Attachment 1 - Material Handling PWS for 2025.pdf

2025 Material Handling PWS

Performance Work Statement

General Information

This is a non-personnel services contract to provide facility support staffing services with supply technicians/material handler and may cover a range of logistical activities that are normally but not limited to services provided in a similar commercial warehouse facility in accordance to the specifications and requirements contained herein. The Government shall not exercise any supervision or control over the contract service providers performing the services herein. Such contract service providers shall be accountable solely to the Contractor who, in turn is responsible to the Government.

Background: The logistic service facilitates are on a national level, full spectrum end to end supply chain support to Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Medical Centers and continuously eligible veterans, through a holistic supply chain process. The National Acquisition

Center (NAC) – Commodities Services & Acquisition Services (CSAS) along with Denver

Logistics Service (DLS) and Service Distribution Center (SDC) both procures, stocks and distributes worldwide to veterans and or clinicians commercial commodities that include the following: hearing aids; hearing aid accessories; cochlear implants and accessories; American flags; assistive listening devices and accessories; assistive devices; apnea devices and accessories; batteries; prosthetic socks; orthotic soft goods; aids for the visually impaired; and

Home Telehealth equipment and peripherals.

This is a recompete of a contract that performs supply chain logistical activities for DLS and

SDC in 3 separate distribution warehouses located in the following cities: Golden, Colorado;

Lakewood, Colorado; and Hines, Illinois The distribution centers receive inventory of commercial commodities in bulk and stores the items in the warehouse until a clinician orders the product for a veteran, then ships out items to the clinics or veterans worldwide.

Description of Services/Introduction:

The contractor shall provide all personnel, supervision, and reporting requirements through non-personal services as defined in this Performance Work Statement except for those items specified as government furnished property and or services. The contractor shall perform to the performance standards in this contract.

The contractor shall supply warehouse personnel that will handle the receiving, stocking, inventory, shipping, of commodities purchased on a daily basis from VHA Clinicians through the logistic centers. As well as provide the necessary supervision for these services. These operations include and are not limited to:

1. Receiving of Incoming Delivery Trucks, Courier Services and United States Postal Services.

2. Receipt process, stocking process, and inventory of commodities processes.

3. Refurbishment processes for returned equipment for Telehealth program

4. Packaging of outgoing clinical orders through Delivery Trucks, Courier Services and or

United States Postal Services

5. Inventory Pulling process, Auto-bagging processes, Packaging and Shipping processes.

6. Quality Assurance and Training Requirements

7. Inventory Accountability:

8. Cyclic inventory count

9. Annual Inventory

Objectives:

This services requirement is to provide Supply Technician/Material Handling services, with related warehouse operations in support of the DLS/SDC mission and will result in Indefinite

Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) or a single C contract award.

1. Maintain the “No Fail” Mission of the DLS/SDC with a 95% or better rate for order fulfillment to our clinicians and Veterans.

2. Cost Effective Solutions to maintain operations of the multiple worksites.

Scope:

As this is a non-personal services contract, the Contractor shall ensure oversite of all contract workers in addition to providing sufficient personnel to accommodate the varying services outlined in this PWS. These services are essential to ensure that the logistics achieves the agency’s core mission of caring for our nations Veteran’s. The selected contractor will provide competent staff in positions of Materials Handlers, Team Leads, Shift Supervisors, Trainer and

Program Manager all having the necessary ability, knowledge and skill to deliver a variety of warehouse activities to include but not limited to, shipping, receiving, order fulfillment and inventory counts/controls in accordance to VA Policies, Procedures and Standards utilizing internal systems such as VA Veterans Health Information System and Technology

Architecture’s (VistA) Remote Order Entry System (ROES) module, other VA internal software systems, auto baggers and other logistical equipment.

The DLS ROES catalog consists of the following:

• 4,379 available items in 8 commodity lines

• 2,313 stocked line items in warehouse (STK)

• 2,086 items available that are Buy on Demand (BOD)

Contractor Personnel Utilization Estimates:

These estimates provided of the number of contract personnel are based on historic data from previous demands at the DLS. Staffing numbers below represent historical data of weekly requirements.

• 43 Supply Technicians/Material Handlers

• 3 Lead

• 2 Trainers

• 2 Shift Supervisors

• 1 Program Manager

DLS Warehouse Operational Volume:

Over the last five (5) Fiscal Years (FY), (FY19-23), DLS has averaged 2,000,000+ clinical orders per FY. The clinical orders consist of more than one commodity or items per order. There has been 8 percent increase in orders over the previous year.

Average production rates can vary widely from day to day and week to week based on a variety of factors such as inclement weather, staffing shortages, workload transfer, and system malfunctions.

The last six (6) FY’s for DLS are listed below:

SDC operational volumes and current personnel position descriptions will be provided in the near future.

