Attachment A SOW - ON-Site Inscription Contract (I1 U1 R2) - Jacksonville NC FY21.docx

B.3 DESCRIPTIONS/SPECIFICATION/STATEMENT OF WORK

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

2.0 Purpose: The purpose of this contract is to provide On-Site Inscription Services at:

(N928) Jacksonville National Cemetery 4083 Lannie Road Jacksonville, FL 32218-1247 Telephone: (904) 766-5222 POC: Alphaeus Richburg, Director ACOR: Dan Johnson MPS COR: Pamela Samuel-Wilson

3.0 General: This contract shall provide all labor and materials necessary to perform inscription services on cemetery inspected and approved, government owned headstones, markers and niche covers, on-site at the cemetery listed in (2.0) above. (Refer to Addendum 6 for site map)

4.0 Performance Period: The contractor shall follow the below time periods to ensure the start of the inscription process takes no longer than 30 calendar days. If the contractor faces challenges with the initial set-up period, a written explanation should be submitted as soon as possible to inform the cemetery director, alternate contracting officer representative (ACOR), Memorial Products Service contracting officer representative (COR) and the contracting officer of the issues being faced and the resolution and timeline involved. If no notification is submitted, it is assumed the contractor will adhere to the timelines set below.

4.1 Performance Period – Initial Set-up: The contractor shall have (25) calendar days from date of award to establish an on-site inscription facility to include all requirements noted in: On-Site Inscription Blasting Structure, Cemetery Requirements and Contractor’s Quality System below.

4.2 Performance Period – Initial Order: The contractor shall have (30) calendar days, from date of award, excluding federal holidays, as counted from the date following the day the first order is sent to the contractor and until the monuments are inscribed and delivered to the cemetery, FOB Destination.

4.3 Performance Period – On-going: The contractor shall have (10) business days, excluding federal holidays, as counted from the date following the day an order is sent to the contractor until the monuments are inscribed and made available to the cemetery for receiving inspection and acceptance.

5.0 Unit Price: The unit price is all-inclusive and covers the complete inscription ordered, regardless of the total number of lines or characters. The unit price shall be the total price paid for each monument inscribed, FOB Destination.

6.0 Material Specifications:

6.4 Inscription Specification: Letters, Fonts, Numbers & Other Characters for Government, Headstones, Markers and Niche Covers Drawing No.: A-LFN&OC-1 thru 3, Rev C, dated 06/13/2016

6.5 Emblems

Drawing No.: A-EM Cover Page, Rev K, dated 9/10/2019 A-EM-1, Rev I, dated 12/23/2017 A-EM-2 thru 4, Rev H, dated 12/23/2017 A-EM-5, Rev K, dated 9/10/2019 A-EM-6, Rev K, dated 9/4/2019

7.0 Government Furnished Property: Upon receipt of blanks through Appendix B (refer to Use of Appendix B – Transfer of Government-Furnished Headstones, Markers or Niche Covers and Appendix C – Completion of Inscription Service(s) (Process Responsibilities)), the contractor shall be responsible for the security and protection of the blanks, which are considered government furnished property, provided to the contractor in connection with this contract. All blanks and inscribed headstones that do not meet the specifications pre-and post-inscription shall be considered rejects and the quantity shall be reported to the cemetery point of contact (ACOR) and to MPSProgSupport@va.gov.

The contractor shall be responsible for damage sustained to blanks because of negligent handling practices while in the contractor’s possession.

8.0 Scope of work

8.1 Contract Period: This contract covers the period from October 1, 2020 thru September 30, 2021 with (4) 1-year options, if exercised, to extend the term of the contract through September 30, 2025.

8.2 Contractor Services: This service includes all labor and materials necessary to provide:

8.2.1 New inscriptions to government furnished blank upright marble headstones (U1/R2)

8.2.2 New inscriptions to government furnished blank marble niche covers (I1)

8.2.3 All inscription work for (U1 and I1) shall be inscribed in a dedicated area as agreed upon with the cemetery.

8.2.4 Reverse inscriptions of (U1, upright marble headstones) will be inscribed as noted below. Cemetery POC will strike out and initial the method below that is not applicable. (DJ)

· Inscribed at the gravesite within the cemetery property. Cemetery shall ensure the Contractor has access to the gravesite to perform the inscription.

· Personnel have removed the headstone from the grave and transported it to the Contractor’s work area thus making it available for inscription in the dedicated sandblasting area at the cemetery.

9.0 Workmanship: Monuments shall be free from defects due to broken or blown out lettering. Repairs or patching of any such defects or the presence of oils, scuff marks, glue, saw markings crayon marks, direct adhesive and excessive dust shall be a cause for rejection.

10.0 Product:

10.1 The contractor shall inscribe all information contained on an order. The contractor’s pricing in the schedule is an all-inclusive price. This all-inclusive price includes all items as shown on the technical drawings listed in section 6.0. The end or limit of each line shall be indicated on a line-by-line basis as shown on the order. If any deviation from this is encountered, the contractor must contact the MPS Program Unit at MPSProgSupport@va.gov.

