Draft Statement of Work_5.8.2020.pdf

STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW)

ACQUISITION SUPPORT SERVICES

BACKGROUND

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is an operating administration within the United States

(U.S.) Department of Transportation (DOT) which has a mission to “Serve the United States by ensuring a fast, safe, efficient, accessible and convenient transportation system that meets our vital national interests and enhances the quality of life of the American people, today and into the future”. FTA specifically provides financial assistance to local transit agencies, regional transportation authorities, state departments of transportation, and metropolitan planning organizations that are responsible for providing transportation services nationwide. FTA’s federal funding support a variety of locally planned, constructed, and operated public transportation systems throughout the nation, including buses, subways, light rail, commuter rail, streetcars, passenger ferry boats, inclined railways, and people movers.

The Office of Acquisition Management (TAD-40) within FTA’s Office of Administration (TAD) provides a one-stop shop for all acquisition management needs. TAD-40 partners with its program offices to develop business solutions in meeting FTA critical mission requirements.

From acquisition planning to execution, to administration, to emergency/disaster acquisition management, TAD-40 provides the customer support needed to make FTA programs successful.

OBJECTIVE/PURPOSE

The purpose of this requirement is to provide acquisition support services for TAD-40 in support of its critical mission requirements. The typical duties/tasks which the Government would request concerning this requirement have been provided below with each labor category listed.

LABOR CATEGORIES

The following labor categories listed are to be performed during the requirement:

Position #1: Senior Contract Specialist/Administrator III (Full-Time)

The contractor shall provide support in processing a wide variety of service and commercial item acquisitions such as all types of requirements which include the following: simplified acquisitions, small to large dollar contracts, varied contract types

(i.e. Labor Hour, Firm-Fixed Price (FFP), cost type etc.), purchase orders, Inter/Intra-

Agency Agreements (IAAs), Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts, Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs), task, delivery and call orders etc. Commonly, TAD-40 procures requirements utilizing various contract methods such as those cited in

FAR Parts 5, 12 - 15, 37, 43 and FAR Subpart 8.4 Federal Supply Schedules (FSS). In addition, TAD-40 work performed utilizes the pricing mechanism and principles described at FAR Part 16, Types of Contracts.

The contractor shall perform task assignments in the following task areas:

In performing duties for this labor category, the contractor shall do the following but not all inclusive:

• Meet with the program officials to include Contracting Officer’s Representative

(COR) and Contracting Officer (CO) to provide support concerning various contractual actions.

• The contractor shall provide subject matter (senior level) expertise obtained from hands-on experience in the specialized field of federal acquisitions to effectively support staff in processing services/commercial requirements through the entire acquisition process – acquisition planning, preparation of solicitations/Request for Proposals (RFP) and Request for Quotes (RFQ), review of information provided for evaluation, review Statement of Work (SOW), Statement of

Objectives (SOO) and Performance Work Statements (PWS) developed, assist with preparation of awards, post-award administration, and close-out (if necessary).

• Understand and apply knowledge of the federal acquisition process, laws, and regulations concerning those found at the following: FAR Parts 5, 12 - 15, 37, 43 and FAR Subpart 8.4 FSS.

• The contractor shall have senior level expert knowledge and hands-on experience

(equivalent to at least Federal Acquisition Certification Level III training and experience) in federal acquisitions and acquisition operations.

• Proofreading and editing data and documents prior to submission on a daily basis;

Ensuring that work products provided are contractually clear and concise.

• Providing support in terms of analysis of data collected during pre-award and for post award actions, identifying missing data, contacting appropriate individuals for missing data, and notifying the Government of the findings in a timely manner.

• Assist with preparation and input of contractual actions into FTA’s contract writing system (currently- Enterprise Service Center (ESC) PRISM) (note:

different system if replaced).

• Perform data verification, quality assurance and contribute input into Federal Reporting.

• Prepares or reviews pre-procurement packages as well as maintains work items and provides effectively the status of all contractual actions.

• Must keep written updates of work in a spreadsheet accessible via an online mechanism currently utilized by the procurement staff.

