POTS SOWrev50509rnp.doc

Continuation of SF 1449 Solicitation 7TF-08-0012

GSA/FAS/7QTCA

PROCUREMENT OF TELEPHONE SERVICES (POTS)

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B.1.0 GENERAL. Equipment and Support Services B.1.1 IntroductioN. The Purchase of Telecommunications Services (POTS) procurement is to provide telecommunications equipment, customer premise equipment, telephone instruments to include ISDN devices, and associated labor; such as cabling, labor hours for repair or programming/reprogramming of equipment, data racks and patch cords to Federal Agencies within Region 7.

Advantages of this contract are less-time consuming procurements for small requirements, fixed process on numerous items, including equipment, maintenance, service and labor. The selected vendors will be required to meet specific delivery and installation schedules and to perform repairs on-site.

The Offeror shall, in accordance with the requirements set forth in this SOW, propose and furnish the personnel, labor, materials, support services, tools and facilities necessary to perform satisfactorily.

B.1.2 Background. Currently there is not a contract vehicle which allows for small purchases of telecommunications equipment and services. The new procurement will allow federal agencies in Region 7 to make small purchases for services, equipment and labor. The current national contract vehicles are not cost effective, timely and often restrictive with minimum purchase requirements. This procurement will enhance the ability to meet customer agencies needs and requirements for short turn around requirements, small quantities and will be utilized as an enhancement to current national contracts.

This contract vehicle will provide federal agencies the ability to purchase and for the POTS vendors to provide the most commonly ordered items such as cross connects, a wide variety of station cabling (category 5e, 6, 6e, fiber, etc.), labor hours for repair or programming/reprogramming of equipment, RJ-11 and RJ-45 jacks, data racks, and patch cords in various colors in a quick and efficient manner. In addition, the most common types of telephone instruments will be available such as the Nortel and Avaya products.

B.1.3 OBJECTIVES. This contract is needed to allow customers to direct order/direct bill or utilize assisted procurement for small quantity purchases of telephone equipment such as telephone sets, cabling, jacks and telecommunications services such as telephone maintenance or hourly labor for repair or programming changes.

This will be a fully competed Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Firm Fixed Price (FFP) direct order/direct bill non-mandatory single award per Local Access and Transport Area (LATA), as outlined on Attachment 1, Locations. All equipment will be firm fixed price.

All labor services will be ordered on a time and materials basis using fixed priced labor rates.

The preferred method of placing orders will be Direct Order/Direct Bill (DO/DB), with the customer ordering from, and being directly billed by the contractor; GSA receives a small fee for use of the contract. Assisted acquisition by GSA will also be offered on a per-task basis, with the GSA fee being negotiated with the requesting agency.

The use of this contract will save federal agencies time and money by not having to compete each order for low dollar amount requirements.

B.1.4 Scope. The Contractor shall be responsible for providing equipment and support services to meet the Government's objectives. A list of the Federal locations is in Attachment 1 to this SOW. Proposed equipment lists are in Attachment 2. The Contractor shall ensure that equipment and services provided are in compliance with industry standards and Government (local, state, and Federal) regulations. The Contractor shall also follow commercial practices extended to their existing customers. Also, the Contractor shall accept requests to add, move, change, and disconnect equipment and services. The Contractor shall actively interface with other telephone equipment providers and local/long distance network carriers, to coordinate service changes and resolve service problems. All data and records collected and compiled by the Contractor shall be Government property and shall remain on-site and/or be kept at a location approved by the Government.

GSA may request equipment and support services for other locations and remote equipment in GSA’s Region 7. Additional equipment and support requirements may result from customer agency growth, including existing and new customers, relocation of customer sites and any other activity that evolves around the growth, relocation and/or reduction of customer requirements. The Contractor upon inspection may agree or disagree to provide equipment and support services for additional locations. Offeror’s prices and labor hours for equipment and support services for additional locations shall be the same as those quoted in the proposal resulting from this SOW.

B.1.5 coNTRACT TYPE. The contract type is a firm fixed price, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (ID/IQ) contract. This solicitation will result in non-mandatory single award contract per Local Access and Transport Area (LATA), as outlined on Attachment 1, Locations. All equipment will be firm fixed price. All labor services will be ordered on a time and materials basis using fixed priced labor rates.

B.1.6 Place of Performance. The contract will provide equipment and services within the Greater Southwest (Region 7) area which covers the states of Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, and New Mexico (see attachment 1).

B.1.7 Hours of Operations FOR THIS CONTRACT.

d. Normal Business Day (NBD) Hours: At Government locations, the NBD period is from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM local time, Mondays through Fridays, exclusive of Federal Government holidays. During NBD hours, the Contractor shall provide access to its maintenance/support center through a toll-free telephone number, facsimile, and email.

e. Outside Normal Business Day (ONBD) Hours: At Government locations, the ONBD period is from 5:00 PM to 8:00 AM local time, Mondays through Fridays and, Saturdays, Sundays and Federal Government holidays. During ONBD hours, the Contractor shall provide access to its maintenance/support center through a toll-free telephone number.

