide enhanced capabilities or resolve deficiencies. The Government will make all final decisions regarding implementation of any and all changes.

2.6 Library Support Services

· As requested by the COR/ACOR, the Contractor shall provide clients support for cataloging materials, particularly for information that cannot be copied and cataloged from a source such as Online Computer Library Center (OCLC). Unless otherwise directed, the default will be to use the current Anglo-American Cataloging Rules and current Library of Congress Machine Readable Cataloging (MARC) standards.

· The Contractor shall perform basic library research services as requested by COR/ACOR approved Client representatives. Basic library research includes responding to Request for Information (RFIs) regarding foreign published Scientific and Technical information. The Contractor shall provide a copy of the response to any RFI to the COR/ACOR. Additionally, as part of the monthly reporting, the Contractor shall provide a summary of each RFI received, the requesting client, and the amount of hours expended creating the response.

· The Contractor shall review new material made available through data acquisition or through new releases published under subscriptions services to determine if any of the material relates to the topics in the pre-defined list provided by the COR/ACOR described in section

· When an item is discovered, the Contractor shall send out a For Your Information (FYI) email notification to all users who subscribed to the topic list through the website. Monthly, the Contractor will provide a list of all FYI emails sent out by topic area.

· Services that the vendor will be responsible for but not limited to:

· Account Access Issues

· Password and username issues

· IP range access for agencies and new users

· Troubleshooting technical site issues (differs from various users)

· Content discovery issues

· Additional miscellaneous assistance as required by the Government

2.7 Process/Service Improvements/System Architecture

· The Contractor shall recommend new technology or alternate solutions to provide enhanced capabilities or resolve deficiencies. The Government will make all final decisions regarding implementation of any and all changes.

· System Architecture includes the following:

· LAMP Stack

· Linux

· Apache (For the server)

· MySQL for the Database

· PHP for the Language

· Content Management System

· Symfony (Framework that runs the application)

· Search Server System

· Sphinx (Open Source Search Server)

· Layer of MySQL on the fly-built queries

2.8 Electronic Resource Management Services

∙ The Contractor shall operate and maintain any library discovery layer or discovery software implemented by the organization on the organization’s behalf. This includes but is not limited to maintaining accurate holdings records within discovery software: utilizing discovery knowledgebase to add and remove correct subscriptions as they are purchased or dropped on organizations behalf. Contractor will work with discovery software vendors to maintain access, ensure correct active links to resources, uphold discovery search integrity, and rectify any issues found by Contractor or Organization within discovery software.

∙ The Contractor shall update and maintain electronic collections webpage via software STACKS if required by organization. Final look and design will be approved by COR.

∙ The Contractor will provide the COR with monthly electronic usage statistics reports on digital materials accessed via the Library’s website. If possible, these reports will be provided in COUNTER (Counting Online Usage of NeTworked Electronic Resources) compliant format. Comprehensive end of the year COUNTER reports on e-resource collection will also be made available.

∙ The Contractor will provide the COR with various reports regarding the electronic resources in collection upon request. These reports will include but are not limited to electronic resource license details report, summary of publications report, e-Journal access and registration report, list of membership titles report, and publisher packages report. All reports will be made available in Microsoft Excel or CSV format.

3 QUALITY

Both the contractor and the Government have responsibilities for providing and ensuring quality services, respectively.

3.1 Contractor Quality Management

The contractor shall identify and implement its approach for providing and ensuring quality throughout its solution to meet the requirements of the PWS via the contractor’s Quality Management Plan (QMP). The QMP shall describe the application of the appropriate methodology (i.e., quality control and/or quality assurance) for accomplishing performance requirements. The QMP shall describe how the appropriate methodology integrates with the Government’s requirements. The contractor shall make the QMP available to the Government for review upon request and shall obtain acceptance of the QMP by the CO as required. The contractor shall make appropriate modifications to the QMP (at no additional cost to the Government). The Government has the right to require revisions of the QMP (at no cost to the Government) should the QMP fail to deliver the quality of the services required at any time during performance.

