69056722Q000051.pdf

REQUEST FOR QUOTATION (RFQ)

Issuing Office: United States Department of Transportation

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Western Federal Lands Highway Division 610 E Fifth Street

Vancouver, WA 98661-3801

Agency Contact: Doug Taylor, Contract Specialist, (360) 619-7738 Email: WFL.Purchasing@dot.gov

Solicitation Number: 69056722Q000051

Title: Grounds Maintenance and Landscaping Services

Solicitation Release Date: 6/28/2022

Technical Questions Due Date: Monday, 7/25/2022, at 4:00 pm PT

Quotation Due Date: Thursday. 7/28/2022, at 2:00 pm PT

SECTION A – RFQ INFORMATION AND

INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARATION OF QUOTATIONS

A.1 RFQ INFORMATION

This combined synopsis/solicitation is prepared in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 12.6, Streamlined Procedures for Evaluation and Solicitation for Commercial Items, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotes are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued.

This is an OPEN-MARKET Firm Fixed Price (FFP) RFQ. This solicitation is prepared in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 12, Acquisition of Commercial Items, in conjunction with the policies and procedures for solicitation, evaluation, and award as prescribed in FAR 13, Simplified Acquisition Procedures.

The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2022-06.

This solicitation is a TOTAL SMALL BUSINESS SET-ASIDE solicitation and the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is 561730 with an industry size standard of $8.0 million and the associated Product Service Code (PSC) is S208.

A responsible quoter is one whose quotation conforms to the solicitation and will be most advantageous to the Government. It is the contractor’s responsibility to be familiar with applicable clauses and provisions. FAR Provisions and Clauses may be viewed and/or downloaded from https://www.acquisition.gov/?q=browsefar.

All contractors are reminded that, in accordance with FAR 52.204-7, System for Award Management (SAM), they must be registered and active in the www.SAM.gov database PRIOR to submission of a quote or offer.

A.2 INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION OF QUOTATIONS

All questions concerning this RFQ shall be submitted electronically to WFL.Purchasing@dot.gov, no later than the due date and time on page 1 of this RFQ.

Each prospective Quoter should attempt to state each question in such a way that the Quoter would have no objection to the Government publishing that precise question (and its answer) in a formal amendment to the RFQ. Additionally, each prospective Quoter should attempt to word each question in such a way that the publication of that question (and its answer) would not divulge any information that the prospective Quoter considers to be proprietary or confidential.

Quotations submitted shall be valid for a period of no less than sixty (60) days from the closing date of the RFQ.

In responding to this RFQ, the Contractor shall address an understanding of logistics, schedule, and any other miscellaneous issues of which the Government should be aware. The Contractor shall indicate if any technical assumptions have been made, conditions have been stipulated or exceptions have been taken with the Government Description of Requirement as written. If technical assumptions are not noted, it will be assumed that the vendor’s quote reflects no technical assumptions for award and agrees to comply with all of the terms and conditions set forth herein.

Quotations shall be submitted electronically as Adobe (.pdf) files to WFL.Purchasing@dot.gov in an email whose size shall not exceed twenty Megabytes (20MB) no later than the due date and time on page 1 of this RFQ. If multiple emails are required, they shall be identified in sequence (1 of 3, 2 of 3, etc.). Document(s) shall not contain any security restrictions (e.g. password protection) that prevent the Government from distributing and printing the document(s) and shall not include marketing materials or letters of support/recommendation.

In responding to this RFQ, quotations MUST include the following:

A.2.1 Technical Quote shall include:

(1) Narrative discussion addressing the quoter’s technical approach and technical merit factors identified in Section A paragraph 3, Evaluation of Quotations and Basis for Award. A description of how the Statement of Work (SOW) and Performance Work Statement (PWS) requirements will be completed.

(2) Resume(s) for proposed Key Personnel, limited to three (3) pages for each person which shall demonstrate that the key personnel to be assigned to the contract meet the experience and education requirements outlined in this solicitation. The proposed Project Manager must be an employee of the offeror (Prime Contractor). It is preferred that all key personnel be employees of the offeror, but employees of a subcontractor will be accepted for the Landscape Supervisor and Irrigation Specialist positions;

(3) Information, not to exceed five (5) pages, to facilitate the Government’s consideration of relevant experience;

(4) Draft Quality Control Plan in accordance with paragraph C.11.1 (see page 15);

(5) A statement on the quote that the offeror has completed the annual representations and certifications electronically in www.SAM.gov and, after reviewing SAM information, the Offeror verifies by submission of this offer that the representations and certifications currently posted electronically at FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items, have been entered or updated in the last months, are current, accurate, complete, and applicable to this solicitation (including the business size standard(s) applicable to the NAICS code(s) referenced for this solicitation), at the time this offer is submitted.

(6) Completed FAR Provisions 52.204-24 and 52.204-26, as applicable (see page 23);

(7) Completed TAR Provision 1252.237-71 (see page 26); and

(8) Acknowledgement of all solicitation amendments, if any.

A.2.2 Price Quote: Submit a completed copy of the Section B Schedule of Services SF18.

Ensure that blocks 8 and 11 through 16 are fully filed out.

A.3 EVALUATION OF QUOTATIONS AND BASIS FOR AWARD

Technical Compliance with Solicitation Requirements;

Personnel Qualifications;

Relevant Past Experience;

Relevant Past Performance; and

Price

Technical Compliance, Personnel Qualifications, Relevant Past Experience, and Relevant Past Performance, when combined, are significantly more important than Price.

Following receipt of quotations and completion of the evaluation of each Offeror’s response, the Government may perform a comparative analysis (comparing Offeror responses to each other) to select the Offeror that is best suited to fulfill the requirements based on the Offerors’ responses to the factors outlined in this RFQ.

The Government intends to award without discussions; however, the Government reserves the right to enter into discussions if determined necessary. Additionally, the Government reserves the right to make no award from this solicitation.

A.4 EVALUATION FACTORS

A.4.1 Factor 1 – Technical Compliance with Solicitation Requirements. To meet the technical compliance factor, Offerors must submit ALL items identified in paragraph A.2 of the solicitation. Offerors will be evaluated on a pass/fail basis for this evaluation factor. Quotes that do not include all identified items will fail and be excluded from further consideration and quotes that pass will be further evaluated.

A.4.2 Factor 2 – Personnel Qualification. The Government will evaluate qualifications (resumes) for proposed Key Personnel by evaluating (1) the extent to which proposed Key Personnel resumes demonstrate they meet the experience and education requirements and

(2) the resumes demonstrate the technical competency of proposed Key Personnel to support the requirements of the SOW and PWS.

Proposed personnel demonstrating strengths in commercial and federal building landscape and grounds maintenance experience will be evaluated more favorably. Quotations with a lesser number of Key Personnel will be rated more favorably. Proposed Key Personnel demonstrating greater strengths and little to no weaknesses and/or deficiencies will be evaluated more favorably.

A.4.3 Factor 3 – Relevant Past Experience. The Government will assess its level of confidence that the contractor will successfully perform the contract requirements based on its corporate experience, considering matters such as:

(1) providing facility landscaping services including but not limited to mowing, weed eating, edging, tree/shrub trimming, fertilizing, weed control, planting, leaf, and debris removal, and more to maintain an appealing public federal building professional appearance; and

(2) providing facility landscaping sustainability and conservation techniques to minimize water usage, fertilizer usage, aeration, green chemicals for weed control, sprinkler system head alignments, sizing, and patterns, and other similar items while maintaining an appealing public federal building professional appearance;

The offering contractor shall provide information (limited to five (5) pages) to facilitate the Government’s consideration of Factor 3. The Government is most interested in examples of real work with actual results in providing the landscaping services as described in (a) and (b) above that show an appealing, professional, clean, and visually pleasing landscape appearance while demonstrating sustainable, green, and cost-savings measures.

The Government is more interested in the quality and similarity of the experience examples to the requirement rather than the number of examples. The offering contractor shall include the name and contact information of no less than three (3) references that can substantiate the real example of real work and real results. The information shall be sufficiently detailed that it allows evaluators to determine whether the examples demonstrate the contractor’s experience. The Government will not contact references to obtain details lacking from the offering contractor’s submission.

A.4.4 Factor 4 – Past Performance. Past performance information is an indicator of an offeror’s ability to perform the contract successfully. The currency and relevance of the information, source of the information, the context of the data, and general trends in the contractor’s performance will be considered.

Evaluation of past performance may be based on information obtained from references submitted by the offeror as well as information obtained from other sources such as CPARS, FAPPIS, PPIRS, SAM, and any other sources deemed necessary by the Contracting Officer. Only ongoing contracts and contracts completed within the past three years will be evaluated concerning past performance.

Offerors are strongly encouraged to have a minimum of three (3) customers complete the Past Performance Reference Questionnaire (Attachment 0001) and submit such surveys to FHWA via e-mail at WFL.Services@dot.gov with the subject line “69056722Q000051 Past Performance Review for < insert vendor name >”

The government will evaluate past performance for strengths, weaknesses, and deficiencies. Offerors that lack relevant past performance will be evaluated neither favorably nor unfavorably on past performance.

A.4.5 Factor 5 – Price. The Offeror shall submit its price quote utilizing Section B Schedule of Services SF18. The price shall include all necessary supervision, management, labor, transportation, equipment, materials, and any other direct costs, overhead, and profit.

NOTE: Failure to furnish all information required above may result in your quotation being considered non-responsive and eliminated from further consideration.

The timeliness of a quote is determined by the date and time of receipt. It is the Offeror’s responsibility to ensure that the quotation submission email is received by the designated cut-off date and time and early submission is encouraged.

This is an electronic procurement. Hard copies of the quotations will not be accepted.

Please reference the RFQ number in the subject line of any e-mails related to this procurement.

69056722Q000051

1. REQUEST NO.

5a. ISSUED BY

a. NAME

c. STREET ADDRESS

d. CITY

10. PLEASE FURNISH QUOTATIONS TO

THE ISSUING OFFICE IN BLOCK 5a ON

OR BEFORE CLOSE OF BUSINESS (Date)

2. DATE ISSUED 3. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQUEST NO. 4. CERT. FOR NAT. DEF.

UNDER BDSA REG. 2

AND/OR DMS REG.1

RATING

6. DELIVERY BY (Date)

7. DELIVERY

9. DESTINATION

a. NAME OF CONSIGNEE

PAGE OF PAGES

5b. FOR INFORMATION CALL: (No collect calls)

TELEPHONE NUMBER

AREA CODE NUMBER

8. TO:

b. COMPANY

e. STATE f. ZIP CODE

c. CITY

d. STATE e. ZIP CODE

IMPORTANT: This is a request for information, and quotations furnished are not offers. If you are unable to quote, please so indicate on this form and return it to the address in Block 5a. This request does not commit the Government to pay any costs incurred in the preparation of the submission of this quotation or to contract for supplies or services. Supplies are of domestic origin unless otherwise indicated by quoter. Any representations and/or certifications attached to this Request for Quotations must be completed by the quoter.

11. SCHEDULE (Include applicable Federal, State and local taxes)

THIS RFQ

REQUEST FOR QUOTATION

(THIS IS NOT AN ORDER)

IS IS NOT A SMALL BUSINESS SET ASIDE

06/28/2022

1 3

Federal Highway Administration Western Federal Lands Highway Div.

610 E. 5th Street Vancouver WA 98661 E-mail: WFL.Purchasing@dot.gov

Federal Highway Administration

b. STREET ADDRESS

Western Federal Lands Highway Div.

610 E. 5th Street

Vancouver

WA 98661-3801

360 619-7738

NAME

Doug Taylor, WFL.Purchasing@dot.gov

07/26/2022 1400 PT

FOB DESTINATION

OTHER

(See Schedule)X

ITEM NO.

(a)

SUPPLIES/SERVICES

(b)

QUANTITY

(c)

UNIT

(d)

UNIT PRICE

(e)

AMOUNT

(f)

00101 12 MO

Provide all management, supervision, labor, materials, supplies, equipment (except as otherwise provided), plan, schedule, coordinate and assure effective performance of all services described in the Statement of Work (SOW) and Performance Work Statement (PWS) in support of the mission of the FHWA.

Unique Entity Identifier (SAM UEI):

Period of Performance: 09/01/2022 to 08/31/2023

Grounds Maintenance and Landscaping Services

Pricing: Firm-Fixed Price Continued ...

12. DISCOUNT FOR PROMPT PAYMENT

a. 10 CALENDAR DAYS (%) b. 20 CALENDAR DAYS (%) c. 30 CALENDAR DAYS (%) d. CALENDAR DAYS

NUMBER PERCENTAGE

NOTE: Additional provisions and representations

13. NAME AND ADDRESS OF QUOTER

b. STREET ADDRESS

c. COUNTY

d. CITY e. STATE f. ZIP CODE

14. SIGNATURE OF PERSON AUTHORIZED TO

SIGN QUOTATION

16. SIGNER

a. NAME (Type or print)

c. TITLE (Type or print)

a. NAME OF QUOTER

AREA CODE

NUMBER

15. DATE OF QUOTATION

b. TELEPHONE are are not attached

AUTHORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION

Previous edition not usable

STANDARD FORM 18 (REV. 6-95)

Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.215-1(a)

X

SECTION B - SCHEDULE OF SERVICES

ITEM NO. SUPPLIES/SERVICES QUANTITY UNIT UNIT PRICE AMOUNT

NAME OF OFFEROR OR CONTRACTOR

2 3

CONTINUATION SHEET

REFERENCE NO. OF DOCUMENT BEING CONTINUED PAGE OF

(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F)

69056722Q000051

10101 12 MO

20101 12 MO

30101 12 MO

40101 12 MO

OPTION ITEM 1 - Option to extend the term of the contract for Grounds Maintenance and Landscaping Services

Pricing: Firm-Fixed Price

(Option Line Item)

Period of Performance: 09/01/2023 to 08/31/2024

OPTION ITEM 2 - Option to extend the term of the contract for Grounds Maintenance and Landscaping Services

Pricing: Firm-Fixed Price

(Option Line Item)

Period of Performance: 09/01/2024 to 08/31/2025

OPTION ITEM 3 - Option to extend the term of the contract for Grounds Maintenance and Landscaping Services

Pricing: Firm-Fixed Price

(Option Line Item)

Period of Performance: 09/01/2025 to 08/31/2026

OPTION ITEM 4 - Option to extend the term of the contract for Grounds Maintenance and Landscaping Services

Pricing: Firm-Fixed Price

(Option Line Item)

Period of Performance: 09/01/2026 to 08/31/2027

B.1 PERFORMANCE-BASED SERVICE CONTRACT

This solicitation contains a work statement for performance-based services. This means that the Government has described WHAT is to be accomplished, not HOW to accomplish it, and states a basis for determining whether finished work meets the Government quality requirements.

It does not state detailed procedures for accomplishing the work unless there are safety, security, or communication requirements.

The Contractor's responsibility is to ensure that it builds into its quote price the necessary hours that it will take to meet the specified Continued ...

NSN 7540-01-152-8067 OPTIONAL FORM 336 (4-86)

ITEM NO. SUPPLIES/SERVICES QUANTITY UNIT UNIT PRICE AMOUNT

NAME OF OFFEROR OR CONTRACTOR

3 3

CONTINUATION SHEET

REFERENCE NO. OF DOCUMENT BEING CONTINUED PAGE OF

(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F)

69056722Q000051 performance standards.

B.2 PRICE ADJUSTMENTS

In accordance with FAR Clause 52.222-43, Fair Labor Standards Act and Service Contract Act - Price Adjustment (Multiple Year and Option Contracts), price adjustments may be requested in writing not less than forty-five (45) days before each anniversary of the effective date of this task order anniversary.

The request must include complete documentation establishing that the price adjustments are necessary to compensate the contractor for changes in the cost of performing under the task order that may have arisen since the preceding anniversary. FHWA shall approve price adjustments to the extent they are necessary to compensate the contractor for changes in the costs of performing under this task order experienced by the contractor since the preceding anniversary. The price adjustments approved by FHWA shall be effective as of the next anniversary following the contractor's submission of the request for price adjustment.

B.3 CHANGES IN REQUIREMENTS

In accordance with FAR Clause 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions - Commercial Products And Commercial Services, any revision to the Performance Work Statement which reduces or increases the service requirements agreed upon, may only be accomplished by a written agreement of the parties.

NSN 7540-01-152-8067 OPTIONAL FORM 336 (4-86)

SECTION C –STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW)

C.1 BACKGROUND

Western Federal Lands Highway Division (WFLHD), a division of the US Department of Transportation – Federal Highway Administration, designs and administers, primarily, road construction projects on Federal Lands in the states of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. The type of construction is generally 2-lane roads or highways either accessing Federal lands or within Federal lands.

C.2 SCOPE

To fulfill the objective of this contract, the Contractor shall provide grounds maintenance and landscaping services that span a wide range of responsibilities, including either on-site or off-site Project Management (PM) support.

The WFLHD federally owned and operated facility, located at 610 E. 5th Street, Vancouver, Clark County, WA 98661-3801, is situated on approximately 4.3 acres of paved, turfed, and landscaped land.

The Government anticipates the period of performance for this requirement will be September 1, 2022, with a 12-month base period including a 15-day transition period from the incumbent contractor and four 12-month option periods for a potential maximum of five years. Within the specified period, the contractor shall complete all work defined within the SOW/PWS.

The contractor shall provide all personnel, tools, transportation, equipment, and supervision necessary to provide the required services. Control, management, and supervision of the performance of Contractor employees while performing the services required by the contract shall be the sole responsibility of the Contractor.

C.2.1 INCUMBENT CONTRACTOR

Relay Resources (SAM UEI GCEKTL3BRG91) located in Portland, Oregon, under contract #

DTFH70-12-D-00001

C.3 DEFINITIONS

Contract Clause – A term or condition used in both the contract and solicitation and applying after contract award or both before and after award. Clauses state the rights and obligations of the parties to a contract.

Contracting Officer (CO) – The person with the authority to enter into, administer, and terminate contracts and make related determinations and findings.

Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) – The designated individual who has the authority to administer the contract as described in TAR Clause 1252.242-73. The COR is WFLHD's primary contact with the Contractor. The COR does not have the authority to change the terms and conditions of the contract.

Contractor – Refers to both the prime contractor and any subcontractors. The prime contractor shall ensure that their subcontractors comply with the provisions of this contract.

Day(s) – As defined in FAR 2.101, unless otherwise specified, a calendar day.

Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) – Established for the codification and publication of uniform policies and procedures for acquisition by all executive agencies.

Government – Western Federal Lands Highway Division.

Performance Work Statement (PWS) – Sets forth the services required, the qualifications, and the acceptance process.

Quality Assurance Program – A program implemented by the Government to provide some measure and control over the quality of services received. It is emphasized that the Government's quality assurance surveillance program is not a substitute for the quality control program implemented and administered by the Contractor.

Resume – A list of information about an individual’s qualifications as required to meet the requirements of this contract.

Supervisor – Contractor provided supervisor.

Transportation Acquisition Manual (TAM) – Establishes the Department of Transportation (DOT) uniform internal operating acquisition procedures, which implement or supplement the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and the Transportation Acquisition Regulation (TAR), other agency regulations, and statutory requirements.

Transportation Acquisition Regulation (TAR) – Establishes uniform acquisition policies and procedures, which implement and supplement the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR).

WFLHD – Western Federal Lands Highway Division of the Federal Lands Highway Office of the Federal Highway Administration, Vancouver, Washington.

C.4 MEETINGS

C.4.1 Kick-Off Meeting – Participate in a kick-off meeting within 30 days after receipt of the order. The objective of this meeting is to introduce the Contractors to WFLHD staff, define roles and responsibilities, and respond to any questions.

C.4.2 Partnering Meetings – Participate in Partnering Meetings which may take place any time during the contract at the option of either the Government or the Contractor. The concept of “partnering” is working together towards a common interest or goal. Both parties will re-visit the idea of having a partnering session on the anniversary date of the order. Each partnering session will be held at a mutually agreed-upon time and location.

C.5 WORK BY OTHERS

The Government reserves the right to undertake by contract, by Government personnel, or by other means, the same or similar kinds of work as contracted for in this order, depending on the availability of resources. Such actions shall not be violations of this order and shall not be considered as terminations in whole or in part of any work procured through this order.

