DBMO_Solicitation_1-15-2014v2.docx

SECTION B – SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS

B.1 SCHEDULE OF SERVICES

The purpose of this contract is to acquire, on an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) basis, information technology (IT) services in Data Administration, Tool Administration, Business Intelligence Support and Operations Services for the Farm Services Agency (FSA) Database Management Office (DBMO) in support of systems provided by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), including the Farm Service Agency (FSA) and other Agencies as approved by the Contracting Officer.

Except as may be otherwise expressly set forth in this contract, the Contractor shall furnish all personnel, facilities, equipment, material, supplies, and services, in performance of the services specified under this IDIQ and any Task Order Section C – Performance Work Statement (PWS) as incorporated under the Task Order (s) and delivered within the Deliverable Schedule and within the period of performance specified in this IDIQ and any Task Order(s).

B.2 PRICE SCHEDULE

All Task Orders issued will be on a Time and Materials (T&M) and/or Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) basis, with pricing provided in accordance with the below rate table. The labor rates in this section shall reflect the fully burdened rates of each labor category.

Senior

Master

Master

Senior

Master

Senior

The contractor shall be required to furnish personnel with qualifications meeting or exceeding the criteria specified in Section J Attachment 4. The rates shall be priced for on-site work only.

SECTION C – PERFORMANCE WORK SCHEDULE

C.1 BACKGROUND

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Farm Services Agency (FSA) administers and manages farm commodity, credit, conservation, disaster, and loan programs as authorized by Congress through a network of federal, state and county offices. FSA’s administrative and programmatic functions are supported by a large network of automated systems that are maintained by its Information Technology Services Division (ITSD) Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO). OCIO is also responsible for developing new programs, replacing existing programs and modernizing existing platforms and systems. The primary OCIO operations are located in Washington, DC and Kansas City, MO, with additional offices in St. Louis, MO.

The FSA Database Management Office (DBMO) is responsible for designing, maintaining, securing, and delivering the data that support the FSA programs. DBMO has a requirement to provide data related services for emerging and existing information needs within the USDA. Data Administration services ensure the proper design of data and the appropriate application of data architecture standards. Database Administration ensures the availability, reliability, integrity, security, and performance of the FSA’s data, including the monitoring, trouble-shooting and remediation required when the data availability, reliability, integrity, security and performance are at risk. Data Tool Administration provides services to manage and configure Data Integration and Data Management Automation tools to support FSA data delivery systems. Data Tool Administration includes administering the ETL, Business Intelligence and Master Data Management tools used within FSA, and also includes the monitoring, trouble-shooting, and remediation required when systems using these tools are at risk. Business Intelligence development and support services apply to the development of data integration processes, data load processes, and reports; data design for transactional and reporting data stores; data architecture; master data management; data quality profiling; and other related data management functions that support the USDA business needs for information. DBMO Operations Management ensures the smooth and successful operations of these DBMO data related development and tool administration functions within FSA, provides management and coordination for planned deployments and unplanned incidents, maintains and analyzes production metrics, and reports on FSA data systems and performance. All of these DBMO services support the development of USDA/FSA systems that transform raw data into meaningful and useful information used to enable more effective strategic, tactical, and operational insights and decision-making.

Current challenges include:

· Providing the scalability necessary to meet the highly cyclic nature of FSA’s business processes

· Maintaining delivery dates for mission critical programs with complex business process and rules required to serve all FSA customers

· Supporting over 50 distinct FSA programs which are built and operated on various technology platforms

· Reconciling competing needs and priorities to support requirements from the UDSA Service Center Agencies (FSA, Rural Development, and Natural Resources Conservation Services)

· Network capacity and hardware limitations

C.2 OBJECTIVE

The objective of this contract is to provide technical support services necessary to translate the FSA architectural vision into the design and delivery of fully functional enterprise information systems, through the services provided under the FSA Database Management Office (DBMO) including Data Administration, Data Architecture, Data Modeling, Database Administration, Data Tool Administration, Business Intelligence development and reporting, Data Integration, and DBMO Operations Management.

Common objectives of the varied DBMO support services include:

· Implement designs and technologies that support gathering and analyzing data for the purpose of enabling Enterprise decision support.

· Ensure reliable, accurate, secure, and performant data.

· Continually improve the timeliness and quality of information.

