Draft NWR Transmitter Maintenance Services- Colorado.docx.pdf

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Performance Work Statement (PWS) National

Weather Service - Central Region

NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards Transmitter System Maintenance Services and Tower

Space in The State of Colorado

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT/SPECIFICATIONS

1.0 Introduction

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Weather Service (NWS) mission is to provide weather, water, and climate data, forecasts and warnings for the protection of life and property and the enhancement of the national economy as well as the provision of Non-Weather Emergency Messages (NWEM). In support of this mission, NWS operates the NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) All Hazards network to continuously disseminate its forecasts and warnings 24 hours a day, 365 days per year.

Under a March 2023 House Resolution (H.R. 1482), the NOAA Weather Radio Modernization Act of 2023 was passed “...in order to provide guidance for and investment in the upgrade and modernization of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Weather Radio All Hazards network…” This resolution was intended to expand and modernize the NWR network so that critical weather and non-weather emergency information can reach every citizen in the United States, its territories, and Tribal lands.

2.0 Background

In Colorado, NWR transmitters are located on Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) towers. CDOT towers are strategically located geographically to allow the NWS to maximize its network of NWR broadcast coverage throughout a large portion of the state of Colorado. Towers are located mostly in remote areas and provide an advantage for both above mean sea level and telecommunication line of sight perspectives. It is estimated that over 98 percent of residents are within the service area of an NWR transmitter.

3.0 Scope

The Contractor shall provide maintenance services on NOAA All Hazards Radio sites, inclusive of continued preventative and unscheduled maintenance services, tower and floor space, and commercial and emergency power for the NWR network that serves the state of Colorado in order to ensure the uninterrupted quality of NWR broadcasts and the issuance of warnings to the listening public within the FCC Radio Frequency Authorization (RFA) specifications. The NWS is mandated by the National Response Plan to provide uninterrupted EAS broadcast transmissions 24/7/365.

The NWR systems to be maintained at each site consist of a transmitter system, including antenna and transmission line, located at a remote tower site; and a communication link (telephone line, microwave link, UHF link, or a combination of these) between two locations.

These systems communicate with an audio controller/converter console located in a NWS office. The transmitter equipment associated with the CDOT transmitter sites were manufactured either by Crown Electronics Corporation, Continental Electronics Corporation, Motorola Corporation, or Armstrong Transmitter Corporation.

This Performance Work Statement (PWS) pertains to the transmitter system portion of the NWR network installed at twenty-eight (28) CDOT sites located in Alamosa, Anton, Bethune, Boyero, Canon City, Colorado Springs, Deer Trail, Denver, Dillion, Durango, Eagle, Fort Collins, Fort Morgan, Fowler, Franktown, Glenwood Springs, Grand Junction, Greeley, La Junta, Lamar, Longmont, Montrose, Pueblo, Springfield, Steamboat Springs, Sterling, Walsenburg and Wray, CO.

The Government reserves the right, with Contractor coordination, to change or enhance the transmitter equipment configuration at a site to accommodate the NWR network and expansion process. Such changes will be accomplished by the issuance of a bilateral modification to this contract.

4.0 Performance Objectives

The Contractor shall have complete responsibility for, and shall bear all costs associated with, providing all maintenance and maintenance support services for the equipment listed in Section 7.1.

4.1 Contractor Maintenance Responsibilities

The Contractor shall be responsible for providing all labor needed to maintain the transmitter systems equipment. Replacement parts to replenish those used in the repair of transmitter systems are available from Centuria Corporation 11800 Sunrise Valley Dr.

Suite 420, Reston, VA 20191, phone number (703) 435-4600. The Contractor is responsible for ordering the necessary parts needed to complete the repairs. All replaced parts shall be returned to the Government supply depot at the Contractor's expense. The Contractor shall coordinate with the COR and the controlling Weather Service Office before performing any routine or corrective maintenance that might cause disruption of the NWR broadcast.

4.2 Routine Maintenance

The Contractor shall perform routine maintenance every 180 calendar days, at a minimum, in accordance with the requirements stated in the transmitter preventative maintenance schedule and performance measurements found in the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) manual, and NWS maintenance instructions found in Attachment

4. The Government reserves the right to periodically modify the "Maintenance Schedule" set forth in the OEM Manual and NWS maintenance instructions. In addition, the Contractor is responsible for updating the maintenance data log attached to the transmitters. The Contractor shall submit a log entry according to the report criteria stated in Section 9.1 and 9.2.

After performing routine maintenance, the Contractor shall ensure that the transmitter system is operational and functional at the authorized output power, within required frequency and modulation tolerance, and follows all technical descriptions and specifications of the OEM manual and NWS maintenance instructions for the equipment.

