Attachment 1 Performance Work Statement and QASP.pdf

Attachment 1 Performance Work Statement and QASP Statistical Research Support Services - NASS

1. GENERAL

1.1. Purpose: The Research and Development Division (RDD) requires contractor support to provide advanced statistical and data science research supporting NASS modernization initiatives.

1.2. Background: NASS continues to modernize the production of official agricultural statistics by incorporating advanced statistical methods, artificial intelligence, and diverse data sources while maintaining scientific integrity, confidentiality, transparency, and reproducibility.

1.3. Scope of Work: The Prime Contractor shall provide all personnel, transportation

(including travel,) labor, and supervision necessary to perform Statistical Research

Support Services according to this Performance Work Statement and QASP. The

Contractor shall provide two key personnel: (1) one full-time Senior Research Statistician and (2) one part-time Senior Scientific Advisor. Research shall include small-area estimation, Bayesian modeling, integration of survey, administrative and geospatial data, record linkage and entity resolution, machine learning, AI-assisted geospatial harmonization, large language models (LLMs), adaptive survey design, automated diagnostics, disclosure avoidance, and reproducible research workflows.

1.4. Expected Outcome: NASS will obtain a dedicated research team that develops production-ready statistical methodologies, software, and documentation for operational implementation. The Senior Research Statistician will perform day-to-day research while the Senior Scientific Advisor provides strategic scientific leadership, mentoring, and independent technical review.

1.5. This is a performance-based requirement, the contractor shall perform to the requirements and standards established by this PWS.

1.6. All in scope requirements are Firm Fixed Price. This is not a Time and Materials requirement.

1.7. The contractor shall perform all work described in this Performance Work Statement in accordance with all applicable Federal, State, and local laws, regulations, and codes.

1.8. Place of Performance: USDA/NASS Headquarters, USDA South, Room 6054, 1400

Independent Ave., SW, Washington, D.C. 20050. Telework is limited and only authorized by the Contracting Officer in writing. No telework is allowed outside of the United States.

See clause at AGAR 452.207-70 in the terms and conditions.

1.9. Period of Performance: The period of performance (PoP) shall be for one (1) Base

Year of 12 months and four 12-month option years.

1.10. Duty Hours: Business Days unless otherwise specified by the COR or Contracting

Officer and bilaterally agreed to via contract modification.

1.11. Government Provided:

1.11.1. Government Provided Information (GFI): network access, approved software, data.

1.11.2. Workspace at the Place of Performance.

1.11.3. Government issued computer. See applicable FAR and AGAR clauses for clarification on security and privacy requirements.

1.12. Invoicing and Payment:

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

Invoice Processing Platform (IPP).

1.12.2. 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.

1.12.3. 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.

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

1.12.5. The invoice cycle is at minimum monthly.

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

2. DEFINITIONS

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

2.2. 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 Place of

Performance.

2.3. Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR)– USDA Employee Technical 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.

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

Contractor, who, in turn, is responsible to the Government. For the purposes of this requirement, any reference to “contractor” is referring to the Prime Contractor.

2.5. Full Time – At least 40 hours per week ‘Business Days.’ Includes fringe, conferences, and IDC (Indirect Costs)

2.6. Part Time – 20 hours per week or less. Includes fringe, conferences, and IDC (Indirect

Costs)

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

2.8. ‘Business Days’ – Standard business days 9AM to 4:30PM Eastern 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.

3. TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS/TASKS

3.1. Statistical Research Support Services Tasks.

3.1.1. Provide one (1) full-time Senior Research Statistician with experience analyzing and modeling agricultural survey and non-survey data.

3.1.2. Provide one (1) part-time Senior Scientific Advisor with experience analyzing and modeling agricultural survey and non-survey data.