B.1.8 Period of Performance. The contract’s period of performance starts no later than 30 calendar days after the contract award date and continues through the base period and the option year periods. The period of performance may begin on an earlier date by mutual agreement between the Contractor and the Government. This contract includes one (1) base year and four (4) one-year renewal option periods. The Government may unilaterally exercise the renewal option periods.

B.1.9 Privacy Act. Work on this contract may require that Contractor personnel have access to Privacy Information. Contractor personnel shall adhere to the Privacy Act, Title 5 of the U.S. Code, Section 552a, and other applicable agency rules and regulations.

B.1.10 Personal Services. The GSA has determined this contract is not being used to procure personal services prohibited by the Federal Acquisition Regulation, Part 37.104, Personal Services Contract.

B.1.11 Security. FAR 52.204-9 PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION OF CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL (SEPT 2007)

(a) The Contractor shall comply with agency personal identity verification procedures identified in the contract that implement Homeland Security Presidential Directive-12 (HSPD-12), Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance M-05-24 and Federal Information Processing Standards Publication (FIPS PUB) Number 201.

(b) The Contractor shall insert this clause in all subcontracts when the subcontractor is required to have routine physical access to a Federally-controlled facility and/or routine access to a Federally-controlled information system.

Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) was issued to implement the policy of the United States to enhance security, increase Government efficiency, reduce identity fraud, and protect personal privacy by established a mandatory, Government-wide standard for secure and reliable forms of identification issued by the Federal Government to its employees and contractors (including contractor employees). Under this directive, the heads of executive departments and agencies are required to implement programs to ensure that identification issued by their departments and agencies to Federal employees and contractors meet the Standard. This policy can be found at the following website:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/08/2004827-8.html.

In performance of services under this task, contractor shall insure all its personnel who require physical access to federally controlled facilities and access to Federally controlled information systems by 27 October 2007, have been issued identification in compliance with HSPD-12 policy. In their proposals, offerors shall confirm they will comply with the government client's identification procedure that is implementing HSPD-12 policy. The Security/Identification point of contact for the client agency that is responsible for implementing their HSPD-12 compliance policy is: TO BE DETERMINED ON EACH INDIVIDUAL DELVERY ORDER.

All costs associated with insuring HSPD-12 compliance by contractor’s personnel shall be borne by the government.

B.1.12 Security CLEARANCE. The Contractor and its subcontractor personnel, working at Government sites, may be required to possess security clearances. The Contractor shall be responsible for ensuring that its employees and its subcontractor employees complete applications for security clearances in an expeditious manner. Should a Contractor/subcontractor employee fail to be granted the appropriate clearance, he/she will not be allowed to work at locations requiring a clearance. While some locations may not require a security clearance, most locations will require that Contractor/subcontractor employees pass a background check prior to being issued authorized identification to work in the building.

B.1.13 Personnel. The Offeror shall propose and provide personnel who meet the requirements specified in this SOW including:

At a minimum, the Contractor shall retain technicians, installers, telecommunications engineers and other personnel necessary to meet the requirements of this SOW. The Offeror may enhance the breadth of his offering by proposing relevant skill categories that are not specified and may enhance the depth of its offering by proposing multiple skill levels for certain required positions.

B.1.14 Quality Control. The Contractor shall be responsible for implementing methods and controls to assure meeting the requirements of this contract.

B.1.15 DESIGNATED AGENCY OFFICIAL (DAO). Orders for equipment or services will be issued by GSA authorized Designated Agency Officials. The GSA FAS approved DAOs may submit requests for any equipment and services under this contract.

B.1.16 EQUIPMENT AND SERVICE REQUESTS. Equipment and service requests may be issued to the Contractor from the Notice to Proceed date through the expiration date of the contract. Upon completion of the equipment or service request, the Contractor must obtain a user agency acceptance signature and date of completion. The signed request shall be sent via email or fax to the GSA DAO. When a service request is for a PBX system component, e.g., line cards, a GSA DAO is the only authorized representative for acceptance. Completed service requests for PBX components must be forwarded to a GSA DAO for acceptance signature. All orders issued prior to the end of contract shall be honored and performed by the contractor according to all terms and conditions of the contract, including price, subject to the Government's right to stop orders . The Contractor shall maintain copies of all service requests for the duration of the contract. Copies of requests and associated records shall be available for Government inspection within 14 calendar days after the Government’s formal request. The Contractor shall maintain archived information for 7 years after completion of the final request. Archived information shall be provided to the Government in a mutually acceptable format and time frame.

