Attachment_A_EPS_OSII_PWS_v20220727.docx

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Enforcement Programs and Service and Strategic Intelligence and Information Directorates

(EPS &OSII)

Data Entry, Imaging, Indexing, IT Support Services and Related Support Services

Performance Work Statement

1. Acronyms

AFINB – Advanced Firearms and Interstate Nexus Branch AFMER – Annual Firearms Manufacturing and Export Report ATF - Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives CID – Criminal Intelligence Division CO – Contracting Officer COR – Contracting Officer’s Representative CS – Contract Specialist CSR – Customer Service Representative DENI – Denial Enforcement and NICS Intelligence DOJ – Department of Justice ECM – Enterprise Content Management Image Repository EP - Employee Possessor EPS - Enforcement Programs and Services ETOWRS – Electronic Trace Operations and Workflow ETR – Electronic Trace Results FATD - Firearms and Ammunition Technology Division FEIB – Firearms and Explosives Imports Branch FEIS – Firearms and Explosives Imports System FEL – Federal Explosives License FELC – Federal Explosives Licensing Center FEP – Federal Explosives Permit FESD – Firearms and Explosives Services Division FFL – Federal Firearms Licensees FFLC – Federal Firearms Licensing Center FLS – Firearms Licensing System FID – Firearms Information Database FIRES – Firearms Information Reporting System FTCB – Firearms Technology Criminal Branch FTISB – Firearms Technology Industry Services Branch GSB- Government Support Branch IPB- Industry Processing Branch IQC – Image Quality Control JTMS – Justice Talent Management System LOA – Letter of Authorization NCIC – National Crime Information Center NFA – National Firearms Act Division NFRTR – National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record NIA – Non-Immigrant Alien NTN – NICS Transaction Number NTC – National Tracing Center Division OBR – Out-of-Business Records OBRIS – Out-of-Business Records Imaging System OID – Operational Intelligence Division OSHA- Occupational Safety and Health Administration OSII – Office of Strategic Intelligence and Information POC – Point of Contact PRS – Procurement Requirements Summary QPR – Quarterly Program Review PWS – Performance Work Statement RA – Research Assistant PR - Responsible Person SOT – Special Occupational Tax SOW – Statement of Work NFA – National Firearms Act Division USG - United States Government WBS – Work Breakdown Structures

VCAB – Violent Crime Analysis Branch Data Entry, Imaging, Indexing, IT Support Services and Related Support Services

2. General Information This is a non-personnel services contract to provide Contractor Support Services and Consulting Services for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)’s Enforcement Programs and Service and Strategic Intelligence and Information Directorates. The contractor shall be responsible for supervising their personnel and maintaining control over all deliverables in the performance of this contract.

2.1 Description of Services

The contractor shall provide all personnel, supplies, transportation, materials, and supervision necessary to perform Contractor Support Services and Consulting Services defined in this Performance Work Statement (PWS). Government Furnished Property for contractor use will be addressed within this PWS.

2.2 Background

ATF is a law-enforcement organization with unique responsibilities and is dedicated to reducing violent crime and protecting the public. ATF protects the public from crimes involving firearms, explosives, arson, and the diversion of alcohol and tobacco products; regulates lawful commerce in firearms and explosives; and provides worldwide support to law enforcement, public safety, and industry partners. ATF’s objective is to provide fair and effective industry regulation, provide assistance to Federal, state, local and international law enforcement, prevent crime and violence through enforcement, regulation, and community outreach, and provide innovative training programs that support criminal and regulatory enforcement activities.

This Performance Work Statement (PWS) describes five (5) major task areas that establish the scope of this contract. The five (5) task areas are:

1. Task 1- National Tracing Center Division (NTC)

2. Task 2- Firearms and Explosives Services Division (FESD)

3. Task 3- Firearms and Ammunition Technology Division (FATD)

4. Task 4- Criminal Intelligence Division/Operational Intelligence Division (CID/OID)

5. Task 5- National Firearms Act Division (NFA) The Contractor personnel shall be fully trained in their area of expertise and have the level of experience to accomplish the requirement(s) without government supervision, oversight, or other means of intervention.

Although this PWS describes a wide range of tasks, specific requirements will be defined under individual IDIQ task orders and will include the specific types of services and/or skills required to accomplish that specific effort.

2.3 Period of Performance

The period of performance for this contract will be a one 12-month base period with four one-year option periods as follows:

2.4 Quality Control

Quality Control (QC) is the responsibility of the contractor. The contractor is responsible for the delivery of quality services to the government.