SDC current Personnel are as follows:

• 2 On-site Supervisors

• 1 EDOS Shift Lead

• 1 HDOS Shift Lead

• 10 QA Specialists

• 3 Inventory Specialists

• 2 Order Fillers

• 8 Forklift Operators

• 37 Material Handlers (shipping and receiving)

There is likelihood that the volume may change, upward or downward, although total change cannot be estimated due to the size of the served veteran population being in constant flux and other variable factors, including but not limited to fluctuations in the demand, and the modernization of receiving and packing equipment; therefore, it is impossible to determine the exact quantities that will be required during the contract term or any option years.

The Contractor must at all times maintain an adequate workforce for the uninterrupted performance of all tasks defined within this PWS when the Government facility is not closed for holidays, national disaster or other reasons. When hiring personnel, the Contractor shall keep in mind that the stability and continuity of the workforce are essential to maintain the 90% accuracy rate.

PERIOD ORDERS ITEMS SHIPPED

FY19 2,593,761 142,616,857

FY20 2,403,102 125,090,564

FY21 2,511,258 126,603,172

FY22 4,852,093 112,968,042

FY23 5,502,608 507,278,635

TOTALS: 17,862,822 1,014,557,270

YEARLY AVERAGE: 3,572,564 202,911,454

2025 Acquisitions Plan

The contractor must have a sufficient qualified pool of replacement personnel to support all services in the event contract personnel that are scheduled to work become ill, resign, are terminated, or are otherwise unavailable to work. The Contractor will be expected to provide the full complement of staff for the duration of each shift.

Contract requirements are not altered or mitigated by inclement weather, illness, death, or the

Contractor’s inability to provide the required services. Any excess costs incurred by the government or the contractor due to the Contractor’s inability to provide staffing levels as required, will be the responsibility of the contractor.

Prior to commencement of performance of work under this contract, the contractor shall provide a proposed work schedule to the Supervisory Logistic Management Specialist.

The Contractor Program Manager (PM) and shift supervisors shall be responsible for all of the contractor’s employees on-site and shall make sure the employees are completing their duties in a timely manner.

The Lead/Trainers shall prepare the contractor’s employees to perform their duties such as providing quality assurance on orders pulled and shipped as well as the processes and the use of equipment.

Warehouse operations are contingent upon several factors, including receipt of order authorizations from VHA Medical centers with appropriated funding and the annual

Government’s continuation of work appropriations.

Contract Line Item Numbers (CLIN):

The CLINs 001-004 below are for DLS. CLINS for SDC will be added at a later date. A list of

SDC current positions are as follows: On-site Supervisor; EDOS Shift Lead; HDOS Shift Lead;

Quality Assurance Specialist; Inventory Specialist; Order Fillers; Forklift Operators; and Material

Handlers.

CLIN 001, On-Site Program Manager: Responsible for the overall worked performed for all assigned contractors and deliverables listed in the PWS. Performance elements are listed in section XX performance objectives. This shall be a fixed salary position with no increases related to Department of Labor (DOL) Wage Determination (WD).

The On-Site Program Manager shall be in charge of the overall responsibility for all reporting, administrative, and HR actions of the contract on the VA DLS warehouse sites. The on-site manager shall review and prepare workflows, staffing requirements, and action plans that meet the DLS standards for productivity, quality and customer service. He/she shall meet regularly with government supervisory warehouse team to analyze productivity, including quality assurance, inventory control, logistics, floor productivity, shipping, receiving and order fulfillment. The on-site manager will collaborate with DLS Logistics Division management to develop strategic plans, schedules and procedures to increase the efficiency of warehouse practices and procedures. Maintains current and accurate files and records and prepares periodic and special reports.

Weekly Production Report: The On-Site Program Manager (CLIN 0001) shall validate all work performed by signing off on production summary documents. When requested by the COR, the contractor shall provide a summary of duties performed/accomplishments for each employee by close of business to the CO, the last duty day of each week. The report shall detail the number of orders and items shipped by warehouse. Each warehouse report shall specify the orders and items shipped by commodity and type of order, completed in excel spreadsheet. The numbers will be available from our VistA program.

The On-Site Program Manager shall be responsible for all HR actions, reporting, direct communication and reporting between the Vendor and CO/COR. F

• Additionally, this contractor representative shall remain on site while the effort is being performed. The contractor representative shall have full authority to act for the contractor on all matters relating to the daily PWS requirements to include coordinating with the

COR in performing work on individual, managing, and assigning work to contract employees; and managing contractor’s employee leave, schedules, timecards, etc.

Comply with all government policies.

Required skills and knowledge for On-Site Program Manager:

• Minimum five years supervisory experience in a warehouse managing staff.

• Expert proficiency with warehouse procedures and policies.

• Excellent problem-solving skills and leadership qualities.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and ability to deliver effective feedback, both written and verbal.

• Ability to work collaboratively with all levels or organizational staff.

• Strong organizational and time management skills.

• Knowledge and experience in logistics, supply chain management, distribution/storage.

