B08_Attachment 1 - Performance Work Statement_REV1.pdf

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

FOR

MORRIS K. UDALL AND STEWART L. UDALL FOUNDATION (UDALL)

National Center for Environmental Conflict Resolution 2023003

06 June 2023 REVISED – 29 June 2023

1.0 SCOPE. This performance work statement (PWS) defines the requirements for the Contractor to provide professional services for the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation’s (Udall Foundation) John S. McCain III National Center for Environmental Conflict Resolution (National Center), in support of the USDA Forest Service Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) Advisory Committee and related NEPA Analysis project. For this project, the Contractor will work in close coordination with the National Center and the U.S.

Forest Service (USFS/Forest Service), in facilitating a Federal Advisory Committee convened by the Forest Service consistent with the Federal Advisory Committee Act

(FACA).

1.1 Background and Program Overview.

Significant changes in ecological and social conditions across the NWFP area require the U.S. Forest Service Regions 5 and 6 and its partners to evaluate existing management direction and landscape management approaches, as well as evaluate ways to promote sustainability, climate change adaptation, and wildfire resilience while providing for increased use and demands from the National Forest System within the NWFP area.

These changes have been experienced first-hand through plan implementation. They are further documented in monitoring reports, the U.S. Forest Service’s “Science Synthesis to Inform Plan Revisions Within the Northwest Forest Plan Area” (2018) (Science Synthesis), and “Bioregional Assessment of Northwest Forests” (2020). The agency further recognizes in the “Confronting the Wildfire Crisis: A Strategy for Protecting Communities and Improving Resilience in America’s Forests” the need to address, at the landscape scale, the increased frequency, intensity, and scale of wildfires brought on by fire exclusion and increased fuel densities, a warmer climate, and continued development into fire-prone landscapes.

(Section 2.0 Applicable Documents for links to the above-mentioned documents).

The NWFP Federal Advisory Committee (“Advisory Committee”) is a discretionary advisory committee asked to provide advice and recommendations on landscape management approaches that promote sustainability, climate change adaptations, and wildfire resilience while providing for increasing use of and demands from National Forest System lands in the Northwest Forest Plan area. The Advisory Committee will consist of technical experts with a wide range of diverse perspectives to the NWFP project and support Forest Service’s NEPA analysis by providing the following, consistent with the NWFP Advisory Committee Charter (Section 2.0 Applicable Documents):

• A draft engagement plan for NWFP stakeholders to support NWFP modernization effort,

• Preliminary and final recommendations on aspects of the NWFP that may need to change

• complementary public engagement strategies around the above recommendations,

• Preliminary and final recommendations on Proposed Actions that may be outlined in

NEPA actions,

• Desired conditions and strategies for regional or subregional scale applications,

• Preliminary and final recommendations and advice on NEPA alternatives, and

• Prioritization of final recommendations developed by the FACA.

Advisory Committee recommendations will address the following considerations, consistent with the FACA Charter:

• Planning options, complementing the National Wildfire Crisis Strategy, that assist the Forest Service’s transition to greater proactive wildfire risk reduction and address key obstacles related to existing vegetation management.

• Approaches to address the dynamic nature of ecosystems that utilize adaptive management, monitoring, and integration of future uncertainty into land management planning.

• Application of the best available science regarding the following primary issues: 1) the ecological importance of older and old forests; 2) climate change, fire, and associated disturbance processes; 3) terrestrial and aquatic reserved land use allocations and the relationship between the two; 4) the climatic diversity of forests encompassed by the NWFP area; and 5) habitat connectivity at multiple scales in light of changed conditions.

• Consideration of additional indigenous traditional ecological knowledge, perspectives, and values into federal forest planning and management.

• Communication tools and strategies to 1) provide greater understanding of landscape or programmatic level planning options and requirements and 2) enhance outreach efforts, public engagement, Tribal consultation and participation, targeted outreach to underserved communities, and stakeholder collaboration within the scope of the Advisory Committee.

The Udall Foundation also seeks support to identify, design, and implement engagement and collaborative processes that will support the Advisory Committee’s tasks and strengthen relationships and engage Tribes, local, state, and Federal agencies, and the public in developing the recommendations.

The Udall Foundation will coordinate with Forest Service on implementing, to the extent feasible recommended internal engagement and coordination activities relating to the FACA requirements, including providing contractor support in terms of draft technical material development, technical writers for Advisory Committee deliverables, and speaker availability for engagement activities.