B.1.17 Points of Contact.

a. GSA Contracting Officer (CO)

Elaine M. Lacker (7QTCA)

819 Taylor Street, Room 14A02

Fort Worth, TX 76102

Phone 817-574-4324

Email: elaine.lacker@gsa.gov

b. GSA Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative (COTR)

Russ Peery (7QTCB)

819 Taylor Street, Room 14A02

Fort Worth, TX 76102

Phone 817-574-4318

Email: richard.peery@gsa.gov B.2.0 REHABILITATION ACT 508 Compliance

The Contractor shall support the Government in its compliance with Section 508 throughout the development and implementation of the work to be performed. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. 794d) requires that when Federal agencies develop, procure, maintain, or use electronic information technology, Federal employees with disabilities have access to and use information and data that is comparable to the access and use by Federal employees who do not have disabilities, unless an undue burden would be imposed on the agency. Section 508 also requires that individuals with disabilities, who are members of the public seeking information or services from a Federal agency, have access to and use of information and data that is comparable to that provided to the public who are not individuals with disabilities, unless an undue burden would be imposed on the agency. The Contractor shall indicate for each line item whether each product or service is compliant or noncompliant with the accessibility standards at 36 CFR 1194. Further, the proposal must indicate where full details or compliance can be found (e.g., vendor's website or other location).

Applicable Standard will be 1194.23 Telecommunication products.

The contractor shall review the following websites for additional 508 information:

http://www.section508.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Centent&ID=12 http://www.access-board.gov/508.htm http://www.w3.org/WAI/Resources B.3.0 Government Furnished Items. If requested after task award, the Government will provide all available manuals, documentation and other technical literature available at each PBX location. The number of spare system components is limited to the Government’s stock at the time of award. The Government may provide additional Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) during the life of this contract. The Contractor shall maintain and support all GFE provided under this contract.

Government furnished space, office furniture and facilities are available at some locations and, their use by the Contractor is at the discretion of the Government.

B.4.0 CONTRACTOR Furnished Items. The Contractor shall provide all labor, tools, parts, test equipment and transportation required to perform this task and maintain the systems’ equipment, circuitry, and software. The Contractor shall take appropriate action to ensure no delays are caused by the lack of any of the above.

B.5.0 SPECIFIC REQuirements. - EQUIPMENT AND SUPPORT SERVICEs.

B.5.1.1 EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE. Other equipment maintenance includes telephone sets, consoles, modems, system monitoring and alarm reporting equipment, all wiring and mountings associated with the above.

B.5.1.2 TELEPHONE STATION EQUIPMENT AND MAINTENANCE. Some, but not all, GSA customer agencies may request maintenance and equipment for digital telephone sets and other single-line analog telephone sets.

B.5.1.3 WARRANTY SERVICES. The Contractor shall provide warranty services for new Government furnished equipment, and new Contractor furnished equipment, installed under this contract.

f. The Contractor shall provide, at no additional cost to the Government, a minimum one-year warranty (or the warranty provided by manufacturer, whichever is longer) for all new hardware and software purchased and/or installed under this contract. The warranty shall provide for equipment repair or replacement and, distribution of updated software purchased under this contract. If requested by the DAO, the Contractor shall provide, for review and approval, a written description of the warranty service associated with each product and/or service delivered and accepted.

g. Refurbished equipment may be offered by the Contractor. Contractor provided refurbished equipment shall be warranted as equivalent to new. System maintenance requirements (Section 5.0) shall apply equally to all new and refurbished equipment. The Contractor shall administer the applicable manufacturer's warranty for Government furnished equipment under the same terms and conditions as that provided for Contractor furnished equipment.

h. The warranty shall begin on the next business day after the installation date. The Contractor shall repair or replace malfunctioning equipment covered by warranty within 5 business days after the malfunction or trouble report. If the malfunction is critical to system performance, emergency maintenance procedures apply.

i. The Contractor shall provide a point of contact for warranty issues.

B.5.2 SUPPORT SERVICES. The Contractor shall be responsible for implementing procedures and controls to assure meeting the support services requirements of this task contract.

B.5.2.1 GENERAL SUPPORT SERVICES. Offeror’s proposed services shall include but not be limited to: representatives to help Government users with the following tasks; requirements planning; requests for services; rearrangements of telephone instruments, wire and associated equipment; consultation with end user customers on large or complex requirements; coordination with local/ long distance carriers and equipment vendors; and an annual inventory of system hardware and software. These activities shall be performed within reasonable and mutually acceptable timeframes.