• Proficient in the following: inventory software and systems; Microsoft Windows 10, Microsoft Excel; Microsoft Office 2010 or latter; data entry; and typing skills.

CLIN 002, On-Site Supervisor(s): Responsible for the overall worked performed at assigned warehouse for all assigned contractors and deliverables listed in the PWS. Performance elements are listed in section XX performance objectives. This shall be a fixed salary position with no increases related to Department of Labor (DOL) Wage Determination (WD).

The On-Site Supervisors shall be responsible for the specific warehouse location assigned and for the overall worked performed for all assigned contractors in addition to the deliverables listed in section XX. This individual should possess the skills to administratively maintain files, generate reports with DLS supplied software, request appropriate warehouse supplies, keep timecards, and ensure compliance with the DLS safety program. Determines performance standards for contract personnel. Measure and report warehousing activities, manages workflow and employee’s performance.

Communicate job expectations and coach employees. Maintain records, document necessary information and utilize reports to warehouse project status. Identify areas of improvement and collaborates with government personnel to enforce operating instructions and safety policies.

Monitors and reviews work, gives employee feedback on performance and conducts performance appraisals. Participates in interview panels and recommends selection of candidates. Comply with all government policies. Will work with government personnel to adjust staffing levels and/or work procedures to accommodate resources allocated to operate warehouse operations.

Additional duties comprise of but not limited to: Ensuring order drops are accurate, 90% accurate rate, correct tasks at right time, performing functions timely, accurately and meeting performance standards. Identifying issues/concerns and reporting to On-site Program Manager.

Resolving/implementing new procedures, resolving conflicts, consulting with govt. personnel, CO, COR, ensure proper training and documentation on file for completion of training for each

MH for each specific task/area of work.

The Supervisors shall have the ability to coach, train, and motivate employees and evaluate their performance. The supervisor shall have experience and knowledge to administratively maintain files, generate reports and keep timecards.

Required skills and knowledge for On-Site Supervisor(s)

• High school diploma or equivalent, but more education and/or technical training and expertise is preferred.

• Minimum two years proven work experience in a warehouse/distribution environment.

• Proficiency with warehouse procedures and policies (receiving, shipping, inventory controls.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and ability to deliver effective feedback, both written and verbal.

• Knowledge shall be intermediate to advanced in logistics with experience in supply chain management (e.g. shipping, receiving, order fulfillment processes and procedures).

• Ability to anticipate and solve problems.

• Proficient in the following: inventory software and systems; Microsoft Windows 10, Microsoft Excel; Microsoft Office 2010 or latter; data entry; and typing skills.

• Knowledge of security measures and principles to prevent loss of product and control access.

• Knowledge of protective clothing, safety, and hazardous material handling procedures and equipment to ensure that employees work safely, have a safe environment to work.

• Ability to guide and teach employees in their duties, procedures, and policies.

• Ability to monitor and discuss with the employee their performance.

• Must be able to carry loads weighing up to 70 pounds (heavier items are moved with weight handling equipment or with assistance from other workers, or by using pallet jacks or forklifts).

CLIN XX03, Lead/Trainer(s): Responsible for overall worked performed by all Materials

Handlers in warehouse assigned. Performance elements are listed in section XX performance objectives. This position shall need to be supplied in the following warehouses: Jefferson

County in Golden, CO. The Day Shift Lead shall be an hourly rate that may follow a DOL WD code rate in accordance with FAR 22.1002-2.

At least one located in each location below:

Denver Logistics Service:

• 555 Corporate Circle, Golden Colorado 80401

• 1 Federal Center BLDG 810, Denver, Colorado 80225

Service and Distribution Center:

• 1st Ave BLDG. 37, Hines IL 60141

The Shift Leads shall be responsible to the specific warehouse location assigned and for overall worked performed and accomplishing the daily tasks; by all the Materials Handlers.

The Lead shall be responsible:

• Provides training for all new contract personnel division/commodity of the warehouse.

• Provides guidance, advice, training, and counseling to improve employee’s performance.

• Coordinates the workflow of products, mail, orders, ensuring that all tasks are completed efficiently and effectively.

• Following all warehouse safety practices, procedures and policies.

• Assists with the development and implementation overall the DLS’s warehouse and storage operation plans, policies and procedures.

• Prepares reports, collects data, maintains files.

• Gathers data, estimates, statistics, suggestions, other information to decide the methodologies to use developing short, annual, and long-range goals and objectives.

• Will work with supervisors and government personnel to identify any areas for systems improvements and make recommendations for change.

• Where possible, the Lead(s) will resolve any issues or problems which occur in the warehouse and when appropriate escalate the issue(s) to supervisory and management level.

• Responsible for meeting safety and security standards as well as maintain standard operating procedures in the warehouse.

• Communicate to staff on a regular basis to make them aware of priorities, targets and operational requirements.

• Comply with all government policies.

• Must be able to carry loads weighing up to 70 pounds (heavier items are moved with weight handling equipment or with assistance from other workers, or by using pallet jacks or forklifts).