• Assist with contract administration (performance and invoice tracking-as applicable) and preparation of contract modification relative to contract changes.

Education/Qualifications Requested: Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science

(BS) degree, or higher degree and/or at least 8 years of relevant experience in the contracting field. Demonstrates thorough knowledge and hands-on experience of

Government contracts including contract types FFP, Fixed Price with Economic

Adjustments, Labor Hour, and/or T&M. If individual has some knowledge of cost type contracts, it is considered a plus. Individual must have knowledge and hands-on experience concerning utilization of FAR Parts 5, 12 - 15, 37, 43, FAR Subpart 8.4 FSS, and FAR 4.804 Closeout of Contract Files.

Possess excellent ability to communicate orally and writing in order to effectively assist customers and effectively participate as a team member. Individual must have capability and technical capacity to recommend strategies and procurement methods that require senior level expertise to assist the Government as needed. Able to participate as an active team member, assesses contractual requirements, and provides meaningful recommendations even if unsolicited. Excellent computer skills, especially in the use of

Microsoft (MS) Office products such as Word, Outlook, Excel, MS Teams and possess strong internet research skills.

Position #2: Mid-Level Contract Specialist/Administrator II (Full-Time)

The contractor shall provide support in processing a wide variety of service and commercial item acquisitions such as all types of requirements which include the following: simplified acquisitions, small to large dollar contracts, varied contract types (i.e. Labor Hour, FFP, cost type etc.), purchase orders, IAAs, IDIQ contracts, BPAs, task, delivery and call orders etc. As previously stated, TAD-40 procures requirements utilizing various contract methods such as those cited in FAR Parts 5, 12 - 15, 37, 43 and FAR Subpart 8.4 FSS. In addition, TAD-40 work performed utilizes the pricing mechanism and principles described at FAR Part 16, Types of

Contracts.

Duties may include, but not all inclusive for this labor category are as follows:

• Provide mid-level expertise and knowledge concerning acquisitions in various stages of the procurement process (i.e. acquisition planning, market research/analysis, preparation of solicitations/RFP and RFQ, review of information provided for evaluation, review

SOW, SOO and PWS developed, assist with preparation of awards, post-award administration, and close-out (if necessary).

• Prepares or reviews pre-procurement packages as well as maintains work items and

• Utilize knowledge to select and contribute to assistance of the administration of various contract mechanisms such as contracts, task orders, BPAs, call orders and purchase orders etc.

• Able to utilize different contract types such as FFP, Cost Reimbursable, Labor Hour, T&M etc. for actions.

• Understand cost/price analysis and ability to assist with it, preparation of contract modifications, contract termination/default actions, and contract closeout (if needed).

• With little to no guidance, personnel must be able to successfully assist with carrying out pre-determined and recurring contract administration duties.

• Handles complex problems through resolution, assist with validation of data, completes tasks needed to successfully assist with advertising, soliciting, constructing, awarding, and administering contractual actions.

• Assist with preparing all contractual actions with use of acquisition E-Gov tools and systems, assist with other task assignments within the acquisition scope as notified by the

COR to support FTA programs not otherwise specified herein.

Education/Qualifications: Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent relevant 6 years of experience or at least 24 semester hours in any combination of the following fields: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management along with 5 years of relevant experience. Possess knowledge and demonstrated experience in the Mid-Level Contract Specialist category and functions in mid-level capacity. Knowledge of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). Knowledge, exposure and ability to utilize different contract types (i.e. FFP, Cost Reimbursable, LH, T&M etc. as needed).

Excellent computer skills, especially in the use of MS Office products such as Word, Outlook, Excel, MS Teams, etc. and analytical skills. Experience in processing acquisitions utilizing various parts of the FAR such as Subpart 8.4 Federal Supply Schedules, Part 12: Acquisitions of

Commercial Items, Part 13: Simplified Acquisitions, Part 37: Service Contracting and Part 43:

Contract Modifications and Part 4.804: Closeout of Contract files. Must be able to independently analyze work assignment and provide feedback to the Government as needed etc.

