Draft NWR Transmitter Maintenance Services- Nebraska.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 Nebraska

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 Nebraska, NWR transmitters are located on Nebraska Educational Television Commission (NETC) towers. NETC 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 Nebraska. 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-four (24) NETC and various public and private sites located in Basset, Beatrice, Cambridge, Giltner, Holdrege, Lincoln, Merriman, Mullen, Omaha, Scottsbluff, Shubert, Sutherland, Wayne, Albion, Chadron, Columbus, Lexington, Merna, Ord, Oshkosh, Sidney, Superior, Trenton, and Valentine, NE.

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 8.1.

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 10.1 and 10.2.

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 is in compliance with 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 Assistant Contracting Officer Representative (ACOR) 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 ACOR 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.

5.0 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.

5.1 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.

5.2 Training - NWS agrees that it will provide NWR transmitter maintenance training for contractor radiotechnicians. 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.

6.0 General Information

6.1 Place of Performance – NETC and Commercial Vendor Tower Site Locations in Nebraska

Basset, Nebraska Site Owner:

Nebraska Educational Telecommunication Commission 700 North 33rd Street P.O. Box 83111 Lincoln, Nebraska 68501 402-472-9333

Beatrice, Nebraska

Nebraska Educational Telecommunication Commission 1700 North 33rd Street P.O. Box 83111

Cambridge, Nebraska

Nebraska Educational Telecommunication Commission 1700 North 33rd Street P.O. Box 83111

Giltner, Nebraska

Nebraska Educational Telecommunication Commission 1700 North 33rd Street P.O. Box 83111 Lincoln, Nebraska 68501 402-472-9333

Holdrege, Nebraska Site Owner:

Nebraska Educational Telecommunication Commission 1700 North 33Street P.O. Box 83111

Lincoln, Nebraska

Nebraska Educational Telecommunication Commission 1700 North 33rd Street P.O. Box 83111 Lincoln, Nebraska 68501 402-472-9333

Merriman, Nebraska Site Owner:

Nebraska Educational Telecommunication Commission 1700 North 33rd Street P.O. Box 83111 Lincoln, Nebraska 68501

402-472-9333

Mullen, Nebraska Site Owner:

Nebraska Educational Telecommunication Commission 1700 North 33rd Street P.O. Box 83111

Omaha, Nebraska

Nebraska Educational Telecommunication Commission 1700 North 33rd Street P.O. Box 83111 Lincoln, Nebraska 68501 402-472-9333

Scottsbluff, Nebraska Site Owner:

Nebraska Educational Telecommunication Commission 1700 North 33rd Street P.O. Box 83111 Lincoln, Nebraska 68501 402-472-9333

Shubert, Nebraska Site Owner:

Nebraska Educational Telecommunication Commission 1700 North 33rd Street P.O. Box 83111 Lincoln, Nebraska 68501 402-472-9333

Sutherland, Nebraska Site Owner:

Nebraska Educational Telecommunication Commission 1700 North 33rd Street P.O. Box 83111 Lincoln, Nebraska 68501 402-472-9333

Wayne, Nebraska Site Owner:

Nebraska Educational Telecommunication Commission 1700 North 33rd Street P.O. Box 83111

Additional Sites, Not Owned by the State of Nebraska:

Albion, Nebraska Site Owner:

Cornhusker Public Power District P.O. Box 9 Columbus, Nebraska 68602 402-546-2821

Chadron, Nebraska Site Owner:

Eagle Radio Incorporated P.O. Box 600 Alliance, Nebraska 69301

308-432-2060

Columbus, Nebraska

Mid-Nebraska Communications 3713 Lakeview Lane Columbus, Nebraska 68601 402-564-8497

Lexington, Nebraska Site Owner:

Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District 415 Lincoln Street P.O. Box 740 Holdrege, Nebraska 68949 308-995-8601

Merna, Nebraska

Custer Public Power District P.O. Box 10 Broken Bow, NE 68822 308-872-2451

Ord, Nebraska Site Owner:

Region 26 Council 404 South 4th P.O. Box B Taylor, Nebraska 68879 308-942-3461

Oshkosh, Nebraska Site Owner:

Pinpoint Communications 613 Patterson Street P.O. Box G Cambridge, Nebraska 69022 308-697-3375

Sidney, Nebraska Site Owner:

KSID Radio Incorporated P.O. Box 37 Sidney, Nebraska 69162 308-254-5803

Superior, Nebraska Site Owner:

911 Emergency Services 150 South Main Nelson, NE 402-225-2831

Trenton, Nebraska Site Owner:

Pinpoint Communications 613 Patterson Street P.O. Box G

Cambridge, Nebraska 69022 308-697-3375

Valentine, Nebraska

Cherry County Government P.O. Box 49 Valentine, NE 69201 402-376-1890

6.2 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.

6.3 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 Nebraska before they will be allowed access to any NETC facility. They will also be required to pass background checks required by any of the private entity tower owner. If the potential employee does not pass the either state or private owner’s requirements for access, the government will take no action to try to reverse the decision. The choice of who the site owner 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 Nebraska, or any other owner’s facility and this needs to be documented and submitted for approval by the government.

The State of Nebraska and the private tower owners will make every effort to work with the contractor to provide timely access to the site. However, if this requires the state or tower owner to send an employee out on a holiday or afterhours in order to meet the restoration requirements of this PWS, any call back or premium pay required for that employee by the State of Nebraska or the tower site owner 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.