3.2 Performance Based Requirements - Service Delivery Summary

Performance Standards, Acceptable Quality Levels (AQLs), and Incentives/Disincentives are defined in PWS Attachment A, the Service Delivery Summary (SDS). The SDS criteria will be used to determine if performance requirements are met.

3.3 Government Quality Assurance

The Government will perform periodic reviews of the contractor’s performance in accordance with the Government’s Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP). The Government reserves the right to review services to be provided, including those developed or performed at the contractor's facilities, to determine conformity with performance and technical requirements.

4 DELIVERABLES

4.1 Contractor Submission

Deliverables are to be transmitted with a cover letter, on the prime contractor’s letterhead, describing the contents, electronically through GSA’s web-based procurement system, as required, and to any other destination(s) as required per the Government’s request. The contractor shall provide hard copy deliverables as required per the Government’s request. All deliverables shall be produced using software tools/versions as approved by the Government.

4.2 Government Review

Government personnel will have 10 business days to review deliverables (to include resubmissions) and provide written acceptance/rejection. Authorized Government representatives will notify the contractor of deliverable acceptance or provide comments in writing. The contractor shall incorporate Government comments, or provide rationale for not doing so within 5 business days of receipt of comments. Government acceptance of the final deliverable will be based on resolution of Government comments or acceptance of rationale for non-inclusion. Additional changes volunteered by the contractor will be considered a resubmission of the deliverable.

4.2.1 Government Delays in Reviewing Deliverables or Furnishing Items

4.3 Deliverable Table

The contractor shall deliver the deliverables listed in the following table on the dates specified.

If contractor performance or submission of deliverables is contingent upon receipt of Government furnished items (data, equipment, materials, facilities, and support) or input, or upon Government review and approval of interim items or draft documents (collectively referred to as Government Performance), the Government shall specify, if not already specified within this PWS, when it will provide such items or input, or the time it will need to perform reviews or give approvals. If the Government fails to meet item, input, review, or approval deadlines, contractor performance or submission of deliverables shall automatically be extended one business day for each day of government delay. The contractor shall promptly advise the Contracting Officer of any delays in receipt of Government furnished items, input, reviews, or approvals.

4.4 Monthly Invoice

The contractor shall provide a monthly invoice, no later than the 15th calendar day of the month following the monthly reporting period, to be submitted simultaneously with the MSR. As applicable, the invoice shall include but is not limited to:

· Clear identification of all costs.

· Other Direct Costs.

· Supporting documentation for other direct costs. Refer to PWS 9.6 for specific requirements.

· As required, the contractor shall comply with line items (i.e., per individual positions, different programs, program areas, etc.) invoicing requests.

4.5 Reports

4.5.1 Monthly Status Reports:

The contractor shall provide a MSR, no later than the 15th calendar day of the month following the monthly reporting period, to be submitted simultaneously with the monthly invoice. The MSR shall include, but is not limited to, the items identified below.

· Status of tasks, schedules, deliverables. Status of tasks shall include a summary description and schedule of all tasks completed during the reporting period, all tasks currently on-going during the reporting period and all known tasks assigned for future reporting periods.

· Resource costs against Government defined tasks to support accurate project cost accounting using Government formats and tools.

· Current and cumulative task cost status (labor, travel, and other direct cost funding status to be reported separately, as required).

· Outstanding issues, and proposed resolution approaches and actions to resolve any outstanding issues.

· Staffing report identifying current staffing roster, all current vacancies, and a record of all staffing departures.

4.5.2 Specialized Services Reports:

The contractor shall provide Specialized Services Reports, detailing what specific services were performed.

4.5.3 Monthly Print Content Listing:

The contractor shall provide a listing of print content purchases; shall be submitted no later than the 15th calendar day of the month following the monthly reporting period.

4.5.4 Monthly Digital Content Listing:

The contractor shall provide a listing of digital content purchases; shall be submitted no later than the 15th calendar day of the month following the monthly reporting period.

4.5.5 Monthly Subscription Listing:

The contractor shall provide a listing of subscription purchases; shall be submitted no later than the 15th calendar day of the month following the monthly reporting period.

4.5.6 Website Content Listing:

The contractor shall provide a consolidated listing of content within the website.

4.5.7 Annual Summary Report:

The contractor shall provide Annual Summary of Services, finances, content listings, and any additional items provided throughout the year to the Government.

4.6 Trip Report

Not Applicable

4.7 Phase-In Plan

The contractor may or may not propose a separately priced transition period, for a duration to be determined and proposed by the contractor, but shall not exceed a period of 30 calendar days. The transition period is defined as the period of time (during the phase-in) when the new contractor and the incumbent contractor will both be providing support to the client as required to support the transition to the newly awarded contract/order. If the contractor chooses to propose a transition period, such period shall be included and addressed within the below identified phase-in plan.

The contractor shall develop a phase-in plan. Such phase-in plan shall present a clear understanding of the phase-in tasks required, the issues likely to result from non-incumbent contractor performance, and the contractor’s proposal to resolve such issues. The phase-in plan shall include a clear and feasible strategy for delivering services required within the periods specified by the plan and shall include a detailed plan-of-action and milestones to transition the functions identified in this PWS in a well-planned, orderly, and efficient manner. The phase-in plan shall include, at a minimum:

· Staffing plan.

· Development and submission of required deliverables.

· Interface with the Government and incumbent contractor (if applicable) during phase-in, to include meetings or status reports, as required.

· Approach to maintaining quality and minimizing disruption during phase-in.

· Development and dissemination of operating instructions, procedures, and control directives.

4.8 Phase-Out Plan

During phase-out of the contract/order, which is determined to be a period of 30 calendar days prior to the lifecycle end date of the contract/order, a smooth and orderly transition between the incumbent contractor and the successor contractor is necessary to ensure a minimum disruption to vital Government business. The contractor shall cooperate to the extent required to permit an orderly changeover to the successor contractor. The phase-out will be deemed completed by the COR and/or other identified Government representatives when it is determined by the Government that the transition of property, data, and information developed as a part of the contract/order have been successfully changed over from the outgoing contractor to the Government and the successor contractor as required. Phase-out activities include, but are not limited to, the tasks below.

· Submission of official comprehensive phase-out plan.

· Daily communication of staffing status (i.e. projection of when incumbent contractor employees will off-board from the incumbent contract/order and identification of additional incumbent resources, such as a transition team, that may be needed to support the transition efforts) and overall phase out status, in accordance with the accepted phase-out plan.

· Maintain the phase out schedule included within the phase-out plan.

· Transition of property.

· Transition of supporting documentation.

· Transition of accounts (e.g. user accounts and user access).

· Knowledge transfer on the established installation, operation, and maintenance procedures of the technologies supported. The phase out plan shall clearly describe the proposed methodologies to be utilized for such transfer (e.g., written documentation, manuals, formal classroom type training, one-on-one training sessions, etc.).

· Execution and submission of phase out checklist, to include Government acceptance.

5 PERFORMANCE

5.1 Period of Performance

The anticipated period of performance(s) is/are identified below.

5.2 Place of Performance

The primary place of performance is identified in the table below. Shall be within the Dayton Local Area.

5.2.1 Facility Requirements:

· Square footage of approximately 6,000 sq. ft. with utilities.

· A room for physical acquisition storage. The room should hold approximately 15 rows of storage racks (15’x7’)

· Room to house at least 6 people accounting for their separate work spaces

· Rooms for servers/technical equipment

· Server room should be able to hold rack mounted servers

· Three (3) racks: Two (2) freestanding, one (1) mounted

· Two (2) Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS). They occupy one rack

· Full accessibility for network connectivity

· Back up power source (ex: generator) to provide support to the requirement of being operational for 24 hours

5.2.2 Overall security features of the facility should include:

· Secure access - Security system that only the occupants can access

· Secure server room

5.2.3 Applicability of Telework

All work performed at locations other than those identified as Government and/or contractor facilities shall be approved prior to performing the work. Federal contractors are not governed by Office of Personnel Management (OPM), GSA, or the individual agency policies; however, this does not prohibit contractor personnel from actually working at an alternate site, when/as appropriate and specifically authorized by the Government. The contractor shall develop telework policies to comply with the following requirements and address such requirements at a generic level within their QMP. Alternate work arrangements for contractors shall be negotiated with the contractor’s own employer and the appropriate agency official, to ensure policies and procedures are in close alignment and there is a clear and concise arrangement documenting the agreement. It remains the contractor’s responsibility to ensure the services are performed in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contract/order.

· The contractor shall address the pertinent facts impacting performance and ensure all affected contractor resumes and other related documentation reflects the applicable work site. The contractor shall provide justification to the Government when identifying and submitting an individual as a telecommuter and address implementation processes and procedures within the QMP. The contractor shall be responsible for ensuring the Government has the required access/details necessary for the Government to perform quality assurance responsibilities.

· The contractor shall comply with all agency security telework policies. The contractor shall ensure all services provided from an alternate site comply with the Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 (FISMA) and address the following, as a minimum:

· Controlling access to agency information and information systems;

· Protecting agency information (including personally identifiable information) and information systems;

· Limiting the introduction of vulnerabilities;

· Protecting information systems not under the control of the agency that are used for teleworking;

· Safeguarding wireless and other telecommunications capabilities that are used for teleworking; and

· Preventing inappropriate use of official time or resources that violates subpart G of the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch by viewing, downloading, or exchanging pornography, including child pornography.

5.2.4 Performance at Contractor Facilities

Work performed at contractor facilities shall be performed according to the contractor’s standard commercial practice; however, the contractor representatives at these facilities must be available for interaction with Government employees during the core hours identified in the paragraph entitled “Normal Business Day”, with the exception of Government designated holidays or facility closures.

5.2.5 Unplanned Government Facility Closures

In the event of unplanned closure of the Government facility for any reason (e.g. natural disasters, Government shut-down, or severe weather) the Contractor shall make its best effort to mitigate loss of work time. If Contractor employees are working on the Government installation, this may be done by moving employees to an off-site location. If performance under this contract/order is not possible, the Contractor shall take steps to assign employees to other projects on a temporary basis or place them in leave status to minimize non-productive costs to the Government under this contract/order. Additional instructions may be provided by the Contracting Officer on a case-by-case basis. Disagreements between the parties resulting from closures shall be settled through negotiations to the maximum extent possible or shall otherwise be settled pursuant to the provisions of the Disputes provisions of this contract/order.

All services to be performed under this contract/order have been determined to be non-essential for performance during a closure. Should the Government facility be closed, the Contractor shall be notified by either the Contracting Officer, COR, or a local television or radio station. The Contractor is responsible for notifying its employees about Government closures. Contractor employees are not to report to the Government facility if it is closed and will adhere to delays, unless otherwise specifically instructed otherwise by the CO or COR.

5.3 Travel

Not Applicable

5.4 Hours of Work

5.4.1 Standard Duty Hours Support

The contractor shall provide standard duty hours support as defined below.

· Normal Business Day - (work hour category A)

A standard normal business day is defined as any 8 hours of productive labor which must include the Core Business hours of 0900 through 1600 PM local time, Monday through Friday, excluding Federal Holidays. Exceptions may be required and shall be coordinated with the COR.

5.4.2 Non-Standard Duty Hours Support

The contractor shall provide for scheduled (planned work hours) and unscheduled (other than planned work hours), non-standard duty hours support as required. The contractor shall identify a primary and alternate point of contact for non-standard, unscheduled duty hours requirements. To ensure the applicable labor hours allocations are not exceeded (typically 40 hours per week), labor hours expended in support of non-standard duty hours requirements shall be offset by reducing the number of standard duty work hours by an equivalent number within an off-set time period that doesn’t impact the contractor’s ability to complete the contract/order requirements. The contractor shall not place restrictive limitations on the off-set time period.

· Scheduled (work hour category D)

Scheduled non-standard duty hours support shall be coordinated with the authorized Government point of contact and the contractor’s designated point of contact. The Government may request non-standard duty hour support (fiscal year close-out periods, deployment/release periods, and peak operational periods). Scheduled non-standard duty hour support may also be required to support a short term surge in requirements.

· Unscheduled (work hour category E)

The Government may also request that the contractor provide un-scheduled (e.g., emergency technical support), non-standard duty hours support. The contractor shall respond within 15 minutes of notification. When off-site support can resolve the issue, the contractor’s personnel shall begin immediately upon notification. The contractor shall assess the cause, determine the scope of the problem, advise the appropriate Government organization, provide an estimated restoration time, and identify and implement action for problem resolution. When required, on-site support shall begin within one hour of notification to the contractor’s designated individual. This unscheduled support may include:

· Remote telephone support with the Government staff and/or customers.

· Remote support on Government Furnished Equipment (GFE). Contractor personnel may be equipped with GFE that enables remote access/log-on. The Government will not incur any costs associated with home-based WiFi or LAN access to the Internet.

· Onsite support.

5.5 Limitations on Contractor Performance

The contractor shall NOT perform the following functions in connection with the services provided under the contract/order.

· Approve, decide, or sign as a Contracting Officer;

· Negotiate with Government suppliers;

· Accept or reject supplies or services;

· Determine acquisition, disposition, or disposal of Government property;

· Direct other contractor or Government personnel;

· Determine cost reasonableness, allowability, or allocability;

· Vote on a source selection board;

· Supervise Government personnel;

· Approve Government requirements or plans;

· Determine Government policy.

6 PERSONNEL

6.1 General Requirements

All contractor personnel shall meet the minimum general requirements listed below.

· All personnel shall be capable of working independently.

· All personnel shall have training and experience that is appropriate for the tasks to which they will be assigned.

· The contractor shall provide personnel that are capable of conducting themselves in a professional manner and have proper telephone and e-mail etiquette, customer service techniques, and organizational skills.

· Contractor personnel performing in a leadership capacity shall be capable of directing contractor personnel and interfacing with the Government and customers.

· Ability to communicate applicable technical subject matter expertise to management and others.

· Strong written and oral communication skills in the English language. All contractor personnel must be able to read, write, speak and understand English.

· Exceptional customer service skills.

· Strong time-management and prioritization skills.

6.2 Specific Expertise and Experience

The contractor shall provide personnel with the appropriate skill levels. While each individual contractor employee may not possess expertise and experience in each area below, the Government requires that the overall contractor staff possess the aggregate skills, expertise, and experience in each of the areas identified to successfully complete all requirements.

· All employees must be U.S. citizens. The Contractor shall be required to staff the Library with permanent employees fluent in written English; proficiency in foreign languages preferred (Chinese, Russian, Korean, Farsi, and other languages as needed).

· The Library Administrator shall have a Masters of Library Science (MLS) or equivalent from an accredited university and at least three years of experience in the field of information science. Supervisory experience and foreign language proficiency are preferred.

6.3 Training

6.3.1 Contractor Staff Training

The contractor shall provide fully trained and experienced support staff. Contractor personnel are required to possess the skills necessary to support the minimum requirements of the labor category under which they are performing. Training of contractor personnel shall be performed at the contractor's expense, except when the Government changes the requirements during performance of an on-going task and it is determined to be in the best interest of the Government. This will be negotiated on a case-by-case basis. Training at Government expense will not be authorized for replacement personnel nor for the purpose of keeping contractor personnel abreast of advances in the state-of-the-art, or for training contractor personnel on equipment, computer languages, and computer operating systems that are available in the commercial market.

6.3.2 Mandatory Government Training

Mandatory Government training shall be tracked and monitored by the contractor. All required courses must be completed by the required dates by all contractor personnel. Mandatory Government training classes may be completed during work hours. It is the intent of the Government to provide 30 calendar days written notice of annual training requirements to the designated contractor representative. The designated contractor representative will be responsible for notifying subordinate contractor personnel. In the event the contractor does not receive a 30 calendar day notice, the contractor is still required to complete the training by the specified required date(s).

6.4 Personnel Retention and Recruitment

Government review and acceptance is required for all resumes of personnel proposed to support labor hour requirements and key personnel proposed to support all firm fixed priced requirements. The contractor shall make every effort to retain personnel in order to ensure continuity until contract/order completion. If it should become necessary to substitute or replace personnel, the contractor shall immediately notify the COR and/or other identified Government representatives in writing of any potential vacancies and shall submit the resume(s) of replacement personnel within 14 calendar days of the notification.