TIB-2019-C-0001_executedRedacted.pdf

PAGE 1 OF 1. REQUISITION NO.

2. CONTRACT NO. 3. AWARD/EFFECTIVE DATE 4. ORDER NO. 5. SOLICITATION NUMBER 6. SOLICITATION ISSUE DATE

a. NAME b. TELEPHONE NO. (No Collect Calls) 8. OFFER DUE DATE/LOCAL

TIME

9. ISSUED BY CODE 10. THIS ACQUISITION IS UNRESTRICTED OR SET ASIDE: % FOR:

SMALL BUSINESS

HUBZONE SMALL

BUSINESS

SERVICE-DISABLED

VETERAN-OWNED

SMALL BUSINESS

WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS

(WOSB) ELIGIBLE UNDER THE WOMEN-OWNED

SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM

EDWOSB

8(A)

NAICS:

SIZE STANDARD:

11. DELIVERY FOR FOB DESTINA-

TION UNLESS BLOCK IS

MARKED

SEE SCHEDULE

12. DISCOUNT TERMS

13a. THIS CONTRACT IS A

RATED ORDER UNDER

DPAS (15 CFR 700)

13b. RATING

14. METHOD OF SOLICITATION

RFQ IFB RFP

15. DELIVER TO CODE 16. ADMINISTERED BY CODE

17a. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR CODE FACILITY CODE 18a. PAYMENT WILL BE MADE BY CODE

TELEPHONE NO. DUNS: DUNS+4:

PHONE: FAX:

17b. CHECK IF REMITTANCE IS DIFFERENT AND PUT SUCH ADDRESS IN OFFER

18b. SUBMIT INVOICES TO ADDRESS SHOWN IN BLOCK 18a UNLESS BLOCK BELOW IS CHECKED

SEE ADDENDUM

19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24.

ITEM NO. SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES QUANTITY UNIT UNIT PRICE AMOUNT

(Use Reverse and/or Attach Additional Sheets as Necessary)

25. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA 26. TOTAL AWARD AMOUNT (For Govt. Use Only)

27a. SOLICITATION INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-1, 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-3 AND 52.212-5 ARE ATTACHED. ADDENDA ARE ARE NOT ATTACHED.

27b. CONTRACT/PURCHASE ORDER INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-5 IS ATTACHED. ADDENDA ARE ARE NOT ATTACHED

28. CONTRACTOR IS REQUIRED TO SIGN THIS DOCUMENT AND RETURN _______________ 29. AWARD OF CONTRACT: REF. ___________________________________ OFFER

COPIES TO ISSUING OFFICE. CONTRACTOR AGREES TO FURNISH AND DATED ________________________________. YOUR OFFER ON SOLICITATION

DELIVER ALL ITEMS SET FORTH OR OTHERWISE IDENTIFIED ABOVE AND ON ANY (BLOCK 5), INCLUDING ANY ADDITIONS OR CHANGES WHICH ARE

ADDITIONAL SHEETS SUBJECT TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SPECIFIED SET FORTH HEREIN IS ACCEPTED AS TO ITEMS:

30a. SIGNATURE OF OFFEROR/CONTRACTOR 31a. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (SIGNATURE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER)

30b. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (TYPE OR PRINT) 30c. DATE SIGNED 31b. NAME OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (TYPE OR PRINT) 31c. DATE SIGNED

AUTHORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION (REV. 2/2012)

PREVIOUS EDITION IS NOT USABLE Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.212

7. FOR SOLICITATION

INFORMATION CALL:

STANDARD FORM 1449

OFFEROR TO COMPLETE BLOCKS 12, 17, 23, 24, & 30

SOLICITATION/CONTRACT/ORDER FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS 76

PR-2019-STD-0630

TIB-2019-C-0001

04-01-2019

FRTIB

77 K Street NE, Suite 1000

Washington DC 20002

561499

Net 30

X

N/A

X

77 K Street, NE Suite 1000

022Q2

Serco Services Inc.

12930 Worldgate Drive, Suite 600

Herndon VA 20170

928859149

202-942-1600

Clintwood Contact Center

See attached pages 2-76

SUBTOTAL $0.00

$36,584,720.56 NTE

32-2019-Admin-315-001-002 - $3,486,660.00

X 1

RAVINDRA DEO

Executive Director

David.Gitlin Typewriter 03/29/2019

David.Gitlin Typewriter David Allen Gitlin, Jr, Contracts Representative

Part I – The Schedule

Section B - Supplies or Services and Prices/Costs

B.1. COST OF BASE PERIOD AND 3 OPTION PERIODS.

BASE PERIOD

ITEM NO SUPPLIES/SERVICES QUANTITY UNIT EST AMOUNT

0001 362,410.00 HRS NTE

$9,934,236.30

Time and Material (T&M) - Labor

T&M for non-personal services to operate and manage the Federal Retirement

Thrift Investment Board (FRTIB) leased Clintwood VA Contact Center in accordance with the Performance Work Statement (PWS) inserted in Section C.

See Section B.4 for Labor Categories and associated rates.

Period of Performance: 1 Apr 2019 – 31 Mar 2020

FOB: Destination

PR: TBD

0002 6,078.00 HRS NTE

$209,454.83

Overtime (see Section B.3)

Time and Material (T&M) - Labor

T&M for non-personal services to operate and manage the Federal Retirement

Thrift Investment Board (FRTIB) leased Clintwood VA Contact Center in accordance with the Performance Work Statement (PWS) inserted in Section C.

See Section B.4 for Labor Categories and associated rates.

