SOW DR4724-HI On-site Interpretation Services.pdf

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On-site Interpreters for DR4724-HI
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70FBR923Q00000055
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This document is a statement of work for on-site interpretation services to support disaster response and recovery operations for wildfires in Maui, Hawaii under federal contract opportunity number 70FBR923Q00000055. The Federal Emergency Management Agency requires on-site interpreters in Ilocano, Hawaiian, Tagalog, Spanish, Korean and Japanese, with potential need for additional languages, to be available seven days a week for 180 days with an option to extend for 90 more days. Interpreters must have two years of experience and pass background checks, with qualification levels ranging from a Tier 1 investigation for low risk to a Tier 4 for high risk. The contract will require compliance with clauses for safeguarding sensitive information, IT security and privacy training, and will entail sharing personally identifiable information with the contractor.

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Statement of Work Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) DR4724 Hawaii – Maui Wildfires

August 14, 2023

1.0 GENERAL DESCRIPTION AND BACKGROUND

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Office of External Affairs (OEA) would like to solicit the services of a contractor to provide Spoken Language On-site Interpretation Services for all its components (Disaster Operations, International-Intergovernmental-Congressional and Public Affairs, Private Sector and Resource Management) and ALL FEMA Operations to include joint efforts with other FEMA Directorates, Programs and Offices, Federal, State, and Local partners, international and domestic organizations, voluntary/community/faith based, profit/non-profit and private organizations in support of response and recovery operations for Maui Wildfires in Hawaii (DR4724-HI).

Sec. 689e of the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 (PKEMRA), signed into law on October 4, 2006, amends the Stafford Act to require FEMA to work with state and local governments to identify population groups with limited English proficiency and consider them when planning for emergencies or major disasters particularly in support of the preparedness communications core mission. Furthermore, Sec. 689e of the Post-Katrina Reform Act requires FEMA to ensure that information for all individuals affected by emergencies and major disasters are available in formats that can be understood by persons with limited English proficiency.

2.0 SCOPE

The contractor shall provide on-site interpreters for the federally supported response and recovery for Maui Wildfires in Hawaii. The assignments shall be located within the five

(5) counties of Hawaii, namely Kauai, Honolulu, Maui, Hawaii, and Kalawao counties. On-site interpreters may be required to change duty stations, travel requiring more than 50 miles, and other than driving, must be pre-approved – and shall be invoiced for reimbursement. Interpreters are required for the following languages: Ilocano, Hawaiian, Tagalog, Spanish, Korean, and Japanese. There is a potential need to provide for other languages, namely: Hawaiian Pidgin (Hawaiʻi Creole English), Tongan, Marshallese, Bisayan (Cebuano), Samoan, Pohnpeian, Thai, and Chuukese.

All resources must be hired within local to the State of Hawaii options. Travel from out of State for the assignment is not approved.

• This is not a High-Risk Task Order

• The project manager for these services is Habeeb

Adekoya @ habeeb.adekoya@fema.dhs.gov mailto:habeeb.adekoya@fema.dhs.gov

2.1 SERVICE TO BE PROVIDED

3.0 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The Period of Performance for this Purchase Order will be for a period of 180 days to begin on date of award.

4.0 QUALIFICATIONS OF ON-SITE INTERPRETERS

Minimum personnel qualification: Two-year interpretation experience.

Note: All on-site interpreters shall conduct themselves according to the ATA Code of Ethics and Professional Practice. Proof of US Citizenship or Legal Permanent Residency is also required for subjects born abroad, OCONUS.

4.1 NUMBER OF ON-SITE INTERPRETERS ROSTER REQUIRED

FEMA require the following numbers of on-site interpreters to be available, as a minimum, during the response and recovery operations in Hawaii, or until deemed necessary:

• Ilocano: 2

• Hawaiian: 2

• Tagalog: 2

• Spanish: 2

• Korean: 2

• Japanese: 2

• The Government reserves the right to include additional interpreters for languages as outlined in 2.0 in order to meet the needs of the mission.

Adjustment shall be made, to increase or decrease the needs, as the operations evolve.

Services are required seven (7) days per week, for one hundred & eighty (180) days + (1) 90 days option base period. The contractor shall provide enough staff so that the above numbers of interpreters for each language are always available or working, accounting for breaks, rotations, or split shifts.

4.2 ARRIVAL OF ON-SITE INTERPRETERS

All on-site interpreters must arrive to their designated duty station fifteen (15) minutes prior to the start of their assignment. The contractor shall not bill the agency for any of the time described in this paragraph.

4.3 REASSIGNMENT OF INTERPRETER(S) AS NEEDED

On-site interpreters may be re-assigned to or rotated between assigned duty stations within the state of Hawaii. Should support at additional duty stations be needed, the COR will contact the contractor to reassign on-site interpreters or request a replacement located at an appropriate distance.

4.4 FEDERAL HOLIDAYS

Interpreter services may be required on federal holidays and weekends during a disaster declaration and the contract can bill for the services received.

