Performance_Work_Statement_-_EEAA_-_FinalEditsv61-31-2019v3.docx

Attachment 1- PWS Performance Work Statement for the Exercise Evaluation & After Action IDIQ 07 December 2018

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

OBJECTIVES:

The Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) requires a contractor(s) with the capability to manage multiple task orders simultaneously. The contractor must also be capable to handle all mission requirements as described herein the Performance Work Statement (PWS). Often these requirements are fluid, dynamic and can vary by task order. The requirements can develop with little warning and in unexpected volumes. The contractor must be able to respond to unexpected surge requirements with adequate numbers of qualified employees, even when the workload volume is at a level not seen before and with little advanced notice. Capability acquired through the ASPR EEAA contract vehicle include in part the expertise to execute internal and external exercises as well as conduct evaluations for planned and real world events.

The object is to award a multiple award Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract in support of Exercise, Evaluation and After Action consisting of four (4) different tasks for performance of exercise development and evolution of the ASPR wide operations, systems policies, administration of the ASPR Corrective Action Process and associated training development and delivery when required and other related in scope services. All associated task orders will be executed as Performance-based service acquisitions unless otherwise approved by the Contracting Officer.

BACKGROUND:

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) is a leader in preparing the nation and its communities to respond to and recover from public health and medical disasters, emergencies, and biological threats. The 2006 Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA), reaffirmed by the 2018 Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Reauthorization Act (PAHPRA), established the ASPR as the principal adviser to the HHS Secretary responsible for providing integrated policy coordination and strategic direction with respect to all matters related to public health, medical preparedness, biological threats, and deployment of the federal response for public health emergencies and incidents. ASPR’s mission is to lead the country in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from the adverse health effects of emergencies, disasters, and biological threats by supporting our communities’ ability to withstand adversity, strengthening our health and response systems, and enhancing national health security.

Some of the roles of ASPR are to support state and local partners, prepare the nation’s healthcare system through the National Healthcare Preparedness Program collaboration, and connect people to real-time public health and medical emergency information through our Regional Emergency Coordinators and our Operations Center. ASPR is responsible for developing operational plans, analytical products, and deploying health and medical assets in response to events. ASPR is also responsible for conducting readiness exercises to ensure the preparedness of HHS, the Federal Government and the public to respond to domestic and international public health and medical threats and emergencies. ASPR’s Divisions and the programs under it come together to support HHS’ lead Federal Agency role in responding to biological events and threats, HHS’ lead role in Emergency Support Function (ESF) 8 of the National Response Framework (NRF), and for the Health and Social Services Recovery Support Function (RSF) of the National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF). When a disaster or biological outbreak or attack happens and overwhelms a community, the ASPR provides medical care and delivers medical countermeasures and supplies to assist state and local communities in treating people affected by the event. ASPR helps local communities’ health care systems by enhancing their ability to maintain health care operations, even in the face of an emergency. They accomplish this by providing resources to communities which enable them to facilitate planning efforts and ensure the health care system can properly respond to threats. The ASPR provides resources and expertise to prepare communities for public health and medical emergencies through engaging health care system partners and volunteers from local communities. ASPR also coordinates health and social service recovery efforts for communities which have been affected by a disaster. ASPR continuously supports direct and open communication with all federal, state, local, tribal, territorial and non-governmental organization stakeholders. ASPR helps these stakeholders save lives, mitigate suffering, and preserve health through planning and training for emergencies, and coordinating the response to public health and medical emergencies. ASPR provides decision-makers with in-depth information and analysis of trends to better respond to a public health or medical emergency. ASPR accomplishes this by providing tools for the United States Government (USG), state and local health departments and other entities to track public health and medical emergencies in a specified community.

Exercise, Evaluation and After Actions (EEAA) is responsible for ensuring that ASPR systems, logistical support, procedures, and policies are in place and adequate to coordinate the Department’s operational response to acts of terrorism and other public health and medical threats and emergencies. ASPR is the lead for interagency planning and response activities required to fulfill HHS responsibilities under ESF #8 of the NRF, HSPD #8 (This directive describes the way federal departments and agencies will prepare for such a response, including prevention activities during the early stages of a terrorism incident) and HSPD #10 (This directive outlines the USG policy for Biodefense in the 21st century and provides a comprehensive framework for our nation's biodefense.). ASPR maintains regional planning and response coordination capabilities, and has operational responsibility for HHS functions related to the National Disaster Medical Systems (NDMS). ASPR acts as the primary operational liaison to emergency response entities within HHS (e.g., FDA, HRSA, SAMHSA, CDC), within the interagency community (e.g., HDS, VA, DoD), and to the public.