· Improve processes, eliminate waste and reduce costs.

· Improve overall customer service by decreasing time to complete work requests and eliminating customer complaints.

Benefits include:

· Reduce risk involved with decision-making.

· Expedite decision-making.

· Enhance communication among organizations and departments.

· Enable more rapid response to changes in program or financial requirements.

· Improve the customer experience.

C.3 SCOPE

Detailed Task Order(s) will outline and identify requirements for the work to be performed.

C.3.1 Scope of Services The scope of the required services falls into several major categories which is further detailed in Task Orders. At a high level, the major work streams consist of:

· Business Process Documentation and Improvement across all categories of services

· DBMO Operations Management and Operations Reporting

· Database Administration

· Data Tools Administration

· Data Warehouse/Data Mart Design, Development and Maintenance

· Data Integration Design, Development and Maintenance

· Data Architecture, Data Administration and Data Modeling

· Master Data Management Development

· Business Intelligence and Reporting Development and Maintenance

C.3.2 Scope of Environment The FSA computing environment is varied and complex. At a high level, the following information gives an overview of the environment.

USDA Service Centers – Farmers and ranchers across the country have brick and mortar Service Center offices that serve each county. They are designed to be a single location where customers can access the services provided by the Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the Rural Development agencies. Each State has an office, and in addition, there are over 2000 USDA Service Centers.

Webfarm - The ITSD contracts with the International Technology Services (ITS) and National Information Technology Services (NITC) divisions of the USDA Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) to host the web applications and reporting data provided for USDA/FSA customers on webfarms of servers.

Mainframe – The ITSD contracts with the OCIO-ITS/NIITC for IBM mainframe processing and storage services.

GIS Citrix Centralized – A number of applications utilize geospatial data. This GIS data is managed through a centralized webfarm of data servers served by Citrix. Hardware, operating system and network technical support is provided by OCIO-ITS/NITC.

MIDAS SAP - MIDAS is the Farm Service Agency’s initiative to “Modernize and Innovate the Delivery of Agricultural Systems”. The heart of the MIDAS initiative is to improve the delivery of FSA farm program benefits and services through the re-engineering of farm programs business processes and the adoption of enhanced and modernized information technology. The major impact to the DBMO is the MIDAS initiative to integrate SAP processing with FSA data and business processes to fit the business needs. DBMO supports the Oracle databases that house some of the FSA MIDAS SAP data and utilities.

Database Platforms – Current database platforms hosting FSA data are:

· Oracle

· Microsoft SQL Server

· IBM DB2 for z/OS

· IBM Informix

· CA IDMS

Data for the FSA Enterprise Data Warehouse, Data Marts, and Operational Data Stores are hosted in the Unix Solaris Oracle and Informix environments. Transactional data are maintained in the other RDMS environments.

C.3.3 Scope of Work The approximate number of physical databases per Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) appears below. The total number of databases is expected to grow over time.

Arc/SDE GIS (SQL Server) 97

The number of work requests over the past year has ranged from about 350 to 700 per month, with the number of work requests in a month averaging around 535. About half of the requests are for work supporting SQL Server databases, however the percentage and number of work requests in support of Oracle databases and Oracle Data Integrator is expected to grow over time as both the MIDAS programs and the FSA Enterprise Data Warehouse are built out. Currently, DBMO supports approximately 17 Data Marts.

Requests for security actions such as passwords and permission roles average an additional 1100 per month, with SQL Server, Oracle and Informix environments receiving the majority of requests.

C.4 PROGRAMS SUPPORTED

Below is a representative list of FSA common application systems and capabilities for which databases will be supported by this contract, but the programs supported are not limited to Common Capabilities

· FSA Business Partner Information

· Service Center Information Management System (SCIMS)

· Representative Link Manager System (RLMS)

· Subsidiary / Eligibility

· Fiduciary

· Farm Operating Plan (Business File)

· Common Payments

· Common Payment Framework

· Common Payment Reports

· Common Payment System

· Farm Records Management

· Acreage Reporting / Inventory Reporting

· National Crop Table

· Systematic Tracking for Optimal Risk Management (STORM)

Farm Program Capabilities

· Direct and Counter Cyclical Program (DCP) including Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE)

· The Natural Disaster Relief Programs (NDRP)

· Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP)

· Livestock Forage Program (LFP)

· Tree Assistance Program (TAP)

· Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments Program (SURE)

· Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-Raised Fish (ELAP)

· Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Programs (NAP)

· Price Support Programs

· Farm Stored Facility Loans (FSFL)

· Marketing Assistance Loans (MAL)

· Electronic Loan Deficiency Payments (ELDP)

· Conservation Program

· Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)

· State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE)

· Emergency Forestry Conservation Reserve Program (EFCRP)

· Grassland Reserve Program (GRP)

Farm Loan Program Capabilities

· Direct

· Direct Farm Ownership Loans

· Direct Down Payment Loans

· Direct Operating Loans

· Direct Emergency Loans

· Guaranteed

· Guaranteed Farm Ownership Loans

· Guaranteed Operating Loans

· Guaranteed Conservation

· Land Contract Guarantee Loans

Commodity Capabilities

· Domestic

· National School Lunch Program (NSLP)

· Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACF)

· Summer Food Service Program (SFSP)

· Nutrition Services Incentive Program (NSIP)

· The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP)

· Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)

· Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP)

· Disaster Feeding Assistance (DF)

· International

· Title II of the Food for Peace Act (FFP)

· McGovern–Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program

· Food for Progress Program (FFPr)

· Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust (BEHT)

· Section 416(b) of the Agricultural Act of 1949

Budget and Finance Capabilities

· Receivable Management

· Land and Storage Facility Management

· Financial Management

· IRS Reporting

· Marketing Assistance Loans Charges/Offsets

· Payment Management

· IRS Foreign Program Direct Loan Management

Geospatial Capabilities

· National Agriculture Imagery Program

· Common Land Unit and Acreage Reporting integration

Regular and direct Contractor interface with the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) is mandatory under this IDIQ. The Contractor shall work with other Government personnel as necessary, in the normal course of fulfilling the work tasks. The Contractor shall maintain all written communications, throughout the contract life cycle. If requested by the CO and/or the COR this documentation must be provided.

C.5.2 Kickoff Meeting

Within two days of the period of performance start date, the Contractor shall initiate work on each task order by meeting with key Government representatives to ensure a common understanding of the requirements, expectations, and ultimate end products. The Contractor shall discuss the overall understanding of the project and review the background information and materials provided. Discussions will also include the scope of work, deliverables to be produced, how the efforts will be organized and project conducted; assumptions made/expected and results. A concerted effort shall be made to gain a thorough understanding of the Government expectations. However, nothing discussed in this or in any subsequent meetings or discussions between the Government and the Contractor shall be construed as adding, deleting, or modifying any task order requirements, including deliverable specifications and due dates.

C.5.3 Program Management The Contractor shall manage overall contract support operations involving multiple Task Orders, projects and personnel; organize, direct, and coordinate planning and production of all contract support activities and resource needs; manage communications with all levels of management; establish and alter (as necessary) Contractor management structure to effectively direct contract support activities; manage project and work priorities as set by FSA management; and confer with FSA management officials regarding the status of specific Contractor activities and problems, issues or conflicts requiring solutions. The Contractor shall take actions to provide value-added services and to maintain an understanding of government needs in a fast-paced, continually evolving environment. The Contractor shall provide avenues for communication with government management, contracting officer’s representatives and technical points of contact on a frequency and level necessary to achieve the goals of the government as covered under the contract.

C.5.4 Project Management

A portion of the support services to be provided are on-going operational support. Specific projects are defined by Task Orders and Project Plans. The Contractor shall provide project management resources to manage and execute project tasks. The Contractor shall use project plans as well as standard project management techniques to minimize project delays, and ensure project delivery. The project management processes shall be based upon industry recognized best practices, primarily the Project Management Institute (PMI) framework. Application development projects may follow additional SDLC methodologies, such as Agile, waterfall, iterative, and rapid prototyping. The Contractor resources shall handle multiple concurrent projects within a highly dynamic environment.

C.5.5 Project Plan

The Contractor shall create and maintain project plans for each project, to include work breakdown structures, project resource assignments, resource hours, projected task completion dates for each resource assigned, overall completion date of each project, and project assumptions. The Contractor shall provide an updated project plan in a mutually agreed upon timeframe defined after the analysis phase is complete or within mutually agreeable time parameters detailing the completion dates for the remainder of the project. The project plan shall be updated weekly or as requested showing progress and task completion. All project plans shall be maintained on FSA’s project SharePoint site so that government has access to the project plans at all times.

