A04 PWS.docx

Performance Work Statement

1.0 Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act (SNPLMA) and the Lincoln County Land Act (LCLA) Executive Committee, Partners Working Group Meeting and Archaeological Resources Team Minutes Project

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), SNPLMA and LCLA Programs, have the need to accurately prepare and finalize meeting minutes for the SNPLMA and LCLA Executive Committee (EC), Partners Working Group (PWG), and Archaeological Resources Team (ART) for up to fourteen meetings, of which one may require travel during the period of performance. At a minimum, there is a need for attendance and preparation of meeting minutes at five meetings and/or video/conference calls of varying lengths during the period of performance. Subject to availability of funds, up to four additional option years will be considered.

The BLM is responsible for the oversight and administration of the SNPLMA, Public Law 105-263, as amended and the LCLA, Public Law 106-298. To implement Section 4(e) (3) of the SNPLMA and Sec. 5(b) of the LCLA the BLM established several interagency committees, including the EC, PWG and category specific subgroups including the ART. One important oversight responsibility is capturing accurate records of meetings conducted by the EC, PWG, and ART through preparation of meeting minutes describing the topics covered in the meeting, proposed options for resolution of issues, voting, actions, recommendations, and decisions rendered by the group. In general, meeting minutes may be prepared as action minutes, discussion minutes, or, when appropriate, verbatim minutes of the meeting discussion[footnoteRef:1] and decisions rendered. [1: There are three standard styles of minutes: action, discussion, and verbatim. Each style has a specific use.

Action minutes record the decisions reached and the actions to be taken, though not recording the discussion that went into making the decisions. This is the most common form of minutes used. They include a report of actions taken since the last meeting as well as planned actions. It is important to note who is responsible for upcoming actions. The secretary should save any handouts included with a presentation.

Discussion minutes are lengthy and may include information which is not essential to the focus of the meeting. It may be necessary to keep discussion minutes in a situation where the process behind the decisions may be in question later. Discussion minutes contain everything action minutes do as well as the discussion which leads to the actions decided upon. Do not include a discussion which does not pertain to the topic at hand. Be sure to record the speaker and the focus of the presentation as it concerns the topic.

Verbatim minutes, like transcripts, are a record of every single word said at a meeting. They are often long and can be difficult to skim for a particular piece of information. With the exception of courtroom proceedings and Congress, a verbatim record of a meeting is rarely necessary. Verbatim minutes will not always follow the agenda. ]

The Contractor shall provide accurate, high-quality minutes, which require minimum editing by the Special Legislation Program Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). Minimum editing is defined as finding 10 or fewer mistakes per 20 pages of meeting minutes, including grammatical, spelling, and/or misrepresentation of content. The service will focus on accurate summarization of the SNPLMA and LCLA program actions and associated discussions held during meetings of three high level committees that are made up of senior and middle management and technical professionals. Therefore, knowledge of the program will be important in understanding the context of the discussions and decisions for accurate meeting minutes. This knowledge is important to ensuring that the contractor has the ability for critical thinking in order to establish a clear programmatic context of meeting discussions and decisions. Information about the program may be obtained at https://www.blm.gov/snplma/ and https://www.blm.gov/lcla/

The Contractor is expected to display a high standard in dress, appearance, and professional conduct and have strong organizational and written and oral communication skills. The Contractor is expected to be able to demonstrate working knowledge of office technology to include computers, software such as Microsoft© Office products, Zoom, Microsoft© Teams, recording systems, etc. In addition, the Contractor is expected to be able to take minutes where different types of modalities are used during the same meeting including, but not limited to, in-person, video (Zoom, Teams, etc.) and conference lines.

1.1 Attend EC, PWG and ART Meetings and/or Video/Conference Calls to Record Meeting, Take Notes, and Prepare Minutes

The immediate need is for attendance at ta three-day SNPLMA Round 19 PWG meeting[footnoteRef:2] in early 2022 and preparation of meeting minutes and attendance at a minimum of four other video/conference calls and up to a maximum of nine other EC, PWG and/or ART video/conference calls during the performance period to prepare minutes. Meetings and/or video/conference calls vary in length. The BLM will provide, as available and/or applicable, copies of the following documents prior to the commencement of each meeting: [2: The meeting may have attendees that are both at a physical location (face-to-face) and virtual. In the event some or all of the attendees are at physical location the contractor will be expected to take notes at the physical location.]

· Meeting agenda;

· Presentation materials;

· Handouts such as briefing papers, memorandums, etc.;

· Other documents relevant to the agenda topics; and

· Video and/or conference line for meetings.

Each set of draft and final minutes will be provided to the BLM COR for review (number of days/timelines are identified in the table of tasks and subtasks).

Deliverables Time Frames and Due Dates

Due dates for accomplishment of the deliverables will be mutually agreed to by the Contractor and the COR based on the terms of the contract. The BLM will provide the “Government Furnished Materials” as available and/or applicable at a date agreed to by the Contracting Officer and Contractor. The BLM will provide review of the draft and final deliverables produced by this contract within five to twenty working days of receipt by BLM. In the event of an unforeseen event or delay by the Contractor or BLM, any changes to time frames and due dates for deliverables will be agreed upon by both parties prior to any deviation from the established time frames identified in the tasks and subtasks.

