Attachment 2 _ Performance Work Statement _ Part B.pdf

Sustainable Buildings Certification Assessments for the Energy, Environment and Fleet

Program Service (EEF)

Performance Work Statement Task Order

A. GENERAL INFORMATION

1. Title of Project: Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Office of Asset Enterprise Management, Energy, Environment, and Fleet Program Service (EEF) Sustainable Buildings Certification Assessments. (Sustainable Buildings Task Order)

2. Scope of Work: The contractor shall provide all resources necessary to accomplish the deliverables described in this Performance Work Statement (PWS). The contractor shall be responsible for the following:

a. Assess compliance with the 2020 Guiding Principles for preselected existing VA facilities.

b. Reassess VA’s grandfathered sustainable buildings for continued compliance with the intent of the Guiding Principles

3. Background: VA must meet a number of requirements pertaining to improving environmental sustainability, while meeting VA’s mission. EEF is the Department-level office for VA energy, environmental and fleet policy and oversight and is responsible for various external reporting requirements. Laws, Presidential directives and regulations containing these requirements include, but are not limited to, the following:

a. Executive Order (EO) 13990. “Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring Science to Tackle the Climate Crisis”

b. Executive Order (EO) 14008, “Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad”

c. Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005)

d. Energy Independence and Security Act, 2007

The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has as its unique mission the delivery of comprehensive assistance and benefits to the nation’s Veterans and their families. Through its Veterans Health Administration (VHA), VA is one of the largest direct providers of health care in the world. The Department is also subject to many energy, environmental, and fleet goals and requirements. This requires innovative and persistent efforts to meet these standards and always maintaining alignment with providing excellent care and services to Veterans.

Evaluating buildings for sustainability is a task that may require repetition on an annual basis in the coming years.

4. Performance Period: The period of performance is for 365 calendar days from date of award, with four additional option years. Work at the government site shall not take place on Federal holidays or weekends unless directed by the Contracting Officer (CO).

5. Type of Contract: Firm-fixed Price

6. Place of Performance: The primary place of work shall be the contractor’s office, but in-person site visits to VA facilities will be required.

7. IDIQ Number and Title: Program Support and Services for Energy, Environment and Fleet Program Service (EEF IDIQ)

8. Qualification: The contractor’s assessor, assigned to assess compliance with the Guiding Principles, shall have at least five years of experience in at least one of the following fields: facility management, energy management, environmental management, architecture, sustainable building design, or engineering. At least one professional green building credential, such as LEED®-AP, Guiding Principles Compliance Professional, Green Globes® Professional, or a substantially equivalent credential at the discretion of the contractor is required. The assessor must possess excellent verbal and written communication skills.

B. CONTRACT AWARD MEETING

The contractor shall not commence performance on the tasks in this PWS until the CO has conducted a kick-off meeting or has advised the contractor that a kick-off meeting is waived.

C. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

1. For every task, the contractor shall identify in writing all necessary subtasks (if any), associated costs by task, and together with associated sub-milestone dates. The contractor’s subtask structure shall be reflected in the proposal and detailed project management plan

(PMP).

2. All written deliverables shall be phrased in layperson language. Statistical and other technical terminology shall not be used without providing a glossary of terms.

3. Where a written milestone deliverable is required in draft form, OAEM will complete their review of the draft deliverable within 10 calendar days from date of receipt. The contractor shall have 10 calendar days to deliver the final deliverable from date of receipt of the government’s comments.

4. Unless otherwise specified in an individual task order, the following schedule requirements apply: Where a written milestone deliverable is required in draft form, the VA will complete their review of the draft deliverable within 10 calendar days from date of receipt. The contractor shall have 10 calendar days to deliver the final deliverable from date of receipt of the Government’s comments.

5. The contractor shall provide, via email, minutes of all government-contractor meetings. The contractor shall provide these minutes within five calendar days after completion of the meeting.

6. Except for pricing information, the contractor shall not deliver to the OAEM any proprietary products or information of any type in completing the requirements of this task order. The contractor’s existing internal development tools (that is, those development tools not developed for the OAEM work and which will not be required by the OAEM to install, use, or revise the deliverables) are exempted from this requirement. If the contractor believes an exception to this requirement is necessary for effective or efficient execution of this task order, the contractor shall request a specific exception, in writing, to the CO, and shall not provide the proprietary tools or information until approval is received from the

CO.

D. SPECIFIC MANDATORY TASKS AND ASSOCIATED DELIVERABLES

Description of Tasks and Associated Deliverables: The contractor shall provide the specific deliverables described below within the performance period stated in Section A.4 of this PWS.