The contractor shall develop, implement, and maintain an effective Quality Control System, including a written Quality Control Plan (QCP). The QCP shall implement a standardized procedure/methodology for monitoring and documenting contract performance to ensure all contract requirements are met. The Contractors’ QCP shall contain a systematic approach to monitor operations to ensure that the contractor provides acceptable and timely services/products. The QCP, as a minimum, shall address continuous process improvement; procedures for scheduling, conducting, and documentation of inspection; discrepancy identification and correction; corrective action procedures to include procedures for addressing Government discovered non-conformances; procedures for root cause analysis to identify the root cause and root cause corrective action to prevent re-occurrence of discrepancies; procedures for trend analysis; procedures for collecting and addressing customer feedback/complaints.

2.5 Quality Assurance

The government will evaluate the contractor’s performance under this contract in accordance with the Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan. This plan is a government only document primarily focused on what the government must do to assure that the contractor has performed in accordance with the requirements of the contract.

2.6 Federal Government Holidays

No work will take place on Federal Holidays. The Office of Acquisitions observes all Federal Holidays as recognized by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

2.7 Hours of Operation

The contractor personnel shall perform all work between the hours of 6:00 AM and 11:30 PM Eastern Standard Time, Monday-Friday. A normal full-time work schedule consists of an 8-hour workday and a 30-minute lunch break. Total hours are not to exceed 40 hours per week unless a COR approves overtime on a case-by-case basis. The hours of work will coincide with the hours of work established by the managers in charge of the government facility and may differ depending upon location within the facility as well as functions within the contract.

Additionally, there may be occasions when contractor personnel will be required to work other than normal business hours to fulfill requirements under this PWS. These hours are subject to change at any time. Contractor personnel, depending on mission requirements, may be provided at least twenty-four-hour (24) advance notice of such changes, but ATF cannot always account for unforeseen contingencies or mandates.

Please be advised that the EPS offices may want to run a third shift and/or go to a 24/7 operation at some point in the future. This change will be negotiated with the contractor awardee at that time.

2.8 Place of Performance

The work being performed under this contract will be performed at the below location.

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) National Services Center (NSC) 244 Needy Road, Martinsburg, WV 25405

2.9 Telework

The contractor must be able to be physically present at the Place of Performance outlined above; however, telework protocols may be approved by the COR for certain contractor roles and shifts.

2.10 Security Requirements

Contractor personnel (to include subcontractors) performing work under this contract shall have a Public Trust (minimum Tier 2 and up to a Tier 4) security clearance.

2.11 Physical Security

The contractor shall be responsible for safeguarding all government equipment, information, and property provided for contractor use under this Contract. This contract requires access into the Controlled Industrial Area of ATF. The contractor personnel shall recognize that ATF deals with sensitive information and other proprietary information, which are valuable, special, and unique assets. All information pertinent to ATF’s information technology resources is highly sensitive and shall not be released to third parties without the express, written consent of ATF. This information requires strict control procedures to preclude unauthorized disclosure or dissemination. Information pertinent to personnel is protected from unauthorized disclosure under the provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a). Contractor personnel shall not divulge, disclose, or communicate in any manner, any information to any third party without prior written consent of ATF. Contractor personnel shall protect information and treat it as strictly confidential and will abide by the security requirements of ATF. A violation of this paragraph will be a material violation of this contract. Should the contractor receive or suspect a violation of sensitive or classified information, the contractor shall immediately identify and report suspicions to the Contracting Officer Representative (COR). Contractor personnel performing work under this Contract will be subjects of background investigations, conducted by ATF’s Personnel Security Division (PSD) prior to start of work under this contract. Each contractor employee performing under this contract must successfully undergo the government required background investigation when requested by contractor and ATF COR. If approved for access by PSD, the contractor employee must maintain favorable adjudication standards for the life of the contract.

2.12 Contracting Officer Representative (COR)

Each task will have its own COR and will be delegated by separate letter from the CO. The COR monitors all technical aspects of the contract and assists in contract administration. The COR is authorized to perform several functions, including but not limited to the following: assure the contractor performs the technical requirements of the contract; perform inspections necessary in connection with contract performance; maintain written and oral communications with the contractor concerning technical aspects of the contract; issue written interpretations of technical requirements, including government drawings, designs, and specifications; monitor contractor's performance and notify both the CO and contractor of any deficiencies; coordinate availability of government furnished property; and provide site entry of contractor personnel. The CO will issue the COR a COR Appointment Letter, a copy of which is sent to the contractor for their reference. The COR Appointment Letter states the responsibilities and limitations of the COR, especially with regard to changes in cost or price, estimates or changes in delivery dates. The COR is not authorized to change any of the terms and conditions of the resulting contract or task order(s).