The Udall Foundation will work with Forest Service to post any required Federal Register materials associated with the Advisory Committee.

2.0 APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS. The following documents are incorporated by reference to and form a part of this PWS. The Contractor is responsible for obtaining and abiding by the most current and approved versions of all applicable references listed with webpage links below. Any document referenced that does not contain an active weblink, is provided in hardcopy with this PWS.

a. NWFP Advisory Committee Charter:

https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1076962.pdf

b. Northwest Forest Plan Advisory Committee public notice:

https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r6/landmanagement/planning/?cid=fseprd1076013

c. Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), 5 USC § 1001 et seq.

https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title5/part1/chapter10&editio n=prelim

d. National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), 42 U.S.C. §§ 4321 et seq. 42 USC Ch.

55: NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY (house.gov)

e. Federal Travel Regulations, 41 CFR Part 41, Subtitle F:

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-41/subtitle-F

f. The U.S. Forest Service’s “Science Synthesis to Inform Plan Revisions Within the Northwest Forest Plan Area” (2018) (Science Synthesis) https://www.fs.usda.gov/pnw/pubs/pnw_gtr966.pdf

g. “Bioregional Assessment of Northwest Forests” (2020):

https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd762764.pdf

h. “Confronting the Wildfire Crisis: A Strategy for Protecting Communities and Improving Resilience in America’s Forests”:

https://www.fs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/Confronting-Wildfire-Crisis.pdf

3.0 TASKS. The following are tasks as they relate to this contract. Refer to section 10.0 of the PWS for travel requirements. The tasks below shall be performed in the base period and option period. The contractor shall provide a monthly status report to the Government (CDRL A001, Contractor’s Monthly Progress/Status Report).

3.1 Stakeholder Engagement and Process Design

In preparation of the Project Schedule and Engagement Plan, the Government will provide any additional background, design considerations and time limitations relevant to this task. This additional content will be provided by Udall Foundation in coordination with Forest Service, and will include identifying team members (National Center and Forest Service staff), support provided (Forest Service Technical writers), Forest Service FACA protocols and procedures, timelines, Forest Service capacity, staff support, content discussion limitations, etc.

3.1.1 Kick-Off Meeting, Create Project Schedule, and Engagement Plan– The contractor shall convene a project kick-off meeting with Udall Foundation and Forest Service Partners. Based on Kick-off meeting and background materials, the contractor shall create a project schedule and engagement plan to support development of Advisory Committee deliverables as outlined in the FACA Advisory Committee Charter and Tasks 3.2-3.4. (CDRL A002, Project Schedule and Engagement Plan) The Project Schedule shall support facilitation of the Advisory Committee and coordination of FACA reporting requirements, including plan and processes to ensure meeting notices and agendas can be https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1076962.pdf https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r6/landmanagement/planning/?cid=fseprd1076013 https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title5/part1/chapter10&edition=prelim https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title5/part1/chapter10&edition=prelim https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title42/chapter55&edition=prelim https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title42/chapter55&edition=prelim https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-41/subtitle-F https://www.fs.usda.gov/pnw/pubs/pnw_gtr966.pdf https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd762764.pdf https://www.fs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/Confronting-Wildfire-Crisis.pdf delivered to the Udall Foundation 90 days before a scheduled meeting to support Government protocols and FACA Federal Register notice requirements.

3.1.2 Conduct Outreach Assessment and analysis – The contractor shall conduct assessment and analysis to support development of the Project Schedule and Engagement Plan. This analysis may include interviews with FACA members, stakeholders and/or equivalent outreach. This shall include a review of previous assessment reports, provided by the Udall Foundation.

3.2 Facilitation of Advisory Committee:

Facilitation of the Advisory Committee and subcommittee meetings includes providing the Udall Foundation with all draft and final: notices, agendas, required meeting materials, and summaries resulting from meetings and discussions. The Contractor shall also identify the required presentations and meeting materials needed to facilitate dialogue with advance notice to coordinate provision of content and presentations at Advisory Committee meetings to support project goals. Advisory Committee meetings shall be open to the public consistent with FACA guidelines.

