Attachment A - QASP.docx

D.2 QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE PLAN (QASP)

RFQ 36C24623Q0383

ATTACHMENT A

QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE PLAN (QASP)

The contractor shall be evaluated in accordance with the following QASP.

For: The Fayetteville NC VA Coastal Healthcare System requires both Special Mode Transportation for Beneficiary Travel eligible Veterans to include the Wilmington Healthcare Center catchment area and emergent inter-facility advanced life support (ALS)/basic life support (BLS) ground ambulance transport services for the Fayetteville VA Medical Center (VAMC) Emergency Department as needed by FNCVAMC.

Contract Number:

Contract Description: Non-Emergency Ambulance Service

Contractor’s name:

1. PURPOSE

This Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) was developed to evaluate Contractor actions while implementing this contract. It is designed to provide an effective and systematic method to evaluate the services the Contractor is required to furnish. This QASP explains the following:

· What will be monitored?

· How monitoring will take place.

· Who will conduct the monitoring?

· How monitoring efforts and results will be documented.

This QASP does not detail how the contractor accomplishes the work. Rather, the QASP is created with the premise that the Contractor is responsible for management and quality control actions to meet the terms of the contract. It is the Government’s responsibility to be objective, fair, and consistent in evaluating performance.

This QASP is a “living document” and the Government may review and revise it on a regular basis. However, the Government shall coordinate changes with the Contractor through contract modification. Copies of the original QASP and revisions shall be provided to the Contractor and Government officials implementing surveillance activities. The work performed under this contract shall be subject to evaluation by the COR/CO via the QASP.

2. GOVERNMENT ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The following personnel shall oversee and coordinate surveillance activities:

a. Contracting Officer (CO) – The CO shall ensure performance of all necessary actions for effective contracting, ensure compliance with the contract terms, and shall safeguard the interests of the United States in the contractual relationship. The CO shall also assure that the Contractor receives impartial, fair, and equitable treatment under this contract. The CO is ultimately responsible for the final determination of the adequacy of the Contractor’s performance.

Assigned CO:

Branch Chief Stephanie Thompson, CO Department of Veterans Affairs Network Contracting Office (NCO) 6 100 Emancipation Drive, Building 27 Hampton, Virginia 23667 Tel: 757-234-3237 Stephanie.thompson20@va.gov

B. Dawn Darden, Contract Specialist Department of Veterans Affairs Network Contracting Office (NCO) 6 100 Emancipation Drive, Building 27 Hampton, Virginia 23667 Tel: 757-617-9417 Beverly.darden@va.gov

b. Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) – The COR at Fayetteville NC VA Healthcare System will monitor services under this requirement and is responsible for technical administration of the contract and shall assure proper Government surveillance of the Contractor’s performance. The COR shall keep a quality assurance file which will include surveillance observations and inspections. The COR is not empowered to make any contractual commitments or to authorize any contractual changes on the Government’s behalf.

Assigned COR:

TBD

3. CONTRACTOR REPRESENTATIVES

The following employees of the Contractor serve as the Contractor’s program manager for this contract:

Program Manager:

TBD

4. METHODS OF QA SURVEILLANCE

Various methods exist to monitor performance. The COR shall use the surveillance methods listed below in the administration of this QASP:

a. DIRECT OBSERVATION: 100% surveillance action required via daily reporting. Surveillance results must be able to support action taken by the COR/Contracting Officer when non-performance or unacceptable performance occurs.

b. PERIODIC / RANDOM INSPECTION: Inspections scheduled and reported quarterly per COR delegation or as needed.

c. VALIDATED USER / CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS: Customer complaint data will be obtained via customer feedback and will be compiled weekly and reviewed by Service Chief. Any validated complaints against the Contractor which are not resolved within seven business days will be further investigated.

d. VERIFICATION AND / OR DOCUMENTATION PROVIDED BY CONTRACTOR: Contractor provided documentation will be reviewed via required daily action reporting.