2.13 Key Personnel: The following personnel are considered Key Personnel:

· Project Manager (PM)

· Deputy Project Manager

· Task Managers

The contractor shall establish a single management focal point, the Project Manager (PM), to accomplish this contract's administrative, managerial, and financial aspects and all subsequent contracts. This individual will be identified to the CO as the focal point for all programmatic issues. The contractor shall provide qualified personnel to perform the tasks and submit deliverables as cited in the PWS. A list of labor categories with the requisite list of skills, education and/or experience for each labor category will be maintained by the Contractor and provided to the Government and shall meet the minimum qualifications and requirements established in the Performance Work Statement. The government reserves the right to reject proposed personnel if they do not meet the qualifications defined for the services requested and for any other good reason. If a contractor employee hired under this contract resigns or is released, the COR shall be notified immediately, but no later than 24 hours. The COR will provide the contractor with a copy of ATF’s Separation checklist to clear the building and return all government provided equipment and ID media within 24 hours. The employee shall complete and sign this checklist prior to final out-processing.

The PM shall be responsible for overall contract performance under this contract. The name of the PM and an alternate, who will act when the PM is absent, shall be designated in writing to the CO. The PM or alternate will have full authority to act for the contractor on all contractual matters relating to daily operations. The PM or alternate shall be available within current, flexible Federal Government working hours may be allowed by prior approval from the COR or CO, Monday thru Friday except Federal holidays or when the government facility is closed for administrative reasons.

The Required Qualifications for Key Personnel are listed below:

PM:

· A Bachelor’s Degree and 10 years minimum experience managing 300 or greater employees Supervisory Experience (Key Personnel)

· Proficient Technical Skills

· Demonstrated high level of Writing Skills

· Demonstrated ability to accurately type at least 40 wpm

· Interpersonal Skills

· Active Listening Skills

· Project Management/Project Planning/Project Analysis experience.

· Project Management Professional, (PMP certification)

Deputy Project Manager:

· A Bachelor’s Degree and 7 years minimum experience managing 300 or greater employees

· Proficient Technical Skills

· Demonstrated high level of Writing Skills

· Demonstrated ability to accurately type at least 40 wpm

· Interpersonal Skills

· Active Listening Skills

· Supervisory Experience (Key Personnel)

· Project Management/Project Planning/Project Analysis experience.

· Project Management Professional, (PMP certification)

Task Managers:

· A Bachelor’s Degree and/or 3 years or more managing 15 or greater employees

· Proficient Technical Skills

· Demonstrated high level of Writing Skills

· Demonstrated ability to accurately type at least 40 wpm

· Interpersonal Skills

· Active Listening Skills

· Supervisory Experience (Key Personnel)

· Project Management/Project Planning/Project Analysis experience.

2.14 Identification of Contractor Employees

All contract personnel (to include subcontractors) are required to identify themselves as such to avoid creating an impression in the minds of members of the public that they are government officials. This identification applies when attending meetings, answering government telephones, or working in other situations where their contractor status is not obvious to third parties. This identification shall be coordinated with the COR after contract award. Contract personnel shall also ensure that all documents or reports they produce are suitably marked as contractor products or that contractor participation is appropriately disclosed. All contractor personnel shall clearly identify themselves as a contractor and shall be required to wear identification (ID) badges in a visible location on the front of exterior clothing, above the waist (except when safety or health reasons prevent such placement). ID badges shall always be worn when performing work.

2.15 Supervision of Contractor Employees

The government will not exercise any supervision or control over contractor or subcontractor employees while performing work under the contract. Such employees will be accountable solely to the contractor, not the government. The contractor, in turn, will be accountable to the government for contractor or subcontractor employees.

2.16 Contractor Travel

The contractor shall bear the cost of employee transportation to and from the worksite. The government anticipates some travel under this contract; however, the Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) task order will identify the specific region, office, or facility to be supported. The contractor shall provide the services in a cost-efficient manner while minimizing travel requirements and will perform business travel only when the IDIQ task order authorized such travel, and the COR provided prior written approval. The contractor shall coordinate travel with the COR and obtain prior written authorization for travel from the COR to incurring any travel costs. Authorized travel costs incurred by the contractor personnel in support of the services herein will be reimbursed to the extent they are allocable, allowable, reasonable, and in accordance with the applicable Federal Travel Regulations (FTR). All contractors, to the maximum extent possible, shall utilize the Exemption Certificate from Tax on Occupancy of Hotel, Motel, and Tourist Home Rooms Forms.

To be reimbursed, invoices, including travel expenses, shall provide a detailed breakdown of the actual expenditures invoiced. The contractor shall maintain the original or legible copy of receipts for all travel expenses invoiced. ATF reserves the right to request evidence of any travel expense paid.