4.5 INCLEMENT WEATHER- NON-CLOSURES

If severely inclement weather or an emergency prevents the interpreter from reporting to work at the vaccination site, no cancellation fee or charges shall be assessed. If the interpreter services have been canceled, the contractor may assess the cancellation fee for requests for services that are canceled with less than 4 hours' notice. If the interpreter service is still required, and the contractor is not able to provide the service, the contractor will not bill the government for interpreter service hours when required service is not provided.

4.5.1 In the event any or all the on-call on-site interpreters are unable to report to work, the contractor is required to notify the requesting organization's point of contact (POC). The contractor will be required to replace the interpreter(s). In the event that the contractor is unable to supply the Agency with replacement on-site interpreters; the contractor will not bill the government for interpreter service hours when the contractor is not able to provide the on-site interpreters.

4.6 HOURLY RATE FOR SERVICES

The contractor shall bill the agency using the hourly rate established in the contractor’s GSA pricing schedule. The Contractor shall provide staff; all costs associated with scalable operations shall be included in the tasks per hour rate. The billable rates shall be fully burdened; the rate shall include overtime and overhead costs.

4.6.1 REIMBURSEMENT FOR SERVICES- AD HOC INTERPRETER REQUESTS

Regardless of assignment duration, the contractor shall be reimbursed for a minimum of two (2) hours. Assignments lasting more than two (2) hours shall be invoiced for the actual duration of the assignment not the estimated duration called in by the COR or the ACOR{s) when coordinating and scheduling the request. For billing purposes, the contractor shall round up to the nearest half-hour.

For example, if the COR or ACOR(s) coordinates and schedules a request for an assignment that is anticipated to last from 8:00 a.m.to 1:00 p.m. but the assignment actually lasts from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., the contractor shall bill the agency for three and one-half hours (3.5) of service (8:00 a.m.to 11:30 a.m.) If the assignment lasted from 8:00 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. the contractor shall bill the agency for three and one-half (3.5) hours of service (8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.). The interpreter service shall bill at a minimum of half-hour increments after the initial two hours of service.

5.0 CANCELLATION OF ASSIGNMENT - INTERPRETER REQUESTS

The COR or the ACOR(s) shall contact the contractor primarily via telephone, and secondarily via email.

5.1 Interpreter services that are canceled with less than four (4) hours of notice prior to the event shall be reimbursed for two (2) hours or actual scheduled hours. Ad hoc service requests canceled with more than twenty-four (24) hours of notice prior to the event shall not be reimbursed.

5.2 If an ad hoc interpreter service request is canceled less than twenty-four (24) hours prior to the event, the COR or ACOR(s) and the contractor can mutually agree to reassign the ad hoc interpreter to another interpreter service request covered by this SOW without incurring cancellation charges.

6.0 ASSIGNMENT LOG

The COR and/or the ACOR(s) shall maintain a log of the date an order was placed, the time the order was placed, the job number, the date of the assignment, the start time of the assignment, the anticipated duration, and a description of the event for each assignment given to the on-site interpreter. The log shall be made available to the contracting officer for inspection.

7.0 EVALUATION OF SERVICES

Recipients of interpreter services may provide feedback on the quality of the interpreter services received to the COR. This feedback will be provided to the contractor by the COR within 24 continuous hours of receipt of the feedback. The contractor shall take appropriate action based on the feedback and provide the COR with a response to the feedback within 24 continuous hours of receipt of the feedback. The COR and the contractor will meet per the COR request to conduct a quality review of services being provided by the contractor.

8.0 INVOICING

The contractor shall invoice on a biweekly basis using the fixed hourly rate as established in the contract. The contractor may only bill for work hours performed. The invoice will include the number of hours of services provided. The contractor will only bill for hours of service provided during each billing cycle. Contractors will follow the invoicing instructions outlined in the Functional Category 1 DHS Strategic Language Services BPA, Invoice Instructions. The invoice will also include the contractor's business address, office phone, fax number and email address.

9.0 EQUIPMENT – GOVERNMENT FURNISHED

Contractor provides all required equipment.

10.0 DELIVERY SCHEDULE

On-site interpreters must report to their duty stations starting the day after receipt of award.

11.0 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

Interpreters may be requested in the five (5) counties of Hawaii, namely Kauai, Honolulu, Maui, Hawaii, and Kalawao counties. The primary place of performance will be located at the island of Maui, place TBD ______________.

12.0 MISCELLANEOUS

If the contractor believes this will not meet FEMA's needs, they may address this with the COR regarding changes; however, any change that will affect the cost of this effort must be approved by the Contracting Officer. Any discoveries during negotiations which benefit FEMA’s needs shall be discussed with the requestor.

13.0 SECURITY

All personnel require access to information up to the sensitive but unclassified, for official use only (FOUO) levels. Contractor must ensure contractor employees receive a favorably adjudicated public trust suitability prior to entry on duty (EOD). All individuals will be U.S. citizens. The contractor shall follow the standards established within DHS and FEMA policy.

Unauthorized Disclosure of Classified or Unclassified Information:

Contractors and Subcontractors who are working on this contract shall receive Unauthorized Disclosure of Classified or Unclassified Information training.