Required skills and knowledge for Warehouse Leads

• High school diploma or equivalent.

• Proven work experience in warehouse.

• Knowledge shall be intermediate in logistics with experience in supply chain management

(e.g. shipping, receiving, order fulfillment processes and procedures).

• Knowledge of distribution/storage facilities to provide proper storage facilities.

• Knowledge and experience in logistics, supply chain management (e.g. packaging, shipping, receiving, order fulfillment processes and procedures).

• Ability to anticipate and solve problems.

• Proficient with data entry and inventory software and systems.

• Ability to motivate and work with people from various backgrounds, education levels, and ethnicities to build a team to accomplish a common goal.

• Knowledge of packaging concepts and principles to ensure that items are packed correctly to minimize damage to the product.

• Knowledge of shipping and transportation systems including USPS, FedEx, and UPS.

• Proficient in the following: inventory software and systems; Microsoft Windows 10, Microsoft

Excel; Microsoft Office 2010 or latter; data entry; and typing skills

• Knowledge of security measures and principles to prevent loss of product and control access.

• Must be able to carry loads weighing up to 70 pounds (heavier items are moved with weight handling equipment or with assistance from other workers, or by using pallet jacks or forklifts).

CLIN 005, Material Handler’s: Responsible for receiving, storing, selecting, the appropriate type, size and quantity of merchandise from all respective commodity stock groups for packaging and shipment to Veteran population and VA Medical Facilities. Performance elements are listed in section XX performance objectives. The Day Shift Material Handler shall be an hourly rate that may follow a DOL WD code rate in accordance with FAR 22.1002-2.

Material Handler The Material Handler provided under this PWS are involved in nonsupervisory work involving the physical receipt, identification, examination, classification, final acceptance, and disposition of materials and equipment in the DLS warehouse(s). The Material Handler usually works independently in a wide range of warehousing activities, including receiving, storing, selecting, and shipping general or specialized bulk bin materials and equipment. Some work requires assembly and disassembly of industrial steel shelving, furniture, and equipment as assigned.

The Material Handler determines the physical condition of the incoming inventory by utilizing shipping documents, DLS catalogs, drawings, and related documents. The work setting is within warehouse facilities. The Material Handler follows established procedures and utilize sophisticated computer systems and programs for the accurate accounting, quality control, discrepancy analysis and resolution, and identifying correct stock locations, for all incoming medical supplies. This includes the interpretation and processing of all related documentation and identifying discrepancies, defects and detailed merchandise acceptability. The Material

Handler maintains the DLS’s “first-in-first out” inventory system of two large supply facilities, ensuring correct stock locations and rotations are in accordance with established storage and date-controlled inventory systems.

The work also requires the ability to organize, arrange, and remove stock in storage areas in accordance with established procedures (see Attachment 1, DLS Commodities Standard

Operating Procedures (SOP) and Attachment 2, DLS Telehealth SOP) to prevent damage, deterioration, and loss. Most work requires the incidental or regular use of hand lifts. The work also involves the use of mail processing systems to process incoming and outgoing mail/parcels of a variety of sizes, weights, and classes for shipment via the United States Postal Service, Federal Express, United Parcel Service and other mail carriers: this includes maintaining an accurate accounting and reporting system for manifesting and metering systems. The

Contractor shall perform onsite supervision for all material handling services provided. Each material handler shift will consist of 8 and a half hours to include a 30-minute unpaid lunch and

(2) 15-min (paid) breaks/ or determined by leadership.

Required skills and knowledge for Materials Handler

• Knowledge of overall warehousing plans, methods, procedures, and techniques.

• Locate, access, load and move material for shipment

• Ability and understanding to verify or prepare documents either manually or by using automated equipment such as computer terminals and bar code wands to read, store, track, and prepare materials documentation.

• Receiving, separating, dismantling, sorting, and testing medical devices

• Processing, handling, and storing of materials and equipment through a supply facility.

• The ability to log receipts, storage, and shipment data; and the ability to use manual or mechanized equipment to move, stack, bin, and position materials and equipment.

• Knowledge and use of automated equipment such as optical readers, scanners and computer keyboards.

• Work requires regular and recurring physical exertion, such as long periods of standing, walking, bending, stooping, reaching, and similar activities in and around distribution areas on a concrete floor.

• Must be able to carry loads weighing up to 70 pounds (heavier items are moved with weight handling equipment or with assistance from other workers, or by using pallet jacks or forklifts).

• Material Handlers are required to observe and follow normal safety practices with office equipment, avoidance of trips and falls, and observance of fire regulations.

• Proficient with data entry and inventory software and systems.

The contractor may request in increase to DOL’s WD once per government fiscal year from the

CO. If the contractor does not request an increase in a new fiscal year, the rate shall not change. The applicable Executive Order minimum wage rate will be adjusted annually.