Local travel within a 50-mile radius of your primary working site is not reimbursable. When the Contractor performs official duty at an alternate duty station within the geographic boundaries as defined by the field division or within 50 miles of their residence, reimbursement for transportation expenses will be limited to expenses in excess of the normal daily commute. To be eligible for reimbursement, the local Travel must fall within the scope and terms of this contract. Overhead, profit, and fee are not allowable.

2.17 Other Direct Costs (ODCs)

ODCs may include but are not limited to, copying, faxing, phone usage, package delivery, etc. Any single purchase, of ODCs, over $3,500.00 is subject to FAR competition requirements. ODCs shall be authorized and approved by the COR prior to any purchase by the contractor.

ODCs will be reimbursed for actual costs as provided in the contract. To be reimbursed, invoices, including ODCs shall provide a detailed breakdown of the actual expenditures invoiced, including receipts. Contractor shall maintain the original or legible copy of receipts for all ODCs invoiced. ATF reserves the right to request evidence of any ODCs requesting reimbursement. To assure timely reimbursement of ODCs, the contractor is strongly encouraged to submit charges with the monthly invoices. No profit or fee will be applied to ODCs.

2.18 Data Rights

The government has unlimited rights to all documents/material produced under this contract. All documents and materials, to include the source codes of any software produced under this contract will be government owned and are the property of the government with all rights and privileges of ownership/intellectual property belonging exclusively to the government. These documents and materials shall not be used or sold by the contractor without written permission from the CO. All materials produced in performance of this PWS and supplied to the government shall be the sole property of the government and shall not be used by the contractor for any other purpose. This right does not abrogate any other government rights.

2.19 Organizational Conflict of Interest

Contractor and subcontractor personnel performing work under this contract may receive, have access to or participate in the development of proprietary or source selection information (e.g., cost or pricing information, budget information or analyses, specifications, or work statements, etc.) or perform evaluation services which may create a current or subsequent Organizational Conflict of Interests (OCI) as defined in FAR Subpart 9.5. The contractor shall notify the CO immediately whenever they become aware that such access or participation may result in any perceived, potential, or actual OCI. After discussions with the CO, they may be required to submit a plan to the CO to avoid or mitigate any such OCI. The contractor’s mitigation plan shall be determined to be acceptable solely at the discretion of the CO and in the event the CO unilaterally determines that any such OCI cannot be satisfactorily avoided or mitigated, the CO may affect other remedies as they deem necessary, including prohibiting the contractor from participation in subsequently contracted requirements which may be affected by the OCI.

2.20 Phase-In and Phase Out Transition

To allow transition, the contractor shall collaborate with the COR to develop and deliver a Phase-In and Phase-Out Transition Plan in preparation for the beginning and conclusion of the period of performance for this contract. The contractor shall submit to the COR details for the Phase-In and Phase-Out Transition Plan no later than 30 days after award. Upon notification of a change in contractors, the contractor shall:

· Provide the government and/or new contractor access to each branch:

· Provide the new contractor access to the incumbent contractor’s personnel;

· Allow for the public posting of a suitable recruitment notice within each facility;

· Coordinate a joint inventory of all government furnished property and supplies with the COR.

2.21 Staffing

The contractor shall provide sufficiently trained staff to perform the requirements of this contract. The contractor shall provide excellent customer service by exhibiting strong written and oral communication skills, interpersonal tact and diplomacy, positive acceptance of constructive criticism, and the ability to work well with a diverse array of people and sometimes angry customers.

2.22 Employee Conduct

When visiting or working, the contractor shall comply with all applicable government regulations, policies, and procedures (e.g., fire, safety, sanitation, environmental protection, security, “off limits” areas, audio/video recording prohibitions, and possession of weapons) at government facilities. Ensure contractor personnel conducts themselves in a manner that will not reflect discredit on the United States Government (USG), the US Department of Justice (DOJ), or ATF. The PM shall ensure contractor personnel understand and abide by ATF’s established rules, regulations, and policies.

The Contract Project Manager shall inform each contractor employee prior to beginning work at a Federal government facility of certain issues that may conflict with the contract, i.e., complaints and concerns are to be lodged ONLY with the Contract Project Manager or the first-line on site contract supervisor, who will transmit the concerns and complaints to the designated ATF COR.

The Project Manager shall timely identify and report to the COR any potential exposure risk to COVID or any other contagion in an effort to reduce overall building exposure and contain any potential outbreaks.

2.23 Removal of Personnel

The government will promptly remove or deny access to ATF facilities to any contractor personnel for misconduct, security concerns, or, as determined by the contractor, COR, or ATF management, inconsistent with the government's best interests. The contractor shall inform the COR first before removing any Key Personnel. The contractor shall continue to perform contract services following the removal of, or denial of, access to said personnel. The CO will provide the contractor with a written explanation to support any requirement to remove contractor personnel.

