Attachment 10 Sample Task 4.2 PWS and QASP Editorial Services Rev I.docx

Performance Work Statement (PWS) Editorial Support Services

**This is set aside for small business participation only** Attachment 10

1 General Information

1.1 Introduction

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)/Office of Policy Development and Research is seeking contractor services to provide planning and support services to convey research results to key audiences through the development and implementation of effective information dissemination strategies, to provide "finished deliverables in final form based upon text and program information furnished by the Office of Policy Development and Research, to maintain mailing lists based on information from several sources in different formats, and mail materials furnished by HUD. The deliverables can include the creation of new brochures, revisions to existing brochures, creation of newsletters and other news items, creation of posters, flyers, and conference materials to be used in conferences and workshops, development of slides and PowerPoint presentations, preparation of conference transcripts and notes, and related conference material production work. The main area of content for this contract is editing and formatting of original research reports.

1.2 Background

The Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R) is responsible for developing policy recommendations for the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD or the Department), performing policy and economic analyses, directing the research and demonstration activities of the Department, and evaluating existing programs. PD&R identifies findings with practical value for practitioners and policymakers; validates their effectiveness and usefulness through applied research; and uses a variety of means to convey research, and to test and demonstrate results to state and local authorities. The Research Utilization Division (RUD) within PD&R takes measures to assure that HUDs constituents and customers are aware of and have access to the policy development and research initiatives of the Department.

As the federal agency with primary responsibility for housing and urban issues, HUD is directly concerned with the production, regulation, financing, safety, accessibility, and affordability of housing as well as with the social, physical, and economic health of communities.

PD&R maintains current information on housing needs, market conditions, and existing programs, and conducts research on housing and community development issues. PD&R provides data and analysis to help inform policy decisions. PD&R provides a diversity of perspectives, methods, and researchers for its reports on housing policy and programs, building technology, economic development, urban planning, and other housing-related topics.

1.3 Constraints

1.3.1 The services identified in this PWS will adhere to the rules, regulations, laws, standards, and conventions identified by HUD as well as within the Federal Government. Constraints include the following:

· Electronic submissions use HUDs standard versions of application programs and formats under Windows 2010. The standard applications used by HUD include MS Office Suite 2010.

· Documents prepared for printing are in Adobe InDesign format or be InDesign compatible.

· Documents and electronic files conform to the GPO style guide. The GPO guide can be found at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/GPO-STYLEMANUAL-2008/content-detail.html

· Documents and electronic files conform to PD&R style guide. The PD&R style guide can be found at https://www.huduser.gov/portal/About/style-guide-for-reports.pdf **If there is a conflict between GPO style and PD&R style guide the GPO Style guide will be utilized.

1.3.2 FAR 39.201 Scope of subpart.

(a) This subpart implements section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 ( 29 U.S.C. 794d), and the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board's (U.S. Access Board) information and communication technology (ICT) accessibility standards at 36 CFR 1194.1.

(b) Further information on Section 508 is available via the Internet at http://www.section508.gov.

(c) When acquiring ICT, agencies must ensure that—

(1) Federal employees with disabilities have access to and use of information and data that is comparable to the access and use by Federal employees who are not individuals with disabilities; and

(2) Members of the public with disabilities seeking information or services from an agency have access to and use of information and data that is comparable to the access to and use of information and data by members of the public who are not individuals with disabilities

1.4 Description of Services

The Contractor shall provide the following support services:

· Scope Area 1: Program and Project Management Support Services

· Scope Area 2: Business Services

Detailed descriptions of tasks areas are provided in PWS Section 5 - Specific Tasks.

1.5 Non-Personal Services

The Government will neither supervise Contractor employees nor control the method by which the Contractor performs the required tasks. Under no circumstances shall the Government assign tasks to, or prepare work schedules for, individual Contractor employees. It shall be the responsibility of the Contractor to manage its employees and to guard against any actions that are of the nature of personal services or give the perception of personal services.

If the Contractor believes that any actions constitute, or are perceived to constitute personal services, it shall be the Contractor's responsibility to notify the Contracting Officer (CO) immediately. These services shall not be used to perform work of a policy, decision making, or management nature, i.e. inherently Government functions. All decisions relative to programs supported by the Contactor shall be the sole responsibility of the Government.

1.6 Period of Performance

The period of performance is for 5 years.

1.7 Place of Performance

Place of performance will be the contractor’s facility and at HUD facilities for meetings in-person or virtually as necessary to accomplish the tasks.

1.8 Hours of Operation

The Contractor is responsible for providing services between the hours of 8:00 am and to 5:30 pm eastern time, Monday thru Friday except for Federal holidays or when the Government facility is closed due to local or national emergencies, administrative closing, or similar Government directed facility closings. Weekly hours shall not exceed a forty (40) hour work week and a typical workday will be 8 hours each day Monday through Friday. The Government reserves the right to change hours of operation or restrict contractor access. Work outside of these daily hours is prohibited without Contracting Officer approval. Government agencies will not be available during scheduled holidays, inclement weather, weekends, and after duty hours. The Contractor shall at all times maintain an adequate workforce for the uninterrupted performance of all tasks defined within the agreement when the Government facility is not closed for the above reasons. When hiring personnel, the Contractor shall keep in mind that the stability and continuity of the workforce is essential.

1.9 Special Qualifications

N/A

1.10 Post Award/Kickoff Conference

The Contractor shall attend any post award conference convened by the contracting activity or contract administration office in accordance with FAR Subpart 42.5. The Government intends to convene a Post Award Conference with the Contractor within ten business days after contract award. The Contracting Officer will notify the Contractor of the specific date, location, and agenda within five business days after contract award.

1.11 Status Meetings

The Contracting Officer, Contracting Officers Representative (COR) and other Government personnel, as appropriate may meet periodically with the Contractor to also review Contractor performance, requirement status, etc. At these meetings, the Contracting Officer will apprise the Contractor of how the Government views the Contractor's performance or progress of the requirement. The Contractor will apprise the Government of problems, if any, being experienced. Appropriate action shall be taken to resolve outstanding issues. These meetings shall be at no additional cost to the Government. Post Award Conference and subsequent meetings may be held via teleconference.

1.12 Contractor Travel

Prior to travel, the Contractor shall coordinate with and receive Government authorization from the COR for all travel. Reimbursement of travel costs will be in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulation and in accordance with FAR 31.205-46. The Contractor shall travel using the lower cost mode transportation commensurate with the mission requirements. When necessary to use air travel, the Contractor shall use the tourist class, economy class or similar lodging accommodations to the extent they are available and commensurate with the mission requirements. HUD will not reimburse Contractor's local travel. Local travel is defined as travel within fifty (50) miles of Washington, DC. All other travel will be reimbursed on a cost reimbursable basis; no profit or fee will be paid.

1.13 Transition In

N/A

1.14 Transition Out

N/A

2 Definitions and Acronyms

2.1 Definitions

Business/Workdays - Every official workday of the week which are days between and including Monday to Friday. This does not include public holidays and weekends.

Calendar Day - Any day of the week.

Contractor - A supplier or vendor awarded a contract to provide specific supplies or service to the Government. The term used in this contract refers to the prime.

Contracting Officer (CO) - A person with authority to enter into, administer, and/or terminate contracts and make related determinations and findings on behalf of the Government. Note: the only individual who can legally bind the Government.

Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) - An employee of the U.S. Government appointed by the Contracting Officer to perform contract administration activities in regard to technical issues. This individual has authority to provide technical direction to the Contractor as long as direction is within the scope of the contract, does not constitute a change and has no funding implications. This individual does NOT have authority to change the terms and conditions of the contract.

Defective Service - A service output that does not meet the standard of performance associated with the Performance Work Statement.

Deliverable Anything that can be physically delivered but may include non-manufactured things such as meeting minutes or reports.

Government Furnished Property (GFP ) - Government-furnished property means property in the possession of, or directly acquired by, the Government and subsequently furnished to the Contractor for performance of a contract. Government-furnished property includes, but is not limited to, spares and property furnished for repair, maintenance, overhaul, or modification. Government-furnished property also includes contractor-acquired property if the contractor-acquired property is a deliverable under a cost contract when accepted by the Government for continued use under the contract.

Performance Requirements Summary (PRS) - A listing of the performance requirements under the contract that are to be evaluated by the Government on a regular basis, performance indicators for these requirements, performance standards for these requirement and surveillance methods to be used to determine if performance standards are met.

Performance Standard - The Contractor's performance level required by the Government.

Performance Work Statement (PWS) - A statement of work for performance based acquisitions that describe the required results in clear, specific and objective terms with measurable outcomes.

Physical Security - Actions that prevent the loss or damage of Government property.

Project Manager (PM) A person appointed by HUD executive management to lead the execution of the contract working with the CO, COR, and other HUD stakeholders.

Quality Assurance (QA) - Policies and procedures adopted by the Government to ensure that supplies and services acquired under Government contracts conform to the contracts quality requirements.

Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) - A plan describing how the agency will survey, observe, test, sample, evaluate and document the Contractor's performance in meeting critical performance standards identified in the contract.

Quality Control (QC) - All necessary measures taken by the Contractor to assure that the quality of an end product of service shall meet contract requirements.

Service Contract - A contract that directly engages the time and effort of a Contractor whose primary purpose is to perform an identifiable task rather than to furnish an end item of supply.

Subcontractor - Any person , other than the prime Contractor, who offers to furnish or furnishes any supplies, material, equipment, or services of any kind under a prime contract or a subcontract entered into in connection with such prime contract, and any person who offers to furnish or furnishes general supplies to the prime contractor or a higher tier subcontractor. The Government does not have privity of contract with a subcontractor.

Subordinate Contracting Officer’s Representative (SCOR) - In the absence of the primary COR, an employee of the U.S. Government appointed by the Contracting Officer to perform agreement administration activities in regard to technical issues. This individual has authority to provide technical direction to the Contractor as long as direction is within the scope of the agreement, does not constitute a change and has no funding implications. This individual does NOT have authority to change the terms and conditions of the agreement.

Work Week - Monday through Friday, unless specified otherwise.

2.2 Acronyms

AQL - Acceptable Quality Level CIO or OCIO - Office of the Chief Information Officer of HUD CO - Contracting Officer COR - Contracting Officer's Representative COTS - Commercial Off-the-Shelf CPO or OCPO - Office of the Chief Procurement Officer of HUD EST - Eastern Standard Time (U.S.)

HUD - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development HUDAR - HUD Acquisition Regulation IT - Information Technology OMB - Office of Management and Budget PL - Public Law PM - Project Manager PMP - Project Management Professional POC - Point of Contact PPM - Project Planning and Management QA - Quality Assurance QASP - Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan QCP - Quality Control Plan TBD - To be determined.

U.S.C - United States Code

3 Government-Furnished Property and Services

The Contractor shall ensure accurate control and accountability of all Government-Furnished Property in accordance with the terms and conditions of this contract. The Government will furnish, at no cost to the Contractor, the GFP shown below.

3.1 Government Services

The Contractor will identify what HUD lender database and/or records are required at the contract kick off meeting.

3.2 Facilities

No government office facilities will be provided.

3.3 Equipment

No government equipment will be provided.

3.4 Materials

The Contractor will identify what HUD lender database and/or records are required at the contract kick off meeting.

Copies of required materials may be provided to the Contractor in hard copy or soft copy as stated within each task. All materials will remain the property of the Government and will be returned to the COR upon request or at the end of the contract period. All final deliverables shall be uploaded to the established SharePoint website.

3.5 Quality Assurance (QA)

The Government shall evaluate the Contractor's performance under this contract in accordance with the Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan. This plan is primarily focused on what the Government must do to ensure that the Contractor has performed in accordance with the performance standards. It defines how the performance standards will be applied, the frequency of surveillance, and the minimum acceptable quality level.

4 Contractor-Furnished Items and Services

The Contractor shall furnish, all facilities, equipment, and supplies required to perform the work under this contract that are not listed under Government-Furnished Property and Services.

4.1 Facilities

The contractor shall furnish its own facilities

4.2 Equipment

The contractor shall furnish its own equipment

4.3 Material

The contractor shall furnish its own materials other than those materials to be provided by the Government as described in each task.

4.4 Contractor Responsibilities

The Contractor shall only conduct business with designated Government personnel listed as points of contact (POCs). Names of authorized personnel shall be provided to the Contractor by the Government, in writing, and updated as necessary throughout the contract period.

U.S. Government records, copies of original results and reports, verified original data, corrected data and corrected supporting final reports which are maintained by the Contractor remain the property of the U.S. Government. These files/results must be surrendered to the COR.

4.5 Contractor Personnel

The Contractor shall provide a Contract/Project Manager who shall be responsible for the performance of work. An alternate shall also be designated to act in the absence of the Contract/Project Manager. These Contractor personnel (main point of contact and alternate point of contact) are considered Key Personnel by the Government and shall be listed as such in accordance with HUDAR 2452.237-70, "Key Personnel. The Contract/Project Manager and alternate shall have full authority to act on all contact matters relating to daily operations of this contract. Accordingly, at a minimum, the points of contact shall have the technical knowledge of the requirement and be in the position to actually receive assignment, guidance, and direction from the COR, PM and CO per HUDAR 2452.237-73, "Conduct of Work and Technical Guidance" and shall be allocated enough hours to the requirement to ensure successful performance. These points of contact shall each be an employee of the Contractor.

An employee of a subcontractor is not acceptable for either of these positions. The Contract/Project Manager or alternate shall be available between the hours of 8:00am to 5:30pm Monday through Friday EST, except Federal Holidays or when the Government facility is closed for administrative reasons.