3.2.1 Plan and facilitate in-person Advisory Committee meetings –

The contractor shall plan, convene, and facilitate up to twelve Advisory Committee meetings. These meetings will be in-person, virtual, or combined as appropriate and determined in the Contractor Project Schedule and Engagement Plan. The first meeting must be in-person or combined in-person and virtual. The contractor shall determine meeting locations based on Project Schedule and Engagement Plan to ensure meetings occur throughout the NWFP area. For example:

• Approximately four meetings may be held in or focused on Region 5 (e.g., Redding, CA and Eureka, CA).

• Approximately eight meetings may be held in or focused on Region 6, including at least four in Oregon (e.g. Portland, Medford), at least four in Washington each (e.g., Olympia).

The contractor shall design meeting organization, format, and structure for Advisory Committee meetings. The goals and objectives of each meeting will be determined during the Task 3.1.3 briefing and updated pursuant task 3.3.1 at least 90 days in advance of each Advisory Committee meeting. The contractor shall schedule and design Advisory Committee meetings to ensure that Advisory Committee discussions support development of recommendations and are consistent with the recommendation’s milestones outlined in the Advisory Committee Charter.

The meetings shall be designed based on facilitation techniques that correspond with each meeting's goals and objectives. The contractor shall develop meeting notices (CDRL A003, Advisory Committee and Subcommittee/Working Group and Community Public Engagement Meeting Notices), which includes the meeting agendas for each meeting. The contractor shall develop a Facilitation Plan for each meeting (CDRL A004, Advisory Committee and Subcommittee/Working Group and Community Public Engagement

Meeting Materials). The contractor shall be responsible for printing and distributing meeting materials to Advisory Committee meeting attendees (CDRL A004, Advisory Committee and Subcommittee/Working Group and Community Public Engagement Meeting Materials). This includes distribution and collection of meeting evaluation forms, provided by the Udall Foundation.

Following each Advisory Committee meeting, the contractor shall develop meeting summaries (CDRL A005, Advisory Committee and Subcommittee/ Working Group and Community Public Engagement Meeting Summaries) that include main themes, key points, and agreements. Meeting summaries shall be sufficient to support development of Advisory Committee Recommendations (Task 3.2.3). The contractor shall validate Meeting Summary documentation for accuracy with the Advisory Committee, this may occur at subsequent meetings or during the drafting and review process.

Estimated Quantity: 6 advisory committee meetings (per performance period)

3.2.2 Plan and Facilitate Subcommittee or Working Group meetings. T The Contractor shall design meeting organization, format, and structure for Subcommittee or Working Group meetings. The Contractor shall convene and facilitate subcommittee or working group meetings.

The Subcommittee/Working Group meetings shall be designed based on facilitation techniques that correspond with each meeting's goals and objectives. The Contractor shall develop meeting agendas for each meeting (CDRL A003, Advisory Committee and Subcommittee/Working Group and Community Public Engagement Meeting Notices). The Contractor shall also develop a facilitation plan for each meeting (CDRL A004, Advisory Committee and Subcommittee/Working Group and Community Public Engagement Meeting Materials).

Following each Subcommittee or Working Group meeting, the Contractor shall develop meeting summaries (CDRL A005, Advisory Committee and Subcommittee/ Working Group and Community Public Engagement Meeting Summaries) that include main themes, key points, agreements. Meeting summaries shall be sufficient to support development of Advisory Committee Recommendations (Task 3.2.3)

Contractor shall determine, timing, format, and duration of the Subcommittee or working group meetings to meet project goals. For example, meetings may be up to 2 hours in duration, held virtually, or organized in conjunction with in-person Advisory Committee meetings (Task 3.2.1) or Community Engagement meetings (Task 3.4).

Estimated Quantity: 4 subcommittee meetings (per performance period)

3.2.3 Support development of Advisory Committee recommendations. The Government will provide draft materials and content to support Advisory Committee discussions to the development of the recommendations. The contractor shall support development of the Advisory Committee Recommendations (CDRL A006, Advisory Committee Recommendations). This may be completed by facilitating Advisory Committee discussions, subcommittee or working group discussions, and meeting summaries. The

Contractor will not be required to provide technical writing expertise but shall memorialize language created through consensus by the Advisory Committee. The Contractor shall work with the Udall Foundation in coordination with the Forest Service to memorialize Advisory Committee recommendations. Contractor shall validate recommendation accuracy with the Advisory Committee, this may occur at subsequent meetings or during the drafting and review process.