Period of Performance: 1 Apr 2019 – 31 Mar 2020

ITEM NO SUPPLIES/SERVICES QUANTITY UNIT EST PRICE EST AMOUNT

0003 1 LOT $196,000.00 $213,741.02

Cost Reimbursable (CR)

Travel & ODC

Period of Performance: 1 Apr 2019 – 31 Mar 2020

BASE PERIOD

ESTIMATED COST

NTE

$10,357,432.15

OPTION PERIOD 1

1001 362,410.00 HRS NTE

$9,998,984.46

Time and Material (T&M) - Labor

T&M for non-personal services to operate and manage the Federal Retirement

Thrift Investment Board (FRTIB) leased Clintwood VA Contact Center in accordance with the Performance Work Statement (PWS) inserted in Section C.

See Section B.4 for Labor Categories and associated rates.

Period of Performance: 1 Apr 2020 – 31 Mar 2021

1002 6,078.00 HRS NTE

$209,454.83

Overtime (see Section B.3)

Time and Material (T&M) - Labor

T&M for non-personal services to operate and manage the Federal Retirement

Thrift Investment Board (FRTIB) leased Clintwood VA Contact Center in accordance with the attached Performance Work Statement (PWS). See Section

B.4 for Labor Categories and associated overtime rates.

Period of Performance: 1 Apr 2020 – 31 Mar 2021

1003 1 LOT $199,920.00 $217,727.93

Cost Reimbursable (CR)

Travel & ODC

Period of Performance: 1 Apr 2020 – 31 Mar 2021

OPTION PERIOD 1

$10,426,167.22

OPTION PERIOD 2

2001 362,410.00 HRS NTE

$10,065,314.22

Time and Material (T&M) - Labor

T&M for non-personal services to operate and manage the Federal Retirement

Thrift Investment Board (FRTIB) leased Clintwood VA Contact Center in accordance with the Performance Work Statement (PWS) inserted in Section C.

See Section B.4 for Labor Categories and associated rates.

Period of Performance: 1 Apr 2021 – 31 Mar 2022

2002 6,078.00 HRS NTE

$209,454.83

Overtime (see Section B.3)

Time and Material (T&M) - Labor

T&M for non-personal services to operate and manage the Federal Retirement

Thrift Investment Board (FRTIB) leased Clintwood VA Contact Center in accordance with the attached Performance Work Statement (PWS). See Section

B.4 for Labor Categories and associated overtime rates.

Period of Performance: 1 Apr 2021 – 31 Mar 2022

2003 1 LOT $203,918.40 $221,898.49

Cost Reimbursable (CR)

Travel & ODC

Period of Performance: 1 Apr 2021 – 31 Mar 2022

OPTION PERIOD 2

$10,496,667.54

OPTION PERIOD 3

3001 181,206.00 HRS NTE

$5,066,606.90

Time and Material (T&M) - Labor

T&M for non-personal services to operate and manage the Federal Retirement

Thrift Investment Board (FRTIB) leased Clintwood VA Contact Center in accordance with the Performance Work Statement (PWS) inserted in Section C.

See Section B.4 for Labor Categories and associated rates.

Period of Performance: 1 Apr 2022 – 30 Sep 2022

3002 3,040.00 HRS NTE

$104,761.79

Overtime (see Section B.3)

Time and Material (T&M) - Labor

T&M for non-personal services to operate and manage the Federal Retirement

Thrift Investment Board (FRTIB) leased Clintwood VA Contact Center in accordance with the attached Performance Work Statement (PWS). See Section

B.4 for Labor Categories and associated overtime rates.

Period of Performance: 1 Apr 2022 – 30 Sep 2022

3003 1 LOT $122,038.92 $133,084.96

Cost Reimbursable (CR)

Travel & ODC

Period of Performance: 1 Apr 2022 – 30 Sep 2022

OPTION PERIOD 3

$5,304,453.65

TOTAL EST CONTRACT COST EST $36,584,720.56

B.2. TRANSITION COSTS. Estimated transition costs for Agency employees providing training and information technology support changes will be added to proposed costs and fees for evaluation purposes. These costs will consist of employees' hourly rates for each hour worked on the transition and travel costs associated with the transition. Travel costs will be calculated in accordance with Section G.7 Agency Travel.

B.3. OVERTIME (OT). OT means hours worked in excess of an average of 40 hours per week by direct charge employees with non-exempt status under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Contractors shall perform all contract requirements, so far as practicable, without using OT, particularly as a regular employment practice. Exceptions shall only be made when lower overall costs to the government will result or when it is necessary to meet urgent program needs. Overtime may be allowed when there is 1) a compelling reason for over-time, and 2) the

Contracting Officer’s Representative’s approval. Contractor is required to provide an estimated NTE amount in hours for OT funding. In addition, contractor shall submit a written guideline detailing 1) how OT may be avoided, such as a backfill staffing plan, 2) under what circumstance would OT be considered, 3) an OT submission and approval process that includes FRTIB decision making, and 4) how OT is to be invoiced.

B.4. LABOR RATES.

Clintwood Call Center Rate Table

Labor Category Base Period Option 1 Option 2 Option 3 (6 Mth)

Customer Service Rep I

Customer Service Rep II

Customer Service Rep III

Deputy Supervisor

Manager

PMO Staff

Senior Manager

Supervisor

Technical Instructor

Clintwood Call Center Overtime Rate Table

Labor Category Base Period Option 1 Option 2 Option 3 (6 Mth)

Customer Service Rep I-OT

Customer Service Rep II-OT

Customer Service Rep III-OT

(End of Section B)

Section C – Description / Specifications / Work Statement

C.1 INTRODUCTION

C.1.1 TSP Overview

The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board (the Agency) administers a retirement savings and investment plan for Federal employees and members of the uniformed services called the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP). The TSP was established by the Federal Employees’ Retirement System Act of 1986 (FERSA), and is codified primarily at 5

U.S.C. §§ 8351 and 8401-8479. The TSP offers its participants the same type of savings and tax benefits that many private sector corporations offer their employees under 401(k) plans. The TSP currently has 4.9 million participants, with assets of over $500 billion.