B.5.2.2 WirE.

g. If requested by the Government, the Contractor shall furnish, install, and terminate copper wire and fiber to all locations indicated on drawings specified in the service request. Where applicable, the Contractor shall provide, install and terminate wire at each workstation outlet on dual, modular, flush mounted, miniature connectors and blocks, and on patch panels, that meet accepted industry standards and local regulations. Where outlets have been designed for wall phones, the appropriate “lug type” faceplate connector shall be used. The completed installation shall meet or exceed accepted industry standards for “flush-mounted” terminals/connectors. Station wires not installed in conduits shall be properly secured and arranged in organized bundles. All wire and cables installed by the Contractor outside of conduit or an enclosed duct system shall be fastened at sufficient intervals to prevent sagging. If installed above the ceiling, wires shall be bundled, secured to wall or support anchors, tied and strapped neatly, and elevated above the ceiling.

h. Embedded horizontal and vertical wiring in Government-owned buildings and commercial leased spaces shall be used if available. For service requests, where existing wire between the specified termination points is determined by the Contractor to be unsatisfactory, the Contractor shall propose a solution. If the DAO or COTR agrees with the Contractor’s assessment that wire is unsatisfactory, the DAO or COTR may request the Contractor to install new wire or repair the existing wire. The Government reserves the right to use other contractors to repair existing inside wiring or to install the new inside wiring. If necessary, the Contractor shall coordinate installations with building managers and agency representatives.

i. Wire shall be installed in a manner that complies with applicable Building Industry Consulting Service International (BICSI) standards, local codes and, accepted industry practices. The Contractor shall terminate wires on terminal/blocks and jacks in housing (when so directed) using accepted industry practices. Contractor installed wire, including all outlets and hardware items, shall be labeled in accordance with ANSI/EIA/TIA 606, dated February 1993 or as updated. All wire installed in dedicated closed raceways (e.g., steel conduits) shall meet or exceed the requirements of the Insulated Cable Engineers Association (ICEA) S-80-576. All other interior wire shall meet the requirements of the National Electric Code, Section 300-22. All wires that terminate on telephone stations shall meet or exceed the requirements of ICEA S-80-576. The Contractor shall meet all applicable local codes and regulations, OSHA regulations, and ANSI/TIA/EIA standards.

j. When the Government elects to install wire utilizing Government employees or other contractors, the Government will provide the Contractor with available wiring information as required.

k. Government‑owned wire within buildings shall be available for reuse, provided that such reuse does not disrupt service to any user. The Contractor shall be responsible for locating and identifying wire to be reused. Reused wire shall meet the same standards as new wire. The Contractor shall not be responsible for locating and identifying wire for reuse, in locations where the Government has assumed responsibility for its own wire.

l. All wire installations performed under this contract shall include labor, wire, jacks, closet backboards, hole drilling, terminals, blocks, connectors, wire support rings, and all other wire hardware, supplies, and tools necessary to cause the station and/or line to function. The Contractor is not responsible for core hole drilling through floor decks. Installation of equipment or wire in an areas equipped with systems (or modular) furniture shall require the Contractor to “fish” the wiring through the wiring channels available in the systems furniture and to insure that the wiring is concealed, at no additional cost to the Government.

B.5.2.3 Demarcation Point - Inside Wire. The demarcation point between the Contractor and any other vendor shall be at the applicable wire closet or Intermediate Distribution Frame (IDF) for single‑line and non‑proprietary PBX telephone system equipment. If requested by the Government, other demarcation arrangements will be the Government’s responsibility.

B.5.2.4 INSTALLATION OF GOVERNMENT FURNISHED EQUIPMENT (GFE). The Contractor shall install additional PBX and peripheral equipment provided as GFE. Within 5 business days after receipt, the Contractor shall examine the GFE and establish a completion date for installation. If the Contractor finds the GFE unacceptable and rejects it, the Contractor shall informally notify the COTR immediately by telephone or email. Within 5 business days of this informal notification, if requested, the Contractor shall submit formal written notification to the GSA ACO, stating the reasons for the rejection. Failure to so notify the ACO within this timeframe shall constitute GFE acceptance by the Contractor.

B.5.2.5 COORDINATION WITH CARRIERS AND OTHER VENDORS. The Contractor shall coordinate service installations and maintenance issues with local exchange carriers, long distance carriers and other GSA contractors and telecommunications vendors serving the Government at the PBX locations under this contract. The Contractor may be required to fulfill limited representation of GSA’s interests in dealings with these carriers, contractors and vendors, for coordination purposes only.

B.5.2.6 SYSTEM UPGRADES. The Contractor shall recommend and propose hardware/software upgrades. Contractor recommendations shall include manufacturer technical literature and the cost to the Government for the proposed upgrade. Upon GSA acceptance, the Contractor shall implement the upgrade.

B.5.2.7 ENGINEERING STUDIES. When the Government has a new or additional requirement, the Contractor shall be responsible for providing an engineering study and for developing a parts list which includes the types and quantities of all equipment and/or software needed to satisfy the requirement. Before proceeding with the engineering study, the Contractor shall provide the Government with a not to exceed estimate of the cost to provide the engineering study and the development of a parts list.