1. Task One: The contractor shall provide a PMP and briefing for the project team, which presents the contractor's plan for completing the task order. The contractor's plan shall be responsive to this PWS and describe, in further detail, the approach to be used for each aspect of the task order as defined in the technical proposal. The contractor shall keep the PMP up to date throughout the period of performance.

Deliverable One: A PMP and briefing

2. Task Two: Provide Guiding Principles assessment and certification services for 100 existing VA buildings nationwide.

This task includes up to 100 buildings (located across up to35 VA Medical Centers) in the base year. The contractor shall assess performance in accordance with all aspects of the 2020 Guiding Principles and the associated Federal High-Performance Sustainable Buildings Guidance (2020 version) may be found online here. The assessment conducted by the contractor must be compliant with current legislation, executive orders, and Federal guidance at the time of the task order.

Deliverable Two: Develop a protocol to assess and certify/verify the selected buildings, and after approval, complete a web-based briefing to facility points of contact (POC).

1. The protocol must be submitted to the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) for final approval within 30 calendar days after the contract kick-off meeting.

2. The assessment protocol that will be reviewed by the COR must include:

a. Webinar slides (Microsoft PowerPoint),

b. A written description of the assessment methodology (Microsoft Word or

Adobe PDF),

c. A timeline of the assessment process for a sample building (Microsoft Word, Gantt Chart, or equivalent),

d. A “Guiding Principles Guidebook” for facility-level staff (Microsoft Word or

Adobe PDF) detailing what facilities need to do to meet the Guiding Principles.

The Guidebook will focus on health care facilities and will include examples of compliance documentation. The vast majority of buildings will be located at VHA medical centers and may include: hospitals, outpatient clinics, long-term https://www.sustainability.gov/pdfs/guiding_principles_for_sustainable_federal_buildings.pdf care facilities, administrative office buildings, and boiler/energy plants. Some buildings may be located at VBA or NCA facilities. Contractor should update the Guidebook annually for the duration of the contract. If there are changes to the Guiding Principles, the Guidebook will be updated within 168 calendar days. Any changes must be approved by the COR before distribution to VA staff,

e. The self-evaluation survey for facility contacts to assess their compliance with the Guiding Principles and provide documentation as needed (fillable Adobe PDF or web-based questionnaire),

f. A sample building-level report of assessment results (Microsoft Word or Adobe

PDF),

g. A sample building certificate (1-page Adobe PDF or equivalent),

h. Plaque design(s)

3. The assessment and scoring must follow current federal guidance on Guiding Principles compliance.

a. VA will have the ability to appeal the score and rating following certification.

The minimum period for VA to submit an appeal and corresponding documentation will be no less than 30 calendar days after receiving notification of the contractor’s score and supporting evidence of compliance with the Guiding Principles. The contractor will review all appeals and issue an updated assessment for each building within 30 calendar days of receiving VA’s intent to appeal.

4. All changes to the assessment protocol that occur after the COR’s initial approval must be approved by the COR prior to implementation.

5. One representative at each selected VA facility will be designated as the contractor’s point of contact (POC) for the Guiding Principles assessment and certification. The contractor shall work directly with the facility POC to coordinate details of the assessment. The contractor shall provide timely assistance at the request of the facility POCs. The contractor shall provide the step-by-step instructions, including detailed guidance describing the required compliance documentation and listing examples, to the representatives for all of the selected buildings within 21 calendar days after the COR approves the Guiding Principles assessment protocol.

6. The contractor shall provide a web-based briefing, not to exceed two hours in length, to VA facility POCs and central office representatives within 21 calendar days after the COR approves the Guiding Principles assessment protocol.

a. At a minimum, the briefing shall include:

b. A brief overview of the Guiding Principles

c. Details about the assessment and certification process

d. Screenshots of the facility self-evaluation

e. Description and examples of required compliance documentation

f. What to expect at the on-site assessment, conducted by the contractor

g. What to expect after the on-site assessment

h. Building-level Report, Roadmap to Compliance

i. Ability to appeal the score

j. List of suggested facility personnel to participate in the assessment

k. Assessment timeline

l. Contractor contact information

m. The contractor shall hold, at a minimum, two briefing sessions to accommodate VA schedules. The contractor shall make a recording of the webinar available online for later reference. After the initial task order, the contractor may utilize the recorded briefing to deliver a web-based briefing to new facility POCs during subsequent task orders, unless the assessment protocol has changed significantly and requires an additional live briefing or if the contractor prefers to deliver a live web-based briefing to new facility POCs.

