Attachment 1 PWS 1305M326Q0274.docx.pdf

Performance Work Statement National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC)

After-Hours Support Services for Pre-Trip Notification System (PTNS)

Background

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) Fishery Monitoring and Research Division (FMRD) collects scientific and fisheries management data by placing certified observers aboard U.S. domestic fishing vessels. To ensure unbiased observer coverage, the NEFSC utilizes the Pre-Trip Notification System (PTNS), a web-based tool that uses an algorithm to randomly select and assign commercial fishing trips for observer coverage.

Currently, the PTNS supports approximately 1,400 permit holders across the Northeast Multispecies Groundfish, Atlantic Herring, and Atlantic Scallop fisheries. Federal regulations require these vessels to notify their intent to fish at least 48 hours prior to departure. To prevent operational delays and maintain strong industry relations, the NEFSC provides around-the-clock (24/7/365) call-in and email assistance for fishermen who do not use the primary web-based portal.

The purpose of this contract is to provide after-hours support services for the PTNS, as vessels commonly notify their intent to fish via phone call outside of routine business hours. Of the 1,400 permit holders, only approximately 900 vessels currently actively fish PTNS-eligible trips. Because fishing effort varies based on seasons and regulations, call volume varies as well. Based on previous levels of support, this effort is expected to require approximately 2,000 minutes of call-in support service per month by the contracted vendor.

Collection of trip notification information requires a basic understanding of regional fisheries, terms, gears and regulations. Fishermen often use fishery-specific jargon, communicate poorly, notify of multiple intents to fish or flexible fishing dates, and assume the person answering the call understands all of the information they are providing. NEFSC staff will provide training to familiarize contract staff in these areas.

More information about the PTNS can be found here:

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/resource/tool-app/pre-trip-notification-system-northeast https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/resource/tool-app/pre-trip-notification-system-northeast

Tasks

Key tasks include the following:

Task 1: After-Hours Live Answering Services A. The Contractor shall provide live, in-person answering services for the PTNS after standard business hours including 5:01pm to 7:59am EST on weekdays and 24 hours per day on weekends and federal holidays.

a. Occasional weekday coverage between 8:00am and 5:00pm may be requested due to extenuating circumstances (e.g., Government systems outages, severe weather, Government facility closures, federal staff shortages, etc.).

B. The contractor shall abide by and follow the protocols established in the PTNS Answering Service User Guide (Appendix A), and respond to situations appropriately based on their urgency in line with the PTNS Troubleshooting Guide (Appendix B).

C. All Contract staff handling phone calls and entering data into PTNS will obtain login credentials to PTNS from FMRD staff prior to beginning work on the contract.

D. The Contractor shall answer all calls live, with a maximum hold time of less than 1 minute.

a. No calls shall be dropped or sent to voicemail.

E. The Contractor shall enter phone call trip notifications while on the phone with the caller, ensuring all required information is collected. Required information to enter into the

PTNS:

a. Vessel name and permit number

b. Specific fishery of the trip

c. Sail date and time

d. Port of sail

e. Estimated trip duration

f. Gear and mesh size to be deployed

g. Fishing region

h. Exemption or Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) participation

i. Pair trawl information (if applicable)

j. Vessel provider preference (if requested)

F. The Contractor shall update or edit previously entered trip notification data based on call-in requests of the following:

a. Vessel contact information

b. Trip notification information (e.g. sail dates and times for flexible date notifications, port sail, estimated trip duration, gear/mesh size, fishing region, EFP

Program)

c. Edit vessel provider preferences

d. Trip notification edits should not be in violation of the PTNS User Guide.

G. The Contractor shall verify that trip notifications are not entered for a sail date sooner than 48 hours from the time of notification.

a. Trip notifications sooner than 48 hours must be immediately communicated to

FMRD emergency contact.