5. INCENTIVE / DISINCENTIVES FOR ACCEPTABLE QUALITY LEVEL (AQL)

The Government shall use favorable contractor performance evaluations as incentives. The Government shall report unfavorable Contractor performance as disincentives. Disincentives shall include documentation of any performance issues. If issues are repetitive or consistent, the Government shall take further corrective action or begin termination procedures. Incentives and Disincentives shall be based on exceeding, meeting, or not meeting performance standards.

a. Positive and negative performance will be documented locally (contract file) and/or in the appropriate Contractor performance assessment reporting system/database.

b. Non-compliance to contract standards will be corrected at no cost to the Government. The Government reserves the right and may elect to measure/document negative performance through utilization of a performance report and/or a contract discrepancy report.

c. The Contractor shall respond in writing to the COR to all notifications of failure to meet acceptable quality levels within five days of issuance by the COR and / or the Contracting Officer. The Contractor’s response shall include the corrective action taken to rectify the problem and the proposed measure to preclude the recurrence of the problem.

6. PERFORMANCE STANDARDS (MEASURES)

The Contractor is responsible for performance of ALL terms and conditions of the contract. The performance standards outlined in this QASP shall be used to determine the level of Contractor performance in the elements defined. The performance standards define desired services. The Government performs surveillance to determine if the contractor exceeds, meets or does not meet these standards.

The Performance Requirements Summary Matrix is listed below in Table 1. The Government shall use these standards to determine Contractor performance and shall compare Contractor performance to the standard and assign a rating. At the end of the performance period, these ratings will be used, in part, to establish the past performance of the Contractor on the contract. The Government shall use these standards to determine contractor performance and shall compare Contractor performance to the Acceptable Quality Level (AQL).

Surveillance observations and inspections made by the COR will be recorded in order to document the Contractor’s performance. These documents will become official Government records. Performance criteria to be measured include the following:

a. Customer Complaints: The COR may receive customer complaints about the quality of services. The COR will make a determination if the complaint involves services provided by the Contractor, and if so, will make a determination if the complaint is a minor or major complaint. The COR will notify the Contractor of the nature and severity of the complaint.

Contractor shall have a plan in place for handling patient complaints, including methods for monitoring, correcting, and reporting. Contractor shall report any corrective action taken to the COR within 48 hours of incident. COR will track internal complaints as well as from the Contractor. Contractor shall maintain less than five (5) complaints per quarter.

i. Minor complaints – (i.e., complaints about timeliness, customer service, or vehicle cleanliness. Isolated incidents of minor complaints will be addressed by the COR at the task order level. The COR will be notified of the complaint and the Contractor will work with the COR to ensure the complaint is addressed or resolved.

ii. Minor complaints will be documented if the COR determines there is a pattern of minor complaints or if there is an alarming increase in frequency of minor complaints. If so, the severity level of the complaints would be designated as a major complaint.

iii. Major complaints – (i.e., concerns regarding Contractor’s driving abilities (e.g., driving recklessly or while under the influence), lack of safe vehicle conditions, or emotional or physical abuse by driver/passenger. All of these complaints shall be documented. COR will determine the validity of the complaint, then notify the Contractor. Major complaints left unresolved will be deemed subpar performance and will be sent to the CO.

b. Inspections: Periodic quality assurance and safety inspections may occur on a monthly basis as predetermined by the COR. The results of periodic inspections may be used as the basis for subpar report documentation. Random inspections may occur at any time and location.

c. Performance: The Contractor shall meet, or be less than, the required response times per level of service ordered and as indicated in section 6.6, at least 95% of the time per quarter. The Contractor shall send a log sheet to include all information listed in paragraph 11.0 prior to submitting an invoice. At least five (5) trips will be reviewed by the COR monthly to determine contractor’s response times in order to accurately measure performance; and shall report to the CO trips that are not within the required times.

When performance is deemed unacceptable, the COR will inform the Contractor’s on-site representative, or one of the Contractor’s managers. Disputes should be referred to the COR. The COR will notify the Contracting Officer of subpar performance. If any services do not conform to agreement requirements, the Government may:

i. Require the Contractor to take action necessary to ensure future performance conforms with agreement requirements.

ii. By separate agreement or otherwise, perform the services and charge to the Contractor any cost incurred by the Government that is directly related to the performance of such service

Table 1 – Performance Requirements Summary Matrix Acceptable Quality Level (AQL) of Performance

AQL

Disincentive:

A Contract Discrepancy Report (CDR) may be issued on the first instance of failure to provide the acceptable level of service.

