A02.12 PWS IWR WRAPS IDIQ draft 2026.10.20.docx

Performance Work Statement (PWS)

Water Resources Analytical and Professional Support Services

Multiple Award Task Order Contract (MATOC)

Contents

Performance Work Statement (PWS) Water Resources Analytical and Professional Support Services – Multiple Award Task Order Contract

1.0 Introduction

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Institute for Water Resources (IWR) is a Field Operating Activity (FOA) under the Commanding General, USACE, and the staff supervision of the USACE Headquarters (HQUSACE) Directorate of Civil Works under the direction of the Deputy Commanding General for Civil and Emergency Operations (DCG-CEO) and the Director of Civil Works (DCW). IWR was established in 1969 to provide the USACE Civil Works (CW) Program with the capability to analyze and anticipate emerging water resources trends and issues facing our nation. From its beginning IWR has responded to the continuing changes in water resources development policies.

IWR occupies a unique position within the USACE CW program and remains integral for insights into a host of complex and rapidly changing water resources issues. IWR operations are performed through these operating units:

· USACE Mission Support Battalion (UMSB) in Alexandria, VA;

· Hydrologic Engineering Center (HEC) in Davis, CA;

· Navigation and Civil Works Decision Support Center (NDC) co-located at the Humphreys Engineer Center (Alexandria, VA) and the USACE New Orleans District office in New Orleans, LA;

· Waterborne Commerce Statistics Center (WCSC) also located at the USACE New Orleans District office in New Orleans, LA

· Risk Management Center (RMC) co-located in Denver, CO and Pittsburgh, PA.

IWR is the USACE center of expertise for integrated water resources management, focusing on planning analysis, hydraulic and hydrologic engineering, and on the collection, management and dissemination of Civil Works and navigation information, including the nation’s waterborne commerce data. IWR serves as the USACE center of expertise for dam and levee safety, analysis and adaptive management of water resources and infrastructure based on severe weather event data, planning, and environmental conflict resolution. IWR also operates the International Center for Integrated Water Resources Management (ICIWaRM), under the auspices of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

IWR fulfills its mission by providing: (a) analysis of emerging and long-term water resources and waterborne transportation trends, needs and issues, (b) state-of-the-art planning and hydrologic engineering methods, models and training, (c) policy and program analyses and strategic planning to support and improve the effectiveness and efficiency of CW program. Among the specific purposes stated, delivered services will require consideration of data and analytical requirements of the USACE’s CW water resources missions to include the areas of study and expertise that IWR provides to its customers through its research, analysis, technical assistance and training activities to include but not limited to Navigation, Flood and Storm Damage Reduction, Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration, Emergency Management, Water Supply, Hydropower and Recreation.

IWR routinely provides technical assistance on a broad range of topic areas to USACE Headquarters and the Major Subordinate Commands (divisions, districts, and laboratories), other US Army Commands, federal and state agencies, foreign nations, and international organizations.

2.0 Mission

This MATOC will obtain products and professional services through technical research and analytical support, data management, facilitation, and training for IWR that is generally not readily available within the USACE. These services will be used by IWR to accomplish missions including but not limited to: Support, operation, maintenance, upkeep, enhancement, and development of Automated Information Systems (AIS) and applications operated and/or otherwise managed by IWR and its various centers. These services will require consideration of data and analytical requirements of the USACE’s CW water resources missions to include the areas of study and expertise that IWR provides to its customers. These systems include:

a. Analysis of emerging trends and issues in anticipation of changing water resources management conditions and the corporate development of policies, programs

b. Systems-based planning methodologies, tools and training across the CW portfolio for analysis, economic and socio-economic assessments.

c. Project-, regional- and national-level economic analysis, multi-criteria and risk-informed analysis, economic and socio-economic assessments:

d. State of the art hydrologic and hydraulic engineering tools, methodologies, models and management systems and associated planning and environmental methods, models and training.

e. Advanced engineering risk management expertise for dam, levee and infrastructure safety, and the development, application and stewardship of the engineering practice involving contemporary risk-related methods, models and training.

f. Support for USACE to anticipate, prevent or minimize water conflicts and coastal flood risk

g. Support for the USACE Community of Practice for Conflict Resolution and Public Participation to lead facilitation for stakeholder support.