H. The Contractor shall address inquiries regarding vessel and observer selection status for a trip.

a. The Contractor shall be familiar with where to obtain vessel selection status in

PTNS.

b. The Contractor shall only relay information obtained from the PTNS.

c. The Contractor shall not provide speculative information to callers regarding observer selection status.

d. The Contractor shall not provide any information regarding another vessel owner or operator under any circumstances.

e. The Contractor shall note any complaints or challenges in the message ticket.

I. The Contractor shall address all caller troubleshooting issues related to trip notification (i.e., website access difficulties, standard error messages, etc.) and provide guidance to the caller for rectifying the problem based on the PTNS User Guide and Troubleshooting documents (Appendices A and B).

a. The Contractor shall be familiar with the PTNS User Guide and Troubleshooting Guide.

b. In accordance with the PTNS Troubleshooting Guide, the Contractor shall categorize each issue as Urgent, Potentially Urgent, Non-Urgent, or Routine and follow the necessary steps provided in the PTNS Troubleshooting Guide.

c. For all calls indicating a vessel is having an emergency at sea, the Contractor shall immediately patch the call directly through to the U.S. Coast Guard 24-hour Rescue Coordination Center at 617-223-8555.

J. For calls deemed Urgent, as defined in the PTNS User Guide and Troubleshooting Guide (Appendix B), the Contractor shall:

a. Call the primary emergency contact immediately

b. If the primary contact is unavailable, the secondary contact shall be called.

c. In the event neither party responds, the contractor shall continue calling the emergency contacts, rotating primary and secondary contacts every 10 minutes, until either contact is reached in person.

d. FMRD will provide the names and phone numbers of the contacts and inform the contractor of any changes to the contacts.

e. The contractor shall report any urgent issues not covered in the PTNS User Guide and Troubleshooting documents to the emergency contact immediately.

K. The Contractor shall not provide guidance on non-trip notification related issues or questions.

a. The Contractor shall document all non-standard issues in the message ticket.

b. The Contractor shall document all calls related to other fishery management groups outside of the Northeast Multispecies Groundfish, Atlantic Herring and

Atlantic Scallop fisheries.

L. The contractor shall document all calls to the PTNS line, including hang-ups, partial calls due to disconnections, wrong numbers, etc.

M.The contractor shall document each call in a call-in record summary report or message ticket (see Appendix 1).

a. The Contractor shall email the call-in record summary report or message ticket to the PTNS service account email as soon as practicable following the call, but at minimum, twice daily: once between 7:00 am-8:00am and again between 6:00pm-7:00pm EST.

b. If there are no issues to report, the Contractor shall send the report twice daily stating as such. This report will be crucial in determining whether calls were handled correctly and if follow-up with the contractor or vessel representative is needed.

N. The Contractor shall report and document all non-urgent situations for the PTNS coordinator via the call-in record summary reports/message tickets and will inform the caller that the PTNS Coordinator will be made aware of all situations, both non-urgent and urgent.

O. The Contractor shall report any technical system issues (i.e. PTNS is unavailable, answering service login credentials generate an error, etc) via a message ticket as soon as they are noticed.

a. Message tickets must clearly specify if a notification was not entered due to PTNS technical issues.

b. Message tickets must also specify which staff member entered the notification or handled the call.

Deliverables:

A. Monthly invoice detailing the monthly charges.

a. All invoices must be submitted to the Department of Commerce’s Invoice Processing Platform (IPP).

B. Electronic archive of all phone correspondence in the form of electronic sound files (e.g.

.wav) and forward copies of such files as requested by FMRD staff for review of possible errors or suspected violations by vessel representatives.

C. Accurate and timely entry of all phone notifications into the PTNS system.

a. Technical issues preventing notification entry or ability to manage a notification must be explicitly documented in a message ticket.

D. Complete documentation of every call (including hang-ups and disconnections).

a. Message tickets must include the staff member’s name and a message ticket must be emailed to the PTNS service account as soon as possible.