Information about the TSP and its benefits, operations, and communication materials can be found on the TSP website at www.tsp.gov.

C.1.2 Acquisition Objective

This statement of work (SOW) defines the requirements for the services currently performed in Clintwood, VA by

Serco Services, Inc. The FRTIB is seeking to continue existing contact center services. The Agency will use this contact center to complement current services at the parallel operation in Frostburg, MD and Dallas TX operated by

RA Outdoors.

C.1.3 TSP Contact Center Program Overview

(a) Background.

The TSP Contact Center program is an outsourced multi-site, multi-contractor operation that answers inquiries via the TSP’s main toll-free line (1-877-968-3778), a Telephone Device for the Deaf (TDD) line (1-877-847-4358), Secure E-message portal via the TSP.gov online account profile, Mailing Correspondence address, and basic fulfillment of printed and mailed materials. There are other ways to communicate with the TSP that are not directly managed by the TSP Contact Center program.

The TSP Contact Center program operates from 7:00am to 9:00pm Eastern Time (ET), Monday through Friday. The

TSP Contact Center is not open after those business hours, weekends, or Federal Holidays.

(b) Types of Inquiries.

Inquiries responded to are from TSP participants, beneficiaries, and other third parties referred to in this Contract as the Participant(s). These inquiries are primarily about, but are not limited to:

Account Maintenance

Loan Issuances and Repayments

Withdrawal Information

Service Requests (e.g., transaction processing, fulfillment inquiries)

The four most common subcategories of call types include:

Withdrawal questions (both in-service and post-employment) – 35%

Loan questions (application and repayment) – 27%

Account information/status – 20%

Investment information (investment advice is not provided) – 3%

C.2 TSP CONTACT CENTER PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

C.2.1 General Requirements

(a) The Contractor shall provide contact center services for telephone calls, TDD/TTY calls, e-messages, written correspondence, basic fulfillment, faxing, etc. These services shall also include quality assurance, knowledge management, training, reporting, and other industry standard contact center services as further described in detail in this contract. In addition, the Contractor shall provide these services in a timely and professional manner with superior customer service.

(b) The Contractor shall provide experienced and professional contact center agents and support staff to provide contact center services. The contact center agents shall be referred to as Participant Service Representatives

(PSR).

(c) The Contractor shall create and maintain a singular, unified Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) document that details any and all the various aspects of how the contact center operations provides services for the TSP

Contact Center program. The SOP shall complement the details of the TSP Contact Center program not listed in the Contract. The COR will review and approve these procedures and at their discretion will request that any section of the SOP be added, removed, or edited.

(d) The Contractor shall mimic and sync contact center services, operations, and delivery with the parallel contact center site so that the TSP Contact Center program provides seamless service delivery regardless of site. The

COR will allow exceptions at their discretion.

(e) The Contractor shall provide all services in the English language.

C.2.2 Days and Hours of Operations

(a) Days - The contact center shall be open from Monday through Friday.

(b) Hours - The contact center shall be open from 7:00am to 9:00pm Eastern Time (ET). This timeframe is considered core business hours and shall be the time when calls are handled; however, the Contractor may choose to perform other activities such as written correspondence and/or e-messaging activities outside of core business hours.

(c) Holidays & Weekends - The contact center shall not be open on weekends or holidays (or as observed by the

Federal Government):

New Year’s Day

Martin Luther King’s Birthday

President’s Day

Memorial Day

Independence Day

Labor Day

Columbus Day

Veteran’s Day

Thanksgiving Day

Christmas Day

C.2.3 Telephone Calls

(a) The Contractor shall handle incoming calls, make related outgoing follow-up calls, place outgoing customer satisfaction survey calls, and perform the necessary telephone related duties to provide contact center services via telephone to satisfy a caller’s inquiry.

(b) Volume Allocation

(1) The Contact Center program will have a standard volume allocation between the two contact center sites;

however, this may change at the discretion of the COR and in collaboration with the contact center

Contractors.

(2) The table below shows the percentage of total daily TSP inbound phone traffic by half-hour interval for the program in total (column 2) and the Clintwood center (column 3):

Time

Interval

Beginning at:

Avg Percent of Total

Daily TSP Inbound Phone

Traffic

Percent of Total Daily TSP

Inbound Phone Traffic to

Clintwood center facility

7:00 0.83% 35%

7:30 1.05% 35%

8:00 1.87% 35%

8:30 2.59% 35%

9:00 3.65% 35%

9:30 4.20% 35%

10:00 4.81% 35%

10:30 5.07% 35%

11:00 5.27% 35%

11:30 5.39% 35%

12:00 5.12% 35%

12:30 5.08% 35%

1:00 5.06% 35%

1:30 5.06% 35%

2:00 5.09% 35%

2:30 5.08% 35%

3:00 4.99% 35%

3:30 4.92% 35%

4:00 4.70% 35%

4:30 4.79% 35%

5:00 3.50% 35%

5:30 2.99% 35%

6:00 2.32% 35%

6:30 2.00% 35%

7:00 1.65% 35%

7:30 1.40% 35%

8:00 1.13% 35%

8:30 0.93% 35%

(3) The Contractor shall work collaboratively with the parallel contact center to provide operational coverage and load balancing of telephone call volume in the normal course of operations with the goal of achieving service levels in response to volume forecasting fluctuations, unexpected call volumes, and training activities, as well as mitigating service interruptions. Service interruptions may be related to technology, weather, staffing, power, etc. and may reasonably be expected to last anywhere from a few hours up to a few days until normal operations resume. Any exceptions shall be brought to the attention of the COR for direction and possible action.