10.2 Inscriptions shall be made using an air blast abrasion technique with a suitable non-hazardous aggregate. The inscription shall have depths consistent with what is referenced in the technical drawing and shall conform to the dimensions of letters and inscriptions as shown on the drawings. The layout of letters, numbers and emblems shall conform to scenarios in the technical drawings.

10.3 Lithichrome Application: When placing an order, each cemetery shall annotate in the Remarks box or on the last line of the inscription, whether lithichrome is required or not. Cemetery shall enter “ADD LITHICHROME” or “NO LITHICHROME” for all orders. When lithichrome is applied, it shall be N4 or lower as judged against the Munsell Neutral Value Scale, Matte (31-step scale). If any order is received without lithichrome stated, then the contractor shall contact the ACOR for clarification or the order shall be e-mailed to the MPSProgSupport@va.gov for clarification.

11.0 Submittal by Potential Offerors:

11.1 All potential offerors shall submit, at contractor expense, inscription samples as noted below. The samples shall conform to government specifications and shall be submitted for approval and the samples shall be used to determine potential awardees’ ability to inscribe on-site inscriptions. Contractor shall mark each sample on the back with a permanent marker to show: contractor’s name, telephone number, solicitation number, cemetery name/district location and contractors email address. Any sample which arrives damaged or not clearly marked will not be considered for review. At that point the contractor’s sample would have failed to have met the submittal requirements for this solicitation and will not be further considered for the bidding process. The samples must be manufactured, inscribed, and packaged to prevent any damage during shipment. Refer to Addendum 1 & 2 for additional evaluation criteria. All samples are best and final, and the offerors will not be allowed to submit another sample if a sample is deemed unacceptable.

11.2 Niche Cover Inscription Sample:

The following dimensions and inscription shall be used for this sample.

(15-3/4” x 11-1/4” x ¾”)

Emblem #25 (refer to drawings for actual emblem to be inscribed)

GRIFFIN

MARSHALL P Jr (refer to drawings for correct size of “r”) 1st LT USA (refer to drawings for correct size of “st”)

KOREA VIETNAM

1932 2008

11.3 Upright Headstone Inscription Sample:

The following dimensions and inscription shall be used for this sample:

(24” x 13” x ¾”)

Front

Emblem #60 (refer to drawings for actual emblem to be inscribed)

MARSHALL P

GRIFFIN Jr (refer to drawings for correct size of “r”) 1st LT (refer to drawings for correct size of “st”)

US ARMY

KOREA

VIETNAM

MAR 1 1932

OCT 4 2008

PURPLE HEART

AIR MEDAL

101 ABN DIV

Rear

AA 1234 (Refer to applicable drawing for layout of section and grave number as it applies to the R2 headstone.)

11.4 Note: All samples should be manufactured using the dimensions noted above. Full size samples will not be accepted, except for niche covers or memorial wall markers, and will be refused at delivery. All samples submitted must be approved for further consideration of vendor quote/proposal.

11.5 The sample(s) shall be received by Memorial Products Service (MPS) prior to closing date. All samples are best and final, and offerors will not be allowed to submit another sample if a sample is deemed unacceptable.

NO samples will be accepted after closing date.

Once submitted the sample(s) becomes the property of the Department of Veterans Affairs and will not be returned. Submit sample(s) and test results to the following address:

National Cemetery Administration Attn: MPS Mail Room 5109 Russell Road Quantico, VA 22134

11.6 PDF copies of drawings are available upon request at no additional charge to potential vendors. The request should be e-mailed to the NCA Memorial Products Service (MPS), Program Support Unit at MPSProgSupport@va.gov and shall include the Contractor’s name, mailing address, phone number, e-mail address, and the name / drawing number of the drawing(s). MPS recommends vendors use full size drawings for determining work requirements. An extension to the solicitation’s closing date shall not be granted for failure to request the technical drawings with sufficient lead time.

12.0 Contractor Requirements: On site inscription services shall begin no later than (30) days after contractor award date. Before submitting a bid, it is the responsibility of the contractor to perform due diligence for the contract requirements, and for the cemetery’s site requirements, and to examine the pre-determined location of the sandblasting area within the cemetery property.

13.0 On-Site Inscription Blasting Structure: Contractor shall be required to provide and maintain a secure portable structure(s) to perform sandblasting operations, store equipment and for possible curing of headstones prior to sandblasting. The structure (s) shall be built so work can proceed without regard to weather conditions and power outages. The site for the blasting structure/storage and inspection area shall be located within the cemetery property in the areas shown in diagram (Addendum 6).

13.1 Shed/structure can be manufactured of wood or metal but shall be portable and temporary.

13.2 Shed/structure is to be placed on concrete piers, tied down or secured in case of extreme weather conditions.

13.3 Contractor is not authorized to form, pour or subcontract out for a cement foundation for the shed(s) on cemetery property without written authorization and approval by the cemetery director, ACOR, MPS-COR and the contracting officer.