2.24 Dress Requirements

Contractor personnel shall present a professional, clean, well-groomed appearance at all times while performing on this contract, such as business casual. Consideration may be given when performing infrequent or specific assignments; however, this will be at the discretion of the COR. Jeans, shorts and athletic wear are not acceptable office attire, unless authorized by COR.

2.25 Training

Any training required by contract personnel outside of ATF training requirements shall be at the expense of the contractor. Intensive four-to-eight weeks and any on-going training will be provided by ATF for research support services. Any mandatory training issued by the Department of Justice provided through the Justice Talent Management System (JTMS) shall be completed in a timely manner. Training employees shall be coordinated onsite before the employee is offered the opportunity to work remotely.

2.26 Project Management

The contractor shall provide a full-time, on-site PM who has full authority to act on behalf of the contractor on all contract performance matters related to daily operations.

2.27 Contractor Assistance

The contractor shall cooperate with government authorities in any administrative, civil, or criminal proceedings, including providing documentation related to its employees or performance issues under this contract.

The contractor shall provide the disciplines necessary to perform the duties identified in this contract. The government reserves the right to reject proposed personnel if they do not meet the qualifications defined in the methodology for the positions requested. The government reserves the right to reject proposed personnel substitutions if they do not meet qualification requirements. The contractor shall absorb any costs resulting from substitutions of personnel initiated by the contractor if they are deemed unsuitable. If contractor personnel hired under this contract resign or are released, immediately notify the COR. The COR will provide the contractor a copy of ATF’s out-processing checklist for clearing the building. The employee must complete this checklist prior to final out-processing.

2.28 Background for employment

DOJ requires that all non-ATF personnel (contractors, task force officers, and volunteers/interns) who are providing a contract service to ATF undergo a reinvestigation periodically. ATF’s PSD is responsible for notifying the contract employees of designated time for reinvestigation. Failure for the contract employee to obtain a favorable reinvestigation shall result in immediate removal from the facility.

ATF may charge a contractor $1,509 per failure for each monthly invoice where a contractor knew or should have known that an employee submitted for ATF personnel security processing would be favorably adjudicated for access to ATF information, information technology systems, or unescorted access ATF facilities. This deduction corresponds directly with the cost associated for conducting the requisite background investigation required for each contractor position.

2.29 Partnering Philosophy

ATF strongly desires a partnership with its contractor and contractor staff. This PWS is structured to ensure the contractor’s goals and objectives are aligned with those of the ATF. Superior performance on the contractor’s part will directly link to superior ATF mission accomplishment. In the ATF/contractor partnership context, ATF does not use the terms “partner” and “partnership” as legal terms. The ATF/contractor partnership will reflect the attributes of an open, collaborative, and customer-oriented professional relationship. In addition to meeting program objectives below, the contractor shall:

· Ensure its products and services deliver tangible and meaningful business benefits.

· Consistently take steps to understand the ATF crucial business issues and opportunities.

· Share the risks and responsibilities of joint implementations and initiatives.

· Periodically measure and forecast capacity and systems growth in coordination with the ATF capital planning requirements and constraints.

· Work collaboratively with other contractors, government agencies, and business partners (e.g., The DENI Branch, the VCAB, the National Firearms Act Personnel, and International Requestors) to ensure project success.

· Provide ATF visibility into the tracing program operation schedule, performance, and risk. Report to ATF regularly and accurately on each of their tasks.

· Contractor must be able to adapt to changing priorities, initiatives, schedules, and workloads.

· The contractor shall not reduce the number of contractor employees if they are not meeting the performance measurements.

· The contractor shall not eliminate key personnel without the full agreement of ATF.

· Performance standards will be used to monitor the performance of this contract. ATF will establish the baseline and monitor progress using established performance metrics. The contractor may provide performance metrics for Government review and approval into the Performance Work Statement.

Contract Service Requirements

2.30 Kick-Off Meeting

The contractor shall attend a Kick-Off Meeting with the CO and each of the assigned CORs no later than (NLT) 10 business days after the award date. Contractor personnel that ATF has not cleared will always be escorted by an ATF personnel while attending the Kick-Off Meeting. The purpose of the Kick-Off Meeting is to discuss contract objectives. The contractor should be prepared to discuss its policies and procedures, project approach, project plan, and schedule utilizing commercial industry best practices. The Kick-Off Meeting will be held at ATF’s facility located at 244 Needy Road, Martinsburg, WV 25401.

2.31 Contract Management

The contractor shall manage the contract process by maintaining schedules and the quality of all services. Determine the project organization and the overall management necessary to accomplish contract requirements. Provide productivity and management tools to include a monthly progress/status report and quarterly program reviews. Workload processing expectations may change with industry demands.