(4) During low volume periods, the Contractor shall ensure staff tasks are reallocated to exceed service levels and expand outbound calling programs.

(c) Outbound Calls

(1) The Contractor shall make outbound calls to resolve inquiries and problems identified or received during inbound calls.

(2) The Contractor shall make outbound calls to research participant inquiries, resolve e-message, fulfillment, or any other participant related inquiry encountered in the normal daily operation of contact center services.

(3) The Contractor shall make outbound calls during times of low inbound call volume, in support of a special event, unusual situation, or project (e.g., forms validation, or contacting participants who were sent erroneous information) at the discretion and direction of the COR.

(d) Call Recordings. The Contractor shall support the Agency with the retrieval of call recordings by searching, researching, and providing available recorded calls within 24 hours of request. Exceptions to this timeframe may be requested by the Contractor and approved by the COR or a designated subject matter expert (SME).

(e) TDD/TTY. The Contractor shall handle incoming TDD/TTY calls, make related outgoing follow-up calls if applicable, and perform any related duties to provide contact center services via TDD/TTY technology to satisfy a caller’s inquiry.

C.2.4 Secure E-messages

(a) The Contractor shall handle e-message processing including but not limited to responses, escalations, and dispositioning to appropriate groups for action.

(b) Inquiries received include, but are not limited to, general questions regarding the TSP program, benefits and account activity, requests for forms, publications, and statements, requests for assistance with loans and withdrawals, etc.

(c) E-message responses will generally be sent electronically to the participant through the secure e-message environment; however, in some cases, they may include an outbound call, letter, and/or fax.

(d) First contact resolution is desired; however, in some circumstances, contact center personnel shall research the participant’s account to determine the resolution of the inquiry or problem and as such calls back to participant are required.

(e) The Contractor shall use the Agency’s standard e-messages or templates (as appropriate) that have been developed to respond to the majority of inquiries.

(f) The Contractor shall deviate from standard e-messages and templates as necessary in order to tailor a response to a specific situation; however, the Contractor shall ensure the response is accurate, proper, and consistent with the Agency’s regulations and guidelines.

(g) The Contractor shall refer any Congressional inquiries to the Agency for a response.

(h) The Contractor shall initiate this work in conjunction with and at the discretion of the COR. The expectation is that the Contractor shall initially process simple e-message tasks and gradually assume the capability to perform all e-message tasks.

(i) The Contact Center program will have a standard volume allocation between the two contact center sites;

however, this may change at the discretion of the COR and in collaboration with the other contact center

Contractor.

(j) The Contractor shall work collaboratively with the parallel contact center to provide operational coverage and load balancing of e-message volume in the normal course of operations with the goal of achieving service levels in response to volume forecasting fluctuations, unexpected e-message volumes, and training activities, as well as mitigating service interruptions. Service interruptions may be related to technology, weather, staffing, power, etc. and may reasonably be expected to last anywhere from a few hours up to a few days until normal operations resume. Any exceptions shall be brought to the attention of the COR for direction and possible action.

C.2.5 Written Correspondence

(a) All written correspondence is received through the regular TSP mailing address in Birmingham, AL, or mis-directed mail referred from other operational units. Correspondence is imaged off-site by the receiving organization and presented to Participant Service Representatives (PSRs) via an electronic desktop application.

(b) The majority of this is classified as general correspondence. Inquiries received include, but are not limited to, general questions regarding the TSP program, benefits and account activity, requests for forms, publications, and statements, requests for assistance with loans and withdrawals, privacy act requests, subpoenas, case reviews, etc. One third pertains to loans, one third pertains to withdrawals, and the remaining third concerns other general topics.

(c) Cases are completed through research using the TSP record keeping system applications (generally PSR and the imaging/workflow system), TSP publications and forms, training materials, coordination with other operational units, and direct guidance from the Agency.

(d) The Contractor shall index the incoming correspondence within the imaging/workflow application when appropriate.

(e) The Contractor shall handle written correspondence processing including but not limited to mailing responses via outbound letter, necessary research via telephone, and escalating or dispositioning to appropriate TSP groups for action.

(f) The TSP Service Bureau is the central receipt point for all mail correspondence, and is the location where all mail is indexed and appended to accounts. The Contractor shall communicate and coordinate about mail correspondence with the Service Bureau as necessary to handle written correspondence.

(g) The Contractor shall use the Agency’s standard letters or templates (as appropriate) that have been developed to respond to the majority of inquiries.

(h) The Contractor shall deviate from standard letters and templates as necessary in order to tailor a response to a specific situation; however, the Contractor shall ensure that the response is accurate, proper, and consistent with the Agency’s regulations and guidelines.

(i) The Contractor shall refer any Congressional inquiries to the Agency for a response.

(j) The Contractor shall ensure proper quality control over the final product.

C.2.6 Fulfillment

(a) The Contractor shall send fulfillment materials to participants via mail or fax. Fulfillment requests are generated as the result of processing of calls, e-messages, and written correspondence.

(b) The Agency or a designated print/mail contractor shall furnish TSP-specific materials, including booklets, forms, etc.

(c) The Agency shall reimburse the Contractor for postage directly associated with this contract.

C.2.7 Helpline / Tier 2

(a) The Contractor shall implement and staff a second-level helpline (Tier 2).

(b) The Tier 2 helpline shall handle escalated calls transferred from frontline PSRs (Tier 1). These calls are expected to include participant complaints as well as complex TSP program issues (e.g. distribution guidelines for participants age 70.5 or older).