6.4 Facilities - As stated above, the NWS transmitters currently reside in either NETC or private owner facilities. These facilities are strategically located in order to provide the most widespread coverage of current weather condition, 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. Louis, 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.

6.5 Other Direct Costs - The Contractor shall provide tower space, transmitter floor space, commercial power and emergency power. for the 13 sites located in NETC facilities. This network allows us to use the existing state microwave network to transmit audio and alert tones to all of the transmitter sites currently maintained by NETC technicians.

6.6 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. Depending on the Spring and Fall rains, it may be required for the contractor to use a bulldozer to get to some of the more remote, hilltop sites, simply because of the poor road conditions accessing the site.

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 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.

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

7.0 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).

7.1 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).

8.0 Services and Supplies to be Provided by the Contractor

8.1 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.

8.2 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.

8.3 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.

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

9.0 Deliverable Reports

9.1 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.

9.2 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.

9.3 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 Nebraska for the

National Weather Service Central Region Kansas City, MO

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 PURPOSE

1.2 PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT APPROACH

1.3 PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT STRATEGY

2.0 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

3.0 IDENTIFICATION OF SERVICES TO BE PERFORMED

4.0 METHODOLOGIES TO MONITOR PERFORMANCE

5.0 QUALITY ASSURANCE REPORTING

6.0 ANALYSIS OF QUALITY ASSURANCE MONITORING RESULTS

7.0 FAILURE TO PERFORM

LIST OF ATTACHMENTS

ATTACHMENT I REQUIRED PERFORMANCE METRICS (RPM)

ATTACHMENT II QUALITY ASSURANCE MONITORING FORM

ATTACHMENT III QUALITY ASSURANCE MONITORING FORM - CUSTOMER COMPLAINT

INVESTIGATION

ATTACHMENT IV MAINTENCE PROCEDURES FOR NOAA ALL HAZARDS RADIO TRANSMITTERS

QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE

PLAN (QASP)

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 Nebraska.

1.1 PURPOSE

1.1.1. 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.

1.1.2 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

1.2.1 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.

1.2.2 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

1.3.1 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.

1.3.2 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 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

2.1. The Contracting Officer (CO) is responsible for monitoring contract compliance, contract administration and cost control; and resolving any differences between the observations documented by the COR, and the contractor’s performance.

2.2 The CO will designate one full-time COR as the Government authority for performance management.

2.3 The COR is responsible for monitoring, assessing, and communicating the technical performance of the contractor and assisting the contractor. The COR will have the responsibility for completing QA monitoring forms (refer to Attachments 2 and 3) used to document the inspection and evaluation of the contractor’s work performance. Government surveillance may occur under the FAR 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions – Commercial Items (a) Inspection of Services clause for any service relating to the contract.

3.0 IDENTIFICATION OF SERVICES TO BE PERFORMED

The contractor shall provide maintenance services in accordance with the PWS. The performance standards are established in the paragraph of the PWS that covers the specific category of work. The acceptable level of performance is set in the acceptable quality level related to that paragraph.

4.0 METHODOLOGIES TO MONITOR PERFORMANCE

4.1 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.

4.2 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.

4.3 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.

5.0 QUALITY ASSURANCE REPORTING

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

5.2 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.

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

6.0 ANALYSIS OF QUALITY ASSURANCE MONITORING RESULTS

6.1 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.

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

6.3 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

6.4 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.

6.5 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.

7.0 FAILURE TO PERFORM

7.1 The contractor may receive deductions or even termination based on failure to perform. The following criteria apply for determining appropriate action:

1. Notifications. Consistent with FAR Part 49, the COR shall notify the service provider of failure to meet standards through QA monitoring forms, cure notices, or show cause notices and shall inform the service provider manager or designated alternate of such notices.

2. Deductions. The Government has the right to deduct a specified dollar amount for failure to meet performance standards. The amount is identified in the Required Performance Metrics (RPM) of Attachment I.

3. Termination. If the CO determines that the contractor has failed to perform to the extent that a termination for default is justified, the CO shall issue a notice of termination, consistent with FAR Part 49.

ATTACHMENT I

REQUIRED PERFORMANCE METRICS 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.

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.

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 10.1 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.

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 10.2 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.

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 II

QUALITY ASSURANCE MONITORING FORM

NOAA WEATHER RADIO ALL HAZARDS

MAINTENANCE SERVICES

STATE OF NEBRASKA

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)

Basset

Batrice

Cambridge

Giltner

Holdrege

Lincoln

Merriman

Mullen

Omaha

Scottsbluff

Shubert

Sutherland

Wayne

Albion

Chadron

Columbus

Lexington

Merna

Ord

Oshkosh

Sidney

Superior

Trenton

Valentine

THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK

II. CORRECTIVE MAINTENANCE (Timely Repairs)

SITE NAME DATE DESCRIPTION OF SERVICE

PROVIDED

QUALITY OF MAINTENANCE

(Unacceptable, Acceptable, Outstanding)

Basset

Batrice

Cambridge

Giltner

Holdrege

Lincoln

Merriman

Mullen

Omaha

Scottsbluff

Shubert

Sutherland

Wayne

Albion

Chadron

Columbus

Lexington

Merna

Ord

Oshkosh

Sidney

Superior

Trenton

Valentine

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

Actual Delivery Date Days Late

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

Actual Delivery Date Days Late

Evaluator Information

NAME

STATION

POSITION

DATE

SIGNATURE

ATTACHMENT III:

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: