Attachment_1_-_Performance_Work_Statement_-_PWS.pdf

AG-SPEC-S-16-0028

Attachment 1

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

Natural Resources Conservation Service Administrative Support Services IDIQ

SECTION 1 – INTRODUCTION

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides leadership in a partnership effort to help people conserve, maintain, and improve our natural resources and environment. NRCS works at the local level in field offices at USDA Service Centers in nearly every county across the nation. NRCS helps the nation balance economic goals with the needs of the environment; ensuring sustainable productive lands that supply food, fiber, forest products and energy for all citizens.

The NRCS mission is to provide resources to farmers and landowners to aid them with conservation.

Administrative support services to be performed are for a variety of office administrative duties related to financial management, human resources, purchasing, fleet management, record management and correspondence and other administrative services in support of NRCS programs and operations.

The effort required under this Performance Work Statement (PWS) is to provide non-personal administrative services to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) at various locations throughout the United States. The intent of this solicitation is to award multiple Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts authorized for use by any agency within the USDA. Awards will be made for four (4) regions encompassing the United States of America and Territories. Firms may submit qualifications on one (1) region or up to four (4) regions, however, a standalone response must be submitted for each. Work will be ordered within the defined regions of the awarded Task Order(s).

1.1 Avoidance of Personal Services:

The USDA/NRCS has determined that this contract is not being used to procure services prohibited by Subpart 37.1 of the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR). The Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) has been briefed on the avoidance of personal services and those actions that represent personal services. To counter the circumstances that infer personal services and to preserve the non-personal nature of this contract, the Contractor shall adhere to the following guidelines in the performance of the contract:

• Provide for direct supervision of all contract employees assigned to the task.

• Refrain from discussing issues such as skill levels and hours, salaries, cost and funding data, or administrative and personnel matters affecting contractor employees with the COR.

• Ensure close communication/coordination with the COR, reporting problems to the COR as they occur (not waiting for a monthly meeting).

• Do not permit government officials to interview potential contractor employees, discuss individual performance, approve leave or work scheduling of contractor employees, terminate contractor employees, assist contractor employees in doing their jobs or obtain assistance from the contractor in doing Government job.

• Do not assign contractor personnel to work under direct government supervision.

• Maintain a professional distance from government employees.

• Provide contractor employees with badges, if appropriate, identifying them as contractors.

• Ensure proper communications with the government (technical discussion and government surveillance is okay, but the government cannot interfere with the contractor’s legitimate exercise of discretion in meeting contractual requirements.

• Assign a task leader to the task order. The task leader or alternate should be the only one who accepts tasking from the assigned government point of contact or alternative.

• Use work orders to document and manage the work and to define the details of the assignment and its deliverables. The government has the right to reject the finished product or result and this does not constitute personal services.

• If travel is required for the performance on a task, the contractor personnel are only to travel as directed by their contract management.

• The contractor shall provide suitable marking on all documents or reports generated, per FAR11.106 and meet all other terms of this regulation.

SECTION 2 – PURPOSE

The objective of this IDIQ is to provide comprehensive administrative non-personal support services to the USDA, and NRCS locations nationwide. In accordance with USDA’s strategic sourcing initiative, all USDA departments are authorized to place orders against this IDIQ contract. Firm Fixed Price Task Orders may be issued in accordance with this IDIQ. The purpose of the work is to provide administrative, clerical and data entry processing assistance in support of agency programs.

SECTION 3 – SCOPE OF WORK

The Contractor shall provide individuals to accomplish comprehensive administrative support services and to perform a broad range of administrative and clerical tasks. The Contractor shall; submit required contracted employee documentation within 10 calendar days of notification of task order (TO) award, place employee within 20 calendar days from award (unless a later start date is required by the TO), manage scope, schedule, budget, and facilitate any action from inception to closure by tasking, tracking, supporting required functions/personnel/activities, etc.

Occupations authorized by this contract include those listed under 01000 Administrative Support and Clerical Occupations as defined in the Service Contract Act, Department of Labor Wage Determination.

Descriptions for these occupations can be found in Appendix A.

