Combined Synopsis - Solicitaion 140D0421R0024.pdf

Combined Synopsis/Solicitation 140D0421R0024 Statistical Production Modernization and Application Development Support for the BEA-EITS.

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SECTION 1 – Introduction (Addendum to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.212-1 “Instructions to Offerors – Commercial Items” (Jun 2020))

1.1 Combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items

(i) This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued.

(ii) Solicitation 140D0421R0024 is issued as a Request for Proposal (RFP) utilizing FAR Part 15, Contracting by Negotiation. (iii) The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2021-05.

(iv) The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this solicitation is 541512 “Computer Systems Design Services” with a size standard of $30.0 million. This RFP is a total set-aside for small business concerns.

(v) The RFP includes a one (1) one-year base period and one (1) one-year option period.

(vi) The Government seeks the services of a Contractor to provide full Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) support for the Bureau of Economic Analysis Estimation Information Technology System (BEA–EITS), its subsystems, and underlying IT architecture components. The Contractor shall be expected to provide services to support tasks such as Project Management, Work Plan Development, IT/Functional Planning & Analysis, Requirements Analysis, Design, Software Development, Testing, Documentation, Implementation, and Operations and Maintenance.

(vii) Final inspection and acceptance of all work performed, reports and other deliverables will be performed at the place of performance by the Contracting Officer Representative (COR).

(viii) Provision 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors – Commercial (Jun 2020), applies to this acquisition and the RFP includes an addendum to the provision.

(ix) The evaluation factors include Management Approach and Technical Capabilities and Understanding, Personnel Qualifications, Organizational Experience, Past Performance, and Price. The first four technical factors, Management Approach and Technical Capabilities and Understanding, Personnel Qualifications, Organizational Experience, and Past Performance are of equal

2 | P a g e importance. Price is the least important factor. The non-price factors, when combined, are significantly more important than price. Management Approach and Technical Capabilities and Understanding, Personnel Qualifications, Organizational Experience will be assigned a rating of “excellent, very good, satisfactory or unsatisfactory”. Past Performance will be assigned a rating of “high confidence”, “neutral”, or “low confidence”. In order to be considered for award, a minimum rating of “satisfactory” and an “high confidence” or “neutral” for past performance must be achieved on all non-price evaluation criteria.

(x) Offerors shall submit the provision at 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications -- Commercial Items (Feb 2021), with its offer. The Offeror shall complete only paragraph (b) of this provision if the Offeror has completed the annual representations and certifications electronically in the System for Award Management (SAM) accessed through https://www.sam.gov. If the Offeror has not completed the annual representations and certifications electronically, the Offeror shall complete only paragraphs (c) through (v)) of this provision. The full text of the provision may be accessed electronically at:

http://acquisition.gov/far/index.html;

(xi) The clause at 52.212-4 Alt I, Contract Terms and Conditions -- Commercial Items (Oct 2018), applies to this acquisition and the RFP includes an addendum to the clause in section 3 of this RFP.

(xii) The clause at 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required To Implement Statutes Or Executive Orders -- Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition. The FAR clauses cited in the clause can be found in section 3 of the

RFP.

(xiii) Proposals submitted in response to this RFP shall be received no later than 2:00 P.M. Eastern Time, May 14, 2021, in order to be considered for award. See section 4 for submission instructions.

(xiv) The Contracting Officer (CO) for this RFP is Mike McGuire (Mike_McGuire@ibc.doi.gov (703) 964-3622) and the Contract Specialist (CS) for this RFP Edward Hardy (Edward_Hardy@ibc.doi.gov (703) 964-5326).

1.2 General

This requirement is being issued by the Department of the Interior (DOI)/Interior Business Center, Acquisition Services Directorate (AQD), under the franchise authority, on behalf of the United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). AQD is issuing this Request for Proposal (RFP) for the purpose of entering into a contract using Part 12, 15, and

19.5 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR).

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1.3 Notice of Small Business Set-Aside

In accordance with FAR 52.219-6, this is a notice that this RFP is a total set-aside for small business concerns. Only proposals submitted by small business concerns will be accepted by the Government. Any proposals submitted by a contractor that is not a small business will not be considered for award.

1.4 Submission of Questions

Questions related to this RFP package must be an electronic copy in Microsoft Word submitted no later than 1:00 P.M. current Eastern Time, April 21, 2021 to Mike McGuire at Mike_McGuire@ibc.doi.gov and Edward Hardy at Edward_Hardy@ibc.doi.gov. Any questions received after the previously specified cut-off date and time may not be accepted or answered.

Phone calls will not be accepted. Questions with the Government’s responses will be posted on beta.sam.gov. Please be advised that the Government reserves the right to transmit questions and answers of a common interest to all prospective Contractors. All e-mail inquiries must have “Question(s) – RFP # 140D0421R0024” included in the subject line.