C.6. QUALITY

Both the Contractor and Government have responsibilities for providing and ensuring quality services, respectively. Strict Adherence to USDA Policies and Procedures is required.

C.6.1 Quality Control

The Contractor shall establish and maintain a complete Quality Control Plan (QCP) to ensure the requirements of this contract are provided as specified in accordance with the applicable Inspection of Services Clause. The Contracting Officer (CO) will notify the Contractor of acceptance or required modifications to the plan. The Contractor shall make appropriate modifications (at no additional cost to the government) and obtain acceptance of the plan by the CO. The Government has the right to require revisions of the QCP (at no cost to the Government) should the incorporated plan fail to control the quality of the services provided at any time during the contract performance. The plan shall include, but is not limited to the following:

· A description of the inspection system covering all services listed.

· The specification of inspection frequency.

· The title of the individual(s) who shall perform the inspection and their organizational placement.

· A description of the methods for identifying, correcting, and preventing defects in the quality of service performed before the level becomes unacceptable.

On-site records of all inspections conducted by the Contractor are required. The format of the inspection record shall include, but is not limited to, the following:

· Date, time, and location of the inspection.

· A signature block for the person who performed the inspection.

· Rating of acceptable or unacceptable.

· Area designated for deficiencies noted and corrective action taken.

· Total number of inspections.

C.6.2 Quality Assurance

The Government will perform periodic reviews of the Contractor’s performance in accordance with the Government’s Quality Assurance Surveillance Plans (QASP) (Section J Attachment 5). The Government reserves the right to review services to be provided, including those developed or performed at the Contractor's facilities, to determine conformity with performance and technical requirements. Government quality assurance will be conducted on behalf of the CO. The Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) will be appointed to coordinate the overall quality assurance of technical compliance.

C.7 DELIVERABLES

Deliverables and due dates are identified in subsequent paragraphs.

C.7.1 Deliverables Matrix

As applicable, the deliverables and delivery dates shall be defined on task orders and on approved project plans as updated after the completion of the analysis phase for each project. If a delivery date falls on a Federal holiday or Saturday or Sunday, the deliverable due date shall be the next scheduled federal workday unless otherwise indicated. The deliverable due time shall be on or before COB the day the deliverable is due unless otherwise stated. If a delivery does need to be delivered on a Federal holiday or Saturday or Sunday, it will be stated so.

Kickoff Meeting Briefing.

No later than (NLT) two days after the period of performance start date.

Quality Control Plan

The QCP shall be finalized no later than ten (10) business days following the period of performance start date.

Monthly Invoice for individual Task Orders

Shall be in accordance with Section G.4.

SECTION D – PACKAGING AND MARKING

D. 1 AGAR 452.247-71 - Marking Deliverables. (FEB 1988)

(a) The FSA contract/order number shall be placed on or adjacent to all exterior mailing or shipping labels of deliverable items called for by the contract.

(b) Ship to/Mark for:

6501 Beacon Drive Mail Stop: 8220 Kansas City, Missouri 64133 (End of Clause)

D. 2 AGAR 452.247-72 - Packing for Domestic Shipment. (FEB 1988)

Material shall be packed for shipment in such a manner that will insure acceptance by common carriers and safe delivery at destination. Containers and closures shall comply with the Interstate Commerce Commission regulations, Uniform Freight Classification Rules, or regulations of other carriers as applicable to the mode of transportation.

(End of Clause)

SECTION E – INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

E. 1 FAR 52.252-2 - Clauses Incorporated by Reference (FEB 1998)

This contract incorporates one or more clauses by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. Also, the full text may be accessed electronically at this/ these address(es): https://www.acquisition.gov/FAR/ or, www.usda.gov/procurement/policy/agar.html

E.2 AGAR 452.246-70 - Inspection and Acceptance. (FEB 1988)

(a) The Contracting Officer or the Contracting Officer's duly authorized representative may inspect and accept the supplies and/or services to be provided under this contract.

(b) Inspection and Acceptance will be performed at:

6501 Beacon Drive Mail Stop: 8220 Kansas City, Missouri 64133

Or, By the duly authorized alternate COR.