Based on the results of the parts list derived from the engineering study, the Contractor may provide a price for the required hardware and/or software. The Contractor shall provide a separate price for installation. The Government reserves the right to provide the required hardware as GFE. In this scenario, the Contractor will be required to install the equipment at the installation price quoted. The Contractor shall administer any applicable manufacturer’s warranty for GFE under the same terms and conditions as that provided for Contractor furnished equipment.

B.5.2.8 EQUIPMENT ROOMS AND OTHER WORK AREAS. The Contractor shall keep the PBX equipment room, wire closets, and other work areas clean and orderly. The Contractor shall notify the GSA COTR of any ongoing problems in these work areas.

B.5.2.9 TRAINING. The Contractor shall provide general user training, normally on a one-on-one basis, as needed, and without cost to the Government, concurrent with the installation of new telephones and/or other equipment. As a part of this training, the Contractor shall provide the user with a guide detailing the operation of the equipment. This training shall be provided at no additional cost to the Government.

B.6.0 Performance Based Task

The contractor’s performance under this task order shall be evaluated under the following FAR clauses, which have been incorporated into GSA's Quality Assurance Plan (QASP) and will be used for acceptance of deliverables for invoice payment in this performance based task as the link between quality and payment. 100% compliance is required and the following FAR contract clauses will be used to remedy any deficiencies of compliance.

FAR 52.246-2, Inspection of Supplies-Fixed Price (Aug 1996)

FAR 52.246-4, Inspection of Services-Fixed Price (Aug 1996) FAR 52.246-6 Inspection—Time-and-Material and Labor-Hour (May 2001) FAR 52.246-16, Responsibility for Supplies (APR 1984) The following matrix will be used for quality assurance, and to evaluate contractor’s performance in meeting the task order requirements.

B.7.0 Service Order Processing The contractor shall process, implement, and manage service orders. The Government intends to use the contractor’s existing service order process as much as possible for service ordering. The service order process shall accommodate the following functions:

(a) Order Initiation

(b) Order Tracking

(c) Order Completion and Acknowledgment

Figure 1.13-1 illustrates the service order process and the order status information to be provided to the Government (GSA and customer organizations).

Figure 1.13-1. Service Order Processes

B.7.1 Service Order Initiation

The contractor shall accept service orders to initiate, add, change, move, or disconnect service and service features. The contractor shall accept changes to pending orders and accept order cancellations. The contractor shall be responsible for directing and accomplishing all tasks associated with processing all service orders.

As illustrated in Figure 1.13-1, the contractor shall receive service orders from two sources:

(a) Agency Designated Representatives (ADRs) (direct ordering)

GSA will delegate to ADRs the authority to place orders directly with the contractor. For customer organizations that place orders directly with the contractor, their ADR is responsible for the orders and will sign and approve each order. The ADR is responsible for inspection and acceptance or rejection of the services performed by the contractor, as ordered by the ADR. After contract award, the contractor will be notified by the GSA CO which customer organizations have been authorized to perform direct ordering.

(b) COTR, on behalf of a customer organization, (centralized ordering)

For centralized ordering, GSA will act as an agent for customer organizations as authorized by a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) executed between the customer organization and GSA (i.e., orders will be placed by customer organizations through GSA, and GSA will issue the orders to the contractor). For the orders placed through GSA, the COTR is responsible for the orders and will approve and sign each service order, up to their signature authority of $3,000. Orders above $3,000. will be signed by the GSA CO. The COTR is responsible for inspection and acceptance or rejection of the services performed by the contractor.

The contractor shall enable the COTR or ADR to submit service orders to the contractor using the following media:

(c) Telephone

(d) Facsimile

(e) Electronic mail

(f) Electronic file

(g) Mail

(h) EDI, where technically feasible

EDI service ordering transactions shall conform to the ANSI X12 850 transaction sets, as interpreted by the Telecommunications Industry Forum (TCIF).

The contractor shall accept orders generated from the GSA Telecommunications Ordering and Payment System (TOPS). TOPS is used by the Government (GSA and some customer organizations) for submitting service orders. Government agencies approved by the CO and identified to the contractor as having authority to order services directly may submit different formats. Orders will be accepted for locations approved by the CO. The contractor will work with the organization to ensure the format will meet the contractor's requirements.

The contractor shall provide the ability for the COTR or ADR to submit bulk service requests for multiple services or features on a single service order, and batch service requests for services or features on different orders at the same time. The contractor shall be able to accept and process orders for a single service or a combination of the services. For orders that include a combination of services, the contractor shall process each individual service in the order as if it is an individual order.

The contractor shall provide a service order acknowledgement via email or facsimile immediately upon receipt of a service order. For orders received prior to noon Central Time, acknowledgement shall be provided via email or facsimile no later than 4:00 pm Central Time that same day. For orders received after noon Central Time, acknowledgement shall be provided no later than noon Central Time the following business day. The service order acknowledgement shall include GSA’s TOPS order number.