1.5 Proposal Due Date

Proposals submitted in response to this RFP shall be received no later than 2:00PM Eastern Time, April 26, 2021, in order to be considered for award. See section 4 for submission instructions.

1.6 Anticipated Award Type

The Government anticipates making award of a Time and Materials type contract and travel will be reimbursed at cost as a result of this Request for Proposals (RFP).

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SECTION 2 – Statement of Work

U.S. Department of Commerce

Bureau of Economic Analysis

Statement of Work for

Statistical Production Modernization and

Applications Development Support for the BEA Estimation Information Technology System

(BEA-EITS)

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2.1. Background

The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) is an agency of the Department of Commerce. Along with the Census Bureau and STAT-USA which provides access to statistical information produced by U.S. federal and state agencies, BEA is part of the Department's Economics and Statistics Administration.

BEA produces economic accounts statistics that enable government and business decision-makers, researchers, and the public to follow and understand the performance of the Nation's economy. To do this, BEA collects source data, conducts research and analysis, develops, and implements estimation methodologies, and disseminates statistics to the public.

BEA is one of the world's leading statistical agencies. Although it is a relatively small agency, BEA produces some of the most closely watched economic statistics that influence the decisions made by government officials, businesspeople, households, and individuals. BEA's economic statistics, which provide a comprehensive, up-to-date picture of the U.S. economy, are key ingredients in critical decisions affecting monetary policy, tax and budget projections, and business investment plans. The cornerstone of BEA's statistics are the national income and product accounts (NIPAs), which feature the estimates of gross domestic product (GDP) and related measures.

The GDP was recognized by the Department of Commerce as its greatest achievement of the 20th century and has been ranked as one of the three most influential measures that affect U.S.

financial markets. Since the NIPAs were first developed in the aftermath of the Great Depression, BEA has developed and extended its estimates to cover a wide range of economic activities.

Today, BEA prepares national, regional, industry, and international accounts that present essential information on such key issues as economic growth, regional economic development, inter-industry relationships, the Nation's position in the world economy; data dissemination is one of BEA’s primary missions.

BEA maintains a portfolio of estimation processing subsystems that form the technological foundation for the timely, accurate, and comprehensive release of BEA’s economic statistics.

The BEA Estimation Information Technology System (BEA-EITS) is made up of these highly integrated and interdependent subsystems. The BEA-EITS supports the production of 15,000 time series each month and hundreds of thousands of other data produced quarterly and annually.

2.2. Objective

BEA’s modernization program continues to enable the Bureau to move resources from back office functions to developing and dissemination of new and updated statistics. The purpose of this contract is to support BEA’s Office of the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) in

6 | P a g e the ongoing maintenance and enhancement to existing modernize systems and continue the development of new systems.

2.3. Scope of Work

BEA maintains a portfolio of estimation processing subsystems that form the technological foundation for the timely, accurate, and comprehensive release of BEA’s economic statistics.

This portfolio of highly integrated subsystems comprises the BEA-EITS.

BEA’s Statistical Production Modernization program supports the production of some of the nation’s most important economic indicators. The program supports efficient processing of millions of time series of economic data on a monthly, quarterly, annual, and benchmark (3+ years) schedule. To successfully support these processing demands BEA has developed a “One BEA” database architecture that support the Bureau’s mission drivers of timeliness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness of its statistical releases. Several core databases have been deployed with this common architecture and several additional are under development.

The Contractor shall provide full Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) support for the BEA–EITS, its subsystems, and underlying Information Technology (IT) architecture components. The contractor shall have demonstrated expertise and experience to support current applications and developing new applications which adhere to the OneBEA architecture.

2.4. Specific Tasks

Tasks for projects under this contract are anticipated to require technical support for the BEA- EITS in the following areas:

a) Lead progressive prototyping development:

Underlining the OneBEA architecture is a progressive prototyping developing methodology, aka “prototype spiral.” The contractor leads teams of subject matter experts whose output is the “discovery” of elements of required system functionality.

b) Develop Database Schemas and code that incorporate the technical standards of the OneBEA architecture (described below)

c) Develop new statistical production applications using the OneBEA architecture (described below). This includes guiding the development process through the three phases of the BEA SDLC (development, test, and production)

d) Maintain and enhance current production applications that were developed in accordance with the OneBEA architecture (described below).

e) Test and Migrate statistical production systems in the Azure cloud.