Position #3: Junior Contract Specialist/Administrator I (Full-Time)

The contractor shall provide support in processing a wide variety of service and commercial item acquisitions such as all types of requirements which include the following: simplified acquisitions, small to large dollar contracts, varied contract types (i.e. Labor Hour, FFP, cost type etc.), purchase orders, IAAs, IDIQ contracts, BPAs, task, delivery and call orders etc. As previously stated, TAD-40 procures requirements utilizing various contract methods such as those cited in FAR Parts 5, 12 - 15, 37, 43 and FAR Subpart 8.4 FSS. In addition, TAD-40 work performed utilizes the pricing mechanism and principles described at FAR Part 16, Types of

Contracts.

Duties may include, but not all inclusive for this position:

• Provides support and assistance in essentially all areas of Federal

Acquisition Regulation (FAR) based Federal Procurement.

• Provide junior to mid-level expertise and knowledge concerning acquisitions in various stages of the procurement process from cradle to grave (i.e. acquisition planning to execution); assistance included preparation of solicitations/RFP and

RFQ.

• With some guidance, personnel must be able to successfully assist with carrying out pre-determined and recurring contract administration duties.

• Prepares or reviews pre-procurement packages, as well as maintains work items and

• Utilize knowledge to select and contribute to assistance of the administration of various contract mechanisms such as contracts, task orders, BPAs, call orders and purchase orders etc.

• Actively participates in developing and managing acquisition plans;

prepares/researches support documentation.

• Makes quality recommendations to the Contracting Officer concerning various contractual actions under purview to review etc.

• Handles complex problems through resolution, validates data, completes tasks needed to successfully advertise, solicit, construct, award, administer and/or closeout (if necessary) Government contracts or task, delivery and call orders.

• Assist with preparing all contract actions; perform data verification and input into acquisition E-Gov tools and systems; assist with other task assignments, within the acquisition scope, as directed by the COR to support FTA programs not otherwise specified herein.

• Perform data verification; quality assurance and input into Federal Reporting.

Gov; and keep an update to contract actions in Procurement Tracker on FTA’s

Share point site.

Education/Qualifications Requested: Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science

(BS) degree or alternatively at least 24 semester hours in any combination of the following fields: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management and/or at least 4 years of FAR-based Federal contracting experience and operational experience in automated procurement systems and/or tracking databases.

Expertise in processing acquisitions under FAR Subpart 8.4 Federal Supply Schedules;

Part 12- Acquisitions of Commercial Items; Part 13- Simplified Acquisitions; Part 37-

Service Contracting and Part 43- Contract Modifications. Also, the proposed personnel must have relevant experience with FAR Subpart 4.804, Closeout of Contract files.

Excellent computer skills, especially in the use of MS Office products such as Word, Outlook, Excel, MS Teams, etc. and analytical skills. The proposed personnel must be able to independently analyze work assignments and provide feedback to the

Government as needed. Demonstrates thorough knowledge and applied experience concerning various contract types such as FFP, Labor Hour, and/or T&M. If individual has some knowledge of Cost Type contracts, it is considered a plus.

Position #4: Acquisition Liaison (Full-Time)

The responsibilities for the labor category may include, but not all inclusive for this position are as follows:

• Works under general oversight of the COR in performance of contractual support for two acquisition divisions within FTA concerning contract management activities respectively.

• The contractor must provide subject matter expertise in the specialized field of federal acquisition to effectively support program/technical staff in processing services/commercial requirements through the entire acquisition process from cradle to grave.

• The contractor must have mid-level expert knowledge and hands-on experience

(equivalent to at least FAC Level II training and experience) in Federal acquisitions and acquisition operations (see www.fai.gov website for more information concerning the competencies for FAC-C Level II.)

• Possess ability to assist the program office with the appropriate preparation of purchase request (PR), packages for input into a contracting system, understand what documents shall be attached to the actual PR package as supporting documentation and what the purpose for each.