C.6 QUARTERLY PROGRESS REPORTS

Submit quarterly progress reports via email to the COR no later than the 10th of the month following the quarter being reported. Each progress report shall be delivered in a Microsoft Office or Adobe PDF format containing concise statements covering the activities relevant to the contract, including:

Actual funding expenditures to date and cumulative funds remaining under the contract.

Actual bills submitted by subcontractors for services procured.

Summary listing of any identified problems, especially those that would affect the completion of the contract within the time and money constraints as outlined in the contract, together with recommended solutions to such problems.

C.7 RESTRICTIONS AND STANDARDS OF CONDUCT

Conduct business covered only by this contract during periods paid for by the Government and shall not conduct any other business on Government premises. During all operations on Government premises, the Contractor shall comply with the rules, regulations, and procedures governing the conduct of personnel and the safe, secure, and effective operation of the facility, as expressed in written, oral and logical procedures.

C.8 REMOVAL AND REPLACEMENT OF CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL

The CO has the authority to require the removal and replacement of any Contractor personnel not exhibiting integrity, capability, responsibility, or reasonable safety in their job performance; see TAR Clause 1252.237-70, Qualifications of Contractor Employee. Personnel removed due to Government determination of unsuitability shall be replaced within seven (7) days. A determination to remove an employee will be made for but is not limited to, incidents involving the most immediately identifiable types of misconduct or delinquency, and unsuitable job performance listed:

The contractor employee causes a safety hazard at the worksite.

The contractor employee consistently produces error-ridden or incomplete work.

The contractor employee does not exhibit adequate capability in performing the work.

On-site contractor employees do not follow the restrictions of the Hatch Act. (Partisan

Politics) Failure to receive a suitability determination, temporary clearance, or clearance from

WFLHD.

Violation of Federal, State, or local law.

Violation of the Rules and Regulations Governing Public Buildings and Grounds, 41

CFR 101-20.3. This includes the carrying or possession of explosives, or items intended to be used to fabricate an explosive or incendiary device.

Neglect of duty, including sleeping while on duty, unreasonable delays, or failure to carry out assigned tasks, conducting personal affairs during official time, refusing to render assistance, or failure to cooperate in upholding the integrity of the security program at the worksite.

Falsification or unlawful concealment, removal, mutilation, or destruction of any official documents or records, or concealment of material facts by willful omissions from official documents or records.

Disorderly conduct, use of abusive or offensive language, quarreling, intimidation by words or actions, fighting, or participation in disruptive activities, which interferes with the normal efficient operations of the Government.

Theft, vandalism, immoral conduct, or any other criminal actions.

Selling, consuming or being under the influence of intoxicants, drugs, or substances that produce similar effects while in or on Federally-controlled property.

Unauthorized use of communication equipment on Government property.

Violation of security procedures or regulations.

Violation of Title 18, U.S.C., Section 930, which prohibits the knowing possession or the causing to be present of firearms or other dangerous weapons in Federal facilities and Court facilities.

The CO will make all determinations regarding the removal of any employees from the worksite(s). When the CO is not available, either during the day or after hours, or in situations where a delay would not be in the best interest of the Government or is identified as a potential threat to the health, safety, security, general well-being, or operational mission of the facility and its population, the COR will have the authority to immediately remove the contract employee from the worksite.

C.9 KEY PERSONNEL

The following key personnel shall be designated, in writing to the CO, no later than fifteen (15) days after receipt of the order:

C.9.1 Project Manager (or equivalent): Responsible for management and supervision of contract operations to include, but not limited to, the hiring/termination of staff; scheduling;

purchasing and inventory control; safety, selecting and managing subcontractors, budgeting and cost estimating; quality control; professional development of subordinates and maintaining effective communications with client representatives. Responsible for the development and administration of OSHA, EPA, local codes, and hazardous materials management program.

(1) MINIMUM EXPERIENCE: No less than three (3) years of current experience in operations management of similar size and scope.

(2) MINIMUM EDUCATION: BA/BS degree

C.9.2 Landscape Supervisor (or equivalent): Manages the work crew and is responsible for quality and productivity. Must be able to properly identify plants and demonstrates dependability and efficient work practices. Demonstrated ability to coordinate work crews in landscaping and grounds maintenance activities with the ability to train employees and oversee equipment operation.

(1) MINIMUM EXPERIENCE: Three (3) years of related supervisory experience.

(2) MINIMUM EDUCATION: High school diploma or equivalent

C.9.3 Irrigation Specialist (or equivalent): Responsible for service and maintenance of irrigation system, interacting directly with the COR.

(1) MINIMUM EXPERIENCE: Five (5) years of irrigation experience with the ability to coordinate and train workers in irrigation activities.

(2) MINIMUM EDUCATION: High school diploma or equivalent

C.10 IDENTIFICATION OF CONTRACTOR EMPLOYEES

All personnel working in 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. Contractor employees shall wear uniforms or badges identifying them as Contractor personnel during the performance of this contract.

C.11 QUALITY CONTROL

This order consists of work requiring the planning and implementation of a quality process to ensure work conforms to the contract requirements and also includes quality control (QC) inspection and documentation.

C.11.1 Quality Control Plan (QCP)

The QCP is a system for identifying and correcting deficiencies in the quality of services before the level of performance becomes unacceptable.