Requisite Technical Capabilities To be effective and efficient (i.e., timely) at providing the support necessary under this

7 | P a g e effort, the contractor shall provide evidence that demonstrates expertise and experience in the following technical components of the OneBEA architecture:

a) Structure Query Language (SQL)

b) Microsoft SQL Server (SQL 17 and SQL 19)

c) Extended Markup Language (XML)

d) Erwin data modeling software

e) Metadata driven database systems:

Business functionality of the system is not programmed into the system’s code but is instead represented by configuration/control data (called metadata). This metadata is combined with the regular data at run-time to achieve desired results.

f) Graph Data Structures:

In BEA’s OneBEA architecture a great deal of computational efficiency has been achieved by modeling using graph data structures (more specifically, weighted directed acyclic graphs - wDAGs) in a relational database environment. In BEA’s application architecture times series data is modeled as multi-dimensional nodes.

g) User tools/auditing:

Incorporating multidimensional drill down capability in the database applications that enables audits from source data to output. Other tools: maintaining within the database the history of database content and configuration management data that maintains an audit of code/schema changes.

h) System monitoring:

Incorporating and maintaining command and control capabilities within a database application.

i) Migrating high performance database systems to the Azure cloud.

Requisite Functional Experience BEA has utilized a number of contractors over the last 15 to 20 years to provide the types of applications development services and support described in this SOW. Based on the successes and failures of these prior contractual engagements, BEA has determined that due to the unique nature of developing and supporting applications that process economic accounts and socio-economic statistics, the Contractor shall be required to have significant prior specialized experience providing federal statistical system support to BEA. Conversely, prior experience with other Federal agencies and/or the banking/HR/payroll arenas has not been indicative of success in BEA’s unique applications development environment. Specific areas of expertise that are required at BEA to support its modernization program include (1) proven experience developing complex econometric calculations (i.e., multi-dimensional aggregation, primary and secondary suppression, chain-type price indexes, etc.) performed in SQL utilizing multi-dimensional tree and graph processing; (2) proven experience developing metadata-driven systems in a relational database management system (RDBMS); and (3) proven experience developing high-performance SQL-based systems that process (i.e., perform the calculations described above) very large datasets (i.e., from 100’s of gigabytes to N terabytes in size) in minutes if not seconds.

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Applications that support the production of some of the nation’s most critical economic statistics (especially in this time of responding to the impact of the pandemic) must be able to leverage efficiencies. It is vital for the contractor to recognize commonalities and leverage existing components of the BEA portfolio across multiple applications.

One of the major applications that reside within the BEA Estimation System processes base level source data (surveys), the large application supports vital statistics on Direct Foreign investment across multiple surveys. The application unites processing of multiple surveys under one technical umbrella. Contractor experience/expertise with Survey Processing is required.

2.5. Deliverables/Deliverable schedule

All deliverables shall be submitted to the COR in writing, unless otherwise agreed upon. The Contractor will submit draft deliverables to the Government for review and comment. Unless otherwise specified, the Government will have a maximum of ten (10) working days from the day the draft deliverable is received to review the document, provide comments back to the contractor, approve or disapprove the deliverable(s). The Contractor will have a maximum of ten (10) working days from the day the Government provides its comments to revise the draft deliverable, incorporate all changes and submit the final version to the Government.

2.5.1 Project Plan for each Project

The Contractor shall submit the final Project Plan in Microsoft Word format, to the COR in writing. The project plan shall describe the technical approach, organizational resources, and management controls to be employed to meet the cost, performance, and schedule requirements for each project under this contract. The Project Plan shall detail the key activities and milestones, distance learning technology, allocation of staff and other resources necessary for successful completion of this effort. The Contractor shall not proceed on any activity until the Project Plan has been approved by the COR in writing.

The Contractor shall request to the COR in writing prior approval on any change to the Project Plan after COR approval has been given.

2.5.2 Monthly Status Report - Reporting Requirements

Earned Value Management: The Contractor and all subcontractors shall use program management methods and earned value reporting that meet best business practice guidelines provided in the Electronic Industries Alliance standard, “ANSI/EIA-748, Earned Value Management Systems.” The ANSI/EIA-748, Earned Value Management Systems standard is available from Global Engineering Documents and may be purchased either online at http://global.ihs.com/ or by phone at 1-800-854-7179.

The Contractor shall document efforts performed in completing each task in a detailed Monthly Status Report due on or before the 10th of each month. The Status Report shall include, at a minimum:

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Progress for the period: Summary, by task, of work accomplished during the reporting period and percent complete followed by a detailed progress report of significant findings, activities and accomplishments during the reporting period.

Activities planned for the next reporting period: Planned activities, as well as the status of any/all deliverables, including actual and planned delivery date(s)

Problems encountered: Identification of any problems, issues or delays and recommendations as to their resolution, and any corrective action taken to correct identified problems.

Strategy revisions: Recommended changes to include any lessons learned.

Contract Details: Contract number and reporting period Summary of Work: Summary of work accomplished during the reporting period and percentage complete. Additionally, a detailed progress report of findings shall be included, providing activities and accomplishments during the reporting period.