Additional information on contractor requirements and worker protections under the Executive

Orders is available at www.dol.gov/whd/govcontracts. Use SAM.gov website Wage

Determination Number: 2015-5419 (Jefferson County Colorado)

Place of Performance:

The work to be performed under this contract will be performed at three (3) government facilities located in the Denver Metro Area, Colorado and Hines, Illinois:

Location Address Primary (DLS) 555 Corporate Circle, Golden Colorado

80401

Secondary (DLS) Denver Federal Center BLDG 810, Lakewood, Colorado 80225

Third (SDC) 1st Ave BLDG. 37, Hines IL 60141

Period of Performance:

The period of performance begins with a 30-day Phase-In period from January 1, 2025 to

January 31, 2025. Full performance shall commence on February 1, 2025.

Below table demonstrates the entire period of performance including all possible options:

DLS Period of Performance starts January 1, 2025 SDC Period of Performance starts August 1, 2025

Phase-In Period (1 month) January 1, 2025 to January 31, 2025

Base Period (11 months) February 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025

Option Year 1 January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026

Option Year 2 January 1, 2027 to December 31, 2027

Option Year 3 January 1, 2028 to December 31, 2028

Option Year 4 January 1, 2029 to December 31, 2029 http://www.dol.gov/whd/govcontracts

FAR 52.217-8, Option to Extend

Services (up to 6 months)

January 1, 2030 to June 1, 2030

Contractor Qualification and Responsibilities:

The Contractor shall be entirely responsible for providing appropriate benefits, vacation time, sick days and federal and state requirements for all Contractor Personnel performing under this contract such as, but not limited to; professional liability insurance, worker’s compensation, income tax withholding, social security payment, health examinations, availability of health insurance and payment of overtime.

The Contractor shall be practicing in accordance with County, City, State and Federal laws where applicable. Verification of current, appropriate, required qualifications (license, certifications, etc.) and competency files for all Contractor Personnel is the responsibility of the

Contractor. The Government reserves the right to review those files and request for validation of contract terms and conditions.

The contractor shall not employ any personnel to provide services to DLS or SDC without ensuring they do not pose potential risk to health, safety, security, general well-being, or operational mission of the installation and its entire population.

If a contractor is identified by the Contracting Officer as a potential threat to the health, safety, security, general well-being or operational mission of the installation and its population, the contractor shall immediately remove the contractor from the facility and replace him/her with a contractor who meets the requirements defined in this PWS within ten (10) business days at no cost to the government.

All Contract Personnel, shall have a thorough knowledge of English grammar, have a high school diploma or equivalent and shall have basic knowledge and skills with computers and typing.

All contracted personnel shall have the ability to effectively listen and communicate accurately and clearly about DLS inventories, processes, and procedures.

Any Contractor Personnel who require access to VA computer systems will be required to attend security and operations training and the Contractor will be required to provide security background checks for them. The need for access will be determined on a position and responsibility basis individually.

Work Environment:

Work is performed throughout the facility, that range from a clean environment to hot, cold, drafty, and poorly lighted. The possibility of trips, falls, scrapes, cuts, bruises, or injury are present in the day-to-day work of the position. Work requires stocking supplies in the primary inventory area as well as numerous secondary inventory points throughout the two facilities. Work requires maintaining a clean environment while performing tasks that can produce dust or other pollutants while transitioning between environments. Contractor Personnel are required to maintain OSHA standards and compliance. Employees must comply with safety & health precautions and use

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when required.

Personal Hygiene and Clothing:

In performance of this contract, contract personnel shall be neat, clean and well-groomed and shall otherwise exercise person hygiene. Appropriate and professional attire shall always be worn. Issued government Personal Identity Verification (PIV) shall be worn at all times while in the facilities.

Clothing: All shirts should be vendor supplied with company name and/or logo clearly identifiable. Pants will be made of abrasion resistant material such as denim or canvas. All clothing is to be neat, clean, and in good condition, free from holes, rips/tears and stains. No athletic clothing (sweatpants, or sweat suits, tank/ tube tops, loungewear), miniskirts or shorts, see through or sheer clothing or other prohibited attire.

Prohibited attire includes:

a) Any clothing item that contains inappropriate slogans, illustrations, or advertising.

Examples of inappropriate slogans, illustrations, and advertising include, but are not limited to clothing that promote or displays alcohol, tobacco products, and drugs; clothing that might be offensive to individuals based on sex, age, race, national origin, or sexual orientation; disability, religion, or clothing that has sexual, political and/or negative connotations or messages;

b) Footwear: All footwear for contract personnel working in the warehouse should be safety-toed boots/shoes.

Physical Work Abilities Required:

The work requires the following during the workday: standing; walking during the entire workday;

pushing; pulling; lifting; bending and loading supply packages (occasionally weighing as much as

50 pounds). Work requires pushing loaded carts of medical supplies. With proper assistance, moves heavier items’ weighing over 40 pounds.