The Government may require various categories of services at any given time as specified on individual task orders. The contractor shall perform work and submit deliverables as identified in individual task orders. This is a Firm Fixed Price contract, and all awarded task orders will be Firm-Fixed Price orders.

SECTION 4 – DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES

Required services may include, but are not limited to, the following;

• Assisting agency staff with program documentation, including but not limited to preparing and processing documents and correspondence, checking documents for accuracy and completeness, gathering information, reconciling payment documents, recording data, establishing and maintaining files, and transmitting information.

• Assisting agency staff with various accounting functions such as processing actions related to unfilled customer orders. This will include reviewing, monitoring, and tracking billing and collections of the agencies receivables.

• Assisting staff with access to WebTCAS (or similar system) to maintain time and attendance for staff. Monitoring input and transmission of time and attendance records. Monitoring submission, verification, certification and timeliness of timesheets.

• Assisting staff with CONCUR (or similar system) to prepare and review Travel Authorizations and vouchers for NRCS staff as necessary. Reviews vouchers for proper documentation, and compliance with Federal Travel Regulations (FTR) and agency guidelines.

• Assisting staff with travel arrangements, purchasing, records management and correspondence, mail management and distribution, and other administrative services in support of any NRCS program or operation. Assists staff with preparing reports and answering inquiries. Gathers data for reports, inputs information into databases and helps with special projects.

• Reviewing and verifying technical and professional materials prepared by staff specialists for format and grammatical accuracy, including interpretative materials, technical reports, memorandums, advisory notices and technical notes.

• Maintaining office files, manuals, handbooks and reference library, both paper and electronic, according to NRCS and department guidelines and requirements.

• Answers telephone, greets visitors and signs for incoming deliveries

• Utilizing a variety of computer hardware and software applications and small office machines, to include agency specific software such as Pro Tracts, NEST, FMMI, and locally developed Excel databases to extract information needed to develop reports related to scheduling, program tracking, and balancing of funds committed and expended.

• Some interaction with the general public in an office setting. Will work directly with conservation partners, program technicians in the Farm Service Agency, and NRCS Field Office personnel.

Provides a variety of information to program applicants and participants, such as specific program and eligibility requirements, guidance on completion of required program applications, Adjusted Gross Income (AGI), and System for Award Management (SAM).

• Reviewing applications for Farm Bill programs to ensure required information and forms are present and gathers items that are missing to create a complete application package. Determines that correct signatures are in place on applications.

• Data entry in regards to processing contract documents and actions for approved contracts.

Monitors and tracks commencement and expiration of contracts, contracts behind schedule, and contracts that have not completed a practice in the first year and prepares modification, termination, waiver, and annual practice reminder letters for signature. Processes annual contract reviews and various audits. Prepares documents for contract appeals and provides documents with open obligation audits. Monitors payment error rates and works to eliminate them.

• Contractor shall have proficiency in the Microsoft Office Suite software, specifically Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel and Access. The contractor shall demonstrate the use of appropriate language to communicate ideas in words and print based on the audience and situation.

SECTION 5 – CONTRACT DELIVERABLES

The Contractor will be responsible for delivering all end items specified in each individual Task Order.

All deliverables must meet professional standards. The following periodic reports are required to be completed and submitted by the contractor:

(1) A Monthly Activity Report that includes a detailed synopsis of work performed during the identified Period of Performance is a requirement for all Task Orders. The report shall be submitted to the Task Order Contracting Officer Monthly and shall be included as an attachment to the invoice in the Invoice Processing Platform (IPP).

(2) A Quarterly Activity Report that includes all active Agency Task Orders. The report shall be submitted to the IDIQ Contracting Officer (CO) and Contract Specialist (CS).

SECTION 6 - GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

The award for services under this PWS will be limited to the services included in contract line items awarded in Task Orders.

