Attachment 9 Sample Task 4.1 PWS and QASP Client Satisfaction Survey Rev 1.docx

Performance Work Statement (PWS) Client Satisfaction Data Collection and Analysis – Sample Task Attachment 9

Vision Statement

The work in this BPA shall provide support services for client satisfaction data collection and analysis in comparison to related industry data and client satisfaction with counseling services and resultant outcomes.

1 General Information

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Office of Housing Counseling is seeking contractor support to provide customer satisfaction survey development and implementation with full post-survey reporting.

1.1 Introduction

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Office of Housing Counseling is seeking contractor support to provide client satisfaction survey development and implementation with full post-survey reporting.

1.2 Background

HUD Handbook 7610.1, paragraph 6-3(C), requires HUD staff to randomly select clients to be surveyed during performance reviews to confirm that services were provided. HUD stopped conducting the paper-based surveys because they were inefficient and the response rate from clients was extremely low. The Office of Housing Counseling is interested in redesigning and implementing a new automated and modernized customer satisfaction survey to obtain feedback from customers on their experience with the delivery of the housing counseling services and the agency staff, the quality of the services and the impact of those services on meeting their housing and financial goals.

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: client data available from counseling agencies; information technology systems available to implement the surveys.

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: Special Studies and Reporting Services

Detailed descriptions of tasks areas are provided in 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 shall be for 5 years.

1.7 Place of Performance

The services to be performed under this BPA Call shall be performed at the Contractor's facility.

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

The contractor shall be a firm with experience designing automated electronic customer satisfaction surveys and a firm with experience working with nonprofit organizations.

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 agreement award. The Contracting Officer will notify the Contractor of the specific date, location, and agenda within five business days after agreement award.

1.11 Status Meetings

The Contracting Officer (CO), Contracting Officer 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

The Contractor shall, upon the Contracting Officer's written notice, furnish Transition-In services as required. As a successor, the Contractor shall have sufficient personnel on board during the 30 day Transition-In period to ensure a smooth transition with the incumbent Contractor. The Contractor shall provide an orderly transition of work acceptance and accomplishment such that any impact to the program is minimized. During the Transition-In period, the Contractor shall become familiar with the requirements in order to commence full performance of services by the end of the agreement Transition-In period. Transition-In is not required if the successor Contractor is the incumbent Contractor.

1.14 Transition Out

To minimize any decrease in productivity and to prevent possible negative impacts on additional services, the Contractor shall have sufficient personnel on board during the 30 day Transition-Out period. The incumbent Contractor shall ensure a smooth transition with the successor Contractor during the Transition-Out period, prior to completion of contractual performance. The incumbent Contractor shall aid the successor in the development of plans, procedures, and methods for the assumption of all on going work. The Contractor shall provide an orderly transition of work acceptance and accomplishment, such that full control by the successor Contractor is achieved by the end of the new agreement Transition-In period.

2 Definitions and Acronyms

2.1 Definitions

Business Days - 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 an agreement to provide specific supplies or service to the Government. The term used in this agreement refers to the prime.

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

Contracting Officer Representative (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.

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 an agreement. 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 agreement.

Performance Requirements Summary (PRS) - A listing of the performance requirements under the agreement 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.

Quality Assurance (QA) - Policies and procedures adopted by the Government to ensure that supplies and services acquired under Government agreements conform to the agreement’s 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 agreement.

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

Service Agreement – An agreement 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 agreement or a subcontract entered into in connection with such prime agreement, 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 agreement 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 ARAMS - Automated Renewal and Amendment System BAA - Business Area Analysis Study CBT - Computer-Based Training CCB - Change Control Board CCMB - Configuration Change Management Board CMMI - Capability Maturity Model Integration CFO or OCFO - Office of the Chief Financial Officer of HUD CFR - Code of Federal Regulations CIO or OCIO - Office of the Chief Information Officer of HUD CO - Contracting Officer COR - Contracting Officer Representative COTS - Commercial Off-the-Shelf CPO - Office of the Chief Procurement Officer of HUD EST - Eastern Standard Time (U.S.)

