9Q1HCSRGP001 Sec G Amend 01.pdf

RFP 9Q1HCSRGP001 Local Services Acquisition (LSA) for the State of Hawaii

Amendment 01

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SECTION G - CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

G.1 Contract Administration

Notwithstanding the Contractor’s responsibility for total management during the performance of the contract, the administration of this contract will require maximum coordination between the Government and the Contractor. The following sections describe the roles and responsibilities of individuals who will be the Government and Contractor points of contact during performance of this contract.

G.1.1 Government Points of Contact

Figure G.1.1 shows the various levels of Government contract management personnel. During the conduct of the procurement, the GSA Procuring Contracting Officer (PCO) is the sole

Government official authorized to bind the Government. After contract award, the GSA PCO may delegate in writing contract administration authority to GSA Administrative Contracting

Officers (ACOs). The GSA PCO and ACOs may delegate in writing certain responsibilities to

GSA Contracting Officer’s Technical Representatives (COTRs) to monitor the Contractor’s technical performance.

The GSA PCO may delegate in writing contract administration authority to Agency ACOs.

The Agency ACOs may delegate in writing certain responsibilities to Agency COTRs to monitor the Contractor’s technical performance in regards to orders issued by their Agency.

The Agency ACOs and COTRs have authority only within their respective organization.

Figure G.1.1 – Government Contract Management Personnel

The following describes the specific functions of the various Government contract management personnel.

GSA PCO

GSA ACO Agency ACO

GSA COTR Agency COTR

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G.1.1.1 GSA PCO

Name: Jo Ann Lew

Title: Sr. Contracting Officer

Address: GSA, FAS, Acquisition Operations Division (9QZA)

450 Golden Gate Ave., 4th Floor West

San Francisco, CA 94102-3434

Phone: (415) 522-4550

Fax: (415) 522-4545 e-Mail: joann.lew@gsa.gov

The GSA PCO will provide to the Contractor, copies of appointments made to GSA and

Agency ACOs and to GSA COTRs. All responsibilities, duties, and functions not delegated in writing remain within the purview of the GSA PCO.

G.1.1.2 GSA and Agency ACOs

GSA and Agency ACOs will be designated after contract award. ACOs are responsible for issuing and administering orders and monitoring the Contractor’s performance relative to those orders to the extent those responsibilities, duties, and functions are delegated in writing.

The Contractor shall direct correspondence regarding contract administration matters to the cognizant GSA or Agency ACO. That ACO is the only person authorized to make or approve any changes in regards to the orders issued by that ACO. In the event the Contractor should make any changes at the direction of any person other than the cognizant ACO, such change shall be considered to have been made without authority and no adjustment shall be made in the contract price to cover any increase in costs incurred as a result thereof.

G.1.1.3 GSA and Agency COTRs

The GSA and Agency COTRs will be designated after contract award and during contract performance. Generally, the GSA COTRs are also the Project or System Managers for their respective systems.

The GSA PCO or ACO and Agency ACO are responsible for appointing COTRs and providing a copy of the appointment letter to the Contractor. The appointment letter shall state the

COTR’s responsibilities and limitations.

The types of actions generally delegated to COTRs are listed below.

(a) Monitor the Contractor’s performance to ensure the services and deliverables meet the contract requirements as to quality, timeliness, and price;

(b) Perform inspections and notify the ACO and Contractor of any deficiencies and agreed-to corrective actions;

(c) Coordinate the delivery of Government-furnished property to the Contractor or the site in a timely manner; and

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(d) Coordinate access to the site with the Contractor and building manager.

The GSA or Agency COTR may clarify the technical aspects of the order and provide general guidance to the Contractor. As used herein, "general guidance" is intended to inform the

Contractor of details that may have been omitted from the order, provide site-specific information that may impact completion of the order, or answer Contractor questions. Any guidance provided by a COTR must be within the terms and conditions of this contract, shall not change or modify this contract or the order in any way, and shall not constitute a change under the Changes clause of this contract.

The COTR will not supervise Contractor personnel or direct the Contractor’s performance. The

COTR is not empowered to make any commitments or changes which affect the contract price, terms, or delivery date. Any such proposed changes must be immediately brought to the attention of the ACO for action. The acceptance of any change by the Contractor without specific approval and written consent of the ACO shall be at the Contractor's risk.