The Contractor shall provide the local NWS office with 24 hours advance notice for routine equipment maintenance visits. When there is a potential for threatening weather, routine maintenance may be delayed at the discretion of the local NWS office; the COR shall be notified within 24 hours of any delayed or missed maintenance visit.

4.2.1 Routine Remote Monitoring - The Contractor shall remotely monitor the transmitters on a quarterly basis to verify that parameters are within specifications. Monitoring shall be performed using dial-in software on Armstrong transmitters and dial in Remote Off-Air Monitoring System (ROAMS) for additional transmitter systems as applicable.

4.3 Corrective Maintenance

The Contractor shall perform all corrective maintenance whether discovered by the Contractor while performing routine maintenance or requested through a service call.

When responding to a service call for corrective maintenance, the Contractor shall also complete routine maintenance in accordance with Section

5.2 before leaving the transmitter site. Upon completing all maintenance, the Contractor shall test the transmitter system to ensure that the system is operational and functional at authorized output power, within required frequency and modulation tolerance, and in compliance with all technical descriptions and specifications of the OEM manuals for the equipment. The Contractor shall provide a means to guarantee that calls for service and calls to report outages will be answered and responded to 24/7/365. At the time of award, the Contractor shall provide a phone number that can be called to request service and report outages. (See Quality Control Plan (QCP) requirements in Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) Section 1.3.1)

4.4 System Availability

The NWR transmitter system operates 24/7/365, and shall not experience more than 88 combined hours annually per site of preventative and/or unscheduled maintenance service downtime. That equates to an availability of ~ 99.98995% annually for the performance period.

4.4.1 Loss of Operational Capability

A site outage is defined as the loss of the ability to transmit broadcast-quality audio at the required output power. Site outages caused by natural disasters or vandalism shall be corrected as soon as possible. Restoration time shall be coordinated with the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) for those types of outages. Current weather conditions or forecasts for the affected site area will determine the urgency of the restoration. All other site outages shall be corrected so that the Mean Time to Restore (MTTR) per site shall not exceed 12 consecutive hours. The maximum restoration time for any site outage shall not exceed 24 consecutive hours (including nights, weekends and holidays, regardless of Contractor's normal business hours) for all corrective service calls, unless an extended period is granted by the Contracting Officer Representative (COR). Any extension request shall be made to the COR within 24 hours of the site outage. The extension may include but will not be limited to lack of GFP spare parts due to the Government's discretion, requests by the controlling Weather Service Office, and unsafe working conditions. Outage time starts when the Contractor is notified of a problem or when an attempt is made to notify the Contractor through the specified method in Section 5.4.3 and the Contractor cannot be reached. The outage time ends when: (1) the Government is notified by the contractor that the system is repaired and is available for use, and that broadcast-quality audio is again being transmitted at full authorized output power and the transmitting system meets all the required technical specifications of the OEM equipment manuals; and (2) the Government monitoring system, as applicable, verifies the quality of the received signal.

4.4.2 Degraded Operational Capability - A transmitter site configured with a dual transmitter is considered in a degraded operational mode if either transmitter is not capable of operating at full authorized power. The Contractor shall perform corrective maintenance on a degraded site as described in Section 5.3. The Contractor shall respond to an operationally degraded site within 48 hours of notice and restore it to full operation within 72 hours of notice. A site outage is considered an emergency and has precedence over a degraded site.

4.4.3 Notification of Outage - The Government will notify the Contractor of an outage. It is the responsibility of the Contractor to obtain approval from the Weather Service Office before performing any routine or corrective maintenance that would cause an outage. Upon completion of the maintenance service: (1) the controlling Weather Service Office shall be notified a second time that the transmitter is repaired, available for use, and broadcast-quality audio is again being transmitted at full authorized output power; (2) the transmitting system meets all the required technical specifications for the equipment listed; and, (3) the Government monitoring system, as applicable, verifies the monitored transmitter parameters are within the prescribed limits and the received signal is of good quality. The Contractor shall record an outage, the reason(s) for the outage and the corrective action taken, in the Maintenance Activity Report (Section 10.2).

4.4.4 False Repair Calls (FRC) - The Contractor may expect to receive service calls that are not directly related to a failure of the NWR transmitter system. The Contractor shall notify the COR when it has responded to a service call that is subsequently classified as a FRC. The Contractor shall so note and document the cause and effect of the NWR transmitter outage in the Maintenance Activity Report.