• Reviews acquisition packages prior to submission to the Acquisition Office, assists in the review of existing contracts to determine compliance with applicable laws, regulations and policies.

• Possess the ability to work closely with mid‐level or lower‐level program professionals to develop acquisition documentation and assists SME’s (COR and program offices) with acquisition planning to develop requirements and evaluation criteria for acquisitions.

• Assist program personnel with the development of acquisition plans;

acquisition requirements (SOW, SOO, PWS), functional requirements or specifications, market research reports, determination and findings, and exception to fair opportunity statements, and justification and approval.

• As required, assists in the development of Independent Government Cost

Estimates (IGCE’s) and market research to support IGCE or business case models.

• Understand cost and price analysis as well as possess the capability to assist with analyses.

• Ability to use different contract types such as Firm-Fixed Price (FFP), Cost

Reimbursable, Labor Hour (LH), Time and Materials (T&M) etc. for actions.

• Knowledge of and hands-on experience with contract writing systems such as ESC

PRISM is desirable.

• Utilize knowledge and experience to select and contribute to assistance of the administration of various procurements via contract mechanisms such as IDIQ contracts, task/delivery orders, BPAs, call orders, purchase orders, IAAs, etc.

• Contractor personnel must be able to successfully assist with carrying out pre-determined and recurring contract administration duties to support the program office and the acquisitions office.

• Attend relevant meetings involving the program and acquisitions office. Meetings must not cause any potential conflict of issue situations. Take meeting notes and use various methods of communication to effectively communicate with people at various levels of the organization.

• Must possess demonstrated ability to handle complex problems through resolution, assist with validation of data, completes tasks needed to successfully assist with advertising, soliciting, constructing, awarding, and administering contractual actions

(i.e. contract modifications).

• The contractor shall assist with preparing contract actions for closeout which the COR will provide to FTA’s closeout teams, as needed. Personnel are not to be engaged in acceptance or rejection of invoices or settlement of payment to a respective vendor.

• The contractor shall maintain and keep an updated electronic excel spreadsheet of the status on all contract actions for which assistance has been provided.

• Works under the oversight of the two acquisition divisions within TAD-40 respectively.

• Reviews acquisition packages prior to submission to the Acquisition Office, assists in the review of existing contracts to determine compliance with applicable laws, regulations and policies.

• Tracks all contracting funding levels to ensure current funding levels. Work with respective COR and Contract Specialist for the contractual action to convey information etc.

• As required, assists in the performance of market research and trends, as they apply to the program, with guidance of this personnel in this labor category.

• As required, assists with the development of source selection evaluation criteria.

• Coordinates and works with the technical experts and the contracting office to ensure project milestones are reflected in the contractual documents and project plan.

• As required, assist in the management of reporting requirements.

• Other duties as assigned but within scope of the awarded requirement.

Education/Qualifications Requested:

Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BS) degree, or higher degree, with at least 5 years of relevant experience and knowledge as well as hands-on experience utilizing the FAR to assist with procurements. Knowledge, exposure and ability to utilize different contract types

(i.e. such as FFP, Cost Reimbursable, LH, T&M etc. as needed. Experience in providing hands-on support for acquisitions utilizing various parts of the FAR such as Subpart 8.4 FSS, Part 12: Acquisitions of Commercial Items, Part 13: Simplified Acquisitions, Part 15:

Contracting by Negotiations, Part 37: Service Contracting, Part 43: Contract Modifications, and Section 4.804: Closeout of Contract files. Additionally, Customer Relationship

Management (CRM) experience is desired.

Excellent computer skills, especially in the use of MS Office products such as Word, Outlook, Excel, MS Teams, etc. and analytical skills. Use of SharePoint Online is also desired. Possess excellent ability to communicate orally and in writing to effectively assist customers as well as participate as a team member. Possession of the ability to perform as an active team member involves having the ability and capacity to assess acquisition requirements from cradle to grave, experience with performing market research for acquisitions and have provided meaningful recommendations. Must be able to independently analyze work assignments and provide feedback to the Government as required.

