B08 - W15P7T-27-R-A001 - Attachment 0002 - Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan_Final.pdf

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QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE PLAN (QASP)

Base Emergency Communication Systems (BECS)

Systems Engineering and Technical Assistance (SETA) for

Public Safety Communications (PSC)

1. Introduction

This Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) is pursuant to the requirements listed in the

Performance Work Statement (PWS) entitled PWS BECS SETA for Public Safety

Communications (PSC). This plan sets forth the procedures and guidelines PD BECS will use in ensuring the required performance standards or services levels are achieved by the Contractor.

1.1 Purpose

The purpose of the QASP is to describe the systematic methods used to monitor performance and to identify the required documentation and the resources to be employed. The QASP provides a means for evaluating whether the Contractor is meeting the performance standards/quality levels, and to ensure that the Government (USG) pays only for the level of services received.

The QASP defines the roles and responsibilities of all members of the Integrated Product Team

(IPT), identifies the performance objectives, defines the methodologies used to monitor and evaluate the Contractor’s performance, describes quality assurance documentation requirements, and describes the analysis of quality assurance monitoring results.

This QASP has been developed by the requiring activity. It is designed to provide direction to personnel performing contract surveillance activities. Personnel surveying the contract terms and conditions and PWS requirements will periodically review the QASP throughout the life of the contract.

2. Roles and Responsibilities

2.1 Contracting Officer (KO)

The Contracting Officer is responsible to safeguard the interests of the United States in contractual relationships. Only the contracting officer is authorized to bind the government and then, only to the extent of the authority, delegated to them through the issuance of a warrant.

The KO delegates authority for inspection and/or acceptance in accordance with the terms of the contract and the KO informs the Contractor of the names, duties, and limitations of authority for all quality assurance personnel assigned to the contract.

2.2 Contracting Officer Representative (COR)

The COR is responsible for quality assurance guidance and to ensure that contract quality requirements, provision, standards, and thresholds are defined, practical, enforceable, necessary, and verifiable.

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The COR will:

• Evaluate and document contractor performance in accordance with this QASP and

PWS.

• Notify the Contracting Officer of any significant performance deficiencies.

• Retain a copy of all completed QA surveillance forms.

The COR is not empowered to make any contractual commitments or to authorize any contractual changes on the Government’s behalf. Any changes that the Contractor deems may affect contract price, terms, or conditions shall be referred to the KO for action. However, the

COR can recommend improvements to the QASP and PWS throughout the life of the contract.

3. Scope of Work

The Contractor shall provide all personnel, supervision, and non-personal services as defined in the PWS.

4. Performance Management Strategy

The Contractor is responsible for the quality of all work performed. The Contractor measures that quality through the Contractor’s own Quality Control Program (QCP). The QCP is work output, not workers, and therefore includes all work performed under this contract regardless of whether the work is performed by Contractor employees or by Subcontractors. The Contractor’s

QCP will set forth the staffing and procedures for self-inspecting the quality, timeliness, responsiveness, customer satisfaction, and other performance requirements in the PWS. The

Contractor will develop and implement a performance management system with processes to assess and report its performance to the COR.

The COR will monitor performance and review performance reports furnished by the Contractor to determine how the Contractor is performing against communicated performance objectives.

The Contractor will be responsible for making required changes in processes and practices to ensure performance is managed effectively.

5. Surveillance

5.1 Surveillance Schedule

The COR will develop a surveillance schedule. Copies of the schedule shall be sent to the

Contractor five (5) calendar days prior to the start of the month. The schedule shall be marked

“FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY”. Any changes required to the surveillance schedule will be posted and copies sent to the members of the surveillance team. The government shall utilize the monthly status report (PWS paragraph 6.6), and contracts report as a way of documenting service on a monthly basis. The Contractor shall provide documentation regarding reason for changes.

5.2 Surveillance Methods

The COR will perform monthly surveillance to document the quality and effectiveness of the services provided and Contractor’s data deliverables.

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5.3 Surveillance Techniques

To minimize the performance management burden, simplified surveillance methods shall be used by the government to evaluate Contractor performance when appropriate. The primary methods of surveillance are:

• Random monitoring, which shall be performed by the COR designated inspector.

• 100% Inspection: Each month, the COR shall review the documentation generated and enter summary results into the Surveillance Activity Checklist and monthly COR report.

• Periodic Inspection: COR typically performs the periodic inspection monthly.

• Document Review: The COR will review Contractor deliverables, reports, and quality control records to verify compliance with PWS requirements.

5.4 Surveillance Team

The surveillance team consists of the following key members: Product Director, Deputy Product

Director, Contracting Officer Representative, Contracting Officer, and Contract Administrator.

5.5 Customer Feedback

The Contractor is expected to establish and maintain professional communication between its employees and customers. The primary objective of this communication is customer satisfaction.

Customer satisfaction is the most significant external indicator of the success and effectiveness of all services provided and can be measured through customer complaints.

Performance management drives the Contractor to be customer focused through initially and internally addressing customer complaints and investigating the issues and/or problems, but the customer always has the option to communicate complaints to the COR, as opposed to the

Contractor.

Customer complaints, to be considered valid, must set forth clearly and in writing the detailed nature of the complaint; must be signed, and must be forwarded to the COR. The COR will accept those customer complaints and investigate each accordingly. A memorandum for record along with DA Form 5477 Customer Complaint Record will be forwarded to the Contracting

Officer by the COR.