h. Expertise on water security and Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) applied by the U.S. State Department, United Nations, other U.S. and international institutions and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), to address water and natural resources planning, water policy and governance, water management, trans-boundary water conflict mitigation, and other water-related challenges within the U.S. and around the world.

i. Assistance to HQUSACE, Army, and DoW, working in partnership with USACE MSCs and DoW COCOMs, for strengthening theater security cooperation by facilitating civilian and military collaborations, emphasizing multi-national force capacity development on the life-cycle planning of the humanitarian response and consequence management across all forms of extreme water events and other natural and technological disasters.

j. A critical mass of knowledge on the engineering and scientific aspects of, extreme weather events, and other risk factors in collaboration with interagency partners and study development

k. Enterprise-level financial analysis expertise in support of the CW mission and USACE intergovernmental collaboration on public works infrastructure investment decisions. Development and sustainment of USACE financial programs such as CWIPF This support will include assistance and guidance related to the outreach, accounting, project and borrower eligibility screening, FCRA compliance, and related efforts necessary for successful implementation of the federal credit program (including through its existing partnership with EPA to help develop and implement CWIFP) .

l. Technical support to USACE on a wide range of water resources, marine transportation, flood/coastal storm risk reduction, conflict resolution, international water and natural resources stewardship and ecosystem management issues.

3.0 Scope

The scope of this contract includes all of the Civil Works mission areas (i.e. Navigation, Flood Risk Management, Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration, Hydropower, Regulatory, Recreation, and Water Supply) providing capability for technical research and analysis, data management, training and facilitation activities, among other technical specialties support as they relate to relevant USACE missions.

Within these mission areas there are several key programs included in the scope of the contract. These mission areas include the following: Coastal Storm Damage Protection; emergency management and resilience adaptation relating to severe weather events; Asset Management/ USACE Infrastructure Strategy/ Public Private Partnerships/ Financing; Hydrologic and Hydraulic Planning and Engineering; Sediment Management and other issues as they arise within the Civil Works Program.

In addition, the scope of this contract is intended to cover the areas of study and the kinds of expertise that IWR provides to its customers through its research, analysis, technical assistance and training activities (i.e. National and Regional Economic Analysis for Flood Damage Reduction, Coastal Storm Risk Reduction, Water Supply, Hydropower, Recreation projects; Ecosystem Restoration Analysis; National Studies for Water Resources Development; Regulatory Program Analysis; in the field of Navigation Decision Support Systems; Institutional Analysis; Benefit-Cost Analysis; Regional Impact Analysis; Value-to-the-Nation Assessments; Financial Analysis of Water Projects; Cost Effectiveness or Incremental Cost Analysis for Environmental Projects; Hydrologic and Hydraulic Analyses and Studies; Homeland Security; and Survey Research Methods including Questionnaire Design.). This description is not intended to be all inclusive of the scope of this effort, but rather details what could be involved under this contract.

It should be noted that while Navigation is not the primary focus of this contract, both deep draft coastal ports & harbors and inland ports & waterways, including the analysis of dredging and lock and dam systems, are addressed in this scope. However, the analytical aspects of USACE's navigation activities are included herein because of the integrated nature of the nation's water resources and multi-modal transportation systems so as to capture those broad-based studies and analyses of an integrated nature, particularly those which involve trade-offs between multiple water resources purposes which span the entirety of the Civil Works program.

4.0 Performance Requirements

This section describes the general requirements for this effort.

4.1 Non-Personal Services

The Government shall 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. The Contractor shall manage their employees (including subcontractors) and shall not perform personal services or give the perception of personal services. If the Contractor believes that any actions constitute, or are perceived to constitute personal services, the Contractor shall notify the Procuring Contracting Officer (KO) immediately.

4.2 Contract Administration and Management

4.2.1 Contract Management

The Contractor shall establish clear organizational lines of authority and responsibility to ensure effective management of the resources assigned to the requirement. The Contractor must maintain continuity between the support operations at the location specified in individual Task Orders and the Contractor's corporate offices.

4.2.2 Contract Administration

The Contractor shall establish processes and assign appropriate resources to effectively administer the requirement. The contractor shall respond to Government requests for contractual actions in a timely fashion. The contractor shall have a single point of contact between the Government and Contractor personnel assigned to support contracts or task orders. The contractor shall assign work effort and maintaining proper and accurate time keeping records of personnel assigned to work on the requirement.

