A2-PWS.docx

Performance Work Statement (PWS)

EBSA Marketing Resources Performance Work Statement (PWS)

GENERAL INFORMATION

Description of Services/Introduction:

The contractor shall provide all personnel, equipment, tools, materials, supervision and other items and non-personal services necessary to perform activities to provide the agency recommendations and support to enhance the user experience of the agency website. As major updates are completed, the contractor will execute a social media campaign to highlight the website page changes as defined in the Performance Work Statement.

Background:

The Department of Labor (DOL) is looking to conduct outreach to educate the public about the services the agency provides and further explain how these services directly impact the everyday lives of the communities we serve. As such, the agency is looking to amplify its outreach message to quickly and effectively educate America’s workers.

The Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), Office of Outreach, Education, and Assistance (OEA) works to provide comprehensive information and assistance on employer-sponsored retirement benefit and health benefit plans. When updating materials and conducting outreach, the agency is looking for new methods of explaining the complexities that come from administering, regulating, and enforcing the provisions of Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). EBSA’s comprehensive approach is to create a comprehensive communications strategy to include blast emails to website subscribers, social media, blogs, etc., to educate the public on the important issues covered by ERISA.

EBSA will request the vendor’s assistance in increasing website usability and media campaign strategy to ensure the agency is reaching the broad multicultural audience it supports.

Objectives:

The primary purpose of this project is to increase the usability of the agency website, and to establish a supporting communications strategy to better explain the complex technical information to the public on the services provided by the agency to reach the broad multicultural audience it supports.

The contractor will create a plan, conceptual site design that meet the DOL style guidelines, 508 compliance regulations, and the US Website Design Standards, and assist the agency in ensuring the message is received and clear to the multicultural audience it supports. Once updates are completed, the contractor should execute a social media strategy to increase track and promote the usability updates implemented.

The agency plans to update its delivery of agency specific content delivered via the web and social media platforms to raise awareness of the Agency’s impact. The identified assets must be translated into several languages (to include Spanish, Chinese (Traditional and Simplified), Vietnamese, Korean, Haitian Creole, Polish, Tagalog, French, Arabic, Russian, and Portuguese, etc. some products may be translated by a separate vendor.

This website and social media campaigns should:

· Educate the American employers and workforce about EBSA, the availability of the services the agency delivers, and promote the resources of the agency.

· Provide a variety of message campaigns in various languages, across a variety of mediums to reach the entire American workforce.

Scope:

The marketing contractor will be expected to work with the DOL team to increase usability of the Agency’s website and increase web traffic to the sites through a social media campaign strategy. All efforts must ensure the agency is reaching the broad multicultural audience it supports.

· The Contractor will provide an approach and timeline complaint with DOL standards to upgrade the layout, design, and assets for a series of webpages.

· Develop a Communications Plan that includes objectives, target audience, effective messages, social media platforms, and mechanisms to determine effectiveness of campaign efforts. The Contractor will plan feedback on drafts of the Plan; and if applicable generate new drafts based on feedback received.

· Create new products, as well as provide guidance on product development; ensure culturally relevant and appropriate approach for messages and graphics for audiences in additional languages.

Promote and distribute mass communication products, as outlined in the contractor’s mainstream Public Awareness Campaign Concept (Task 1)

· Implement the approved Communications Plan listed above.

· Provide ongoing reporting and weekly meeting engagements to communicate project status, results, and risks.

Project Closeout

· Provide a wrap report and evaluation to EBSA, detailing the campaign, its overall effectiveness, and an analysis of successes as well as recommendations for improvements.

Period of Performance:

The period of performance shall be for one (1) Base Period of 12 months. The Period of Performance reads as follows:

Base Period: September 6, 2022 - September 5, 2023

The Government reserves the right to extend the term of this contract at the prices set forth in Section B in accordance with the terms and conditions contained in clause 52.217-9 entitled, “Option to Extend the Term of the Contract”.

General Information Quality Control:

The contractor shall maintain an effective quality control program to ensure services are performed in accordance with this PWS. The contractor shall develop and implement procedures to identify, prevent, and ensure non-recurrence of defective services. The contractor’s quality control program is how assurances are made to ensure work complies with the requirement of the contract. As a minimum, the contractor shall develop quality control procedures that address the areas identified in Technical Exhibit 1, “Performance Requirements Summary”.

Quality Assurance:

The government shall evaluate the contractor’s performance under this contract in accordance with the Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP). This plan is primarily focused on what the Government must do to ensure that the contractor has performed in accordance with the performance standards. It defines how the performance standards will be applied, the frequency of surveillance, and the minimum acceptable defect rate(s).

The contactor shall deliver the highest quality product and produces desired results. It is a process driven by and focused on the quality, development, improvement, and completion of project tasks.

As the Campaign is executed, the Contractor shall perform any combination of the following quality assurance activities as necessary to meet such standards:

· Testing: Testing will be conducted to analyze initiatives related to the campaign and verify that all objectives are successfully being met.

· Process Improvement: Process improvement will include ongoing monitoring of the campaign development and execution lifecycle to identify any areas where enhancements can be made. Process improvement will also include monitoring and acting on campaign metrics.

· Client Assessment: Client assessment is the process of receiving feedback from EBSA about any area of the campaign development and execution lifecycle. EBSA will provide the project team with their thoughts, concerns, questions, or suggestions regarding program work that is in progress or completed.

· Lesson Learned Sessions: If needed, lessons learned sessions will be conducted to review program effort and capture opportunities for improvement in the future.