Deliverable Three: Complete Guiding Principles assessment for each site, utilizing the developed protocol, and issuing a report of results.

1. The contractor shall send the facility POC the Guiding Principles self-evaluation survey for each of the buildings selected in the task order and schedule the contractor’s on-site assessment within seven calendar days of the second webinar session. The survey must be developed by the contractor. The format may be a fill-able document (Adobe PDF or Microsoft Word) or web-based, but must allow the contractor to easily transfer into a database for reporting purposes and score adjustment (see “Submission of Reports” below). VA will assess the contractor’s ability to aggregate data accurately from the self-evaluation checklist (whether the contractor uses the ENERGY STAR® Guiding Principles Checklist as a guide or the contractor’s own version of the checklist). The self-evaluation checklist must be approved by the COR. The contractor may utilize the ENERGY STAR® Guiding Principles Checklist as a guide, though it should be noted that it may not be fully updated with the latest requirements. Instructions for accessing the ENERGY STAR Checklist may be found online here.

2. The survey will be sent to the facility POC by the contractor. The facility POC will complete the survey prior to the on-site verification within 42 calendar days of receiving the survey from the contractor.

a. The facility POC will also compile relevant documentation for review by the contractor, including documentation and reports created for previous VA sustainable building assessments. The assessor and facility POC may agree to share documentation prior to the site visit via e-mail or other mechanism.

3. The contractor will coordinate the on-site assessment with the facility POC. The on-site assessment will be held within 30 calendar days of the facility’s submission of the survey and relevant documentation.

4. The contractor shall assign an assessor to conduct an on-site evaluation of the Guiding Principles for the selected building(s) on a campus.

5. The purpose of the on-site evaluation is to ensure that the self-evaluation and documentation provided by the facility conforms to the actual building features. For buildings that are located on a campus with integrated utilities and management policies, but that lack building-level meters, the contractor may work with the COR and the facility POC to approximate energy and water reduction data or to approve the application of a campus-level policy to an individual building. VA does not expect the contractor to perform in-depth lengthy analyses or to install measurement equipment.

The use of handheld equipment may be effective to determine indoor air quality, daylight, or other factors. At the on-site evaluation, the assessor will, at a minimum:

a. Conduct interviews with relevant personnel, as appropriate.

b. Tour the selected building(s).

c. Review the collected documentation, if not completed prior to the visit.

d. Verify and adjust the facility’s self-evaluation responses, as appropriate.

e. Identify opportunities for the building to improve compliance with the Guiding

Principles (e.g. technologies, policies, training).

6. No more than 42 calendar days after the on-site evaluation, the contractor shall submit a report (Microsoft Word and Adobe PDF format) based on the results of the Guiding Principles evaluation. If additional follow-up is required to complete the individual buildings report, the assessment team shall be the first line of communication with the facility POC. It is the responsibility of the assessment team to alert the COR if there are any challenges and/or delays related to cooperation from facility staff; the COR will http://www.energystar.gov/ia/business/government/downloads/Guiding_Principles_Checklist_within_Portfolio_Manager_Instructions.pdf.

step in to encourage cooperation and elevate issues as necessary. A separate report shall be completed for each building evaluated.

a. The report shall include a “roadmap to compliance” which suggests actions that VA should take to achieve 100% compliance with the Guiding Principles.

7. The contractor shall provide a one-page certificate indicating compliance score and rating (Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF).

8. The individual building report, certificate, appeal instructions, and any other relevant documents shall be e-mailed to the facility POC and the COR together in one e-mail, if possible. The documents may be uploaded to a document sharing website (e.g. drop box) if electronic submission is limited by file size. Within 14 calendar days of receiving the assessment report, the facility may submit documentation to justify a revision to their score, to be reviewed by the contractor. The contractor shall provide one “VA Aggregated Data” report summarizing the results for all of the assessed buildings to the COR (using Microsoft Excel or comparable platform approved by the COR prior to submittal). This report shall include all of the results of each element of the Guiding Principles for each building assessed.

9. The contractor shall send a brief progress report in the body of an e-mail to the COR every four weeks. The specific schedule shall be determined by the COR and the contractor during the contract kick-off meeting. The VA Aggregated Data report shall be attached to this e-mail once the initial assessments are complete and data becomes available.

Deliverable Four (Optional): Verification of Compliance for Grandfathered Buildings

1. In accordance with Appendix D of the Guiding Principles and Associated Instructions, the contractor shall reassess whether VA’s 90 grandfathered sustainable buildings continue to meet the intent of the Guiding Principles. VA’s grandfathered sustainable buildings are listed below in Table 1. If this option is exercised, beginning work on this deliverable is not contingent on completion of the preceding three deliverables.