If, in the Contractor's opinion, the COTR requests or indicates an expectation of effort which would justify or require an equitable adjustment to the order, the Contractor shall promptly notify the ACO in writing pursuant to FAR 52.243-7, Notification of Changes, and proceed accordingly.

G.1.2 Contractor’s Points of Contact

The Contractor shall provide an organizational structure for the management and administration of this contract. The Contractor shall provide personnel to perform the following functions:

(a) Serve as the point of contact to interface with the Government (GSA and Agency representatives) on issues related to program administration

(b) Oversee the overall management and operations of services provided under the contract

(c) Serve as the point of contact to interface with the Government (GSA and Agency representatives) on major issues related to operational support and implementation

(d) Coordinate with COTRs, Agencies, subContractors, and other service providers during the implementation of services

(e) Serve as the single point of contact to interface with COTRs and meet with the

Government (GSA and Agency representatives) on planning and operational issues related to classified requirements and/or problems in the event of national security threats and/or disaster situations

(f) Obtain and maintain a Top Secret clearance for National Security/Emergency

Preparedness (NS/EP) requirements

(g) Serve as the point of contact to interface with the Government (GSA and Agency representatives) on issues related to trouble reporting and trouble report resolution

(h) Provide copies of trouble reports when requested by the Government (GSA and

Agency representatives)

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(i) Report to the appropriate GSA COTR within four hours upon notice of an NS/EP event.

G.1.2.1 Contractor’s Key Personnel

The Contractor shall identify key personnel including, but not limited to, a Program Manager, Project Manager, and Contracts Manager. The Contractor shall maintain a list of key personnel with contact information and description of their respective roles and responsibilities. All personnel assigned to fulfill contract management and administrative functions shall be accessible to the Government (GSA and Agency representatives) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, by telephone and e-mail. The Contractor shall provide the PCO, ACOs, and COTRs with an updated list of all points of contact within five working days after any changes.

G.1.3 Agent for the Government

The Contractor shall act as the Government's liaison with telecommunications carriers and equipment suppliers for activities including, but not limited to, installation and maintenance of service, work at off-premise locations, and activities necessary for restoration of service. In order for the Contractor to act as the Government's liaison, the GSA PCO or Agency ACO will provide a Letter of Agency authorizing the Contractor to coordinate activities to complete orders or resolve troubles. These activities include, but are not limited to, the following.

(a) Coordinate with existing or future service providers to transition services as ordered.

(b) Undertake all necessary preparations to implement new services.

(c) Resolve service problems with other service providers, Contractors, or Government representatives.

G.2 Service Ordering

The Contractor shall provide the services and/or supplies at the price and by the due date set forth on each order. The Contractor shall complete all orders unless an error is discovered and the Contractor receives a modification to the order from the ACO. If there is disagreement regarding the services or price, the Contractor shall immediately contact the appropriate ACO and provide written notice of the disagreement and proposed resolution. Once resolved, the

COTR is responsible for monitoring the Contractor’s performance and accepting deliverables.

Orders may be issued under this contract from the date of contract award through the life of the contract, including option periods that are exercised by the GSA PCO. All orders placed under this contract are subject to the terms and conditions of the contract.

The service ordering process includes Contractor-provided quotes and receipt of orders from the Government. The Contractor shall maintain copies of all service orders and supporting documentation

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The Contractor shall provide a point of contact, e-mail address, and toll-free telephone number for use by the Government to obtain price quotes, submit and track service orders, and initiate service order changes.

G.2.1 Service Price Quotes

The Contractor shall receive and respond to the Government’s Request for Quote (RFQ) when it is sent via e-mail, fax, online, or other acceptable method. The Contractor shall provide a price quote that identifies all applicable recurring and non-recurring charges, the service availability date, and a due date for completion of all work. The Contractor shall supplement the price quote with a technical description of the quoted services, if requested in the RFQ.

The Contractor shall work with the applicable COTR to plan, define, and develop service alternatives or solutions. The Contractor may submit an alternate quote if the Contractor determines another approach is more economical and/or efficient in meeting the Government’s requirement.

The Government will review the Contractor’s quote and either request additional information or proceed with issuing an order.