Customer feedback may also be obtained either from the results of formal customer satisfaction surveys or from random customer complaints.

5.6 Unacceptable Performance

If the number of complaints/defects exceeds the performance threshold for any objective, the

COR will determine the possible cause of this unacceptable performance. Government-caused complaints/defects shall not be counted against the Contractor.

The same applies to any other requirement of the contract when Government-caused complaints/defects are the cause of unacceptable Contractor performance. If the Contractor’s performance is determined unacceptable for any requirement by the COR, then the COR will inform the Contractor’s on-site Representative, and request his or her signature and date of surveillance on documentation acknowledging notification. If the on-site Contractor

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Representative refuses to sign, the COR shall annotate on the documentation the date and time of notification and name of representative and his/her refusal to acknowledge. If the

Contractor disputes the results of surveillance; the COR must refer the Contractor to the

Contracting Officer for resolution.

5.7 Revisions

Revisions to this QASP are the responsibility of PD BECS and the Contracting Office. However, as a result of partnering with the Contractor, surveillance checklists may be revised jointly by

COR personnel and Contractor personnel. The Contracting Officer must approve the revisions in writing before being used by COR personnel.

6. Documentation Requirements

The COR is responsible for maintaining a Surveillance Folder electronically. The following information should be contained in the Surveillance Folder:

• QASP

• Activity Log: A chronological log of the actions taken in the accomplishment of quality assurance.

• Contract: Applicable portions of the contract, PWS and modifications.

• Appointment Letters and Training Certificates of the COR

• Surveillance Checklists

• Quality Assurance Surveillance Schedules

• Corrective Action Request Log

• Corrective Action Requests

• Monthly Surveillance Status Reports

• Minutes/Memos/Miscellaneous Correspondence

7. Scope of Performance

The Contractor shall provide SETA support to the BECS portfolio in the delivery of professional services and engineering expertise focused on the integration, modernization, standardization, and enhancements of the Army’s PSC emergency architecture to align with the Common

Transport Layer and Services infrastructure within the greater Army Global Unified Network.

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Quality Performance Standards

PWS Reference PWS Section Acceptable Quality Level Method of Surveillance

Requirements Entire PWS Performance:

Each requirement shall meet a performance standard at or above 95%, which represents the minimum AQL the

Government will consider satisfactory. Performance below 95% is unacceptable and may result in corrective action in accordance with the contract.

Periodic Sampling Inspections of completed tasks each evaluation period.

Deliverables /

CDRLs

Submission

Section 6 Accuracy / Completion:

Each requirement and CDRL is allowed no more than two

(2) government directed rewrites required to address any accuracy and/or completion issue.

Timeliness:

100% monthly compliance.

100% contractual compliance.

Periodic Sampling Inspections;

customer compliance via documentation reviews, format compliance, and submission method compliance.

Accounting &

Appropriate

Data (Invoices)

Section 6.5 Each invoice is allowed for no more than one (1) correction required to address any accuracy and/or completion issue.

Periodic Sampling Inspections of customer submitted invoices.

Quarterly

Program

Management

Review

(QPMR)

Section 6.8 Distribute briefing slides five

(5) business days before the briefing.

Distribute meeting minutes within three (3) business days of the briefing.

Contractor participates 100% of the time.

Observation at PMRs.

7.1 Performance Evaluation

Performance of a service will be evaluated to determine whether it meets the performance threshold. Re-performance at no cost to the Government is the preferred method of correcting any unacceptable performance. The Contractor shall provide the Government with written response about why the performance threshold was not met, how performance will be returned to acceptable levels, and how recurrence of the cause will be prevented in the future. If the

Contractor has not met the minimum requirements, it may be asked to develop a corrective action plan to show how and by what date it intends to bring performance up to the required

Page | 6 levels. The performance ratings definitions can be found at RFO FAR 42.1103 Table 42-1

(Evaluation Rating Definitions). The COR will use these ratings to evaluate the quality of

Contractor’s performance via Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS).

8. Reviews and Resolutions

The COR may require the Contractor’s Project Manager, or a designated alternate, to meet with the KO and other government IPT personnel as deemed necessary to discuss performance evaluation. The COR will define a frequency of in-depth reviews with the Contractor, including appropriate self-assessments by the Contractor; however, if the need arises, the Contractor will meet with the COR as often as required or per the Contractor’s request. The agenda of the reviews may include:

• Monthly performance assessment data and trend analysis

• Issues and concerns of both parties

• Projected outlook for upcoming months and progress against expected trends, including a corrective action plan analysis

• Recommendations for improved efficiency and/or effectiveness

The COR must coordinate and communicate with the Contractor to resolve issues and concerns regarding marginal or unacceptable performance.

The COR and Contractor should jointly formulate tactical and long-term courses of action.

Decisions regarding changes to metrics, thresholds, or service levels should be clearly documented. Changes to service levels, procedures, and metrics will be incorporated as a contract modification at the convenience of the KO/PCO.

TECHNICAL POC:

Christian Ross

Project Manager, Base Emergency Communications System

Email: christian.f.ross.civ@army.mil mailto:christian.f.ross.civ@army.mil