4.4.5 Annual Signal Strength Measurement. The Contractor shall perform annual signal strength measurements at each Contractor maintained transmitter site to ensure that overall system performance has not deteriorated. The signal strength measurements shall be made at a minimum of four different land locations that are approximately 90 degrees apart and a minimum of 5 to a maximum of 20 statute miles radius from the transmitter site (the Contractor shall use the same locations as used the previous year and each year thereafter for continuity). The time interval between the annual measurements shall be from 9 to 13 months. The Contractor shall ensure it receives previous signal strength reports from the Government for each site to show the annual signal strength measurement locations. A signal strength measurement report shall be provided to the Government (COR) within 15 days of the performed measurements. The report shall detail the transmitter site data, antenna data (orientation, height, etc.), and approximate radial distance of each measurement from the transmitter. The measurements at all sites shall be performed using calibrated (traceable to National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST)) test equipment designed to measure RF field strength in the appropriate units and using identical measurement procedures.

4.4.6 Contractor Performance Monitoring - The Government reserves the right to observe the Contractor’s personnel performing routine and corrective maintenance at any NWR transmitter site to ensure compliance with the terms of the contract. In addition, performance will be monitored using the site visit reports and the monthly status reports.

4.4.7 Other Maintenance Support Services - The Contractor shall maintain the Remote Off-Air Monitoring System (ROAMS) if installed at transmitter sites. A complement of ROAMS spare units will be supplied by the Government.

Maintenance shall involve the replacement of defective units.

6.0 Contractor Personnel Technical Experience and Qualification Requirements The Contractor's personnel performing routine and corrective maintenance on the NWR transmitter system shall be technically qualified and have experience in performing maintenance work on radio frequency (RF) VHF FM transmitter systems according to the transmitter manufacturer Preventive Maintenance Schedule and Performance Measurements. These qualifications can be met through appropriate education in electronics and associated theory, as well as specific training and/or education in job related experiences in the maintenance of related type transmitter equipment. The Contractor shall notify the COR in writing of any change in technical field personnel assigned to perform maintenance on the transmitters. The Contractor shall provide the technical qualifications, training and related experience for replacement personnel.

6.1 Certification - The contractor will provide an adequate number of qualified and licensed radio technicians to maintain all NWR transmitter systems in accordance with pertinent federal and state regulations.

6.2 Training - NWS agrees that it will provide NWR transmitter maintenance training for contractor radio technicians. Training slots will be available at the request of the contractor at the National Weather Service Training Center (NWSTC) in Kansas City, Mo. The contractor will work with the COR to obtain training slots. The Contractor shall provide the technical qualifications, training and related experience for replacement personnel and notify the COR of any new training requirements.

It is the contractor’s responsibility to pay for their employee’s travel and periderm expenses to Kansas City for training. The contractor will work with the COR and the NWSTC Student Coordinator if they require any assistance for their employees while they are in training at NWSTC facility.

7.0 General Information

7.1 Place of Performance – CDOT Tower Site Locations in Colorado

Alamosa, Colorado Site Owner:

CO Comms Svcs 2452 W 2nd Ave Number 19 Denver CO 80223 303-866-2221

Anton, Colorado

Site Owner:

CO Comms Svcs 2452 W 2nd Ave Number 19 Denver CO 80223 303-866-2221

Bethune, Colorado

Site Owner:

CO Comms Svcs 2452 W 2nd Ave Number 19 Denver CO 80223 303-866-2221

Boyero, Colorado Site Owner:

CO Comms Svcs 2452 W 2nd Ave Number 19 Denver CO 80223 303-866-2221

Canon City, Colorado Site Owner:

CO Comms Svcs 2452 W 2nd Ave Number 19 Denver CO 80223 303-866-2221

Colorado Springs, Colorado Site Owner:

CO Comms Svcs

2452 W 2nd Ave Number 19 Denver CO 80223 303-866-2221

Deer Trail, Colorado

Site Owner:

CO Comms Svcs 2452 W 2nd Ave Number 19 Denver CO 80223

303-866-2221

Denver, Colorado Site Owner:

CO Comms Svcs 2452 W 2nd Ave Number 19 Denver CO 80223 303-866-2221

Dillon, Colorado Site Owner:

CO Comms Svcs 2452 W 2nd Ave Number 19 Denver CO 80223 303-866-2221

Durango, Colorado Site Owner:

CO Comms Svcs 2452 W 2nd Ave Number 19 Denver CO 80223 303-866-2221

Castle Peak/Eagle, Colorado Site Owner:

CO Comms Svcs 2452 W 2nd Ave Number 19 Denver CO 80223 303-866-2221

Fort Collins/Ault, Colorado Site Owner:

CO Comms Svcs 2452 W 2nd Ave Number 19 Denver CO 80223 303-866-2221

Fort Morgan, Colorado

Site Owner:

CO Comms Svcs 2452 W 2nd Ave Number 19 Denver CO 80223 303-866-2221

Fowler, Colorado

Site Owner:

CO Comms Svcs 2452 W 2nd Ave Number 19 Denver CO 80223

Franktown, Colorado

Site Owner:

CO Comms Svcs 2452 W 2nd Ave Number 19 Denver CO 80223 303-866-2221

Glenwood Springs, Colorado Site Owner:

CO Comms Svcs 2452 W 2nd Ave Number 19 Denver CO 80223 303-866-2221

Grand Junction, Colorado Site Owner:

CO Comms Svcs 2452 W 2nd Ave Number 19

Greeley, Colorado

CO Comms Svcs 2452 W 2nd Ave Number 19 Denver CO 80223 303-866-2221

La Junta, Colorado Site Owner:

CO Comms Svcs 2452 W 2nd Ave Number 19 Denver CO 80223 303-866-2221

Lamar, Colorado Site Owner:

CO Comms Svcs 2452 W 2nd Ave Number 19 Denver CO 80223 303-866-2221

Mead/Longmont, Colorado Site Owner:

CO Comms Svcs 2452 W 2nd Ave Number 19 Denver CO 80223 303-866-2221

Montrose, Colorado

CO Comms Svcs

2452 W 2nd Ave Number 19

303-866-2221

Pueblo, Colorado Site Owner:

CO Comms Svcs 2452 W 2nd Ave Number 19 Denver CO 80223 303-866-2221

Springfield, Colorado Site Owner:

CO Comms Svcs 2452 W 2nd Ave Number 19 Denver CO 80223 303-866-2221

Steamboat Springs, Colorado Site Owner:

CO Comms Svcs 2452 W 2nd Ave Number 19 Denver CO 80223 303-866-2221

Sterling, Colorado Site Owner: CO Comms Svcs 2452 W 2nd Ave Number 19 Denver CO 80223 303-866-2221

Walsenburg, Colorado Site Owner: CO Comms Svcs 2452 W 2nd Ave Number 19 Denver CO 80223 303-866-2221

Wray, Colorado Site Owner:

CO Comms Svcs 2452 W 2nd Ave Number 19

7.2 Hours of Work - Remote maintenance shall be performed every 90 days.

On-site routine maintenance shall be performed every 180 days, as a minimum. Signal strength measurements shall be performed annually. Site outages caused by natural disasters or vandalism shall be corrected as soon as possible. All other site outages shall be corrected so that the Mean Time to Restore (MTTR) per site shall not exceed 12 consecutive hours. The maximum restoration time for any site outage shall not exceed 24 consecutive hours (including nights, weekends and holidays, regardless of Contractor's normal business hours) for all corrective service calls, unless an extended period is granted by the COR. Any extension request shall be made to the COR within 24 hours of the site outage.

7.3 Site Access - Timely restoration of the NWR transmitters is critical to the safety of the public and their property. Maximum restoration time for a site shall not exceed 24 consecutive hours (including nights, weekends and holidays, regardless of Contractor's normal business hours) for a site with "Loss of Operational Capability", or 72 hours for a site with "Degraded Operational Capability." Outages caused by natural disasters or vandalism shall be corrected as soon as possible and coordinated with the COR. It will be the contractor’s responsibility to access and maintain this equipment without outside assistance to physically access the site.

All contract employees must pass a full background and fingerprint check administered by the State of Colorado before they will be allowed access to any CDOT facility. If the potential employee does not pass the state’s requirements for access, the government will take no action to try to reverse the state’s decision. The choice of who the state allows to access their facilities is left to their process, and their discretion.

Please note the National Weather Service does not hold the rights to guarantee access to the sites but the uptime and restoration standards of this PWS still need to be observed. It is up to the contractor to work out access with the State of Colorado and this needs to be documented and submitted for approval by the government.

The State of Colorado will make every effort to work with the contractor to provide timely access to the site. However, if this requires the state to send an employee out on a holiday or after hours in order to meet the restoration requirements of this PWS, any call back or premium pay required for that employee by the State of Colorado will be the responsibility of the contractor. The contractor will work with the state to determine the prevailing wage rates for overtime and holiday pay, and they will resolve any premium or OT pay issues without issue between the two parties.

7.4 Safety and Transportation - The contractor assumes liability for the safety of its employees. Due to the remoteness of the NWR sites, the contractor will need to be able to provide transportation sufficient enough to access these sites in potentially hazardous or dangerous weather conditions. These may include a vehicle with a mounted plowing blade, a vehicle with all wheel/4-wheel drive, snow mobiles (both 2 and 4 stroke engines depending on location), and a Sno-Cat or a deep snow capable ATV/UTV.

It will be the contractor’s responsibility to possess and maintain these vehicles, and have them at their disposal whenever needed to report to an NWR outage. It will also be the contractor’s responsibility and liability to train and certify their employees in the proper operation and safety techniques for these types of vehicles, as well as cold weather and exposure survival techniques. Certifications need to be maintained, and presented upon request of the government. Plans to provide adequate transportation must be submitted, reviewed and approved by the government prior to contact award.