The Contractor may request additional information or a site visit. The Contractor shall make this request to the COTR within three work days after receipt of the RFQ.

All costs associated with the development, presentation, and negotiation of the Contractor’s price quotes shall be solely at the Contractor’s expense.

G.2.2 Fair Opportunity Process

Orders placed under this contract are subject to FAR 16.505, Ordering, including the “Fair opportunity” process described in FAR 16.505(b)(1), unless one of the statutory exceptions in

FAR 16.505(b)(2) applies (see the following).

(a) The value of the order is $3,000 or less.

(b) The agency need for the supplies or services is so urgent that providing a fair opportunity would result in unacceptable delays.

(c) Only one awardee is capable of providing the supplies or services required at the level of quality required because the supplies or services ordered are unique or highly specialized.

(d) The order must be issued on a sole-source basis in the interest of economy and efficiency because it is a logical follow-on to an order already issued under the contract, provided that all awardees were given a fair opportunity to be considered for the original order.

(e) It is necessary to place an order to satisfy a minimum guarantee.

Table G.2.2 provides examples of exceptions to the fair opportunity process. These examples are provided only for illustration purposes.

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Exception Example of Service Order Types that Qualify as

Exceptions

Unusual urgency that would lead to unacceptable delays gency needs, military/mobilization needs, or immediate short-term need arising on short notice

Only one capable Contractor Contractor offers the service or only one

Contractor offers the service to the locations where the service is needed. ly one Contractor can demonstrate that it is capable of providing service in the manner required by the user or to the required locations

Economy, efficiency and logical follow-on to an order already issued under fair opportunity

Service orders associated with any moves, additions, changes, or similar needs; incremental service orders for the same or a new service to locations where service already exists or has been ordered; service orders placed to minimize inefficiencies or additional costs that would result from introducing multiple maintenance, operations, training network management, or other support systems; or service orders placed to maintain the engineering and operational integrity of or to augment an established telecommunications capability within an organization

Meet a minimum revenue guarantee

Table G.2.2 - Examples of Fair Opportunity Exceptions

The Government intends to solicit quotes and place orders using the fair opportunity process.

All Contractors offering the required services at the specified locations will be provided an opportunity to respond to the RFQ. The Government assumes that Contractor-furnished information is accurate and current. The Contractor is encouraged to update information regarding its services because the Government may rely on this information when making ordering decisions.

After receipt of quotes, the Government will evaluate the quotes in accordance with the evaluation criteria stated in the RFQ. If clarifications are needed, the ACO will contact the

Contractor’s designated representative. When all information has been received from the

Contractor and evaluated by the Government, the ACO will review all information and the recommendations by the evaluation team. The ACO will make the final award decision.

The Government does not intend to advise Contractors of every order to be placed or provide

Contractors a separate opportunity to compete for each order. A GSA Service Order

Ombudsman has been appointed to hear concerns from Contractors. The Service Order

Ombudsman does not diminish the authority of the GSA or Agency ACO. The Service Order

Ombudsman is responsible for reviewing complaints from Contractors and for ensuring

Contractors are given fair opportunity in the ordering process.

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The Service Order Ombudsman is a senior GSA official who is independent of the GSA

Contracting Officer. The Service Order Ombudsman does not have the authority to overturn ordering decisions or to adjudicate formal contract disputes. The GSA Service Order

Ombudsman is:

Name: Mr. Les Yamagata

Title: Competition Advocate

Address: GSA, FAS, Office of the Assistant Regional Administrator (9Q)

450 Golden Gate Ave., 4th Floor West

San Francisco, CA 94102-3434

Phone: (415) 522-4520

Fax: (415) 522-4504 e-Mail: les.yamagata@gsa.gov

G.2.3 Service Order Processing

The Contractor shall process and manage service orders. The Government intends to use the

Contractor’s existing ordering process and procedures to the greatest extent possible to satisfy the requirements for Centralized Ordering by the GSA ACO and Direct Ordering by the

Agency ACO. The Contractor’s service order process shall accommodate the following functions.

(a) Service Order Initiation

(b) Service Order Types

(c) Service Order Acknowledgement

(d) Service Order Changes

(e) Service Availability Intervals

(f) Service Termination

(g) Service Order Tracking

(h) Service Order Completion Notice

Figure G.2.3 illustrates the service order processes and the order status information to be provided to the Government (GSA and Agency).