The National Health Security Strategy (NHSS) intends to refocus the patchwork of disparate public health and medical preparedness, response, and recovery strategies. The NHSS ensures that the nation is prepared for, protected from, and resilient in the face of health threats or incidents with potentially negative health consequences. This refocusing strengthens the community, integrates response and recovery systems, generates a framework for accountability and continuous quality improvement, and creates seamless coordination between all levels of the medical system. The NHSS provides a common vision for how the nation will achieve national health security.

Under the NHSS, ASPR’s areas of program emphasis are:

1. Enhancement to the State and local medical and public health preparedness - primarily health departments and hospitals;

2. Development and use of National and Departmental policies and plans relating to the response to public health and medical threats and emergencies (e.g., Emergency Support Function (ESF) #8 of the National Response Framework (NRF), Homeland Security Presidential Directives (HSPD) #5, #8 and #10, HHS’s Incident Response Framework and the Incident Management Team (IMT);

3. Coordination with relevant entities inside and outside HHS such as State, local and Tribal, Regional and Federal public health and medical officials, the Departments of Homeland Security (DHS), Defense (DOD), Veterans Affairs (VA), Justice (DOJ), the Homeland Security Council (HSC), other ESF #8 partner organizations and others within the National security community;

4. Rapid public health and medical support to Federal, State, local and Tribal governments who may be responding to incidents of national significance or public health and medical emergencies;

5. Coordination and participate in research, development and procurement activities related to public health emergency medical countermeasures destined for the Strategic National Stockpile.

6. Leadership in international programs, initiatives, and policies that deal with public health emergency preparedness and response related to naturally occurring threats such as infectious diseases and deliberate threats from biologic, and chemical and radiation sources; and

7. Leadership and oversight on medical, science, and public health policies, issues, and programs.

SCOPE:

ASPR, for the benefit of its National responsibilities, offices and areas of program emphasis requires contract support for the continued development, administration and conduct of the ASPR exercise program, the development and implementation of its evaluation requirements and the collection and analysis of issues and lessons learned for inclusion in the corrective actions process as necessary to achieve its mission.

This includes developing and executing operational plans, analytical products, and developing and participating in training and exercises to ensure the preparedness of ASPR, HHS, the Government, and the public to respond to domestic and international public health and medical threats, diseases and emergencies. The contractor shall provide this required support and assistance. This would provide ASPR with the systems, logistical support and procedures necessary to train and exercise the Department’s operational response to acts of terrorism and other public health and medical threats and emergencies. This requirement shall fulfill HHS lead federal agency responsibilities under the Federal Interagency Operations Plan (FIOP), HHS’ lead role in ESF #8 of the NRF, HSPD #8, HSPD #10 and PPD 44. Services shall include assisting in the training, exercising and evaluation of the Incident Support Team (IST) functions and the Incident Management Team (IMT); planning, implementing, and evaluating Departmental and interagency response exercises, the HHS Continuity of Operations (COOP), and Continuity of Government (COG) programs. As required, the contractor shall support ASPR/OEM in maintaining regional planning, training, exercising and response coordination capability and the training, and exercise and operational responsibility for HHS functions in the preparedness, recovery and response areas. The Contractor shall fulfill other ASPR training, exercise and evaluation requirements and analysis of training programs, as needed and instructed by the Contracting Officer (CO) as outlined in individual issued task orders, tailored to the need of each required task.

CONTRACT TYPE:

The resulting contract will be an IDIQ contract with Task Orders issued against it to fulfill specific requirements as related to the overall scope of this contract. The tasks described below shall be funded based on program needs and the availability of funds. The Task Orders awarded against the resulting IDIQ contract will be hybrid consisting of either a Firm Fixed Price or Time and Material/Labor Hour contract type.

TERM OF THE CONTRACT:

The Period of Performance shall not exceed a twelve month base period with four (4) twelve (12) month option periods. Any awarded task order may include specified option years.