4.2.3 Personnel Administration

The Contractor shall provide the following management and support as required. The Contractor shall provide for employees during designated Government non-work days or other periods where Government offices are closed due to weather or security conditions. The Contractor shall maintain the technical competency of their employees by providing initial and refresher training as required to meet the task order PWS requirements. The Contractor shall make necessary travel arrangements for employees. The Contractor shall provide necessary infrastructure to support contract tasks.

The Contractor shall provide administrative support to employees in a timely fashion (time keeping, leave processing, pay, emergency needs). If the capability, knowledge, and expertise is no longer available, the Contractor is responsible for providing individuals with comparable qualifications in a timely manner to maintain the schedule of service or deliverables required by current task orders.

4.2.4 Subcontract Management

The Contractor shall manage subcontracts and subcontractors necessary to integrate work performed on this requirement. The Contractor is responsible and accountable for subcontractor performance on this contract. The Contractor shall make timely payment to subcontractors. The prime Contractor will manage work distribution to ensure there are no Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI) considerations. Contractors may add or subtract subcontractors to their team after written notification to the KO or COR.

4.2.5 Contractor Personnel, Disciplines, and Specialties

The Contractor shall accomplish the assigned work by employing and utilizing qualified personnel with appropriate combinations of education, training, and experience. The Contractor shall match personnel skills to the work or task with a minimum of under/over employment of resources. The contractor shall ensure the labor categories as defined in “Appendix A Labor Categories”, labor rates, and man-hours utilized in the performance of each Task Order issued hereunder will be the minimum necessary to accomplish the task. The Contractor shall provide the necessary resources and infrastructure to manage, perform, and administer the contract.

4.2.6 Location and Hours of Work

Unless specified at the individual task order level, the work required on this contract is expected to be carried out at the Contractor’s facilities. If work is required at Government facilities, normal workdays are Monday through Friday except US Federal Holidays. Federal workers typically work eight (8) hours per day, 40 hours per week. Contractor employees (including subcontractors) will adhere to their respective employer’s labor agreements regarding Federal holidays.

4.2.7 Travel / Temporary Duty (TDY)

Travel to other Government facilities or other Contractor facilities may be required and will be specified in the Task Order PWS. Costs for travel shall be billed in accordance with the individual delivery order and regulatory implementation of Public Law 99-234 and Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation Overhaul (RFO) 31.205-46 Travel Costs (subject to local policy & procedures; may reference RFO).

5.0 Performance Requirements

The following section specifies the Performance Objectives and Performance Elements for the contract. The scope of this effort focuses primarily on support of efforts to analyze, address, and predict water resources problems, needs, water security issues, allocation, quantity, quality or other issues within the context of evolving guidance and directives. A broad range of activities described within this scope may be required within any of the missions, business or program areas described in Section 3 above. USACE’s area of responsibility includes domestic, trans-boundary, and international locations and work will encompass a variety of geographic and program scales and a range of level of detail.

5.1 Studies

The Contractor shall conduct studies and provide study support for water resources planning, policy, programs, operating procedures, asset management, research and related investment issues, needs and requirements.

5.2 Decision Support Systems and Tools

5.2.1 The Contractor shall develop, update, enhance and maintain automated information management and decision support systems and tools to manage, analyze and present data and information.

5.2.2 The Contractor shall develop and deliver user support, training and systems’ operations and maintenance documentation for data and information management systems.

5.3 Water Resources Data, Methodologies, Tools and Models

5.3.1 The Contractor shall develop analytic methods and tools, survey instruments and survey designs for USACE activities.

5.3.2 The Contractor shall develop and test computer models for USACE activities.

5.3.3 The Contractor shall conduct research and analysis (includes data collection and management as appropriate) in support of developing methodologies and analytical tools.

5.4 Facilitation, Outreach and Training Services

5.4.1 The Contractor shall plan and facilitate workshops for water resources studies, management, and development issues in person and/or virtually on a variety of platforms.