(c) The Contracting Officer's Representatives COR has limited authority. The COR is authorized to (1) review and approve travel authorizations necessary for performance of services, (2) inspect deliverables, (3) accept deliverables, (4) review and approve request for payment (invoices), and (5) coordinate services with contractor. The COR has no authority to change or amend the terms and conditions set forth in the Contract.

(End of clause)

E.3 Inspection and Acceptance by the Government

The Government will verify that all deliverables cited within this Contract fulfill the requirement and standards stated in this Contract.

Certification by the Government of satisfactory services provided is contingent upon the contractor performing in accordance with the terms and conditions of the referenced contract, this document, the approved technical and cost quotes, and all amendments. The client's representative, Contracting Officer, and the contractor's representative(s) shall meet when deemed necessary at the client’s request. The client representative, the Contracting Officer, and the contractor’s representative may meet at the place determined by mutual agreement.

E.3.1 Responsibility for the Inspection and Acceptance

Inspection and acceptance of all items and services under this Contract will be accomplished by the Government COR. The COR will inspect, and be responsible for, the review and acceptance of all deliverables under this Contract prior to its acceptance by the Government Contracting Officer/Contract Specialist. Acceptance will be performed by the COR, or a designated representative, at the location(s) cited in Section E.2 of this contract.

E.3.2 Quality Assurance

The Government has established and will maintain a quality assurance program in accordance with FAR 52.212-4 -- Contract Terms and Conditions -- Commercial Items (FEB 2012). The Government will evaluate the Contractor's performance under this contract for those tasks listed in the contracts’ PWS. The COR will follow the methods of surveillance specified in the contract.

Any action taken by the Contracting Officer as a result of surveillance will be in accordance with the terms of this contract.

The Government’s QASP is not a substitute for Quality Control by the Contractor. The Government reserves the right to inspect any and all work under the contract.

If the corrective/preventive actions are not met the Contractor shall be relieved of full performance of the service and be terminated for cause based on inadequate performance of the service. The Government’s QASP will be based off the requirements of the Performance Work Statement (PWS) of this IDIQ and each individual Task Order(s).

The COR will review, for completeness, preliminary or draft documentation that the Contractor submits, and may return it to the Contractor for correction. Absence of any comments by the COR will not relieve the Contractor of the responsibility for complying with the requirements of this work statement. Final approval and acceptance of documentation required herein shall be by letter of approval and acceptance by COR. The Contractor shall not construe any letter of acknowledgment of receipt material as a waiver of review, or as an acknowledgment that the material is in conformance with this work statement. Any approval given during preparation of the documentation, or approval for shipment shall not guarantee the final acceptance of the completed documentation.

E.3.3 Administrative Considerations

E.3.3.1 Correspondence

Regular and direct contractor interface with the COR is mandatory under this IDIQ. The contractor shall not contact nor take direction from unauthorized FSA employees, under any circumstances. The contractor shall work with other Government personnel as designated by the COR in review of specified requests and implementation of the specified task assignment request. When technical interchange meetings are scheduled, any actions resulting from such meetings that affect the Task Order level or scope of work, or administrative issues (including work schedules and/or resources) shall be documented and reported to the COR and the Contracting Officer (CO) , for approval before being implemented by the contractor. The contractor shall maintain all written or oral communications, throughout the contract Life cycle. If requested by the CO and/or the COR this documentation must be provided.

To promote timely and effective administration, correspondence shall be subject to the following procedures:

A. Technical correspondence (where technical issues relating to compliance with the requirements herein) shall be addressed to the COR with an information copy to the Contracting Officer (CO) and the Contract Specialist (CS).

B. Work Definitions (where technical issues require further clarification of the requirement stated in the Task Order) this shall be agreed to by the Contractor, the COR, and the Contracting Officer (CO) who will incorporate this clarification via Task Order Modification.

SECTION F – DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE

F.1 AGAR 452.211-74 – Period of Performance (FEB 1988)

The anticipated Base Period of performance for this contract will be as follows:

Anticipated Base Period: Nine Months

Option Periods may be exercised based upon the continuing need, past performance, fund availability and at the Government’s discretion; and will be as follows:

(End of Clause)

F.2 Place(s) of Performance

The primary place of performance shall be in Government facilities in Kansas City, MO. The Contractor may perform task related activities at Contractor facilities within the local area when required and authorized by the Government at no additional cost to the government. Reimbursement for local travel is not authorized.