SERVICES REQUIRED:

The contractor shall provide all management, administrative and technical support, expertise, supervision, labor, associated work space, all materials, supplies and equipment (except as otherwise specified herein). These and any and all such items identified necessary to plan, schedule, coordinate, and carry out Departmental Exercise, Evaluation, and Corrective Action Program support along with training support as required.

Overall Requirements:

1. Planning and Policy development and reviews (ConOPs, Plans, etc) as outcomes of the Corrective Actions Process and as a baseline for training and exercise development.

2. Development of analytical tools to support evaluation efforts (Real World and Exercise).

3. Discussion based exercise design, development, execution at the State, Local, Tribal, Territorial, Regional and Federal level.

4. Operations based exercise design, development, execution at the State, Local, Tribal, Territorial, Regional and Federal level.

5. Development of computer simulation to incorporate into the training and exercise programs.

6. Exercise evaluation and analysis. Development of evaluation criteria with EEAA guidance.

7. Real world response evaluation and analysis.

8. Database management of both a web based database and in person tools for tracking and monitoring the corrective action program.

9. Database management of both a web based database and in person tools for tracking and monitoring the corrective action program.

As needed, the contractor shall develop materials specific to the changing needs of ASPR as they respond to current events and continually prepare their staff for possible scenarios and upcoming events. This support shall include, but is not limited to;

1. Conducting readiness and response assessments

1. Assess the HHS response and identify planning and resource gaps.

1. Develop guidance documents intended to enhance preparedness at the state and local levels

Task Orders will be awarded when requirements are needed by administering a Task Order for one or more tasks listed below:

Task 1: Exercise development and facilitation

The contractor shall support development and facilitation of exercises and games, based upon HHS response needs to test whether the training outcomes have been achieved, corrective actions have been incorporated, and to support the planning and policy development processes. Types of exercises shall be discussion and operations based and shall include, but are not be limited to Seminar, Workshop, Facilitated Discussion, Table Top, Command Post, Full Functional and Full Scale. Games will be in the discussion based format and support planning and policy development to include plan and policy development during real world response operations. Development of these exercises and games shall include, but is not limited to the full cycle of objectives setting, planning conferences, scenario development, question development, develop and create video clips to support exercises, hotwash, after action reports and validation. The contractor shall be prepared to support the full range of exercise design development from Concept and Objectives to Initial, Mid and Final Planning sessions to exercise execution and After Action development and publication as well as providing meeting supplies such as name tents, name tags, and other relevant office supply materials to support meeting execution. Coordinate the full spectrum of event planning to support the planning and conduct of exercises. This task includes support to the training and exercise planning process, participant conferences and training, exercise execution, providing subject matter experts and facilitators, and the after action review development process. Contractor will also be required to travel as needed for required meetings.

Schedule of Deliverables (after task award):

1. Within 20 days of task award, the Contractor shall develop in conjunction with the ASPR Project Officer a prioritized work plan for the development and conduct of the ASPR exercise plan.

2. Within 60 days of task award, the Contractor shall provide a timeline of deliverables for the exercises identified in the APSR exercise plan.

Task 2: Simulation development

Subject to available funds HHS desires to incorporate computer simulation into its training and exercise programs. The contractor should have current knowledge of industry standards and capabilities related to computer simulation and the use of computer simulation in the training and exercise environment. Development of computer simulation for use in HHS training and exercise programs will have the goal of increasing realism and reducing costs by allowing participation through distributed delivery in a virtual environment. This task will specifically include developing the capability to integrate outputs of models into a dynamic scenario for real time delivery to participants.

Schedule of Deliverables (after task award):

1. Within 20 days of task award and identification of funding, the Contractor shall develop in conjunction with the ASPR Project Officer a prioritized work plan for simulation development.