ETC - Estimate to Completion GAO - U.S. General Accounting Office HUD - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development HUDAR - HUD Acquisition Regulation HUD/ISG - Internet Services Group within the Telecom Processing Division HUD Web - HUDs Intranet Web Site and related WEB pages.

IG or OIG - Inspector General (Office of) IT - Information Technology IV&V - Independent Validation and Verification LOOCS - Line of Credit Control System OCPO - Office of the Chief Procurement Officer OIG - Office of Inspector General OMB - Office of Management and Budget PL Public Law PM - Project Manager POC - Point of Contact PPM - Project Planning and Management QA - Quality Assurance QASP - Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan QCP - Quality Control Plan SF - Standard Form SME - Subject Matter Expert 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 agreement. The Government will furnish, at no cost to the Contractor, the GFP shown below.

3.1 Government Services

No Government Services will be provided.

3.2 Facilities

No Government facilities will be provided.

3.3 Equipment

No Government equipment will be provided.

3.4 Materials

The Government will provide data on clients that may be contacted for survey purposes. Additionally, any handbooks or other information necessary to complete this BPA Call that are not publicly available will be provided by the Government. Copies of required materials may be provided to the Contractor in hard copy or soft copy. 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.

3.5 Quality Assurance (QA)

The Government shall evaluate the Contractor's performance under this agreement 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 agreement that are not listed under Government-Furnished Property and Services.

4.1 Facilities

The contractor shall furnish all facilities necessary to complete this BPA Call.

4.2 Equipment

The contractor shall furnish all equipment necessary to complete this BPA Call.

4.3 Material

The contractor shall furnish all material not specified in section 3.4 necessary to complete this BPA.

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 agreement 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 agreement. 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 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 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 agreement. 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 agreement 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 agreement 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 agreement. The PWP shall include the following:

Describe the planned deliverables schedule; Identify each step in the work process required for completing the agreement 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 agreement award AQL: Zero deviation

Deliverables A001 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 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 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 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 beheld at the HUD headquarters building. 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 A002 Weekly Project Status Report and Risk Management Log A003 Meeting Agenda and Minutes A004 Meeting Reports A005 Monthly Reports A006 Weekly Internal Control Meeting Report

5.2 SCOPE AREA 2: Special Studies and Reporting Services

5.2.1 Develop a Client Satisfaction Survey

In the first BPA Call issued, the Contractor shall develop a client satisfaction survey that will support OHC in the development of future policy. This survey will provide research into specific areas in which the Government requires public feedback. Those areas will be specified for each BPA Call issued at the time of issuance. The Contractor shall help define the best process for conducting this survey in their PMP and may suggest any process accepted as a standard practice in the conduct of surveys. This process shall meet the required number of responses to ensure statistical significance in the survey, with a confidence of 95% +/- 5%. The exact length of the survey shall be so that it is not too burdensome for the client to respond but detailed enough to gather the responses necessary to be effective. Exact survey questions shall be developed with the support of OHC subject matter experts.

At the start of each BPA Call, the survey process and/or questions may be updated to reflect a new focus or initiative of the Government. The PMP and QCP shall be updated to reflect any changes agreed upon by the Contractor and COR. These changes shall not impact the fixed cost of this contract.

During the initial development of the survey, the Contractor may choose to interview OHC personnel, conduct meetings, consult outside experts, or use other research processes to ensure an effective survey. All these costs shall be the responsibility of the Contractor and shall be considered included in the total value of the agreement at award.

Performance Standards

a) Standard: The Contractor shall develop a survey that meets the goals and intent of OHC in determining client satisfaction in the conduct of housing counseling services that will make data collection easy for clients to respond and not be time burdensome for the client to submit. This survey will a confidence level of at least 95% +/- 5%.

AQL: This is a critical task, and no deviation from the standard is accepted.