· Corrective Actions: Following the lessons learned session, the Contractor shall correct any issues and adjust accordingly.

Government Remedies:

The contracting officer shall follow FAR 52.212-4, “Contract Terms and Conditions Commercial Items” or 52.246-4, “Inspection of Services-Fixed Price” for contractor’s failure to perform satisfactory services or failure to correct non-conforming services.

Recognized Holidays:

The contractor is not required to perform services on these days Holidays.

Independence Day

Hours of Operation/Place of Performance:

Performance shall be at the contractor's location, at remote locations as appropriate, as well as sites necessary for the performance of the contract.

Post Award Conference/Periodic Progress Meetings:

The Contractor agrees to attend any post award conference convened by the contracting activity or contract administration office in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation Subpart 42.5. The contracting officer, Contracting Officers Representative (COR), and other Government personnel, as appropriate, may meet periodically with the contractor to review the contractor's performance. At these meetings the contracting officer will apprise the contractor of how the government views the contractor's performance and the contractor will apprise the Government of problems, if any, being experienced. Appropriate action shall be taken to resolve outstanding issues. These meetings shall be at no additional cost to the government.

Contracting Officer Representative (COR):

Nathen Verwys will serve as the Contracting Officers Representative. Verwys.Nathan@dol.gov 202-693-8649

Contract Manager:

The contractor shall provide a contract manager who shall be responsible for the performance of the work. The name of this person and an alternate who shall act for the contractor when the manager is absent shall be designated in writing to the contracting officer. The contract manager or alternate shall have full authority to act for the contractor on all contract matters relating to daily operation of this contract.

DEFINITIONS & ACRONYMS

Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). A representative from the requiring activity assigned by the Contracting Officer to perform surveillance and to act as liaison to the contractor Defective Service. A service output that does not meet the standard of performance associated with it in the Performance Work Statement.

DOL. Department of Labor EBSA. – Employee Benefits Security Administration ERISA. - Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 IRS. – Internal Revenue Service OEA. – Office of Outreach, Education and Assistance PWS. Performance Work Statement Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP). An organized written document specifying the surveillance methodology to be used for surveillance of contractor performance.

Quality Control. Those actions taken by a contractor to control the performance of services so that they meet the requirements of the PWS.

Quality Assurance. Those actions taken by the government to assure services meet the requirements of the Performance Work Statement.

PART 5 SPECIFIC TASKS

5.1 Basic Services:

The contractor shall provide services for:

Task 1: Design Agency Website Pages for increased Useability.

· Deliver a Project Plan to scope and guide all aspects and requirements of the campaigns.

· Establish a framework that can be reused when new content is created.

· Scope and guide the web page campaigns and determine the best ways to reach all audiences.

· Design Agency webpages in compliance with DOL standards to maximize viewership, awareness, retention, and response to Agency information for audiences in English and 10 additional languages (Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Haitian Creole, Polish, Tagalog, French, Arabic, Russian and Portuguese).

Task 2: Review, modify and provide guidance on existing Agency product development

· Review and advise on existing agency content (webpages, publications, social media posts, blogs, etc.) to maximize viewership, and to ensure culturally relevant and appropriate approach for messages and graphics for audiences in up to 10 additional languages.

Task 3: Design, promote and distribute Social Media content

· Implement approved plans for messaging distribution across all social media platforms.

PART 6 APPLICABLE PUBLICATIONS

6.1 Website Applicable to This PWS:

Agency Website: https://www.dol.gov/ebsa

6.2 508 Compliance Laws

IT Accessibility Laws and Policies | Section508.gov – https://www.section508.gov/manager/laws-and -policies.

6.3 DOL Style Guide and US Website Design Standards

https://labornet.dol.gov/itc/webservices/guidance/.

Use the documents at the bottom of webpage as noted below.

· Full Design Document (PDF)

· Full Future Theme Requirements (PDF)

· Future Theme Requirements: Styles (PDF)

· Future Theme Requirements: Image icons (ZIP)

· Color Palette (PDF)

· Typography and Hierarchy (PDF)

· Examples of Legacy Page Updates Using the Updated Color Palette

· Example Homepage and Screenshot

· Example 2nd Level Page and Screenshot

TECHNICAL EXHIBIT 1

Performance Requirements Summary The contractor service requirements are summarized into performance objectives that relate directly to mission essential items. The performance threshold briefly describes the minimum acceptable levels of service required for each requirement. These thresholds are critical to mission success.

Performance Objective

Method of Surveillance (and who performs) {e.g. 100% inspection by COR}

PRS # 1.

Project Plan

Project Plan to be delivered within 3 weeks after award.

AO will confirm completion to the COR

PRS #2

Framework

PRS # 3

Design, promote and distribute Website & Social Media content

TECHNICAL EXHIBIT 2

Deliverables Schedule

Kick-off Meeting The kick-off meeting will be conducted virtually via Microsoft Teams with essential staff

5 days after award

The contractor is responsible to provide agendas and meeting minutes for each call.

Starting 7 days after award

Project Plan Development

The contractor will collaborate with DOL to develop a Project plan that includes the objectives, target audience(s), effective messaging, communications channels, and mechanisms to determine effectiveness.

14 days after award, or as agreed.

Cursory Research Review Review and evaluate existing research and gather vital insights to complete the full picture of the campaign.

Methods will be used to guide initial concepts and messages to ensure they resonate with target audiences and to gather feedback regarding types of products.

Ongoing

Ongoing, delivered as agreed