3.1.3. Develop statistical methodologies in support of NASS agricultural survey and census programs.

3.1.4. Develop Bayesian and small-area estimation models.

3.1.5. Integrate survey, administrative, remotely sensed, economic, weather, soil, and geospatial data.

3.1.6. Develop ML methods for anomaly detection, classification, and adaptive survey design.

3.1.7. Apply AI-assisted geospatial harmonization and LLMs for metadata extraction, documentation, and workflow efficiency.

3.1.8. Develop reproducible, version-controlled research pipelines.

3.1.9. Developed capture-recapture and calibration algorithms to adjust record-level weights and to assess the uncertainty of estimates based on pre-specified population benchmarks.

3.1.10. Participate in monthly meetings with the COR and quarterly technical reviews.

3.1.11. Assess the state-level estimates of several data products for the conservation data series according to federal regulations for confidentiality and privacy preserving. Apply statistical disclosure limitations prior to publication to protect the privacy and confidentiality of farmers' data at the micro level.

3.2. Statistical Research Support Services Deliverables.

3.2.1. Full-time Senior Research Statistician throughout the contract.

3.2.2. Part-time Senior Scientific Advisor throughout the contract.

3.2.3. Quarterly progress reports.

3.2.4. Quarterly technical reviews.

3.2.5. Annual research report.

3.2.6. Publication-quality technical papers.

3.2.7. Production-ready software, documentation, and knowledge transfer.

3.3. Service Provider Qualifications.

3.3.1. Senior Research Statistician (Full-Time):

3.3.1.1. Ph.D. in Statistics or related quantitative field.

3.3.1.2. Minimum ten (10) years of professional research experience conducting recognized statistics or data science research with direct application to agriculture.

3.3.1.3. Demonstrated expertise in Bayesian statistics, small-area estimation, machine learning, AI, survey methodology, geospatial integration, record linkage, LLMs, adaptive survey design, and reproducible research with agricultural survey and non-survey data.

3.3.1.4. Strong publication record analyzing agricultural survey and non-survey data.

3.3.2. Senior Scientific Advisor (Part-Time):

3.3.2.1. Ph.D. in Statistics or related quantitative field.

3.3.2.2. Minimum twenty (20) years of nationally recognized research experience conducting recognized statistics or data science research with direct application to agriculture..

3.3.2.3. Extensive peer-reviewed publication record.

3.3.2.4. Experience leading large federal or official statistics research programs.

3.3.2.5. Provides strategic guidance, mentors the Senior Research Statistician, reviews all major deliverables, and participates in quarterly technical reviews.

3.4. Security

3.4.1. Physical Security, Privacy, and Information Security requirements not specifically addressed in this Performance Work Statement are pursuant to the applicable FAR and

AGAR clauses listed in the terms and conditions.

3.4.2. Personal Identity Verification and Workforce Integrity of Contractor Employees

3.4.2.1. Compliance with PIV Requirements. The contractor must comply with the personal identity verification (PIV) policies and procedures established by the United

States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Directives 4620‑002 series, Homeland Security

Presidential Directive 12, and any implementing guidance issued by the Contracting

Officer. The contractor must appoint a representative responsible for PIV compliance and must maintain a current list of employees eligible for a USDA LincPass or otherwise authorized to perform work under this contract.

3.4.2.2. PIV Sponsor Availability. The PIV Sponsor for this contract is the designated

Government point of contact identified in the contract. The COR in this case. The

Government will notify the contractor of any changes. The contractor remains responsible for meeting all PIV obligations regardless of changes in sponsor availability.

3.4.2.3. Contractor Workforce Integrity and Accountability. The contractor is fully responsible for ensuring that all individuals performing under this contract are properly vetted, eligible for access, authorized to perform the work, and accurately represented.

At a minimum, the contractor must implement lawful and effective internal controls to:

3.4.2.3.1. Verify the identity, work authorization, and qualifications of all personnel assigned;

3.4.2.3.2. Ensure only the individuals presented to USDA for PIV enrollment or identity verification perform work;

3.4.2.3.3. Detect and address indicators of identity fraud, unauthorized substitution, or other workforce integrity risks; and

3.4.2.3.4. Ensure continuous oversight of personnel, including remote workers, in accordance with any reporting requirements specified in the Contract.

