Amendment 0001.pdf

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT

1. CONTRACT ID CODE

5. PROJECT NO. (If applicable)2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NO. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE 4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ.NO.

PAGE OF PAGES

6. ISSUED BY CODE 7. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than Item 6)

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR (No., street, county, State and ZIP Code)

CODE

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NO.

9B. DATED (SEE ITEM 11)

10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NO.

10B. DATED (SEE ITEM 13)

CODE FACILITY CODE

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in Item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offers

Offers must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended , by one of the following methods: (a) By completing

Items 8 and 15, and returning is extended, is not extended.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA (If required.)

13. THIS ITEM APPLIES ONLY TO MODIFICATIONS OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS. IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NO. AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

(x) A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO: (Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE CONTRACT

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES (such as changes in paying office, C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER (Specify type of modification and authority) appropriation date, etc.) SET FORTH IN ITEM 14.

E. IMPORTANT: Contractor is not, is required to sign this document and return

ORDER NO. IN ITEM 10A.

1 3

0001 07/08/2022

AAQ-731 FAC. & AVIATION SAFETY ACQ

FAA AERONAUTICAL CENTER

PO BOX 25082

BLDG 014-AHQ, ROOM 233A

AAQ0731-AFN

OKLAHOMA CITY OK 73125

AAQ-731 FAC. & AVIATION SAFETY ACQ

FAA AERONAUTICAL CENTER

PO BOX 25082

BLDG 014-AHQ, ROOM 233A

AAQ731-AFN

OKLAHOMA CITY OK 73125

x

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION (Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

separate letter or telegram which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment number. FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO BE RECEIVED AT

THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment you desire to change an offer already submitted , such change may be made by telegram or letter, provided each telegram or letter makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

copies of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted ; or (c) By ___________ 1 x x

6973GH-22-R-00173

1 copies to the issuing office.

07/08/2022

(x)

The purpose of this amendment is to revise the requirements for Past Performance Surveys, incorporate Table 1: Technical Evaluation PWS “Musts” Checklist and extend the closing date of the SIR.

Continued ...

16A. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print)15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (Type or print)

15C. DATE SIGNED 16B. CONTRACT AUTHORITY 15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR 16C. DATE SIGNED

(Signature of person authorized to sign) (Signature of Contracting Officer)

Cynthia L. Cooper

Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the document referenced in Item 9 A or 10A, as heretofore changed, remains unchanged and in full force and effect .

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)

6973GH-22-R-00173/0001

FIRST: Provision L.2, INSTRUCTIONS FOR

PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS,

paragraph (n) Volume III (Factor 3) – Relevant

Past Performance and Experience is hereby revised as follows:

From:

(1) All offerors are required to provide the Past

Performance Survey (PPS) Section J, Attachment 4) along with the Client Authorization Letter

(Section J, Attachment 5), to clients (primary and alternate reference for each contract) who are familiar with work demonstrated on previous contracts of a similar nature. Offerors shall provide a minimum of three (3) with a maximum of five (5) Past Performance Surveys. Only contracts that have been performed within the past 5 years will be considered, however, offerors are allowed to utilize one (1) contract where at least one year of performance has been completed.

Note: Alteration and or deletion of data fields contained in the PPS may result in the offeror being eliminated from further consideration.

To:

(1) All offerors are required to provide the Past

Performance Survey (PPS) Section J, Attachment 4) along with the Client Authorization Letter

(Section J, Attachment 5), to clients (primary and alternate reference for each contract) who are familiar with work demonstrated on previous contracts of a similar nature. Offerors shall provide a minimum of one (1) with a maximum of two () 2Past Performance Surveys. Only contracts that have been performed within the past 5 years will be considered.

Note: Alteration and or deletion of data fields contained in the PPS may result in the offeror being eliminated from further consideration.

SECOND: Provision M.5 PAST PERFORMANCE

EVALUATION, first paragraph of Factor 3(b): Past

Performance Surveys is hereby revised as follows:

From:

Offerors must have current or past customers complete the Past Performance Survey (PPS) attached to the SIR (Section J, Attachment 5). A minimum of two (2) but no more than four (4) completed PPS’s must be submitted no later than

Continued ...

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)

6973GH-22-R-00173/0001

the SIR closing date. All PPS submitted should be included with the proposal as separate volumes.

All PPS submitted must show that projects are completed within the last 5 years through the closing date identified on the SIR. One (1) submittal may be underway with at least 50% of the work complete to date. The Offeror’s Past

Performance must demonstrate/possess relevant past performance for projects (or greater than) the complexity and breadth of the ATSS Competency

Model requirement.

