Attachment 1 - (Draft) Performance Work Statement REQUIREMENTS-25-1463.pdf

DRAFT

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (DRAFT)

U.S. Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL)

High Performance Computing (HPC) Software

Development and Technical Services

REQUIREMENTS-25-1463

February 2026

1. General Information

1.1. Introduction and Background

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is one of several bureaus of the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), a cabinet level agency of the executive branch of the United States of America. In the 21st century, every aspect of the NOAA mission faces new urgency given the intensifying national needs of the environment, the economy, and public safety. The NOAA role in facing these challenges is to assess and predict environmental changes, protect life and property, provide decision makers with reliable scientific information, manage national living marine and coastal resources, and foster global environmental stewardship.

1.2. GFDL Mission and Activities

The Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL), located on Princeton University's Forrestal Campus, Plainsboro, NJ, is a federal research laboratory in the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR). GFDL’s mission is to be a world leader in the development of comprehensive, integrated and unified models of the Earth system comprising the atmosphere, oceans, land, biosphere, cryosphere, and ecosystems; and application of these models for the seamless understanding, predictions and projections of the Earth system, from hours to decades and from global-to-regional spatial scales, accounting for natural variations and forced changes.

GFDL is focused on comprehensive long-lead-time research that is fundamental to advancing the scientific understanding of the physical, dynamical, chemical and biogeochemical processes governing the behavior of the atmosphere, oceans, land, and ice components and their interactions with the ecosystem. Scientists at GFDL develop and use Earth system models and computer simulations to improve our understanding and prediction of all aspects of the climate system. GFDL scientists focus on model-building relevant for society, for hurricane research, weather and ocean prediction, seasonal forecasting, understanding regional and global climate change, and more. GFDL has pioneered much of the world’s research on the modeling of climate change since 1955.

Research at GFDL is facilitated by the Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Program, which is a collaborative program with Princeton University. Under this program, Princeton faculty, research scientists, and graduate students participate in theoretical, analytical, numerical, and observational studies. The program is supported in part by NOAA funding.

1.3. Modeling in Support of Science

GFDL’s state-of-the-art coupled global Earth system models provide a suite of societally relevant information and decision support products from weather to climate time scales, and on geographic scales, from local to global.

The dynamical core (FV3), the basis for all of GFDL’s climate models, is also the basis of the National Weather Service’s Unified Forecast System (UFS) which became operational in January 2019. Many other climate modeling labs worldwide use FV3 as the dynamical core that drives their climate models. It has proven capable of accurately predicting individual hurricanes as well as hurricane seasons and is even capable of forecasting individual severe storms, such as those that spawn tornadoes. FV3 is helping to unify regional and global models for weather and climate applications.

Over the past few decades, many GFDL models and modules have been transitioned for operational use, such as the GFDL hurricane forecast model, used for operational hurricane forecasts by the National Weather Service and the U.S. Navy for two decades. GFDL’s global dust algorithm is used in operational dust forecasting, and the lab’s ocean model (MOM6) is used in the National Weather Service’s UFS and is implemented for operational ocean predictions by the U.S. Navy and the government of Australia. GFDL contributes to the National Weather Service’s North-American Multi-Model Ensemble (NMME) experimental seasonal forecasting, and the lab provides real-time experimental seasonal forecasts of regional Atlantic hurricane activity. NOAA Fisheries and Ocean Service partners use GFDL model results are used to translate Earth system variability into vulnerability and impact assessments.

GFDL’s research is invaluable to the weather and climate science community in the public, academic, and private sectors. The lab’s climate and Earth system models, process modules, and model output are publicly available through GFDL’s Data Portal. GFDL participates in the Program for Climate Model Diagnosis and Inter-comparison, which organizes and serves model output for the World Climate Research Program and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. In addition, the lab’s ocean model will also be used in the next generation of the National Center for Atmospheric Research Community Earth System Model.

1.4. Computing Environment

1.4.1. High-Performance Computing

NOAA’s Research and Development High-Performance Computing (RDHPCS) program is critical to the GFDL mission. The RDHPCS program consists of large computational and storage environments across the nation, including Princeton, NJ; Fairmont, WV; Boulder, CO;

Starkville, MS; and Oak Ridge, TN, to support weather and climate modeling. In addition to the large-scale storage and computing assets, communications devices are typically co-located with the other assets to support remote access and management. These environments are provided under separate contracts to provide all of the equipment required to support the computationally intensive research. These components rely on the proper operation of multiple infrastructure and security systems. The integrated administration team consists of members from NOAA, General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT), and the SDTS contractor.

GFDL uses all RDHPCS HPC systems1. The primary system is gaea, which is located at the Oak Ridge National Lab in Oak Ridge, TN who manages the system as part of the National Climate-Computing Research Center (NCRC) 2. The current gaea configuration consists of two

(2) HPE-Cray EX 3000 system; 1,920 dual-socket nodes with 64-core AMD EPYC 7H12 processors, and a 2,046 dual-socket nodes with 96-core AMD EPYC 9654 processors. Each partition has its own 75 Petabyte file system.