Quality Control:

The contractor shall develop, implement and maintain an effective quality control program to ensure services such as deliverables, evaluation criteria and QASP are performed in accordance with this PWS. The Contractor(s) shall develop a Quality Control Plan (QCP) to maintain an effective quality control program to ensure services are performed in accordance with this PWS. The Contractor(s) shall develop and implement procedures to identify, prevent, and ensure non-recurrence of defective services and/or supplies. The Contractor’s QCP is the means by which he/she assures himself/herself that his/her work complies with the requirements of the contract.

The finalized QCP shall be submitted within 15 business days after award. The

Contracting Officer may notify the Contractor(s) of required modifications to the plan during the period of performance. The Contractor(s) then shall coordinate suggested modifications and obtain acceptance of the plan by the Contracting officer. Any modifications to the program during the period of performance shall be provided to the Contracting Officer for review no later than ten (10) business days prior to effective date of the change. The QCP shall be subject to the

Government’s review and approval. The Government may find the QCP

“unacceptable” whenever the Contractor’s procedures do not accomplish the quality control objective(s). The Contractor(s) shall revise the QCP within ten (10) days from receipt of notice that QCP is found “unacceptable.” At a minimum, the

Contractor’s QCP shall address the following items:

1. Methods – The Contractor’s methods for identifying and preventing deficiencies in the quality and timeliness of services performed before the level of performance become unacceptable. The Contractor(s) shall de-scribe the method of verifying qualified and experienced professionals required for compliance with the PWS.

2. Performance Inspections – The Contractor’s inspection system that covers all the services listed in the Performance Requirements

Summary (PRS). The inspection system must specify if the

Contractor(s) shall inspect/review the services/supplies on a scheduled or unscheduled basis, how frequently the Contractor(s) shall accomplish the inspections, and the title(s) of the individual(s) who will perform the inspections. The Contractor(s) shall address ANY subcontracting opportunities and include inspection systems for subcontractors.

3. Remedies for Unsatisfactory Performance – The Contractor(s)’s methods for correcting any deficiencies in the quality and timeliness of services performed. Within five (5) calendar days of notification by the

CO of any deficiency in the quality of services/supplies, the Contractor’s designated quality control representative shall meet with the Contracting

Officer’s Representative (COR) to discuss the unsatisfactory findings.

The Contractor’s designated quality control representative shall have the authority to cause the necessary remedies to be accomplished.

Such remedies shall be made with a time period agreed upon by the

COR.

The contractor’s quality control program is the means by which he assures himself that his work complies with the requirement of the contract. 30 days after contract award or with the contractor’s proposal if it is an evaluation factor, submit to the CO and COR at the end of each sales month thereafter. After acceptance of the quality control plan the contractor shall receive the contracting officer’s acceptance in writing of any proposed change to his QC system.

Key Control:

The Contractor shall establish and implement methods of making sure all locker keys/building key cards issued to the Contractor by the Government are not lost or misplaced and they are not used by unauthorized persons. The Contractor shall develop procedures covering key control that shall be included in the Quality Control Plan. Such procedures shall include turn-in of any issued keys by personnel who no longer require access to locked areas. The Contractor shall prohibit the use of Government issued keys/key cards by any persons other than the

Contractor’s employees.

NOTE: All references to keys include key cards. No keys issued to the Contractor by the

Government shall be duplicated.

Lost or Duplicate Keys: The Contractor shall immediately report any occurrences of lost or duplicated keys/key cards to the Contracting Officer. In the event keys, other than master keys to contractor lockers, are lost or duplicated, the Contractor shall, upon direction of the

Contracting Officer’s Representative, re-key or replace the affected lock or locks; however, the

Government, at its option, may replace the affected lock or locks or perform re-keying. When the replacement of locks or re-keying is performed by the Government, the total cost of re-keying or the replacement of the lock or locks shall be deducted from the monthly payment due the Contractor. In the event a master key is lost or duplicated, all locks and keys for that system shall be replaced by the Government and the total cost deducted from the monthly payment due the Contractor.

Quality Assurance:

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

If the monitoring results indicate that any of the services do not conform with the PWS, the

Government may require the contractor to perform the services again in conformity with PWS, at no additional cost. When the defects in services cannot be corrected by re-performance, the

Government may (a) reduce the contract price to reflect the reduced value of the services performed and (b) require the contractor to take necessary action to ensure that future performance conforms to contract requirements.

If the contractor fails to promptly perform the services again or to take the necessary action to ensure future performance in conformity with this PWS, the Government may (a) by contract or otherwise, perform the services and charge to the contractor any cost incurred by the

Government that is directly related to the performance of such service or (b) terminate the contract for default.

Contracted staff are subject to the same investigative requirements as those of VA appointees or employees who have access to the same types of information. The level and process of background security investigations is Low Risk, National Agency Check with Inquires (NACI)

Tier 1. The Office for Operations, Security, and Preparedness is responsible for these policies and procedures. Additionally, all contractors are required to perform/undergo a VA Special

Agreement Check (SAC).