Access to the training can be obtained at:

https://securityawareness.usalearning.gov/unauthorizedrefresher/index.htm

Send the certificate of completion to the FEMA Contracting Officer Representative no later than 30 calendar days after awarded contract. New employees entering the contract must receive the briefing within ten (10) business days of joining the contract.

OPSEC Training:

Contractors and Subcontractors who are working on this contract shall receive the OPSEC Awareness Brief.

Access to the briefing can be obtained at http://cdsetrain.dtic.mil/opsec

Send the certificate of completion to the FEMA Contracting Officer Representative no later than 30

Insider Threat Training:

Insider Threat training for Contractors can be found at:

http://cdsetrain.dtic.mil/itawareness/index.htm.

Certificate of training is required for all cleared contractor employees who are working with classified or unclassified information. All certificates must be sent to the assigned FEMA Contracting Officer Representative, before the Contractor or Subcontractor is granted access to classified or unclassified information but no later than 30 calendar days after awarded contract. All cleared contractor personnel are required to recertify Insider Threat training annually thereafter. New employees entering the contract must receive the briefing within ten (10) business days of joining the contract.

https://securityawareness.usalearning.gov/unauthorizedrefresher/index.htm http://cdsetrain.dtic.mil/opsec http://cdsetrain.dtic.mil/itawareness/index.htm

For Official Use Only (FOUO) Information:

In accordance with DHS Management Directive 11042.1 contractors, consultants and others to whom access is granted will abide by 11042.1; DHS policy regarding the identification and safeguarding of sensitive but unclassified information originated within DHS. It also applies to other sensitive but unclassified information received by DHS from other government and non-governmental activities.

The contractor will:

1. Be aware of and comply with the safeguarding requirements for “For Official Use Only”

(FOUO) information as outlined in this directive.

2. Participate in formal classroom or computer-based training sessions presented to communicate the requirements for safeguarding FOUO and other sensitive but unclassified information.

3. Be aware that divulging information without proper authority could result in administrative or disciplinary action.

Contractors and Consultants shall execute a DHS Form 11000-6, Sensitive but Unclassified Information Non Disclosure Agreement (NDA), as a condition of access to such information. Other individuals not assigned to or contractually obligated to DHS, but to whom access to information will be granted, may be requested to execute an NDA as determined by the applicable program manager. Execution of the NDA shall be effective upon date of the DHS Policy and not applied retroactively.

Unauthorized Disclosure of Classified or Unclassified Information

Contractors and Subcontractors who are working on this contract shall receive the Unauthorized Disclosure of Classified or Unclassified Information training.

Access to the training can be obtained at:

Send the certificate of completion to the FEMA Contracting Officer Representative no later than 30

Foreign Travel and Government-Issued Equipment

Per DHS and FEMA IT policy, FEMA employees and contractors are not authorized to take government-issued equipment, including cell phones, computers, or tablets such as iPads, outside of the United States regardless of the reason for travel. If government-issued equipment is required for official foreign travel, FEMA government employees may request a temporary loaner device through the Mobility Service Center.Office of the Chief Information Officer, Service Center for the duration of their trip. FEMA contractors must contact their contracting officer’s representative (COR) for further guidance.

If your device is detected as operating outside of the United States and its territories it will be disabled and your information will be forwarded to the Office of Professional Responsibility for review.

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONS

All contractor personnel who require access to DHS or FEMA information systems, routine access to DHS or FEMA facilities, or access to sensitive information, including but not limited to Personally Identifiable Information (PII), shall be subject to a full background investigation commensurate with the level of the risk associated with the job function or work being performed. FEMA’s Personnel Security Division (PSD) will determine the risk designation for each contractor position by comparing the functions and duties of the position against those of a same or similar federal position, applying the same standard for evaluating the associated potential for impact on the integrity and efficiency of federal service.

Low Risk without Information System Access

Contractor personnel occupying positions or performing functions with a Low Risk designation and who do not require access to DHS or FEMA information systems may undergo a Tier 1 investigation with a credit check and must receive a favorable adjudication thereof from FEMA PSD prior to performing work under this contract. (also reference Facility Access).

Low Risk with Information System Access

Contractor personnel occupying positions or performing functions with a Low Risk designation and who require access to DHS or FEMA information systems shall undergo a Tier 2 Suitability Background Investigation (T2) and must receive a favorable adjudication thereof from FEMA PSD prior to performing work under this contract.

Moderate Risk

Contractor personnel occupying positions or performing functions with a Moderate Risk designation shall undergo a Tier 2 Suitability Background Investigation (T2) and must receive a favorable adjudication thereof from FEMA PSD prior to performing work under this contract.

https://usfema.sharepoint.com/teams/FEMAET/it_tools/tsc/Pages/default.aspx

High Risk

Contractor personnel occupying positions or performing functions with a High Risk designation shall undergo a Tier 4 Suitability Background Investigation (T4) and must receive a favorable adjudication thereof from FEMA PSD prior to performing work under this contract.