Facility

SQUARE

FOOT

(Million)

# of bldgs

Green Building Certifications

VAMC at Brooklyn, NY 0.7 1 Received 3 GG VAMC at Richmond, VA 1.8 2 Received 3 GG VAMC at Asheville, NC 0.7 8 Received 3 GG VAMC at Salisbury, NC 1.1 36 Received 3 GG VAMC at Durham, NC 0.9 20 Received 3 GG VAMC at Atlanta, GA 1 1 Received 3 GG VAMC at Augusta (Uptown) 0.7 1 Received 3 GG VAMC at Birmingham, AL 0.6 1 Received 3 GG VAMC at West Palm Beach 1.6 1 Received 2 GG VAMC at Detroit, MI 1.2 1 Received 3 GG VAMC at Ann Arbor, MI 1.2 4 Received 3 GG VAMC at Milwaukee, WI 1.1 1 Received 3 GG VMAC at Houston, TX 1.8 1 Received 3 GG VAMC at Little Rock, AR 0.8 1 Received 3 GG VAMC at Shreveport, LA 0.5 1 Received 3 GG VAMC at Dallas, TX 1 1 Received 3 GG VAMC at Seattle, WA 0.7 1 Received 3 GG VAMC at Portland, OR 0.7 1 Received 3 GG Oakland Mental Health Clinic 1 Received LEED certification LA ACC, CA 0.2 1 Received 3 GG VAMC at San Diego, CA 0.8 1 Received 3 GG https://www.sustainability.gov/pdfs/guiding_principles_for_sustainable_federal_buildings.pdf

VAMC at Loma Linda, CA 0.8 1 Received 3 GG Regional Office at Reno, NV 1 Received LEED Silver Regional Office at Ft. Harrison, MT 1 Received LEED certification Regional Office at Boise, ID 1 Received LEED Gold

2. The contractor will develop a protocol that it will use to assess and verify the selected buildings. The protocol must be submitted to the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) for final approval within 42 calendar days after the contract kick-off meeting.

3. The assessment protocol that will be reviewed by the COR must include:

a. Webinar slides (Microsoft PowerPoint),

b. A written description of the assessment methodology (Microsoft Word or Adobe

PDF),

c. A timeline of the assessment process for a sample building (Microsoft Word, Gantt

Chart, or equivalent),

d. A “Guiding Principles Guidebook” for facility-level staff (Microsoft Word or Adobe

PDF) detailing what facilities must do to reevaluate all criteria used to initially qualify the building as sustainable and confirm the building continues to meet all of the 12 core criteria applicable to the building as described in the Appendix D of the current Guiding Principles guidance. The Guidebook will focus on health care facilities and will include examples of compliance documentation. The vast majority of buildings will be located at VA medical centers and may include hospitals, outpatient clinics, long-term care facilities, administrative office buildings, and boiler/energy plants. The contractor should update the Guidebook annually for the duration of the contract. If there are changes to the Guiding Principles, the Guidebook will be updated within 168 calendar days. Any changes must be approved by the COR before distribution to VA staff,

e. The self-evaluation survey (fillable Adobe PDF or web-based questionnaire),

f. A sample building-level report (Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF),

g. A sample building certificate (1-page Adobe PDF or equivalent),

4. The contractor will conduct a webinar for VA staff prior to the reassessment of each building.

5. On-site verification is not required, as all required documents can be provided remotely.

Deliverable Five (Optional): Plaques for Certified Sustainable Buildings

1. Provide cost per building for a plaque of Guiding Principles compliance rating to be mounted outside the building. If this option is exercised, beginning work on this deliverable is not contingent upon completion of the preceding deliverables, but it can not be completed until deliverables 1-3 are completed.

2. In the case of certification of multiple buildings on one campus, provide the cost of one plaque to be displayed in a prominent location on the building exterior that lists all of the buildings certified and their ratings.

3. The building plaque shall not include the name of any private organization, including the contractor’s company name.

4. The contractor shall coordinate the building plaque orders with the COR.

E. SCHEDULE FOR DELIVERABLES

1. The contractor shall complete the Delivery Date column in Attachment A for each deliverable specified.

2. Unless otherwise specified, the number of draft copies and the number of final copies shall be the same.

3. If for any reason the scheduled time for a deliverable cannot be met, the contractor is required to explain why (include the original deliverable due date) in writing to the CO, including a firm commitment of when the work shall be completed. This notice to the CO shall cite the reasons for the delay, and impact on the overall project. The CO will then review the facts and issue a response in accordance with applicable regulations.