The contractor must notify the CO and COR immediately when a contracted staff (s) working on a VA system or with access to VA information is reassigned or leaves the contractor or subcontractor. The CO and COR must also be notified immediately by the contractor or subcontractor prior to any termination of any Contracted staff(s). Terminated contracted staff will turn in PIV cards and all other access cards to the COR.

Information made available to the Contracted staffs by VA for the performance of services under the awarded contract or information developed by the Contracted staff during the performance of services under the awarded contract shall only be used for this purpose and shall not be used in any other way. If VA determines that the contractor has violated any of the Contract confidentiality, privacy, and/or security provisions in the awarded contract, it shall be sufficient grounds for Termination for Cause under Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 12.

Hours of Operations:

The contractor is responsible for creating the work schedules for employees in each warehouse

Monday through Friday. The monthly personnel work schedule shall be approved by the COR.

The Government Facility may close due to local or national emergencies, administrative closings, or similar directed facility closings. The contractor must be prepared for potential closings and adjust their schedule during or after work hours.

Work will be performed Monday through Friday beginning no earlier than 6:00 A.M. and ending no later than 6:00 P.M. depending on the warehouse. DLS follows mountain time and SDC follows central time. Business hours may be extended with the operating hours to be from 6:00

A.M. – 9:30 P.M, Monday thru Friday as deemed necessary to address surges in orders.

The contractor will ensure breaks, lunches, time off are scheduled appropriately to ensure coverage and support during business hours, as specified in the performance requirements, or as required by the COR during other times. Contract staff must be released prior to end of schedule shift if workload ques has been cleared;

Contract staff must be at assigned stations ready for work at the beginning of their schedule tour of duty and immediately before and after breaks and lunch.

Contract staff must continue to work until they achieve a full completion of their schedule tour of duty.

Contractor personnel are only permitted in the warehouses when Government personnel are present.

The contractor shall at all times maintain an adequate workforce for uninterrupted performance of all tasks defined within this PWS when the Government Faculty is not closed for the stated above reasons. When hiring of personnel, the contractor shall keep in mind that the stability and continuity of the workforce is essential.

Timekeeping:

The Contractor shall provide their time keeping method and all necessary equipment for detailed electronic timekeeping. The contractor shall describe the hardware that will track personnel to physically clocking-in and clocking-out on the Government warehouse sites. The contractor shall provide at least one timekeeping device for each DLS location. Installation of timekeeping systems are the responsibility of the Contractor and they shall be approved by the

COR. Time and attendance logs must be used to verify Contractor's performance and therefore shall be provided weekly to COR.

No personal electronic devices are allowed on the production floor. Phones shall be secured in wall lockers before entering the warehouse. Personal electronic devices include cell phones, music devices, or any electronic device with Bluetooth technology unless a medical exception is requested and approved by the COR.

Detailed timekeeping reports are to be submitted weekly along with deliverables required by the

QASP for verification and review by the COR. Manual adjustments to timekeeping records must be easily identified and auditable to include a detailed rationale to support the adjustment. The

Contractor shall provide the COR with any additional documentation necessary to validate invoicing. The Program Manager shall randomly select at least one employee per week to make sure said employee is properly entering their timecard and the results reported as a QASP deliverable weekly. Timekeeping records are to be maintained for six (6) years, three (3) months after the final payment is received on the contract at the end of period of performance.

Overtime: Overtime may be required through the life of the contract. Overtime shall be considered as any excess of regular scheduled hours and outside of normal operating hours ordered for a particular Contract Line Item (CLIN). Overtime CLIN’s must be separately ordered by an authorized Contracting Officer and the scheduling of Overtime must be authorized in writing by the COR and approved by Contracting Officer the pay period before the scheduled pay period the overtime shall occur. The scheduling of overtime is coordinated between contractor program manager, and COR. The Government reserves the right to cancel overtime at any time.

Recognized Holidays:

Contractor shall not perform services on the following federal holidays.

New Year’s Day Labor Day

Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday Columbus Day

President’s Day Veteran’s Day

Memorial Day Juneteenth

Independence Day Thanksgiving Day

Christmas Day

Scheduling:

The contractor shall be required to provide a monthly personnel work schedule report at least 30 days prior to the start of the month. This shall be a monthly QASP deliverable report to COR for review. Schedules are subject to change due to changes in volume and workload or due to contingency operations such as inclement weather or major equipment failures. Workload may be shifted from one facility to another at short notice due to unforeseen circumstances.

There may be times when due to unplanned circumstances, coverage is needed on short notice and the contractor will be asked to fill additional unscheduled shifts within a twenty-four (24) hour notice. The contractor shall be prepared for such eventualities throughout the life of the contract. The contractor shall prepare detailed notification and scheduling to their personnel during night or early morning hours, if necessary, with limited notification from the Government.