(c) The Tier 2 helpline shall handle calls from Tier 1 PSRs to provide guidance on technical TSP program and account issues as needed to complete calls. It is expected that in the course of normal operations these calls will not be transferred from Tier 1 to Tier 2, but will take place between the two levels of staff while the participant is on hold.

(d) The Contractor shall create and maintain a Tier 2 call log which documents the nature of all inquiries. The COR will direct the Contractor to amend the log for formatting, style, content included, etc. at their discretion and in collaboration with the Contractor.

C.2.8 Research & Escalations

(a) First contact resolution is desired; however, in some circumstances, this is not possible for the more complex, involved cases and inquiries thus necessitating research to be performed. As such, the Contractor shall perform research on any inquiries or cases that cannot be handled by first contact.

(b) The Contractor shall complete all background and initial discovery work associated with participant inquiries requiring research.

(c) The Contractor shall take the necessary steps to resolve these inquiries and cases and subsequently escalate them to other Agency contractor staff and Agency personnel when required and as applicable.

(d) The Contractor shall coordinate inquiry and case resolution with other operational units, and as necessary, with the Agency, via phone calls, web forms, and e-mail as applicable and at the discretion of the COR.

(e) The Contractor shall, at a minimum, research the participant’s account to assist in the determination of an acceptable resolution to the inquiry or problem.

(f) The work associated with researching participant inquiries is based upon the type of inquiry received. Typical research and escalation tasks include but are not limited to; presenting exception requests, locating copies of old forms, participant suggestions, complaints & compliments, etc.

(g) The Contractor shall follow the proscribed action or escalation action to address each research topic. All research topics that do not have standard actions shall be escalated to the COR or a designated SME for direction.

C.3 FORECASTING AND STAFFING

C.3.1 The Contractor shall produce their own volume forecasts, and must determine staffing needs required to meet service levels goals on a consistent basis. The COR will request these forecasts for Agency review at their discretion. These forecasts include, but are not limited to, phone calls, e-messages, written correspondence, research/outbound call case work, satisfaction surveys, fulfillment volume, and other tasks to ensure service level goals are met on a consistent basis.

C.3.2 The Agency will provide independent monthly volume forecasting projections to the Contractor no later than the 15th of the preceding month. These forecasts are intended as a supplemental forecast to the Contractor’s. The

COR will choose to expand, contract, or amend the supplemental forecast at their discretion and will communicate any changes to the Contractor.

C.3.3 The Contractor shall participate in a monthly forecasting conference call hosted by the Agency and is expected to provide observations or feedback as input to the forecasting process.

C.3.4 The Contractor shall provide ad hoc forecasting and staffing adjustments as well as attend ad hoc forecasting and staffing meetings hosted by the Agency based on changes in the operational environment. The COR will communicate any known Agency activities that would result in the operational environment.

C.3.5 The Contractor shall monitor real time traffic and make adjustments to staffing in relation to the forecast.

C.3.6 The Contractor shall alert the COR of any significant or non-routine changes to forecasting and staffing. The

Contractor shall alert the COR of any changes to the operational environment which affect forecasting and staffing that have not been provided to the Contractor by the COR or the Agency.

C.3.7 The Contractor shall collaborate with the Agency so that the Agency will have real-time access to the center’s performance activity via live-queue monitoring. The Agency will monitor typical contact center statistics such as call handle times, agents staffed, agents available, service level, average wait time, etc. in real-time at their discretion.

C.3.8 Volumes

(a) The Contractor shall at a minimum provide the adequate resources to meet the volume estimates provided in this Contract. Volumes listed below are provided as estimates only to assist the Contractor in order to meet the requirements of this contract. They are based on past history and may change due to the implementation of new programs and services in the future. They do NOT include an increase for the implementation of Blended

Retirement. Please see section C.3.8(j) for more info. For future years, the Contractor should assume an annual growth rate of 6 percent and should anticipate handling 35% - 40% of the total program traffic.

(b) Call Volume

(1) All inbound calls are first presented to an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system that provides self-service options for TSP participants. Past history indicates that 30% to 35% of this initial volume is contained within the IVR system, with the remaining 65% to 70% of callers opting out for PSR (phone agent) support.

(2) Call volume estimates for the first twelve months of this contract are included in the table below. Please note that all of this volume is answered by a PSR.

Month Estimated total Call

Volume to Agents

% of Program Traffic to contractor

Total Call Volume to Contractor

Average Handle time

(minutes)

March 2017 217,988 35% 76,296 6:00

April 2017 186,588 35% 65,306 6:00

May 2017 179,848 35% 62,947 6:00

June 2017 181,726 35% 63,604 6:00

July 2017 192,848 35% 67,497 6:00

August 2017 202,450 35% 70,858 6:00

September 2017 169,822 35% 59,438 6:00

October 2017 205,813 35% 72,035 6:00

November 2017 176,898 35% 61,914 6:00

December 2017 183,022 35% 64,058 6:00

January 2018 243,572 35% 85,250 6:00

February 2018 231,387 35% 80,985 6:00

(3) The estimated percent of volume received by day is:

Day of Week Percent of Traffic

Monday 24.2%

Tuesday 21.0%

Wednesday 19.0%

Thursday 18.1%

Friday 17.7%

(c) Tier 2 Call Volume. Past history has shown that Tier 2 calls will represent approximately 300-400 calls per day and will take about six minutes on average to handle (talk time plus after call work).

(d) Outbound Call Volume. Past history has shown that outbound call traffic varies monthly and depends upon program activity and participant activity. On average past history has shown that outbound call volume is approximately 4,000 calls per month. The Agency expects this volume will increase as it expands its outbound calling programs.