E. A summary of all issues (or a “no issues” status) message ticket emailed to the PTNS service account twice daily: once between 7:00AM-8:00AM EST and once between

6:00PM-7:00PM EST.

F. Immediate reporting to primary or secondary emergency contacts for all “Urgent” situations as defined in the PTNS User Guide. This includes continuous rotation of the primary and secondary contacts every 10 minutes until an emergency contact is reached.

G. Immediate documentation and reporting of any system outages, login issues, etc. to the PTNS service account email via the message ticket system.

H. A comprehensive monthly summary report of documented call issues delivered to nefsc.ptns@noaa.gov the last Friday of each month.

I. Documentation confirming all staff members have been properly trained on entering and editing PTNS notifications, handling non-trip notification related calls, and handling emergency situations and communicating with the US Coast Guard.

Task 2: Pre-trip Notification System Proficiency and Communication A. The Contractor shall conduct all communications in a professional, courteous and respectful manner.

B. The Contractor shall ensure all Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) demonstrate a complete understanding of PTNS protocols, specifically the definitions and applications of Flexible Date versus Fixed Date trip notifications.

C. The Contractor’s supervisory staff shall engage in comprehensive PTNS training conducted by FMRD. Supervisors must demonstrate a thorough understanding of the system, utilizing FMRD-provided user and troubleshooting guides.

D. The Contractor shall facilitate internal training for all CSRs to ensure strict adherence to PTNS protocols. For new employees, the Contractor shall implement a rigorous performance evaluation period to ensure trip-notification entry accuracy and terminology competence. Specific focus should be placed on ensuring accurate entry of Permit Numbers and Fishery selection.

a. FMRD staff may request new CSRs participate in mock PTNS calls to demonstrate proficiency prior to fielding live calls.

E. The Contractor shall maintain flexibility to adapt to system or website updates. FMRD will provide a minimum of 48 hours’ notice of any changes and the Contractor shall ensure all staff are briefed or trained on the new functionality.

F. The Contractor shall ensure that staff are knowledgeable of and compliant with FMRD policies (e.g. the “Late Observer Policy”). Staff shall regularly consult the “Help Tab” on the PTNS website for the most current policy information.

G. The Contractor shall maintain a high standard of accuracy in data entry. The Contractor is responsible for minimizing errors to maintain the integrity of the system and trust of the commercial fishing industry.

H. The Contractor shall uphold all federal security provisions to protect the integrity of accessed systems and protect the unauthorized use, misuse, or destruction of government data.

I. Every CSR assigned to this contract must sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) in accordance with government security protocols prior to accessing the system.

mailto:nefsc.ptns@noaa.gov

J. The Contractor shall provide an initial staff list to FMRD at the start of the contract.

This list must be updated annually and NDAs for new hires must be submitted immediately upon onboarding.

K. The Contractor shall remain in compliance with all federal, state, and local laws and shall cooperate fully with government authorities regarding civil or criminal investigations.

Deliverables:

A. The Contractor shall participate in a kickoff meeting at the start of the contract and follow on meetings as necessary.

B. Staff list provided at the start of the contract and updated annually.

C. Signed non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) for all CSRs prior to system access.

D. Documentation of internal training protocols for PTNS.

E. Records of staff completion for initial training and subsequent system/website update briefings.

F. Accuracy and proficiency assessments for new employees during the evaluation period.

G. Documentation verifying staff have reviewed and understood FMRD policies.

H. Monthly report detailing accomplishments, issues encountered (including purpose, significant outcomes, action items), and recommendations, if applicable.

1330-52.215-70 SCHEDULE OF DELIVERABLES

The following is a schedule of all deliverables, including administrative deliverables, required during the period of performance of this contract:

Item Description Quantity Due Date Deliver to Reference

Monthly Invoice:

Detailing charges for monthly service

1 Monthly COR, Commerce Department’s IPP

Deliverable 1A

Monthly Progress Report:

Accomplishments, issues, outcomes, action items, and recommendations.