In addition to the RDHPCS compute resources, GFDL hosts:

● A large cluster of high-performance post-processing and analysis systems consisting of high-performance Dell servers, specially configured to provide extreme input/output (I/O) rates required by the data-intensive data manipulation and analysis operations required to gain scientific insight from the mass of data produced by the lab’s numerical models.

● A Hierarchical Storage Management System (HSMS), which provides approximately 210 Petabytes (PB) of archiving capacity to meet the rates of data production on the production computing systems, as well as the data-intensive requirements of the local processing and analysis servers. The contents are under constant and intense examination.

Various programming languages and parallel code development software are available on all of these systems. The computing environment operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The NOAA N-wave Enterprise Network connects the remote production nodes to the local post-processing and analysis nodes, the HSMS, and the user workstations. Specialized software supports resource management, system administration, and application development. Of particular note is a highly specialized set of tools needed to satisfy the extremely demanding requirement for reliable transfer of up to 80 Terabytes (TB)/day of data from the remote production site to the storage and analysis systems at GFDL.

Reliability, availability, and support have been touchstones for the GFDL HPC systems. The HPCS must continue GFDL's historically high utilization of its computing resources. System reliability, availability, and contractor support are considered fundamental aspects of the HPCS and are key requirements for any proposed HPCS changes or related procurements.

In addition to the RDHPCS compute resources, GFDL hosts:

● A large cluster of high-performance post-processing and analysis systems consisting of high-performance Dell servers, specially configured to provide extreme input/output (I/O) rates required by the data-intensive data manipulation and analysis operations

2 https://www.ncrc.gov 1 https://www.noaa.gov/organization/information-technology/hpcc-locations-and-systems required to gain scientific insight from the mass of data produced by the lab’s numerical models.

● A Hierarchical Storage Management System (HSMS), which provides approximately 210

Petabytes (PB) of archiving capacity to meet the rates of data production on the production computing systems, as well as the data-intensive requirements of the local processing and analysis servers. The contents are under constant and intense examination.

Various programming languages and parallel code development software are available on all of these systems. The computing environment operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The NOAA N-wave Enterprise Network connects the remote production nodes to the local post-processing and analysis nodes, the HSMS, and the user workstations. Specialized software supports resource management, system administration, and application development. Of particular note is a highly specialized set of tools needed to satisfy the extremely demanding requirement for reliable transfer of up to 80 Terabytes (TB)/day of data from the remote production site to the storage and analysis systems at GFDL.

Reliability, availability, and support have been touchstones for the GFDL HPC systems. The HPCS must continue GFDL's historically high utilization of its computing resources. System reliability, availability, and contractor support are considered fundamental aspects of the HPCS and are key requirements for any proposed HPCS changes or related procurements.

1.4.2. Local Computing

Distributed throughout GFDL are approximately 200 Linux-based desktop workstations, primarily located in scientists' offices, but with several available in public areas. These workstations are used for data analysis and visualization of the results from HPC experiments, requiring special computing, storage, and graphics configurations to support large data sets. The laboratory also provides Windows and Mac desktops and laptops to administrative staff and a subset of scientists for personal productivity.

1.5. User Base

About 200 users at GFDL and approximately 250 other collaborators worldwide currently share all of these computing resources.

1.6. Objective

This support is essential to ensuring that users have the necessary support for the systems, network, and software needed to continue advancing GFDL’s and NOAA’s missions. The Contractor shall supply all necessary personnel, supervision, services, materials, and other items as required by each Call Order.

1.7. Scope

The objective of this procurement is to obtain High-Performance Computing (HPC) software development and technical support services for the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL). The scope of this effort shall encompass all of the task areas described in Section 4.

This effort does not include procuring IT equipment or software, per se, though contract personnel may help define requirements for equipment, software, and services to be acquired by the Government. Call Orders placed will be placed

2. Definitions

2.1 Contracting Officer (CO)

A person with the authority to enter into, administer, and/or terminate contracts and make related determinations and findings. The term includes certain authorized representatives of the contracting officer acting within the limits of their authority as delegated by the contracting officer.

2.2 Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR)

A Federal employee is delegated limited authority by a Contracting Officer to monitor and perform specific, enumerated contract management duties related to contract planning, contract administration, technical oversight, and closeout to ensure that the Contractor’s performance meets the standards outlined in the contract.

2.3 Defective Service

A service output that does not meet the standard performance requirement specified in the contract for that service.

2.4 Performance Requirements Summary (PRS)

A listing of the service outputs under the contract that are to be evaluated by the COR regularly, the surveillance methods to be used for these outputs, and the performance requirements of the listed outputs.