Each recommendation will be developed through Advisory Committee meetings and discussions. It is anticipated that Contractor will work with the Advisory Committee in creating the recommendations for the specific subjects and processes related to NEPA analysis of the NWFP as outlined in the Advisory Committee Charter (see Section 2;

Applicable Documents).

Estimated quantity: 8 Recommendations (CDRL A006) (Base period) 2 Recommendations (CDRL A006) (Option Period)

3.3 Communication and Coordination Calls:

3.3.1 Ongoing communication and coordination. The contractor shall plan, facilitate, and document monthly coordination and communication with the National Center and Forest Service, as needed, to support project activities. This includes identifying technical materials required to support Tasks 3.2, updates to the Project Schedule and Engagement Plan, and other items required to support the project needs. For example, coordination may occur through monthly calls or via email.

Estimated Quantity: Up to 12 calls (per performance period)

3.4 Convene and Facilitate Community and Public Engagement Sessions in the NWFP Area –The Contractor shall design, convene, facilitate, and document up to six community and public engagement sessions throughout the NWFP area consistent with the Project Schedule and Engagement Plan. The contractor shall determine, timing, format, and duration of these sessions to meet project goals and ensure equitable engagement throughout the NWFP area. For example, these sessions may be in-person, virtual or through hybrid model.

The Community and Public Engagement Sessions (community sessions) will address key NWFP perspectives and targeted community stakeholder groups (e.g., Tribes, State, and local governments as appropriate) in the appropriate locations as determined by Contractor in coordination with the Government. Community Dialogue Sessions will cover topic areas and issues consistent with project goals and confirmed in coordination with the Advisory Committee and the Government. For example, meetings may focus on NWFP Advisory Committee recommendation discussions, themes or topics. Likewise, they may be scheduled to correlate with Advisory Committee or subcommittee meetings and discussions (See Task 3.2.1 or Task 3.2.2). Community meetings may be 2-3 hours in duration.

The community sessions shall be designed based on facilitation techniques that correspond with each meeting's goals and objectives. The Contractor shall develop session agendas for each session (CDRL A003, Advisory Committee and Subcommittee/Working Group and Community Public Engagement Meeting Notices). The Contractor shall also develop a facilitation plan for each session. (CDRL A004, Advisory Committee and Subcommittee/Working Group and Community Public Engagement Meeting Materials)

Following each session, the Contractor shall develop session summaries (CDRL A005, Advisory Committee and Subcommittee/ Working Group and Community Public Engagement Meeting Summaries) that include main themes and key points.

Estimated Quantity: 4 total meetings, at least one meeting in each state within the NWFP area (see PWS Paragraph 9.1) (per performance period).

3.5 Task Options: In order to provide the best possible support for the requirement, the Government may utilize Task Options throughout the base and optional performance periods. Options will typically be exercised one at a time but may be combined.

The paragraphs below provide a narrative of a single instance of a task option. Each task provides the number of instances for that task that can be exercised within the base performance period and the option year. The contractor shall be required to support task options within 30 days of notification of intent to exercise the option. A contract modification will provide the effective start date for performance on any exercised optional task.

3.5.1 Convene and Facilitate Additional Community and Public Engagement Sessions in the NWFP Area Contractor shall facilitate a community and public engagement session as outlined in Task 3.4.

Estimated Quantity: Up to 10 total, conducted virtually or in conjunction with Advisory Committee meeting (per performance period)

3.5.2 Plan and Facilitate Subcommittee or Working Group meetings.

Contractor shall facilitate a Subcommittee or Working Group meeting as outlined in Task 3.2.2.

Estimated Quantity: Up to 24 total

3.5.3 Support development of Advisory Committee recommendations.

Contractor shall facilitate and support development for an Advisory Committee Recommendation as outlined in Task 3.2.3.

Estimated Quantity: Up to 12 total

4.0 PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS. Listed below are the main performance standards for this contract requirement. These standards represent “Satisfactory” performance.

PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS SUMMARY TABLE

Performance Objective

PWS

Paragraph

CDRL Performance Standard

Project Management

3.0 A001

Deliver Monthly Report within 10 working days following the end of each month of performance. There are not more than two minor revisions, due to contractor error, required per report.