Summary of Planned Work: Summary of planned activities for the next reporting period, as well as the status of work products, including planned delivery dates (actual or estimated).

Strategy revisions: Provide change recommendations, to include any lessons learned.

Expenditure Plan and Status: Provides COR-approved expenditure plan and actuals, indicates current funding level, and highlights the expected date at which 75% of funds will be expended. Any deviations greater than 5% shall be explained. The expenditure plan, once approved by the COR, cannot be changed without justification and COR approval.

Invoice Status: Provides a summary listing of invoices. The listing shall include invoice #, date, period of performance, amount, and payment status.

2.5.3 Deliverable Table

Milestone/Deliverable

Responsibility Date

Contract Kick Off Government/Contractor Within 14 days of Contract Award

Final Quality Assurance Plan Contractor Within 30 days of Kick Off

Project Plan for Each Project Contractor Mutual agreement of the parties

Monthly Status Report Contractor

By the 10th day of the month.

Final Report for Each Project Contractor Project Completion

Final Report for Contract Contractor Contract Completion

2.5.4 Inspection and Acceptance Criteria

Final inspection and acceptance of all work performed, reports and other deliverables will be performed at the place of performance by the COR.

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2.5.5 General Acceptance Criteria

General quality measures, as set forth below, will be applied to each Contract deliverable.

Accuracy - Deliverables shall be accurate in presentation, technical content, and adherence to accepted elements of style.

Clarity - Deliverables shall be clear and concise. All diagrams shall be easy to understand and relevant to the supporting narrative.

Consistency to Requirements - Deliverables must satisfy the requirements of this statement of work.

File Editing - All text and diagrammatic files shall be editable by the Government.

Format - Deliverables shall be submitted in hard copy (where applicable) and in an appropriate Microsoft Office application, except where mutually agreed to prior to submission. Hard copy formats shall follow any specified Directives or Manuals.

Timeliness - Deliverables shall be submitted on or before the due date specified in Section 2.5.3 or submitted in accordance with a later scheduled date determined by the Government or an earlier mutually-agreed-to date.

2.5.6 Performance Measures

Contractor performance will be considered fully successful as follows:

100% of assigned tasks completed on or before assigned due dates. This will be measured through close monitoring by the BEA COR and the monthly status reports.

If slippage occurs, it will be documented and brought to the attention of the Contractor.

100% compliance with functionality. This will be measured through review and test by the BEA COR (and others deemed appropriate) of all deliverables to ensure that they function properly based on the specifications of the contract

Unless explicitly directed otherwise by the BEA COR, the Contractor shall endeavor to follow all BEA standard operating procedures, documented best practices, and utilize BEA-approved software tools for all deliverables.

Documentation is comprehensive, clear and without errors. The documentation will be assessed through a review by the BEA COR. Applicable documentation will be compared against the application/system to ascertain if it fully describes all aspects of the application/system, is easy to comprehend, accurately reflects the application/system, and follows industry best practices. Any identified deficiencies will be documented and brought to the attention of the Contractor for resolution.

2.5.7 Quality Assurance

The BEA COR will review, for completeness, accuracy, and quality, preliminary or draft documentation that the Contractor submits, and may return it to the Contractor for correction.

Absence of any comments by the BEA COR will not relieve the Contractor of the responsibility for complying with the requirements of this work statement. Final approval and acceptance of

11 | P a g e deliverables required herein shall be by letter of approval and acceptance by the BEA COR. The Contractor shall not construe any letter of acknowledgment of receipt of material as a waiver of review, or as an acknowledgment that the material is in conformance with this work statement.

Any information, advice or approval provided during preparation of the deliverables, or approval for shipment shall not guarantee final acceptance of the completed item.

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SECTION 3 – General Contract Terms and Conditions (Addendum to FAR 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions—Commercial Items Alternate I (Oct 2018))

3.1 Contract Period of Performance

Commerce Acquisition Regulation (CAR) 1352.270-70 Period of performance.

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE (APR 2010)

(a) The base period of performance of this contract is from August 1, 2021 through July 31, 2022. If an option is exercised, the period of performance shall be extended for twelve (12) months.

(b) The option periods that may be exercised are as follows:

Period Start date End date

Option I August 1, 2022 July 31, 2023

(c) The notice requirements for unilateral exercise of option periods are set out in FAR 52.217-9.

(End of clause)

3.2 Place of Performance

The primary place of contract performance will be at the Bureau of Economic Analysis, 4600 Silver Hill Rd, Suitland, MD 20746. When it is advantageous to the Government for the Contractor’s work shall be performed at another location, arrangements will be made in advance and authorized by the COR in writing. The Government will not reimburse the Contractor for local travel expenses to, or parking at BEA. When the Government facility is closed due to off-hours, inclement weather, emergency, or other reasons, the Contractor shall not work unless authorized by the COR in writing. Remote/telework may be authorized by the COR on a case by case basis. The contractor must receive authorization from the COR in writing prior to accessing the government facility during mandatory/required telework.