Monthly: On the last Friday of each month

PTNS Service Account (nefsc.ptns@noaa.gov)

/ COR

Deliverables 1h, 2H

Staff List & Signed NDAs: Initial staff list and non-disclosure agreements for all CSRs.

1 set

Start of contract; NDAs due prior to system access

FMRD / COR Deliverable 2

Training Documentation:

Confirmation of

1 set Start of contract and as needed

FMRD / COR

Deliverable 2 training on PTNS notifications, policy review (e.g. Late Observer Policy), and emergency/USCG protocols.

Proficiency Assessments:

Accuracy/competenc e evaluations for new employees and mock call records.

As needed As needed FMRD / COR Deliverable 2

Electronic Phone Correspondence Archive: Sound files (.wav) of all correspondence.

1 Archive Upon Request from FMRD Staff

FMRD Staff Deliverable 1

PTNS Entries & Call Documentation:

Accurate notification entry and logs of every call (including hang-ups).

Varies Continuous/real -time

PTNS System Deliverable 1, 2

Daily Status Summaries: Email summary of all issues or "no issues" status.

2 per day

Daily: 7:00-8:00 AM and

6:00-7:00 PM

EST

PTNS Service Account (nefsc.ptns@noaa.gov)

Deliverable 1

Technical Issue/Outage Tickets:

Documentation of issues preventing entry, system outages, or login failures.

Varies Immediate/As soon as possible

PTNS Service Account (nefsc.ptns@noaa.gov)

Deliverable 1

Urgent Situation Reporting:

Immediate reporting to emergency contacts via 10-minute rotation until reached.

Varies Immediate Primary/Secondary Emergency Contacts

Deliverable 1

Monthly Call Issue Summary Report:

Comprehensive

Monthly: On the last Friday of each month

PTNS Service Account (nefsc.ptns@noaa.gov)

Deliverable 1 summary of all documented call issues.

Kickoff meeting and necessary follow-on meetings.

Varies Start of contract and as necessary

COR / FMRD staff Deliverable 2

Qualifications

The proposed personnel must have experience in the following:

● Excellent interpersonal and verbal communication skills

● Experience working in the customer service industry

The proposed personnel must possess and maintain the following skills/certifications and/or credentials during the period of performance:

● Current MS Office skills

● A minimum of an associate’s degree from an accredited college/university; bachelor’s degree strongly preferred

● Contractor management must be familiar with fisheries management, interacting with members of the fishing industry, and be able to train operators to a similar level of experience.

The contractor shall provide interdisciplinary expertise related to program and project management, business processes, best practices and procedures, database management, and meeting facilitation. The contractor shall have knowledge and expertise of NOAA Fisheries commercial fishing policies and programs, as well as experience with planning, and Federal financial management and operations.

Performance Requirements Summary

This contract includes a Performance Requirements Summary (PRS) and Quality Assurance

Surveillance Plan (QASP). The PRS plays an integral role in the administration of the contract. In addition to any applicable inspection clauses or other related terms and conditions contained in the contract, the PRS shall serve as a primary tool for inspection and acceptance of services as facilitated by the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). Evaluation of the contractor’s overall performance shall be in accordance with the performance standards set forth in the PRS, and will be conducted by the COR. The PRS constitutes a material aspect of the contract and will not be changed or otherwise modified without prior written approval of the Contracting Officer.

Required Service and Designation

Desired Outcome

Performance Standard

Acceptable Quality Level

Monitoring Method

Incentive/ Disincentive

Data Entry

Timeliness

-All calls answered with a maximum hold time of 1 minute, no calls dropped or sent to voicemail

-All trip notifications or requested edits entered into PTNS within 1 hour of receipt

-100% of calls answered and trips entered into PTNS

Performance standard met at least 95% of time

-COR will solicit feedback from requesters

-COR review of monthly service statements and summary reports

-Routine random sampling by PTNS staff of trip entry timeliness

Failure to comply with the performance standards may lead to contract termination for cause.