Background Investigation Process

To initiate the request to process contractor personnel, the Contractor shall provide the FEMA Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) with all required information and comply with all necessary instructions to complete Section II of the FEMA Form 121-3-1-6, “Contract Fitness/Security Screening Request.” The FEMA COR shall ensure that all other applicable sections of the FEMA Form 121-3-1-6 are complete prior to submitting the form to FEMA PSD for processing. The Contractor shall also provide the FEMA COR with completed OF 306, “Declaration for Federal Employment,” forms for all contractor personnel.

Contractor personnel who already have a favorably adjudicated background investigation, may be eligible to perform work under this contract without further processing by FEMA PSD if:

the investigation was completed within the last five years, it meets or exceeds the minimum requirement for the position they will occupy or functions they will perform on this contract, the contractor personnel have not had a break in employment since the prior favorable adjudication, and, FEMA PSD has verified the investigation and confirmed that no new derogatory information has been disclosed which may require a reinvestigation.

FEMA PSD will notify the COR of the names of the contractor personnel eligible to work based on prior, favorable adjudication. The COR will, in turn, notify the Contractor of the names of the favorably adjudicated contractor personnel, at which time the favorably adjudicated contractor personnel will be eligible to begin work under this contract.

For those contractor personnel who do not have an acceptable, prior, favorable adjudication or who otherwise require reinvestigation, FEMA PSD will issue an electronic notification via email directly to the contractor applicant/personnel that contains the following documents, which are incorporated into this contract by reference, along with a link to the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) Electronic Questionnaires for Investigation Processing (e-QIP) system and instructions for submitting the necessary information:

Standard Form 85P, “Questionnaire for Public Trust Positions”

Optional Form 306, “Declaration for Federal Employment”

SF 87, “Fingerprint Card” (2 copies)

DHS Form 11000-6, “Non-Disclosure Agreement”

DHS Form 11000-9, “Disclosure and Authorization Pertaining to Consumer Reports Pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act”

FEMA PSD will only accept complete packages consisting of all of the above document and Standard Form 85P, which must be completed electronically through the Office of Personnel Management’s e-QIP system. The Contractor is responsible for ensuring that all contractor personnel timely and properly submit all required background information.

Once contractor personnel have properly submitted the complete package of all required background information, FEMA’s Personnel Security Division, at its sole discretion, may grant contractor personnel temporary eligibility to perform work under this contract prior to completion of the full background investigation if the Personnel Security Division’s initial review of the contractor personnel’s background information reveals no issues of concern. In such cases, FEMA’s Personnel Security Division will provide notice of such temporary eligibility to the COR who will then notify the Prime Contractor, at which time the identified contractor personnel will be temporarily eligible to begin work under this contract. Neither the Prime Contractor nor the contractor personnel has any right to such a grant of temporary eligibility. The grant of such temporary eligibility shall not be considered as assurance that the contactor personnel will remain eligible to perform work under this contract upon completion of and final adjudication of the full background investigation.

Upon favorable adjudication of the full background investigation, FEMA’s Personnel Security Division will update the contractor personnel’s security file and take no further action. In any instance where the final adjudication results in an unfavorable determination FEMA’s Personnel Security Division will notify the contractor personnel directly, in writing, of the decision and will provide the COR with the name(s) of the contractor personnel whose adjudication was unfavorable.

The COR will then forward that information to the Contractor. Contractor personnel who receive an unfavorable adjudication shall be ineligible to perform work under this contract. Unfavorable adjudications are final and not subject to review or appeal.

Continued Eligibility and Reinvestigation Eligibility determinations based on a Low Risk T1, Moderate Risk T2S or High Risk T4 are valid for five years from the date that the investigation was completed and closed. Contractor personnel required to undergo a background investigation to perform work under this contract shall be ineligible to perform work under this contract upon the expiration the background investigation unless and until the contractor personnel have undergone a reinvestigation and FEMA’s Personnel Security Division has renewed their eligibility to perform work under this contract.

Exclusion by Contracting Officer The Contracting Officer, independent of FEMA’s Personnel Security Division, may direct the Contractor be excluded from working on this contract. Any contractor found or deemed to be unfit or whose continued employment on the contract is deemed contrary to the public interest or inconsistent with the best interest of the agency may be removed.

Information Sharing To accomplish the tasks outlined in this contract, FEMA will share with the contractor the following PII data elements:

1) Applicant name, date of birth, social security number (if applicable), physical and mailing address, income information, disabilities, English proficiency level;

2) Co-Applicant name, date of birth, social security number (if applicable), physical and mailing address, income information, disabilities, English proficiency level; and/or

3) Names of members of the household, date of birth(s), social security number(s), physical and mailing address, income information, disabilities, English proficiency level.

The list above is result of a wide range of possible scenarios, since the contractor(s) will be performing translations assisting disaster survivors with disaster applications and visits to the affected areas.

The information sharing outlined in this contract is authorized by the following System of Records Notice(s) and Routine Use(s): DHS/ALL-016 Department of Homeland Security Correspondence Records, routine use G and DHS/FEMA-008 Disaster Recovery Assistance Files, routine use F. The information sharing outlined in this contract is covered in the following Privacy Impact Assessment(s): DHS/FEMA-049 Individual Assistance (IA) Program.