Timeliness and Responsiveness to Requests and Communications

3.0 Complies with all contractual reporting

timeframes, AND

Responds to all emails and messages from the Government within three business days and advises Government of alternate point(s) of contact if primary point of contact will be absent for more than 3 business days

Knowledge of Substantive Issues

3.0 A004

A005

Government intervention to correct Contractor’s understanding of substantive issues occurs not more than once per call or meeting;

AND

Deliverables to NCECR accurately reflect – as appropriate – the substantive discussion of the calls and meetings, linkages between substantive issues, with not more than three substantive errors per month.

Knowledge of FACA protocols and procedures

3.0

Government intervention to correct Contractor’s understanding of procedural protocols occurs not more than twice per month.

Knowledge of Charter and Operating Procedures

3.0 Government intervention to correct

Contractor’s understanding of Charter not more three times per performance month.

Conflict Resolution Skills and Application

3.0

Government intervention regarding the Contractor’s impartiality and respect towards interested parties, occurs not more than twice per performance month.

Drafting Recommendations and Meeting Summaries

3.0 A005

A006

Includes all required information, per the associated CDRL

AND

Responses to 80% of comments on the draft.

5.0 DELIVERABLES: The contractor shall provide the following deliverables. National Center shall review, and coordinate development and quality assurance associated with the deliverables.

CDRL CDRL

Number

Paragraph Reference

Schedule

Contractor’s Monthly Progress/Status Report

A001 3.0 Monthly, submitted with invoice – No later than 10 working days following the end of each performance period.

Project Schedule and Engagement Plan

A002

3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4

DRAFT: 3 weeks after contract award date.

FINAL: 1 week after receipt of comments.

Advisory Committee and Subcommittee/Working Group and Community Public Engagement Meeting Notices

A003 3.2 3.3 3.4

DRAFT: 90 calendar days before first meeting and each meeting requiring substantive revisions; FINAL:

1 week after receipt of Government comments and Subcommittee/Working Group and Community Public Engagement Meeting Materials

A004 3.2

Facilitation Plan will be delivered DRAFT 45 calendar days before the meeting, Revised draft 7

Calendar days after receipt of comments from

Government. Final hard copies 1 calendar day before meetings Advisory Committee and Subcommittee/ Working Group and Community Public Engagement Meeting Summaries

A005 3.2

DRAFT: 21 calendar days after the meeting, Revised draft 1 week after receipt of comments from Udall Foundation.

Recommendations A006 3.2.3

Initial Draft submitted 6 weeks prior to Advisory

Committee Charter Deadlines. Revised Draft 1 week after receipt of comments or 2 weeks after

Initial Draft is submitted if no comments are received.

6.0 GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY (GFP) AND/OR INCIDENTAL PROPERTY.

6.1 There is no GFP on this contract.

7.0 CONTRACTOR FURNISHED EQUIPMENT (CFE). The Contractor shall provide all equipment, materials and items required to perform the requirements of this contract.

8.0 SECURITY. All Contractors in support of this contract must comply with these requirements.

8.1 Contractor Identification (FAR 37.114(c)).

1. The Contractor must provide each of its employees who will be involved in the performance of the contract, on a government facility and in all meetings, with an identification (ID) badge. The ID badge shall clearly display the contractor's name and the employee's name. It is the contractor's responsibility to ensure that all contractor personnel wear the ID badge at all times when performing work under this contract. Unless otherwise specified in the contract, each contractor employee shall wear the ID badge in a conspicuous place on the front of their clothing and above their waist, except when safety or health reasons prohibit such placement.

2. Contractor personnel shall clearly identify themselves to all attendees as a contractor employee before the commencement of meetings with Government or other contractor personnel. Contractor personnel shall clearly and immediately identify themselves as a contractor employee when placing, answering or participating in telephone/VTC conversations with Government or other contractor personnel.

3. When contractor personnel send e-mail messages from or to a Government-owned computer, they shall include a signature block that includes their employer's name, and the employee's full name and e-mail address.

4. Each of the requirements set forth in paragraphs 1-3, above must be included in all subcontracts at any tier.

9.0 PLACE AND PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE.

9.1 Place of Performance. The place of performance will be at the contractor’s facility, with specified travel to Oregon, Washington and California (travel covered in Section

10.0 Travel).

9.2 Period of Performance. The base period of performance is estimated at 01

October 2023 through 30 September 2024, with one (1) option period available, with a final performance end date of 30 September 2025.