7.5 Communications - The National Weather Service NOAA All Hazards Radio (NWR) transmitters in the state of Colorado reside in CDOT facilities. This arrangement was made so that transmitted audio from the NWS forecast Offices (WFO) could be easily routed to the most remote part of our county warning areas (CWA) covered by NWS transmitters. This audio transmission is possible because the state allows the NWS to reside on their first responder microwave network. This includes audio from all twenty-eight (28) NWR Transmitters in Colorado, and two (2) in the state of Utah. This microwave network also carries wideband data from the WSR-88D RADAR systems located in Pueblo, CO, and Grand Junction, CO. Due to the remoteness of the locations, this network has proven to be the most reliable and efficient way to get audio and wideband data to such an expansive network so reliably and efficiently.

The state of Colorado has indicated that they may remove us from this network due to bandwidth constraints. As of this solicitation, we have not been able to find a more reliable method to transport our audio to the NWR transmitter sites and the RADAR sites in Grand Junction, CO and Pueblo, CO. Use of T0 copper, T1 copper, fiber or any other form of land line is almost impossible at many of the sites because they are located so far off of the normal communications grid. Cellular coverage is also variable depending on the site location. Satellite communications are unreliable due to rain and snow fade of signal, and is limited in the bandwidth and speed of the network. Due to distance, point to point low frequency RF links have also proven to be unreliable, as they create more frequent points of failure. The only viable solution is a private microwave network. This network will need to be provided and maintained by the maintenance contractor, and must be installed at the twenty-eight NWR sites in Colorado, 2 NWR sites in Utah, and also for the wideband data links for the Grand Junction and Pueblo WSR-88D RADARs.

This network will need to be demonstrated to be fully operational, secured per NOAA OIT and DOC/NIST security standards, and licensed by the FCC for legal operation before the transfer period ends of the current contract, in order to ensure that there is no loss of critical weather watch/warnings and RADAR data to/from the associated Weather Forecast Office.

7.6 Facilities - As stated above, the NWS transmitters currently reside in CDOT facilities. These facilities are strategically located in order to provide the most widespread coverage of current weather conditions, observations and forecasts. If for any reason we were to be asked to leave those locations, it would be the responsibility of the contractor to find us equivalent facilities in both condition and price, and to pay the cost to relocate our transmitters and their communications. The average relocation price per site is ~$125,000 (based on the most recent two site relocation projects completed by the National Weather Service Central Region in St. Lois, MO and Des Moines, IA). The price can vary based on location and site amenities. The NWS will work with the contractor to find locations that produce similar propagation to the location we are moving from and advise accordingly. Plans to provide adequate shelter in case of eviction must be submitted, reviewed and approved by the government prior to contact award.

7.7 Period of Performance - Please see CAR 1352.270-70, Period of Performance (APR 2010), within contract terms and conditions.

8.0 Government Furnished Property (GFP) - The Government will furnish as GFP, the replacement parts as stated in procedures listed in Section 5.1 for use in maintaining the equipment. A listing of the GFP is provided in CAR 1352.245-70 GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY (APR 2010). The Contractor shall perform a complete inventory and inspection of all incoming GFP within 60 days after the receipt of each item. If the GFP is received by the Contractor in a condition not suitable for its intended use, the Contractor shall notify the COR within 60 days. Equipment manuals required to perform the services under this contract will be provided initially by the Government. The Contractor shall be responsible for the security of all transferred GFP.

At the end of contract performance, the Contractor shall return all Government furnished spare parts to the Government supply depot designated by the COR. The Contractor shall maintain all contractor-owned test equipment used in the performance of this contract.

The equipment shall be calibrated in accordance with manufacturer's specifications traceable to the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST).

8.1 Equipment - NWS furnishes the following equipment, materials, and documentation.

a. One (1) dual VHF transmitter.

b. One (1) high gain antenna.

c. All necessary antenna mounts, cable, cable connectors, and other hardware.

d. One (1) ROAMS unit and associated communications equipment.

e. Recurring spare parts.

f. Necessary documentation and maintenance manuals.

g. Interference suppressor, where required.

h. Electrical service materials (if required)

i. UHF receiver antenna, mounts, cable, cable connectors, and miscellaneous mounting hardware, including interference suppressors where required.

j. Copies of station licenses (licenses remain the property of NWS).

9.0 Services and Supplies to be Provided by the Contractor

9.1 Security - The contractor will be responsible for ensuring that the site owner’s security measures are enforced. The contractor shall notify the COR immediately of any loss or damage to Government - furnished facilities, equipment, and supplies.