2.5 Quality Assurance

A planned and systemic pattern of all government actions is necessary to provide confidence that adequate technical requirements are established, products and services conform to established technical requirements, and satisfactory performance is achieved. Quality assurance refers to actions by the government assurance functions for a contracted service.

2.6 Quality Assurance Evaluator (QAE)

An individual responsible for assisting the COR in performing formal contract surveillance and reports to the COR. The QAE has no authority to allow the Contractor to deviate from contract requirements. The QAE has no authority to direct or interfere with the methods of performance by the Contractor or to provide technical direction to any of the Contractor’s personnel unless the methods being used are unsafe or compromise security.

2.7 Quality Control

Contractor actions taken to control the production of outputs to ensure that they conform to the contract requirements.

3. Technical Contract Requirements

3.1 Contract Manager/Program Manager (Key Personnel)

3.1.1 The Contractor shall provide a Contract Manager/Program Manager who shall be responsible for the performance of all Contractor work performed under each Call Order. The name of this person and an alternate or alternates who shall act for the Contractor when the manager is absent shall be designated in writing to the contracting officer (CO). Additionally, the Contractor shall not replace the Contract Manager/Program Manager without prior approval from the COR and CO. The Contractor Designation of Key Personnel shall be submitted to the CO and COR before performance starts.

3.1.2 Contract Manager/Program Manager or alternate shall have full authority to act for the Contractor on all contract matters relating to the daily operation of this contract. The Contract Manager/Program Manager shall be a single point of contact for the CO and COR. The Contract Manager/Program Manager shall be one of the senior-level employees provided by the Contractor for this work effort. During the absence of the Contract Manager/Program Manager, only one alternate shall have full authority to act for the Contractor on all matters relating to work performed under this contract.

3.1.3 The Contract Manager/Program Manager or alternate shall be available within thirty (30) minutes during normal duty hours to meet by phone or at the facility with government personnel (designated by the CO) to discuss problem areas. After normal duty hours, the manager or alternate shall be available within two (2) hours. The contract manager shall provide the COR and CO with an emergency phone or cell phone.

3.1.4 Contract Manager/Program Manager and alternate or alternates shall be able to read, write, speak, and understand English.

3.1.5 The Government may designate additional Contractor personnel as Key at the time of Call Order award. Before replacing any individual designated as Key by the Government, the Contractor shall notify the COR and CO no less than 15 business days in advance, submit written justification for replacement, and provide the name and qualifications of any proposed substitute(s). All proposed substitutes shall possess qualifications equal to or superior to those of the Key person being replaced, unless otherwise approved by the COR & CO. The Contractor shall not replace Key Contractor personnel without approval from the COR & CO. BPA Key Personnel shall outline the established Program/Project Manager and alternate Program/Project Manager responsible for overall BPA execution.

3.2 Contractor Employees and Work Products

3.2.1 The Government may, at its sole discretion (in coordination with the Contracting Officer where practical), direct the Contractor to remove any Contractor employee from NOAA facilities for misconduct or security reasons. Removal does not relieve the Contractor of the responsibility to continue providing the services required under the contract. The Contracting Officer will provide the Contractor with a written explanation to support any request to remove an employee.

3.2.2 The Government requires all work products and activities to be based on thorough research, all applicable laws and regulations, official government policy guidance, irreproachable ethical behavior, and sound business judgment. The contractor shall use its professional judgment and experience to suggest improved strategies, question non-conforming practices, make recommendations for correction of deficiencies, and provide suggestions to their designated work centers.

3.2.3 The Government shall not be responsible for training contractor personnel except for those topics/areas specific to NOAA/GFDL systems, software, or operations, or which are not considered by the COR to be common commercially used items.

3.2.4 The contractor shall not employ persons for work on this contract if the CO considers such employees to be potential threats to the health, safety, security, general well-being, or operational mission of the facility and its population.

3.2.5 Contractor employees shall comply with all applicable Government regulations, policies, and procedures (e.g., fire, safety, sanitation, environmental protection, security, “off limits” areas, etc.) when visiting or working at Government facilities.

3.2.6 The contractor shall ensure that Contractor employees present a professional appearance (business casual) at all times and that their conduct does not discredit the United States or the Department of Commerce. The Contract Manager/Program Manager shall also ensure that Contractor employees understand and abide by the Department of Commerce’s established rules, regulations, and policies concerning safety and security.

3.2.7 The contractor shall not employ any person who is an employee of the U.S. Government if employing that person would create a conflict of interest. Before an employee can begin work, they shall sign and submit a “Conflict of Interest Certificate,” and “Employee/Contractor Non-Disclosure Agreement Form,” to the CO and COR. Both documents shall be updated at least annually. These documents shall be provided to the CO and COR.