(e) E-message Volume. E-message volume estimates for the first twelve months of this contract are included in the table below. Please note that all of this volume is answered by a PSR. Percentages of volume received by day and by interval are assumed to be the same as provided above for telephone volume. The Contractor should assume that e-messaging volumes will be 3% of telephone volumes and that the average handle time will remain steady at 6:00 minutes per e-message.

Month Estimated E-message volume to agents Average Handle Time (minutes)

March 2017 5,260 6:00

April 2017 4,845 6:00

May 2017 4,170 6:00

June 2017 4,645 6:00

July 2017 4,550 6:00

August 2017 4,960 6:00

September 2017 4,785 6:00

October 2017 4,300 6:00

November 2017 4,050 6:00

December 2017 4,865 6:00

January 2018 6,365 6:00

February 2018 5,535 6:00

(f) Written Correspondence Volume. Written correspondence volume estimates for the first twelve months of this contract are included in the table below. Please note that all of this volume is answered by a PSR.

Month Estimated Written Correspondence volume to agents

Average Handle Time (minutes)

March 2017 3,645 20

April 2017 4,300 20

May 2017 3,800 20

June 2017 4,040 20

July 2017 3,700 20

August 2017 4,100 20

September 2017 3,330 20

October 2017 3,415 20

November 2017 3,110 20

December 2017 3,300 20

January 2018 2,980 20

February 2018 3,880 20

(g) Other Types of Correspondence. The contractor shall also respond to other types of correspondence received that do not fit the definition of “general correspondence”. This work, along with volume and handle time estimates, is included in the table below:

Type of Transaction Average Monthly

Volume

Average Handle Time

(Minutes)

Verification of Deposit 75 15

Letters of Acceptance 325 20

Subpoenas 35 40

Privacy Act/Third Party 600 40

Note that these volumes are in addition to the volumes listed in the general correspondence table.

(1) The process for handling these types of correspondence is similar to that for general correspondence.

(2) The contractor shall immediately refer any Congressional inquiries received to the Agency for response.

The contractor must separate these inquiries from the rest of the correspondence and route them to the

Agency in accordance with established procedures.

(3) The contractor shall provide basic fulfillment activities (sending forms or publications in response to participant inquiries). These inquiries average 100 per month.

(h) Research Volume. Past history has shown that approximately 1,500 research cases are handled on a monthly basis.

(i) Fulfillment Volume. Past history has shown that 0.75% of telephone calls will yield fulfillment requests. Most requests are handled through an automated process. Fulfillment volume estimates for the first twelve months of this contract are included in the table below.

Month Estimated Volume of Manually

Generated Fulfillment Requests

March 2017 1,380

April 2017 1,095

May 2017 755

June 2017 875

July 2017 1,160

August 2017 1,130

September 2017 1,050

October 2017 1,095

November 2017 650

December 2017 755

January 2018 900

February 2018 1,280

C.4 SERVICE LEVEL REQUIREMENTS

C.4.1 The following Service Level Requirements are expected to be met by the Contractor. Failure to meet these requirements may result in adverse contractual actions. If the Contractor does not expect to meet these service level requirements and has cause to request an exemption to the requirements, the Contractor must request and provide suitable justification to the COR in a timely fashion (no later than 2 business days after the end of the reporting period). The COR will work with the CO to grant or deny an exemption. Service Level Requirements not met due to Government caused delays, which include those delays attributable to technology failures, failures of the

Government’s technology provider or other delays outside of the Contractor’s control, shall be exempted from the requirements of this Section.

(a) Call Response Time

Component Explanation of Component

Requirement The Contractor shall ensure that during each business day 90% of all inbound calls which opt out to an agent during business hours are answered within 20 seconds after opting out. Inbound calls do not include abandoned calls.

Performance Target 90.0% of calls answered within 20 seconds

Frequency Measure Monthly, Report Monthly

Calculation Formula (Number of calls answered in 20 seconds/Total calls answered) x100

(b) Call Abandonment Rate

Requirement The Contractor shall ensure that less than 2% of all calls which opt out to an agent abandon (aka disconnect) prior to being connected with an agent during business hours.

Performance Target 2% or less

Frequency Measure Monthly, Report Monthly

Calculation Formula (Total number of abandoned calls/Total number of calls) X 100

(c) E-Message Response Time

Requirement The Contractor shall ensure that 95% of all e-messages are responded to within 2 business days of entering the e-message inbox.

The 2 business day timeframe excludes holidays and weekends.

The 2 business day timeframe excludes escalations to FRTIB for review or guidance as proscribed by agreed upon standard operating procedures, and FRTIB written guidance and instructions or when there is an absence of guidance on matters for which the FRTIB retains decisional authority.

Performance Target 95% of e-messages responded to within 2 business days

Frequency Measure Monthly, Report Monthly

Calculation Formula (Number of e-messages responded to within 2 business days/Total number of e-messages closed) x 100

(d) Written Correspondence Response Time

Requirement The Contractor shall ensure that 90% of all written correspondence is responded to within 5 business days after being entered into the appropriate queue.

The 5 business day timeframe excludes holidays and weekends.

The 5 business day timeframe excludes escalations to FRTIB for review or written guidance and instructions or when there is an absence of guidance on matters for which the FRTIB retains decisional authority.

Performance Target 90% of written correspondence responded to within 5 business days

Frequency Measure Monthly, Report Monthly

Calculation Formula (Number of written correspondence responded to within 5 business days/Total number of written correspondence closed) x 100

C.4.2 Key

Performance Indicators. These indicators are not Service Level requirements and the Contractor shall not be held to meet these standards. The Contractor shall report on these indicators.