13.4 Two (2) portable sheds can be built or moved to the location selected by the cemetery with one setup for sandblasting of headstones/markers and the second used for equipment storage, documenting orders, cutting of stencils, etc. An area that is undercover shall be constructed for drying and prepping of the stone.

13.5 Electrical power is to be supplied by either a contractor-owned or rented generator or by the local power company through which the contractor would affect coordination and establish purchasing arrangements. Before any installation of electrical power by the local power company, the plan must be pre-approved by the cemetery director and MPS.

13.6 If water is required and not on the location, the contractor is responsible for bringing in water for use in the sandblasting operation.

13.7 Dust handling equipment shall be in place within the sandblasting shed before inscription services begin. The dust handling system needs to capture dust grit from the sandblasting operation and not allow the dust to ventilate to the outside environment.

13.8 The structure shall abate noise to <60 dBa within (500) feet of the sandblasting facility so as not to disturb visitors or disrupt services at the cemetery.

13.9 A portable toilet shall be brought into the location since contractor personnel are not permitted use of the cemetery restrooms.

13.10 Contractor is responsible for all inscription related waste clean-up and its disposal off the cemetery’s premises.

13.11 Contractor is to use a non-hazardous sandblasting material and have obtained an MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) for the material which shall be at the on-site location for inspection.

13.12 Any hazardous substance or liquids that is used in the inscription operation, i.e., gasoline or diesel fuel for a generator, lacquer thinner, lithichrome, etc., shall be handled, stored, and transferred in accordance with all OSHA, EPA, and DOT laws, regulations, and recommendations.

13.13 If at the beginning of the contract, the pre-determined sandblasting location is only temporary due to cemetery construction, the contractor is responsible for moving his property to a new permanent site location when it becomes available. The contractor shall have (15) days to relocate or arrange for the relocation of his equipment and buildings.

13.14 At the end of the on-site contract or sooner, if an option year is not renewed, the contractor shall be responsible for removing his property to include portable sheds, awnings, equipment, etc., and shall have (15) days to accomplish this and is responsible for repairing and/or restoring the site to its original condition. If the contractor fails to remove equipment or shed within (30) days of contract expiration or cancellation, the contractor agrees that ownership of the property will be transferred to the Government.

14.0 Cemetery Requirements

14.1 Checking-In Upon Arrival and Departure: The contractor shall be required to check in with a pre-determined cemetery representative upon each arrival to the cemetery and to provide the representative a listing of the inscriptions that shall be completed on a specific day. This listing should include the decedents’ name and section/grave number for each decedent’s gravesite. Upon departure from the cemetery, the contractor is required to provide the cemetery representative a listing of the inscriptions that were completed. If the contractor did not complete all inscriptions as originally planned, the contractor should inform the cemetery representative of the contractor’s intended return date to complete any pending inscriptions.

14.2 Authorized Working Hours: All work for contract performance at the cemetery shall be performed between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., local time, Monday through Friday, excluding Federal holidays. Authorization to work less than 8 hours per day, 5 days per week must be submitted in a written request to the cemetery director and ACOR, MPS-COR and the contracting officer. Work performed during non-duty hours, weekends and holidays will be at the discretion and with the written approval of the cemetery director and at no additional cost to the Government. Requesting to work during non-duty hours, weekends and holidays will not be a substitute for not working during a regular work week.

14.3 Impact on other Cemetery Operations: The contractor agrees to phase all work in a manner that does not impact with cemetery operations. As a general rule-of-thumb, gravesite engraving and work involving power equipment should not take place within 1,000 feet (305m) of an on-going committal service or ceremony. If R2 inscriptions are completed at the gravesite, the surrounding area will be required to be cleaned up after the contractor has completed the sandblasting process.

14.4 Conduct on Cemetery Property: While performing work on cemetery property, contractor personnel shall adhere to the following standards of dress and conduct. These standards and regulations are enforceable under Title 38, U.S.C., Section 218.

14.4.1 National cemeteries are shrines; contractor personnel appearance and conduct shall always be professional and unobtrusive. All contractor personnel shall wear long pants while on cemetery grounds unless approved in writing by the cemetery director.

14.4.2 Contractor personnel shall not sleep on cemetery grounds, sit, and lean or stand on erected headstones, or put equipment or materials on erected monuments, nor lean or place any equipment or materials on erected monuments.

14.4.3 Questions from cemetery visitors shall be politely referred or directed to cemetery personnel.

14.4.4 Contractor personnel will behave with appropriate decorum, courtesy, and respect while within the cemetery or at its’ perimeter or entrances. Shouting, cursing, use of personal radios, angry outbursts, sleeping, intoxication, smoking, spitting, unsafe driving of private or company vehicles, and violence or criminal acts of any kind shall not be tolerated and are cause for immediate removal from the cemetery, and shall jeopardize the contractor’s chance of receiving an award a future contract or the renewal of a current contract.