3.2.7.1 This contract may support services that could create a potential organizational conflict of interest and unfair competitive advantage based on knowledge gained through access to third-party proprietary information. Unless otherwise specifically required per the PWS tasks, participation in any acquisition, grant, or effort related to services or deliverables under this contract without the express written approval of the CO is prohibited. Subcontractors are subject to this restriction.

3.2.7.2 The contractor shall train all employees regarding Organizational and Personal Conflicts of Interest. Within 30 days of award, the COR shall receive evidence that each employee has received training.

3.2.8 Contractor employees should be highly motivated, energetic self-starters who possess nothing less than the utmost professionalism in demeanor, responsiveness, appearance, and deportment. In the course of their work, contractor personnel may be required to interact with senior, influential, international officials, so they should be adept at communicating clearly, concisely, and accurately.

3.2.9 The contractor shall supervise knowledgeable and experienced personnel who are technically competent to fulfill all Government requirements for the services herein to ensure that customer deliverables are met with the highest customer satisfaction.

3.2.9.1 All Contractor personnel shall be able to read, write, and speak English.

3.2.9.2 All Contractor personnel shall be proficient in using the Microsoft Office Suite of applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Project (as appropriate for the position);

Google Mail and its applications; and Adobe Acrobat.

3.3 Contractor Personnel Identification

3.3.1 The contractor shall, when communicating with outside parties, NOAA personnel, and other NOAA contractors, advise that they are Agency Contractors to ensure they are not mistaken as government employees.

3.3.2 Contractor employees shall identify themselves as an Agency Contractor in all documents (e.g., reports, correspondence, etc.) in which the employees are listed as the Point of Contact.

3.3.3 Email messages from contractor employees shall contain a signature block identifying the individual as a contractor employee with the firm’s name with a reference to being a NOAA Agency Contractor.

3.3.4 Contractor employees shall display an identification badge on their person that clearly indicates that they are NOAA Contractors on-site and off-site if their “attendance” is related to providing services under this contract.

3.3.5 Standardized identification desk or cubicle placards shall be provided to identify employees as contractor employees if they are stationed within a government facility.

3.4 Contractor Work Force Responsibility

3.4.1 It shall be the full responsibility of the Contractor to organize, furnish, maintain, supervise, and direct a workforce that, within the limitations of the provisions of the contract, is thoroughly capable of effectively performing the work outlined in this contract.

3.4.2 Staff Work Schedule. Except for specific functions (e.g., computer operations, shift work), the Contractor staff working on-site, teleworking, or off-site will work regular business hours: 8 hours per day, Monday through Friday, with those hours to encompass a core period of 10 am to 4 pm. Deviations (including substituting hours worked on a holiday or weekend for hours during regular business days/hours) require COR approval. The COR may also mandate specific working hours on a case-by-case basis.

For computer operations work:

● Operators on duty must remain on duty until relieved. If federal staff are unable to provide coverage, contract staff working as computer operators must remain on duty when staff from the next shift is unable to work.

Except in the case of emergency, interruptions that significantly impact delivery of services must be approved in advance by the COR.

In cases where on-site work may transition to off-site, the Contractor shall submit a plan that documents the benefits and minimizes the impact to the Government. This plan should address:

impact to deliverables; changes in cost to the Government; attendance at required meetings;

impact of the loss of face-to-face communications with on-site collaborators; and monitoring of progress. The COR must approve of any such plan in advance of the transition.

3.5 Transfer and Exchange of Contractor Personnel

Replacement of any proposed workforce shall be with individuals with comparable experience and skills. Resumes of replacement personnel shall be provided to the COR and CO for review in sufficient time to satisfactorily submit to and clear the pre-employment background investigation process, which typically requires at least six (6) weeks from when the Contractor supplies the required information to the Department of Commerce’s Office of Security. Shorter periods may be permitted for positions not deemed “High Risk” or for which the CO sends approval in writing to the Contractor.

3.6 Quality Control Plan

3.6.1 A quality control plan shall be submitted to the CO and the COR for review and acceptance within ten calendar (10) days of notice of award of the contract. The CO will notify the Contractor of acceptance or required modifications to the plan within fourteen (14) days. The Contractor shall make appropriate modifications and obtain approval of the plan within ten (10) days of receipt of comments. The plan shall include:

3.6.1.1 A description of the inspection system to cover all services. The description shall include specifics as to the areas to be inspected on both a scheduled and unscheduled basis, the frequency of inspections, and the title of the inspectors.

3.6.1.2 A description of the methods to identify and prevent defects in the quality of service performed.

3.6.1.3 A description of the records to be kept to document inspections and corrective or preventive actions taken.

3.6.1.4 The contractor shall keep records of inspections and make them available to the CO, when requested, throughout the contract performance period and from the time of contract completion until the final settlement of any claims under this contract.