6.1 Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI)

Contractor and subcontractor personnel performing work under this contract may receive or have access to proprietary information (e.g., cost or pricing information, budget information or analyses, specifications or work statements, etc.) which may create a current or subsequent Organization Conflict of Interests (OCI) as defined in FAR Subpart 9.5. The Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer immediately whenever it becomes aware that such access of participation may result in any actual or potential OCI and shall promptly submit a plan to the Contracting Officer to avoid or mitigate any such OCI. The Contractor’s mitigation plan will be determined to be acceptable solely at the discretion of the Contracting Officer and in the event the Contracting Officer unilaterally determines that any such OCI cannot be satisfactorily avoided or mitigated, the Contracting Officer may affect other remedies as he/she deems necessary, including prohibiting the Contractor from participation in subsequent contracted requirements which may be affected by the OCI.

6.2 Workweek and Workload

The normal duty hours will be 8:00AM – 4:30PM, Monday through Friday, excluding Federal Holidays, with 30 minutes for lunch. Performance will not be required on the following Federal holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Birthday, Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. The normal workweek will be 40 hours per week. If overtime is required it will be disclosed at time of task order award.

6.3 Government-Furnished Equipment (GFE)

All equipment and supplies needed to carry out the above duties to be provided by the Government. The Government will provide work space, copier, and computer for use by the contractor. Use of a government owned vehicle may be authorized on a task order basis as required. The value of the GFE will be determined by individual task order.

6.4 Disclosures

The contractor shall make no public announcement or disclosure relative to information contained or developed under this contract, except as authorized by the Contracting Officer. All data generated under this contract shall become the property of the Government and distribution to any other source by the Contractor is prohibited unless authorized by the Contracting Officer. .

6.5 Travel

If travel is required, actual travel costs will be reimbursed in accordance with Federal Travel Regulations and the Government Joint Travel Regulations (JTR) in accordance with FAR 31.205-46. (Website http://www.perdiem.osd.mil/regchgs.htm) Documentation of costs such as hotel receipts, airline tickets (stubs), car rental receipts, etc. must be furnished with request for payment for the task orders. No profit or additional handling charge allowed. Travel costs will be reimbursed based on actual costs and allowable G&A. Travel may be required in Continental United States (CONUS). All travel shall require prior written approval from the cognizant Government representative as identified by individual task order.

SECTION 7 – PERFORMANCE BASED CONTRACTING REQUIREMENTS

During performance of each Task Order (TO), the contractor shall be evaluated by the Contracting Officer (CO), the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), and/or other designated personnel, in accordance with the overall level of compliance with the contract and the demonstrated quality and timeliness of the services provided. For each TO, the identified stakeholders are responsible for the following required performance based contracting documentation:

(1) Performance Work Statement (PWS): For each TO, the agency is required to provide a PWS which addresses specific requirements required to ensure successful performance.

(2) Quality Assurance Plan (QAP): For each TO, the Contractor is required to submit a proposed Quality Assurance Plan (QAP) for the government’s consideration that shall demonstrate, at a minimum; Quality, Timeliness, Safety, Conformance, and Management.

(3) Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP): The agency is required to develop a QASP in response to the vendor’s QAP. The QASP is not part of the contract and is not binding on the Contractor. The document is for the benefit of the Government and describes how oversight (surveillance) of Contractor performance may be conducted to determine if the Contractor is meeting performance standards. A sample QAS is located in Appendix A.

SECTION 8 – PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The period of performance for the contract will be 365 days from the date of award with four (4) one-year options to extend for a potential aggregate total performance period of five years. The government will notify the contractor of its intent to exercise options within 45 calendar days of expiration of the current performance period, in accordance with FAR 52.217-9. Notification will be made in writing.

SECTION 9 – PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

USDA/NRCS field offices are located at USDA Service Centers in nearly every county throughout the nation. For purposes of this requirement, the nation has been divided into four regions. Task Orders may be issued for administrative support services at any office within the contracted region. The Contractor shall exhibit the ability to provide geographic flexibility in the provision of services in their contracted region(s).

REGION 1 REGION 2 REGION 3 REGION 4

Maine Vermont New Hampshire New York Connecticut Rhode Island Massachusetts Pennsylvania New Jersey Delaware Maryland Ohio Indiana Michigan Washington DC NHQ & Centers

West Virginia Virginia North Carolina South Carolina Kentucky Tennessee Georgia Alabama Mississippi Louisiana Arkansas Missouri Florida *Guam *Puerto Rico

North Dakota South Dakota Nebraska Kansas Oklahoma Minnesota Iowa Wisconsin Illinois

Washington Oregon Montana Wyoming Idaho California Nevada Utah Arizona Colorado New Mexico Texas Alaska Hawaii

*U.S. Territory

SECTION 10 – SECURITY REQUIREMENTS

Federal regulations require a records check and inquiry be conducted on all contractors requesting access to USDA computers and those users sign a Computer User Security Agreement before access is granted.