14.4.5 The contractor shall ensure all motor vehicles used in this contract meet State Inspection, safety, licensing, registration, and insurance requirements. All contract personnel operating vehicles shall have a valid driver’s license.

14.4.6 Garments displaying a “message” or slogan” other than the contractor’s business name are prohibited. Offensive tattoos shall be covered.

14.4.7 Public restrooms at the cemetery are for visitors only. The contractor is responsible for either providing a portable toilet that is maintained and kept clean or using restroom facilities off-site.

14.4.8 Breaks and lunch while on cemetery property shall be taken in areas approved by the cemetery administrator.

14.4.9 At least one contractor staff member must speak fluent English when the contractor is working on cemetery grounds.

14.4.10 Personnel shall remove all personal protective equipment, such as eye/or face protection, respiratory protection, and gloves, as well as required protective clothing/garments before leaving the worksite.

14.5 Safety Requirements: Contractor shall meet all requirements of VA Policy, OSHA 29 CFR 1910, Occupation Safety and Health Standards for General Industry and 29 CFR 1926, Safety and Health Regulations for construction and applicable Federal, state and local regulations. Refer to attached Safety Checklist for On-Site Inscription Contractors for due dates of specific safety plans and training which include:

14.5.1 Submit valid copies of all applicable OSHA-required programs.

14.5.2 Certify that every designated onsite employee has completed applicable training and certifications required by OSHA and other Federal, state and local regulatory agencies.

14.5.3 Provide a Safety and Health written program and training/certification.

14.5.4 Provide a written Project Emergency Action Plan when applicable.

14.5.5 Shall maintain on site and readily accessible current hazard communication program, current chemical inventory and copy of Safety Data Sheets (SDS) or all chemicals on the inventory/on site and readily available when workers are onsite. Contractor must provide the CO/COR/ACOR/Cemetery Director with a list of hazardous materials that will be used on the job. Quantities of single container, 30 gallons or more of hazardous chemicals must be reported to the CO/COR/ACOR/Cemetery Administrator prior to bringing the chemicals on site. Ten gallons or more in a single container must have secondary containment and spill response material available.

14.5.6 Must notify the ACOR/COR/CO/Cemetery Director prior to generating hazardous waste. The contractor is responsible for removing all hazardous waste generated from the project from the property. Chemicals must be stored in secondary containers to prevent storm water contamination. Hazardous waste requiring a manifest for disposal will have a completed manifest returned to the COR/CO/Cemetery Director, and NCA Environmental Protection Specialist within 30 days of the manifested waste leaving the site.

14.5.7 Cemetery’s responsible person or ACOR shall arrange Contractor orientation including sharing information regarding facility Safety & Health programs, a facility overview, and a worksite walk-through.

14.5.8 Complete NCA Contractor Safety Orientation Checklist.

14.5.9 Supply required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for the work being performed. Minimum PPE consists of safety glasses and hardhats meeting ANSI standards and safety toe work boots meeting ASTM standards from the start of the contract until completion. Contractor is responsible to ensure anyone on the site is in correct PPE. Additional PPE may be required based on job-specific hazards. N95 and other respiratory protection require medical approval and fit testing. Hearing protection, gloves, etc. must be worn when related hazards are present.

14.5.10 Bodily injury, property damage incidents, and near misses must be immediately reported to the COR/CO/Facility and Facility Collateral Duty Safety Officer. This does not relieve contractors of OSHA or insurance carrier reporting requirements. The contractor shall conduct an accident investigation. The CO/COR/Cemetery Director and the Collateral Duty Safety Officer must be copied on the investigation report within 30 days of the incident.

14.5.11 Conduct and document jobsite safety and environmental inspections on the jobsite. A weekly inspection report must be completed by the contractor of the project. Additionally, the CO/COR/Cemetery Director and Collateral Duty Safety Officer will perform safety, health and environmental inspections. The CO has the authority to stop work if imminent safety and health hazards are identified or if unsafe work practices are occurring. Immediate corrective actions are required for hazards identified as presenting medium or high risk as determined by the Collateral Duty Safety Officer. Contractor must reply to CO/COR with corrective actions relative to health and safety hazards.

15.0 Government Quality Assurance (QA)

15.1 Site Inspections: Quality assurance (QA) inspections of the contractor’s manufacturing facility and of the completed on-site work at cemetery shall be conducted during the contract period by the designated COR of the Memorial Products Service, Program Support Unit and the designated alternate cemetery COR to assure contract performance. Visits to the Contractor and the cemetery shall be scheduled at a time to ensure inspection of the Contractor’s production. The Government reserves the right to perform quality audit inspections without prior scheduling or notifications to the contractor.

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

15.2.1 Performing quality inspections

15.2.2 Maintaining QA records indicating the quality of the inscribed headstones and,

15.2.3 Maintaining a working area, including storage building, sandblasting and other equipment, in a manner that follows state or other environmental and health regulations.