5.4.2 The Contractor shall develop and/or implement communication plans and tools to support USACE/stakeholder/Public Outreach and Education for projects, programs, or policies involving complex water resources issues. Communication plans may include a variety of tools to support this process i.e. virtual rooms compliant with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. 794d), as amended in 1998 (Section 508) to meet public outreach requirements under National Environmental Policy Act.

5.4.3 The Contractor shall develop and/or apply methods and approaches for mitigating, reducing, resolving or otherwise mediating disputes or conflicts over water resources issues.

5.4.4 The Contractor shall develop, modify and/or present training materials for training courses.

5.4.5 The Contractor shall develop water resources multi-media products, interpretive signage, materials such as brochures or infographics, and/or exhibits for public outreach/education, professional conferences, exhibitions, and training environments.

5.4.6 The Contractor shall develop electronic media and other materials/information for USACE/Stakeholder/Public Outreach and Education, i.e., internet home pages and websites.

5.4.7 The Contractor shall develop a variety of materials, multi-media products, and exhibits for non-English speaking public and stakeholder outreach and education. Languages anticipated for these services include: Spanish, Chinese, French, Tagalog, Vietnamese, and Arabic.

5.5 Analyses and Assessments

5.5.1 The Contractor shall perform strategic analyses on emerging and potential water resources and water transportation needs and issues.

5.5.2 The Contractor shall analyze CW budget and other pertinent data to identify trends related to water resources issues.

5.5.3 The Contractor shall analyze and evaluate CW programs for effectiveness and efficiencies.

5.5.4 The Contractor shall provide research, analysis and support for planning studies and project operations.

5.5.5 The Contractor shall research, analyze, and identify sound organizational and management principles for water resources related projects.

5.5.6 The contractor shall conduct historical research, synthesis, and analyses of water resources policies and programs as appropriate to inform emerging and potential water resources needs and issues.

5.6 Technical Writing and Editing Services

The Contractor shall provide technical writing and/or editing services for the publication of products on a variety of water-related topics. Products shall be consistent with IWR’s Style Guide for the Water Resources Center Editorial Review Board and comply with Section 508 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act.

6. Security and Safety Requirements

This section describes the Security and Safety special requirements for this effort. The following sub-sections provide details of various considerations on this effort.

6.1 Security

Overarching security requirements and Contractor access to classified information shall be as specified in the basic DD Form 254, which will be further identified in the DD Form 254 for each TO, as required. Note, while IWR may at some point, be involved in classified work, it is a rare occurrence. All contractor personnel with access to unclassified information systems, including e-mail, shall have at a minimum, a favorable National Agency Check (NAC).

6.1.2 Visitor Group Security Agreement

The contractor shall sign a Contractor Visitor Group Security Agreement to protect classified information involved in work performed under this contract or Task Order. The Agreement will outline responsibilities in the following areas: Contractor security supervision; Standard Practice Procedures; access, accountability, storage, and transmission of classified material; marking requirements; security education; personnel security clearances; reports; security checks; security guidance; emergency protection; protection of government resources; DD Forms 254; periodic security reviews; and other responsibilities, as required.

6.1.3 Other Security Requirements

General security requirements and guidance: The security requirements described below apply to all contract personnel (including employees of the prime contractor and all subcontractor employees) supporting the performance requirements of this contract. The Contractor is responsible for compliance with these security requirements. Questions regarding security matters shall be addressed to the designated government representative (e.g., COR, TPOC, or other representative identified in an individual task order, or KO (if a COR, TPOC, or other representative is not appointed).

The Department of Defense (DoD) and Army/USACE-specific security requirements specified below, if applicable, are performance requirements. All Contractor (including subcontractors) personnel shall complete applicable initial training within 30 days of contract award, or the date new personnel begin performance on the contract. The Contractor shall maintain security training records in accordance with applicable Requiring Activity (RA) policies. Contractor personnel and vehicles are subject to search when entering federal installations. Additionally, all personnel shall comply with Force Protection Condition (FPCON) measures, Random Antiterrorism Measures (commonly referred to as “RAMs”), and Health Protection Condition (HPCON) measures.

The Contractor is responsible for meeting performance requirements during elevated security in accordance with applicable RA plans and procedures - this includes identifying mission essential and non-mission essential personnel. In addition to the changes authorized by the changes clause of this contract, should the FPCON or HPCON levels at any individual facility or installation change, the government may implement additional security changes that may affect Contractor personnel. The Contractor shall ensure all personnel are aware of their security responsibilities, including any site-specific requirements identified in local policies or procedures.