4.6 Identification of Contractor Employees

All Contractor/subcontractor personnel shall wear company picture identification badges as to distinguish themselves from Government employees. When conversing with Government personnel during business meetings, over the telephone, or via electronic mail, Contractor/subcontractor personnel shall identify themselves as such to avoid situations arising where sensitive topics might be better discussed solely between Government employees. Contractors/subcontractors shall identify themselves on any attendance sheet or any coordination documents they may review. Electronic mail signature blocks shall identify their company affiliation. Where practicable, Contractor/subcontractors occupying collocated space with their Government program customer shall identify their workspace area with their name and company affiliation, or at a minimum, "Contractor" after name.

4.7 Quality Control

The Contractor shall establish and maintain a complete quality control program that shall ensure services are performed in accordance with this agreement. The Contractor shall develop and implement procedures to identify, prevent, and ensure non reoccurrence of defective services. The Contractor's quality control program is the means by which he assures himself that his work complies with the requirements of the agreement. The Contractor shall provide the associated Quality Control Plan to the Government as directed.

4.7.1 Quality Control Plan

The Contractor shall develop, maintain, enforce, and document a Quality Control Plan (QCP). The QCP shall ensure the Government receives the level of quality that is consistent with the requirements specified in this contract. The QCP shall be sufficiently detailed to provide the Contractor's methodology for identifying and recruiting qualified personnel. The QCP shall also provide the Contractor's methodology for resolving problems identified by the Government during reviews conducted in accordance with its Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP). The QCP shall also provide the Contractor's methodology for establishing an internal feedback system for support personnel, and for resolving problems identified by that feedback system. The QCP shall demonstrate and validate that the services or deliverables to be provided under the contract are completed with a level of quality that meets the minimum performance threshold established in the Government's QASP. The QCP shall address Quality Management Approach, Quality Assurance, Quality Control and Quality Standards.

5. Specific Tasks

5.1 Scope AREA 1: Program and Project Management Support Services

The Contractor shall provide the following program and project management support.

5.1.1 Program and Project Management Planning

No later than 30 calendar days after contract award, the Contractor shall submit a draft Project Work plan (PWP) to the COR via email and copying the HUD SCOR. The Contractor shall also submit the PWP annually. Upon receipt of COR/SCOR comments, the Contractor shall incorporate the comments and suggestions and submit a final draft no later than five business days after receipt of comments. Subsequent updates shall be submitted no later than five business days after update. The PWP shall address all the requirements contained in this PWS and define a detailed plan and schedule for the entire program. The PWP shall also consist of a narrative description and a graphic summary of the program schedule and financial elements of the contract. The PWP shall include the following:

· Describe the planned deliverables schedule; Identify each step in the work process required for completing the contract work and the period needed to accomplish each step, expressed in terms of the calendar dates;

· Provide the staff, financial and other resources (including subcontractors) allocated teach task;

· Provide the rationale for project organization, staff utilization, and other resources allocated to each task or activity; Staffing plan; and A brief, factual summary description of actual progress against the PWP during the reporting period.

All final deliverables shall be uploaded to the established SharePoint website. A final PWP shall be provided to the COR/SCOR within five calendar days after COR/SCOR review of the draft PWP. Changes to the PWP shall be reviewed and accepted by the COR/SCOR and the Contractors Project Manager prior to work beginning. Provisions shall be established to update the PWP at appropriate junctures, as directed by the COR/SCOR.

Performance Standards

a) Standard: Submit PWP 30 calendar days after contract award AQL: Zero deviation

Deliverables A002 Project Work Plan

5.1.2 Weekly Reports, Status Meetings and Monthly Reports

The Contractor shall identify key stakeholders required for workshops, interviews, and meetings (follow up status, IPT, Process Map, etc.) to deliver on the requirements in section 5.1. HUD will assist the Contractor with identifying key stakeholders. During post award kickoff, HUD OCPO will provide access to documentation such as agency Lender data and databases, standard operating procedure manuals, metrics and tracking reports, and other materials deemed important and valuable.

The contractor shall provide project management support for the tasks identified in the PWS which includes kickoff meeting, recurring project status reporting and key deliverables. The Project Plan will include all the tasks and processes to be used by the Contractor. A Project Schedule in Microsoft Project format will be provided as part of the Project Plan. The Contractor shall convene weekly project status meetings with the Government PM, COR, and other key stakeholders to discuss and update the Government on project status. The Contractor shall provide an agenda, a weekly project status report and a risk management log within two business days prior to the meeting. The Contractor shall provide meeting minutes no later than two business days after the meeting.