16.0 Contractor’s Quality System: The contractor must submit a quality assurance plan and maintain a written inspection system that documents the quality and timeliness of finished monuments. The Contractor shall provide, to the designated MPS-COR and the cemetery ACOR, reports on the Contractor’s progress and delivery of orders. Report must include number of blowouts, and number stones damaged upon receipt to facility. Please see Addendum 3 for the acceptable format that the weekly status report will be maintained and forwarded. Weekly reports must be emailed to MPS at MPSProgSupport@va.gov , attention to the designated COR by the close of business, Tuesday of each week. Should this day fall on a holiday, the report must be submitted no later than the next business day. Each report must include the following information:

Weekly Status Report:

· Location (cemetery name)

· First Name

· Last Name

· CBL Number

· Delivery Order #

· Shipment #

· Date order was received

· Date Est Comp (15 days) example

· Date Cancelled (e-mail response date)

· Date Completed

· Carrier’s name & tracking number

· Delivery Date (delivered to location)

· Received by (who signed for the delivery)

· If any order is completed late or projected to be completed beyond the contractually required due date, the contractor must identify the reason(s) for the delinquency, what actions are underway to resolve the tardiness, and the projected future date for completion (projected completion dates which are before the reporting date are unacceptable).

· Identify the number of blanks that were scrapped each week (due to blowouts, breakage, change in inscription, inscription error, etc.…)

· If an order is delinquent at the time that the status report is emailed to the MPS Program Support Unit, the contractor must provide, in the same email with the report, the reason(s) for the delinquency, what measures the contractor is undertaking to remedy the causes of the current delinquency, and the date the contractor expects to become current with orders.

16.1 Quality Complaints: The contractor is responsible for the performance of all inspections and quality assurance required by this contract. The contractor shall develop and maintain a written inspection system that documents the quality of all finished products resulting from the inscription of government headstones. The government reserves the right to perform any inspections deemed necessary to assure headstones are supplied in accordance with the specifications of the contract.

16.2 The receipt of a quality complaint or a quality audit inspection indicating non-compliance with the specifications/contract shall be considered reason for a visit and review of the contractor’s quality assurance program. The Government reserves the right to impose 100% Government Quality Inspection for an indefinite period due to quality problems.

16.2.1 Nonconforming on headstone/niche cover inscriptions

16.2.2 Completed on site upright marble inscriptions and marble niche inscriptions that passed the contractor’s inspection system but fail the Quality Inspection of the designated COR

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

· Inspection system

· Inspection personnel

· Manufacturing process

· Production control

· Planning and scheduling

· Employee training

· Safety

16.3 The designated ACOR for the cemetery shall inform the Contractor of noted deficiencies and shall discuss with the contractor what corrective action(s) will be taken.

16.4 When issue(s) arise regarding an inscription on a monument not meeting the specifications standards and the issue(s) cannot be resolved between the Contractor and cemetery’s ACOR, the discrepancy will be routed to the primary COR within MPS. If further action is needed, the Contracting Officer shall make a final determination as to whether the monument shall be replaced at contractor’s or at Government’s expense.

16.5 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. Said files shall minimally contain, manufacturing quality assurance checklist, final inspection and acceptance reports, Delivery Order Numbers, dates completed, and date invoiced. Said files are in addition to any similar information provided to or by the government and shall be available upon request to the designated COR during on-site quality assurance inspections.

17.0 PERFORMANCE EVALUATION

a. Normally, the COR will verbally advise or give a written inspection report to the Contractor of discrepancies the first time they occur and ask the Contractor to correct the problem. A notation will be made, bythe COR, of the date and the time the deficiency was discovered and the date and time the Contractor was notified.

b. If the Government created any of the discrepancies, these will not be counted against the Contractor's performance. When the Government has caused the Contractor to perform in an unsatisfactory manner, the COR will forward a written notice to the responsible organizational element requesting corrective action be taken.

c. When the Contractor is not meeting the acceptable limits of satisfactory performance, a Contractor Discrepancy Report (CDR) will be issued to the Contractor. The seriousness of the failures should govern whether to issue CDR at the end of the period, or as soon as the limits of satisfactory performance are exceeded.

d. When a CDR is issued for a service, the Contracting Officer and/or the COR may exercise any contractual remedy available for non-performance, in accordance with FAR 52.212-4, “Inspection and Acceptance”. When a CDR is received, the Contractor shall complete the applicable fields. The Contracting Officer will evaluate the Contractor's response and determine the next course of action.

e. The issuance of a Contract Discrepancy Report (CDR), found in Attachments, may be cause for the scheduling of a meeting among the Contractor, Contracting Officer, and the COR. A mutual effort will be made to resolve all problems identified. The Government will prepare written minutes of the meeting. The Contractor, Contracting Officer, and the COR will sign the minutes of the meeting(s).

f. Should the Contractor not concur with the minutes, they will so state their objections in writing to the Contracting Officer, within ten calendar days, and also explain the reasons for non-concurrence. The Contracting Officer will review and consider the reasons submitted for the Contractor's non-concurrence and make a decision to revise or uphold the comments as written. The Contracting Officer will notify the Contractor of the decision in writing within ten calendar days of submission of any objections.

g. After a CDR is completed and the vendor's plan accepted by the CO/MPS COR, the vendor shall have 1 month to carry-out the plan. After 30 calendar days, if there are any examples of missed standards then a remedy shall apply.

h. If the Contractor does not achieve satisfactory performance by the end of the next period or agreed suspense date, further actions may be considered including, but not limited to termination for default. If the Contractor only achieves a partial satisfactory performance by the end of the next period or agreed suspense date, other remedies including penalties may be applied.