To:

Offerors must have current or past customers complete the Past Performance Survey (PPS) attached to the SIR (Section J, Attachment 5). A minimum of one (1) but no more than two (2) completed PPS’s must be submitted no later than the SIR closing date. All PPS submitted should be included with the proposal as separate volumes.

All PPS submitted must show that projects are completed within the last 5 years through the closing date identified on the SIR. The Offeror’s

Past Performance must demonstrate/possess relevant past performance for projects (or greater than) the complexity and breadth of the

ATSS Competency Model requirement.

THIRD: Section J, Attachment 2, Performance Work

Statement, dated July 8, 2022 is hereby superseded and revised with Section J, Attachment

2, Performance Work Statement and Table 1:

Technical Evaluation PWS “Musts” Checklist, dated

August 8, 2022.

FOURTH: The closing date of this SIR is hereby extended as follows:

From: 1630 CT, July 29, 2022

To: 1630 CT, August 23, 2022

Federal Aviation Administration

Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI)

NAS Human Factors Research Division NAS Human Factors Safety Laboratory- AAM-520

AIRWAY TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM SPECIALIST (ATSS

FV-2102) COMPETENCY MODEL

Performance Work Statement

Revised August 8, 2022

Table of Contents

1.0 INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW

1.1 BACKGROUND

1.2 SCOPE OF WORK

2.0 DELIVERABLES

2.1 TASK LIST

2.2 TASK SCHEDULE

3.0 OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

3.1 CONTRACTOR RESPONSIBILITIES

3.2 RESULTS/REPORTS

3.3 WORK SITE AND HOURS OF WORK

3.4 TRAVEL

3.5 CONTRACTOR PROVIDED PROPERTY AND SERVICES

3.6 GOVERNMENT PROVIDED PROPERTY AND SERVICES

3.7 TECHNICAL INTERCHANGE MEETINGS

4.0 FAA GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

4.1 PHYSICAL SECURITY .................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

4.2 OVERTIME ........................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.

4.3 OBSERVANCE OF LEGAL HOLIDAYS AND FACILITY CLOSURES

4.4 EMPLOYEE IDENTIFICATION

4.5 GENERAL CONDUCT

4.6 PROGRESS/COMPLIANCE

4.7 QUALITY CONTROL

4.8 QUALITY ASSURANCE

4.9 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

4.10 GENERAL TERMS

4.11 DEFINITIONS

1.0 INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW

The Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI) is the medical certification, education, research, and occupational medicine wing of the Office of Aerospace Medicine (AAM) under the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Office of Aviation Safety (AVS).

CAMI’s Aerospace Human Factors Division performs research that focuses on improving human performance capabilities, evaluating human factors, and optimizing the aviation workforce. This Performance Work Statement (PWS) supports research being conducted within CAMI’s Aerospace Human Factors Research Division to support the FAA’s Air Traffic Organization (ATO).

CAMI’s Aerospace Human Factors Research Division has been tasked with developing a competency model for the ATO’s Technical Operations’ Airway Transportation Systems Specialist (ATSS FV-2101) job. The intent of this acquisition is to acquire research services in support of the conduct of the ATSS competency modeling effort. Results of these efforts will be used to document the competencies needed at a given job level and inform the ATSS job model and classification standards.

1.1 BACKGROUND

The NAS is composed of over 60,000 pieces of legacy and NextGen systems and equipment.

The FAA’s Technical Operations manages the technical infrastructure of the NAS and employs approximately 5,700 ATSSs to install, maintain, repair, operate, and certify the hardware, software, and equipment that make up this infrastructure. The ATSS job provides a system-wide understanding of the facilities, services, and equipment required for maintaining safe and efficient services in the NAS.

ATSSs complete work across the country at several types of organizations, System Support Centers (SSCs), Service Operation Centers (SOCs), Operations Control Centers (OCCs), Technical Services Operations Group (TSOG), and Operations Engineering Support Group (OESG). In addition to the different work site assignments, the ATSS occupation has five recognized specializations: Automation, Communication, Environmental, Navigation, and Surveillance. The Automation specialty includes maintenance of the systems and displays used by air traffic controllers for monitoring aircraft; the Communication specialty includes maintenance of radio and telecommunication systems for communication between air traffic facilities and between controllers and pilots; the Environmental specialty includes maintenance of the physical facility such as runway lighting systems, backup power systems, as well as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning; the Navigation specialty includes maintenance of systems used for en route navigation and landing/approach guidance; and the Surveillance specialty includes maintenance of air and ground-based radars. ATSS personnel typically specialize in one or more of these specialties or disciplines.