9.2 IT Security - Federal law and NOAA policy require anyone who uses NOAA computer resources, including contractors, to participate in at least one web-based NOAA Annual Information Technology Security Awareness training activity.

9.3 Tools and Test Equipment - Contractor furnishes all normal hand tools and test equipment (VOM's, Watt-meters, Service Monitors, etc.,) used in the maintenance of NWR transmitter systems.

9.4 Transportation - Contractor provides transportation to and from both transmitter and training facilities.

10.0 Deliverable Reports

10.1 Maintenance Activity - The Contractor will document all corrective maintenance activity, within 5 business days in the NWR Engineering Management

Reporting System (EMRS). The Engineering Management Reporting System is the primary source for field level maintenance data utilized by the NWS. The information collected by the EMRS is vital to the sustained mission of the NWS. The Contractor shall retain a copy of each report submitted. All data compiled in the performance of this contract becomes the property of the Government.

10.2 Maintenance Activity Reports - The Contractor shall enter a quarterly report in EMRS summarizing maintenance activities on the transmitter system at each location serviced. The following information shall be included in the report: maintenance activity summary; repair call time summary; false repair call summary; non-transmitter related outage hours; transmitter related outage hours; maintenance call type analysis;

maintenance action cause analysis; reported/ unreported transmitter repair summary and any additional maintenance activity within 15 days following the end of the previous quarter.

10.3 Contractor Maintained NWR Transmitter Site Data Report - The Government will confirm NWR transmitter site data. The Contractor shall not assume this data to be complete or correct. The Contractor is responsible for verifying the information provided in the Government-furnished report and shall submit all corrections to the COR within 90 calendar days of contract award either through electronic mail or regular mail.

https://cbits.nws.noaa.gov/ords/emrsuser/emrs_main.home

QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE PLAN (QASP)

Maintenance Services and Tower Space for the NOAA Weather Service All Hazards System in the State of Colorado for the

National Weather Service Central

Region Kansas City, MO

1.0 INTRODUCTION

This Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) is pursuant to the requirements listed in the performance-based Performance Work Statement (PWS) entitled Exhibit 1 NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards Transmitter System Maintenance Services and Tower Space in the State of Colorado.

1.1 PURPOSE

The purpose of the QASP is to describe the systematic methods used to measure performance and to identify the reports required and the resources to be employed. The QASP provides a means for evaluating whether the contractor is meeting the performance standards identified in the PWS.

This QASP is designed to define roles and responsibilities, identify the performance objectives, define the methodologies used to monitor and evaluate the contractor’s performance, describe quality assurance reporting, and describe the analysis of quality assurance monitoring results.

1.2 PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT APPROACH

The performance-based PWS structures the acquisition around “what” service is required as opposed to “how” the contractor should perform the work. This QASP will define the performance management approach taken by the Central Region of the National Weather to monitor, manage, and take appropriate action on the contractor’s performance against expected outcomes or performance objectives communicated in the PWS. Performance management rests upon developing a capability to review and analyze information generated through performance metrics. The data generated in a performance management approach provides information that indicates whether or not expected outcomes for required services are being achieved adequately by the contractor.

Performance management also represents a significant shift from the more traditional Quality Assurance (QA) concepts in several ways. Performance management focuses on assessing whether or not outcomes are being achieved and migrates away from scrutiny on compliance with the processes and practices used to achieve the outcome. The only exceptions to process reviews are those required by law (Federal, State, and local) and compelling business situations such as safety and health. An outcome focus provides the contractor flexibility to continuously improve and innovate over the course of the contract as long as the critical outcomes expected are being achieved at the desired levels of performance.

1.3 PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT STRATEGY

The contractor’s Quality Control Plan (QCP) will set forth the staffing and procedures for self-inspection of the quality, timeliness, responsiveness, customer satisfaction, and other performance requirements in the PWS. The contractor will develop and implement a performance management system with processes to assess and report their performance to the designated Government representative.

The Government representative will monitor performance and review performance reports furnished by the contractor to determine how the contractor is performing against communicated performance objectives. The Government will make decisions based on performance measurement metric data and notify the contractor of those decisions. The contractor will be responsible for making required changes in processes and practices to ensure performance is managed effectively.

2.0 METHODOLOGIES TO MONITOR PERFORMANCE

In an effort to minimize the contract administration burden, simplified methods of surveillance techniques shall be used by the Government to evaluate contractor performance. The primary methods of surveillance are random checks, observations, inspections, complaints and review of those records and files that are required to be maintained and delivered under this performance work statement. The Government will use appointed representatives, as well as reports and input from employees as sources of comments on the contractor’s performance.

The contractor is expected to establish and maintain professional communication between itself and the customer the National Weather Service. The primary objective of professional communication between the contractor and customers is customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction is the most significant external indicator of the success and effectiveness of all services provided and can be measured through customer complaints. Performance management drives the contractor to be customer focused through initially addressing customer complaints and investigating the issues and/or problems.