18.0 EMPLOYEE REQUIREMENTS

a. 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.

b. Small Business set-aside: All of 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 on this contract are from actual Prime Contractor employees.

c. 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 to provide all labor and equipment as necessary to meet deadlines. The Contractor will provide all necessary resources to complete the efforts assigned under the scope of this contract.

19.0 PROCESSING OF ORDERS AND TIME OF DELIVERY:

19.1 Email Address: Contractors shall provide a single email address for electronically receiving orders. Orders shall be electronically distributed by MPS to the contractor’s provided email address, Monday thru Friday mornings, excluding federal holidays. Contractors shall complete orders on a first in/first out basis, except for those items where accelerated delivery is requested. Each order for Normal delivery shall be produced in numerical sequence, by shipment number (FIFO – first in, first out).

19.2 Normal delivery: All monuments except for those identified for accelerated delivery shall be manufactured, inspected and released to the cemetery within (10) business days following the date the order was sent by MPS.

19.3 Accelerated Request (includes but is not limited to Casualties of War): It is the goal of NCA to ensure the grave of active duty service members who die because of enemy action is marked on the day of interment. When the cemetery director is made aware of a pending burial request for a U.S. casualty of war, they will provide to MPS the inscription who will in turn contact the contractor to expedite the order. The Government will provide the inscription to the contractor with not less than two (2) calendar days advance notification and advise the contractor when the inscription needs to be completed. All inscriptions identified as an accelerated delivery shall be provided at no additional cost to the government for the accelerated processing.

19.4 Inscription Correction/Cancellations of Orders: Occasionally, it shall be necessary to request from the contractor that a correction is made or that an order be cancelled. These corrections/cancellations shall be forwarded by e-mail to the contractor only by the MPS Program Support Unit and within one (1) business day of receipt of the order. The contractor will be required to respond to each e-mailed request from the MPS Program Support Unit within one (1) business day following receipt of the correction or cancellation.

19.5 Replacements-in-Kind: It may be occasionally necessary to order an emblem, symbol, or format which differs from current approved forms. These rare occurrences must be provided by the contractor as replacements-in-kind at no additional cost. The cemetery will provide a photo to MPS to ensure the replacement reflects the inscription of the original headstone.

20.0 Use of Appendix B – Transfer of Government-Furnished Headstones, Markers or Niche Covers and Appendix C – Completion of Inscription Service(s) (Process Responsibilities) (Reference Addendum 4)

20.1 The contractor is NOT responsible for unloading pallets of government-owned blanks from delivery trucks, nor for ensuring the number of pallets and monuments match what is stated on the bill of lading, nor for signing the bill of lading. The contractor is NOT responsible for the inspection of blanks.

20.2 Cemetery personnel are responsible for the storage of the newly received government-owned blanks until they are inspected by cemetery personnel, and their receipt is acknowledged by the contractor using the Appendix B – Transfer of Government-Furnished Headstones, Markers or Niche Covers form.

20.3 Cemetery personnel are responsible for transferring to the contractor a pre-determined quantity of government-owned blanks by completing the Appendix B - Transfer of Government-Furnished Headstones, Markers or Niche Covers form.

20.4 Cemetery personnel must complete the top portion of the form, check the appropriate box and insert the quantity that is being transferred to the contractor.

20.5 The contractor must confirm the quantity of blanks being transferred and accept and sign the bottom of the form. Both the contractor and the cemetery should retain a copy of the transfer for their records.

20.6 The contractor is responsible for setting up the government-owned blanks for inspection by cemetery personnel. If any rejects are identified due to chipping, inappropriate coloration, etc., the cemetery is responsible for the storage and eventual disposal of the rejected blanks. The quantity of rejects should be noted on the transfer form along with date and name of cemetery personnel performing the inspection. The cemetery is responsible for notifying MPS of the rejects and supplying photos.

20.7 The contractor takes possession and is responsible for the care and protection of blanks following the cemetery staff’s inspection of the blanks. The contractor shall be responsible for the cost of damage to blanks or inscribed monuments while in their custody. Reimbursement will be made monthly through an electronic payment from the contractor to the address below:

20.8 The contractor processes inscription orders and displays the completed inscribed monuments for inspection by cemetery personnel following the contractor’s own required quality control actions. Pre-release review by the cemetery does not relieve the contractor of responsibility for performing an effective review of quality prior to turning inscribed monuments over to the cemetery. This should occur in a pre-determined location within the contractor’s inscription area.