Task 3: Corrective Action Program (CAP)

Content of the training and exercise programs shall be revised based on the observations and recommendations from the exercises and real world events. For this task, the Contractor shall assist in the maintenance of the corrective action program that evaluates training, exercise and real world activities. The contractor shall analyze and visualize public health and response data as well as organize data into appropriate predictive modeling. The contractor shall also use innovative tools and technologies where appropriate to analyze data. The contractor shall collect, analyze and use data to examine program impacts and contribute to continuous program improvement. This will define observations and recommendations in the form of after action reports to be incorporated into ASPR plans, policies and procedures for future training activities. The contractor shall also assist with executing after action conferences where applicable and provide additional support for real world and exercise events. Contractor may also be asked to perform historical case studies and present findings at after action conferences or other relevant meetings for the sake of having the response community learn from previous findings. The contractor may be asked to perform trend analysis on the compiled data and create a report for ASPR leadership. The contractor may be asked to find subject matter experts to speak at these conferences and to facilitate hotwashes and other meetings as necessary. The contractor may also be asked to travel for both real world and planned events to evaluate APSR procedures and responses. Other tasks may include but are not limited to the following:

· Contractor shall focus upon promptly developing initial capabilities and work with ASPR to define additional or refined functionality to meet the requirements for public health emergency preparedness training, exercises and real-world events

· Contractor may be asked to further refine current lessons learned memos and reports as well as create new memos for additional topics

· Contractor shall provide subject matter experts to conduct research on specific real world events or exercises when asked

· Contractor shall provide subject matter experts to evaluate HHS trainings when asked.

· Contractor shall develop evaluation guides for real world and events, to include no notice responses and pre-planned events

· Contractor shall create visual guides such as graphs, report guides, and other visual aides to illustrate the data and trends that may be observed

· Contractor shall ensure that all data used in writing an AAR is cross walked on an excel spreadsheet or other tool agreed upon by the Program Manager and COR to ensure that all observations can be traced back to original data.

Conduct Ongoing Analysis of CAP Data and Trends through Modeling and Investigation:

· Contractor shall examine the available data and identify recurring observations and recommendations

· Contractor shall conduct detailed analysis, examining CAP data trends by elements such as, but not limited to public health and emergency medicine functional area, scenario type, and geography

· Contractor shall conduct trend analysis on elements such as remediation time and funding requirements

· Contractor shall coordinate with ASPR to identify public health corrective actions that require interagency resolution, and to recommend resolution strategies to ASPR

· Contractor shall provide analytical briefings and memos that summarize key public health emergency preparedness CAP trends for ASPR and HHS leadership on a monthly basis

Schedule of Deliverables (after task award):

1. Within 20 days of task award, the Contractor shall develop in conjunction with the ASPR Project Officer a prioritized work plan for support of the ASPR Corrective Actions Program.

Task 4: CAP Tool Management

Tools shall be developed and maintained for tracking and monitoring corrective action programs. The contractor shall develop processes/tools in accordance with government guidance to support enhanced data quality and data management. Current tool is built in dot.net and the operating system is windows server 2012R2 and the database server is SQL Server 2012. The contractor shall also maintain both web based database and in person tools for tracking and monitoring the corrective action program. Contractor shall update the system when needed and create new applications when requested based on the needs of HHS.

Conduct Ongoing Analysis of CAP Data and Trends through Modeling and Investigation:

· Contractor shall provide ASPR with ongoing support to conduct detailed trend analysis of CAP data collected via the web-based CAP system

Schedule of Deliverables (after task award):

1. Within 20 days of task award, the Contractor shall develop in conjunction with the ASPR Project Officer a prioritized work plan for tracking and monitoring corrective action programs.

2. Within 60 days of task award, the Contractor shall provide a timeline of deliverables for the trend analysis of CAP data.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

Emergency Response Plan

The contractor shall ensure that any and all individuals assigned to this contract are appropriately oriented to the policies and procedures of the areas that they may be working in.

Periodic Inspections:

The contractor's performance and the quality of services provided hereunder shall be subject to final inspection and acceptance by the CO in conjunction with the Project Officer (PO)/Contracting Officer Representative (COR). The PO/COR shall periodically conduct on-the-job inspections to determine the overall quality of contract performance, the job knowledge of individual employees, the effectiveness of training, and to observe and determine the conduct and appearance of personnel.

Experience:

Minimum of 5 years’ experience for Tasks 2, 3, and 4. Minimum of 3 years’ experience for the lead person on Task 1.