(a) Call Response Time

Performance Indicator The Contractor shall ensure that during each business day 90% of all inbound calls which opt out to an agent during business hours are answered within 20 seconds after opting out. Inbound calls do not include abandoned calls.

Performance Target 90.0% of calls answered within 20 seconds

Frequency Measure Daily, Report Daily

Calculation Formula (Number of calls answered in 20 seconds/Total calls answered) x100

(b) Call Abandonment Rate

Performance Indicator The Contractor shall ensure that less than 2% of all calls which opt out to an agent abandon (aka disconnect) prior to being connected with an agent during business hours on a given business day.

Performance Target 2% or less daily

Calculation Formula (Total number of abandoned calls/Total number of calls) X 100

(c) Average Talk Time

Performance Indicator The average amount of time that a contact center agent spends with a caller during a transaction should generally not exceed 300 seconds. The range is generally 210-300 seconds.

Performance Target Less than 300 seconds on average

Calculation Formula (Amount of talk time in seconds / Total calls answered) x100

(d) After Call Work

Performance Indicator The average amount of time that a contact center agent is unavailable to receive calls due to work necessitated by an inbound call (e.g. entering data, filling out forms, etc.) should generally be less than 60 seconds. The range is generally 60-120 seconds.

Performance Target Less than 120 seconds on average

Calculation Formula (Amount of after call work time in seconds / Total calls answered) X 100

(e) Average Handle Time

Performance Indicator The average amount of time that a contact center agent spends handling an answered call which is comprised of the average talk time plus the average after call work time should generally not exceed 420 seconds. The range is generally 270-420 seconds.

Performance Target Less than 420 seconds on average

Frequency Measure Daily, Report Daily

Calculation Formula (Amount of talk time in seconds + Amount of after call work time in seconds /

Total calls answered) X 100

(f) Occupancy Rate

Performance Indicator The average amount of time that an agent spends occupied handling tasks such as phone calls, e-messages, written correspondence, etc.

Performance Target 80% (+/- 5%)

Frequency Measure Daily, Report Daily

Calculation Formula (Amount of time occupied handling tasks / total time available to handle tasks) x

(g) E-message Response Rate

Performance Indicator The Contractor shall ensure that 100% of all e-messages are responded to within 24 hours of entering the e-message inbox.

The 24 hour timeframe excludes holidays and weekends.

The 24 hour timeframe excludes escalations to FRTIB for review or guidance as proscribed by agreed upon standard operating procedures, and FRTIB written guidance and instructions or when there is an absence of guidance on matters for which the FRTIB retains decisional authority.

Performance Target 100% of e-messages responded to within 24 hours

Frequency Measure Monthly, Report Monthly

Calculation Formula (Number of e-messages responded to within 24 hours/Total number of e-messages closed) x 100

(h) Written Correspondence Response Rate

Performance Indicator The Contractor shall ensure that 100% of all written correspondence is responded to within 5 business days after being entered into the appropriate queue.

The 5 business day timeframe excludes holidays and weekends.

The 5 business day timeframe excludes escalations to FRTIB for review or written guidance and instructions or when there is an absence of guidance on matters for which the FRTIB retains decisional authority.

Performance Target 100% of written correspondence responded to within 5 business days

Frequency Measure Monthly, Report Monthly

Calculation Formula (Number of written correspondence responded to within 5 business days /Total number of written correspondence closed) x 100

C.5 TSP QUALITY ASSURANCE PROGRAM

C.5.1 The Agency has an established TSP Quality Assurance Program for its Contact Center program (see Section

J.1 and J.2) which the Contractor shall incorporate into its quality assurance activities.

C.5.2 The Agency will provide the program document which includes guidelines on the number of tasks and activities (i.e., calls) that the Contractor shall monitor per agent per month. The program document also includes the quality assurance monitoring form that the Contractor shall use.

C.5.3 The Contractor shall complete no less than the required number of monitored tasks and activities.

C.5.4 The Contractor shall attend and participate in monthly quality assurance calibration sessions which are generally handled via teleconferences.

C.5.5 The Contractor shall be an active participant in the ongoing evolution of the QA program.

(a) The Contractor shall proactively assess and implement means and methods to improve or enhance high levels of customer satisfaction for the TSP population that contacts the TSP through the contact center.

(b) The Contractor shall proactively assess and implement means and methods to ensure consistent service delivery through the establishment of standardized processes and procedures, templates, etc.

C.6 TSP CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM

C.6.1 The Agency has an established Customer Contact Satisfaction survey program which addresses the performance of contact centers. The Contractor shall support this program (see Section J.3).

C.6.2 The Contractor shall successfully complete 300 outbound survey calls every six months. Calls shall be selected from the population of calls monitored within the past 2 business days. Past history has shown that 20% of the outbound attempts made for this program result in a completed survey. A completed call takes approximately five minutes, including any after call work such as recording customer input.

C.6.3 The Contractor shall keep an electronic record (i.e. Excel) of the customer satisfaction program activities (i.e., survey results, call attempts, etc.)

C.6.4 The Agency will provide the survey questions and script which the Contractor shall follow to make survey calls.

C.6.5 The Contractor shall provide the results of the survey calls to the Agency for analysis and review at the end of the six month period.

C.6.6 The Agency will discuss with the Contractor the results of the survey and any actions that need to be taken to address deficiencies.

C.7 TRAINING

C.7.1 The Contractor shall provide new hire training to contact center staff on topics required by the Agency (e.g., TSP program, application, and security training) as well as training commonly associated with best practice contact center operations, knowledge, and skills. The Agency’s current experience has shown that the complete new hire training program, including side-by-side call handling, takes from four and a half to five weeks.

C.7.2 The Contractor shall provide refresher training and program specific training required by the Agency; the duration of these classes will vary depending upon the topic and level of difficulty of the material.