The contractor shall be responsible for assigning an order identification number for each service order and each item of a bulk service order. The contractor shall provide and implement a mechanism for providing service order information to the ADR (direct ordering) or COTR (centralized ordering). The contractor shall provide an example and specify the format, content, delivery time-frame, and media of the service order information. The contractor shall provide service order information within two (2) business days after receiving a service order.

The contractor shall provide direct order notification to the designated GSA organization of all direct orders it receives from customer organizations. The contractor shall provide an example and specify the format, content, frequency, and the electronic delivery media of the direct order notification (e.g., copy of service order, monthly summary report). The GSA organization designated to receive the direct order notifications will be determined at the time the CO approves the agency for direct order/direct bill.

If additional information or modification from the Government is required before service order processing can be completed, the contractor shall notify the COTR or ADR within two business days after receipt of the service order and shall specify the required information and action to be provided by the Government.

B.7.1.1 Service Order Changes

The Government has the right to cancel, modify, or change the due date of a service order at any time during the service order process, verbally and/or in writing. The COTR will provide written confirmation of the COTR’s verbal notice of change within one business day via email or facsimile. There will be an amended order issued to reflect the change which will be sent within three (3) business days or before the scheduled service due date, whichever is earlier. The COTR will approve and sign each service order change, up to their signature authority of $3,000. Change orders above $3,000. will be signed by the GSA CO.

Service order change charges may be applied as follows:

(a) If an order is changed prior to start of installation, no charge shall apply.

(b) If the location is changed after installation is initiated, the contractor may charge actual direct and indirect expenses incurred at both locations. The total charge shall not exceed the Moves, Adds, and Changes items unit prices for both locations.

(c) If the service availability date is changed after installation is initiated, a one-time service order change charge may apply.

(d) If an order is canceled after physical start of installation, the contractor may charge its actual direct and indirect expenses of service installation incurred up to the service order change date. The total charge shall not exceed the Moves, Adds, and Changes items unit prices for the order.

B.7.1.2 Service Order Tracking The contractor shall provide and implement the means for the COTR to verify the status of service orders from service order initiation to order completion. The contractor’s existing service order tracking procedures shall be used to the extent possible.

B.7.1.3 Service Order Completion and Acknowledgment The contractor shall complete cutover tests for upgrades required at locations as specified in Attachment 1, List of Systems and Locations, before delivering the service to the customer. The contractor shall be responsible for coordinating with any other contractors who may be involved in the service activation to ensure that everything is ready for activation. The contractor shall verify that the service is activated and operational before delivering it to the customer organization. The contractor shall perform necessary adjustments or corrections to any service deficiencies, at no cost to the Government, during service activation. If the service order requires the installation of a new line(s), the contractor will clearly mark the new service, contact the agency point of contact (POC) noted on the order and advise the POC of the line(s) installed, location on the block or frame, and the respective jack and pin number(s) as appropriate.

The contractor shall implement and activate the service within the negotiated service availability date, as appropriate. When a service order is completed, the contractor shall provide an order completion acknowledgment to the COTR. The order completion acknowledgment shall include sufficient information to identify the effective service date, SDP identifiers, associated telephone numbers, and customer organization. The contractor shall provide an example and specify the format, content, delivery date, and the electronic delivery media of the service order completion acknowledgment.

B.7.2 Operational Support

The following activities are considered as part of operational support:

(a) Number inventory and administration

(b) Moves, adds, and changes

(c) Maintenance

(d) Inventory management

B.7.3 Billing Procedures

The contractor shall bill in arrears on a monthly basis. The contractor shall provide two methods of billing, as illustrated in Figure 1.15-1:

(a) Centralized Billing: GSA will establish 3-digit system identification numbers which will allow the effective management of billing and payment. Systems may be established for a particular location with a single Billing Telephone Number (BTN). GSA may establish systems for larger geographic areas where GSA may require the vendor to render consolidated bills (also known as summary bills or roll-up bills), with multiple BTN's under one account number. The contractor shall provide GSA a single consolidated invoice for each system for all customer organizations using centralized ordering. GSA will validate and pay the invoices.

(b) Direct Billing: The contractor shall provide a single invoice to each customer organization using direct ordering. Each customer organization will validate and pay its invoice directly to the contractor.

A Contract Management Fee will be included in Direct Billing for services ordered by agencies approved by the CO to order service directly. The Contract Management Fee will be specified by the CO. The Contract Management Fee shall be a separate item on the invoices. The contractor shall collect the Contract Management Fee from the customer for GSA on a monthly basis. The contractor shall directly pay (not as a credit on the invoice) to GSA the amount of the Contract Management Fee on a quarterly basis (i.e., Government fiscal year quarters). The payment shall be remitted within 30 calendar days after the close of each quarter. Note: The contractor will be provided the initial Contract Management Fee after award by the CO and will change the contract management fee on the CO’s written request at no charge. This fee normally changes once per year.