Figure G.2.3 - Service Order Processes

Contractor

Agency

Agency

Contractor

GSA

Service Order Direct Order Acknowledgment & Completion Notice

DIRECT ORDERING

CENTRALIZED ORDERING

Service Request Service Order

Order Acknowledgment and Order Completion Notice

Order Acknowledgment

Order Tracking

Order Tracking

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G.2.3.1 Service Order Initiation

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

As illustrated in Figure G.2.3, the Contractor shall receive service orders from GSA and

Agency ACOs.

(a) Centralized ordering. The GSA ACO, on behalf of the requesting Agency, will act as an agent for Agency as authorized by a Memorandum of Understanding or Interagency

Agreement executed between the Agency and GSA. The GSA ACO is responsible for soliciting and evaluating quotes and placing orders. The GSA COTR is responsible for inspection and acceptance or rejection of the services performed by the Contractor.

(b) Direct ordering. GSA will delegate to Agency ACOs the authority to place orders directly with the Contractor. For Agencies that place orders directly with the Contractor, their

ACO is responsible for the soliciting and evaluating quotes and placing orders. The Agency

COTR is responsible for inspection and acceptance or rejection of the services performed by the Contractor.

(c) The Contractor shall enable the GSA and Agency ACOs to submit service orders to the Contractor using the following media.

Telephone

Facsimile

Electronic mail

Electronic file

On-line

Mail

EDI, where technically feasible. EDI service ordering transactions shall conform to the ANSI X12 850 transaction sets, as interpreted by the Telecommunications

Industry Forum (TCIF).

G.2.3.2 Service Order Types

Orders shall be completed in accordance with the delivery intervals specified in Section F. The

Contractor shall respond to the following order types.

(a) Routine Service Orders - shall be accepted during the Contractor’s normal operating hours.

(b) Priority Service Orders – shall be accepted during the Contractor’s normal operating hours and worked ahead of pending routine orders placed from the same agency.

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G.2.3.3 Service Order Acknowledgement

The Contractor shall provide order acknowledgements via email or facsimile within the following time frames. Each order acknowledgement shall include the applicable GSA order and ACT numbers under the Centralized Ordering process or the Agency’s service order numbers under the Direct Ordering process The Contractor shall also provide the Contractor’s order number (if assigned) and GSA’s TOPS order number for GSA orders.

(a) Orders received prior to or at noon Hawaii Time - acknowledgement shall be provided via email or facsimile no later than 4:00 pm Hawaii Time that same day.

(b) Orders received after noon Hawaii Time - acknowledgement shall be provided no later than noon Hawaii Time the following work day.

If additional information or a modification from the Government is required before the order can be processed, the Contractor shall notify the GSA or Agency ACO within two work days after receipt of the service order and shall specify the required information and action to be provided by the Government.

G.2.3.4 Service Order Changes

The Government has the right to change or cancel an order at any time during the service order process. Changes or cancellations will be in writing and issued by the GSA or Agency ACO.

Verbal notice may be provided but any changes or cancellations must be confirmed in writing within three work days after notice is given.

The service order change charge, if any, for changed or canceled orders is subject to the following.

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

(b) If the location is changed after installation is initiated, the total charge shall not exceed the Service Initiation Charge (SIC) for both locations.

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

(d) If an order is canceled after installation is initiated, the Contractor’s charge shall not exceed the SIC for the order.

G.2.3.5 Service Availability Intervals

Service shall be provided in the following service availability intervals.

(a) Standard Service Availability Interval

Unless the Contractor proposes an earlier delivery schedule and the Government accepts this schedule, all services shall be furnished within the delivery schedule in Section F.

(b) Negotiated Service Availability Interval

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The Contractor and ACO may negotiate a delivery schedule under the following conditions:

(1) There is no standard service availability interval for the service.

(2) The ACO requests a service date before or beyond the applicable standard service availability interval.

(3) The Contractor identifies equipment compatibility problems.

(4) The Contractor identifies on-premise wiring deficiencies.