C.7.3 Approximately once a quarter, the Agency or a designated alternate will provide more in-depth training on a specific part of the TSP program. All applicable Contractor staff members are expected to attend these sessions which typically last two hours.

C.7.4 The Contractor shall manage the number of agents off the phones at any time to attend training sessions to avoid significant impact to the service levels.

C.7.5 The Contractor shall notify the Agency no later than 5 business days in advance of the sessions if they believe that service levels will be affected. The Agency will then determine if load balancing between the two centers is necessary.

C.7.6 The Contractor shall record attendance at all of these sessions and to ensure that follow-up training is provided to those that did not attend.

C.7.7 The Contractor shall ensure that all required Agency training is completed in a timely manner and shall follow the direction of the COR on any changes to training process, procedures, and content.

C.7.8 The COR will add, remove, or edit training content at their discretion and in collaboration with the Contractor.

C.8 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

C.8.1 The Agency will provide access to an electronic knowledge management database that houses knowledge articles detailing TSP content and Contact Center program policies and procedures, helpful hints, etc.

C.8.2 All contractor staff will have “read” access to the application.

C.8.3 The Contractor shall provide suggestions and draft changes at the request of the COR or a designated SME for updates to the database on a regular basis.

C.8.4 The Contractor shall attend scheduled and ad hoc meetings to discuss the development of knowledge articles.

C.8.5 The Agency will provide “write” access to a limited number of Contractor staff to implement approved changes to the knowledge management database. The Contractor shall at the approval of the COR or a designated

SME implement those approved changes in the knowledge management database.

C.8.6 The Contractor shall assist the Agency at the discretion of, under the direction of, and at the request of the

COR by reviewing communication materials including but not limited to web, print, and mail materials.

C.8.7 The Contractor shall provide enhancement suggestions for the TSP program, the Contact Center program, TSP plan tools, materials, and processes at their discretion to be considered by the COR for action.

C.9 TSP OPERATIONS CONFERENCE CALLS

C.9.1 The Contractor shall participate in routine, weekly conference calls to discuss TSP operational issues including the activities of the Contractor. Topics discussed are generally targeted towards trainers, supervisors, researchers, etc.

C.9.2 The Contractor shall relay the information discussed to the appropriate Contractor staff not in attendance to ensure appropriate knowledge transfer to achieve TSP objectives.

C.9.3 The Contractor’s staff shall actively participate in these conference calls.

C.9.4 The Contractor shall attend ad hoc conference calls at the discretion of the COR to discuss similar matters should an urgent situation arise.

C.9.5 The COR will amend or dissolve the necessity to hold routine conference calls at their discretion.

C.10 AUDIT SUPPORT

C.10.1 The Agency and other third party auditors will periodically review the Contractor’s performance, either directly or as part of TSP program reviews, financial audits, etc.

C.10.2 The Contractor shall participate in these reviews and audits of the contact center operations and provide all assistance to these auditors, including briefing them on the work performed, demonstrating activities, providing requested data (as approved by the Agency in the case of external auditors), etc.

C.10.3 At the discretion of and at the request of the COR, the Contractor shall comment on draft audit reports and recommendations including but not limited to aspects which may affect the performance contact centers services detailed in this contract.

C.10.4 At the discretion of and at the request of the COR, the Contractor shall implement audit recommendations.

Changes necessitating a modification to the contract or requiring additional funding shall be negotiated through the

Agency Contracting Officer.

C.11 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

C.11.1 The Agency will provide all necessary information technology and support for the Contractor to perform the services detailed in this Contract via its enterprise technology service provider.

C.11.2 The Contractor shall collaborate with the Agency, and its technology service provider at the Agency’s discretion and direction, to ensure seamless technological support including but not limited to upgrades, maintenance, replacement actions, asset inventory, etc.

C.11.3 The Contractor shall provide the technology necessary for its own business activities (e.g., e-mail, time and attendance, security badging, etc.).

C.11.4 Testing Support

(a) The Contractor shall assist the Agency and its technology service provider at the Agency’s discretion and direction with any testing needed to ensure the seamless operation of information technology used to perform contact center services. This may include but is not limited to implementing enhancements and resolving errors/problems/bugs.

(b) The Contractor shall incorporate the experience gained through testing, materials review, etc. into the

Contractor training program for PSRs and knowledge management process with the intent to facilitate the adoption of a new TSP or Contact Center program, process, benefit, application change, etc. into the daily operating environment of the TSP Contact Center program. Generally the workload associated with this activity is minimal.

C.12 FACILITIES AND WORKSPACE

C.12.1 Contractor shall manage the facility (and all fixtures appertaining thereto) and its grounds.

C.12.2 The Contractor shall additionally manage the facility’s utilities and pay its utility bills.

C.12.3 As necessary, the Contractor shall coordinate repairs and improvements with the Industrial Development

Authority (IDA) of Dickenson County, Virginia (which owns the physical facility). The IDA is responsible for improvements and for structural elements, the roof, and parking lot.

C.12.4 The Contractor shall bring to the attention of the FRTIB any disputes between the contractor and the IDA regarding responsibilities for repairs or improvements.

C.12.5 The Contractor shall obtain competitive bids for all works to be performed in support of this activity when the value of the work exceeds $15,000 and provide these to the Agency upon request.

C.12.6 Access to Facilities and Property

(a) The Contractor shall provide and maintain a separate physical space for the performance of all work performed under this contract. This space should be secured in such a way as to ensure that only staff assigned to work on the contract has access to the physical space and view of Agency/TSP data and materials. Entry and exit from the physical space should be controlled in such a manner as to ensure ingress and egress by only authorized personnel.

(b) Contractor personnel shall…