In 2021, Technical Operations released the Technical Operations Strategic Plan: Recharting the Course, which details the strategic focus areas, goals, and initiatives to transform the organization to its desired future state. Several strategic areas, including Technical Operations’ new maintenance philosophy, centralized maintenance activities, and revised staffing models, have implications for the staffing, selection, and training of the ATSS workforce. The ATSS occupation encompasses a diverse array of maintenance activities, and organizational changes present an evolving landscape. As such, there is a need for a comprehensive analysis of the ATSS job that describes the competencies of the 2101 positions at various job levels (F-J band) at SSCs, SOCs, OCCs, TSOGs, and OESGs, including potential competency differences by ATSS specialty/discipline. Additionally, there is a need to document the key drivers of change to the ATSS workforce landscape as identified in the strategic plan and estimate their impact on the ATSS job and competencies.

The Department of Transportation (2014) had competency models developed for all mission-critical occupations. However, since the ATSS job is unique to the FAA, an ATSS-specific competency model was not developed. To maintain consistency with the DOT model and future FAA competency models, the structure/format of the DOT model will serve as the foundation for the ATSS-specific model. The DOT models include core and technical competencies, competency definitions, example work behaviors, behavioral indicators across different levels of proficiency and proficiencies (i.e., Awareness to Expert), and expected proficiency at different job levels.

The ATSS competency model will serve to inform qualification standards for the ATSS job series at the various job levels and validate the current job series model. Additionally, the development of the competency model and identification of key drivers will support the conduct of meaningful gap analyses as anticipated or actual changes to functions occur over time.

1.2 SCOPE OF WORK

The intent of this acquisition is to acquire research services in support of competency model work for the ATSS job series. The Contractor must provide support as indicated in the below sections of the PWS. The Contractor will be expected to carry out functions autonomously subject to the mutual agreements, negotiations, approvals, and other constraints as set forth in this PWS and associated documents, including contract clauses.

1.2.1 OBJECTIVES

This section provides a description of the objectives that will be achieved through this research:

a. Develop a competency model for the Airway Transportation Systems Specialist (ATSS FV-2101) F/G/H/I/J-band positions at SSCs, SOCs, OCCs, TSOGs, and OESGs.

b. Document the competency requirements common across 2101 positions as well as the requirements unique to the five (5) ATSS specializations: Automation, Communication, Environmental, Navigation, and Surveillance.

c. Identify drivers of ATSS workforce changes and their impact on the job and competency requirements.

1.2.2 PERSONNEL SUPPORT

It is expected that the Contractor’s research team will have a minimum set of qualifications and that these qualifications are documented in the proposal under Factor 2a: Past Performance Experience. The team must have expertise in competency modeling and job analytic strategies and must have demonstrable experience developing job analyses and competency models for aviation occupations or similar technical occupations. The Contractor must provide personnel capable of traveling to field locations for data collection (travel permitting), developing data collection materials (e.g., survey, interview protocols), and analyzing data.

The Contractor must designate a primary Point of Contact who must be responsible for responding to questions and concerns of the Human Factors team and other FAA personnel as appropriate, and provide the name and contact information for this individual. In the event the primary Point of Contact is out of the office or otherwise unavailable, the Contractor must designate in advance an alternate Point of Contact.

The Contractor must provide personnel that display similar capabilities and functions as the positions listed below to meet the qualifications for this contract.

a. Program Manager – Serves as the overall manager and administrator for the contract effort; Serves as the primary point of contact with government program representatives on technical issues; Supervises project operations and the execution, monitoring, and progress reporting of the technical effort; Manages and controls administrative aspects of the project with respect to contract requirements.

b. Project Manager – Acts as a lead and administrator for the assigned tasks; Serves as the point of contact with government program representatives on task issues;

Supervises project operations and the execution, monitoring, and progress reporting of the technical effort; Manages administrative aspects of the project with respect to contract requirements.

c. Research Psychologist (I-O Psychologist; Ph.D.-level) – Acts as a lead and serves as the job analyst/competency model subject matter expert; Develops technical approach, strategies, and methodologies for identifying job information and developing the competency model; Collaborates with FAA Principal Investigator;

Provides oversight of data collection activities conducted by the Contractor.

d. Data Analyst or Statistician – Applies data analysis and statistical techniques to job analytic and competency model data; manages data securely and according to established procedures and best practices; Transfers all data to FAA Principal Investigator at the conclusion of the contract.