The Contractor shall allow for expedited service implementation. Service orders requesting expedited service implementation shall take precedence for completion over routine service orders submitted previously by the same requesting Agency and shall not be placed ahead of the orders from any other Agency (unless otherwise directed by the GSA ACO).

G.2.3.6 Service Termination

Service termination shall be effective on the service termination date requested by the ACO.

Notice should be given to the Contractor at least 10 calendar days prior to the requested service termination date. No payment will be made by the Government for services after the service termination date.

G.2.3.7 Service Order Tracking

The Contractor shall assign an order identification number for each service order for tracking purposes. The Contractor shall provide and implement the means for the COTRs to verify the status of service orders from service order initiation to order completion. The Contractor shall provide service order information within two (2) work days after receiving a service order.

G.2.3.8 Service Order Completion Notice

When a service order is completed, the Contractor shall provide an order completion notice to the GSA or Agency COTR shown on the order. The order completion notice shall include sufficient information to identify the effective service date, SDP identifiers, associated telephone numbers, and customer organization. Order completion notices can be aggregated and delivered on a weekly basis.

G.3 Contractor Invoices

The Government intends to use the Contractor’s commercial billing system and invoice process. The Contractor shall provide an example and identify the format and content of its invoices within 30 days after contract award.

The Contractor shall bill in arrears on a monthly basis. The Contractor shall ensure that all charges, credits, and debits are shown on the invoice and that no additional data are required by the Government to verify the price of a call or feature or to verify the amount of discounts, credits or debits. The Contractor shall not impose taxes, surcharges, or fees on the Contract

Management Fee.

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G.3.1 Billing Processes

The Contractor shall prepare all invoices (for both direct and centralized billing) and provide for the following billing processes as illustrated in Figure G.3.

(a) Centralized Billing. GSA has a 3-digit identification number for its telephone systems. New systems may be established for a particular location with a single Billing

Telephone Number (BTN). GSA may establish systems for larger geographic areas where

GSA may require the vendor to render consolidated bills (also known as summary bills or roll-up bills), with multiple BTN's under one account number. The Contractor shall provide GSA a single consolidated invoice for each system, inclusive of all Agencies using centralized ordering. GSA will validate and pay the invoices.

(b) Direct Billing. The Contractor shall provide a monthly invoice to each Agency authorized by GSA to use direct ordering. Each Agency will process the invoices and make payment directly to the Contractor.

(1) The Contractor shall include the Contract Management Fee (CMF) in all

Direct Billings. The rate of the CMF will be specified by the GSA PCO.

(2) The Contractor shall show the CMF as a separate line item on the invoices.

The Contractor shall collect the CMF from Agencies on a monthly basis and directly pay (not show as a credit on the invoice) the amount to GSA on a quarterly basis. The Contractor shall remit payments to GSA within 30 calendar days after the close of each quarter. Note: The GSA

PCO will provide the Contractor with the initial CMF after award and any subsequent changes to the CMF. The CMF may be adjusted annually.

Figure G.3 – Billing Processes

G.3.2 Invoice Requirements

The Contractor shall submit all centralized and direct billing invoices for each monthly billing period in the format prescribed in Section J, Attachment J.1 to the designated billing offices pursuant to the Contractor’s established billing cycle. The Contractor shall deliver monthly

Contractor Agency

GSA

Contractor GSA

Agency Payment

Invoice (authorized charges and Contract Management Fee)

DIRECT BILLING

CENTRALIZED BILLING

Invoice (authorized charges)

GSA Payment

Contract Management Fees collected monthly and remitted quarterly

G-12 invoices and billing support and usage data to GSA and Agencies via paper or in electronic format to be determined by the Government and the Contractor after contract award. Invoices shall be provided on one of the following electronic media options: magnetic tape, diskette, CD-ROM, write once read many (WORM) cartridge. The Contractor shall also provide invoices using File Transfer Protocol (FTP) and provide a secure Internet site along with user name and password protections for access by authorized Government representatives. Where available to commercial customers and requested by the Government, the Contractor shall submit invoices in EDI format 811. Section J, Attachment J.1, describes the media/transport/format requirements for the contractor’s invoices.

G.3.2.1 Invoice Content

The Contractor’s invoices shall reflect all authorized charges during a calendar month or, if not by calendar month, during the previous monthly billing cycle. The Contractor shall invoice for all services within three billing cycles after services are rendered and accepted. All charges not submitted within three billing cycles shall be borne by the Contractor.