10.0 TRAVEL. It is the responsibility of the Contractor to obtain all necessary travel documents to execute travel as required. The Contractor will be authorized travel expenses consistent with the substantive provisions of the Federal Travel Regulations (FTR), the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 31.205-46 and the limitation of funds specified in this contract. Local travel costs are not authorized.

The Contractor will be authorized travel to the following locations in fulfillment of the tasks specified in this PWS:

Oregon, Washington, and California

11.0 MATERIALS/OTHER DIRECT COSTS (ODCs).

Materials and ODCs may include items such as, meeting room rental, meeting materials, printing, shipping, etc.

12.0 PERSONNEL.

12.1 KEY PERSONNEL. Certain skilled/experienced professional and/or technical personnel are essential for successful Contractor accomplishment of the work required for performance. Additionally, personnel retention is critical due to the need for consistent facilitation performance for the entirety of the contract. Facilitators for this project must work with participants from diverse backgrounds and varied perspectives to find consensus. This level of facilitation and mediation requires building trust with participants, and an understanding of ongoing discussions. Consistent staff is essential to achieving this result.

The Contractor shall provide any personnel status changes, with the following considerations:

a. If one or more of the assigned personnel, for any reason, becomes, or is expected to become, unavailable for work under this contract for a continuous period exceeding 30-calendar days, or is expected to expend substantially less effort to the work than initially anticipated, the Contractor shall promptly notify the Government Contracting Officer, with a plan for replacement with equitably qualified personnel.

b. All personnel status changes and plan must be in writing.

12.2 PERSONNEL QUALIFICATIONS. Minimum project lead(s) qualification includes the following:

a) Experience and knowledge of facilitating FACA committees, preferred familiarity working on FACA committees with the Forest Service.

b) Experience leading a multi-party collaborative process in an impartial manner by helping parties recognize opportunities for mutual gains.

c) Familiarity with, or experience in, the NWFP Area (e.g., USFS Regions 5 and 6), to include USFS correspondence and work products related to the tasks.

d) Experience working with diverse and/or competing interests around questions of resource management in systems of comparable complexity to those associated with the NWFP region.

e) Familiarity or experience with leading a committee or organization using formal and documented rules of order.

f) Ability to work in partnership with facilitators to help move diverse groups to consensus in an unbiased and even-handed manner, setting aside the

Contractor’s own personal opinions and motivations to serve all members of the Committee equally.

g) Effective communication and listening skills.

h) Ability to manage time and keep groups on task.

i) Ability to help parties resolve disagreements and work through impasse.

j) Knowledge of environmental laws and regulations (e.g., NEPA) and the applicable scientific principles.

13.0 QUALITY CONTROL (QC). Quality Control (QC) shall be performed in accordance with the Contractor’s QC Plan (QCP) and the Government’s Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) to ensure that the standards outlined in paragraph 4.0 of this PWS are met. The QASP is provided separately as a reference/informational. It is noted that the QASP is not a part of the contract, nor is it intended to duplicate the Contractor’s

QCP.

14.0 SERVICE CONTRACT INVENTORY. The contractor shall ensure that the required reporting for service contracts (including all First-Tier subcontracts) is completed, in accordance with FAR Clause 52.204-14, Service Contract Reporting Requirements. This report shall be completed not later than October 31 (of each performance period). All report data is submitted via the internet at www.sam.gov (see SAM User Guide at www.SAM.gov), and includes all services performed under this contract during the preceding Government fiscal year (October 1 – September 30). The information reported in the inventory will be publicly accessible.

15.0 SECTION 508 COMPLIANCE. The Contractor shall ensure that materials provided in the tasks in this PWS comply with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. On August 7, 1998, President Clinton signed into law the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998, which covers access to federally funded programs and services. The law strengthens section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and requires access to electronic and information technology provided by the Federal government. The law applies to all Federal agencies when they develop, procure, maintain, or use electronic and information technology.

Federal agencies must ensure that this technology is accessible to employees and members of the public with disabilities to the extent it does not pose an “undue burden.”

Section 508 speaks to various means for disseminating information, including computers, software, and electronic office equipment. It applies to but is not solely focused on, Federal pages on the Internet or the World Wide Web. It does not apply to web pages of private industry.

General Information: https://www.ocio.usda.gov/about-ocio/enterprise-applications-services-eas/section-508-accessibility-compliance

Specific guidance based on the document type:

https://www.ocio.usda.gov/document/section-508-checklists https://www.sam.gov/