The weekly project status report will be prepared using Microsoft Word and/or other HUD standard Microsoft products as necessary (e.g., PowerPoint, Excel, etc.) and will include a summary of activities, accomplishments, issues requiring management attention and their proposed resolution, and an inventory of deliverables provided, due and overdue. Weekly reports are due to the Government PM and COR by 4pm EST each Friday.

Monthly reports shall be provided to include accomplishments and deliverables from the prior month and planned activities and deliverables for the upcoming month. Monthly reports are due to the Government PM and COR by the 10th of the month for the preceding month.

The Contractor shall schedule, coordinate, and attend weekly status meetings. Meeting shall be held virtually. No later than two business days after each weekly meeting, the Contractor shall draft and submit meeting minutes to the COR/SCOR via email and upload to the established SharePoint website. The meeting minutes shall be titled "Weekly Internal Control Meeting Minutes. The Contractor shall notify the COR/SCOR on the time and location of the weekly meeting no less than 48 hours in advance. The Contractor shall provide meeting minutes which shall include the following:

· Date

· Agenda

· Attendees

· Work completed

· Activities in progress

· Planned activities

· Deliverables update

Performance Standards

a) Standard: Develop and submit weekly status meeting agenda 1-day prior to the meeting and submit final minutes not later than two business days after AQL: 90% of the time.

b) Standard: Submit weekly reports by 4p.m. EST each Friday AQL: 90% of the time

c) Standard: Submit monthly reports by 10th business day of the month for the preceding month AQL: 90% of the time

d) Standard: Submit Weekly Status Report no later than two business days after each weekly meeting by emailing the COR/SCOR and upload to the established SharePoint website.

AQL: Zero deviation

Deliverables A003 Meeting Agenda and Minutes A004 Meeting Reports A005 Monthly Reports

5.2 Scope AREA 2: Business Services

5.2.1 Editing

The Contractor shall provide editorial services for various HUD publications and documents. This includes, brochures, flyers, posters, articles, newsletters, reports, guides, PowerPoint presentations, workbooks, summaries, studies, periodicals, and other promotional materials. Formatting of publications, reports, brochures and other print and web projects text shall be included with the editorial services unless specifically excluded by the COR. The editorial services include proofreading, all levels of copyediting, and technical editing. The definitions of these terms are located in Section 2.1. The COR will identify the editorial service to be performed when assigning work to the Contractor, not all assignments will involve formatting work.

The Contractor shall ensure:

· Submitted layout document and deliver print versions camera-ready package and the web-ready electronic file as prepared for web posting. Include one hard copy printout of the document within the print package.

· All materials prepared for web posting adhere to the Federal Governments 508 Compliance guidelines. Contractors are expected to both identify and remediate any 508 deficiencies

· Electronic submissions use HUDs standard versions of application programs and formats under Windows. The standard applications used by HUD include MS Office Suite.

· Documents prepared for printing are in Adobe InDesign format or be InDesign compatible.

· Documents and electronic files conform to the GPO style guide. The GPO guide can be found at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/GPO-STYLEMANUAL-2008/content-detail.html

· Documents and electronic files conform to PD&R style guide. The PD&R style guide can be found at https://www.huduser.gov/portal/About/style-guide-for-reports.pdf

**If there is a conflict between GPO style and PD&R style guide the GPO Style guide will be utilized.

· Delivered or performed within the time specified in the table below:

Proofreading

Light Copyediting

Medium Copyediting

Heavy Copyediting

Technical Editing

a. Light involves correcting faulty spelling, grammar, and punctuation; correcting incorrect language usage; checking specific cross-references for consistency; checking for consistency in spelling, hyphenation, numerals, fonts, and capitalization; checking for proper sequencing (such as alphabetical order) in lists and other displayed material; and checking for consistency in references to figures, tables, and other display elements.

b. Medium includes all tasks of light copyediting. Medium editing will also include: changing text and headings to achieve parallel structure; noting inappropriate figures of speech; ensuring that key terms are handled consistently and that vocabulary lists and the index/bibliographies/references sections contain all of the terms that meet criteria specified by HUD; checking that forewords, executive summaries, and prefaces reflect overall content correctly and consistently; maintaining consistent style and tone in a multi-author manuscript; changing passive voice to active voice, if requested; noting ambiguous or incorrect statements. Heavy (aka substantive editing) Heavy editing often results in much rewriting of the document. Includes all medium and light copyediting tasks.

c. Heavy editing will also include eliminating wordiness and inappropriate jargon; smoothing transitions and moving sentences to improve readability; assigning new levels to section heads to achieve logical structure; suggesting and sometimes implementing additions and deletions to text and noting them at the sentence and paragraph level.

d. Technical editing of complex documents for both language and content issues covering heavy copy editing's requirements (as listed above). This involves substantive editing to address the accuracy and completeness of the technical information and to ensure that the text is clear and concise for the intended audience.

