Security_Requirements.pdf

SECURITY REQUIREMENTS AND PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION

AND CREDENTIALING PROCEDURES FOR CONTRACTORS (NON-

CLASSIFIED CONTRACT)

(A) Submission of Forms. All contract employees requiring access to the building will be responsible to fill out and complete security clearance forms and fingerprint cards prior to being allowed access to the building. Instructions and how to access all forms shall be provided by the government after award. Depending on the level of responsiveness and timeliness of individual contract employees, a minimum of fifteen (15) days shall be allowed for the completion and submission of all forms to be returned to the government from the applicant for review. Replies to submissions from the government on completed applications can be expected within fifteen (15) days of when all forms have been provided for review. Instructions on the clearance process, the forms to be used and where the forms are to be returned will be provided by the government after award.

Security clearance forms shall be submitted for those officers of the firm, who for any reason, may visit the work site during the period of this contract and for all employees (including those of subcontractors) who will require access to the building in performance of the contract work. These forms shall be submitted for replacement employees fifteen (15) days before they require physical access to the site.

(B) Unsuitable Employees. If the Contracting Officer receives an unsuitable report on any contract employee after processing of these forms, or if the Government finds a prospective contract employee to be unsuitable or unfit for his assigned duties, the contractor shall be advised immediately by the Contracting Officer that such employee cannot continue to work or to be assigned to work under the contract. The contractor must then take action to remove the employee from the GSA contract.

(C) Criteria for Eligibility. The principal factors used in the adjudication process in determining whether a person’s conduct would be expected to interfere with the ability of the applicant(s) to function in the position, or if the applicant’s past conduct was such that the safety of Federal employees and/or visitors to delegated an/or GSA-controlled facilities would be in jeopardy, are outlined below:

(a) Any type of misconduct or negligence in prior employment which would have an effect on the quality of security and protection provided to customer agencies, or prior conduct which would interfere with and/or prevent a Federal agency from carrying out its operational responsibilities;

(b) Criminal or dishonest conduct related to the duties to be assigned to the applicant/employee and/or the performance of such duties. The following crimes are acts which could disqualify prospective or regular employees:

• Abuse or neglect of a child or other dependent person entrusted to their care

• Child molestation

• Forcible or statutory rape

• Possession and sale of narcotics and/or dangerous drugs

• Arson

• Murder

• Kidnapping

• Robbery

• Burglary

• Larceny

• Theft

• Aggravated assault

• Buying, receiving or possessing stolen property

• Embezzlement, forgery, counterfeiting

• Fraud

• Under ATF Standards, any felony (for guards only who are required to carry firearms).

• Falsifying a personal history application

(D) Prior Clearance. Contract employee clearances obtained through this process may be valid if the clearance can be confirmed to be valid, of equal or higher level than required of this project and there is no break in service.

(E) Compliance with Security Requirements

(a) The Contractor shall comply with all GSA and tenant agency security requirements in the building(s) where work is being performed.

(b) When a Physical Access Control system is used by a tenant agency at a site where work is performed, the tenant agency will be responsible for providing any required access credentials. Credentials shall be displayed at all times or as otherwise required by the tenant agency or GSA.

(F) Identification Credential

(a) When GSA initiates a minimum of a National Agency Check with Written Inquiries (NACI) security clearance and receives a favorable initial suitability determination, the contractor may be issued a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) credential permitting regular access to the building(s) where work is being performed and regular access to IT systems as authorized.

(b) Contractor employees with credentials shall be required to comply with all applicable access security screening procedures applicable to Government or other personnel possessing similar credentials.

(c) All Contractor or subcontractor employees possessing credentials shall visibly display their credentials at all times while in the building(s) where work is being performed.

(d) The Contractor shall be responsible for ensuring that all identification credentials are returned to the Government when a particular Contractor or subcontractor employee will no longer be providing service under the Contract at the building(s) covered by the credential.

(e) The Contractor shall notify the Government when credentials are lost. If the Contractor is determined to be negligent, the Contractor shall be responsible for reimbursing the Government for its cost in issuing a replacement credential.

(G) Standards of Conduct

The Contractor shall be responsible for maintaining satisfactory standards of employee competency, conduct, appearance, and integrity and shall be responsible for taking such disciplinary action with respect to its employees as may be necessary.

(H) Removal from Contract Work

(a) As provided in the GSAR clause at 552.237-71, entitled "Qualifications of Employees", the contracting officer or a designated representative may require the Contractor to remove any employee(s) from GSA controlled buildings or other real property under Government control, should it be determined that the individual(s) is either unsuitable for security reasons or otherwise unfit to work on GSA controlled property. This shall include, but not be limited to, instances where an employee is determined, in the Government's sole discretion, to be incompetent, careless, insubordinate, unsuitable or otherwise objectionable.

(b) A contractor employee may also be removed where the continued employment of the contractor employee in connection with the Government work is deemed, in the Government's sole discretion, contrary to the public interest, inconsistent with the best interests of security, or a potential threat to the health, safety, security, general well being or operational mission of the facility and its population.

(c) Where a contractor employee is granted a preliminary suitability determination, and an unfavorable final suitability determination is later rendered, the Government may insist on the contractor employee's removal from the work site and from other work in connection with the Contract.

(d) The Contractor shall be responsible for providing replacement employees in cases where contract employees are removed at no additional cost to the Government.

(I) Sensitive But Unclassified (SBU) Building Information

Dissemination of sensitive but unclassified paper and electronic building information shall be made on a "need to know" basis.

(J) Suitability Determinations

(a) All contract employees requiring routine unescorted access to Federally-controlled facilities and/or information systems for more than 6 months ( Long term contract employees) will be required to undergo a suitability determination before a facility identification card is issued. Upon receipt of a favorable pre-employment check and prior to the time that a favorable suitability determination is completed, such Regular Employees will be required to comply with normal facility access control procedures, including sign-in, temporary badging, and escorted entry, as applicable.

(b) Failure of a long term contract employee to receive a favorable suitability determination shall be cause for removal of the employee from the work site and from other work in connection with the Contract.

(c) Contract employees working less than 6 months (Temporary Contractors) may, at the Government’s option, be required to undergo a lesser form of suitability determination. Prior to the time that an identification card is issued, if at all, such Temporary Contractors will be required to comply with normal facility access control procedures, including sign-in, temporary badging, and escorted entry, as applicable.

Temporary Contractors who require routine access to GSA facilities for less than

6 months will require at minimum a law enforcement check to receive unescorted access.

(d) Temporary Contractors who have not received a favorable suitability determination shall be escorted at all times while in non-public space, as directed by the Government.

(e) The Government, at its sole discretion, may grant preliminary suitability determinations to Long Term or Temporary Contractors. However, the granting of a preliminary suitability determination to any such employee shall not be considered as assurance that a final favorable suitability determination will follow.

(f) The Contracting Officer or his/her designated representative shall provide the Contractor with required forms for obtaining necessary clearances. The Contractor shall be required to cause such completed forms to be returned to the Government for processing not later than fifteen (15) days following those initial forms and instructions being provided by the Government.

(g) The Contractor shall be responsible for planning and scheduling its work in such a manner as to account for facility access issues. Difficulties encountered by the Contractor in gaining access to facilities by its employees and subcontractors shall not be an excuse to any Contractor performance under the Contract.