(1) DEVELOPMENT – Develop a draft QCP and submit it, in Adobe PDF format, with the quote for review by the Government. A complete QCP will help assure the performance requirements of the Contract are met. The absence of a plan does not relieve the Contractor of complying with the contract requirements.

The QCP shall recognize the responsibilities of the Contractor to carry out its quality control obligations and shall contain measurable inspection and acceptance criteria corresponding to the performance requirements of the contract. The QCP shall include, at a minimum:

(a) Responsibilities and authorities of the contractor’s primary contact and supervisor;

(b) Description of services and duties of contract employees;

(c) Quality Assurance/Training plan for contract employees;

(d) Plan for separation of employees and employee absence;

(e) Evaluation criteria for contract services. Specify how the Contractor shall monitor deficiencies of work output concerning the performance standards, methods of informing employees of deficiencies in their area(s) of responsibility, and a process to ensure that the deficiencies are corrected and do not reoccur;

(f) Random and Planned Inspection criteria; and

(g) Inspection Documentation and Review. An inspection plan and checklist tailored to the specific services under this contract to include performance indicators/inspection process and method. The inspection plan or checklist shall detail how services at the worksite shall be inspected to ensure that the outcome of the work meets all the quality standards outlined in the Contract and shall include, but is not limited to:

(i) Date of inspection performed;

(ii) Location of inspection;

(iii)Description of findings;

(iv) Description of corrective action(s) taken for unsatisfactory inspection;

(v) Signature and date of completion; and

(vi) QCP inspection forms.

No more than ten (10) days after the contract is awarded, the Government will provide comments/feedback on the draft QCP. Within five (5) days after receipt of the Government comments/feedback, provide the final QCP to the CO and COR

The QCP is a living document and may be subject to change depending on the needs of the contract. When the QCP is revised, provide to the CO and COR an updated QCP. The CO and COR will review and accept/reject the revised QCP.

(2) PERSONNEL – Within two (2) days following approval of the QCP, designate in writing, a QC Manager (QCM) and alternate to act as QCM in the QCM’s absence. The designated QCM or Alternate shall perform QC inspections based on the performance standards and inspection requirements outlined in the order. Forward a copy of each inspection to the COR within 2 business days after completion of the inspection

The Government reserves the right to witness all surveillance at the Government facility, as may be necessary to determine that the services conform to the contract requirements.

C.12 QUALITY ASSURANCE (QA)

The performance management feedback loop begins with the communication of expected outcomes. Performance standards are expressed in the PWS and are assessed using the performance monitoring techniques defined in the QCP. The Contractor is responsible for the quality, technical accuracy, and the coordination of work performed or services provided under this contract and all work shall fully comply with the requirements of this contract. The Government may reject any service performed that does not comply with the above.

C.12.1 Implementation

Implement QA activities as described in the accepted QCP. Do not begin work until the QCP is approved by the CO.

QA surveillance, accomplished by the Contractor or COR will be reported using the QCP inspection forms which, when completed, will document the assessment of the Contractor’s performance to ensure that the required results are being achieved.

C.12.2 Government QA Surveillance. Before the 10th of each month, the COR will prepare a written report summarizing the overall results of the Government’s QA surveillance of the contractor’s performance for the previous month. This written report will become part of the QA documentation and that demonstrate whether the contractor is meeting the stated objectives and performance standards.

C.13 CONTRACTOR’S FAILURE TO PERFORM REQUIRED SERVICES

The rights of the Government and remedies described in this section are in addition to all other rights and remedies outlined in the contract. Specifically, the Government reserves its rights under the Inspection of Services and Termination Clauses. Any reductions in the Contractor’s invoice shall reflect the contract’s reduced value resulting from the Contractor’s failure to perform required services. The Contractor shall not be relieved of the full performance of the services hereunder and may be terminated for default based upon the inadequate performance of services, even if a reduction was previously taken for any inadequate performance.

C.14 DELIVERABLES SUMMARY

Ref. Deliverable Submittal

Format Due to FHWA

C.4.1 Kick-Off Meeting N/A 30 days ARO

C.6 Quarterly Progress Report Word .docx or Adobe .PDF

10th of the month following the quarter being reported

C.9 Key Personnel Designations Adobe .PDF 15 days ARO

C.11.1(1) Final Quality Control Plan Adobe .PDF 5 days after receipt of FHWA comments

C.11.1(2) QC Manager designation Adobe .PDF 2 days after QCP approval

C.19 Pandemic Plan Adobe .PDF 30 days ARO

C.20.2 Certificate of Insurance Adobe .PDF Before onsite work begins

**ARO – After Receipt of Order

C.15 PROHIBITED POLITICAL ACTIVITY

For this order, on-site contractor employees have the same restrictions as Federal Employees in regards to 5 U.S.C. §§ 7321-7326, the Hatch Act. Contractor personnel shall not engage in any political activity while at the WFLHD facility or while working under this contract. Such activity includes the wearing of campaign paraphernalia, discussing partisan political issues, campaigning, or soliciting funds or votes.

C.16 TRAINING

Ensure employees are kept current on the latest standard industry technology and provide training to employees accordingly. Additional training requirements may exist and will be specifically identified in the PWS.

C.17 SAFETY

All work performed by the Contractor and Contractor employees shall be performed safely. The COR will provide safety training to the Contractor Supervisor that describes actions to take in the event of an emergency at FHWA. The Contractor Supervisor will be responsible to provide safety training to the Contractor staff.