As a result, the Contractor shall conduct pre-screening of all persons proposed for work under this contract and ensure that employees who shall provide services under this contract submit to the government the following signed/completed documents no later than 10 calendar days after Task Order Award:

1. Standard Form 85 - Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive Positions;

2. FD-258 – Fingerprint Card;

3. OF-306 Declaration for Federal Employment and a resume or equivalent;

4. FY2016 Information Security Awareness Training Booklet and Paper Exam

5. NEIS PII Form;

6. E-Quip Invitation Form;

7. Certification for Operation of Government-Owned or Leased Vehicles;

8. SF87 (Rev. March 2013) – Electronic Fingerprint Forms Will Not Be Accepted

Due to the heightened concern for Homeland Security, all Standard Form 85’s shall be reviewed by the agency. The agency shall concur with or decline the selection of Contractor employees. The Contractor shall be responsible for costs associated with fingerprinting to facilitate background investigations.

10.1 Contractor Responsibilities

• Collect completed forms from each applicant and review all forms for completeness and correctness.

This includes, for example, satisfactory resolution of issues or discrepancies.

• Ensure the applicants obtain two (2) complete sets of their fingerprints on the prescribed Form SF87

(Rev. March 2013) from an organization qualified to take fingerprints.

• Return any incomplete or incorrect form(s) to applicant(s) to be corrected and re-submitted.

• Submit completed forms to the Local Point of Contact no later than 10 calendar days after Task Order

Award.

10.2 Agency Responsibilities

• Ensure that completed security forms are forwarded to the appropriate investigating agency in accordance with appropriate internal procedures. The investigating agency will conduct the requisite investigations.

• Notify the Contractor of the results of background investigations as they are completed and adjudicated. The Local Point of Contact will notify the Contractor of any applicants who are found ineligible for employment security approval so that the Contractor can immediately recruit and initiate paperwork to clear replacement applicants.

• The Local Point of Contact will maintain an up-to-date file of Certificates of Investigation (COI) and other background investigation-related documentation for all contract employees throughout the life of the contract.

10.3 Exclusion by Contracting Officer

The Contracting Officer, independent of NRCS background checks, may direct the contractor to exclude from working on this contract any contractor found or deemed to be unfit, or whose continued employment on the contract is deemed contrary to the public interest, or inconsistent with the best interest of the agency.

10.4 Replacement Personnel

The Contractor shall take all necessary steps to assure that personnel who are selected for assignment to this contract are professionally qualified and personally reliable, and meet all other requirements stipulated herein. The contractor burdens full expense for prescreening and will not be reimbursed for any prescreening of individuals disqualified by NRCS.

The Government performed security investigations shall not in any manner relieve the Contractor of its responsibility to assure that all personnel are professionally qualified, personally reliable, and meet all other agency requirements. If a security investigation conducted by the government renders a contractor furnished employee ineligible, or if a contractor employee must be replaced for any reason, the contractor shall be responsible for all costs associated with replacing the employee with a qualified individual. These costs shall include, but are not limited to, reimbursement of costs to NRCS for screening replacement applicant(s). Failure to meet task order requirements may also result in the government assessing liquidated damages as set forth in each individual Task Order.

SECTION 11 – NON-DISCLOSURE

Work performance required by this SOW shall involve access to potentially sensitive information about governmental and landowner issues. All Contractor personnel shall comply with the terms of AGAR 452.224-70, Confidentiality of Information, as well as provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C.

552a. Additionally, contract personnel shall comply with privacy of personal information relating to natural resources conservation programs in accordance with Section 1244 of Title II of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (P.L. 1078-171) and Section 1619 of Title I of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008. The Contractor’s employees shall not disclose contents of NRCS case files and/or records to anyone other than authorized United States Department of Agriculture employees without the express written consent of the NRCS Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Officer.