2.0 DELIVERABLES

2.1 TASK LIST

a. Task 1: Attend Post-Award Meeting. The Contractor must attend post-award meeting with relevant Government (FAA) personnel, no later than 5 days after the contract award.

The draft milestone schedule provided by Contractor (see Section 2.3) will be finalized at the post-award meeting.

b. Task 2: Hold Kick-off Meeting. The Contractor must prepare a presentation on the proposed management plan to be presented to relevant Government (FAA) personnel and stakeholders in a kick-off briefing. The plan must describe in detail the Contractor’s approach to managing the overall project, including the coordination and execution of tasks. The plan must also specify the approach to executing task requirements, data collection, data analysis, and the sharing of results. All project members must be listed by name and any sub-contractor organizations, if required, must be identified. The purpose of the presentation is to provide a forum for discussing the planned course of action, deliverables, and any methodological or practical concerns regarding the Contractor’s approach. The presentation must be delivered no later than 30 days after contract award.

The Contractor must produce a final management plan based on feedback received from the kick-off briefing.

c. Task 3: Develop Methodology and Data Collection Plan. The Contractor must develop a technical approach and data collection plan for the competency modeling effort. The plan must include the proposed methodology and data collection instruments, sampling source and strategies for the occupation of interest (e.g., location, number, job type), data requirements, and data analysis plan. The plan must be submitted for review and approval to the Government within 3 months of the contract award.

All data must be provided by the Contractor to the FAA research team, to include raw data and transformation of any raw data as appropriate into tabular format ready for review and statistical analysis.

d. Task 4: Obtain Approval for Human Subjects Research. The Contractor must obtain the mandatory approvals and permissions to conduct human subjects research, including

Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, bargaining unit approval, and training requirements for all Contractor team members to enable human subjects research. This task must be completed three weeks prior to the first data collection. The FAA research team will support the Contractor in working with the appropriate bargaining unit(s).

Institutional Review Board. The Contractor must develop a study protocol for Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, and coordinate with the FAA research team in the development and review of this protocol. The FAA will be responsible for obtaining IRB Approval. The Contractor must ensure the protocol meets the requirements specified in this PWS and associated documents. The Contractor must work with CAMI to ensure all documentation, including IRB approval, subject informed consent, and other paperwork, is completed in accordance with the approved deliverable timeline. Selection of consent type and its contents must be done in compliance with IRB requirements. The Contractor will notify the FAA research team within five (5) business days in the event of an unscheduled change in data collection. The Contractor must provide support as requested by FAA personnel for IRB review, including completing documentation and responses to requests for information. The Contractor must follow the IRB-approved protocol, and will be responsible for obtaining and maintaining informed consent of subjects.

e. Task 5: Conduct In-Process Review (IPR). The Contractor must conduct IPRs virtually and/or at designated Government locations to review work progress and deliverable projections. The number and scheduling of these reviews must be agreed upon by the Contractor and the FAA. The FAA research team will establish a core subject matter expert (SME) group to provide ongoing reviews and approvals during the effort.

The FAA research team reserves the right to send a representative to the Contractor’s facility for collaborative discussions, with a minimum of 2 weeks notice. Reasonable accommodation will be made for the Contractor’s schedule, but it is expected that the Contractor will be responsive in a timely manner to questions or requests for collaborative discussions, including virtual and on-site visits. It is anticipated there will be a kick-off meeting post-award, one or more additional collaborative discussions during the IRB review process, and other collaborative discussions.

f. Task 6: Review Available Job Information. The Contractor must conduct scientific review of relevant competency and job analysis information, including the DOT (2014) competency model for Electronic Technicians, International Civil Aviation Organization’s competency framework for Air Traffic Safety Electronics Personnel, previous ATSS job analyses, FAA descriptions, training information and/or data from the Department of Labor O*Net website. The Contractor must produce a list of source reviewed in the performance of this task and a draft list of competency statements (e.g., definition, work behaviors). The review must be completed within 3 months of the award date.

g. Task 7: Conduct Familiarization Activities. The Contractor must conduct familiarization visit(s) to no less than two facilities for the respective occupation (i.e., ATC, ATSS, and engineer) to become familiar with the occupation and its activities. All travel must have prior authorization of the COR or Contracting Officer. All travel must be accomplished in accordance with Contract Travel Clause(s) and in accordance with Federal Travel Regulations (FTR). If travel is not possible, the FAA research team will identify alternate methods such as remote virtual meetings.