Overtime:

The contractor shall occasionally be required to perform services after hours, which include evenings, weekends and holidays. Overtime could be required, with prior approval of the PO/COR and the CO. Compensation will be made at a predetermined rate. Prior written consent from the Contracting Officer in the form of a Contracting Officer Authorization (COA) is required for overtime reimbursements.

Security Requirements:

The contractor must satisfy requirements to work with and safeguard Security Sensitive Information (SSI). All support personnel must understand and rigorously follow HHS requirements, policies, and procedures for safeguarding SSI. Contractors shall complete SSI, Information Security and IT Security Awareness courses, and read & sign the Computer Access Agreement, as a condition of the contract. For certain programs the content may be considered sensitive or for official use only. Personnel should be aware of the requirements for maintaining confidentiality of such sensitive subject matter. If a prospective employee is found to be ineligible for access to Government facilities or information, the PO will advise the Contractor that the employee shall not continue to work or to be assigned to work under this contract. The Contractor is required to sign a non-disclosure agreement based on the content of the information to be handled in performing tasks, which may include: Sensitive Security Information (SSI) (as defined by 49 C.F.R. Part 1520); information protected by the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. Section 552a); and proprietary information related to procurement efforts.

Supervision:

The contractor shall arrange, with the Exercise Evaluation & After Action (EEAA) Project Officer, for satisfactory supervision of the contract to include full responsibility for task delivery offered by and through any sub-contract agreement. The contractor shall be responsible for maintaining satisfactory standards of employee competency, conduct, appearance, and integrity while on Government property. The contractor shall be responsible for taking disciplinary actions with respect to his/her employees as may be necessary. The Contracting Officer (CO) may require removal from the job site, those Contractor employees deemed to be unsuitable to work on this contract, or those whose continued employment under the contract is deemed to be contrary to the public interest, or inconsistent with the best interests of the Government.

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS:

Contractor personnel shall travel as requested to accomplish work directed in each individual task order to attend conferences, specialized training, and other meetings associated with the priorities of the stakeholders. Individual anticipated travel instances will be specified in the task order and/or requested by the Government COR or CO. Upon the completion of travel, trip reports shall be prepared in accordance with HHS regulations.

Travel requests, other than local travel, shall be approved in advance by the Contracting Officer Representative (COR). However, prior written consent from the Contracting Officer in the form of a Contracting Officer Authorization (COA) is required for all travel requests. Again, all contractor travel, per diem, and lodging required under this contract shall be reimbursed in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulations. The contractor shall be responsible for documenting and maintaining all travel related prices. Contractor time shall be compensable only for time spent on substantive project related work. Travel is authorized under this contract only upon the written authorization of the Contracting Officer. The Government will not reimburse the contractor for travel costs incurred in the replacement of personnel when such replacement is accomplished for the contractor’s or employee’s convenience. Also, the contractor shall not be reimbursed for any unauthorized travel. The Federal Travel Regulations, Joint Travel Regulations (JTR), and Standardized Regulations as stated in FAR 31.205-46 will be used as a guide in determining reasonableness of per diem costs. Costs for travel shall be allowable subject to the provisions of FAR 31.205-46.

508 COMPLIANCE

The awarded contract will be subject to Section 508 compliance. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794d) requires Federal agencies to purchase electronic and information technologies (EIT) that meet specific accessibility standards. This law helps to ensure that federal employees with disabilities have access to, and use of, the information and data they need to do their jobs. Furthermore, this law ensures that members of the public with disabilities have the ability to access government information and services. There are three regulations addressing the requirements detailed in Section 508. The Section 508 technical and functional standards are codified at 36 CFR Part 1194 and may be accessed through the Access Board’s Web site at http://www.access-board.gov. The second regulation issued to implement Section 508 is the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). FAR Part 39.2 requires that agency acquisitions of Electronic and Information Technology (EIT) comply with the Access Board’s standards. The entire FAR is found at Chapter 1 of the Code of Federal Register (CFR) Title 48, located at http://www.acquisition.gov. The FAR rule implementing Section 508 can be found at http://www.section508.gov. The third applicable regulation is the HHS Acquisition Regulation (HHSAR).