DELIVERABLES AND DELIVERABLE SCHEDULE

Monthly status reports shall be provided to the COR via email with a copy to the CO on the 5th day of each month. The contents of the monthly report shall be developed and discussed by the COR and the Contractor within at least two-weeks of contract award.

The COR will designate other types of deliverables, i.e., complete PR package, specific reports, etc. upon task assignment.

DAILY HOURS OF PERFORMANCE

The Contractor shall perform an 8-hour workday (Monday through Friday)– between the regular core work hours of staff – earliest 7:00 a.m.; with latest departure 6:00 pm

Eastern Standard Time (EST). Contractor shall inform COR and CO of base 8-hour day hours. Contractor personnel shall work a forty (40) hour work week during the core work hours. If the contractor typically works on-site at FTA Headquarters, he or she is not permitted to work a telework schedule unless approved by the COR and CO. If due to inclement weather and FTA is considered open, the contractor’s request must be submitted to the respective COR and approved preferably in writing prior to performance via telework. Respective tasks to be performed during the telework must be sent to the firm’s off-site Program Manager for review and approval then submitted to the COR for review and approval concerning performance. Also, it must be shared with the CO for review and approval in the process.

TELEWORKING

All contractor personnel must be telework ready. All work conducted concerning the requirement must be performed within the United States and its territories. Performance sites may include but not limited to the following: the Contractor’s primary or remote offices, FTA HQ office etc.

While working off-site at their own facilities or other off-site locations, contractor personnel must, at all times, follow the identification requirements and observe all safety and security regulations of the location where work is being conducted. In the event of inclement weather, building closures, national emergencies, and/or other events impacting agency needs, the contractor is authorized to telework concerning work discussed and approved by the FTA COR and the FTA CO. Authorization to telework must be done in writing specifically if for work that is typically performed on-site at

FTA Headquarters or periodically at their other off-site location. If some of the work is typically performed on-site periodically at FTA Headquarters or at their off-site company’s location, telework rules and restrictions are at the discretion of the FTA CO whom will consult with the respective FTA COR regarding the technical nature, scope of the work, expectations of work products submitted for review etc. schedule and work assignments must be discussed with the COR and CO prior to commencement of it.

At times, some work may be requested to be properly coordinated for re-scheduling by the contractor for a later date etc. Changes to telework rules and restrictions under special circumstances as previously mentioned such as national emergencies may also be implemented by either verbal direction and followed by an official modification to the contract.

OBSERVANCE OF LEGAL HOLIDAYS, ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE AND

EXCUSED ABSENCES

The Government hereby provides notice and Contractor hereby acknowledges receipt that

Government personnel observe the listed days as holidays:

New Year's Day January 1

Martin Luther King's Birthday Third Monday in January

President’s Birthday Third Monday in February

Memorial Day Last Monday in May

Independence Day July 4

Labor Day First Monday in September

Columbus Day Second Monday in October

Veterans Day November 11

Thanksgiving Day Fourth Thursday in November

Christmas Day December 25

Inauguration Day January 20 every four years

In addition to the days designated as holidays, the Government observes the following days: Any other day designated by Federal Statute, Executive Order or by the

President’s Proclamation.

It is understood and agreed between the Government and the Contractor that observance of such days by Government personnel shall not otherwise be a reason for an additional period of performance, or entitlement of compensation. In the event the Contractor's personnel work during the holiday, they may be reimbursed by the Contractor, however, no form of holiday or other premium compensation will be reimbursed either as a direct or indirect cost, other than their normal compensation for the time worked. This provision does not preclude reimbursement for authorized premium pay, if applicable to this requirement.

QUALITY ASSURANCE

The Government intends to do quality assurance to monitor the quality and timeliness of the contractor’s performance. The oversight concerning quality assurance from the Government in terms of monitoring will help to ensure that service levels are reached and the required levels are effectively maintained throughout the entire contract term. Further, the

Government’s quality assurance monitoring will provide the COR with a proactive way to avoid unacceptable or deficient performance and provides verifiable input for the required past performance assessment record that will be entered into the Contractor Performance

Assessment Reporting System (CPARS). Thus, the contractor must ensure that tasks performed and their deliverables meet the Government’s acceptance.