h. Task 8: Develop Initial Competency Lists. The Contractor must collect data, according to the approved methodology plan, to create the initial competency list of the ATSS job as well as to gather task information needed to develop behavioral statements. Data collection must include input from a representative set of SMEs (by job level, facility type, and specialty). Representativeness will be determined by the scope of the project and agreed upon by the Contractor and Government. The Contractor must produce a report detailing the initial competency list as well as task and behavioral information resulting from the data collection with SMEs. The competency model must include a competency label, competency definition, work behaviors, and behavioral indicators for each level of proficiency across the appropriate job levels.

i. Task 9: Identify Important and Distinguishing Competencies. The Contractor must conduct data collection to validate the competency/job information developed in Task 8 and identify the critical competencies and required proficiencies at different job levels and specialties. Ratings scales used to identify criticality may include, but are not limited to, ratings of importance, difficulty, required at entry by proficiency level, and/or distinguishing value. The Contractor must clearly document the decision rules and criteria used to establish critical competencies and required proficiencies. The identification of important and distinguishing competencies must include input from job incumbents and supervisors.

j. Task 10: Develop Proficiency Levels and Behavioral Indicators. The Contractor must create the proficiency levels used to define each competency, including the proficiency level categories, proficiency level definitions, and behavioral indicators. Proficiency level categories may be defined based on levels of competence (e.g., awareness, basic, intermediate, advanced, expert) or job level and pay band. Levels must be defined by proficiency level definitions to provide a description of different levels of each competency and behavioral indicators to provide detailed behavioral examples of each proficiency level. Proficiency levels and behavioral indicators must be developed using input from SMEs.

k. Task 11: Develop Final Competency Model. The Contractor must develop the full competency model for the ATSS job. The competency model must include the final list of technical and core competencies. Each competency should be accompanied with a definition, work behaviors, proficiency levels, proficiency level definitions, and behavioral indicators for each proficiency level. The competency model should be organized by technical and core competencies. The full competency model must include a competency summary by job level and specialty (should differences emerge during data collection). The competency summary must identify the required proficiency levels for each competency and identify the critical competencies for each job level and/or specialty.

l. Task 12: Identify Changes Competencies. The Contractor may be asked to identify changes in task and competency requirements likely to occur because of near-term changes (e.g., Technical Operations’ strategic plan). To accomplish this task, the Contractor will identify a list of drivers planned in the near-term. Once a list of drivers is identified, the Contractor will collect data from SMEs to determine the impact of drivers on tasks and competencies for that occupation in the near and mid-term.

m. Task 13: Develop Closeout Slides. The Contractor must prepare a briefing for the closeout meeting that summarizes the findings, deliverables, implications, and recommendations from the research. The closeout meeting must occur no later than two weeks prior to the contract end date.

n. Task 14: Create Technical Report and Document Results. The Contractor must produce a final technical report covering in detail all work accomplished under the contract. The draft final technical report must include the technical approach and methodology, the initial and final competency library/lists, sampling and analysis approach, study sample(s), data collection instruments, data, findings, tables, and figures to sufficiently document the results achieved under the contract. The final report must be submitted no later than two weeks prior to the contract end date.

All work completed under this effort must be conducted in accordance with relevant professional guidelines and principles, such as the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures (29 CFR 1607), Standard for Educational and Psychological Testing (APA, 2000), and Principles for the Validation and Use of Personnel Selection Procedures (SIOP, 2018). The FAA must participate in all decisions that will affect the final product.

2.2 TASK SCHEDULE

This section describes the products and tangible results that are expected from the tasks defined in the previous section (2.2.1 Tasks) and milestone schedule. For additional information on each deliverable, refer to the paragraph listed in the Reference column. The Contractor must provide a draft milestone schedule within 3 months after the start of the Screening Information Request.

TITLE REFERENCE SCHEDULE

Post Award Meeting Para 2.1 a NLT 5 days after contract award

Technical Project Kick-Off meeting

• Management plan

• Kick-off meeting briefing

Para 2.1 b No later than (NLT) 30 days after contract award

Methodological Approach and Data Collection Plan

• Data collection plan

• Sampling plan

• Data analysis plan

Para 2.1 c NLT 3 months after contract award

Human Subjects Research Approval and Training

Para 2.1 d 3 weeks prior to first data collection

In-Process Reviews (IPRs) Para 2.1 e Monthly reports: By the 10th of each month for the month prior Progress Updates: Number and scheduling as agreed by Contractor and Government

Review Available Job Information

• Job information source list

• Preliminary competency model library

Para 2.1 f NLT 3 months after contract award

Familiarization Activities Para 2.1 g NLT 5 months after contract award Initial Competency List