· Documents and electronic files are legible and accurate. Errors are identified and corrected.

· Word files include the Track Changes saved and named the "QA edit file (i.e., quality assurance editing file).

· The Contractor shall make all required changes in support of clarity and presentation within five business days after receipt of the CORs comments.

· The final product reflects the revisions based on the CORs comments.

Performance Standards

a) Standard: Documents prepared for printing are in Adobe InDesign format or be InDesign compatible AQL: Zero deviation

b) Standard: Documents and electronic files conform to the GPO or PD&R style guide AQL: Zero deviation

c) Standard: Type your new delivered or performed within the time specified in table AQL: Zero deviation

Deliverables A006 Documents

5.2.1.1 Edit and Format the Comprehensive Housing Market Analysis Reports The Contractor shall edit and format the Comprehensive Housing Market Analysis reports (aka comps)Estimated 50 comp reports are assigned annually. The tasks to be performed are those as defined by medium edit. The content for this web-only project will be provided to the Contractor on a weekly basis for text editing. The content will fall into a range of smaller documents at 2 to 20 pages. Comp reports include information resulting from the collection and analysis of housing market data and also reports on housing production, marketing, affordability, foreclosures, and trends throughout the United States. Other housing reports that will require editing are authored by HUD PD&Rs economists and will include: Housing Market Profiles periodically assigned and are regularly produced quarterly; Regional Reports produced quarterly and include reports on the 10 HUD regions per quarter; the National Summary produced quarterly and the National Housing Market Indicators report produced monthly.

5.2.1.2 Edit and Format Three Editions of Cityscape Annually

The Contractor shall edit and format three editions of PD&Rs scholarly research journal, Cityscape, annually. The tasks to be performed are those as defined by heavy edit. This publication, which is GPO printed and web posted by HUD, will range in size from 100 to 500 pages. The goal of Cityscape is to bring high-quality original research on housing and community development issues to scholars, government officials, and practitioners. Cityscape is open to all relevant disciplines, including architecture, consumer research, demography, economics, engineering, ethnography, finance, geography, law, planning, political science, public policy, regional science, sociology, statistics, and urban studies. Cityscape is released in March, November, and July.

The Contractor shall mail Cityscape to the COR within seven days of receiving hard copies. Shipping labels are attached to envelopes by the awardee. Labels and envelopes are provided by the awardee.

The brochures are typically not shipped. Individual copies of Cityscape are typically shipped in envelopes provided by the awardee.

5.2.1.3 Update, Format, and Edit Four HUD Secretary's Award Brochures

The Contractor shall update, format and, edit the text of four program brochures for the annual HUD/PD&R and partner award competitions within five (5) days after being assigned. The four awards are presented with the American Institute of Architects, American Planning Association, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Public-Philanthropic Partnership. Shipping labels are attached to envelopes by the awardee. Labels and envelopes are provided by the awardee

5.2.2 Distribution Services

The Contractor shall provide mailing list management and bulk mailing services for the publication Cityscape.

The Contractor shall maintain the Cityscape mailing list database and provide the updated excel database file to HUD three times per year tied to the publishing dates of March, July, and November. HUD will provide the updated mailing information (addresses to delete, add or change) to the Contractor each month via emails. The most current excel database subscribers file will be provided to the contractor upon award of the contract. Bulk mailings occur three times a year for the publication Cityscape. The Contractor shall ensure that Cityscape is mailed out within five days or receipt of the publications. The contractor is responsible for all shipping/postage and handling AND all ensuring all subscribers addresses are within the United States. . The hard copies of Cityscape will be provided to the Contractor by HUD per direct delivery from the printer. The current database of subscribers is in the 1,200 to 1,700 range and fluctuates monthly. The historical highest number of subscribers has been 1,700 subscribers. Cityscape is 7x10 page size, historically 300-500 pages per issue, soft cover, and perfect bound. The contractor is responsible for the distribution and all addresses are within the United States.

5.2.3 Manage Peer Reviews of Research Publications

The Contractor shall manage and oversee the peer review process for up to five PD&R research publications annually. The COR will provide a list of scholarly reviewers in the subject area of the research paper/report to the Contractor. The Contractor shall then contact the reviewers and work with each one during the review, collect and manage all input by the reviewer, and return all input to the COR within a time to be specified upon assignment of the review (turnaround time to vary based upon publication length). The peer review process is in place to ensure PD&Rs content is reviewed for quality of research and adherence to editorial standards of the Cityscape journal, before the articles are accepted for publication. This will also ensure that the papers/reports have been vetted by scholars in the applicable/associated field for quality and importance.