6.1.4 Antiterrorism (AT) Level I Training

All Contractor personnel requiring routine access to Army installations, facilities, and controlled access areas, or requiring network access shall complete initial and annual refresher AT Level I awareness training. Online AT Level I awareness training is available at https://jko.jten.mil/ (website subject to change).

a) Physical security and access control requirements: All contract personnel requiring physical access to a federal installation or facility shall comply with the access control procedures of that location. Contract personnel requiring unescorted access to meet contract performance requirements on a DoD installation in the US shall be vetted by the installation/facility Provost Marshal/Directorate of Emergency Services/Security Office using the National Crime Information Center-Interstate Identification Index (commonly referred to as “NCIC-III”) and Terrorist Screening Database (commonly referred to as “TSDB”). Contract personnel shall comply with all personal identity verification requirements specified in installation/facility policies and procedures. Contract personnel who do not meet requirements for unescorted access to USACE facilities shall coordinate escorted access with the government representative, as needed. Contract personnel who receive keys, access cards, or lock combinations that provide access to government-owned property shall comply with key and lock control procedures of the RA.

b) Contract personnel requiring a common access card (CAC): contract personnel will be issued a common access card (CAC) only if duties involve one of the following: (1) both physical access to a DoD facility and access to DoD information systems or networks; (2) remote access to a DoD information system or network using DoD-approved remote access procedures; or (3) physical access to multiple DoD facilities or multiple non-DoD federally controlled facilities on behalf of the DoD on a recurring basis for a period of 6 months or more. Before CAC issuance, contract personnel must have, at a minimum, a favorably adjudicated Tier 1 investigation or an equivalent or higher investigation in accordance with applicable Army regulations and Homeland Security Presidential Directive-12 (HSPD-12). At the discretion of the RA, an initial CAC may be issued based on a favorable review of a fingerprint check and a successfully scheduled Tier 1 investigation with the National Background Investigations Bureau. The RA provides contract personnel with additional information and forms to initiate the CAC issuance process, and/or to initiate background investigations, when required. Contract personnel shall complete these processes within established timelines to avoid delays.

c) Suspicious Activity Reporting Training (e.g. IWATCH, Corps Watch, or See Something, Say Something). All contract personnel shall receive initial and annual refresher training from the RA representative on the local suspicious activity reporting program. This locally developed training provides contract personnel with general information on suspicious behavior, and guidance on reporting suspicious activity to the project manager, security representative or law enforcement entity.

d) Contractor employees who require access to government information systems. All contract personnel with access to a government information system (including USACE business systems and CAC-enabled websites) shall comply with applicable DoD and Army regulations and shall use the organization's User ID-Password Administration and Security System (U-PASS) at commencement of services to request network user accounts. Contract personnel shall complete DoD Information Assurance Awareness training prior to accessing information systems, and annually thereafter.

e) Contracts requiring a formal Operations Security (OPSEC) program: The contractor shall develop an OPSEC SOP/Plan within 90 days of contract award. The OPSEC SOP/Plan shall be reviewed and accepted by the RA OPSEC Officer. This plan will include a process to identify critical information, where it is located, who is responsible for it, how to protect it, and why it needs to be protected. In accordance with Army and DoD regulations, the contractor shall have a certified Level II OPSEC coordinator, who shall ensure OPSEC compliance during contract performance.

f) Training requirements for the protection of sensitive information: All contract personnel with access to critical information (as identified in the RA's OPSEC Program) shall complete initial and annual refresher OPSEC Level I Awareness training, which is available at the following website http://www.cdse.edu/catalog/operations-security.html (websites subject to change). All contract personnel with access to Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) shall complete initial and annual refresher CUI training in accordance with applicable Army policy.

g) Contracts requiring handling or access to classified information: The prime contractor shall have a Facility Clearance (FCL) at the appropriate level prior to performance on the contract; the RA will sponsor the prime contract company in obtaining the FCL. All cleared contract personnel shall comply with the FCL requirements, as well as applicable laws and regulations regarding contractor access to national security information. For classified contracts, the RA will generate the DD Form 254, which will be attached to the contract.