3.7 Quality Assurance

The Government will evaluate the Contractor’s performance under this contract. A Performance Requirements Summary (PRS) shall be provided. Government personnel will record all surveillance observations. When an observation indicates defective performance, the COR will require the contract manager or representative at the site to initial the observation. The initialing of the observation does not necessarily constitute concurrence with the observation; it is only an acknowledgment that he or she has been made aware of the defective performance. Such surveillance will be done according to standard inspection procedures or other contract provisions. Any action taken by the CO as a result of surveillance will be following the terms of this contract.

3.8 Performance Evaluation Meetings

The CO may require the contract manager to meet with the CO, COR, and other government personnel as necessary. The contractor may request a meeting with the CO when he or she believes such a meeting is essential. The Contractor shall prepare written minutes of any such meeting. The contract manager, COR, and CO shall sign those minutes. If either party does not concur with any portion of the minutes, such non-concurrence shall be provided to the CO within seven (7) calendar days following receipt.

3.9 Hours of Operation, Place of Performance, Holidays, Closures, Shut Downs, and Telework

3.9.1 Hours of Operation. The contractor is expected to exercise appropriate management controls to meet the overall staffing objective and organizational mission goals. The contractor shall be required to complete all work during the specified hours of operation. If any unique circumstances arise in which there is a need to deviate from these hours, the Contractor shall contact the COR at least five (5) business days prior with the specific details regarding the need for a deviation. If the deviation is acceptable, the COR will notify the Contractor.

3.9.2 The Government’s hours of operation are typically from 7:30 AM to 6:00 PM Monday through Friday, except for legal holidays; Except for specific functions (e.g., computer operations, shift work, refer to paragraph 3.4.2 for computer operations and shift work requirements), Contractor staff working on-site, teleworking, or off-site will work normal business hours: 8 hours per day, Monday through Friday with those hours to encompass a core period of 10am to 4pm. Deviations (including substituting hours worked on a holiday or weekend for hours during normal business days/hours) require COR approval. The COR may also mandate specific working hours on a case-by-case basis. Refer to paragraph 3.4.2 for specific requirements as it pertains to any unique circumstances or deviations to this work hours.

3.9.3 Place of Performance. Anticipated worksite is GFDL (Princeton, NJ) or other NOAA facilities. GFDL currently anticipates that the Contractor shall be required to conduct most work at the GFDL site (Princeton, NJ) or other NOAA facilities. However, some work may be conducted at the Contractor’s site(s) with prior Government approval, in case “off-site” rates will apply. The contractor may also, with Government approval, supply staff who are authorized to work at a home-based location, in which case “on-site” rates will apply. Each Call Order will specify the place(s) of performance.

3.9.4 Official Federal Holidays. A list of official Federal Holidays can be found at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/#url=Overview.

Additional days may be designated by Federal law, Executive Order, or Presidential Proclamation. Services under this contract are not required to be performed on federal holidays unless specified by the CO.

3.9.5 The government has designated this work can be completed as telework unless otherwise specified by the COR in writing. For positions where the Contractor permits those staff members to telework, the Contractor shall be required to submit a telework plan to the COR and appropriate staff office/lab point of contact for approval before the employee commences telework. The telework plan shall indicate the specific tasks the individual can perform while teleworking. The Contractor shall ensure that expectations regarding these assignments are discussed in the plan.

3.10 Safety. Contractor personnel working onsite at a government facility may be required to take and pass applicable safety courses. Evidence of completion of each course shall be provided to the COR within one (1) week after course completion.

3.10.1 Accident Reporting.

The contractor shall comply with all OSHA and NOAA requirements for record-keeping and reporting of all incidents resulting in death, serious injury, occupational disease, or adverse environmental impact. The contractor employee shall provide a verbal report to the Contract Manager/Project Manager immediately after each occurrence. The contract Manager/Project Manager will immediately report the occurrence to the COR and GFDL Safety Representative.

The Contract Manager/Project Manager will submit a completed typed original mishap report as soon as possible after the incident but no later than two (2) days after the incident to the CO, COR, and GFDL Safety Representative.

3.11 Government Equipment Incidental to the Place of Performance

3.11.1 Equipment Inventory. An inventory of government-provided equipment shall be completed no later than ten (10) calendar days after the start of the period of performance of the contract. The Contractor and the COR or other government representative shall jointly determine the working order and condition of all equipment and document their findings on the inventory. In the event of a disagreement between the Contractor and the government representative on the working order and condition of equipment, the disagreement will be resolved by mutual agreement at the contracting officer’s level before being treated as a dispute under 52.212-4(d) “Disputes.” The Government may provide communication devices or cell phones. These devices shall be for official use only. The Contractor will be responsible to reimburse the Government for any unnecessary expenses for the abuse of this equipment.

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/#url=Overview

3.11.2 Obtaining Replacement of Government-Provided Equipment. The Contractor shall submit requests for replacement of government-provided equipment to the COR for processing.

Such requests shall specify the reason for the replacement request.