NOTE: The public, the ultimate customer, always has the option to communicate complaints to the COR as opposed to the contractor. The COR will accept the customer complaints and will investigate using the Quality Assurance Monitoring Form – Customer Complaint Investigation identified in Attachment 3.

The acceptable quality levels (AQL) located in Attachment 1, Required Performance Metric (RPM), for contractor performance are structured to allow the contractor to manage how the work is performed while providing negative incentives for performance shortfalls.

3.0 QUALITY ASSURANCE REPORTING

The performance management feedback loop begins with the communication of expected outcomes. Performance standards are expressed in the PWS and measured by the Performance Requirements Summary in Attachment 1.

The Government’s QA monitoring, accomplished by the COR, will be reported using the monitoring forms in Attachments 2 and 3. The forms, when completed, will document the COR’s understanding of the contractor’s performance under the contract to ensure that the PWS requirements are being met.

The COR will retain a copy of all completed QA monitoring forms.

4.0 ANALYSIS OF QUALITY ASSURANCE MONITORING RESULTS

The Government shall use the observation methods cited to determine whether the Acceptable Quality Levels (AQLs) have been met. The Government will evaluate the results which then may be translated into the specific negative incentives that cause adjustments to the contractor’s quarterly payments, should performance not meet the AQL’s.

At the Government’s discretion, the COR will review the overall results of the quality assurance monitoring of the contractor’s performance.

The Contractor shall meet with the COR as often as required to discuss performance. The agenda of the reviews may discuss:

● Performance measured by the metrics and trends

● Issues and concerns of both parties

● Projected outlook for upcoming months and progress against expected trends

● Recommendations made by the COR based on contractor information

● Issues arising from independent reviews and inspections

In addition to QA monitoring, the COR will use the information contained in the contractor’s monthly report to assess the contractor’s level of performance for each objective measured in this QASP Section 3 (detailed in Attachment 1). The COR must coordinate and communicate with the contractor to resolve issues and concerns of marginal or unacceptable performance. The contractor will discuss with the COR satisfaction ratings receiving a “less than acceptable” rating. For such cases, the contractor should highlight its perspective on factors driving customer satisfaction and present plans to adjust service levels accordingly to bring the satisfaction rating up to an acceptable level.

The COR and contractor should jointly formulate tactical and long–term courses of action. Decisions regarding changes to metrics, thresholds, or service levels should be clearly documented. Changes to service levels, procedures, and metrics will be incorporated as a contract modification at the convenience of the COR.

ATTACHMENT I

PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENT SUMMARY FOR QUALITY ASSURANCE PLAN

(QASP)

Performance Requirement: Maintain NWR Transmitter Equipment

Performance Indicator Frequency and quality of maintenance.

Standard Once every 180 calendar days

Acceptable Quality Level

Each NWR transmitter system will experience no more than 88 hours of site outages in a year, excluding outages resulting from natural disasters or vandalism, and maintain signal strengths within the manufacturer's suggested range per requirements set in Sections 5.1, 5.2 and 5.2.1 in the PWS.

Surveillance Method Contracting Officer Representative (COR) periodic inspection

Deductions for Non-Performance If maintenance services are not rendered in the appropriate time frame or adequate quality, a $500 deduction per site may be withheld.

Performance Requirement: Corrective Maintenance

Performance Indicator Timely repairs

Standard

Maximum restoration time for a site shall not exceed 24 consecutive hours for a site with "Loss of Operational Capability" or 72 hours for a site with "Degraded Operational Capability." Outages caused by natural disasters or vandalism shall be corrected as soon as possible and coordinated with the COR.

Acceptable Quality Level Meet corrective restoration requirements and time limits set in Sections 5.4.1, 5.4.2 and 5.4.3 in the PWS

Surveillance Method COR periodic inspection and/or review of reports.

Deductions for Non-Performance

A deduction of $500 per site may apply if the Contractor fails to restore a site to full service within the Acceptable Quality Level criteria or is negligent with regard to equipment outages due to natural disasters or vandalism. The COR may waive the deduction if the Contractor provides supporting documents that verify unforeseen circumstances that prevented the timely repair of transmitter equipment.

Performance Requirement: Maintenance Activity Reports

Performance Indicator Completeness and timeliness of report entered into

EMRS

Standard Submitted complete, within 5 business days following the maintenance activity

Acceptable Quality Level Meets requirements set in Section 9.1 in the PWS

Surveillance Method Review of EMRS reports by COR

Deductions for Non-Performance A deduction of $50 may apply for any two consecutive status reports that do not include all required elements and/or are submitted after the deadline.