6 Deliverables The Contractor shall complete all work and submit all deliverables as specified herein. The Government reserves the right to make changes to delivery dates.

Sample Deliverables:

a. Comprehensive Housing Market Analysis:

i. Landing page: https://www.huduser.gov/portal/ushmc/chma_archive.html

ii. Example: https://www.huduser.gov/portal/publications/pdf/National-CHMA-21.pdf

b. Cityscape:

i. Landing page: https://www.huduser.gov/portal/periodicals/cityscape.html

ii. Example: https://www.huduser.gov/portal/periodicals/cityscpe/vol24num1/index.html

c. HUD Secretary’s Award Brochures:

i. Landing page: https://www.huduser.gov/portal/about/call-for-entries.html

ii. Example: https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/HUD-Sec-Award-excellence-historic-preservation-2022.pdf

Number

6.1 Quality Control Plan

The Contractor's QCP shall be delivered to the COR within 30 days after agreement award (or with the Contractor's proposal if it is an evaluation factor). The Government will respond within ten business days. The QCP shall be submitted to the COR within 10 business days when changes are made thereafter. After acceptance of the QCP, the Contractor shall receive the Contracting Officer's acceptance in writing of any proposed change to its quality control system.

6.2 Acceptance Criteria

Acceptance of all deliverables shall be documented by the COR.

7 Performance Requirements Summary

The summary chart below lists the contract's primary requirements, the associated performance standards, the expected target performance, and the methods of surveillance. While some contract requirements may not be listed in the chart below, requirements not appearing on the PRS chart do not negate the Contractor's obligation to perform all requirements as specified in the contract. Additionally, HUD reserves all rights and remedies under the provisions and clauses of the contract when performance of any contract requirement, whether or not listed below, is unacceptable.

HUD will develop a Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan to be used to provide contract oversight. In conjunction with the Contractor's Quality Control Plan and various other methods of assessing performance, the COR and PM may perform on-site reviews and/or other types of verification to determine that the specified target performance requirements have been met.

Regular review of Contractor performance is critical to the overall success of the contract. On a monthly basis, the COR will evaluate the quality of the product or services.

8 Related Documents

The Contractor shall abide by all applicable regulations, publications, manuals, policies, and procedures in the performance of this contract.

Performance Requirement Summary (PRS)

AQL: Zero deviation

Invoice payment

AQL: 90% of the time

b) Submit weekly reports by 4p.m. EST each Friday AQL: 90% of the time

c) Submit monthly reports by 10th business day of the month for the preceding month AQL: 90% of the time

d) Submit Weekly Status Report no later than two business days after each weekly meeting by emailing the COR/SCOR and upload to the established SharePoint website.

Invoice payment

AQL: Zero deviation

b) Documents and electronic files conform to the GPO or PD&R style guide AQL: Zero deviation

c) Type your “new delivered” or “performed” within the time specified in table AQL: Zero deviation

Invoice payment

Estimated 50 comp reports are assigned annually. The tasks to be performed are those as defined by medium edit. The content for this web-only project will be provided to the Contractor on a weekly basis for text editing

Invoice payment

Cityscape is released in March, November, and July.

The Contractor shall mail Cityscape within seven days of receiving hard copies.

AQL: Zero deviation

Invoice payment

Update, format and, edit the text of four program brochures for the annual HUD/PD&R and partner award competitions within five (5) days after being assigned AQL: Zero deviation Invoice payment

Invoice payment

AQL: 90% of the time

Invoice payment

Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) Editorial Support Services

Vision

To provide material to the public that are accurate and easy to follow

1 INTRODUCTION

This Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) is pursuant to the requirements listed in the Performance Work Statement (PWS) titled Editorial Support Services. This plan sets forth the procedures and guidelines The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R) will use in ensuring the required performance standards or service levels are achieved by the Contractor.

1.1 Purpose

1.1.1 The purpose of the QASP is to describe the systematic methods used to monitor performance and to identify the required documentation and the resources to be employed. The QASP provides a means for evaluating whether the Contractor is meeting the performance standards/quality levels identified in the PWS and the Contractor's Quality Control Plan (QCP), and to ensure that the Government pays only for the level of services received.

1.1.2 This QASP defines the roles and responsibilities of all members of the Integrated Project Team (IPT), identifies the performance objectives, defines the methodologies used to monitor and evaluate the Contractor's performance, describes quality assurance documentation requirements, and describes the analysis of quality assurance monitoring results.