3.3 Productive Direct Labor Hours

The Contractor can only charge the Government for “Productive Direct Labor Hours”.

“Productive Direct Labor Hours” are defined as those hours expended by Contractor personnel in performing work under this effort. Productive Direct Labor Hours do not include sick leave, vacation, Government or Contractor holidays, jury duty, military leave, or any other kind of Government administrative leave occasioned by closures or disruptions due to acts of God (i.e.

hurricanes, snowstorms, tornadoes, etc.)

3.4. Hours of Work

Contractor personnel are expected to conform to BEA’s normal weekday operating hours of 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM with the exception of Federal holidays and other administrative Government shutdowns. Other tours of duty may be arranged as directed by the BEA COR in writing. The Contractor may be required

13 | P a g e to perform activities such as critical upgrades outside normal operating hours to minimize disruption of BEA’s estimates production.

3.5. Travel

All travel shall receive government approval by the COR prior to funds being expended.

Arrangements for and costs of all travel, transportation, meals, lodging, and incidentals are the responsibility of the Contractor. Travel costs shall be incurred and billed in accordance with FAR Part 31.205-46. Costs for these expenses will be reviewed and certified by the COR and approved by the CO. All travel and transportation shall utilize commercial sources and carriers provided the method used for the appropriate geographical area results in reasonable charges to the Government. The Government will not pay for business class or first-class travel.

All travel for contractor personnel shall be invoiced with receipts for airfare, hotel, rental car, and any other expenditure that exceeds $75.00.

The Government will not reimburse the Contractor for local travel expenses to, from, or parking at, the BEA facility.

3.6. Government Holidays

The following Government holidays are normally observed by Government personnel: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King’s Birthday, Presidential Inauguration Day (metropolitan DC area only), Presidents Day Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and any other day designated by Federal Statute, Executive Order, Presidential Proclamation. Or any other kind of administrative leave such as acts of God (i.e., hurricanes, snowstorms, tornadoes, etc.), Presidential funerals, or any other unexpected Government closures.

3.7. Payment for Unauthorized Work

No payments will be made for any unauthorized supplies or services or for any unauthorized changes to the work specified herein. This includes any services performed by the Contractor of their own will or at the request of an individual other than a duly appointed Contracting Officer.

Only a duly appointed CO is authorized to change the specifications, terms, and conditions of this effort.

3.8. Personnel Requirements

The Contractor shall be responsible for managing and overseeing the activities of all Contractor personnel, as well as subcontractor efforts used in performing this effort. The Contractor's management responsibilities shall include all activities necessary to ensure timely and effective support, performed in accordance with the requirements contained in the statement of work and tasks. Resumes submitted for employees assigned to perform under this statement of work shall contain documented and demonstrated experience directly applicable and of sufficient variety and sufficient duration demonstrating that the employee is able to effectively and efficiently perform the functions assigned.

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3.8.1 Key Personnel Definition

Certain skilled experienced professional and/or technical personnel are essential for accomplishing the work to be performed. These individuals are defined as "Key Personnel" and are those persons whose resumes were submitted and marked by the Contractor as "Key Personnel.” No substitutions shall be made of accepted key personnel except for sudden illness or death, or termination of employment. Substitutions shall only be accepted if in compliance with “Substitution of Key Personnel" provision identified below.

3.8.2 Project Manager (Key Personnel)

The Contractor shall provide a Project Manager to oversee the Contractor’s overall effort and to facilitate Government-Contractor communications. The Project Manager shall be the Contractor’s primary technical and managerial interface with the CO and the COR located at Bureau of Economic Analysis, 4600 Silver Hill Rd, Suitland, MD. The name of this person, and an alternate or alternates, who shall act for the Project Manager when he/she is absent, shall be provided in writing to the CO. The Project Manager or alternate will have full authority to act for the Contractor on all contract matters relating to daily operations.

The Contractor's Project Manager shall meet with the CO/COR as necessary to maintain satisfactory performance and to resolve other issues pertaining to Government/Contractor procedures. The Project Manager or alternate must be available during normal duty hours specified in Section 3.4 Hours of Work and to meet with Government personnel within 24 hours of a request by the CO or COR. At these meetings, a mutual effort will be made to resolve any and all problems identified. Written minutes of these meetings shall be prepared by the Contractor, signed by the Contractor's designated representative, and furnished to the Government within two (2) workdays of the meeting.

3.8.3 Key Personnel Designation

CAR 1352.237-75 Key Personnel (APR 2010)

(a) The contractor shall assign to this Task Order the following key personnel:

Functional Area Expert- Level 1 Scientist/Engineer Computer Scientist Subject Matter Expert Software Developer Intern Functional Area Expert Level 2

Project Manager

(b) The contractor shall obtain the consent of the Contracting Officer prior to making key personnel substitutions. Replacements for key personnel must possess qualifications equal to or exceeding the qualifications of the personnel being replaced unless an exception is approved by the Contracting Officer.

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(c) Requests for changes in key personnel shall be submitted to the Contracting Officer at least 15 working days prior to making any permanent substitutions. The request should contain a detailed explanation of the circumstances necessitating the proposed substitutions, complete resumes for the proposed substitutes, and any additional information requested by the Contracting Officer. The Contracting Officer will notify the contractor within 10 working days after receipt of all required information of the decision on substitutions. The contract will be modified to reflect any approved changes.

A resume is required for each proposed key personnel.

3.8.4 Resumes

Resumes shall include the following:

Name of person;

Proposed position, function, or role;

Proposed labor category;

Education (including, in reverse chronological order, colleges and/or technical schools attended (with dates), degree(s)/certification(s) received, major field(s) of study, and approximate number of total class hours);

Experience (including, in reverse chronological order, area(s) of work in which a person is qualified, company and title of position, approximate starting and ending dates (month/year), concise descriptions of experience for each position held);

Specific experience related to the requirements of the position, specific experience on projects of similar size/scope/complexity/functionality, and specific experience related to requirements of this Statement of Work; including and highlighting the requisite technical capabilities and functional experience.

3.9. Contractor Interfaces

The Contractor or its subcontractors shall be required, as part of the performance of this effort, to work with other Contractors working for the Government. Such other Contractors shall not direct this Contractor or its subcontractors in any manner. Also, this Contractor or its subcontractors shall not direct the work of other contractors in any manner.

The Contractor shall work closely with other BEA contractors to implement procedures to ensure open, timely, and effective communication, information exchange, and reporting among the Contractors and the Government. These procedures shall be submitted to BEA management for review and comment, and the final version agreed upon by all parties.

3.10. Contractor Identification

Contractor personnel shall present a neat appearance and be easily recognized as Contractor employees by wearing a Security Identification Badges at all times while on Government premises. When Contractor personnel attend meetings, answer phones, and work in other situations where their status is not obvious to third parties, they must identify themselves as such to avoid creating the impression that they are Government employees.

3.11. Non-Personal Services and Inherently Governmental Functions

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Pursuant to FAR 37.1, no personal services shall be performed under this SOW. All work requirements shall flow only from the COR to the Contractor Project Manager. No Contractor employee will be directly supervised by the Government. All individual employee assignments, and daily work direction, shall be given by the applicable Contractor supervisor. If the Contractor believes any Government action or communication has been given that would create a personal services relationship between the Government and any Contractor employee, the Contractor shall promptly notify the Contracting Officer of this communication or action.

Pursuant to FAR 7.5, the Contractor shall not perform any inherently Governmental actions under this SOW. No Contractor employee shall hold him or herself out to be a Government employee, agent, or representative. No Contractor employee shall state orally or in writing at any time that he or she is acting on behalf of the Government. In all communications with third parties in connection with this SOW, Contractor employees shall identify themselves as Contractor employees and specify the name of the company for which they work. In all communications with other Government Contractors in connection with this SOW, the Contractor employee shall state that they have no authority to in any way change this SOW and that if the other Contractor believes this communication to be a direction to change their contract, they should notify the Contracting Officer for that contract and not carry out the direction until a clarification has been issued by the Contracting Officer.

The Contractor shall insure that all of its employees working on this SOW are informed of the substance of this article. Nothing in this article shall limit the Government’s rights in any way under the other provisions of this SOW, including those related to the Government’s right to inspect and accept the services to be performed under this SOW. The substance of this article shall be included in all subcontracts at any tier.

3.12. Release of Information

No news release (including photographs and films, public announcements, denial or confirmation of same) on any part of the subject matter of this effort or any phase of any program hereunder shall be made without the prior written approval of the Contracting Officer.

The Contractor is prohibited from releasing to any source, other than the sponsoring activity, any interim, draft and final reports or information pertaining to services performed under this contract until report approval or official review has been obtained. Furthermore, the Contractor shall insure that the cover of all interim, draft and final reports contain the following statement:

"The view, opinions, or findings contained in this report are those of the author(s) and should not be construed as an official Government position, policy or decision, unless so designated by other documentation."

There shall be no dissemination or publication, except within and between the Contractor and any subcontractors, of information developed under this contract or contained in the reports to be furnished pursuant to this effort without prior written approval from the Contracting Officer.

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CAR 1352.209-72 Restrictions against disclosure.