Each invoice shall contain all pricing components in sufficient detail to reconcile the charges with completed orders or actual usage. The Contractor shall bill for services based on the applicable order and show waived or discounted charges as separate items on the invoice. The

Government will only pay charges that are specifically stated in the order.

Invoices shall show charges for service orders, inclusive of the following information: order number, action (add/remove or in/out), related phone number or circuit number, date the action was completed, the CLINs related to the order number, and the cost associated with each

CLIN.

The Contractor shall ensure that all billable charges, credits, and debits are shown on the invoice and that no additional data are required by the Government to verify the price of a call or feature or to verify the amount of discounts, credits or debits. The Contractor shall not impose taxes, surcharges, or fees on the Contract Management Fee.

As a part of the monthly invoice, the Contractor shall provide the following sections:

(a) Face page. The face page shall show the contract number, Contractor’s remit to address, Contractor’s point of contact and telephone number, billing account number/invoice number, invoice date, billed period, prior balance, payments and credits by date, adjustments by date, total current charges, balance due and due date. All payments and adjustments shall be listed separately.

(b) CLIN summary. The CLIN summary section shall include a list CLINs, CLIN descriptions, quantity of each CLIN billed, monthly recurring charges, nonrecurring charges, and amount billed for each CLIN.

(c) Inventory. The inventory shall include inventory by telephone or circuit numbers, applicable rate groups, CLINs, CLIN descriptions including features, quantities, monthly

G-13 recurring charges, order completion dates, to/from service dates, and service order numbers.

The Contractor shall include no-cost items in the inventory under the appropriate telephone or circuit number. The order completion dates and order numbers will remain unchanged on the inventory unless a subsequent order is issued and completed.

(d) Order Activity. The order activity section shall include all adds, moves, changes, adjustments, other direct costs (ODCs), and inventory corrections. The Contractor shall provide the telephone or circuit numbers, types of activity, Contractor order numbers (if applicable), TOPS order numbers (for GSA orders only), CLINs, item descriptions, part month charges, nonrecurring charges, and service order completion dates.

(e) Toll summary. The toll summary page shall include total charges by carrier. Each carrier shall be listed separately.

(f) Toll call detail. The toll call detail section shall include telephone numbers, types of calls, dates and times of calls, duration of calls, destinations by city/state, and total charges.

(g) Third party billing. The only allowable third party charges are collect calls accepted by Government offices authorized to do so. All other third party charges shall be specifically excluded from invoices.

G.3.2.2 Invoice Format Changes

The Contractor shall provide 60 calendar days notice to the GSA ACO, in writing, before making changes to the invoice format. The frequency of such changes shall not exceed once every 60 calendar days unless the change was mandated by a Federal, State, or local regulatory authority or by a process that requires implementation in less than 60 calendar days.

The Contractor shall provide a detailed description of the revisions to the invoice format in either hard or soft copy. All invoice format changes shall be at no cost to the Government. The

Contractor shall obtain written approval from the GSA ACO prior to making any changes.

G.4 Government Billing Address

The Contractor shall submit invoices to the billing office shown on the service order.

Billing address changes shall be accomplished promptly upon receipt of written notice by the

GSA or Agency ACO and shall be at no cost to the Government.

G.5 Trouble or Service Outage Credits and Monthly Report

The Contractor shall provide a monthly Service Outage Credit Report which identifies service outages by Agency, location, telephone or circuit number, outage period, and amount of credit.

The Contractor shall issue the credit to GSA under centralized billing or to the Agency under direct billing procedures. The service outage credit shall be processed through the Contractor’s

G-14 billing system and appear on the invoice within three billing cycles after resolution of the service outage

G.6 Billing Disputes

The Government requires evidence that the service order has been completed and that each associated charge has been priced correctly or it may dispute the charge. The GSA or Agency

ACO and the Contractor shall resolve their billing disputes directly, if possible. The Contractor shall provide and implement a mechanism for uniquely identifying each billing dispute to permit the dispute initiator to track the status of a dispute. The Contractor shall provide a toll-free number and a single point of contact for resolving billing disputes.