h) Threat Awareness Reporting Program: All contract personnel who maintain an active security clearance shall receive initial and annual refresher training on the Threat Awareness and Reporting Program (commonly referred to as “TARP”), provided by a Counterintelligence Agent. As determined by the servicing Counterintelligence Agent for the RA, contract personnel may complete web-based TARP training.

i) Escorting in classified and/or sensitive areas: In accordance with applicable regulations, all contract personnel who do not possess the appropriate security clearance or access privileges will be escorted in areas where they may be exposed to classified information or operations, sensitive information or activities, or restricted areas.

j) Pre-screen candidates using E-Verify Program: contractors shall comply with the requirements set forth in FAR clause 52.222-54 Employment Eligibility Verification and FAR Subpart 22.18 in using the E-Verify Program at (https://www.e-verify.gov/) (website subject to change) to meet the contract employment eligibility requirements. Contractors are encouraged to cooperate with Federal and State agencies responsible for enforcing labor requirements to include eligibility for employment under United States immigration laws in accordance with FAR 22.102-1(i). An initial list of verified/eligible candidates shall be provided to the COR within 2-weeks following initial contract award. When contracts are with individuals, the individuals will be required to complete Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, and submit it to the KO for inclusion in the official contract file.

6.1.6 Local Security Policy

6.2 Safety

6.2.1 Contractor Compliance

The contractor and its subcontractors shall comply with Public Law 91-596 (Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA)) and the Environmental, Safety, and Occupational Health (ESOH) (DODD 4715.1E). These requirements shall be incorporated into the contractors’ safety and health program. The Department of Defense (DoD) participates in the OSHA Voluntary Protection Program (VPP). Contractor personnel performing services on a DoD installation shall participate in the local VPP. Information on the VPP is available at https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owasrch.search_form?p_doc_type=STANDARDS&p_toc_level=1&p_keyvalue=1910 ) and EM 385-1-1 USACE Safety Regulation http://www.publications.usace.army.mil/Portals/76/Publications/EngineerManuals/EM_385-1-1.pdf

6.2.2 Mishap Notification and Investigation

The Contractor and its subcontractors (if applicable) shall promptly report pertinent facts regarding mishaps involving government property damage or injury to Government personnel and to cooperate in any resulting safety investigation. The contractor shall notify (via telephone) the cognizant KO, the COR, and/or other applicable members within four (4) hours of all mishaps or incidents. The Government person notified by the contractor will in-turn notify the Safety office. Contractor notifications made after duty hours shall be reported to the appropriate installation Command Post. If requested by the cognizant KO, the COR, and/or the cognizant program manager, the contractor shall immediately secure the mishap scene/damaged property and impound pertinent maintenance and training records until released by the investigating safety office. If the government investigates the mishap, the contractor and the subcontractors shall cooperate fully and assist the government personnel until the investigation is completed.

7.0 Special Requirements

7.1 Government Furnished Materials

Any equipment or materials to be provided by the Government will be specified in each individual task order PWS. It is common for IWR to provide Government furnished equipment (laptops and system access) to Contractors who are working on AIS tools and programs. Each task order awarded under this contract that requires Government laptop(s) to perform work will include a Contractor requirement to maintain an inventory of all government laptops issued under the task order. Each inventory includes the following information: laptop(s) identified by barcode(s), the task order number that the laptop is required to support, and the name of the staff member assigned to each laptop.

The inventory must include the chain of custody for each laptop for the duration of the task order and shall be provided upon request by IWR Contracting Staff. Within 10 days of completion and acceptance of final services and/or deliverables under each task order, all GFE, including laptops, shall be returned to the government as per the task order PWS and/or by direction of the IWR Contracts Program Team. Government laptops shall not be transferred to other Contractor staff working on other task orders unless written permission is provided by the IWR Contracts Program Team or is specifically called for in the task order. The return of the GFE shall include coordination with the task order PM or COR.

7.2 Quality

This section describes the Quality Control components for this effort. The following sub-sections provide details of various considerations on this effort.

7.2.1 Quality Control

The Contractor shall develop a Task/Delivery Order Quality Control Plan (QCP) and maintain an effective quality control program to ensure all services are performed in accordance with this MATOC and all subsequent task orders. The Contractor shall develop and implement procedures to identify, prevent, and ensure non-recurrence of defective services. The Contractor’ss QCP is the means by which he assures himself that his work complies with the requirement of the contract.