RESTRICTIONS AGAINST DISCLOSURE (APR 2010)

(a) The contractor agrees, in the performance of this contract, to keep the information furnished by the Government or acquired/developed by the contractor in performance of the contract and designated by the Contracting Officer or Contracting Officer's Representative, in the strictest confidence. The contractor also agrees not to publish or otherwise divulge such information, in whole or in part, in any manner or form, nor to authorize or permit others to do so, taking such reasonable measures as are necessary to restrict access to such information while in the contractor's possession, to those employees needing such information to perform the work described herein, i.e., on a “need to know” basis. The contractor agrees to immediately notify the Contracting Officer in writing in the event that the contractor determines or has reason to suspect a breach of this requirement has occurred.

(b) The contractor agrees that it will not disclose any information described in subsection

(a) to any person unless prior written approval is obtained from the Contracting Officer. The contractor agrees to insert the substance of this clause in any consultant agreement or subcontract hereunder.

3.13. Government Furnished Equipment (GFE)/Government Furnished Information (GFI) The following are limitations established for providing on-site working space to the contractors:

a) The Government will provide PCs, desks, and telephones for each contract employee.

The Government will also provide access to printers, FAX machine and photocopiers.

b) The Government will provide the software development tools required to support this

Statement of Work.

c) The Government will provide the Contractor all necessary information to include documentation, data, and materials necessary to support this Statement of Work.

3.14. Service Contract Labor Standards Act (SCLS)

It is the contractor’s responsibility to identify any SCLS labor categories in their price proposal.

The below Department of Labor Wage Determination is hereby incorporated into the contract to be applied on an as needed basis.

Wage Determination No. Revision No. Date 2015-4281 17 12/21/2020

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3.16. Administrative Considerations

Point of Contact The Contracting Officer for this effort is as follows:

Department of the Interior Acquisition Services Directorate ATTN: Michael McGuire 381 Elden Street, Suite 4000 Herndon, Virginia 20170-4817 Mike_McGuire@ibc.doi.gov

3.15. Correspondence

To promote timely and effective administration, correspondence shall be subject to the following procedures:

a) Technical correspondence (where technical issues relating to compliance with the requirements herein) shall be addressed to the COR with an information copy to the Contracting Officer.

b) All other correspondence, including invoices, (that which proposes or otherwise involves waivers, deviations, or modifications to the requirements, terms or conditions of this SOW) shall be addressed to the Contracting Officer with an information copy to the COR.

3.16. Department of the Interior Acquisition Regulation (DIAR) 1452.201-70 Authorities and Delegations (Sept 2011)

(a) The Contracting Officer is the only individual authorized to enter into or terminate this contract, modify any term or condition of this contract, waive any requirement of this contract, or accept nonconforming work.

(b) The Contracting Officer will designate a Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) at time of award. The COR will be responsible for technical monitoring of the Contractor's performance and deliveries. The COR will be appointed in writing, and a copy of the appointment will be furnished to the Contractor. Changes to this delegation will be made by written changes to the existing appointment or by issuance of a new appointment.

(c) The COR is not authorized to perform, formally or informally, any of the following actions:

(1) Promise, award, agree to award, or execute any contract, contract modification, or notice of intent that changes or may change this contract;

(2) Waive or agree to modification of the delivery schedule;

(3) Make any final decision on any contract matter subject to the Disputes Clause;

(4) Terminate, for any reason, the Contractor's right to proceed;

(5) Obligate in any way, the payment of money by the Government.

(d) The Contractor shall comply with the written or oral direction of the Contracting

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Officer or authorized representative(s) acting within the scope and authority of the appointment memorandum. The Contractor need not proceed with direction that it considers to have been issued without proper authority. The Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer in writing, with as much detail as possible, when the COR has taken an action or has issued direction (written or oral) that the Contractor considers to exceed the COR's appointment, within 3 days of the occurrence. Unless otherwise provided in this contract, the Contractor assumes all costs, risks, liabilities, and consequences of performing any work it is directed to perform that falls within any of the categories defined in paragraph (c) prior to receipt of the Contracting Officer's response issued under paragraph (e) of this clause.

(e) The Contracting Officer shall respond in writing within 30 days to any notice made under paragraph (d) of this clause. A failure of the parties to agree upon the nature of a direction, or upon the contract action to be taken with respect thereto, shall be subject to the provisions of the Disputes clause of this contract.

(f) The Contractor shall provide copies of all correspondence to the Contracting Officer and the

COR.

(g) Any action(s) taken by the Contractor, in response to any direction given by any person acting on behalf of the Government or any Government official other than the Contracting Officer or the COR acting within his or her appointment, shall be at the Contractor's risk.

(End of notice)

3.17. Notice to Contractors Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System

1. FAR 42.1502 directs all Federal agencies to collect past performance information on contracts. The Department of the Interior (DOI) has implemented the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) to comply with this regulation.