"Need-to-Know" access to PII The contractor will limit access to the PII provided by FEMA under this contract only to the contractor’s authorized personnel who need to know the information to accomplish the tasks outlined in this contract.

Prohibition on Computer Matching The contractor shall ensure no computer matching, as that term is defined in 5 U.S.C. § 552a(o), will occur for the purpose of establishing or verifying eligibility or compliance as it relates to cash or in-kind assistance or payments under federal benefit programs.

Return or Destruction of Data when no longer needed If at any time during the term of this contract any part of FEMA PII, in any form, that the contractor obtains from FEMA ceases to be required by the contractor for the performance of the contract, or upon termination of the contract, whichever occurs first, the contractor shall, within fourteen (14) days thereafter, promptly notify FEMA and securely return PII to FEMA, or, at FEMA’s written request destroy, un-install and/or remove all copies of such PII in the contractor’s possession or control, and certify in writing to FEMA that such tasks have been completed.

HYGIENE CLAUSES

15. SAFEGUARDING OF SENSITIVE INFORMATION (MAR 2015)

(a) Applicability. This clause applies to the Contractor, its subcontractors, and Contractor employees (hereafter referred to collectively as “Contractor”). The Contractor shall insert the substance of this clause in all subcontracts.

(b) Definitions. As used in this clause—

“Personally Identifiable Information (PII)” means information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual's identity, such as name, social security number, or biometric records, either alone, or when combined with other personal or identifying information that is linked or linkable to a specific individual, such as date and place of birth, or mother’s maiden name. The definition of PII is not anchored to any single category of information or technology. Rather, it requires a case-by-case assessment of the specific risk that an individual can be identified. In performing this assessment, it is important for an agency to recognize that non-personally identifiable information can become personally identifiable information whenever additional information is made publicly available—in any medium and from any source—that, combined with other available information, could be used to identify an individual.

PII is a subset of sensitive information. Examples of PII include, but are not limited to: name, date of birth, mailing address, telephone number, Social Security number (SSN), email address, zip code, account numbers, certificate/license numbers, vehicle identifiers including license plates, uniform resource locators (URLs), static Internet protocol addresses, biometric identifiers such as fingerprint, voiceprint, iris scan, photographic facial images, or any other unique identifying number or characteristic, and any information where it is reasonably foreseeable that the information will be linked with other information to identify the individual.

“Sensitive Information” is defined in HSAR clause 3052.204-71, Contractor Employee Access, as any information, which if lost, misused, disclosed, or, without authorization is accessed, or modified, could adversely affect the national or homeland security interest, the conduct of Federal programs, or the privacy to which individuals are entitled under section 552a of Title 5, United States Code (the Privacy Act), but which has not been specifically authorized under criteria established by an Executive Order or an Act of Congress to be kept secret in the interest of national defense, homeland security or foreign policy. This definition includes the following categories of information:

(1) Protected Critical Infrastructure Information (PCII) as set out in the Critical Infrastructure Information Act of 2002 (Title II, Subtitle B, of the Homeland Security Act, Public Law 107- 296, 196 Stat. 2135), as amended, the implementing regulations thereto (Title 6, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 29) as amended, the applicable PCII Procedures Manual, as amended, and any supplementary guidance officially communicated by an authorized official of the Department of Homeland Security (including the PCII Program Manager or his/her designee);

Sensitive Security Information (SSI), as defined in Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 1520, as amended, “Policies and Procedures of Safeguarding and Control of SSI,” as amended, and any supplementary guidance officially communicated by an authorized official of the Department of Homeland Security (including the Assistant Secretary for the Transportation Security Administration or his/her designee);

(2) Information designated as “For Official Use Only,” which is unclassified information of a sensitive nature and the unauthorized disclosure of which could adversely impact a person’s privacy or welfare, the conduct of Federal programs, or other programs or operations essential to the national or homeland security interest; and

(3) Any information that is designated “sensitive” or subject to other controls, safeguards or protections in accordance with subsequently adopted homeland security information handling procedures.

“Sensitive Information Incident” is an incident that includes the known, potential, or suspected exposure, loss of control, compromise, unauthorized disclosure, unauthorized acquisition, or unauthorized access or attempted access of any Government system, Contractor system, or sensitive information.

“Sensitive Personally Identifiable Information (SPII)” is a subset of PII, which if lost, compromised or disclosed without authorization, could result in substantial harm, embarrassment, inconvenience, or unfairness to an individual. Some forms of PII are sensitive as stand-alone elements. Examples of such PII include: Social Security numbers (SSN), driver’s license or state identification number, Alien Registration Numbers (A-number), financial account number, and biometric identifiers such as fingerprint, voiceprint, or iris scan. Additional examples include any groupings of information that contain an individual’s name or other unique identifier plus one or more of the following elements:

(1) Truncated SSN (such as last 4 digits)

(2) Date of birth (month, day, and year)

(3) Citizenship or immigration status

(4) Ethnic or religious affiliation

(5) Sexual orientation

(6) Criminal History

(7) Medical Information

(8) System authentication information such as mother’s maiden name, account passwords or personal identification numbers (PIN)

Other PII may be “sensitive” depending on its context, such as a list of employees and their performance ratings or an unlisted home address or phone number. In contrast, a business card or public telephone directory of agency employees contains PII but is not sensitive.