3.4.2.4. Mandatory Removal and Replacement. If the Government determines that a contractor employee fails to meet eligibility, security, integrity, or performance requirements, the Contracting Officer may direct the contractor to remove the individual from performance. The contractor must:

3.4.2.4.1. Remove the employee immediately upon notice;

3.4.2.4.2. Provide a qualified replacement at no additional cost to the Government; and

3.4.2.4.3. Ensure continuity of operations so as not to impact mission requirements.

3.4.2.4.4. Failure to promptly remove or replace employees when directed may result in remedies including withholding payment, termination, or other actions authorized under this contract.

3.4.2.5. Impact on Contractor Performance. Contractor compliance with this clause, including timely removal and replacement of personnel, adherence to PIV requirements, and maintenance of workforce integrity, is a material requirement of this contract.

Incidents of identity discrepancies, failure to maintain an eligible workforce, submission of personnel who do not match verified identities, unauthorized substitutions, or failure to comply with Government direction may result in termination and will be documented in the contractor’s performance assessment and reflected in the Contractor Performance

Assessment Reporting System (CPARS).

3.4.2.6. Subcontractor Applicability. The contractor must include this clause in all subcontracts requiring routine unaccompanied physical access to a Federally controlled facility and/or routine unaccompanied access to a Federally controlled information system. The contractor is accountable for ensuring subcontractor compliance.

3.4.2.7. No Government Direction of Hiring Practices. Nothing in this clause authorizes the Government to direct the contractor’s internal hiring processes or require the disclosure of personal information beyond what is authorized by law, regulation, or contract terms. The contractor remains solely responsible for determining lawful methods to meet the requirements of this clause.

3.5. Insurance Requirements

3.5.1. Workers’ Compensation and Employer's Liability. The Contractor is required to comply with applicable Federal and State workers' compensation and occupational disease statutes. If occupational diseases are not compensable under those statutes, they must be covered under the employer's liability section of the insurance policy, except when contract operations are so commingled with a Contractor's commercial operations that it would not be practical to require this coverage. Employer's liability coverage of at least $100,000 must be required, except in States with exclusive or monopolistic funds that do not permit worker's compensation to be written by private carriers.

3.5.2. General Liability. The Contractor must have bodily injury liability insurance coverage written on a comprehensive form of policy of at least $500,000 per occurrence.

3.5.3. Automobile Liability. The Contractor must have automobile liability insurance written on a comprehensive form of policy. The policy must provide for bodily injury and property damage liability covering the operation of all automobiles used in connection with performing the contract. Policies covering automobiles operated in the United States must provide coverage of at least $200,000 per person and $500,000 per occurrence for bodily injury and $20,000 per occurrence for property damage or loss.

3.5.4. Aircraft Public and Passenger Liability. When aircraft are used in connection with performing the contract, the Contractor must have aircraft public and passenger liability insurance. Coverage must be at least $200,000 per person and $500,000 per occurrence for bodily injury, other than passenger injury. Coverage for passenger injury must be at least $200,000 multiplied by the number of seats or passengers, whichever is greater.

3.5.5. Proof of insurance shall be submitted to the COR and Contracting Officer pursuant to the clause at FAR 52.228-5 within 5 calendar days of award.

3.6. Submittal Schedule:

Submittal Reference Delivery

Due by

Proof of Insurance Clause at FAR

52.228-5, Emailed PDF to

COR and CO

Within 5 calendar days of award.

PIV Card BI Submittal information for on-site employees

Section 3.4.2 Emailed to PIV

Sponsor

Within 15 calendar days of award

4. QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE PLAN

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 3

Contractor Performance

Requirements and Tasks identified in Section 3

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