F.3 Performance of Travel

The contractor shall also perform travel between the primary places of performance and non-local facilities as required during the performance period of this contract. Once funded via the Task Order, the COR shall approve all non-local travel prior to costs being incurred. Project travel requests, to include projected costs, shall be submitted to enable COR approval no later than three workdays prior to travel. Travel will be handled, to include the reimbursement of expenses, in accordance with FAR 31.205-46 the terms and conditions of the contract. All non-local travel arrangements will be the responsibility of the contractor including, but not limited to, airline, hotel, and rental car reservations. The contractor should make all efforts to schedule travel far enough in advance to take advantage of reduced airfares. The contractor shall stay in Government furnished lodging as available. The contractor shall include a $0.00 travel allowance (subject to modification) in the cost quote. Project specific travel requirements will be authorized by the COR.

Program/contract management travel will not be paid for by the government. Video Teleconferencing should be used as much as practicable in an effort to minimize travel costs.

F.4 Hours of Performance

Normal Duty Hours. On-site contractor support shall be available during customer agency operating (0600 - 1800) hours. Work shall generally consist of 40-hour workweeks, Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays. The contractor personnel shall observe all Federal holidays. The contractor shall provide for non-standard duty hours support on an as required basis. Non-standard duty hours or additional hours or times for work to be performed shall be coordinated with the COR. The additional hours shall be managed in accordance with the funds available and the burn rate for all labor hours shall be monitored.

Contingency (“on-call”) Support. The contractor shall provide 24x7 on-call contingency support, or as specified in task orders. On-call contingency support shall be coordinated with the authorized local Government point of contact and the contractor’s designated on-call support point of contact. On-call contingency support shall be provided within one hour of notification to the contractor’s designated individual. The contractor shall assess the cause, determine the scope of the problem, advise the appropriate Government organization, identify and implement action for problem resolution, and provide an estimated restoration time in coordination and with approval of the Government point of contact for the situation. The contractor shall provide a single point of contact for all on-call contingency support.

Telework. Telework may be authorized, depending on availability of government computing resources and on the nature of the work tasks involved. All contractor personnel approved for telework shall comply with the specific Guidelines for Telework.

Guidelines for Telework All work performed at locations other than those identified as FSA government facilities in Kansas City, MO., shall be authorized prior to performing the work. Federal contractors are not governed by Office of Personnel Management (OPM), GSA, or the individual agency government employee telework policies; however, this does not prohibit contract employees from actually working at an alternate site, when/as appropriate and specifically authorized by the Government. Contractors may telework during non-standard business hours and during certain uses of standard business hours with Government approval. Approval for telework for individual contractor staff members is at the discretion of the authorized contractor management representative, with agreement by the COR.

A regular schedule of telework shall be established, approved by the COR, published, and the telework schedule must not negatively impact the Government. Changes to the schedule must be pre-approved by the COR. Each technology support or service delivery area must have on-site coverage every business day. For example, if one member of a two-member team is on leave, the remaining team member must be on-site during that time, regardless of whether telework is scheduled or not. Teleworking contractor staff must be able to return to the FSA government facility at no cost to the government, within 5 hours of receiving the request.

Send the email immediately upon start or end.

Telework Constraints

· The government reserves the right to make changes to the telework schedules at any time. Contractor telework is granted by the government for the necessity and benefit of the government and is not a contractor benefit or right. Contractor telework can be revoked by the government at any time if deemed appropriate.

· Limited availability of government furnished laptops may limit the number of contractors who are approved to participate in telework.

· The contractor program manager shall assess the validity of all telework requests from contract employees. Approvals shall not conflict with the best interest of the government.

· Contractor telework must comply with the USDA and FSA security policies.

(End of Clause)

F.5 Deliverables and Data Rights

In addition to all rights granted to the US Government under the applicable Federal Acquisition Regulations Data Rights clauses, all test materials, documents, notes, records, software tools acquired, and/or software modified or produced by the contractor under this IDIQ PWS shall become the property of the U.S. Government, which shall have unlimited rights to all materials and determine the scope of publication and distribution. The contractor shall be required to deliver electronic copies of all documents, notes, records and software to the Government as requested, and upon termination of the contract services or expiration of the contract period.

· All software will be managed in the FSA source control tools.