(c) Authorities. The Contractor shall follow all current versions of Government policies and guidance accessible at http://www.dhs.gov/dhs-security-and-training-requirements-contractors, or available upon request from the Contracting Officer, including but not limited to:

http://www.dhs.gov/dhs-security-and-training-requirements-contractors

(1) DHS Management Directive 11042.1 Safeguarding Sensitive But Unclassified (for Official Use Only) Information

(2) DHS Sensitive Systems Policy Directive 4300A

(3) DHS 4300A Sensitive Systems Handbook and Attachments

(4) DHS Security Authorization Process Guide

(5) DHS Handbook for Safeguarding Sensitive Personally Identifiable Information

(6) DHS Instruction Handbook 121-01-007 Department of Homeland Security Personnel Suitability and Security Program

(7) DHS Information Security Performance Plan (current fiscal year)

(8) DHS Privacy Incident Handling Guidance

(9) Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2 Security Requirements for Cryptographic Modules accessible at http://csrc.nist.gov/groups/STM/cmvp/standards.html

(10) National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication 800-53 Security and Privacy Controls for Federal Information Systems and Organizations accessible at http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/PubsSPs.html

(11) NIST Special Publication 800-88 Guidelines for Media Sanitization accessible at http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/PubsSPs.html

(d) Handling of Sensitive Information. Contractor compliance with this clause, as well as the policies and procedures described below, is required.

(1) Department of Homeland Security (DHS) policies and procedures on Contractor personnel security requirements are set forth in various Management Directives (MDs), Directives, and Instructions. MD 11042.1, Safeguarding Sensitive But Unclassified (For Official Use Only) Information describes how Contractors must handle sensitive but unclassified information. DHS uses the term “FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY” to identify sensitive but unclassified information that is not otherwise categorized by statute or regulation. Examples of sensitive information that are categorized by statute or regulation are PCII, SSI, etc. The DHS Sensitive Systems Policy Directive 4300A and the DHS 4300A Sensitive Systems Handbook provide the policies and procedures on security for Information Technology (IT) resources. The DHS Handbook for Safeguarding Sensitive Personally Identifiable Information provides guidelines to help safeguard SPII in both paper and electronic form. DHS Instruction Handbook 121-01-007 Department of Homeland Security Personnel Suitability and Security Program establishes procedures, program responsibilities, minimum standards, and reporting protocols for the DHS Personnel Suitability and Security Program.

(2) The Contractor shall not use or redistribute any sensitive information processed, stored, and/or transmitted by the Contractor except as specified in the contract.

(3) All Contractor employees with access to sensitive information shall execute DHS Form 11000-6, Department of Homeland Security Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA), as a condition of access to such information. The Contractor shall maintain signed copies of the NDA for all employees as a record of compliance. The Contractor shall provide copies of the signed NDA to the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) no later than two (2) days after execution of the form.

(4) The Contractor’s invoicing, billing, and other recordkeeping systems maintained to support http://csrc.nist.gov/groups/STM/cmvp/standards.html financial or other administrative functions shall not maintain SPII. It is acceptable to maintain in these systems the names, titles and contact information for the COR or other Government personnel associated with the administration of the contract, as needed.

(e) Authority to Operate. The Contractor shall not input, store, process, output, and/or transmit sensitive information within a Contractor IT system without an Authority to Operate (ATO) signed by the Headquarters or Component CIO, or designee, in consultation with the Headquarters or Component Privacy Officer. Unless otherwise specified in the ATO letter, the ATO is valid for three (3) years. The Contractor shall adhere to current Government policies, procedures, and guidance for the Security Authorization (SA) process as defined below.

(1) Complete the Security Authorization process. The SA process shall proceed according to the DHS Sensitive Systems Policy Directive 4300A (Version 11.0, April 30, 2014), or any successor publication, DHS 4300A Sensitive Systems Handbook (Version 9.1, July 24, 2012), or any successor publication, and the Security Authorization Process Guide including templates.

(i) Security Authorization Process Documentation. SA documentation shall be developed using the Government provided Requirements Traceability Matrix and Government security documentation templates. SA documentation consists of the following: Security Plan, Contingency Plan, Contingency Plan Test Results, Configuration Management Plan, Security Assessment Plan, Security Assessment Report, and Authorization to Operate Letter.

Additional documents that may be required include a Plan(s) of Action and Milestones and Interconnection Security Agreement(s). During the development of SA documentation, the Contractor shall submit a signed SA package, validated by an independent third party, to the COR for acceptance by the Headquarters or Component CIO, or designee, at least thirty (30) days prior to the date of operation of the IT system. The Government is the final authority on the compliance of the SA package and may limit the number of resubmissions of a modified SA package. Once the ATO has been accepted by the Headquarters or Component CIO, or designee, the Contracting Officer shall incorporate the ATO into the contract as a compliance document. The Government’s acceptance of the ATO does not alleviate the Contractor’s responsibility to ensure the IT system controls are implemented and operating effectively.