After contract award, the GSA CO will identify to the contractor which customer organizations are authorized to use direct billing.

FIGURE 1.15-1

The contractor shall submit all invoices to the designated billing office at the address below:

DESIGNATED BILLING OFFICE ADDRESS

General Services Administration Federal Acquisition Service (7QBT)

819 Taylor Street, Room 5A21

Fort Worth, TX 76102-6114

B.7.3.1 Billing Disputes The Government requires evidence that the service order has been completed and that each associated charge has been priced correctly, or it may dispute the charge. The contractor shall provide their standard commercial practice utilized to handle disputes.

Disputes that are not resolved within 60 calendar days or the approved extension time must be escalated to the CO. Any disputes escalated to the CO will be resolved in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.233-1 (Alternate I) (Disputes).

Once a dispute is resolved, the contractor shall process and print the associated credit or debit in the next invoice or invoice supporting report, making sure that the debit or credit and the associated Billing Dispute Number is assigned to the proper level of the invoice prescribed by the Agency Billing Code, Agency Hierarchy Code, and Agency Billing ID.

B.8.0 PROMPT PAYMENT TERMS

The vendor will provide prompt payment discount terms in their proposal.

B.8.1 INVOICING INSTRUCTIONS

A. Systems Submission of Invoices.

Invoice submission is a two step process:

The Vendor shall develop an Acceptance Information document in ITSS and attach a copy of invoice with all required back-up documentation.

Current ITSS web site https://web1.itss.gsa.gov The Vendor shall also complete the invoice form on the Finance web site and attach soft copy of invoice. This is the official system of record; the invoice will not be processed for payment unless this process is completed.

Current GSA Finance web site is www.finance.gsa.gov. Go to

Obtain Password/Sign-Up for Email Notification.

B. Invoice Submission Process.

Submit the Invoice Acceptance Document only once in IT-Solutions Shop. Edit the existing document if changes are necessary. Submitting multiple copies only delays the processing.

Submit the Invoice only once in the Finance website. Edit the existing document if changes are necessary. Submitting multiple copies only delays the processing.

Make sure the Act Number from the purchase order is displayed on the invoice.

If the invoice is for Time and Materials and Labor Hour Contracts, make sure the Service Month is on the invoice.

Make sure the invoice amount and the acceptance document amount are exactly the same.

Use the invoice number for both the Finance and ITSS submission. Don’t use voucher numbers. Always enter the invoice number on the Acceptance document in ITSS. The invoice number must be identical in both sites.

Do not use special characters in the invoice number, only alpha and/or numeric. No spaces in invoice number.

If an invoice is rejected, the Vendor must submit a corrected invoice in both systems, using the original invoice number with some type of unique identifier attached; i.e. “R” to denote resubmission which will make the invoice number unique. Each invoice submission must have an invoice number that is unique.

In addition, the contractor is responsible for ensuring client acceptance of invoice. This can be accomplished in ITSS or contractor may have client sign a hard copy of invoice prior to attaching to the Acceptance Information document in ITSS.

A scanned copy of the invoice and any required backup documentation must be attached to the Acceptance Document in ITSS.

C. Timing of invoices.

Invoices shall be submitted for payment of deliverables that have been completed and accepted by the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) and/or the Client Representative (CR).

For Firm Fixed Price (FFP), this will be a completed and accepted deliverable. Evidence that the COR accepted the deliverable must be present before the GSA PM can proceed. Ensure the invoice is submitted in accordance with the established payment schedule.

For Time and Material (T&M), this will be a month’s worth of services. The Client Representative (CR) will certify that the contractor has performed in accordance with the statement of work and the government has received the hours and/or materials billed by the contractor. Ensure the requirements of FAR 52.232-7, Payments under Time-and-Materials and Labor-Hour Contracts, are fully complied with. GSA PM will certify the invoice for payment.

D. Payment of Invoices.

Payment of invoices shall be based on the quality of the invoiced deliverable. If the invoiced deliverable does not meet the established contractual standards, the invoice will not be paid until the deliverable has been determined to meet the established standards, as applicable.

The contractor is reminded that invoices will be submitted IAW FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions – Commercial Items, paragraph g, which states the following:

52.212-4(g) Invoice.

(1) The Contractor shall submit an original invoice and three copies (or electronic invoice, if authorized) to the address designated in the contract to receive invoices. An invoice must include --

(i) Name and address of the Contractor;

(ii) Invoice date and number;

(iii) Contract number, contract line item number and, if applicable, the order number;

(iv) Description, quantity, unit of measure, unit price and extended price of the items delivered;

(v) Shipping number and date of shipment, including the bill of lading number and weight of shipment if shipped on Government bill of lading;

(vi) Terms of any discount for prompt payment offered:

Travel:

1. Travel authorization approval by the client for each trip invoiced. Form must include dates of travel, person(s) traveling, and justification for trip, estimated expenses for each trip planned.