· All project documents will be managed in the applicable FSA project Sharepoint sites or designated locations.

SECTION G – CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

G.1 Contracting Officer’s Authority

The Contracting Officer is the only person authorized to approve changes in any of the requirements under this contract and/or any Delivery/Task Order, and notwithstanding any clause contained elsewhere in this contract, the said authority remains solely with the Contracting Officer. In the event the Contractor effects any changes to the direction of any person other than the Contracting Officer, the changes will be considered to have been made without authority and no adjustments will be made in the contract prices to cover any increases in charges incurred as a result thereof.

The Contractor shall submit any request for modification for this contract, in writing to the Contracting Officer with a copy of the request to the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR).

G.2 Contract Administration

The Procuring Contracting Officer responsible for administering this IDIQ contract is:

Daniel Bowker, Contracting Officer

The Procuring Contracting Officer’s responsible for administering Task Order’s under this IDIQ contract are:

Mechelle Dickey, Contracting Officer

Shawn Hedgspeth, Contracting Officer

Luis Gallardo, Contracting Officer

When using regular mail, use the following address:

USDA/FSA/AMD

Mail Stop 0567 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, DC 20520 When using express mail or hand delivering to the Contracting Officer, use the following address:

USDA/FSA/AMD

355 E ST, SW

10TH FLOOR

WASHINGTON, DC 20024

The point of contact for routine contract support, and in the absence of the Contracting Officer is:

Any of the Procuring Contracting Officer’s for the Task Orders.

G.3 Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR)

The Contracting Officer’s Representative appointed for this contract, and the address and contact information for the same is:

Terry Holmes, Contracting Officer’s Representative

* However, as individual Task Orders may require additional program oversight, the COR may recommend to the CO, the appointment of an alternate COR to assist the COR with some of the COR’s respective responsibilities. This will be finalized by issuance of an Alternate COR letter of appointment.

CAUTION: The Offeror shall not make any type of contact (oral or written) with CORs concerning this RFP prior to contract award; any contact may be grounds for a determination for offeror(s) inability to respond to the RFP.

The COR shall be primarily responsible for, but not necessarily limited to, the following:

The COR is not empowered to make any contractual commitments or to authorize any contractual changes on the Government’s behalf. Any changes that the contractor deems may affect contract price, or conditions must be referred to the Contracting Officer for review, action and or approval/disapproval.

G.4 Invoices

The Contractor shall submit invoices to the CO and the COR for review and payment recommendation in accordance with the delivery schedule. The Contractor shall provide an original and one copy of all invoices. Invoices shall be emailed or mailed to the Contracting Officer and the COR at the addresses provided in the Contract. The COR is responsible for review and recommending approval/disapproval of invoices. If disapproved, the COR shall notify the Contracting Officer and the Contractor.

The Contractor shall invoice no more than once a month and shall submit the invoice, by the 15th Calendar day of the month, to the address provided in the contract. In addition to the information required by the Prompt Payment Act, at a minimum the following information must also be included on the invoice:

1. Contract Number(s) IDIQ, Task Order

2. Contractor, Address, Point of Contact, and Telephone Number

3. Period of Performance associated with the Invoice

4. Invoice Number and date of invoice

5. A description of the deliverables per the deliverables and pricing schedules for each Contract Line Item Number (CLIN) being invoiced.

6. Any other information deemed necessary and appropriate to justify payment to include by not limited to:

· Labor hours expended. The labor hours expenditure information shall include the identification of the employee name, labor category, hourly labor rate, and total number of labor hours expended.

· Timecards/sheets, or equivalent. The contractor shall provide a copy of each employee’s time and it shall identify the contractor employee name and number of hours claimed per day.

· Travel costs. Supporting documentation for travel costs. Invoices including travel costs shall include supporting documentation as required by the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) (which currently requires receipts for all costs $75.00 or greater). Invoice submissions including travel costs shall include completed travel expense sheets for each trip for each employee.

· The contractor shall comply with line item (i.e., per individual positions, different programs, program areas, modernization efforts, farm bills, etc.) billing requests.

7. Failure to provide the above information (or adequately justify payment request) is grounds for disapproval of invoice.