(ii) Independent Assessment. Contractors shall have an independent third party validate the security and privacy controls in place for the system(s). The independent third party shall review and analyze the SA package, and report on technical, operational, and management level deficiencies as outlined in NIST Special Publication 800-53 Security and Privacy Controls for Federal Information Systems and Organizations. The Contractor shall address all deficiencies before submitting the SA package to the Government for acceptance.

Support the completion of the Privacy Threshold Analysis (PTA) as needed. As part of the SA process, the Contractor may be required to support the Government in the completion of the PTA. The requirement to complete a PTA is triggered by the creation, use, modification, upgrade, or disposition of a Contractor IT system that will store, maintain and use PII, and must be renewed at least every three (3) years. Upon review of the PTA, the DHS Privacy Office determines whether a Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) and/or Privacy Act System of Records Notice (SORN), or modifications thereto, are required. The Contractor shall provide all support necessary to assist the Department in completing the

PIA in a timely manner and shall ensure that project management plans and schedules include time for the completion of the PTA, PIA, and SORN (to the extent required) as milestones.

Support in this context includes responding timely to requests for information from the Government about the use, access, storage, and maintenance of PII on the Contractor’s system, and providing timely review of relevant compliance documents for factual accuracy. Information on the DHS privacy compliance process, including PTAs, PIAs, and SORNs, is accessible at http://www.dhs.gov/privacy-compliance.

(2) Renewal of ATO. Unless otherwise specified in the ATO letter, the ATO shall be renewed every three (3) years. The Contractor is required to update its SA package as part of the ATO renewal process. The Contractor shall update its SA package by one of the following methods:

(1) Updating the SA documentation in the DHS automated information assurance tool for acceptance by the Headquarters or Component CIO, or designee, at least 90 days before the ATO expiration date for review and verification of security controls; or (2) Submitting an updated SA package directly to the COR for approval by the Headquarters or Component CIO, or designee, at least 90 days before the ATO expiration date for review and verification of security controls. The 90 day review process is independent of the system production date and therefore it is important that the Contractor build the review into project schedules. The reviews may include onsite visits that involve physical or logical inspection of the Contractor environment to ensure controls are in place.

(3) Security Review. The Government may elect to conduct random periodic reviews to ensure that the security requirements contained in this contract are being implemented and enforced. The Contractor shall afford DHS, the Office of the Inspector General, and other Government organizations access to the Contractor’s facilities, installations, operations, documentation, databases and personnel used in the performance of this contract. The Contractor shall, through the Contracting Officer and COR, contact the Headquarters or Component CIO, or designee, to coordinate and participate in review and inspection activity by Government organizations external to the DHS. Access shall be provided, to the extent necessary as determined by the Government, for the Government to carry out a program of inspection, investigation, and audit to safeguard against threats and hazards to the integrity, availability and confidentiality of Government data or the function of computer systems used in performance of this contract and to preserve evidence of computer crime.

(4) Continuous Monitoring. All Contractor-operated systems that input, store, process, output, and/or transmit sensitive information shall meet or exceed the continuous monitoring requirements identified in the Fiscal Year 2014 DHS Information Security Performance Plan, or successor publication. The plan is updated on an annual basis. The Contractor shall also store monthly continuous monitoring data at its location for a period not less than one year from the date the data is created. The data shall be encrypted in accordance with FIPS 140-2 Security Requirements for Cryptographic Modules and shall not be stored on systems that are shared with other commercial or Government entities. The Government may elect to perform continuous monitoring and IT security scanning of Contractor systems from Government tools and infrastructure.

(5) Revocation of ATO. In the event of a sensitive information incident, the Government may http://www.dhs.gov/privacy-compliance suspend or revoke an existing ATO (either in part or in whole). If an ATO is suspended or revoked in accordance with this provision, the Contracting Officer may direct the Contractor to take additional security measures to secure sensitive information. These measures may include restricting access to sensitive information on the Contractor IT system under this contract. Restricting access may include disconnecting the system processing, storing, or transmitting the sensitive information from the Internet or other networks or applying additional security controls.

(6) Federal Reporting Requirements. Contractors operating information systems on behalf of the Government or operating systems containing sensitive information shall comply with Federal reporting requirements. Annual and quarterly data collection will be coordinated by the Government. Contractors shall provide the COR with requested information within three (3) business days of receipt of the request. Reporting requirements are determined by the Government and are defined in the Fiscal Year 2014 DHS Information Security Performance Plan, or successor publication. The Contractor shall provide the Government with all information to fully satisfy Federal reporting requirements for Contractor systems.

(f) Sensitive Information Incident Reporting Requirements.