Each Contractor employee is expected to have full command of the English language and be able to provide clear communications to emergency responders and FHWA staff in the event of an emergency.

Maintain industry-standard safety and health protocols at all times. In the event of a mishap that results in damage to government property, equipment, or occupational injury or illness to personnel, a report of the said incident shall be provided to the COR within twenty-four (24) hours.

FHWA reserves the right to conduct investigations of all mishaps which occur as a result of contractor operations.

C.18 PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

The PWS document is provided in Attachment 0002.

C.19 CONTRACTOR PANDEMIC PLAN

The Government is required by the National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza Preparedness to prepare a plan that safeguards its employees and provides for continued operations in the event of an influenza pandemic. Prepare a Pandemic Plan that outlines the steps taken to prevent and reduce the spread and mitigate the potential effect of an influenza pandemic at WFLHD. Given the unpredictable length and severity of a pandemic, the Contractor’s plan shall link their planned actions to the periods and phases established by the World Health Organization for a pandemic cycle. For information on the phases of a pandemic, cycle see http://www.who.int. Submit the plan to the COR within thirty (30) calendar days of the start of the contract. Additional information can be found on the Basic Components of Pandemic Planning website at http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/safety/emergencyplan/pandemic/planning-guide/basic.pdf

C.20 RESPONSIBILITY FOR DAMAGE CLAIMS

C.20.1 Indemnification – The Contractor shall indemnify and hold harmless the Government, its employees, and its consultants from suits, actions, or claims brought for injuries or damage received or sustained by any person, persons, or property resulting from the performance of the work under this contract.

C.20.2 Insurance

Until final acceptance of the contract, the Contractor shall procure and maintain liability insurance of the types specified below. The Contractor shall obtain insurance from companies authorized to do business in the appropriate state. The insurance shall cover all operations under the contract, whether performed by the Contractor or by subcontractors.

Before work begins, furnish a "Certificate of Insurance" certifying that the policies will not be changed or canceled until 30 days of written notice has been given to the Government. Insurance coverage in the minimum amounts set forth below shall not relieve the Contractor of liability above the coverage.

The Contractor shall carry insurance meeting the following minimums:

(1) Worker's Compensation Insurance. Minimum required by law.

(2) Comprehensive or commercial general liability insurance. Comprehensive or commercial general liability shall cover personal injury and property damage. It shall include coverage for contractual liability related to the indemnity provided under this contract and coverage for completed operations liability. Coverage limits shall not be less than $1,000,000 combined single limit for each occurrence. If the coverage has a general aggregate limit, it shall not be less than $2,000,000.

(3) Automobile Liability Insurance. Automobile liability insurance may be written in combination with comprehensive or commercial general liability insurance. Coverage limits shall not be less than $1,000,000 combined single limit for each occurrence.

(4) Any other insurance required by state law.

C.21 NON-PERSONAL SERVICES

This order is a non-personal service as defined in the FAR at subpart 37.101. It is understood and agreed that the Contractor and/or Contractor’s employees and subcontractors:

Shall perform the services specified herein as independent contractors, not as employees of the government;

Shall be responsible for their management and administration of the work required and bear sole responsibility for complying with any technical, schedule, or financial requirements or constraints attendant to the performance of this contract;

Shall be free from supervision or control by any government employee with respect to the manner or method of performance of the services specified; but

Shall, pursuant to the government’s right and obligation to inspect, accept or reject the work, comply with such general direction of the Contracting Officer, or the duly authorized representative of the Contracting Officer, as is necessary to ensure accomplishment of the contract objectives.

C.22 INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

All work hereunder shall be subject to review by the Government. The COR is responsible for the inspection and acceptance of all services. Acceptance shall be considered at the time when all services have been performed and inspected by the COR, with a final invoice approved and accepted.

C.23 CORRECTION OF NONPERFORMANCE OF WORK

Notice of defect or deficiency shall be addressed and corrected in accordance with the guidance issued in the PWS/PRS. When delivered by the COR to the contractor Supervisor at the worksite, via email, or via telephone, such notice shall be deemed sufficient for notification purposes. The contractor shall notify the COR in writing that deficiencies have been corrected and re-inspection can be made.

If performance requirements are not met, the Contractor may be requested in writing, to correct unsatisfactory performance. This process shall include a partnering meeting with the CO, COR, and contractor representatives. If needed, a Corrective Action Plan agreed by the parties shall be developed to address performance issues along with specific dates for completion and follow-up inspections if required and/or additional meetings. This may include a revision to the Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP)

C.24 AUTHORITY TO OBLIGATE THE GOVERNMENT

The Contracting Officer is the only individual who can legally commit or obligate the Government to the expenditure of public funds. No cost chargeable to the proposed order can be incurred before receipt of a fully executed contract or specific authorization from the Contracting Officer.

C.25 PAYMENT FOR UNAUTHORIZED WORK

No payments will be made for any unauthorized supplies and/or services or any unauthorized changes to the work specified herein. This includes any services performed by the Contractor of their own volition or at the request of an individual other than a duly appointed Contracting Officer. Only a duly appointed Contracting Officer is authorized to change the specifications, terms, and conditions under this effort.