Regardless of format, all Web content or communications materials produced for publication on or delivery via HHS Web sites - including text, audio or video - must conform to applicable Section 508 standards to allow federal employees and members of the public with disabilities to access information that is comparable to information provided to persons without disabilities. All contractors (including subcontractors 1) or consultants responsible for preparing or posting content intended for use on an HHS-funded or HHS-managed Web site must comply with applicable Section 508 accessibility standards, and where applicable, those set forth in the referenced policy or standards documents below. Remediation of any materials that do not comply with the applicable provisions of 36 CFR Part 1194 as set forth in the SOW or PWS, shall be the responsibility of the contractor or consultant retained to produce the Web-suitable content or communications material.

Prime contractors may enter into subcontracts in the performance of a Federal contract, but the prime remains obligated to deliver what is called for under the contract.

References:

HHS Policy for Section 508 Electronic and Information Technology (E&IT) (January 2005):

https://www.hhs.gov/ocio/policy/508_policy.html HHS ASPA Web Communications Division Web site:

http://www.hhs.gov/web/policies/index.html US General Services Administration (GSA) Section 508 Web site:

http://www.section508.gov/index.cfm

Contractor Performance:

All contractor personnel working under this contract are subject to the following:

The PO/COR reserves the right to approve or reject the Project Manager, Supervisor, or other employee, based upon resume or personal history, whichever is applicable. The CO also has the authority to direct the Contractor to remove any employee from this contract for any conduct that is deemed inappropriate for work on a Government installation.

· Replacement is subject to the prior written approval of the CO.

· Requests for replacement shall include a detailed resume containing a description of position duties and qualifications, as well as information about the qualifications of the individual(s) proposed including sub-contractors.

· Key supervisory and technical support personnel must be supported by resume for each task here aforementioned. Contractor proposals to move any key personnel off the contract shall be submitted in writing at least 30 days in advance of proposed move. See bullets above for the government’s role in the replacement of personnel. Any financial impact caused by the departure or replacement of key personnel shall be absorbed by the Contractor. The government shall have no financial responsibility for the loss of key Contractor personnel.

Government Furnished Equipment:

The contractor shall furnish all supplies, materials and equipment necessary for the successful performance of the work under this contract. Some personnel may be located on site at the ASPR/EEAA office, dependent on each task order. In this case HHS will furnish all supplies, materials and equipment necessary for the successful performance of the work under this contract.

The Government will provide the contractor with the following:

· Documentation – access to manuals, statutes, SOP, playbooks, routine reports, and related materials necessary to perform under this contract

Contractor Equipment Requirement:

· The contractor shall have on site equipment as required to accomplish the work called for under this contract

· The contractor shall provide all printing, binding, laminating, and publishing (both hard copy and web-based) of all training related materials

· The PO/COR may require the Contractor to purchase and proficiently use the following equipment/software programs: Access, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Word, Web Access, Internet Explorer, Blackberry, Desktop Manager, Project 2000, Adobe Acrobat, and other windows supported applications

· The contractor shall own, develop or purchase and maintain a license or software to allow on-line registration and participant attendance tracking for scheduled events

Contractor Responsibilities for Government Property

Responsibility for Government Property:

The contractor assumes full responsibility for, and shall indemnify the Government from, all loss or damage to any and all Government property, including any equipment, supplies, accessories, or parts furnished to the Contractor that occurs during the contractor’s performance under this contract. This includes repairs or services performed under the terms of this contract, resulting in whole, or in part, from the negligent acts or omissions of the contractor or the contractor’s sub-contractors.

Hold Harmless and Indemnification Agreement:

The contractor shall save and hold harmless and indemnify the Government against any and all liability, claim and cost of whatsoever kind and nature for injury to or death of any person or persons. This includes loss or damage to any property occurring in connection with or in any way incident to, or arising out of the occupancy, use, service, operations, or performance of work under the terms of this contract, resulting in whole or in part from the negligent acts or omissions of the contractor, any sub-Contractor, or any employee or agent, or representative of the contractor or sub-contractor.

Damage to Government Property from Causes other than Contractor’s Negligence:

Nothing in the paragraphs above shall be considered to preclude the Government from receiving the benefit of any insurance the contractor may carry which provides for indemnification for loss or destruction of, or damage to property in the custody and care of the contractor where such loss, destruction of, or damage is to Government property. The contractor shall do nothing to prejudice the Government’s right to recover against third parties for loss of, destruction of, or damage to Government property, and upon request of the CO, shall provide reasonable assistance and cooperation (including assistance in the prosecution of suit and execution of instruments of assignment in favor of the Government) in obtaining recovery.