• Initial technical and core competency list

• Draft competency model structure

Para 2.1 h NLT 8 months after contract award

Full Competency Model

• Critical competencies

• Proficiency level categories and definitions

• Behavioral indicators

Para 2.1 i,j,k NLT 16 months after contract award

• Competency summary by job level/specialty

• Full competency model Future Competency Changes

• Near-term and mid-term drivers of change

Para 2.1 l NLT 16 months after contract award

Closeout Briefing Para 2.1 m NLT 2 weeks prior to contract end date

Technical Report Para 2.1 n NLT 2 week prior to contract end date

* Current task schedule reflects estimated dates. Final schedule will be determined at the post-award meeting.

3.0 OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

3.1 CONTRACTOR RESPONSIBILITIES

The Contractor must maintain responsibility for sample and data security, including proper protections for personally identifiable information collected and maintained by the Contractor. The Contractor must be responsible for subject safety, including the protection of the rights and welfare of human subjects. The Contractor must produce de-identified subject codes, and maintain the master key associating de-identified subject codes with the individual subject.

This key and all subject records with privacy information must be maintained by the Contractor in a manner compliant with local and federal regulations and code such as 45 CFR part 46 particularly the Common Rule (https://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/regulations-and-policy/regulations/common-rule/index.html; https://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/regulations-and-policy/regulations/45-cfr-46/index.html) and the DOT duplication 49 CFR 11, HIPAA (https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/index.html) as applicable, and IRB requirements, including regulations for retention and disposal of such information. The Contractor must comply with Government requirements for records retention. The work done by the Contractor must be in compliance with 49 CFR Part 11 (Protection of Human Subjects) as interpreted by the FAA and its Institutional Review Board.

3.2 RESULTS/REPORTS

a. All documents prepared by the Contractor must be on behalf of the FAA. The Contractor may not independently publish or distribute any document without prior written permission from the Contracting Officer (CO) or Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). The Contractor must review and provide written comments on the technical accuracy and completeness of each document. No documents, reports, information, etc. may be released https://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/regulations-and-policy/regulations/45-cfr-46/index.html https://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/regulations-and-policy/regulations/45-cfr-46/index.html to the public or provided to any party other than the FAA and its contractors without written approval of the CO or COR.

b. The Contractor must agree to provide data, methods, and data interpretation as required in this PWS and associated contract documents and clauses, particularly as required in Section 2.3.

c. The Contractor must provide a statement of agreement with the ability to meet the timelines specified in the PWS to include the number of subjects, and estimated timeframe for study completion (IRB approval, data/sample delivery, number of years and portion of subjects completed by each year).

3.3 WORK SITE AND HOURS OF WORK

Support facility hours of operations must be maintained and be consistent with FAA personnel working Monday through Friday (excluding holidays) unless otherwise specified.

Primary hours of operations are 6:00am to 6:00 pm. All work schedules must be coordinated with the Government Contracting Officers Representative (COR). Project requirements may dictate work to be performed at times and days other than those prescribed. The Contractor must be given, if possible, advance notice when circumstances dictate work to be performed at times other than those prescribed.

3.4 TRAVEL

Travel may be required for various members of the contract team as determined on a task by task basis and as dictated by the COR for purposes of meeting the tasks stipulated in the PWS. All travel must have prior authorization of the COR or Contracting Officer. All travel must be accomplished in accordance with Contract Travel Clause(s) and in accordance with Federal Travel Regulations (FTR).

3.5 CONTRACTOR PROVIDED PROPERTY AND SERVICES

The Contractor must provide all workspace, equipment, software, office supplies, and related services necessary to perform assigned tasks for work performed at the Contractor's facility.

The Contractor must provide the required skilled technical personnel to accomplish the work required by this PWS.

3.6 GOVERNMENT PROVIDED PROPERTY AND SERVICES

The FAA will provide the following support upon contract award. The FAA will provide information about previous ATSS work analyses and supporting documentation to the successful contractor. The FAA will provide access to SMEs as necessary to accomplish the work. The FAA will coordinate access to FAA facilities and assist in providing security clearances for contract personal visiting FAA facilities. The FAA will provide a workgroup to assist in reviewing plans and products required by this PWS.

3.7 TECHNICAL INTERCHANGE MEETINGS

The program manager or project lead must be required to meet, at the discretion of the CO or COR, with the CO or COR at any time during the term of any identified task. These meetings will include the FAA research team/FAA Principal Investigator when required.