The finalized QCP will be accepted by the Government at the time of the award of the Task Order. The KO may notify the Contractor of required modifications to the plan during the period of performance. The Contractor then shall coordinate suggested modifications and obtain acceptance of the plan by the KO. Any modifications to the program during the period of performance shall be provided to the KO for review no later than 10 working days prior to effective date of the change. The QCP shall be subject to the Government’s review and approval. The Government may find the QCP "unacceptable" whenever the Contractor’s procedures do not accomplish quality control objective(s). The Contractor shall revise the QCP within 10 working days from receipt of notice that QCP is found "unacceptable."

7.3 Disclosure of Artificial Intelligence

The Contractor shall fully disclose all uses (including proposed used of AI) of chat bots, large language models, neural networks, deep learning models, and/or other artificial intelligence code, applications, or services (collectively referred to as “artificial intelligence”), including integrated artificial intelligence features in commercial products, used during development, testing, and/or delivery of any proposals, services, or products developed in response to this contract and affiliated task orders.

Such disclosures shall include: complete identification information of the artificial intelligence used, including name, version, and release information; a description of the specific service or product on which the artificial intelligence was used; and a description of the specific role(s) and purpose(s) served by the artificial intelligence during development, testing, and delivery of services and products, and phase(s) and component(s) thereof. Any service or product delivered to the government shall be free of any constraints, conditions, and limitations on uses unless otherwise specified in subsequent task orders.

7.4 Authorities / Technical Direction

The Contractor shall take no direction from any Government employee or any other person other than the Government KO for changes to the terms and conditions of this MATOC or any Task Orders issued under it for cost, schedule or terms of the stated work after award. Any direction given by any Government employee or any other person outside their authority must be reported to the KO. CORs are limited to the authorities stated in the COR appointment letters. COR appointment letters from previous contracts are not valid for this contract.

7.5 Review and Comment Protocols

All draft work items produced by the Contractor under any task order shall be submitted to the appropriate TPOC for review and comment. All final versions must also be reviewed and approved by the appropriate TPOC. Should the Contractor not concur with a specific comment on any version of a document, the Contractor shall bring this to the attention of the appropriate TPOC.6.8 Contract Data Requirements List (CDRL)

The Contractor shall provide deliverables as described in DD Form 1423, CDRL and subsequent task orders. Unless specified otherwise in the task order PWS, the contractor shall provide reports and other print deliverables in publication quality format and provide web publishable versions of such deliverables. All deliverables, including software, shall be provided to the government with unlimited rights. Format and delivery schedule for deliverables shall be outlined in individual task orders under the Contract Data Requirements List and/or other means to be determined. The table below identifies a set of deliverables that may be required under this contract. It should be noted that the table is NOT all inclusive of the types of deliverables that may be required.

CDRL Number and Deliverable Type

7.6 Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP)

The Government shall monitor the Contractors’ performance under each task order in accordance with the Government’s QASP

7.7 Maintenance of Data

The Contractor must physically maintain all data solely on equipment located within the legal jurisdiction of the United States in accordance with Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) 239.7602-2 “Required storage of data within the United States or outlying areas” (Class Deviation 2026-O0024) . All data, including but not limited to documents, administrative data, support data, and billing data, transmitted via the system or maintained in the system shall always reside in data processing and storage equipment located in the United States or in data processing and storage equipment of which the operation and maintenance are subject only to the laws of the United States. Data transmitted must only be subject to disclosure pursuant to U.S. Federal law and not the laws of any other jurisdiction or foreign nation. All DoW information/data placed or created by DoW users in a Cloud Service Provider’s (CSP) Cloud Service Offering (CSO) is owned by the DoW, the Mission Owner, and/or their Information Owner. The CSP has no rights to the DoW’s information/data. For more information on data storage, data rights, and data ownership requirements refer to Section 5.2, Legal Considerations, in the DoW Cloud Computing Security Reference Guide (SRG).

The government shall retain unlimited rights to all development and automation performed and all data, Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) or Configuration as Code (CaC) or processes created under this contract. This would not include code, processes, or automation that USACE might subscribe to that are commercially available under Commercial Use Rights and/or Government Purpose Rights.

