Attachment 1 - SOW - W1 Blanks.pdf

Attachment 1 – Statement of Work

STATEMENT OF WORK

1.0 Background

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), National Cemetery Administration (NCA) furnishes headstones, markers and niche covers (monuments) for deceased veterans worldwide. Memorial monuments are also furnished to memorialize veterans whose remains are non-recoverable.

2.0 Purpose

The purpose of this contract is to manufacture and distribute nationwide, blanks in support of on-site inscription programs that are resident in National and or State cemeteries:

• (W1) – Upright Headstone, Granite, Blank (13” x 42” x 3”)

3.0 General

This contract shall include all labor and materials necessary to furnish upright granite headstones, as noted in 2.0, to each consignee’s address. The Contractor shall be responsible for providing all labor and material needed to manufacture, package, palletize, and deliver FOB Origin.

• Provide all labor and material needed to package and palletize shipments of blank headstones.

• Shipments shall be F.O.B. Origin, Contractor’s facility, utilizing Government contracted carriers.

• The Contractor shall provide a preprinted copy of a completed Government Bill of Lading for each cemetery to the MPS Traffic Manager by the first Monday of each month which lists the following:

Destination Name & Address, Consignee’s Name & Address, Origin Name & Address, Shipper’s Name & Address, and Bill-Charges- To name Address, Quantity of the shipment, Item Description, Weight, Mass, and Estimated Shipment Value.

• Contractor shall be responsible for ensuring the shipments are ready for pick-up at the time of notification

• Provide all labor and equipment to load pallets or singles onto the carrier’s vehicle.

• The Contractor shall provide email notification to MPS and the Traffic Manager within 24 hours if carriers fail to pick up as arranged.

3.1 Performance period: The Contractor shall have until the second Monday, excluding federal holidays, each month to manufacture, package and transfer to a government transportation carrier each pre-scheduled shipment for delivery.

3.2 Unit Price: The unit price is all-inclusive and covers the completed monuments delivered FOB Origin.

This all-inclusive price includes product and services to provide monuments meeting technical requirements as shown in drawings listed in Sections 4.0 and 5.1.

4.0 Material Specification

4.1 Description: Upright Headstone, Granite, Blank (13” x 42” x 3”)

4.1.1 Product Code: W1

4.1.2 Drawing No.: A-W1-1, Rev. B, dated 08/15/19 (see Attachment 3)

4.2 Material: Granite must conform to the definition of Granite as defined by ASTM C1 19. Granite is to be standard grade, fine-medium grained material as classified by the National Building Granite Quarries Association. Granite must be free from cracks, seams, or starts, chips, pits or other defects that would impair its strength, durability or readability of the inscription. Headstones containing two or more feldspar phenocrysts, which exceed 6mm, in any direction will be rejected.

4.3 Color: Granite must be a uniform shade of light grey color of (N6.5 - N8) as judged against the Munsell Neutral Value Scale, Matte 31 – step scale). Traits causing unacceptable appearance on the headstone include:

• headstones with multiple, long, straight streaks;

• coloring which would be mistaken for black microbial growth or, markings which would be mistaken for dirt;

• headstones with veining of blatantly dissimilar material susceptible to differential weathering;

• lines likely to be misinterpreted as cracks;

• headstones having 5 or more veins that are greater than 1-1/3 inches thick;

4.4 Finishing: The front, top and sides of each headstone must be uniformly machine honed with an 80-grit pad, or stone, to a smooth satin finish, free of scratches, saw marks, rust spots and skips. The bottom shall be a smooth sawn finish. The edges of the top and sides shall have no more than 3/8” radius ± 1/16”

4.5 Source of Supply: All stone shall be obtained from quarries within the United States having adequate capacity and facilities to meet the specified requirements. Cutting and finishing shall be done by a manufacturer equipped to process the material promptly and in accordance with these specifications.

Note: If the contractor changes from the original approved quarry to another quarry during the contract term, an additional sample shall be submitted to the MPS Program Support Unit for approval prior to using the new stone to produce blanks.

4.6 Workmanship: Each monument shall be free from defects in workmanship.

• Chips, cracks, open seams, or abraded edges shall not be permitted and the repair or patching of any such defects is prohibited and shall be cause for rejection.