2.32 Weekly Status Report

The contractor shall provide a written, user-friendly weekly status report to the COR no later than the Wednesday following the start of the contract and continues every Wednesday thereafter. The weekly status report shall describe technical progress by each task listed in this PWS. It shall include accomplishments for the week; problems encountered; recommended solutions and implementation plan and scheduled activities for the upcoming week, the termination or separation of contractor employees from the contract and any statistical data requested to monitor contract and branch productivity. Be prepared to present the report at a monthly meeting upon the request of the delegated COR. Information provided in these reports may be used to prepare the contractor’s annual performance rating.

2.33 Monthly Status Report (MSR)

The contractor shall provide a monthly status report, which will be comprised of results of the weekly status report and a final overview of the month’s technical progress. The monthly report shall be due within five (5) business days after the end of each month. Be prepared to present the report at a monthly meeting upon the request of COR and/or (Federal) Program Manager. Information provided in these reports may be subject to incorporation into the contractor’s annual performance rating.

2.34 Quarterly Program Review (QPR)

The contractor shall provide a quarterly program review (QPR) due within ten (10) business days following the last day of the quarter. The QPR shall be a performance summation of work processes and an overall review of the contractor’s services. The contractor is encouraged to conduct quality control reviews to determine accuracy of work performed. A forum for resolving questions and issues related to the daily processing will be established in the 1st quarter. Information provided in these reports may be subject to incorporation into the contractor’s annual performance rating.

2.35 Performance Measures

Performance measures are included in each task order. Performance measurements will be discussed during the weekly and monthly meetings of the CO, COR and PM and evaluated on a quarterly basis. The task COR and contractor shall mutually agree upon performance measures in writing and any modifications will be handled by the Contracting Officer. Performance measures shall be reviewed quarterly for modifications and may be reviewed more frequently if necessary.

2.36 Contractor Responsibilities

NTC Tracing, Data Conversion, Receiving and Warehousing area shall be performed with quick, efficient, effective, and economical receipt, capture, maintenance, and retrieval of records. The contractor shall:

· Provide highly reliable and effective results, meeting, or exceeding contract requirements.

· Establish a symbiotic working relationship with ATF.

· Performance Measures shall be established for each performance area. The performance areas consist of a section or sections responsible for the output measured.

· The contractor may allocate personnel between sections within the performance areas as necessary to achieve the performance objectives.

· However, the contractor shall not allocate personnel between performance areas without approval from the COR who will coordinate with the applicable Chief/Deputy Chief or other designated ATF authority.

· The contractor’s role is NOT to determine what the work priorities are between the performance areas or between the divisions. It is, however, to make recommendations about resource allocations between the performance areas to achieve the performance objectives and to accomplish our mission.

· ATF will reduce performance in some areas and elevate them in others as needed where feasible; ATF may adjust performance in some areas as necessary and/or reduce performance in others as budget permits, via the Contracting Officer through contract modification.

· Contractor staff working within the Receiving and Warehousing area shall be able to lift at least 50 pounds.

· Contract staff working within Receiving and Warehousing area shall establish training and certification program for adequate staff to be able to execute forklift operations without interruption. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) certifications are required to operate government furnished equipment.

· The contractor shall maintain appropriate and effective employees that maximize performance.

· Constantly seek to improve performance, reliability, security, reduced cost of the delivered services.

· The contractor shall establish a work breakdown structure that clearly identifies the work at both the broad level and at the work package level. Maintain the highest possible level of service consistent with cost effectiveness as measured by the rate and accuracy of traces. Other Direct Costs (ODCs) for Shipping and Receiving Team: The contractor shall via the COR approval maintain supplies for the OBR warehouse area. Examples of these ODC items include rental of equipment, purchasing packaging and maintaining storage for OBR records.

2.37 Continuity of Support/Peak Periods

The contractor shall ensure the level of support is maintained at all times for this requirement and that all contract support personnel are present for all hours of the workday. Should performance measures fall below appropriate levels, the Government may seek consideration from the Contractor.

The contractor shall ensure that adequate levels of support are provided to meet the services requirements of this PWS. This may be accomplished by reassigning personnel from one branch to another or bringing on additional staff to cover the increased workload volume. There will be no decrease or reduction in services to the other Divisions that support the operation/mission as displayed in the performance measures. Ensure that contract support personnel are present for all branch core business hours of the weekday, as established above under Hours of Operations, to meet any needs that may arise during these hours.

2.38 Government Furnished Property, Equipment, and Services

The government will provide office facilities, office equipment and materials for supporting the tasks identified in this contract. If required, the contractor shall also have access to copiers and fax machines.