Performance Requirement: Quarterly Maintenance Activity Reports

Performance Indicator Completeness and timeliness of report entered into EMRS

Standard Completed report submitted by 15 days after the end of the third month on a quarterly rotation.

Acceptable Quality Level Meets requirements set in Section 9.2 in the PWS

Surveillance Method Review of report by COR

Deductions for Non-Performance

A deduction of $50 may apply for any two consecutive monthly maintenance reports that do not include all required elements and/or are submitted after the deadline.

Performance Requirement: Annual Signal Strength Measurement

Performance Indicator All required measurements completed and the report submitted in a timely manner.

Standard Signal strength measurement performed annually on each site and the completed reports submitted within 15 days of completion, and at least 60 days before new option year is exercised

Acceptable Quality Level Meets requirements set in Section 5.4.5 in the PWS

Surveillance Method Review of report by COR

Deductions for Non-Performance A deduction of $500 may apply for each site where an Annual Signal Strength Measurement is not completed by the deadline.

Attachment 2

QUALITY ASSURANCE MONITORING FORM NOAA WEATHER RADIO

ALL HAZARDS MAINTENANCE SERVICES

STATE OF COLORADO

I. MAINTAIN NWR TRANSMITTER EQUIPMENT (FREQUENCY AND QUALITY

OF MAINTENANCE)

Categories of NWR maintenance to be evaluated at a station include site restoration time during an outage, during a degraded service period, and entry of status reports. A site outage is defined as the loss of the ability to transmit broadcast-quality audio at the required output power. A transmitter site configured with a dual transmitter is considered in a degraded operational mode if either transmitter is not capable of operating at its full authorized power.

SITE NAME DATE DESCRIPTION OF SERVICE

PROVIDED

QUALITY OF MAINTENANCE

(Unacceptable, Acceptable, Outstanding)

Alamosa

Anton

Bethune

Boyero

Canon City

Colorado Springs

Deer Trail

Denver

Dillon

Durango

Eagle/Castle Peak

Fort Collins/Alt

Fort Morgan

Fowler

Franktown

Glenwood Springs

Grand Junction

Greely

La Junta

Lamar

Longmont/ Mead

Montrose

Pueblo

Springfield

Steamboat Springs

Sterling

Walsenburg

Wray

II. CORRECTIVE MAINTENANCE (Timely Repairs)

SITE NAME DATE OF

OUTAGE

DEGRADED

OPERATIONAL

CAPABILITY/LOSS

OF OPERATIONAL

CAPABILITY

RESTORATION

TIME (HOURS) NOTES

Alamosa

Anton

Bethune

Boyero

Canon City

Colorado Springs

Deer Trail

Denver

Dillon

Durango

Eagle/Castle Peak

Fort Collins/Alt

Fort Morgan

Fowler

Franktown

Glenwood Springs

Grand Junction

Greely

La Junta

Lamar

Longmont/ Mead

Montrose

Pueblo

Springfield

Steamboat Springs

Sterling

Walsenburg

Wray

III. MAINTENANCE ACTIVITY REPORTS (Completeness and timeliness of report entered into EMRS)

Completeness of Reports: Unacceptable, Acceptable, Outstanding

Timeliness of Reports: On Time

Late Reports

If late reports are received, document due date and delivery date of late reports.

Due Date Actual Delivery Date Days Late

IV. QUARTERLY MAINTENANCE ACTIVITY REPORTS (Completeness and timeliness of report entered into EMRS)

Completeness of Reports: Unacceptable, Acceptable, Outstanding

Timeliness of Reports: On Time

Late Reports

Due Date

Days Late

V. ANNUAL SIGNAL STRENGTH MEASUREMENT (All required measurements completed and the reports submitted in a timely manner.)

Timeliness of Reports: On Time Late Reports

Due Date

Days Late

Evaluator Information

NAME

STATION

POSITION

DATE

SIGNATURE

ATTACHMENT 3:

QUALITY ASSURANCE MONITORING FORM – CUSTOMER COMPLAINT

INVESTIGATION

SERVICE or STANDARD:

SURVEY PERIOD:

DATE/TIME COMPLAINT RECEIVED: AM / PM

SOURCE OF COMPLAINT: ________________________ (NAME)

(ORGANIZATION)

(PHONE NUMBER)

(EMAIL ADDRESS)

NATURE OF COMPLAINT:

RESULTS OF COMPLAINT INVESTIGATION:

DATE/TIME SERVICE PROVIDER INFORMED OF COMPLAINT: AM / PM

CORRECTIVE ACTION TAKEN BY SERVICE PROVIDER:

RECEIVED AND VALIDATED BY:

PREPARED BY: DATE:

ATTACHMENT 4:

MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES FOR NOAA ALL HAZARDS RADIO

TRANSMITTERS