SECTION 12 – CIVIL RIGHTS AND PROGRAM DELIVERY

The Contractor shall ensure that personnel prohibit discrimination in all aspects of programs and activities related to this Contract on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. The Contractor shall employ only persons able to speak, read, write, and understand English fluently for those positions interacting with Government personnel and customers in the performance of this contract, and where English is necessary to provide a service under this contract.

The employees of the contractor shall be based at various locations throughout the United States and may be required to travel via a Government Owned Vehicle to other locations as needed. Government Owned Vehicles (GOV) are used for official purposes only, solely in performance of this contract, and cannot be used for transportation between residence and place of employment. The Contractor shall establish and enforce suitable penalties against employees who use, or authorize the use of, GOVs for unofficial purposes or for other than in the performance of this contract. In addition, the Contractor shall pay any expenses or cost, without Government reimbursement, for using GOVs other than in the performance of this contract.

SECTION 13 – SAFETY

The Contractor shall provide safety and health program management in accordance with OSHA safety and health requirements.

SECTION 14 - PERFORMANCE METRICS

Performance evaluation of the contractor will be based on the performance metrics below. Specific performance metrics will be addressed within each task order. Performance for each evaluation criteria will be scored as superior, acceptable, marginal, or unacceptable. Evaluation will be measured against objectives established in each individual task order: quality, timeliness, safety, conformance, and management.

Performance Standard

Superior Performance

Acceptable Performance

Marginal Performance

Unacceptable Performance

Quality Contractor exceeds the requirements in the PWS for the milestone/deliverab le.

Deliverables /milestones are approved after one round of comments from NRCS and Regulators and no revisions are required.

Contractor meets the requirements in the PWS for the milestone/deliverable Deliverables /milestones are approved with two rounds of comments received from NRCS and Regulators and no further revisions are required.

Contractor does not meet the requirements in the PWS for the milestone/ deliverable.

Deliverables/mil estones require more than two rounds of NRCS and Regulators comments before being approved.

Contractor does not meet the requirements in the PWS for the milestone/deliver able.

Milestone/deliver able is never accepted.

Timeliness Contractor provides acceptable milestones/ deliverables resulting in overall project completion 10% ahead of schedule.

Contractor provides milestone/deliverable according to the

Contractor provides milestone/delive rable behind the project schedule, but not causing a delay in the construction

Contractor provides milestone/deliver able behind the project schedule resulting in a delay.

Performance delays >10% deviation from project schedule.

Safety No reportable or lost time accidents.

No reportable or lost time accidents above industry standards.

Reportable lost time accidents above industry standard; no regulatory citations.

Contractor has lost time accidents above industry standard and received regulatory citation for noncompliance.

Conformance Conformance with the PWS and other contractual obligations in an excellent manner

Meets the standard for superior performance with the exception of minor differences or omissions that do not negatively impact the project.

Commits significant exception to best practices or major omission that requires additional work to resolve or minor delays to the project milestones/sche dule.

Commits multiple exceptions to best practices and/or major omissions that results in regulatory intervention, threat of fine or stop work, with major disruption in project milestones/

Management Labor Management is optimally effective and ensures complete compliance with requirements of the

PWS.

Planning and control of labor is mostly effective and ensures sound compliance with requirements of the PWS.

Significant lapse in planning and/or control of labor which requires some rework or minor delays to the project.

Multiple lapses in planning and/or control of labor, which requires CO or

COR

intervention to resolve and has a significant impact on project milestones and

Review of the work performed shall be identified in each task order award. Review criteria are expected to fall under the two categories of Positive or Negative. Under each category:

(1) Positive

• Positive performance evaluation

• Report of good performance in the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System

(CPARS).

(2) Negative

• Negative Performance evaluation

• Report of poor performance in CPARS

• Government determination not to award optional performance periods.

SECTION 15 – POINTS OF CONTACT

Name Title Phone Vicki Supler Contracting Officer 337-291-3142 Amber Paschal Contract Specialist 817-509-3422

Section 5 – Contract Deliverables