• Monuments shall be free of ink, oil, crayon marks, dirt, coatings, sealers and stone dust.

• Workmanship and production shall be in accordance with industry standards, practices, and regulatory safety requirements

4.7 Testing: Stone supplied under this contract shall conform to the following specifications and physical requirements. Stone shall be tested, as listed below, by an approved testing laboratory and test results shall be submitted to the Memorial Products Service (MPS), Program Support Unit for approval prior to the production of the sample. Testing is required only once and shall be from a representative sample of the quarry. Testing results are required for new sources of stone.

NOTE: Testing results are not required for sources from the following areas:

• Washington County, Vermont

• Elberton County, Georgia

• Madera County, California

• Surrey County, North Carolina

5.0 Granite Testing Specifications

5.1.1 Abrasive hardness:

Granite shall have an abrasive hardness value (Ha) of not less than 25 when tested as specified in ASTM C241.

5.1.2 Absorption:

Granite shall absorb not more than 0.15 percent of moisture by weight when tested for a 48-hour period as specified in ASTM C97.

5.1.3 Compressive strength:

Granite shall have a minimum compressive strength of 7500 psi or (5.27 kg/mm2) when tested as specified in ASTM C170.

5.1.4 Modulus of rupture:

Granite shall have a minimum modulus of rupture of 1000 psi (or 0.70kg/mm2) when tested as specified in ASTM C99.

5.2 Applicable Publications

5.2.1 Munsell Neutral Value Scale, Matte (31 - step scale)

617 Little Britain Road, New Windsor, NY 12553-6148 Phone: (800) 622-2384 Refer to X-Rite, Inc or Pantone LLC for Munsell Color Scale

5.2.2 ASTM, Sections C97, C99, C170, C241

American Society for Testing and Materials 100 Barr Harbor Drive PO Box C700 West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959

5.2.3 Dimension Stones of the World

Granite Institute of America, Inc.

28901 Clemens Road, Suite 100, Cleveland, OH 44145

6.0 Packaging and Palletizing

6.1 Materials: All monuments shall be packed in accordance with normal industry standards and best commercial practices to ensure acceptance by the common carrier.

Nonmetal bands shall be secured around the pallet or crate for its entire height (from top to bottom), and two additional bands shall secure the pallet or crating around the width. Banding pressure shall be such that it causes no damage to the edges of the stone when packaged. Colored materials or materials capable of staining the stone (ex. uncoated cardboard, certain kinds of wood) during outdoor storage are not permitted.

The packaging and crating shall protect the monuments throughout the handling process and during shipment and comply with the National Motor Freight Classification:

• Ensure the pallet is in good condition. The quantity of monuments that can be placed on the pallet shall depend on the pallet’s quality of build and product-to-pallet dimensions.

• Ensure there is no product overhang. The pallet shall be taking the initial side impacts. Ensure that the pallet extends 1-2” away from the edges of the product.

• Corrugated board that is being used to wrap around the product shall be 350 PSI double wall corrugated board.

• Reinforce and protect edges of the monuments with corner fiber boards.

• Ensure shipments of multiple monuments are properly unitized and secured firmly to the pallet.

6.2 Palletizing: Each pallet shall not exceed 2,100 lbs. Headstones are to be shipped together on the same pallet, with sufficient non-steel banding in conjunction with stretch wrap along with individual packaging materials shall be used to prevent damage to the monuments during shipment. Banding shall be in cross-directional pairs, four per pallet ensuring that the banding is routed through the pallet to minimize any movement of the headstones while in transit. Non-staining corner cards are to be provided between the band and the monument at each corner of the banding (uncoated cardboard against the stone is unsatisfactory due to the tendency for discoloration). The following specifications shall be used in conjunction with standard 42” x 48”, 4-way wood pallets.

The weight of headstones placed on the pallet must not exceed what the pallet can hold but, in all cases, there should not be more than 11 headstones per pallet. It is preferred that all headstones be placed layered flat.

Protruding non-metal fasteners must be replaced to avoid tearing the packaging or scratching the monument surface.

The Contractor shall ensure non-coloring materials are used for packing and that packing materials are not prone to compression which may cause load shifts or damage from the ensuing loose banding.