Performance Meetings:

At the PO/COR’s discretion, he/she and the contractor’s Program Manager shall meet quarterly to evaluate the manner in which the contractor performed in accordance with the contract requirements and standards such as:

· good workmanship;

· the contractor’s record of forecasting and controlling cost;

· the contractor’s adherence to contract schedule;

· Contractor’s history of reasonable and cooperative behavior and commitment to customer satisfaction, and generally;

· the contractor’s business like concern for the interest of the customer

The CO may attend these meetings.

Technical Monitoring:

Performance of work under this contract shall be subject to the technical monitoring of the PO/COR. The term "Technical Monitoring" is defined to include, without limitation, the following:

a. Technical directions to the contractor which redirect the contract effort, shift work emphasis between work areas or tasks, require pursuit of certain lines of inquiry, fill in details or otherwise serve to accomplish contractual scope of work.

b. Provide information to the contractor for assistance in the interpretation of drawings, specifications or technical portions of the work description.

c. Review and, where specified by the contract, approval of technical reports, drawings, specifications and technical information to be delivered by the contractor to the Government under the Contract.

Technical direction must be within the general scope of work stated in the contract. The PO/COR does not have the authority to and may not issue any technical direction which constitutes an assignment of additional work outside the general scope of the contract; constitutes a change as defined in "Changes" in any manner causes an increase or decrease in the total price of the contract; or the time required for contract performance; or changes any of the expressed terms, conditions, or specifications of the Contract. Only the CO has the authority to make any changes to the contract via modification.

All other technical directions will be issued in writing by the PO or will be confirmed in writing within five (5) working days after issuance by the PO.

The contractor shall proceed promptly with the performance of technical directions duly issued by the PO in the manner prescribed within their authority under this provision.

If, in the opinion of the contractor, any instruction or direction issued by the PO is within one of the categories as defined above, the contractor shall not proceed but shall notify the CO in writing within five (5) working days after the receipt of any such instruction or direction and shall request the CO to modify the contract accordingly.

Upon receiving such notification from the contractor, the CO shall issue an appropriate contract modification or advise the contractor in writing that, in his opinion, the technical direction is within the scope of this article and does not constitute a change under the Changes Clause of the contract. The contractor shall thereupon proceed immediately with the direction given. A failure of the parties to agree upon the nature of the instruction or direction or upon the contract action to be taken with respect thereto shall be subject to the provisions of contract clause "Disputes."

Project Officer (PO):

The PO is responsible for the technical requirements covered by this contract, as contemplated above, "Technical Monitoring" hereof, will be designated by separate correspondence.

Conference/Meeting Facilities:

The contractor, if responsible for the selection of a conference/meeting facility for 30 or more attendees, shall consider a minimum of three sites and select the site offering the most cost savings to the Government upon approval of the CO.

The contractor shall ensure that all facilities, meetings and seminars held pursuant to this contract are accessible to persons with disabilities.

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS/QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE

The performance standards, acceptable quality levels (AQLs), and methods of surveillance for the minimum set of required services applicable to all PWS’s are listed in the following table. Additional services may be identified in individual task orders. The contractor shall at all times keep the Government COR informed on any potential problems they encounter. The Government COR will review and verify that all services and deliverables fulfill the requirements and standards stated in the PWS of the contract/task order.

Required Services (Tasks and Deliverables) Performance Standards Acceptable Quality Levels Methods of Surveillance Impact on Contractor

Potential delay in invoice processing

Potential delay in invoice processing

Ensure that ongoing analysis of CAP data and trends is conducted through modeling and investigation for Task 3.

The Government COR will closely monitor the contractor’s performance using the monitoring methods cited to determine whether the performance standards/service levels/AQLs have been met. Failure to meet the required service or performance level will influence the Government’s decisions to award additional work or exercise remaining option years.

KEY PERSONNEL

The offeror shall provide a resume for each person proposed for participation in the project that the offeror would reasonably consider a key member of the technical or management team. The key personnel shall be identified along with the individual expertise they offer. Individual resumes shall be no more than 3 pages in length.