Data Entry Accuracy

Notification data (vessel, fishery, gear, sail date, etc.)

matches the information provided by the fisherman without error.

-100% of trip notification data are accurately entered into

PTNS

- All issues

(non-urgent, urgent and emergency) documented and reported to

FMRD staffS

No more than

2% error rate per month in critical data fields.

-COR will solicit feedback from requesters

-COR review of monthly service statements and summary reports

-Routine random sampling by PTNS staff of trip entry accuracy the performance standards may lead to contract

Monthly

Progress

Reports include all required

100% compliance;

reports are

100% compliance;

reports are

100% inspection upon receipt by the COR the performance

Reports metrics

(accomplishm ents, issues, call volume) and are submitted by the 10th day of the month accurate and complete.

accurate and complete.

standards may lead to contract termination for cause.

Daily Status Summaries

Summaries are emailed twice daily by the times outlined in the contract deliverables

100% compliance;

summaries are accurate and complete.

100% compliance;

summaries are accurate and complete.

100% inspection by FMRD staff upon receipt the performance standards may lead to contract termination for cause.

Technical Support Quality

Contract staff proficient in

PTNS

procedures, regional fisheries capable of providing outstanding after-hours support for

PTNS

Personnel demonstrate knowledge of regional fisheries, gear types, and PTNS procedures

Satisfactory rating based on industry feedback and absence of valid complaints.

PTNS staff/COR will solicit feedback from industry stakeholders and review any reported issues.

the performance standards may lead to contract

Kick-Off

Prior to the period of performance start date, the contractor shall attend a kick-off call via Googlemeet with the COR and Contracting Officer.

Confidentiality and Data Privacy

This contract may require that services contractors have access to Privacy Information. Service contractors are responsible for maintaining confidentiality of all subjects and materials and may be required to sign and adhere to a Non-disclosure Agreement (NDA).

Government Furnished Resources

The Government will provide all necessary information, data and documents to the Contractor for work required under this contract.

Access to the PTNS website by the vendor will either be done through a single login account that adheres to NEFSC account security protocol or individual login accounts that will include individual NEFSC network access agreements.

The Government will not furnish any resources to the Contractor in support of this contract.

Place of Performance

Work will be conducted at other than the government facility (i.e. off-site).

Overtime, Travel, and Training

Overtime is not anticipated or authorized at this time. If overtime is required, a contract modification must be executed by the Contracting Officer prior to performance.

Travel is not expected or authorized for this purchase order.

Training is authorized for NMFS/NOAA/DOC specific systems and requirements. Notice of completion must be submitted to the COR no later than 3 business days after the start of the contract/task order or completion of courses after authorization. The following training is currently required to be completed under this task order. The COR may authorize additional training that is necessary for the task order and not commercially available.

● NOAA IT security

● Sexual Assault/Sexual Harassment Prevention and Response Training IAW NAM

1330-52.222-70(b)(6)

● Records Management 101

● AI Training

Additional commercial or non-task order specific training may be permitted under the following circumstances: 1) prior written approval is obtained from the COR, 2) there is no additional cost to the Government for attendance, 3) the time is not billed to the Government, and 4) there is no relief/change for deliverable due dates.

What is the assigned risk level and IT Security designation? Low Risk

Appendix A - FY25 NOAA PTNS Answering Service User Guide can be found here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QXgEWUxrokiBEloZXq-inv4VvFkYpEjG/view?usp=drive_link

Appendix B - PTNS Answering Service Troubleshooting Guide FY25 can be found here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/15Pg1WKF7crfTroRqLE6oWuJMeHa64P3S/view?usp=drive_link https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QXgEWUxrokiBEloZXq-inv4VvFkYpEjG/view?usp=drive_link https://drive.google.com/file/d/15Pg1WKF7crfTroRqLE6oWuJMeHa64P3S/view?usp=drive_link