One or more past performance evaluations will be conducted in order to record your contract performance as required by FAR 42.15.

2. The past performance evaluation process is a totally paperless process using CPARS.

CPARS is a web-based system that allows for electronic processing of the performance evaluation report. Once the report is processed, it is available in the CPARS for Government use in evaluating past performance as part of a source selection action.

3. We request that you furnish the Contracting Officer (CO) with the name, position title, phone number, and email address for each person designated to have access to your firm's past performance evaluation(s) for the contract no later than 30 days after award. Each person granted access will have the ability to provide comments in the Contractor portion of the report and state whether or not the Contractor agrees with the evaluation, before returning the report to the Assessing Official (AO). Information in the report must be protected as source selection sensitive information not releasable to the public.

4. When your Contractor Representative(s) are registered in CPARS, they will receive an automatically generated email with detailed login instructions. Further details, systems requirements, and training information for CPARS is available at https://www.cpars.gov/.

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5. Within 60 days after the end of a performance period, the AO will complete an interim or final past performance evaluation, and the report will be accessible at https://www.cpars.gov/.

a. Contractor Representatives may then provide comments in response to the evaluation, or return the evaluation without comment.

b. Your comments should focus on objective facts in the AO's narrative and should provide your views on the causes and ramifications of the assessed performance.

c. All information provided should be reviewed for accuracy prior to submission.

d. If you elect not to provide comments, please acknowledge receipt of the evaluation by indicating "No comment" in the space provided, and then selecting “Accept the Ratings and Close the Evaluation”.

e. Your response is due within 60 calendar days after receipt of the CPAR. On day 15, the evaluation will become available in CPARS marked as “Pending” with or without comments and whether or not it has been closed.

f. If you do not sign and submit the CPAR within 60 days, it will automatically be returned to the Government and will be annotated: "The report was delivered/received by the contractor on (date). The contractor neither signed nor offered comment in response to this assessment."

6. The following guidelines apply concerning your use of the past performance evaluation:

a. Protect the evaluation as source selection information. After review, transmit the evaluation by completing and submitting the form through CPARS. If for some reason you are unable to view and/or submit the form through CPARS, contact the CO for instructions.

b. Strictly control access to the evaluation within your organization. Ensure the evaluation is never released to persons or entities outside of your control.

c. Prohibit the use of or reference to evaluation data for advertising, promotional material, pre-award surveys, responsibility determinations, production readiness reviews, or other similar purposes.

7. If you wish to discuss a past performance evaluation, you should request a meeting in writing to the CO no later than seven days following your receipt of the evaluation. The meeting will be held in person or via telephone or other means during your 60-day review period.

8. A copy of the completed past performance evaluation will be available in CPARS for your viewing and for Government use supporting source selection actions after it has been finalized.

(End of Clause)

3.18. Electronic Invoicing and Payment Requirements - Invoice Processing Platform (IPP) (Apr 2013)

Payment requests must be submitted electronically through the U. S. Department of the Treasury's Invoice Processing Platform System (IPP).

"Payment request" means any request for contract financing payment or invoice payment by the Contractor. To constitute a proper invoice, the payment request must comply with the

21 | P a g e requirements identified in the applicable Prompt Payment clause included in the contract, or the clause 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions - Commercial Items included in commercial item contracts. The IPP website address is: https://www.ipp.gov.

Under this contract, the following documents are required to be submitted as an attachment to the IPP invoice:

Invoices for labor must include contract labor category, individual labor hours, individual labor rates, and the overall labor hours for each labor category.

Invoices for travel must include the name of the traveler, travel itinerary, purpose of travel, receipts for airfare or other means of transportation, hotel, rental car, and any other expense over $75, and any other documentation requested by the Contracting Officer. No travel is authorized unless prior government approval from the COR is obtained.

Ø The contractor is responsible for ensuring invoices submitted are accurate and complete, and all labor, travel and other direct costs are in accordance with federal guidelines and other Government mandates and directives.

Ø Additional supporting documentation MAY BE REQUESTED at the discretion of the COR or CO.

FINAL INVOICE:

Within sixty calendar days of product acceptance and/or completion of services:

a. The contractor shall submit a final invoice, designated as such by a clear statement of “FINAL INVOICE” on the face of the invoice document.

b. The contractor shall provide a certificate of completion which certifies all goods and service have been provided as required by this contract.

c. The contractor shall provide a release of claims against the government for any further payment under this contract.

The sixty calendar day submission timeframe shall not be extended without written authorization from the contracting officer. In the event items a, b, or c above are not submitted within the authorized timeframe, the contracting officer will make final cost determinations in order to make final payment and close out the contract unilaterally.

The Contractor must use the IPP website to register access and use IPP for submitting requests for payment. The Contractor Government Business Point of Contact (as listed in SAM) will receive enrollment instructions via…