(1) All known or suspected sensitive information incidents shall be reported to the Headquarters or Component Security Operations Center (SOC) within one hour of discovery in accordance with 4300A Sensitive Systems Handbook Incident Response and Reporting requirements. When notifying the Headquarters or Component SOC, the Contractor shall also notify the Contracting Officer, COR, Headquarters or Component Privacy Officer, and US-CERT using the contact information identified in the contract. If the incident is reported by phone or the Contracting Officer’s email address is not immediately available, the Contractor shall contact the Contracting Officer immediately after reporting the incident to the Headquarters or Component SOC. The Contractor shall not include any sensitive information in the subject or body of any e-mail. To transmit sensitive information, the Contractor shall use FIPS 140-2 Security Requirements for Cryptographic Modules compliant encryption methods to protect sensitive information in attachments to email. Passwords shall not be communicated in the same email as the attachment.

A sensitive information incident shall not, by itself, be interpreted as evidence that the Contractor has failed to provide adequate information security safeguards for sensitive information, or has otherwise failed to meet the requirements of the contract.

(2) If a sensitive information incident involves PII or SPII, in addition to the reporting requirements in 4300A Sensitive Systems Handbook Incident Response and Reporting, Contractors shall also provide as many of the following data elements that are available at the time the incident is reported, with any remaining data elements provided within 24 hours of submission of the initial incident report:

(i) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS);

(ii) Contract numbers affected unless all contracts by the company are affected;

(iii) Facility CAGE code if the location of the event is different than the prime contractor location;

(iv) Point of contact (POC) if different than the POC recorded in the System for Award Management (address, position, telephone, email);

(v) Contracting Officer POC (address, telephone, email);

(vi) Contract clearance level;

(vii) Name of subcontractor and CAGE code if this was an incident on a subcontractor network;

(viii) Government programs, platforms or systems involved;

(ix) Location(s) of incident;

(x) Date and time the incident was discovered;

(xi) Server names where sensitive information resided at the time of the incident, both at the Contractor and subcontractor level;

(xii) Description of the Government PII and/or SPII contained within the system;

(xiii) Number of people potentially affected and the estimate or actual number of records exposed and/or contained within the system; and

(xiv) Any additional information relevant to the incident.

(g) Sensitive Information Incident Response Requirements.

(1) All determinations related to sensitive information incidents, including response activities, notifications to affected individuals and/or Federal agencies, and related services (e.g., credit monitoring) will be made in writing by the Contracting Officer in consultation with the Headquarters or Component CIO and Headquarters or Component Privacy Officer.

(2) The Contractor shall provide full access and cooperation for all activities determined by the Government to be required to ensure an effective incident response, including providing all requested images, log files, and event information to facilitate rapid resolution of sensitive information incidents.

(3) Incident response activities determined to be required by the Government may include, but are not limited to, the following:

(i) Inspections,

(ii) Investigations,

(iii) Forensic reviews, and

(iv) Data analyses and processing.

(4) The Government, at its sole discretion, may obtain the assistance from other Federal agencies and/or third-party firms to aid in incident response activities.

(h) Additional PII and/or SPII Notification Requirements.

(1) The Contractor shall have in place procedures and the capability to notify any individual whose PII resided in the Contractor IT system at the time of the sensitive information incident not later than 5 business days after being directed to notify individuals, unless otherwise approved by the Contracting Officer. The method and content of any notification by the Contractor shall be coordinated with, and subject to prior written approval by the Contracting

Officer, in consultation with the Headquarters or Component Privacy Officer, utilizing the DHS Privacy Incident Handling Guidance. The Contractor shall not proceed with notification unless the Contracting Officer, in consultation with the Headquarters or Component Privacy Officer, has determined in writing that notification is appropriate.

(2) Subject to Government analysis of the incident and the terms of its instructions to the Contractor regarding any resulting notification, the notification method may consist of letters to affected individuals sent by first class mail, electronic means, or general public notice, as approved by the Government. Notification may require the Contractor’s use of address verification and/or address location services. At a minimum, the notification shall include:

(i) A brief description of the incident;

(ii) A description of the types of PII and SPII involved;

(iii) A statement as to whether the PII or SPII was encrypted or protected by other means;

(iv) Steps individuals may take to protect themselves;

(v) What the Contractor and/or the Government are doing to investigate the incident, to mitigate the incident, and to protect against any future incidents; and

(vi) Information identifying who individuals may contact for additional information.

(i) Credit Monitoring Requirements. In the event that a sensitive information incident involves PII or SPII, the Contractor may be required to, as directed by the Contracting Officer:

(1) Provide notification to affected individuals as described above; and/or

(2) Provide credit monitoring services to individuals whose data was under the control of the Contractor or resided in the Contractor IT system at the time of the sensitive information incident for a period beginning the date of the incident and extending not less than 18 months from the date the individual is notified. Credit monitoring services shall be provided from a company with which the Contractor has no affiliation. At a minimum, credit monitoring services shall include:

(i) Triple credit bureau monitoring;

(ii) Daily customer service;

(iii) Alerts provided to the individual for changes and fraud; and

(iv) Assistance to the individual with enrollment in the services and the use of fraud alerts;

and/or

(3) Establish a dedicated call center. Call center services shall include:

(i) A…

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