STATEMENT OF WORK.pdf

STATEMENT OF WORK

TRANSPORTATION SERVICES

ELECTRONIC FARE MEDIA/DEBIT CARD PROGRAM

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1. The Office of Transportation Services (TRANServe), within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration for U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), provides transit benefit support services to DOT and other federal agencies nationwide. Services include purchasing and distributing transit fare media (i.e., Metrocheks) via Economy Act agreements and the authority of the Administrative Working Capital Fund (49 U.S.C. 327); providing timely and efficient transit benefit service to over 240,000 customers.

2. BACKGROUND

2.1. On April 24, 2007, The Assistant Secretary for Administration Department of Transportation (DOT) testified on the Department’s role in implementing the Federal Transit Benefit Program at the Hearing on the Transit Benefit Program before the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, United States Senate. The statement addressed both the Department’s own participation in the Transit Benefit Program as a Federal Agency and its role as the home agency for Transportation Services (TRANServe), the organization utilized by 108 Federal entities nationwide to obtain and manage the distribution of transit benefit fare media.

2.2. On April 24, 2007, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released its report on the Federal Transit Benefit Program titled “Ineffective Controls Result in Fraud and Abuse by Federal Workers.” Electronic fare media supports the government’s initiative to reduce fraud and abuse, provides for convenient adjustment to benefits required, and generates program savings.

3. SCOPE

3.1. The scope of this project provides federal employees the means to obtain specific fare media with a nationwide debit card and to reduce and/or eliminate the physical inventory with a program based on TRANServe’s standard operating procedures and best practices.

3.2. The Contractor will administer and execute actions necessary to provide the services specified. The Contractor will conduct work in accordance with this contract and all applicable Federal, State, and local laws, standards, codes, regulations, and directives to include applicable publications.

4. OBJECTIVES AND REQUIREMENTS

4.1. The Contractor will provide individual, reloadable cards with approved design containing TRANServe logo and participant name.

4.2. The Contractor employees will be fully trained expert technical staff, consistently providing cheerful and accurate professional services using applicable standards and guidelines.

4.3. All staff that interact with TRANServe customers will have comprehensive knowledge of the

TRANServe program and primary customer service training with periodic refreshes to that training.

4.4. Background investigations are required for all contractor employees handling personally identifiable information.

4.4.1. Contractor staff must have at a minimum interim back ground investigation with a position sensitivity of at least high risk.

4.4.2 Contractor staff will submit completed DOT form 1600.8 Personnel Security Action Request and Notification.

4.4.2 Contractor staff will e-QIP online security questionnaire as soon as access is granted by DOT Security.

4.4.3 Contractor staff will wear and display DOT issued Building Pass at all times.

4.4.4 Contractor staff will be readily available for security interviews.

4.5. The contractor will ensure monthly delivery of specific fare media via debit card and/or paper fare media to transit benefit participants as specified by TRANServe customer requirements. Until the benefit can be provided electronically, paper fare media may be substituted.

4.6. The Contractor will guarantee amounts loaded on the debit card monthly will match those specified by TRANServe.

4.7. The Contractor must credit unclaimed advances and returned fare media to TRANServe monthly. The Contractor will propose a plan which prevents any participant from possessing more than the statutory limit during any one month.

4.8. The Contractor, who may not speak for the government, must provide supporting documentation and assist COTR in various customer agency audits and inquiries in accordance with all applicable Federal, State, and Local laws, standards, codes, regulations, and directives to include publications.

4.9. The Contractor must provide out of cycle reports in response to requests by COTR or TRANServe Management within two business days.

4.10. All data must be maintained in active format and transferred onto a compatible storage device and returned to DOT at the end of each contract year for permanent storage.

4.11. The Contractor must comply with changing federal regulations related to the transit benefit program throughout the term of the contract.

4.12. The Contractor will ensure the debit card will only be redeemable at transit terminals for the purchase of fare media as required by IRS notice 2007-76.

4.13. The Contractor must update cardholder information to include but not limited to: fare increase/decrease, name change, and other corrections within a 24-hour period.

4.14. The Contractor must provide instant change of status to suspend or reactivate debit cards.

4.15. The Contractor must provide on going support to include: help desk support, town hall meetings, literature, individual first time process walk through and customized 508 compliant website, on timelines established with the COTR.

4.16. The Contractor must provide expert technical services, including help desk support to TRANServe staff within one hour of contact.

4.17. The Contractor will provide branded user-friendly internet support through the TRANServe website.

4.18. The Contractor will provide telephone support from 8 a.m. through 6 p.m. eastern standard time

4.19. The Contractor will provide automated customer survey after each help desk call.

4.20. The Contractor will provide the TRANServe staff read only access to reports, individual participant records and history.

4.21 Customer communications will be conducted according to TRANServe SOPs with TRANServe management approval using the TRANServe name, logo and website.

4.21.1 Notification of any changes in key personnel associated with the contract will be communicated to the COTR within 24 hours.

5. DELIVERABLES

5.1. Delivery schedules and timelines will be developed and mutually agreed upon as requirements are defined with the COTR.

5.2. Delivery schedules will vary by individual regional transit companies and/or agency requirements.

5.3. An activity log will be maintained and reported weekly, to include: name of caller, agency, phone number, comment and action items.

5.4. The transit benefit will be delivered and/or loaded onto debit cards according to the specified timeline, at the 100% level.

5.5. Within one week of contract award, a pilot program implementation schedule will be developed and mutually agreed upon to include: MARTA in Georgia and VRE and MARC in the National Capitol Region. Once the pilot is completed, an implementation schedule will be developed and agreed upon for all other regions.

5.6. Participants unable to use the debit card program must be supplied with paper fare media and converted to the debit card as soon as each transit authority has the ability to use the technology.

5.7. The contractor will provide billing information to the COTR by no later than the fifth day of the next month for services rendered the previous month in a tab delimited data file. The reports will include – but not be limited to: the agency code, card number, last name, first name, customer ID, year/month (yyyymm) of pick up and claimed amount. These reports must be sent via email to the

COTR.

5.8. Reports on the status of the program must be submitted via email to the COTR on the first and fifteenth of each month. The reports will contain but not be limited to: 1) a clear and complete account of the work performed; 2) notification of changes in key personnel; 3) description of the approach taken and progress in achieving contract objectives; 4) description of any problems encountered or anticipated that will affect the completion of the contract within the time and fiscal constraints in the contract, together with recommended solutions, or a statement that no problems were encountered; and 5) a summary of any problems or concerns requiring U.S.

Government guidance or assistance.

5.9 The contractor will ensure monthly delivery of specific fare media via debit card and/or paper fare media to transit benefit participants as specified by TRANServe customer requirements. Until the benefit can be provided electronically, paper fare media may be substituted.

5.10 Requirement of status reporting will be reduced to once monthly after meeting schedules and timelines following 90 days at a 95% positive evaluation level. If customer service levels should fall the reports will return to weekly.

Delivery, inspection and acceptance will occur at the various locations nationwide FOB Destination points. FAR provisions 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors-Commercial and 52.212-2, Evaluation-Commercial Items apply to this solicitation. Offerors are advised to include a completed copy of the provision at 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications- Commercial Items, with its offer. Clause 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Item applies to this acquisition; 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders.

6. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

6.1. The estimated contract period of performance will incorporate a 24 month base period in addition to three (3) options periods of twelve months each. The total contract duration including all option periods will not exceed 60 months.