20.9 The contractor will be responsible for completing Appendix C – Completion of Inscription Service(s) form (Addendum 5). The contractor will complete the top portion of the form, checking the appropriate box and inserting the quantity of monuments that are ready for final inspection by cemetery personnel. Shipment numbers will be inserted for each monument completed. The contractor will inform the cemetery that monuments are ready for final inspection. This should be at a pre-determined, mutually agreeable time as established between cemetery and contractor personnel.

20.10 Cemetery personnel are responsible for a final inspection and acceptance of the completed monuments utilizing the Monument Order Acknowledgement Report (MOAR). Any rejects will be noted on the form (Appendix C) and the cemetery inspector will sign and date for the cemetery. Both parties should retain a copy for their records.

20.11 The cemetery will be responsible for scanning and emailing a copy of the Appendix C form, to the MPS COR, which will be used when certifying invoices for payment by the contractor.

20.12 The cemetery will be responsible for the removal of inspected and accepted monuments out of the inscription area. The cemetery will also be responsible for updating BOSS with the receipt date, which should match the date on the Appendix C form.

20.13 Rejects

20.13.1 The cemetery is responsible for the destruction and disposal of blanks that are rejected prior to being turned over to the contractor.

20.13.2 The contractor shall dispose of all rejected work within 60 calendar days of rejection. Disposal means destroyed so no part of the inscription is legible, removal from cemetery property, and discarded so no part of the monument can be used for any other private or public purpose.

20.14 Reorder of Rejected Inscribed Monuments

20.14.1 The cemetery will be required to reorder any rejected monuments through BOSS. The shipment order number (XXX-XXX) that was rejected will be entered in the “Remarks” section of the reorder with “Rejected”. The contractor will not invoice for the rejected replacement monument for rejects due to contractor error.

20.14.2 The original order that was rejected will be received in BOSS and then rejected selecting a code for the reject.

21.0 Post Award Conference/Periodic Progress Meetings: The Contractor agrees to attend any post award conference convened by the contracting activity or contract administration office in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation Subpart 42.5. During the post award conference, the basis upon which ratings will be assigned in the Contract Performance Assessment Report System (CPARS) will be reviewed. The Contracting Officer, primary MPS Contracting Officers Representative (COR), Cemetery’s alternate Contracting Officers Representative (ACOR) and other Government personnel, as appropriate, may meet periodically with the contractor to review the contractor's performance. At these meetings the contracting officer will apprise the contractor of how the government views the contractor's performance and the contractor will apprise the Government of problems, if any, being experienced. Appropriate action shall be taken to resolve outstanding issues. These meetings shall be at no additional cost to the government.

21.1 Primary Contracting Officer Representative (COR): The COR will be identified by separate letter. The COR monitors all technical aspects of the contract and assists in contract administration. The COR is authorized to perform the following functions: assure that the Contractor performs the technical requirements of the contract; perform inspections necessary in connection with contract performance; maintain written and oral communications with the Contractor concerning technical aspects of the contract; issue written interpretations of technical requirements, including Government drawings, designs, specifications; monitor Contractor's performance and notifies both the Contracting Officer and Contractor of any deficiencies; coordinate availability of government furnished property, and provide site entry of Contractor personnel. A letter of designation issued to the COR, a copy of which is sent to the Contractor, states the responsibilities and limitations of the COR, especially regarding changes in cost or price, estimates, or changes in delivery dates. The COR is not authorized to change any of the terms and conditions of the resulting order.

21.2 Alternative Contracting Officer Representative (ACOR): The ACOR will be located at the cemetery level, selected by the cemetery director and identified by a separate letter. The ACOR monitors all aspects of the inscription process to include: inspection, acceptance and transfer of blanks (Appendix B); monitoring of the inscription area and contractor personnel; inspection of finished inscriptions to include quality, depth, blow-outs, lithichrome application (if required); comparison of inscribed monuments with the BOSS MOAR report; reporting to the CO and COR any deviations or issues pertaining to contract performance; maintain written and oral communications with the contractor; maintaining files until contract expiration; partner with COR to complete CPAR requirements on a timely basis. The ACOR is not authorized to change any of the terms and conditions of the contract.

22.0 Procedures (Administrative and other)

22.1 Government Responsibilities

22.1.1 MPS shall email formatted orders on weekdays, when available, to a contractor’s self-designated email address.

22.1.2 Within 2 workdays, MPS or the cemetery ACOR shall clarify formatting questions regarding ordered items or advise the contractor as to whether extra time is needed to provide a reply. The contractor shall submit questions to MPSProgSupport@va.gov for MPS to provide guidance regarding questionable circumstances.

22.1.3 Questions or issues regarding processing of an order, which cannot be resolved through submission to MPSProgSupport@va.gov, shall be routed by MPS to the contracting officer for resolution.