C.26 AVAILABILITY OF CONTRACTOR RECORDS

Upon request by the CO, the Contractor records related to this contract shall be made available promptly to the CO:

During contract performance;

For three (3) years after final payment; and For such a period, if any, as is required by applicable statute or any other contract clause.

All subcontracts at any tier shall include a provision giving the Government the same rights as provided above concerning the subcontractor's records.

C.27 ADMINISTRATIVE IMPROVEMENTS

WFLHD intends to constantly strive to work with the Contractor to introduce administrative improvements that would be advantageous to the Government and the Contractor. The Contractor agrees to negotiate, in good faith, with the Government to implement any suggested administrative improvements that are determined to be in the best interests of both parties.

C.28 SERVICE IMPROVEMENTS

Service improvements must receive the concurrence of the Contracting Officer before execution.

After the order award, the Government may solicit, and the Contractor is encouraged to propose independently, improvements to the services, features, or other requirements of the order. These improvements may be suggested to save money, improve performance, or for any other purpose that presents a service advantage to the Government. As part of the proposed changes, the Contractor shall submit a price quote to the Contracting Officer for evaluation. Those proposed service improvements acceptable to the Government will be processed as modifications to the order.

As a minimum, the following information shall be submitted by the Contractor with each Service Improvement quote:

A description of the difference between the existing order requirement and the proposed change, and the comparative advantages and disadvantages of each;

Itemized requirements of the contract or order which must be changed if the quote is adopted, and the proposed revision to the order for each such change;

An estimate of the changes in performance and cost, if any, that will result from the adoption of the quote;

An evaluation of the effects that the proposed changes would have on collateral costs to the Government, such as Government-furnished property costs, costs of related items, and costs of maintenance, operation, and conversion (including Government-premise equipment);

A statement of the time by which the order modification to adapt the quote must be issued to obtain the maximum benefits of the changes during the remainder of this order, including supporting rationale; and

Any effect on the order completion time or delivery schedule shall be identified.

The Government will not be liable for quote preparation costs or any delay in acting upon any quote submitted under this clause. The Contractor has the right to withdraw, in whole or in part, any quote not accepted by the Government within the period specified in the quote.

The Contracting Officer may accept any quote submitted pursuant to this clause by giving the Contractor written notice thereof. This written notice will be provided by the issuance of a modification to this order. Unless and until a modification is executed to incorporate a quote under this order, the Contractor shall remain obligated to perform in accordance with the requirements, terms, and conditions of the existing order.

If a quote submitted under this section is accepted and applied to this order issued hereunder, the equitable adjustment increasing or decreasing the order price shall be in accordance with the procedures of the "Changes" clause. The resulting order modification will state that it is made according to this clause.

C.29 CLOSEOUT OF CONTRACT FILES

The Government will initiate the administrative closeout of the contract after receiving evidence that all technical requirements have been completed. The Contractor shall furnish all required documents in support of the closeout of this contract. The Government anticipates the timeframe to complete the administrative closeout of this contract will not exceed 6 months. The costs incurred in the administrative closeout of contract files are unallowable direct costs under the contract and, therefore, cannot be charged as direct costs to the Government. Contractors are to handle such costs in accordance with their disclosure statements/cost accounting systems.

C.30 LIST OF ATTACHMENTS

Attachment 0001 – Past Performance Reference Questionnaire (5 pages) Attachment 0002 – Performance Work Statement (14 pages) Attachment 0003 – Sample Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (8 pages) Attachment 0004 – Service Contract Labor Standards Wage Determination (11 pages)

**Note: Attachment 0001 will be excluded from contract award documentation

SECTION D – SOLICITATION PROVISIONS

This section will be excluded from contract award documentation

D.1 FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION (FAR)

D.1.1 Incorporated by Reference

52.252-1 -- Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference (Feb 1998)

This solicitation incorporates one or more solicitation provisions by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. The offeror is cautioned that the listed provisions may include blocks that must be completed by the offeror and submitted with its quotation or offer. In lieu of submitting the full text of those provisions, the offeror may identify the provision by paragraph identifier and provide the appropriate information with its quotation or offer. Also, the full text of a solicitation provision may be accessed electronically at https://www.acquisition.gov/far.

52.203-18 -- Prohibition on Contracting with Entities that Require Certain Internal Confidentiality Agreements or Statements-Representation (Jan 2017) 52.204-7 -- System for Award Management (Oct 2018) 52.204-16 -- Commercial and Government Entity Code Reporting (Oct 2018) 52.204-22 -- Alternative Line Item Proposal (Jan 2017) 52.212-1 -- Instructions to Offerors—Commercial Items (Jul 2021)

(End of provision)

D.1.2 Full-Text Provisions

52.204-24 -- Representation Regarding Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment (Oct 2020)

The Offeror shall not complete the representation at paragraph (d)(1) of this provision if the

Offeror has represented that it ‘‘does not provide covered telecommunications equipment or services as a part of its offered products or services to the Government in the performance of any contract, subcontract, or other contractual instrument’’ in paragraph (c)(1) in the provision at 52.204–26, Covered Telecommunications Equipment or Services—Representation, or in paragraph (v)(2)(i) of the provision at 52.212–3, Offeror Representations and Certifications– Commercial…