The Contractor shall attempt to resolve billing disputes to the satisfaction of the Government within 60 calendar days following official notification from either the GSA or the Agency

ACO. The Contractor shall take a proactive lead in resolving disputes promptly.

Once a dispute is resolved, the Contractor shall process the agreed-to charge or credit within three billing cycles.

G.7 Trouble Handling

The Contractor shall implement trouble handling procedures that include, but are not limited to, the following functions.

(a) Provide centralized trouble reporting contact information

(b) Diagnose and correct troubles

(c) Work cooperatively with other Contractors and Government-designated representatives to resolve problems

(d) Maintain records of trouble resolution activities

(e) Respond to GSA and Agency inquiries on trouble resolution status

(f) Provide trouble escalation for normal and emergency events

(g) Monitor trouble report management and escalation procedures

(h) Provide trouble report and performance information to GSA and Agency COTRs

(i) Provide a list of trouble handling points of contacts, including names and phone number

G.7.1 Trouble Reporting Contact

The Contractor shall provide a single point of contact for trouble handling. The Government will submit trouble reports to the point of contact 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The Contractor shall receive trouble reports by a toll-free telephone number, electronic mail, facsimile, or web site. The Contractor’s point of contact shall be responsible for coordinating trouble isolation and repair efforts within the Contractor’s organization, between the

Contractor and other service providers, and with the GSA or Agency COTR reporting the

G-15 trouble. The point of contact shall be responsible for escalating troubles not resolved in the required time frames.

The point of contact shall stay actively involved with the trouble resolution process from start to completion, including the use of cooperative, end-to-end testing when troubles remain unresolved or become chronic. The Contractor shall resolve trouble reports on a routine and emergency basis and notify the COTR accordingly.

G.7.2 Routine Restoration

For routine trouble reports, the maximum allowable time to restore service shall be 24 consecutive hours or the next work day unless a longer clearing time is mutually agreed upon by both the Contractor and the GSA or Agency COTR.

G.7.3 Emergency Restoration

For emergency trouble reports, the maximum allowable time to restore service shall be four (4) consecutive hours unless a longer clearing time is mutually agreed upon by both the Contractor and the GSA or Agency COTR. The Contractor shall provide emergency restoration in response to any of the following situations.

(a) Catastrophic failure of single and/or multiple switching system(s)

(b) Catastrophic failure of single and/or multiple transmission facilities

(c) Switching locations isolated due to equipment and/or facilities failures

(d) Loss of system access to the PIC (primary interexchange carrier)

(e) Loss of system access to the Local Exchange Network

(f) Disruption of service to users and/or circuits designated as critical by the Government.

Critical users and circuits will be identified in service orders or service order changes.

The Contractor shall monitor the systems to identify outages requiring emergency restoration and commence appropriate remedial action prior to the actual submission of a trouble report.

The Contractor shall notify the GSA COTR immediately when any emergency restoration action is implemented and provide status of trouble resolution hourly until the trouble is resolved, or otherwise specified by the GSA COTR.

G.7.4 Priority Restoration

When outages occur, the Contractor shall provide prioritized service restoration to station lines designated as critical by the GSA COTR. The identity and location of critical station lines will vary over the life of the contract. Priorities will be identified on initial service orders and any requested changes shall be in writing and submitted by the GSA COTR.

Please note: TSP restoration takes precedence over all other restorations.

G.7.5 Escalation Procedures

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The Contractor shall implement an escalation procedure with appropriate time intervals for routine and emergency trouble reports. The Contractor shall maintain an escalation procedure with points of contact and their contact information and provide this information to the GSA

ACO within five work days after receipt of a request or any changes to the information.

G.8 Reporting Requirements

The Contractor shall meet the reporting requirements described herein within the delivery schedule contained in Section F. To the maximum extent possible, the Contractor shall provide reports and service forecasts using the processes and formats already in use by the Contractor for its other customers. For monthly reports, the Contractor shall provide the reports consistently on the same date of each month. For quarterly reports, the Contractor shall provide the reports consistently on the same date of each quarter. The reports be inclusive of all applicable services, locations, and customer organization.

The Contractor shall describe, or provide examples showing the content, formats, and electronic media of all required reports. The Contractor shall supply reports and service forecasts using the processes and formats supplied to other customers to the maximum extent possible.