3.11.3 A list of the government-provided equipment shall be provided to the Contractor at the time of contract award.

3.11.4 The Government anticipates providing office space, including personal computers, furniture, workstations, telephones, fax machines, and routinely used office supplies and equipment for those Contractor personnel working on-site at a government facility.

3.11.5 All Information Technology (IT) equipment and devices are government-owned and maintained; the scope of this contract prohibits the use of contractor-owned systems. Based on the Department of Commerce Acquisition Regulations (CAR 1352.239-72), the clause's Certification and Accreditation requirements do not apply, and a Security Accreditation Package is not required.

3.11.6 Under no circumstances shall the contractor bring on-site contractor-owned IT equipment for NOAA work-related activities and duties unless the government has approved it in advance.

A written approval request shall be submitted to the COR for approval. Before the COR can approve the request, it must be approved by the OAR Line Office IT Security.

3.12 Government-Furnished Services. The government will provide to contract staff within the facility the use of utilities, telephone services, internet services, custodial services, grounds maintenance, and refuse collection.

3.13 Labor Category Qualifications

Labor categories under this BPA have education and experience requirements. The contractor may request a waiver based on the substitution of education for experience or vice versa, citing the rationale and justification. The COR must approve any such substitution.

3.14 Continuity of Support

The contractor shall ensure that the contractually required level of support for this requirement is maintained at all times. If the contractor staffing levels are not maintained due to vacation, leave, appointments, etc., and replacement personnel will not be provided, the Contractor shall provide e-mail notification to the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) before employee absence.

Otherwise, the Contractor shall provide a fully qualified replacement.

3.15 Phase-Out Plan

In the event a follow-on contract is awarded to someone other than the incumbent, the incumbent Contractor shall provide a phase-out plan to the CO for approval at least 30 days before contract completion. The incumbent Contractor shall cooperate with the Government and successor Contractor to the extent required to permit an orderly changeover. The Government may provide additional facility tours other than the incumbent Contractor after the award. The Contractor shall participate in any required planning meetings with the Government and other than the incumbent Contractor before completion of the contract to ensure a smooth transition. The

Contractor shall provide the CO a “Contract Personnel List” with the information provided such as, but not limited to, employee name, primary duty/job title, education and experience, length of service, employee work location and reporting office, and telework status (e.g., full time, part-time, or ad hoc). The “Contract Personnel List” shall be provided with the phase-out plan.

3.16 Security

3.16.1 Computers and Information Technology Systems.

3.16.1.1 Refer to CAR Clause 1352.237-71 Security Processing Requirements – Low Risk Contracts, regarding security processing requirements for Contractor/subcontractor personnel working on a Department of Commerce site IT System for further details. Positions are primarily considered 1352.237-71, Security Processing Requirements – Low-Risk Contracts.

3.16.1.2 Contractor personnel shall have access to sensitive information and federal information technology systems. Contractor personnel shall take due care to safeguard information and the integrity of IT systems. Contractor personnel shall be required to pass DOC/NOAA-based IT security training which will be designated by the COR to meet all federal requirements. Training will be managed by the GFDL Information System Security Officer (ISSO). Training shall be taken promptly (not to exceed five (5) days after notification); the certificate of completion shall be provided to the COR and CO.

3.16.2 Physical Security. The Contractor shall be responsible for safeguarding all government property provided for contractor use. At the end of each work period, all government facilities, equipment and materials shall be secured.

3.16.3 Key Control

3.16.3.1 The Contractor shall establish and implement a method of ensuring all keys issued to the Contractor by the Government are not lost, misplaced, or used by unauthorized persons. The Contractor shall not duplicate any keys issued by the Government.

3.16.3.2 The Contractor shall immediately report to the COR or CO any occurrences of lost or duplicated keys.

3.16.3.3 In the event keys, other than master keys, are lost or duplicated, the Contractor may be required, upon written direction of the CO, to rekey or replace the affected lock or locks without cost to the Government. The Government may, however, at its option, replace the affected lock or locks or perform rekeying and deduct the cost of such from the monthly payment due to the Contractor. If a master key is lost or duplicated, all locks and keys for that system shall be replaced by the Government, and the total cost will be deducted from the monthly payment due to the Contractor.

3.16.3.4 The Contractor shall prohibit the use of keys issued by the Government by any person other than the Contractor’s employees assigned to this contract. Contractor employees are also prohibited from opening locked areas to permit the entrance of persons other than the Contractor employees engaged in performing contract work requirements in those areas.

3.17 Monthly Progress Reports

3.17.1 In accordance with clause CAR 1352-237-74, monthly progress reports shall also capture on-boarding/off-boarding, potential employee replacements, status of potential replacements, any performance issues, outstanding government issues/concerns/data requests, and document any outstanding issues from the Contractor. The first report shall include a detailed work outline of the project by reporting period. This report shall be submitted electronically in MS Word 2016 compatible to the COR and CO via email.