G.5 AGAR 452.219-70 SIZE STANDARD AND NAICS CODE INFORMATION (SEP 2001)

The North American Industrial Classification System Code(s) and business size standard(s) describing the products and/or services to be acquired under this solicitation are listed below:

Contract line item(s): ALL -- NAICS Code - 541511 Custom Computer Programming Services -- Size Standard - $25,500,000 (End of provision) G.6 Contract Closeout Procedures

It is the Government’s intent to perform close-out procedures at the end of the Contract. The Contractor agrees to perform those internal functions necessary to support this process in a timely manner. Contract close-out will occur as soon as possible after end of contract period of performance.

SECTION H - SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

H.1 Government Furnished Facilities, Property, Building Services, Materials and Information

The Government shall furnish space and building services. Facilities to be furnished to the Contractor under this contract are currently located in a Government leased building. Government facilities have been inspected for compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA). No hazards have been identified for which workrounds have been established. Should a hazard be subsequently identified, the Government will correct OSHA hazards according to Government developed and approved plans of abatement taking into account safety and health priorities. A higher priority for correction will not be assigned to the facilities provided hereunder merely because of this contracting initiative. The fact that no such conditions have been identified does not warrant or guarantee that no possible hazard exists, or that workaround procedures will not be necessary. Compliance with the OSHA and other applicable laws and regulations for the protection of employees is exclusively the obligation of the contractor. No alterations to the facilities shall be made without specific written permission from the Contracting Officer.

The Contractor shall return the facilities to the Government in the same condition as received, fair wear and tear and approved modifications excepted.

These facilities shall only be used in performance of this contract.

H.1.1 Government Furnished Equipment

GOVERNMENT FURNISHED EQUIPMENT/INFORMATION/ACCESS. The government will provide the following resources to the contractor for task performance:

· The Government will provide workspace at a government facility for the maximum number of funded employees.

· The Government will provide standard office configuration (office work area, telephone, access to fax, computer, e-mail account, software, network access, etc.).

· The Government will provide access to available IT equipment and software, as it may deem necessary, to the contractor for the exclusive purpose of performing the services as defined in the task order.

· The Government will provide access to available technical information (i.e. standard configuration, USDA directives, etc.) as required and upon contractor request for the performance of this task order.

· All Government-provided products and facilities remain the property of the Government and shall be returned upon completion of the support services. Contractor personnel supporting this requirement shall return all Government provided items that were used during the performance of these requirements by the end of the performance period.

· All documented processes, procedures, tools and applications, developed under this PWS become the property of the Government. The Government shall have unlimited rights to these documents. Modification and distribution of end products for use at other installations will be at the discretion of the Government.

· All text, electronic digital files, data, new capabilities or modification of existing applications, source code, documentation, and other products generated, modified or created under this contract shall become the property of the Government. The information shall be returned to the Government unless otherwise specified herein.

The Contractor and the COR shall jointly determine the working order and condition of all equipment and document their findings to the CO. In the event of disagreement between the Contractor and the Government representative on the working order and condition of equipment, the disagreement shall be treated as a dispute under the contract clause entitled "Disputes."

Obtaining Replacement of GovernmentFurnished Equipment, the Contractor shall submit requests for replacement of Government furnished equipment to the COR for processing. Such requests shall specify the reason for the replacement request.

H.1.2 Contractor Furnished Property/Items

While providing services from locations other than the government facilities in Kansas City, MO, contractors must provide a means for being contacted, for communicating with other government and contractor employees, and for connecting to the FSA computer network. The contractor shall ensure that contract employees furnish the necessary phone and Internet remote connection equipment and services to meet these communication needs while not in the government facility. Any additional Contractor furnished property required for the performance of a Task Order under this contract will be identified per individual Task Order.

H.2 AGAR 452.224-70 – Confidentiality of Information (FEB 1988)

(a) Confidential information, as used in this clause, means –

(1) Information or data of a personal nature, proprietary about an individual or (2) information or data submitted by or pertaining to an organization.

(b) In addition to the types of confidential information described in (a)(1) and (2) above, information which might require special consideration with regard to the timing of its disclosure may derive from studies or research, during which public disclosure of primarily invalidated findings could create an erroneous conclusion which might threaten public health or safety if acted upon.

(c) The Contracting Officer and the Contractor may, by mutual consent, identify elsewhere in this contract specific information and/or categories of information which the Government will furnish to the Contractor or that the Contractor is expected to generate which is confidential.