Deliverables A002 Client Satisfaction Survey

5.2.2 Conduct Client Satisfaction Survey

The Contractor shall conduct the client satisfaction survey as outlined in the PMP. This survey shall be conducted once per agreement year. The Government shall provide all data necessary to contact clients. The Contractor shall collect the number of complete responses necessary to ensure an accurate representation of the client base through the survey and achieve a confidence rate of 95% +/- 5%. The client base shall be considered to be one million housing counseling clients per year. A response is only considered complete when the respondent fills out the survey in its entirety. The Contractor shall organize a client data collection process that may use state of the art technology to make data collection easy for clients to respond and not be time burdensome for the client to submit.

All data sets shall be made available upon request in a form that is accessible by HUD systems. The Contractor shall provide a Monthly Status Report of the status of survey and data collection. The exact format of this report shall be defined in the PMP. The Contractor shall meet monthly with the COR and designated subject matter experts to discuss this report and progress made on the survey. The Contractor shall also identify any challenges or expected delays during this meeting. Raw and final data sets shall be made available for inspection analysis within 10 days of written request by the COR.

Performance Standards

a) Standard: The Contractor shall conduct the survey in accordance with the PWS and PMP, including receiving the number of returned surveys that are complete as outlined in the PMP. The Contractor shall provide a Monthly Status Report as outlined in the PMP within 5 business days after the end of the reporting month.

AQL: The Contractor shall conduct the survey in accordance with the PWS and PMP, including receiving the number of returned surveys that are complete as outlined in the PMP. The Contractor shall provide a Monthly Status Report as outlined in the PMP within 7 business days after the end of the reporting month.

Deliverables A003 Monthly Status Report

5.2.3 Aggregate Data and Reporting

The Contractor shall analyze collected client data for trends, client satisfaction, outcomes, and comparison to related industry data and submit the Client Satisfaction Survey Report electronically to the COR. The report shall identify the actual confidence rate of the survey. The analysis shall discuss impacts to the OHC program, recommended changes to policy or procedure, general findings, and recommendation for changes to future surveys. A final Client Satisfaction Survey Report outlining all data sources, findings, analysis, and recommendations shall be provided as outlined in the approved PMP. This report shall be due as defined in the PMP, but no later than 30 days prior to the end of the contract year. This is to allow for review and approval of the report by the Government.

Performance Standards

a) Standard: The Contractor shall deliver a complete Client Satisfaction Survey Report of the survey process as outlined in this section and the approved PMP 20 business days prior to the end of the agreement year.

AQL: The Contractor shall deliver a complete Client Satisfaction Survey Report of the survey process as outlined in this section and the approved PMP 10 business days prior to the end of the agreement year.

Deliverables A004 Client Satisfaction Survey Report

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.

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.

Performance Standards

a) Standard: The Contractor shall deliver a complete Client Satisfaction Survey Report of the survey process as outlined in this section and the approved PMP 20 business days prior to the end of the agreement year.

AQL: The Contractor shall deliver a draft Quality Control Plan outlined in this section.

Deliverables A009 Quality Control Plan

6.2 Acceptance Criteria

Acceptance of all deliverables shall be made by the COR. All deliverables shall be submitted in a draft format outlined in the approved PMP. Upon review and acceptance by the Government, the Contractor shall address all Government comments and submit a final draft within 5 business days of Government notification.

7 Performance Requirements Summary

The summary chart below lists the agreement’s primary requirements, the associated performance standards, the expected target performance, and the methods of surveillance. While some agreement 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 agreement. Additionally, HUD reserves all rights and remedies under the provisions and clauses of the agreement when performance of any agreement requirement, whether or not listed below, is unacceptable.

HUD will develop a Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan to be used to provide agreement oversight. In conjunction with the Contractor's Quality Control Plan and various other methods of assessing performance, the COR 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 agreement. 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 agreement.

Performance Requirement Summary (PRS)

AQL: Zero deviation

3% deduction, of invoice CLIN for failure to meet weekly deliverables

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.

AQL: Zero deviation

1% deduction, per week, of invoice CLIN for failure to meet weekly deliverables 2% deduction, per day, of invoice CLIN for failure to meet monthly deliverables

AQL: This is a critical task, and no deviation from the standard is accepted.