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

For this requirement, personnel in each labor category are to be full-time on the contract.

Performance of personnel responsibilities outside of the work for this anticipated contract under the respective labor categories is prohibited, must not be performed during performance of the contract at any time and are prohibited as billable hours to the Government for payment. The contractor is expected to perform at the highest levels of professional and technical competence in performing acquisition related tasks to achieve FTA’s stated objectives. It is expected that the Contractor shall work closely with FTA staff to ensure all assigned tasks conform to the task descriptions and work objectives stated herein. For work, the contracted personnel must be responsive daily, qualified to perform the work at hand and accountable for all work products in a timely manner.

In addition, all work must also meet the following criteria:

• Accuracy – All work shall be accurate in presentation and technical content

• Copy/Edit – All work shall be copy/edited for formatting, properly revised due to its content, style and accuracy.

• Completeness – All work shall be comprehensive and fully developed. All contents shall be well written and free of punctuation, spelling and grammatical issues.

• Timeliness – All work shall be submitted on a timely basis 90% of the time. If work products are to be delayed at times, the personnel must clearly state the justification for such delays and show honest, due diligence to complete the work in a timely manner.

• Clarity – All work shall be clear and concise free of grammatical and punctuation errors.

• Promptness – The contractor shall report for meetings on time and shall stay for the entire duration.

• Quality Assurance/Quality Control – Contractor shall employ adequate quality assurance/quality control methods to ensure all activities and deliverables meet the performance requirements.

CONTRACT TYPE

The contract type for this requirement will be labor hour.

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

The Contractor shall be required to perform work duties primarily on-site at the U.S. DOT, FTA Headquarters, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE, East Building, Washington, DC 20590.

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The anticipated period of performance for of this requirement will be one year base period and four one (1) year option periods.

GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY, IF APPLICABLE

The Contractor will be provided an on-site worksite with a laptop, docking station, and telephone; desktop computer (if laptop is not issued), access to FTA’s Contract Writing System and other systems and website as applicable. The contractor must receive approval from the

COR as it relates to taking the laptop (if issued) home for performance of work within scope conducted during normal business hours/work days.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS/CONDITIONS

For this requirement, if the prime contractor is to subcontract out a respective percentage of work, they must ensure all performance standards to include quality assurance of deliverables, government office closures, telework arrangements, issuance of any stop work orders etc. are clearly communicated to all personnel (prime and subcontractor). In the case of a stop work order issuance, the prime contractor including the subcontractors must put forth a plan of action and document actions taken by their firm. The prime contractor will ensure that all their employees and subcontractors have been notified that a stop-work order has been issued. The prime contractor must track the stop-work period to ensure time is properly tracked for assignment deadlines etc. In the event that the Government is shutdown yet certain work authorized by the COR and CO can continue, the prime contractor must make sure that all personnel update working logs to include up to date minute of work progress on each assignment that they are working on if work is to continue. During this situation, the prime contractor must also ensure all personnel are providing timely assignments to the Government which must also be properly reviewed ton ensure contractual content is sound prior to submittal to the

Government.

The report from the prime contractor must be provided to the respective COR. If the COR is not working due to a government shutdown etc., a copy of the report must be sent to the authorized

Contracting Officer available. For this report, it is required that estimated completion dates be provided concerning the continuous work projects/assignments as applicable. The prime contractor will monitor the possible stop-work order cancellation or time extension. The subcontractor is to not reach out directly to the Government and begin work without authorization from a respective FTA CO.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS, IF APPLICABLE

• The Contractor’s staff shall be required to sign non-disclosure certificate prior to commencing the start of work on this contract;

• Contractor shall be required to ensure that there are no conflicts of interests (either organizational or personal). If any conflict of interests are identified, the contractor must submit an Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI) Mitigation Plan to the

Contract Specialist with copy to the Contracting Officer for his/her review and approval.

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