2. Travel expense report identifying all expenses being invoiced for each traveler for each trip. Expense report must detail per diem, lodging, rental cars, gas, transportation, etc; items addressed must be in accordance with FTR/JTR. Do not include individual expense receipts unless requested by the GSA CO or GSA PM.

Other Direct Costs:

1. Purchase authorization approved by the client for each item or group of items purchased and invoiced.

2. Documentation must include type of procurement (contractor schedule line item, teaming arrangement which must be authorized by the contracting officer in advance of purchase, open market which must abide by competition regulations).

If any of the information listed above is absent from an invoice, GSA will reject your invoice.

Other Information Relating to Successful Invoice Processing.

Due to Congressional Mandate and the Policy Memo from the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, all purchase order vendor data (including contracts) must match the data in the Vendor Central Contractor Registration (CCR). Finance is now rejecting purchase orders, purchase order modifications and invoices having data that does not match CCR information. This includes all orders regardless of remaining value. Contact the GSA Contracting Officer or GSA Project Manager for further information or assistance.

(d) (e) (f)

(i)

(j)

(k) (l) (m) (n) (o) (p)

(g) (h)

(g)

(c) (d)

SECTION C – CONTRACT CLAUSES

C.1 52.204-7 CENTRAL CONTRACTOR REGISTRATION (APR 2008)

(a) Definitions. As used in this clause—

“Central Contractor Registration (CCR) database” means the primary Government repository for Contractor information required for the conduct of business with the Government.

“Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number” means the 9-digit number assigned by Dun and Bradstreet, Inc. (D&B) to identify unique business entities.

“Data Universal Numbering System +4 (DUNS+4) number” means the DUNS number assigned by D&B plus a 4-character suffix that may be assigned by a business concern. (D&B has no affiliation with this 4-character suffix.) This 4-character suffix may be assigned at the discretion of the business concern to establish additional CCR records for identifying alternative Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) accounts (see the FAR at Subpart 32.11) for the same concern.

“Registered in the CCR database” means that—

(1) The Contractor has entered all mandatory information, including the DUNS number or the DUNS+4 number, into the CCR database; and

(2) The Government has validated all mandatory data fields, to include validation of the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and has marked the record “Active”. The Contractor will be required to provide consent for TIN validation to the Government as a part of the CCR registration process.

(b)(1) By submission of an offer, the offeror acknowledges the requirement that a prospective awardee shall be registered in the CCR database prior to award, during performance, and through final payment of any contract, basic agreement, basic ordering agreement, or blanket purchasing agreement resulting from this solicitation.

(2) The offeror shall enter, in the block with its name and address on the cover page of its offer, the annotation “DUNS” or “DUNS +4” followed by the DUNS or DUNS +4 number that identifies the offeror’s name and address exactly as stated in the offer. The DUNS number will be used by the Contracting Officer to verify that the offeror is registered in the CCR database.

(c) If the offeror does not have a DUNS number, it should contact Dun and Bradstreet directly to obtain one.

(1) An offeror may obtain a DUNS number—

(i) Via the Internet at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform or if the offeror does not have internet access, it may call Dun and Bradstreet at 1-866-705-5711 if located within the United States; or

(ii) If located outside the United States, by contacting the local Dun and Bradstreet office. The offeror should indicate that it is an offeror for a U.S. Government contract when contacting the local Dun and Bradstreet office.

(2) The offeror should be prepared to provide the following information:

(i) Company legal business.

(ii) Tradestyle, doing business, or other name by which your entity is commonly recognized.

(iii) Company Physical Street Address, City, State, and ZIP Code.

(iv) Company Mailing Address, City, State and ZIP Code (if separate from physical).

(v) Company Telephone Number.

(vi) Date the company was started.

(vii) Number of employees at your location.

(viii) Chief executive officer/key manager.

(ix) Line of business (industry).

(x) Company Headquarters name and address (reporting relationship within your entity).

(d) If the Offeror does not become registered in the CCR database in the time prescribed by the Contracting Officer, the Contracting Officer will proceed to award to the next otherwise successful registered Offeror.

(e) Processing time, which normally takes 48 hours, should be taken into consideration when registering. Offerors who are not registered should consider applying for registration immediately upon receipt of this solicitation.

(f) The Contractor is responsible for the accuracy and completeness of the data within the CCR database, and for any liability resulting from the Government’s reliance on inaccurate or incomplete data. To remain registered in the CCR database after the initial registration, the Contractor is required to review and update on an annual basis from the date of initial registration or subsequent updates its information in the CCR database to ensure it is current, accurate and complete. Updating information in the CCR does not alter the terms and conditions of this contract and is not a substitute for a properly executed contractual document.

(g) (1)

(i…