2.39 Contractor Furnished Items and Services

The contractor shall furnish all personnel, transportation, management, supervision, other items, and non-personal services required to perform work under this contract.

2.40 Delivery Schedule

2.41 Customer Service Help Desk and Administrative Support, Customer Service Phone Support The contractor shall perform administrative support services within Divisions and Branches as follows: The contractor shall provide personnel possessing the prerequisite “interpersonal skills”, knowledge, and training necessary to satisfactorily perform all work required under this contract (unless otherwise specified) necessary to operate a fully functional customer service and administrative support services operation in an effort to satisfy customer demands and maximize customer satisfaction. This will be achieved through exemplary customer service support to include fielding inquiries from ATF’s internal and external customers which may include but are not limited to other ATF offices, federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, the general public, and/or general industry members. In addition, system data updates and/or extractions may be required. The core hours are 8AM-5PM Eastern Standard Time, Monday-Friday, however these hours are dependent upon mission requirement and are subject to change based upon each Division.

2.42 Section 508 Compliance

The contractor shall conform to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. As part of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, the U.S. Congress re-authorized Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, strengthening it by establishing accessibility standards. The reauthorization dictates that Federal agencies are required to ensure that all electronic and information technology purchased, maintained, or developed meet the new accessibility standards.

a) All information systems will be compatible with existing technology and software.

b) Section 508 Standards have been incorporated into FAR 39.2 under the Authority of 29 U.S.C. § 794d.

3. Division Tasks The contractor shall provide all labor necessary to support this PWS. ATF provides the systems, technical solutions, equipment, software, and support. ATF anticipates the contractor shall suggest process improvements to increase overall efficiency and reduce costs in meeting the mission needs of ATF and its stakeholders. It shall be the contractor’s responsibility to learn the processes and procedures of the NTC, FESD, FATD, CID/OID, and NFA. Quality management systems, quality control, quality assurance, and ISO 9000 processes are essential to the success of this contract. Throughout the contract life, the contractor is encouraged to seek ways to incorporate process improvements and innovative and emerging technologies that, in the most economically and efficient manner and to return on investment objectives, improve both operational performance and the ATF mission objectives. ATF’s Office of Science and Technology (OST) must approve any new technologies. The contractor is responsible for providing qualified personnel in each of the functional areas that meet the minimum experience and educational requirements for the corresponding labor category prior to performance of services.

3.1 Overall contractor responsibilities for all Divisions NTC, FESD, FATD, CID/OID, and NFA

1. The contractor shall provide audit and oversight activities that demonstrate superior service at a fair and reasonable price (such as the ISO 9000 program).

2. The contractor shall establish a flexible, transparent, and responsive performance management information system that provides insightful, accurate and timely information and data on program status and performance reporting.

3. The contractor shall support the development of a system that supports ATF’s compliance with government standards and requirements (e.g., Service Contract Act of 1965, Clinger-Cohen, Section 508, ATF ISSO, ATF SDLC, etc.).

4. The contractor understands mandated timeframes for ATF processes and provide level of support to meet the established mandated requirements.

5. The contractor recommends and/or allocates contractor personnel appropriately.

6. The contractor provides cost information subtotaled at various levels of the WBS.

7. The contractor shall plan addition or subtraction of tasks when conditions warrant. ATF reserves the right to add, change or delete tasks as well as to re-prioritize them as our mission demands and would be done through a modification. All major tasks have internally defined performance measures, performance goals, and actual current statistics. All major tasks have written Operational Procedures that provides a step-by-step break down of each task element, both will be provided during onboarding.

8. The contractor shall be ready for changes in ATF’s processes. ATF is in the process of implementing several new automated computer systems in order to increase turnaround times and workflow processes within ATF’s respective divisions. These new systems may cause ATF to revamp our processes within the next year.

9. Data entry tasks and other duties shall be individually performed by each contractor employee at quantity and quality standards set by each ATF Branch, specific to the unique document associated with each Branch.

10. The contractor shall adhere to all established guidelines and operating rules in effect at the Martinsburg, WV National Services Center facility.

11. The Contract Project Manager shall inform each contractor employee, prior to beginning work at a Federal government facility, of certain issues that may conflict with the contract, (i.e., complaints and concerns are to be lodged ONLY with the Contract Project Manager, or the first-line on site contract supervisor), who will transmit the concerns and complaints to the designated ATF COR.

12. The contractor shall provide the Contracting Officers Representative (COR) with invoices accurately reflecting the funded value, previous cumulative billing, current billing, remaining balance

13. The contractor shall resolve the complexities and difficulties that are characteristic of operating a large-scale information warehouse where information is captured and translated between different media.