The monuments shall be packed in such a manner that any adhesive, glue, or coloring from the packaging does not transfer and adhere to the stone during shipment or during interim storage prior to use. All monuments and packaging material shall be contained within the dimensions of the pallet with no overhang.

The contractor shall palletize multiple monuments on pallets in good repair with three stringers having lift access capability from all four directions.

The Contractor shall replace monuments at no additional cost to the Government if damage is incurred during transport. The MPS Program Support Unit reserves the right to notify the contractor by email within 5 days of any headstones damaged during transportation. Upon notification, the Contractor shall replace the damaged monuments within ten (10) calendar days from the date the e-mail was sent by MPS to the contractor.

In addition, the Contractor shall ensure the commercial bill of lading is annotated with the following statements:

• “The palletized headstones must be moved to the rear of the delivery vehicle to ensure the ability of the receiving business to offload the pallet using a forklift”.

• “In case of delivery problems: call (202)-461-4132 or 202 501 2696 for guidance and follow-up notification with email to MPSProgSupport@va.gov.

• Items damaged during transport must be reported by email to MPSProgSupport and the damaged items must be positively destroyed by the transporter or transporter’s agent. The Contractor shall document such monuments were, “… demolished or pulverized into small pieces and no portion of the inscription remained legible”.

7.0 Government Quality Assurance (QA)

7.1 Inspections: Quality assurance (QA) inspections of the contractor’s manufacturing facility and products may be performed by the designated COR of the Memorial Programs Service to assure satisfactory contract performance. The Government reserves the right to inspect the quality of blanks without prior scheduling or notifications to the contractor.

During each QA visit at production sites, a complete assessment of the Contractor’s operation shall be made, to include the following areas:

• Packaging and palletizing of product that promotes damage-free shipments and compliance with all contractual requirements.

• Execution of quality control procedures.

• Maintaining QA records as required, with the records indicating the quality of the headstones as shipped.

When at the contractor’s production facility, the Contractor shall assist the designated COR by providing an adequate, well lighted inspection area. Contractor’s personnel must aid lifting, handling and moving of products.

7.2 Quality System: The contractor must develop and maintain a written inspection system that documents the quality and timeliness of finished products.

7.3 Quality Complaints

The receipt of complaints concerning unsatisfactory quality or non-compliance with the contract specifications shall be considered reason for an immediate visit and review of the contractor’s quality assurance program.

mailto:MPSProgSupport@va.gov

The Government reserves the right to inspect 100% of the production for an indefinite period due to quality problems. Indicative, but not all-inclusive, examples of issues meriting inspection are:

• Nonconforming products shipped to fill Government orders.

• The COR rejecting product that passed the contractor’s inspection system, but product is still awaiting shipment.

• Deficiencies that adversely affect performance of the contract in areas such as:

o Inspection system o Inspection personnel o Manufacturing process o Production control o Planning and scheduling o Employee training o Craftsmanship o Safety o Knowledge/training of processes and measuring tools

The designated COR of the MPS Program Support Unit or a designated inspector for this contract will inform the Contractor of the deficiencies. A site inspection report will be generated by the inspecting COR, and the COR shall discuss with the Contractor what corrective action(s) shall be taken and when the corrective action shall be taken. When an issue(s) arises regarding a monument not meeting the specified standards and the issue(s) cannot be resolved between the Contractor and the Government, the Contracting Officer will make a final determination as to whether the monument shall be replaced at the contractor’s expense or at the Government’s expense.

7.4 Unacceptable Shipments of Blanks Headstones - Rejects

Upon notification by MPS that a shipment of blank headstones has been rejected for not meeting contract specifications that are outlined in section 4.0 Material Specification of this contract, the Contractor shall be required within (3) business days to pick up the rejected shipment at contractor’s expense. Replacements shall be delivered to the cemetery within 10 business days of the contractor’s notification. The Contractor is responsible for performing a quality check prior to palletizing and shipping to eliminate bulk shipment rejections.

8.0 Performance Evaluation

The Government will monitor Contractor performance through routine inspections, documented observations, and Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) oversight. Upon identification of a performance deficiency, the COR will verbally or in writing notify the Contractor. The COR will record the issue, date/time of observation, and Contractor notification. This notice provides an opportunity for immediate correction. If deficiencies persist or are significant, the Contracting Officer (CO) will issue a Contract Discrepancy Report (CDR). The Contractor shall respond within three (3) calendar days, providing an explanation and a corrective action plan. The CO will review the response and determine the next steps.