4.0 FAA GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

4.1 OBSERVANCE OF LEGAL HOLIDAYS AND FACILITY CLOSURES

The Contractor must normally not be required or allowed to work when their assigned facility is on holiday or closed. During such periods, the Contractor will not be compensated for labor hours without 1) advanced direction by the CO or COR or 2) the work being a response to a Government emergency. Following is a list of Federal holidays and reasons for facility closures:

New Year's Day, January 1 Martin Luther King's birthday, the third Monday in January Inauguration Day, the third Monday in February Washington's Birthday Memorial Day, the last Monday in May Juneteenth, June 19 Independence Day, July 4 Labor Day, the first Monday in September Columbus Day, the second Monday in October Veteran's Day, November 11 Thanksgiving Day, the fourth Thursday in November Christmas Day, December 25

Any other day/time designated by Federal statute, executive order, or Presidential Proclamation

4.2 EMPLOYEE IDENTIFICATION

Contractor personnel when on FAA facilities must be issued a contractor identification card identifying them as a contractor employee. The identification cards must be worn while performing services at FAA Facilities

4.3 GENERAL CONDUCT

While contractor personnel are at the Government site, they must comply with all rules and regulations in effect at that site. Contractor personnel must comply with rules and regulations governing employee conduct with respect to health and safety, not only as they relate to themselves, but also to other Government employees or agents of the Government. The contractor must also exercise proper care of all property at the Government site regardless of whether title to such vests with the Government or not.

4.4 PROGRESS/COMPLIANCE

All applicable FAA Orders and FAA Acquisition Management System (AMS) policies, guidelines and processes must be used. The Contractor must research and employ appropriate FAA Orders, where necessary, under the guidance of the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). The Contractor must ensure all work is in full compliance with:

FAA standards and guidelines Uniform Guidelines for Employee Selection Procedures Principles for the Validation and Use of Personnel Selection Procedures Standard for Educational and Psychological Testing CAMI policies, regulations, directives and procedures FAA AMS guidelines Websites:

ID badge online application:

https://employees.faa.gov/org/staffoffices/ash/id_badge/

Contractor & Industrial Security Program:

http://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/orders_notices/index.cfm/go/document.infor mation/documentid/15573

Orders and Notices:

http://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/orders_notices/index.cfm/go/document.list/p arentTopicID/184

Forms:

http://www.faa.gov/library/forms/

Standard Operating Procedures:

https://my.faa.gov/org/staffoffices/ang.html

Acquisition Management System:

http://fast.faa.gov/

Civil Aerospace Medical Institute:

https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/avs/offices/aam/cami/

4.5 QUALITY CONTROL

The Contractor must develop a Quality Control (QC) plan to ensure that the work performed by the Contractor’s team meets the objectives and requirements specified in this contract.

The QC plan must describe how the contractor will complete tasks to an Acceptable Quality Level (AQL). A draft of the quality control plan must be submitted with the contractors proposal and will be evaluated as part of the technical evaluation.

4.6 QUALITY ASSURANCE

The Government will monitor the Contractor’s performance under this contract.

Performance will be considered acceptable when it meets requirements contained in the contract and PWS as defined by Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP).

4.7 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The Contractor must meet all of the requirements described within the PWS. The period of performance will be 18 months after award.

4.8 GENERAL TERMS

4.9 DEFINITIONS

Acceptable Quality Level (AQL) – The standard at which service is considered Satisfactory as agreed upon by the Contractor and the Government.

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) – Process for the resolution of disputes regarding work determined to be unsatisfactory.

Contractor – The term Contractor as used herein refers to both the prime Contractor and any subcontractors. The prime contractor must ensure that his subcontracts (if any) comply with the provisions of this contract.

Contracting Officer (CO) – One with authority to enter into, administer, and/or terminate contracts and make related determinations.

Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) – One who is designated and authorized in writing by the CO to be responsible for surveillance/monitoring of the Contractor’s performance.

Contractor Owned Property – All property used on this contract that is owned or furnished by the Contractor.

Contractor’s Representative – An Project Coordinator assigned by the Contractor to manage the services outlined in the PWS.

Customer Comments – A means for end users to provide comments pertaining to services provided by the contractor.

Government Owned Property – All property owned by or leased to the Government or acquired by the Government under the terms of the contract. Government property included both Government-furnished property and Contractor acquired property as defined in AMS Guidance T3.10.3.

Quality Assurance (QA) – Those actions taken by the Government to assure services meet the acceptable quality level established by the contract between the Contractors and Government.

Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) – An organized written, “living”, document outlined the Government’s methodology for monitoring contractor performance.

Quality Control (QC) – Those actions taken by the Contractor to ensure contractor performance meets the requirements of the contract.

4.10 ACRONYMS

AQL – Acceptable Quality Level

ADR – Alternative Dispute Resolution

AHFRD – Aerospace Human Factors Research Division

ATCS – Air Traffic Control Specialist

ATO – Air Traffic Organization

ATSS – Airway Transportation Systems Specialist

CAMI – Civil Aerospace Medical Institute

CO – Contracting Officer

COR – Contracting Officer’s Representative

DOT – Department of Transportation

GTR – Government Travel Regulations

IPR – In-Process Review

KSAO – Knowledge, Skill, Ability, and Other Characteristic

NAS – National Airspace System

NextGen – Next Generation Air Transportation System

OESG – Operations Engineering Support Group

OCC – Operations Control Center

QA – Quality Assurance

QASP – Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan

QC – Quality Control

SME – Subject Matter Expert

SOC – Service Operations Center

PWS – Performance Work Statement

SSC – System Support Center

TSOG – Technical Services Operations Group

4.11 DEFINITIONS

Competency – A measurable pattern of knowledge, skills, abilities, and/or other characteristics needed to successfully perform the job

Behavioral Definition - A high-level definition of how the competency manifests on the job

Work Behaviors – Descriptions of how the employee demonstrates the competency on the job

Proficiency Levels – Descriptions at different levels of competence in applying skills on the job

Behavioral Indicators – Detailed behavioral examples that define the level of proficiency for each competency

Table 1: Technical Evaluation PWS “Musts” Checklist

*Vendor must demonstrate in its proposal narrative its plan and ability to address the below table of musts.

# PWS Name of Item Requirement Evidence to support a "Go Rating"

1 1.2.1 a. Competency Model Technical Approach

Vendor must develop a competency model for the Airway Transportation Systems Specialist (ATSS FV-2101) F/G/H/I/J-band positions at SSCs, SOCs, OCCs, TSOGs, and OESGs.

Evidence: Vendor Must Provide within its proposal narrative a detailed plan explaining the technical approach that will be used to support the requirements/tasks outlined in Sections

1.2.1 and 2.1 of the

PWS.

2 1.2.1 b. Competency requirements documentation

Vendor must document the competency requirements common across 2101 positions as well as the requirements unique to the five ATSS specializations:

Automation, Communication, Environmental, Navigation, and Surveillance

Evidence: Vendor must provide within its proposal narrative the technical approach and methodology it will use to document the competency requirements across the positions.

3 1.2.1 c. Identification of ATSS Workforce changes

Vendor must identify drivers of ATSS workforce changes and their impact on the job and competency requirements.

Evidence: Vendor must provide within its proposal narrative its plan and methodology to identify drivers of ATSS workforce changes and their impact on the job and competency requirements.

4 2.1 f. Review of available job information

Vendor must conduct scientific review of relevant competency and job analysis information, including the DOT (2014) competency model for Electronic Technicians, International Civil Aviation Organization’s competency framework for Air Traffic Safety Electronics Personnel, previous ATSS job analyses, FAA descriptions, training information and/or data from the Department of Labor O*Net website.

Evidence: Vendor must provide within its proposal narrative a detailed plan for completing the review of relevant competency and provide a draft list of competency statements within 3 months of contract award.

# PWS Name of Item Requirement Evidence to support a "Go Rating"

5 2.1 h. Develop Initial Competency Lists

Vendor must collect data, according to the approved methodology plan, to create the initial competency list of the ATSS positions as well as gather task information needed to develop behavioral statements.

Evidence: Vendor must provide within its proposal narrative enough information to show that it understands the requirement and identify a plan to create the initial competency list of the ATSS positions and develop behavioral statements.

6 2.1 j. Identify important and distinguishing competencies.

Vendor must create the proficiency levels used to define each competency, including the proficiency level categories, proficiency level definitions, and behavioral indicators

Evidence: Vendor must explain within its proposal narrative its planed approach for a.)

Establishing proficiency level categories, b.)

Defining proficiency level definitions, c.)

Developing behavioral indicators

7 2.1 k. Developing final competency model

Vendor must develop the full competency model for the ATSS job. The competency model must include the final list of technical and core competencies. Each competency should be accompanied with a definition, work behaviors, proficiency levels, proficiency level definitions, and behavioral indicators for each proficiency level.

Evidence: Vendor must provide within its proposal narrative a detailed plan for developing and documenting the full competency model for the ATSS job.