4. Task 1: National Tracing Center Division (NTC) The mission of the NTC is to conduct firearms tracing and associated programs and processes accurately and efficiently for International, Federal, State, and Local law enforcement agencies to provide investigative leads. The NTC serves as the central repository of all crime gun trace data, multiple handgun sales information, Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) theft/loss of firearms information, Interstate theft/loss of firearms information, and over 800 million firearms transaction records submitted by out of business FFLs. The purpose of firearms tracing is to (1) link a suspect to a firearm in a criminal investigation; (2) identify potential firearms traffickers, and (3) to identify recurring patterns and trends indicative of illegal firearms trafficking. Analysis of the collective crime gun trace histories assists law enforcement in developing focused strategies to violent gun crime.

The NTC requires contractor support of NTC operations in Martinsburg, West Virginia. These activities include a number of broad tasks; Firearms Tracing; Out-of-Business Records (OBR) Processing; Stolen Firearms Program; Data Entry (for Firearms Trace Requests, Reports of Multiple Sales for Handguns; Demand Letter 1, 2, and 3 responses); Firearms Services; Coding and Quality Assurance support; Tracing Operations support; NTC Connect support; and IT Support Customer Service Line Support.

In FY-21, the NTC processed over 548,000 firearm trace requests of which over 8,400 were designated as urgent. The NTC Division is forecasting more than 630,000 incoming trace requests in FY-22. The Department of Justice (DOJ) and ATF Headquarters (HQ) monitor the NTC through performance measures. (1) Percentage of Routine firearms trace requests completed within 7 days, with a target of 75%; (2) Percentage of Urgent firearms traces completed within 48 hours, with a target of 95%. ATF HQ performance measures for which contractors will be measured for this task are:

· Percentage of Trace Requests completed successfully correlated to the actual number of investigative leads produced by the NTC.

· Accuracy and completion rates of the Trace Results (which indicates the operational efficiency of the NTC).

These performance measures are indicative of ATF’s goals, which relate to the continued expansion/growth of firearms tracing to produce more investigative leads. Consequently, steady annual growth in workload is anticipated, but this does not necessarily imply continued growth in terms of budget. The NTC’s intent is and has been - to engage in continuous process improvement to accumulate efficiencies in proportion to growth.

4.1 In general terms:

a) The NTC (1) traces firearms for law enforcement; (2) manages a substantial quantity of records utilized in support of the core firearms tracing mission; and (3) operates systems that support these processes.

b) Firearms Tracing: Receives over 548,000 firearms trace requests annually, projected to exceed 630,000 in FY-22.

c) Stolen Firearms Program: From 19,000 to 33,000 firearms reported lost or stolen annually, with approximately 3,000 recovered annually.

d) Multiple Sales for Handguns Program: over 1.5 million firearms as part of a report of multiple sales for handguns, which require a series of processes to include data entry.

e) Firearms Tracing Services: Manages a variety of tracing related programs.

f) Demand Program: varies in scale according to criteria, ranging from 350,000 to 1 million records annually, which require data entry.

g) Out-of-Business Records (OBR) Processing involves the receipt, inventory, and processing of incoming documents, imaging, and quality control processes; as well as an electronic records component and associated processes. In FY-21, the NTC processed more than 54.7 million OBRs, consisting of more than 53.8 million paper and over 877,000 electronic records (consisting of approx. 43.85 million serial numbers). In FY-22, the NTC is averaging approximately 6.5 million hard-copy OOB documents received per month. General Support (IT Support, Administrative Support, and Quality Management Support).

h) The NTC receives firearms trace requests from law enforcement agencies throughout the United States and more than 60 other countries. The NTC accesses the records maintained at the NTC in conjunction with records maintained by firearms manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers to complete each firearms trace request. Normally a single firearms trace request involves multiple transactions through a chain of distribution from manufacturer/importer to wholesaler, to a retail dealer to identify an unlicensed individual purchaser.

i) The NTC operates a variety of systems to support these operations which include (a) Electronic Firearm Tracing System (eTrace) used to electronically transmit and receive trace requests from law enforcement; (b) Firearms Tracing System (FTS) serves as the primary system of record for both trace requests/results transactions as well as all other transactional data; (c) Electronic Trace Operations and Workflow (eTOWRS) which provides workflow routing/management of the firearms trace requests through the associated processes; (d) the Enterprise Content Management Imaging Repository (ECM), which contains all the stored images of OBR and other tracing related records; (e) NTC Connect, which is a voluntary program allowing authorized NTC personnel to search (by serial number only) the records of participating active manufacturers, wholesalers and importers; (f) DR6 which contains images of converted microfilm inactive FFL records.

j) The NTC…