Following a CDR, the CO may convene a meeting with the Contractor and COR. The Government will document the discussion and circulate meeting minutes. If the Contractor disagrees with the minutes, objections shall be submitted in writing within three (3) calendar days. The CO will respond in writing with a final determination. Upon acceptance of a corrective action plan, the Contractor will have seven (7) calendar days to implement it.

Continued deficiencies may lead to further remedies in accordance with FAR 52.212-4, up to or including termination for cause or default. Performance issues resulting from Government error, Government delay, or Acts of God will not be attributed to the Contractor.

9.0 Employee Requirements

The Contractor shall be responsible to ensure Contractor employees providing work on this contract are fully trained and completely competent to perform the required work. All work performed shall be done in a first-class manner and in accordance with good commercial practices.

Small Business set-aside: All the awardee’s managerial/supervisory employees, including those on site in supervisory roles, shall be direct hires of the Prime Contractor. Labor shall be employed such that 50% of the actual salaries and wages for time attributed to this contract are from actual Prime Contractor employees.

Labor Force and Equipment: The Contractor shall be aware of the intensive labor and equipment requirements needed to meet contract specifications. Contractor shall be responsible for providing all labor and equipment as necessary to meet deadlines. The Contractor shall provide all necessary resources to complete the efforts assigned under the scope of this contract.

Contractor’s management shall be onsite for a minimum of 3 times a week. However, if there are issues causing stones to be rejected by NCA personnel, contract holder’s upper management is expected to be onsite daily until there is an acceptable resolution.

10.0 Scheduled Quantity and Delivery Log

Upon release of a shipment the awarded contract and the exercise of any option year renewals, the Contractor will receive an e-mail within 10 calendar days with the following information.

1. Instructions stated in section 3.0 and 3.1

2. Contract number

3. Obligation number for the contract period

4. Table with a list of Cemeteries and quantities for each month of the contract period

Upon release of a shipment to a Government carrier the Contractor shall send an e-mail to the MPSPROGSUPPORT@VA.GOV confirming pick up along with a copy of the bill of lading signed by the carrier and Contractor. Any shipment not picked up by the scheduled date should be reported to MPS and the Traffic Manager for non-compliance.

11.0 Procedures (Administrative and Other)

11.1 Government Responsibilities: Notwithstanding the Contractor’s responsibility for total management during the performance of this contract, the administration of the contract shall require coordination between the Government and the Contractor. Contracting Services will provide, at the time of the contract’s award, the name of one or more individuals authorized to act as Contract Officer’s Representatives (CORs) during the contract period.

11.2 Contractor Records and Files: The Contractor shall maintain records and files of all documents relating to each order filled under each Government Headstone and Marker contract. These records shall include, at minimum, copies of all orders, quality assurance records, inspection results, shipping documents (bearing carrier’s name and PRO tracking numbers) and invoices. These records shall be made available, upon request, to the designated MPS Program Support Unit COR during on-site Quality Assurance inspections.

11.3 Government Headstone and Marker Drawings: The Contractor shall ensure copies of all relevant Government drawings for production of monuments are maintained on file.

11.4 Completion point for products delivered FOB Origin: The Contractor’s responsibilities are deemed complete when a blank shipment is placed on a government transportation carrier.

mailto:MPSPROGSUPPORT@VA.GOV

11.5 Invoicing: Invoicing in arrears after acceptance. Invoices are sent through Tungsten after acceptance at delivery. At a minimum, invoices shall contain the following information:

• Contractor’s information (Name, Complete Address, Telephone Number, Taxpayer Identification

Number)

• Contract Number

• Date of Invoice

• Date of Period of Invoice Performance

• Invoice Number

• Obligation Number (Only one purchase order may be included on each invoice submitted)

• Shipment #

• Quantity

• Unit Price

• Total Amount

• Item(s) provided

• Copy of the BOL with signature showing the shipment have been picked up from the contractor’s facility

11.6 Point of Contact at MPS for the assigned COR and Traffic Manager, e-mail to:

MPSProgSupport@va.gov

END STATEMENT OF WORK

mailto:MPSProgSupport@va.gov

9.0 Employee Requirements