22.2 Government Headstone and Marker Drawings: The Contractor shall ensure that copies of all relevant Government-provided drawings for production of headstones/markers under each contract are maintained on file and are available to the designated COR, upon request, during on-site Quality Assurance inspections.

22.3 Invoicing: Invoicing in arrears after acceptance. The contractor must not invoice for any item until it has been satisfactorily delivered.

22.4 Point of Contact at MPS, Program Support Unit:

E-mail MPSProgSupport@va.gov

[END OF STATEMENT OF WORK/SPECIFICATION]

Addendum 1: SAMPLE REVIEW FOR (I1/H1) MARBLE-GRANITE NICHE COVERS

DATE:

PREPARED BY:

OFFEROR:

CEMETERY:

SOLICITATION #:

DATE RECEIVED:

SHIPPED BY:

SHIPPING TRACKING #'S:

INSCRIPTION (Line by Line)

□ Accepted □ Unaccepted

□ Accepted □ Unaccepted

□ Accepted □ Unaccepted

□ Accepted □ Unaccepted

□ Accepted □ Unaccepted

Inter-Line Spacing Niche Inscriptions Refer to Drawing

□ Accepted □ Unaccepted

□ Accepted □ Unaccepted

INSCRIPTION QUALITY

□ Accepted □ Unaccepted

□ Accepted □ Unaccepted

□ Accepted □ Unaccepted

□ Accepted □ Unaccepted

□ Accepted □ Unaccepted

REVIEWED BY: (e-sig)

CONCURRANCE: (e-sig)

Addendum 2: SAMPLE REVIEW FOR (U1) UPRIGHT HEADSTONE

DATE:

PREPARED BY:

OFFEROR:

CEMETERY:

SOLICITATION #:

DATE RECEIVED:

SHIPPED BY:

SHIPPING TRACKING #'S:

INSCRIPTION (Line by Line)

□ Accepted □ Unaccepted

□ Accepted □ Unaccepted

□ Accepted □ Unaccepted

□ Accepted □ Unaccepted

□ Accepted □ Unaccepted

□ Accepted □ Unaccepted

INSCRIPTION QUALITY

□ Accepted

□ Unaccepted

□ Accepted

□ Accepted

□ Accepted

□ Accepted

REVIEWED BY: (e-sig)

CONCURRANCE: (e-sig)

Addendum 3: Weekly Status Report Format

Addendum 4

APPENDIX B - TRANSFER OF BLANK GOVERNMENT-FURNISHED HEADSTONES, MARKERS, OR NICHE COVERS

I certify that the blank headstones, markers, or niche covers specified below were transferred to the VA contractor listed at the bottom of the form.

Printed Name of Cemetery Personnel: _____________________________________________

Signature: _________________________________________Date: ______________________

Check the appropriate box and insert the quantity for the type of headstone, marker or niche cover being transferred to the on-site contractor.

List any rejects below, include type and quantity:

I certify that the headstones, markers, or niche covers specified above were received by me and the quantity of items has been verified.

Printed Name of VA Contractor: _____________________________________________

Signature: _________________________________________Date __________________

Addendum 5

APPENDIX C – COMPLETION OF INSCRIPTION SERVICE(S)

I certify that the inscriptions have been completed per contract specifications on the government-furnished headstones, markers, or niche covers identified below.

Printed Name of VA Contractor: _______________________________________________

Signature: _________________________________________Date: ___________________

Check the appropriate box and enter the quantity of the type of headstone, marker or niche cover that has been completed and ready for inspection.

(I1) Inscribed Marble Niche Cover Quantity: ______

(U1) Inscribed Marble Upright Headstone Quantity: ______

(R2) Reverse Inscription - Marble Upright Headstone Quantity: ______

Shipment Number(s) (required) rejects are to be marked:

I certify that the headstones, markers, or niche covers identified above were received by me and the quantity of items has been verified.

Printed Name of Cemetery: _________________________________________________

Signature: _________________________________________Date: _________________

Addendum 6 Site Map of Cemetery showing location for Inscription Contractor Workplace Set up

Addendum 7 Contract Discrepancy Report (CDR)

CONTRACT DISCREPANCY REPORT

Contract Number:

Report No. for this Discrepancy:

To: (Contractor/Manager’s Name)

From: (Name of COR)

5. Dates

5a. Prepared:

5b. Returned by Contractor:

5c. Action Complete:

Discrepancy or Problem: (Describe in detail. Include reference to PWS Directive; attach additional sheet if necessary.)

Signature of Contracting Officer or COR:

8a. To: (Contracting Officer and/or COR)

8b. From: (Contractor)

9. Contractor Response as to Cause, Corrective Action and Actions to Prevent Recurrence: (attach additional sheet if necessary.)

10a. Signature of Contractor Representative:

10b. Date:

11. Government Evaluation: (Acceptance, partial acceptance, reflection; attach additional sheet if necessary.)

12. Government Actions: (Reduced payment, cure notice, show cause, other)

13. Close Out

Contractor Notified

b. COR

c. CO

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