The government shall retain unlimited rights of all user data/information/knowledge provided to, created/developed in, loaded/transitioned to, or hosted in/by the contractor, CSP, tenant, multiple CSP, multiple tenant, CSO, vendor IT infrastructure, hosting environment, system(s). This includes rights to logs, scans, analytics, and other data, conducted by the contractor, CSP, or tenant, on their IT infrastructure, hosting environment, system(s), or prototype process. The government retains the right to request full copies of this data at any time.

Contractors supporting scopes of work requiring access to the CWBI cloud environment must complete a DA7789 PAA and meet IL4 security training requirements as specified by Defense Information Systems Agency. All work performed in support of systems and applications CWBI residing in or planned for operation from within the CWBI cloud environment is to be performed from within the CWBI’s DevSecOps environment and perform all work in accordance with requirements of Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (AFARS) Part 5139 Appendix HH.

8.0 Deliverables

The Contractor shall provide deliverables as described in subsequent task order PWSs. Unless specified otherwise in the task order PWS, the Contractor shall provide reports and other print deliverables in publication quality format and provide web publishable versions of such deliverables.

Reports, print deliverables and all documents published must comply with Section 508 which requires federal agencies to provide individuals with disabilities equal access to electronic information and data comparable to those who do not have disabilities, unless an undue burden would be imposed on the agency. The Section 508 standards are the technical requirements and criteria that are used to measure conformance within this law.

All deliverables, including software, shall be provided to the Government with unlimited rights. Format and delivery schedule for deliverables shall be outlined in each subsequent task order under the Contract Data Requirements List and/or other means to be determined. The table below identifies a set of deliverables that may be required under this contract. It should be noted that the table is NOT all inclusive of the types of deliverables that may be required.

PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENT SUMMARY

Performance Standards: performance standards will be specified with each PWS per each task order solicitation. As a point of reference, the following is a table of potential performance standards. If performance requirements are not met, the contractor shall re-perform services, correct deliverables, or determine an appropriate remedy at no additional cost to the government in coordination with the KO, TPOC, and/or COR.

Deliverables completed in accordance with schedule 100% of the time

APPENDIX A – LABOR CATEGORIES

The following labor categories are the only approved labor categories to be used on this contract:

Senior Principal Investigator (SPI)

Responsibility (RESP): This category is intended to be used rarely and only when the highest level of subject matter expertise in water resource related fields is required. The SPI will be the senior topic expert at the company. The SPI is expected to be an expert on current developments, publications in scholarly journals, and long-term strategies for the topic. For complex or innovative projects, the SPI may direct the approach for solving the problem and may oversee execution of the study, providing advice and guidance as necessary. It is expected that, when used, the SPI with the most expertise in the required discipline will work on that task, e.g., a task requiring expertise in economics should be headed by a PI with a background in economics.

Minimum Qualifications (MQ): The SPI shall have a PhD in a discipline that is closely related to the water resources fields, plus 10 years of experience in these fields. In lieu of the PhD, the SPI may substitute a master’s degree in a related field plus 15 years of experience in water resources fields or a Bachelor’s degree in a related field plus 20 years of experience in water resources fields.

Program Manager (PGM)

RESP: The PGM will usually be the senior topic expert on the assigned task. The PGM will design the approach for performing the task/solving the problem and will oversee the execution of the study, providing advice and guidance to the team executing the task as necessary. It is expected that the PGM with the most expertise in the required discipline will work on that task, e.g. a task requiring expertise in economics should be headed by a PGM with a background in economics.

MQ: The PGM shall have a PhD in a discipline** that is closely related to the water resources fields, plus 5 years of experience in these fields, 2 of which must have been at a level of responsibility equivalent to the senior analysts or PGM level. In lieu of the PhD, the PGM may substitute a master’s degree in a related field plus 7 years of experience in water resources fields, 3 years at the PGM level. Similarly, a bachelor’s degree in a related field plus 10 years of experience in water resources fields, 5 years at the PGM level meets the minimum qualifications.

Project Manager (PM)

RESP: The PM will provide technical as well as logistical support to the team, ensuring that the team has all the necessary resources available for carrying out an assigned task, including material supplies and personnel.