G.8.1 Recurring Reports

G.8.1.1 Service Order Status Summary

The Contractor shall provide the Service Order Status Summary on Tuesday of each week for active service orders and service orders completed since the last report. The report will be provided to each COTR for the area of their responsibility. A report is not required if there are no open orders and all completions were noted in a previous order. The Contractor will not charge the Government for this report. Customer specific reports will be provided to Direct

Order/Direct Bill customers. (Reference G.2.3.2)

Service Outage Credit Report – The purpose of this monthly report is explained in

G.4.1.7. The Contractor will provide a report only if outages have occurred that will result in a credit to the customer. The report will be provided to the responsible GSA COTR or AGENCY

COTR. No report will be provided and no charge will be invoiced for months that have not experienced an outage that will meet the credit requirements stated in this solicitation.

Billing Dispute Status Report – The Contractor will provide this monthly report to the appropriate GSA COTR or AGENCY COTR when disputes exist as covered in G.4.2. If the dispute is resolved in the governments favor, the Contractor will provide a credit for this report on the next invoice. The customer will not be charged for reports when there is nothing to report.

Billing Adjustment Summary – The report will summarize the adjustments made to the monthly invoice. The report will be provided to the appropriate GSA COTR or AGENCY

COTR. The customer will not be charged for reports when there is nothing to report.

G-17

Contract Management Fee Summary – This report will be provided monthly to the

GSA COTR and will reflect the fees collected on behalf of GSA. The customer will not be charged for reports when there is nothing to report.

The Contractor shall archive reports and supporting information for the duration of the contract. The Contractor shall make the archived information available to the GSA COTRs and

AGENCY COTRs within 10 work days after a formal, written request for information is received by the Contractor. Archived information shall be provided in electronic format on a media to be determined by the Government and the Contractor after each LSA-2 contract award. The archived data shall be available in one of the following electronic media options:

Compact Disk-Read Only Memory (CD-ROM), DAT data cartridge, magnetic tape, or

Internet.

G.8.2 As-required Reports

The Contractor shall provide as-required reports when specified on orders showing quantity and delivery schedule for each report.

G.8.2.1 Traffic Report

All trunk groups shall be tested for acceptable Grade of Service (GOS) immediately after cutover for approximately two weeks, unless a shorter period is specified. The first and all subsequent reports necessary to ensure P.01 GOS is being met shall be at no charge to the

Government. The Contractor shall provide traffic reports in hard and electronic copies.

G.8.2.2 System Inventory Reports

System Inventory Reports shall be provided in Microsoft Excel format and contain the following information.

State

City

Service street address

GSA system number

Agency account number

Telephone or circuit number

Contract Line Item Number (CLIN) for service type

CLIN for features

Monthly rate by CLIN

Service initiation date

G.8.2.3 Summary Report of Billed Charges

When requested by the GSA COTR, the Contractor shall provide a Summary Report of Billed

Charges for all services provided under this contract. The Contractor shall provide the

G-18 following information by agency and location in each summary report: type of billing

(centralized or direct); CLIN, item description, quantity, unit price and amount for all services, and amount of the contract management fee charged to direct billed customers.

G.8.2.4 Call Detail Record (CDR) Report

The CDR report will cover a full monthly billing period for the month requested. The report will be on a customer-by-customer basis or may be requested on a line-by-line basis.

G.8.2.5 Station Trouble Reports

When requested by the GSA COTR, the Contractor shall provide Station Trouble Reports by the 10 th day of each month for the previous month’s service. This report shall be available electronically and in hard copy in any commercially available application. The Contractor shall provide an 800/888 trouble reporting telephone number, which is responsive 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. The Contractor shall provide the following data on each trouble discovered or reported:

a. Date the trouble was reported.

b. Time the trouble was reported.

c. Station in trouble.

d. GSA ticket number

e. Vendor ticket number

f. Nature of the trouble.

g. Date the trouble was cleared.

h. Time the trouble was cleared.

G.8.3 Future Reporting Requirements

The Contractor shall, at the request of the Government, provide special reports on a case-by-case basis. The Contractor may also be required to discontinue or modify reports to reflect evolving contract-related issues. All such changes shall be subject to the Changes clause.