TASK 1: Project Initiation

BLM – Contractor Communications

Determine mechanism for frequent communication between Contractor and BLM to establish working framework between BLM and Contractor’s staff.

This will include regular meetings, video/conference calls, telephone calls, and e-mail communications.

The Contractor will document to the BLM CO and COR all points of contact and modes of communication.

TASK 2: Meeting Minutes

2.0 GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY AND INFORMATION

Government-Furnished Supplies and Materials

· The Government will provide materials and supplies including the following:

· meeting minutes from the prior meeting

· electronic media files

· copies of the following:

· agendas

· presentations

· handouts These materials will be provided at the start of the contract and on an ongoing basis throughout the contract when needed to accomplish work or services required under this contract.

· A Video and/or conference line for meetings.

Contractor Furnished Materials

· The contractor will furnish all personnel, equipment, supervision, transportation/travel related expenses, supplies, and incidentals to perform all work necessary for completion of this contract.

· The Contractor will work from his/her office on all but the EC and PWG in-person meetings. EC and PWG meetings may require travel to Las Vegas NV, or Reno, NV for the one day or multi-day meetings. The 2022, PWG meeting is scheduled to be in Las Vegas, NV.

· The Contractor will provide laptop and recording device or system for their use during the meetings.

· In the event the Contractor’s recording device or system interferes with the BLM’s conference system the contractor will provide a different recording device or system at no additional charge to the government.

· The Contractor will be compensated for travel related expenses. Compensation will be determined based on the applicable government per diem rates for the meeting location.

3.0 INSPECTIONS AND ACCEPTANCE

All reports must be approved by the Contracting Officer.

4.0 QUALITY CONTROL

The Contractor shall be responsible for the quality of services provided under the contract, to include those provided by subcontractors, in accordance with acceptable quality performance levels. The Contractor shall re-perform work at no cost to the government that does not meet contract requirements, unless otherwise directed by the CO.

A. Quality Control Plan

The Contractor shall develop and implement a proactive Quality Control Plan (QCP) for measuring and attaining quality of performance under the contract. The Contractor’s QCP shall explain the manner in which the Contractor will ensure that all contract requirements are being accomplished in accordance with the established standards of the contract. The Contractor shall demonstrate a concerted effort in improving its program to prevent unsatisfactory performance from repeating and to ensure unsatisfactory performance is addressed and rectified in a timely manner. The Contractor shall be responsible for the quality of products and services provided under the terms of the contract, including those provided by any subcontractors.

The Contractor shall submit the QCP to the CO within ten calendar days after start of contract performance. The Contractor shall submit any changes in the plan to the CO for approval no later than five workdays prior to implementation.

B. Quality Assurance

The Contractor shall achieve an acceptable performance rating in accomplishing the tasks and services listed herein. The performance rating will be based on the required minimum editing and due dates for accomplishment of the deliverables as previously explained. Government will inspect services under this contract to assess the Contractor’s overall performance. The results of the inspections will determine overall satisfaction with various services provided, focusing primarily on the timeliness and quality of these services.

C. Performance Evaluation

The Contractor shall participate in video/conference calls and/or meetings with the COR and the CO to review contract performance. Discussions shall include review of contract performance, issues, suggestions for changes in the business process, etc. In the event performance problems exist, the parties will discuss them to achieve a mutual resolution.

D. Suggested Action

When the Contractor has been informed of defective services, the contractor must rework the task or service if rework is possible at no additional cost to the government. The COR will evaluate the defective service and the impact thereof. Based upon criticality, the COR may decide to strictly document the defects on a Contractor Discrepancy Report (CDR) and not allow further expenditure of resources to complete the work. In the event of rework, the time of Contractor notification will serve as the beginning of the rework period. If, at the completion of the rework, the task or service is still unacceptable, then another CDR will be submitted. The Contractor will be required to sign, date, and submit the CDR to the CO.

5.0 SAFETY REQUIREMENTS

All Contractor personnel shall comply with all applicable Federal, State and local laws while engaged in the performance of this contract to include safety policies and regulations established by the BLM. All hard copy publications are available via the referenced websites below. Supplements or amendments to listed publications may be issued during the life of the contract.

A. Occupational Safety and Health

The Contractor shall comply with all provisions of the William-Steiger Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, all applicable safety and health regulations that have been promulgated by the Secretary of Labor under the Williams-Steiger Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, to include 29 Code of Federal Regulation (CFR) Part 1910 (Occupational Safety and Health Standards), and all applicable safety and health codes and standards of the state and local jurisdictions where the work is to be performed. Periodic inspections may be made by the Government to ensure safe and healthy working conditions. Provisions of the William-Steiger Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 and the Occupational Safety and Health Standards can be found at the following links:

1) Williams-Steiger Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/oshact/completeoshact https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1903/1903.1

2) 29 (CFR) Part 1910 Occupational Safety & Health Standards https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910

B. Safety, Health and Environmental Requirements

The Contractor shall ensure that personnel comply with all BLM safety, health, fire protection, and security policies, guidelines, and directives. The Contractor shall ensure safety in the assigned work areas, and shall identify safety hazards to the COR. Before any work is performed, the Contractor shall advise persons performing the work of any hazards involved.

C. Prohibited Activity

Smoking is prohibited in all areas inside the facility (smoking is allowed outside the facility in designated smoking areas).