Failure to provide the acceptable level of service may be grounds to terminate the contract.

Disincentive:

A Contract Discrepancy Report (CDR) may be issued on the first instance of failure to provide the acceptable level of service.

Failure to provide the acceptable level of service may be grounds to terminate the contract.

Disincentive:

A Contract Discrepancy Report (CDR) may be issued on the first instance of failure to provide the acceptable level of service.

Failure to provide the acceptable level of service may be grounds to terminate the contract.

Disincentive:

A Contract Discrepancy Report (CDR) may be issued on the first instance of failure to provide the acceptable level of service.

Failure to provide the acceptable level of service may be grounds to terminate the contract.

Disincentive:

A Contract Discrepancy Report (CDR) may be issued on the first instance of failure to provide the acceptable level of service.

Failure to provide the acceptable level of service may be grounds to terminate the contract.

7. CONTRACTOR PERFORMANCE MONITORING

Government personnel will monitor the Contractor’s performance to ensure contract compliance and that the VA is receiving the services. The Government will be monitoring the following items:

a. CONTRACTOR PERFOMRANCE – Contractor shall uphold all standards and requirements as stated in the PWS.

b. CUSTOMER SATISFACTION – The Contractor shall provide satisfactory customer service with no customer complaints.

c. INVOICE VERIFICATION RECORDS – The Contractor must provide a complete and accurate invoice each month.

8. RATINGS

Metrics and methods are designed to determine if performance exceeds, meets, or does not meet a given standard and acceptable quality level. A rating scale shall be used to determine a positive, neutral, or negative outcome. The following ratings shall be used:

Positive outcome: 98% or greater successful completion/outcome.

Acceptable outcome: 97% - 95% successful completion/outcome.

Unacceptable outcome: Less than 95% successful completion/outcome.

9. DOCUMENTING PERFORMANCE

a. ACCEPTABLE PERFORMANCE

The Government shall document positive performance. Any reports may become a part of the supporting documentation for any contractual action.

b. UNACCEPTABLE PERFORMANCE

When unacceptable performance occurs, the COR shall inform the CO. This will normally be in writing unless circumstances necessitate verbal communication. In any case the COR and the CO shall document the discussion and place it in their respective file.

When the COR determines formal written communication is required, the COR shall prepare a Contract Discrepancy Report (CDR), and present it to the CO. The CO will in turn review and submit to the Contractor’s program manager for corrective action.

The Contractor shall acknowledge receipt of the CDR in writing. The CDR will specify if the Contractor is required to prepare a corrective action plan to document how the Contractor shall correct the unacceptable performance and avoid a recurrence. The CDR will also state how long after receipt the Contractor must present this corrective action plan to the COR. The Government shall review the Contractor’s corrective action plan to determine acceptability.

Any CDRs may become a part of the supporting documentation for any contractual action deemed necessary by the CO. See sample CDR attached.

9. FREQUENCY OF MEASUREMENT

a. Frequency of Measurement.

During contract performance, the COR will periodically analyze whether the frequency of surveillance is appropriate for the work being performed.

b. Frequency of Performance Assessment Meetings.

The COR shall meet with the contractor monthly to assess performance and shall provide a written assessment.

Contractor Program Manager

Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR)

NETWORK CONTRACTING OFFICE (NCO) 6

CONTRACT DISCREPANCY REPORT

1. CONTRACT NUMBER

DATES

4. DISCREPANCY OR PROBLEM (Describe in detail; Include reference in PWS / Directive. Attach continuation sheet if necessary.)

5. SIGNATURE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER’S REPRESENTATIVE (COR)

8. CONTRACTOR RESPONSE AS TO CAUSE, CORRECTIVE ACTION, AND ACTIONS TO PREVENT RECURRENCE (Attach continuation sheet if necessary.)

11. GOVERNMENT EVALUATION OF CONTRACTOR RESPONSE/RESOLUTION PLAN (Acceptable response/plan, partial acceptance of response/plan, rejection. Attach continuation sheet if necessary)

12. GOVERNMENT ACTIONS (Payment withholding, cure notice, show cause, other.)

CLOSE OUT

CONTRACTOR NOTIFIED

COR

CONTRACTING OFFICER

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