5% of the total CLIN value

AQL: The Contractor shall conduct the survey in accordance with the PWS and PMP, including receiving the number of returned surveys that are complete as outlined in the PMP. The Contractor shall provide a Monthly Status Report as outlined in the PMP within 7 business days after the end of the reporting month.

5% of the total CLIN value

AQL: The Contractor shall deliver a complete Client Satisfaction Survey Report of the survey process as outlined in this section and the approved PMP 10 business days prior to the end of the agreement year.

5% of the total CLIN value

Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) Client Satisfaction Data Collection and Analysis

Vision

The work in this BPA Call shall provide support services for client satisfaction data collection and analysis in comparison to related industry data and client satisfaction with counseling services and resultant outcomes.

1 INTRODUCTION

This Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) is pursuant to the requirements listed in the Performance Work Statement (PWS) titled Client Satisfaction Data Collection and Analysis. This plan sets forth the procedures and guidelines The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Housing Counseling 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 US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Office of Housing Counseling, 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 agreement 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 agreement compliance, agreement 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 an agreement. 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 agreement.

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 agreement.

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 Appendix 1, "Surveillance Matrix", for Contractor performance are structured to allow the Contractor to manage how the work is performed. For certain critical activities such as those involving Project Management, the desired performance level is established at 100 percent. Other levels of performance are keyed to the relative importance of the task to the overall mission performance.

5 QUALITY ASSURANCE DOCUMENTATION

5.1 The Performance Management Feedback Loop

The performance management feedback loop begins with the communication of expected outcomes. Performance standards are expressed in the PWS and are assessed using the performance monitoring techniques shown in Appendix 1.

5.2 Monitoring Forms

The Government's QA surveillance, accomplished by the COR, may be reported using the following monitoring forms: Appendix 2 - "Corrective Action Report (CAR)", Appendix 3 - "Customer Complaint Record", and Appendix 4 "Performance Assessment Report" (PAR). The forms, when completed, will document the Government's assessment of the Contractor's performance under the agreement to ensure that the required results are being achieved. The COR will retain a copy of all completed QA surveillance forms.

6 ANALYSIS OF QUALITY ASSURANCE ASSESSEMENT

6.1 Determining Performance

The Government will use the monitoring methods cited to determine whether the performance standards/service levels/AQLs have been met. If the Contractor has not met the minimum requirements, it may be asked to develop a corrective action plan to show how and by what date it intends to bring performance up to the required levels.

6.2 Reporting

At the end of each month, the COR will prepare a written report for the CO summarizing the overall results of the quality assurance surveillance of the Contractor's performance. This written report, which includes the Contractor's submitted monthly report and the completed quality assurance monitoring forms, will become part of the QA documentation. It will enable the Government to demonstrate whether the Contractor is meeting the stated objectives and/or performance standards, including cost/technical/scheduling objectives.

6.3 Reviews and Resolution

6.3.1 The COR may require the Contractor's project manager, or a designated alternate, to meet with the CO, PM and/or other Government IPT personnel as deemed necessary to discuss performance evaluation. The COR will define a frequency of in-depth reviews with the Contractor, including appropriate self-assessments by the Contractor; however, if the need arises, the Contractor will meet with the COR as often as required or per the Contractor's request. The agenda of the reviews may include:

· Monthly performance assessment data and trend analysis,

· Issues and concerns of both parties,

· Projected outlook for upcoming months and progress against expected trends, including a corrective action plan analysis,

· Recommendations for improved efficiency and/or effectiveness,

6.3.2 The CO and COR must coordinate and communicate with the Contractor to resolve issues and concerns regarding marginal or unacceptable performance.

6.3.3 The COR and Contractor should jointly formulate tactical and long-term courses of action. Decisions regarding changes to metrics, thresholds, or service levels should be clearly documented. Changes to service levels, procedures, and metrics will be incorporated as anagreement modification at the discretion of the CO.

6.4 Surveillance Matrix

The Surveillance Matrix (Appendix 1) is the list of performance objectives and standards that must be performed by the Contractor. This matrix details the method of surveillance the COR will use to validate and inspect these performance elements.