F. CHANGES TO PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

Any changes to this PWS must be authorized and approved by written correspondence only from the Contracting Office (CO). Costs incurred by the contractor through the actions of parties other than the CO must be borne by the contractor.

G. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

1. The contractor shall provide the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) with an updated PWP on a monthly basis to support any invoicing.

2. The contractor shall hold bi-weekly status meeting or conference calls with COR.

H. TRAVEL AND PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

The work shall be performed at the contractor’s office space. As required by each task order, the contractor may be required to travel to Washington, D.C., or to other VA locations. Travel and per diem shall be reimbursed in accordance with VA/Federal Travel Regulations. Each contractor invoice must include copies of all receipts that support the travel costs claimed in the invoice. No General and Administrative (G&A) fees or costs, and no other fees or costs shall be added to travel expenses. Local travel within a 50-mile radius from the Contractor's facility is considered the cost of doing business and will not be reimbursed. This includes travel, subsistence, and associated labor charges for travel time. Local travel within a 50-mile radius from the Contractor's employees’ residence is considered the cost of doing business and will not be reimbursed. This includes travel, subsistence, and associated labor charges for travel time.

Travel performed for personal convenience and daily travel to and from work at the contractor's facility will not be reimbursed. Travel, subsistence, and associated labor charges for travel time for travel beyond a 50-mile radius of the Contractor's facility are authorized on a case-by-case basis and must be pre-approved by the CO at least 30 calendar days in advance for the requested travel.

I. GOVERNMENT FURNISHED DATA

VA will provide available sustainable building related data.

J. CONTRACTOR EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS – KEY PERSONNEL

Skilled and experienced professional and/or technical personnel are essential for successful accomplishment of the work to be performed under this task order. These are defined as key personnel and are those persons whose resumes were submitted. The contractor agrees that the key personnel shall not be removed, diverted, or replaced from work without approval of the CO and COR.

Any personnel the contractor offers as substitutes shall have the ability and qualifications equal to or better than the key personnel being replaced. Requests to substitute personnel shall be approved by the COR and the CO. All requests for approval of substitutions in personnel shall be submitted to the COR and the CO within 30 calendar days prior to making any change in key personnel. The request shall be written and provide a detailed explanation of the circumstances necessitating the proposed substitution. The contractor shall submit a complete resume for the proposed substitute, any changes to the rate specified in the order (as applicable) and any other information requested by the CO needed to approve or disapprove the proposed substitution.

The CO will evaluate such requests and promptly notify the contractor of approval or disapproval thereof in writing.

K. SECURITY

Information System Security

The contractor shall ensure adequate LAN/Internet, data, information, and system security in accordance with VA standard operating procedures and standard contract language, conditions laws, and regulations. The contractor’s firewall and web server shall meet or exceed the government minimum requirements for security. All government data shall be protected behind an approved firewall. Any security violations or attempted violations shall be reported to the VA project manager and the VBA Headquarters Information Security Officer as soon as possible.

The contractor shall follow all applicable VA policies and procedures governing information security, found under www.va.gov/pubs/asp/edsdirec.asp especially those that pertain to certification accreditation.

L. CONFIDENTIALITY AND NONDISCLOSURE

It is agreed that:

1. The preliminary and final deliverables and all associated working papers, application source code, and other material deemed relevant by the VA which have been generated by the contractor in the performance of this task order are the exclusive property of the U.S.

Government and shall be submitted to the CO at the conclusion of the task order.

2. The CO will be the sole authorized official to release verbally or in writing, any data, the draft deliverables, the final deliverables, or any other written or printed materials pertaining to this task order. No information shall be released by the contractor. Any request for information relating to this task order presented to the contractor shall be submitted to the CO for response.

3. Press releases, marketing material or any other printed or electronic documentation related to this project, shall not be publicized without the written approval of the CO.

http://www.va.gov/pubs/asp/edsdirec.asp

Attachment A

Schedule of Deliverables

Deliverable No. Item Quantity Delivery Date

One

A PMP and briefing

5 calendar days after Award

Two

Develop an assessment protocol and deliver a web-based briefing

45 calendar days after award

Three

Complete assessment and report for each site

100 Reports due within 30 calendar days of assessment

Four Optional: Assessment of VA grandfathered buildings

90 TBD

Five

Optional: Building Plaques 100 TBD