3.18 Confidential Information

3.18.1 The term "information," as defined herein, includes, but is not limited to, oral or written communication, planning documents, strategy, research documents, data, conclusions, field notes, computer files, designs, equipment, photographic or video media, or conversations related to any work performed for NOAA. The term “information” also includes internal Government memoranda, draft and final documents, procurement sensitive information including information on other contractors, cost or pricing information, financial information, as well as information marked “Confidential Business Information” or information not explicitly marked, but falling within the meaning of “Confidential Business Information,” and “Attorney-Client Work Products.”

3.18.2 Any information viewed, received, obtained, developed or generated pursuant to the work assigned or work performed with NOAA is sensitive and may be used as a basis for identifying and evaluating policy options, planning future budget and work priorities, or ongoing or future litigation. Some information may carry additional sensitivities and restrictions relative to use or disclosure including “Confidential Business Information” and “Proprietary Information.”

3.18.3 The Contractor shall keep any such information confidential and otherwise use discretion and exercise reasonable care and caution to prevent the potential compromise of any restrictive markings or ongoing or future plans or litigation. The Contractor shall not use, make reference to, or reveal to any person or entity not working under the direction of NOAA any information, whether that information is provided to the Contractor by NOAA, provided to the Contractor by another party at NOAA direction, or developed or generated by the Contractor pursuant to a work assignment, without the prior written approval of the CO or COR.

3.18.4 No later than 90 calendar days of completion of the contract, the Contractor shall deliver to NOAA any original or copied information furnished by NOAA or from another party, (at NOAA’s direction) and any information developed or generated under this contract.

3.19 Travel

The Government anticipates travel will be required during the term of this contract. If deemed necessary and appropriate, the Contractor shall identify, forecast, and manage travel requests per each individual order. All unplanned travel must be approved in writing by the COR for the corresponding individual order, at least 10 calendar days in advance of the travel. The

Contractor shall maintain a travel log of all approved trips and include all estimated/vouchered costs, which may be reviewed by the COR(s) as needed. During performance, travel costs shall be proposed in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 31.205-46 and Federal Travel Regulations. Estimated travel requirements will be provided at the order level

All travel requests being sent for COR approval shall include the following items:

● Purpose of the Travel;

● Tentative Travel Dates;

● Method of Travel (e.g. Private vehicle, airplane, etc.) & cost for that method, and baggage expense, if applicable;

● Duration of Travel;

● Departure Location and Arrival Location;

● Per diem expenses per day;

● Lodging Expenses per day, if applicable;

● Lodging Taxes per day, if applicable;

● Distance from Office or Home to Airport or Other Transportation Facility, if applicable;

● Parking costs per day at the Airport, if applicable;

● Method of Transportation at Arrival Destination (e.g. – Subway/Metro, Bus, Taxi, Rental Car} with projected costs, if applicable); and

● Quantity and Cost of Fuel for a Rental Car, if applicable.

3.20 NOAA Specific Required Training

3.20.1 The Contractor shall train all staff regarding paragraph 3.3 – Contractor Personnel Identification, 3.20 -Government-Contractor Relations (Non-Personal Services), 3.21 -Inherently Governmental Functions, and 3.25 -Travel of this scope of work. This training shall be provided within 30 days of hiring new contractor staff. Additionally, refresher training shall be provided at least annually. Evidence of completion of training must be submitted to the COR within 5 days after notification of training.

3.21 Contractor Transition and Continuity of Operations

Any transition from one BPA or order to the next shall be accomplished to prevent and minimize any adverse impact to the continuity of operations and to incumbent contract staff. The incoming contractor shall accomplish phase-in in an orderly manner in full cooperation with the outgoing contractor to maintain program continuity, uninterrupted high-quality work, staff retention, and availability of required competent professional employees. The government is highly concerned with the quality and stability of the workforce.

4. Deliverables The Contractor shall deliver the following deliverables in accordance with the defined requirements for each deliverable. Deliverables shall be electronically submitted to the COR via email as Microsoft Word or PDF documents. The contractor shall ensure any electronic files submitted to the COR are free of any viruses when submitted.

Required Service

Reference Delivery Requirement & Frequency

Administrative Services:

On-Boarding

GFDL On-Boarding requirements provided upon award

All On-Boarding events happen in a coordinated and timely manner (CAC issuance, GFP, etc.)

Off-Boarding

GFDL On-Boarding requirements provided upon award

All Off-Boarding events happen in a coordinated, efficient and timely manner (CAC turn in, GFP return (including data)

Administrative Services:

Quality Control Plan

PWS paragraph 3.6 through 3.6.4 Contractor shall submit the plan to the CO and COR within ten (10) calendar days of notice of award of the contract.

