Attachment 1 Performance Work Statement and QASP.pdf

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Attachment 1 Performance Work Statement and QASP

Analysis of R. J. Cook Agronomy Farm USDA-ARS Long-Term Agroecosystem Research Site

Soil Fertility Samples

USDA Pullman, WA

General Information

1.0 Background and Purpose: The samples are being obtained from two long-term field scale research sites under different agricultural management strategies located at R. J. Cook Agronomy

Farm USDA-ARS Long-Term Agroecosystem Research field sites, Pullman WA. This analysis follows up on prior soil fertility analysis conducted 9 years ago in 2017 and will allow for an assessment of how field management practices like precision agriculture have affected soil fertility in dryland farming wheat producing regions and which soil fertility analysis provide the most useful information to farmers for evaluating management practices on their farms that promote healthy soils, crop yield and the soil microbiome.

The analysis of these soil samples will allow for further assessment of the best and most useful soil fertility analysis tools and contributes to the development of new management tools for helping U.S. farmers to maintain a profitable business by reducing the number of soil fertility tests farmers need to run to evaluate their management practices which aligns with USDA

Strategic Goal 1: Put Farmers First. Ensure USDA puts farmers first so that farmers, ranchers, and producers can start and maintain profitable businesses.

2.0 Scope: The Prime Contractor shall provide Analysis of approximately 933 individual air-dried soil samples collected from R. J. Cook Agronomy Farm USDA-ARS Long-Term

Agroecosystem Research field sites, following approved laboratory methods, to the USDA ARS

Northwest Sustainable Agroecosystems Research Unit Government Technical Monitor as specified in this Performance Work Statement and QASP. The contractor shall be responsible for furnishing personnel, materials, equipment, facilities, and otherwise accomplish all things necessary for or incidental to the performance of the work set forth therein. This is a firm fixed price, performance-based requirement, the labor mix of employees to perform this contract remains the discretion of the Contractor for all services.

3.0 Definitions:

3.1 CLIN – Contract Line Item, numbered. Established in the solicitation schedule, will start with “0001.”

3.2 Privity of Contract - Contract service providers shall be accountable solely to the Prime

Contractor, who, in turn, is responsible to the Government.

3.3 Government Technical Monitor – USDA Employee Location representative appointed by the Contracting Officer to monitor, evaluate, and communicate to the CO the Contractor’s performance in complying with contract requirements in an efficient and timely manner.

3.4 Program Office Administrative Officer – USDA Employee Location/Program Office administrative representative identified by the Contracting Officer at point of award. The

Program Office Administrative Officer may not be physically located at the facility.

3.5 IDIQ – Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity. The contract clauses govern administration.

3.6 Program Year – The year period that corresponds to an IDIQ Option Year.

3.7 ‘Calendar Days’- Every single day on the calendar (12 AM to 11:59 PM), including weekends, holidays, and non-working days.

3.8 ‘Business Days’ – Standard business days 8AM to 5PM USA Central Time with holiday exceptions as noted:

Listed below are official Government holidays:

New Year’s Day January 1*

Martin L. King Birthday Third Monday in January

President's Day Third Monday in February

Memorial Day Last Monday in May

Juneteenth As Indicated

Independence Day July 4*

Labor Day First Monday in September

Columbus Day Second Monday in October

Veterans Day November 11*

Thanksgiving Day Fourth Thursday in November

Christmas Day December 25*

OR when the USDA-ARS facility is closed due to local or national emergencies, administrative closings, or similar Government-directed facility closings

*In accordance with Federal regulations, if these holidays fall on a Saturday, the holiday will be observed on Friday, if Sunday, holiday will be observed on Monday.

4.0 Period of Performance: Base year plus one option year.

5.0 Hours of Service Performance: Determined by Prime Contractor.

6.0 Place of Performance: Determined by Prime Contractor.

7.0 Government Provided:

7.1 Samples for analysis have been airdried and pre-sterilized following AHPIS approved methods for domestic regulated soils.

7.2 Reference samples and batch duplications for quality control.

8.0 Invoicing and Payment:

8.1 The "Submit Invoice-to" address for USDA orders is the Department of Treasury's Invoice

Processing Platform (IPP).

8.2 All invoices shall be submitted via the electronic Invoice Processing Platform. This is a mandatory requirement initiated by the U.S. Department of Treasury. More information is available at https://www.ipp.gov. The Department of Treasury is the point of contact for all IPP

Collector account inquiries.