An example would be a snowstorm that hits during the night and the Government facility has modified hours the next day or closes for the entire day. Contractor scheduled hours outside the normal hours 6 A.M to 6 P.M. Monday through Friday shall be mutually agreed upon between the Government (preferably the COR) and the contractor. Approved schedules shall be reflected in timekeeping reports and reflect the 40-hour work week Monday through Friday.

Administrative Functions and Meetings: Upon request by the Government, contract employees may be asked to attend and participate in staff meetings, performance improvement activities, or training meetings. Attendance at these functions constitutes billable time.

Mandatory Training:

VA Security and Privacy Requirements/Trainings: All contractors and subcontractors that are involved in provision of services to the government under this contract are required to complete training before allowed in the warehouse. The following training is required for every employee working on VA property within the first week of employment: VA Privacy and

Information Security Awareness and Rules of Behavior (TMS Course #VA10176), Harassment

Prevention & Accountability Training (TMS Course #VA45224, and Government Ethics – The

Essentials (TMS course number VA3812493). The training may be updated in the QASP by the

COR at any time without a modification. These courses shall be obtained through self-registration at the website https://www.tms.va.gov/SecureAuth35/. Employees shall complete the training within two weeks prior to the effective date of the contract and new employees will https://www.tms.va.gov/SecureAuth35/ be required to complete the training prior to assignment of duties related to the contract, not to exceed 30 days from employment. All trainings shall be completed on an annual basis. Failure to complete the required training will result in contract termination. This requirement is in addition to any other training that may be required of contractors, or subcontractors. Contact the COR to obtain the name(s) and location(s) of current security and privacy training course(s) that conforms to the VA security/privacy training requirements since these may change over the course of time.

a. Privacy: The provisions of the Privacy Act and Computer Security Act protect information in this contract. The contractor/subcontractor and their employees shall protect contract information from disclosure to unauthorized sources.

b. Access to VA Information and VA Information Systems: A contractor/subcontractor employee will be provided logical (technical) or physical access to VA information and VA information systems by the Assistant Chief of Finance who will send in a request to DLS’s internal Information Resources Management (IRM) team. The contractor employee will be issued government laptop or desk-top computer.

c. All contractors, subcontractors, and third-party servicers and associates working with

VA information are subject to the same investigative requirements as VA appointees or employees who have access to the same types of information. The level and process of background security investigations is Low Risk, National Agency Check with Inquires (NACI) Tier 1. The Office for Operations, Security, and Preparedness is responsible for these policies and procedures. Additionally, contractor employees are required to perform/undergo a VA Special Agreement Check (SAC). The COR will coordinate with the contractor for a VA background investigation. Upon a favorable adjudication received back for the VA Security Team the COR will work with the contractor/employee to be issued a PIV card that is required with all government issued equipment.

d. The contractor or subcontractor must notify the CO and COR immediately when an employee working on a VA system or with access to VA information is reassigned or leaves the contractor or subcontractor's employ. The CO and COR must also be notified immediately by the contractor or subcontractor prior to any termination of contractor employees. Terminated contractors will turn in PIV and access cards to the COR within 24 hours after termination.

e. Information made available to the contractor or subcontractor by VA for the performance or administration of this Contract or information developed by the contractor/subcontractor in performance or administration of the Contract shall be used only for those purposes and shall not be used in any other way. If VA determines that the contractor has violated any of the information confidentiality, privacy, and security provisions of the Contract, it shall be sufficient grounds to terminate the Contract for Cause under Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part

12.

f. Contractor Rules of Behavior. All contractor employees shall review, sign, and return to the COR copies of Attachment 3, VA Handbook 6500 Rules of Behavior Appendix

D prior to commencing work under a CONTRACT Order.

g. The Contractor shall comply with new and revised Federal rules regarding privacy and security by the compliance date given in the Federal Register.

Identification of Contractor Personnel:

Government issued Personal Identity Verification (PIV), or equivalent badge must be issued to all contract staff rendering services at DLS sites. The appropriate badge must be worn at all times while on Government facility grounds in appropriate Identity Credential Holders, clearly displayed on the outermost garment (e.g., coat, jacket, sweater, shirt, blouse, lab coat, etc.)

above the waist, with picture and name unobstructed. If worn on a lanyard around the neck, it must be of the break-away type for safety.

The cost of the first issued badge must be borne by the supported DLS. In the event any contract employee loses or damages a badge, the Contractor must be charged the amount prescribed by the DLS for replacement badges by policy adopted by each DLS and in accordance with VA Handbook 0735.

PIV badges are required to be returned to the facility COR upon termination, retirement, etc. of contract employee in accordance with VA Handbook 0735.

Identification badges are required for facility access at all times. All contract personnel must have badges permitting them access to their facility. If badges are lost or forgotten, contract personnel must report to the front desk to gain access and follow local DLS policies with recovery. At no time, will a contract employee gain access to a site through another personnel’s bad

All contract personnel attending meetings, answering Government telephones, and working in other situations where their contractor status is not…