1.2 Performance Management Approach

1.2.1 The PWS structures the acquisition around "what service or quality level is required", as opposed to "how the Contractor should perform the work" (i.e., results, not compliance). This QASP will define the performance management approach taken by The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R), to monitor and manage the Contractor's performance to ensure the expected outcomes or performance objectives communicated in the PWS are achieved. Performance management rests on developing a capability to review and analyze information generated through performance assessment. The ability to make decisions based on the analysis of performance data is the cornerstone of performance management; this analysis yields information that indicates whether expected outcomes for the project are being achieved by the Contractor.

1.2.2 Performance management represents a significant shift from the more traditional Quality Assurance (QA) concepts in several ways. Performance management focuses on assessing whether outcomes are being achieved and to what extent. This approach migrates away from scrutiny of compliance with the processes and practices used to achieve the outcome. A performance-based approach enables the Contractor to play a large role in how the work is performed, as long as the proposed processes are within the stated constraints. The only exceptions to process reviews are those required by law (federal, state, and local) and compelling business situations, such as safety and health. A "results focus" provides the Contractor flexibility to continuously improve and innovate over the course of the contract as long as the critical outcomes expected are being achieved and/or the desired performance levels are being met.

1.3 Performance Management Strategy

1.3.1 The Contractor is responsible for the quality of all work performed. The Contractor measures that quality through the Contractor's own Quality Control (QC) program. QC is work output, not workers, and therefore includes all work performed under this contract regardless of whether the work is performed by Contractor employees or by subcontractors. The Contractor's QCP will set forth the staffing and procedures for self-inspecting the quality, timeliness, responsiveness, customer satisfaction, and other performance requirements in the PWS. The Contractor will develop and implement a performance management system with processes to assess and report its performance to the designated government representative. This QASP enables the Government to take advantage of the Contractor's QC program.

1.3.2 The Government representative(s) will monitor performance and review performance reports furnished by the Contractor to determine how the Contractor is performing against communicated performance objectives. The Contractor will be responsible for making required changes in processes and practices to ensure performance is managed effectively.

2 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The following personnel shall oversee and coordinate surveillance activities.

2.1 The Contracting Officer (CO)

The Contracting Officer (CO) is responsible for monitoring contract compliance, contract administration, and cost control and for resolving any differences between the observations documented by the Contracting Officers Representative (COR) and the Contractor. The CO will designate one full-time COR as the government authority for performance management. The number of additional representatives serving as technical inspectors depends on the complexity of the services measured, as well as the Contractor's performance, and must be identified and designated by the CO.

2.2 The Contracting Officer's Representative (COR)

The COR is designated in writing by the CO to act as his or her authorized representative to assist in administering a contract. COR limitations are contained in the written appointment letter. The COR is responsible for technical administration of the project and ensures proper government surveillance of the Contractor's performance.

The COR is not empowered to make any contractual commitments or to authorize any contractual changes on the Government's behalf. Any changes that the Contractor deems may affect contract price, terms, or conditions, shall be referred to the CO for action. The COR will have the responsibility for completing QA monitoring forms used to document the inspection and evaluation of the Contractor's work performance. Government surveillance may occur under the inspection of services clause for any service relating to the contract.

3 IDENTIFICATION OF REQUIRED PERFORMANCE STANDARDS/QUALITY LEVELS

The required performance standards and/or quality levels are included in the PWS and in Appendix 1, "Surveillance Matrix". If the Contractor meets the required service or performance level, it will be paid the monthly amount agreed on in the contract.

4 METHODOLOGIES TO MONITOR PERFORMANCE

4.1 Surveillance Techniques

In an effort to minimize the performance management burden, simplified surveillance methods shall be used by the Government to evaluate Contractor performance when appropriate. The primary methods of surveillance are:

· 100% Inspection - Each month, the COR, shall review the generated documentation and enter summary results into the Surveillance Activity Checklist.

4.2 Customer Feedback

The Contractor is expected to establish and maintain professional communication between its employees and customers. The primary objective of this communication is customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction is the most significant external indicator of the success and effectiveness of all services provided and can be measured through customer complaints.

Performance management drives the Contractor to be customer focused through initially and internally addressing customer complaints and investigating the issues and/or problems. The customer always has the option to communicate complaints to the CO and/or COR as opposed to the Contractor.

Customer complaints, to be considered valid, must set forth clearly and in writing the detailed nature of the complaint, must be signed, and must be forwarded to the COR.

Customer feedback may also be obtained either from the results of formal customer satisfaction surveys or from random customer complaints.

4.3 Acceptable Quality Levels

The Acceptable Quality Levels (AQLs) included in…