8.3 Payment is in arrears pursuant to the clause at FAR 52.212-4. Note FAR 52.212-4 (i)(1)

Items accepted. Payment shall be made for items accepted by the Government that have been delivered to the delivery destinations set forth in this contract.

8.4 Payment will not be made for service in advance of delivery.

8.5 Invoicing shall be on a no more than monthly basis and shall include reference to the contract number.

8.6 Advance invoice approval is not required, as required approval tiers exist in IPP.

Contractor Requirements

9.0 Technical Requirements/Tasks

9.1 General:

9.1.1 The Prime Contractor’s laboratory shall demonstrate historical commercial competency in each specific analytical method (2 or more years of providing the analysis commercially).

9.1.2 The Prime Contractor’s laboratory shall hold a quality certification/accreditation from a recognized certification program such as the North American Proficiency Testing (NAPT)

Performance Assessment Program, the Agricultural Laboratory Testing Association (ALTA)

Laboratory Accreditation Program, or similar program.

9.1.3 Transportation and transfer of samples:

9.1.3.1 Shipping of the samples to the contractor shall be completed by the USDA ARS

Northwest Sustainable Agroecosystems Research Unit. Rate of sample shipment is variable due to conditions inherent to agriculture.

9.1.3.2 Shipping beyond the contractor is the responsibility of the contractor and included in the per sample Firm Fixed Price. Shipping will not be added to invoices at a cost beyond the

Firm Fixed Price.

9.1.4 Analytical methods may not be substituted or replaced with conversions or calculations from other methods or procedures without consultation with and approval from the USDA ARS

Northwest Sustainable Agroecosystems Research Unit Government Technical Monitor and shall not change the firm fixed price.

9.1.5 Sample intake and processing shall be consistent throughout the contract period of performance. General NAPT standards or similar shall be met.

9.1.6 Sample analysis results are due to the Government Technical Monitor via email within 90 days of sample delivery to contractor laboratory.

9.1.6.1 The Prime Contractor Representative shall transmit the results to the Government

Technical Monitor.

9.1.6.2 The clause at FAR 52.246-15 Certificate of Conformance will apply.

9.1.6.3 The Prime Contractor Representative shall provide the Certificate of Conformance with all email transmittal of analysis results.

9.2 Specific Soil Properties and Methods Required:

9.2.1 pH water (1:1, soil:water) (Burt, 2004)

9.2.2 Soil organic matter (loss on ignition or Walkley-Black)

9.2.3 Electrical conductivity (1:1, soil:water) (Burt, 2004)

9.2.4 NO3-N, NH4-N (1N potassium chloride extraction)

9.2.5 Bray-1 P (1:10)

9.2.6 Olsen P (0.5 molar bicarbonate)

9.2.7 Ca, Mg, Na, S, B, Zn, Mn, Cu, Fe, K

9.2.8 Exchangeable Al

9.2.9 Cl

9.2.10 Effervescence

9.2.11 Adams-Evens (A & E) buffer lime requirement

9.2.12 Modified Mehlich Lime Requirement

9.2.13 Cation Exchange Capacity (Sodium Acetate-Methanol-Ammonium Acetate)

9.2.14 Total Bases

9.3 Contractor Key Personnel:

9.3.1 The Prime Contractor shall provide a Prime Contractor Representative who shall be responsible for the performance of the work and shall be the central point of contact with the

Government Technical Monitor.

9.3.1.1 The name of the Prime Contractor Representative and an alternate who shall act on behalf of the Prime contractor when the Prime Contractor Representative is absent shall be designated in writing with current contact information to the Government Technical Monitor within 10 calendar days of award.

9.3.1.2 The Prime Contractor Representative or alternate shall have full authority to act for the

Prime Contractor on all contract matters relating to the daily operation of this contract.

9.3.2 Only trained laboratory-trained technicians are to perform any analytical procedure.

9.4 Data Security:

9.4.1 Data subject to USDA data sharing requirements and compliance with the Geospatial

Data Act.

9.4.2 Landowner PII will not be shared with contractor’s laboratory.

9.4.3 The clause at FAR 52.224-3 Privacy Training will apply to this requirement.

Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan

10.0 Performance Requirement Measures/QASP:

The Government shall establish a Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) as a means of evaluating whether the Contractor is meeting the performance standards/quality levels identified in the PWS to ensure that the government pays only for the level of services received. The requirements are stated below.

Tasks Standards Acceptable Quality

Level (AQL)

Contractor Performance

Requirements and Tasks identified in Section 9

Standards as established in

Contractor Performance

Requirements and Tasks in

Section 9

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