Administrative Services:

Delegation of Contract Manager/Program Manager (Key Personnel)

PWS paragraph 3.1 through 3.1.5 Prior to performance start

Replacement 15 days in advance of placement

Administrative Services:

Government Furnished Property (GFP)

PWS paragraph 3.15 through 3.15.16

All GFP must be inspected, signed for, maintained properly, and turned it when appropriate

Administrative Services:

DOC/NOAA Mandatory Training Events

PWS paragraph 3.21.1.2 and 3.28 All DOC/NOAA-based mandatory training events; certificates must be provided to the COR within 5 days of notification of training.

Administrative Services:

Safety / Accident Reporting

PWS paragraph 3.12.1 Timely oral and written reporting; adherence to NOAA rules

Travel

PWS paragraph 3.27 through 3.27.3

All travel authorizations and vouchers prepared properly, in a timely manner and according to NOAA procedures

Administrative Services:

Invoices

PWS paragraph 3.24 through 3.24.2.8

All invoices are submitted properly, in a timely manner and according to NOAA procedures

Administrative Services:

Monthly Progress Reports

PWS paragraph 3.25 and 4.1 All monthly progress reports (to include required charts/graphs) are complete, accurate;

submitted properly, in a timely manner and according to NOAA procedures

Administrative Services:

Technical and Programmatic Reports

PWS paragraph 4.2 All monthly progress reports (to include required charts/graphs) are complete, accurate;

submitted properly, in a timely manner and according to NOAA procedures

Administrative Services:

Presentations; Meeting Minutes

PWS paragraph 4.3 and 4.4 All monthly progress reports (to include required charts/graphs) are complete, accurate;

submitted properly, in a timely manner and according to NOAA procedures

4.1 Monthly Progress Reports. The contractor shall submit to the Government a progress report one month after the effective date of the contract and every month thereafter during the period of performance (for the performance period being invoiced). The contractor shall deliver progress reports that summarize the work completed during the performance period, the work forecast for the following period, and state the names, titles, and number of hours expended for each of the contractor's professional personnel assigned to the contract, including officials of the contractor. The report shall also include any additional information—including findings and recommendations—that may assist the Government in evaluating progress under this contract.

The first report shall consist of a detailed work outline of the project and the contractor's planned phase of work by reporting period. Refer to paragraph 3.25.

4.2 Technical and Programmatic Reports. The contractor shall prepare and deliver various reports detailing performance on current projects, current priorities, cross-team collaborations, pain points, upcoming projects, and associated risk register to completely document performance for a given period of performance. Charts and graphs will also be used to provide visualization of the data.

4.3 Presentations. The contractor shall deliver presentations and related materials as required.

The contractor and NOAA agreed/provided formats are acceptable.

4.4 Meeting Minutes. The contractor shall deliver the meeting agenda and minutes and related materials as required. The contractor shall distribute the agenda and meeting notes. NOAA agreed/provided formats are acceptable. The contractor shall provide to the COR and QAEs the agenda two (2) days prior to the event. Contractor will provide COR and QAEs copies of the meeting minutes with notes for their review within three (3) days after the event, discrepancies will be identified back to the Contractor within seven (7) days.

5. Mission Activities/Specific Task Work Areas

As specified herein, the Contractor shall perform the following tasks/services that may be ordered under this contract. Unless otherwise noted, the functional areas are considered Low Risk and do not require privileged access to systems, networks, restricted facility areas, or sensitive system data. Specific labor category (LCAT) requirements are included in Attachment 2 - Labor Category Descriptions The following list describes significant tasks and work activities but are not limited to:

5.1 Management Support Services

The Contractor shall provide the following management support services, as needed:

5.1.1 Provide organizational/strategic planning support, including analysis, long-range planning, options assessment, mission/program analysis, resources and operational effectiveness analysis, and operational and policy-sensitive adjustments. Note that the scope of this element includes the entirety of NOAA’s HPC enterprise.

5.1.2 Provide surge/quick-reaction support for projects/programs, including developing briefings, analyses, conceptual designs, risk analyses, white papers, and issue papers; providing general technical and programmatic assistance, including project/program outlines; attending meetings, working on action items, and following up on unresolved issues. Of particular note with respect to these services is the need to ensure that GFDL’s accomplishments are effectively communicated.

5.1.3 Prepare specialized technical documentation related to projects, such as charts, graphics, tables, graphs, and other materials necessary for presentations and reports and acquisition activities (purchase requests, checklists, forms, waivers, budget tracking).

5.1.4 Develop performance measures (metrics) to be used by management to monitor and analyze organization performance and facilitate actions to improve or make management decisions regarding effectiveness, efficiency, information dissemination, and processes.

5.1.5 Review project/program documents to ensure compliance with organizational policies and procedures, assist with interpreting guidance, and provide advisory assistance on proposed policy/process changes.

5.1.6 Maintain property records associated with projects, ensuring an accurate inventory of any applicable hardware, software, and other property; conduct periodic reviews of property status;

and arrange for the disposal of property as required, in accordance with regulations.

5.2Technical Support…