SOW_Disaster_Operations_Reservists.doc

Statement of Work

Office of the Chief Component Human Capital Officer

Disaster Operations

CONTRACTOR TEMPORARY SKILLED EMPLOYEE SUPPORT SERVICES

1.0 GENERAL

Purpose

The purpose of this statement of work is to obtain field Contractor skilled support services to support the response to disasters in support of the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The Contractor shall deploy personnel in response to a Deployment request to assist with disaster assistance to the nation’s citizens wherever and when they occur in the nation.

Background

The Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), is tasked with responding to, planning for, recovering from and mitigating against disasters. FEMA prepares the nation for hazards, manages Federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident, and administers the National Flood Insurance Program. The primary mission of FEMA is to reduce the loss of life and property and protect the National from all hazards, including national disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters, by leading and supporting the Nation in a risk based, comprehensive emergency management system of preparedness, protection, response, recovery and mitigation.

FEMA has more than 8,500 full-time employees stationed at FEMA headquarters in Washington DC, regional and area offices across the country, the Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center, and the National Emergency Training Center in Emmitsburg, MD. The full-time workforce is supplemented by more than 7,000 intermittent employees, called Reservists, who are available for deployment after disasters. In addition, FEMA works in partnership with other organizations that are part of the nation's emergency management system. These partners include state and local emergency management officials, 27 federal agencies, and the American Red Cross.

FEMA Reservists are often required to work in excess of eight hours a day or in excess of 40 hours in a given week, including weekends and holidays, and under stressful, physically demanding, and austere conditions. Based on the mission needs of the Agency, a Reservist’s work schedule and temporary duty site may be changed with little or no notice.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has a requirement for standby contractor sources for critical disaster support services. These services will enable FEMA to proactively respond to Presidential-Declared Emergencies, as well as other emergencies, within the United States and its territories and possessions. An important facet of these support services is providing assistance to FEMA Office of the Chief Component Human Capital Office (OCCHCO), both at FEMA Headquarters, as well as various field locations (as dictated by the location, type, and size of a disaster or emergency). The purpose of this contractor is to provide logistical support services to FEMA. Required tasks and locations are outlined in subsequent sections of this Statement of Work.

2.0 SCOPE

Program Objectives.

The objective is to obtain Contractor skilled field support services to assist with targeted support the efforts to maintain capabilities necessary to respond and stabilize effects of incidents, regardless of hazard. The contractor will provide a project manager who will serve as a single point of contact for the administrative, logistical and technical coordination for deployed employees.

1. Contractor must have the resources available such as corporate management and currently employed personnel to be assigned to the multiple positions documented in appendix A, to meet the effort to include professional qualifications, specific experience of such personnel, and the ability to have personnel located/working at various sites around the US. Contractor will refer their staff for disaster relief and support positions described in appendix A.

2. The staff contractors referred will be and remain employees of the contractor.

a. As part of the referral process, Contractor will qualify and refer only candidates who:

i. Understand and agree to deploy to a disaster site that may require them to live and perform work in austere conditions and.

ii. Agree to deploy to a disaster site given 48 hours’ notice.

iii. Agree to take any number of types of public transportation to get to a disaster site. This may include train, auto, plane, or boat both in and outside of the continental United States.

iv. Either possess a security clearance or be able to pass the federal background check, security and suitability process at FEMA.

3. Once the Contractor has screened the applicants for qualifications, interest, availability and acknowledgement of the potential work environment, the Contractor will then recommend candidates to FEMA for placement and FEMA will interview and either accept or reject the candidate for placement. Each contractor employee must pass the suitability and security screening process within 90 days of acceptance.

4. Once the contractor’s employee has cleared the security and suitability process, he/she will be enrolled in a 2-4 week training program after which they are eligible for deployment.

5. Contractor will respond to FEMA’s request to deploy its qualified staff in response to a Deployment request and shall comply with all FEMA instructions applicable to program administration, safety, and facility and system access, and any other matters mutually agreed to by designees of FEMA and the contractor.

6. In response to a Deployment request, members will ensure arrival to the specified location within 72 hours, or notify FEMA immediately of any inability to ensure arrival within 72 hours.

7. Contractor will provide administrative support for the development and maintenance of their employees including but not limited to recruitment and initial training.

8. Contractor will apprise FEMA within 24 hours of receipt and as necessary thereafter of a Deployment request of the progress made to meet the requirement of that request and begin ongoing coordination with FEMA to resolve any shortfalls.

9. Contractor will vet all members in accordance with FEMA and contractor agreed upon standards, including but not limited to the technical standards specified herein in this document.

10. Contractor will comply with all civil rights laws, including the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and the specific requirements for contractors as defined in Section 503 of the Act. (www.dol.gov/ofccp/503rule). Contractor will provide reasonable accommodations for contract employees, when requested, and submit a plan describing the steps contract employees will take to make a request for reasonable accommodation. The contractor will also include in the plan, the specific job titles of designated (Contractor) officials responsible for processing requests for reasonable accommodation made by contract employees. The Contractor will also produce and provide contract employees with written materials describing these steps including the job titles of the officials responsible for processing the requests.

11. Project manager will submit a weekly progress report to the FEMA program management detailing all deployment eligible staff, deployment status of those employees deployed and include program metrics and milestones tracking the delivery of service.

12. Contractor will be the employer of record for all individuals referred and deployed to support FEMA’s efforts at disasters. They will not be considered FEMA employees for any purpose.

13. Resources available such as corporate management and currently employed personnel to be assigned to tasks under this effort to include professional qualifications, specific experience of such personnel, and the ability to have personnel located/working at various sites around the US.

2.1 Additional Information:

· The government will activate the support provided under this contract at a twenty-day interval. Meaning, the Contractor will be paid for standing up, “Selected Personnel” for a period of twenty days. As a first step in activation, the government will, “Alert,” the Contractor that services are anticipated.

· The intent of the resultant Contractor is to be a “Turn-Key,” operation. The below items will not be provided under this contract vehicle. Operational Guidelines will be provided separately by FEMA.

Lodging;

Food;

Medical;

Transportation support;

Check in/Check out Process.

2.2 Definition of Performance Requirement.

Performance Measures will include the following:

· The number of staff contractor delivers and who being selected by FEMA deploy for 30 days or more.

· Staff deploy within 48 – 72 hours.

· Adherence to contract ceiling amount.

· Ability to maintain an active roster of deployment ready staff of no less than 2,000.

· Ability to forward a list to the government personnel that can be deployed, a minimum of 50 - 1,000 applicants at FEMA’s direction within 72 hours’ notice.

3.0 GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS

3.1 Contractor Personnel

3.1.2 Qualified Personnel.

The Contractor should propose the requisite members with the subject matter expertise as defined in various positions in appendix A, to accomplish the required tasks of each position. The minimum capabilities of the Contractor’s employees assigned to this project must include:

· Have or be able to pass a Public Trust background investigation.

· Be a U.S. citizen.

· Able to travel outside of their commuting area for at least 21 days or up to 340 days per year.

· Understanding of and/or subject matter expertise in Emergency Management and the Stafford Act.

· Advanced fluency at using Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel and Power Point) 2013.

· Able to use an iPad.

· Previous and proven successful technical expertise based on the positions outlined in his Statement of Work.

· Basic knowledge in the use of mobile technologies and Information Technology equipment such as mobile Global Positioning System (GPS) for vehicle use; Blackberry or Smartphone; Mobile wireless device (tethered) to laptop; and tablet.

· Have proof of health insurance.

3.1.3 Key Personnel

The below personnel positions are designated as key. The Contractor shall provide resumes of the individuals who are proposed to provide the services as outlined in this Statement of Work. Before changing an individual identified as "Key," the Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer no less than 14 business days in advance and shall submit written justification (including the name and qualifications of the proposed substitute[s]). The proposed substitute(s) shall possess qualifications equal to or superior to those of the "Key" person being replaced. The Contractor shall t substitute "Key" personnel under the task order without written consent from the Contracting Officer. The Government may designate additional Contractor personnel as "Key" in the performance of the requirements of this task order.

Program/Project Manager:

The Contractor shall provide a Project Manager to facilitate Government-Contractor communications. The Project Manager shall be the primary technical and managerial interface between the Contractor and Contracting Officer (CO) and the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). This person, and an alternate or alternates shall act for the Contractor with full authority to act for the Contractor on all Contract matters relating to daily operations.

Education:

A four-year bachelor’s degree is required.

Qualifications:

3 years specialized experience includes: expertise in the management and control of funds and resources using complex reporting mechanisms, demonstrated capability in managing multi-task contracts and/or subcontracts of various types and complexity. Assigned Project Manager must demonstrate the ability to work independently or under only general direction. Resume must show thorough experience in performing the following:

Managing clients and exceptional customer service skills.

Building a knowledge base of each client's business, organization and objectives Managing day-to-day client interaction.

Setting and managing client expectations.

Communicating effectively with clients to identify needs and evaluate alternative business solutions.

Continually seeking opportunities to increase customer satisfaction and deepen client relationships.

Implementing production, productivity, and quality standards.

Providing technical direction and guidance to staff to ensure Contract requirements and expectations are clear, success criteria are defined, progress toward results are monitored, and that all activities are performed in compliance with the terms of the Contract.

Identifying risks and appropriate mitigation strategies.

Meeting financial objectives by forecasting requirements, preparing budgets, scheduling expenditures, analyzing variances, and initiating corrective actions.

Emergency management in the federal or state environment.

Managing a multi-tiered project and/or multiple projects simultaneously.

Monitoring and managing compliance with all non-discrimination and equal access requirements.

Deputy Program/Project Manager:

The Contractor shall provide a Deputy Project Manager to facilitate Government-Contractor communications. The Project Manager shall be the primary technical and managerial interface between the Contractor and Contracting Officer (CO) and the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). This person, shall act for the Contractor when the Project Manager is absent, with full authority to act for the Contractor on all Contract matters relating to daily operations.

Education:

A four-year bachelor’s degree is required.

Qualifications:

Three years specialized experience includes: expertise in the management and control of funds and resources using complex reporting mechanisms, demonstrated capability in managing multi-task contracts and/or subcontracts of various types and complexity. Assigned Deputy Project Manager must demonstrate the ability to work independently or under only general direction. Resume must show thorough experience in performing the follow:

· Managing clients and exceptional customer service skills.

· Building a knowledge base of each client's business, organization and objectives.

· Managing day-to-day client interaction.

· Setting and managing client expectations.

· Communicating effectively with clients to identify needs and evaluate alternative business solutions.

· Continually seeking opportunities to increase customer satisfaction and deepen client relationships.

· Implementing production, productivity, and quality standards.

· Providing technical direction and guidance to staff to ensure Contract requirements and expectations are clear, success criteria are defined, progress toward results are monitored, and that all activities are performed in compliance with the terms of the Contract.

· Identifying risks and appropriate mitigation strategies.

· Meeting financial objectives by forecasting requirements, preparing budgets, scheduling expenditures, analyzing variances, and initiating corrective actions.

· Emergency management in the federal or state environment.

· Managing a multi-tiered project and/or multiple projects simultaneously.

· Monitoring and managing compliance with all non-discrimination and equal access requirements.

Individual Assistance - Applicant Services Program Specialist Major Duties:

• Communicate directly with disaster survivors, to discuss case status and provide clarification with the assistance process, disaster assistance programs, and the current status of their case.

• Verify applicants’ information for disaster assistance.

• Provide customer service to disaster survivors, regional staff, community and others.

• Thoroughly review issues to be addressed in order to assist disaster survivor.

• Review disaster assistance needs, prepare supporting documentation, and forward to supervisor for further action.

• Provide applicants with appropriate referrals to other Federal, State and local agencies, voluntary organizations, and faith based organizations.

· Verify applicant’s cases that are referred to Individual Assistance Program. Refer individual applicant for further case inquiries.

· Request and review additional information and/or documentation from the applicant and verify information is complete and appropriate.

· Provide information regarding Individual Assistance programs to internal and external partners.

· Provide equal access and reasonable modification to applicants with disabilities throughout the application and individual assistance delivery process.

· Review cases and identify issues that need to be addressed.

Qualifications:

• 1 year experience communicating with the public in a customer service environment such as, for example, a store, restaurant, public-facing office, or a community service.

• Experience or education in voluntary or humanitarian services, or an aptitude for this demonstrated by other work experience, education, or a listed reference.

• Experience or education in service delivery to communities and individuals is a plus, but not required; emergency management experience services is also a plus, but not required.

• An honorable discharge from the U.S. Military and related experience is also considered a plus.

• Education in communications, government, law, liberal arts, or the sciences is also considered a plus, or in lieu of the experience listed above. An Associates, Bachelors, or post-graduate degree is also considered highly desirable, but not required.

Public Assistance - Public Assistance Project Specialist

Education:

An Associates, Bachelors, or post-graduate degree is also considered highly desirable, but not required.

Major Duties:

· Writing quality project worksheets (sub grant applications) that can be obligated (funded) without changes (complete scope of work, damage description, and accurate cost estimate) in accordance with the Public Assistance Crew Leader project formulation plan.

· Preparing project worksheets (sub grant applications) including: Conducting site inspection; documenting eligible damage; Conducting project research and analysis as needed; Formulating eligible scope of work; Estimating costs of scope; Identifying and coordinating special considerations; Identifying and coordinating special considerations; and Providing supporting documentation.

· Conducting small project validations in accordance with the validation standard operating procedure.

· Coordinating with the applicant’s technical staff, consultants, and others as required by the applicant and project.

· Educating customer on Public Assistance program.

Qualifications:

· Two years’ experience making program decisions related to engineering and construction projects.

· Experience collecting and analyzing documentation to produce an accurate scope of work.

· Experience conducting analysis of building codes and standards, including codes and standards that apply to accessibility under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended and Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended.

Acquisitions Cadre - Acquisitions Purchasing Specialist

Major Duties;

The Acquisitions Purchasing Specialist provides subject matter expertise on contracts. Primary duties include the following:

· Receive requirements and conduct Acquisitions planning.

· Coordinate with the Logistics Section and the requesting organizational element to recommend whether a contract should be issued, the type of contract that to be initiated, and whether a FEMA Form 146-0-2 (Requisitions and Commitment for Services and Supplies) should be entered into the contract writing system.

· Determine if requirements can be met through local businesses and/or existing contract vehicles and provide recommendation for submission to government personnel.

· Coordinate with immediate supervisor to determine if sufficient, applicable funds have been committee and notify government personnel accordingly.

· Coordinate with immediate supervisor to discuss any actual or potential issues/problems related to the procurement request.

· Analyze requirements and determine the extent of competition.

· Review specifications, statement of work, (if applicable), and related aspects of requirements.

· Determine whether there is sufficient justification, approvals, and legal authority to make personal services or advisory and assistance services acquisitions and submit recommendation to government personnel.

· Establish source selection criteria and a milestone plan for solicitation, evaluation, and award tasks for submission to government personnel.

· Prepare the solicitation and all applicable pre-solicitation file documentation for government review.

· Comply with the requirements for acquisition in Sections 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.

· Prepare information for publicizing the requirement for government review.

· Perform the acquisition closeout process by ensuring that contract is complete and terms have been satisfied.

Qualifications Required:

· 5 + years working with government contracts as a Contract Specialist or Purchasing Agent.

· Knowledge of federal government Simplified Acquisition Procedure (SAP).

· Proficiency in MS Word and Excel.

Disability Integration - Computer Aided Real-time Translation Specialist

Major Duties

Provide Real-Time Captioning by use of laptop computers and specialized software to render instant speech-to-text translation on a computer monitor or other display for the benefit of an individual consumer or larger group in a number of real-time live settings. Using materials provided, obtain all terminology inherent to assignments to create a job dictionary to enhance the individual master dictionary. Update and maintain software dictionaries. Use consumer feedback to assess effectiveness of service provided, proofread transcripts and make necessary changes in grammar, punctuation, sentence structure and spelling. Responsible for weekly equipment maintenance and troubleshoot and solve hardware, software and other technical problems. (80%)

Additional responsibilities include providing guidance and technical assistance regarding transcribing speech to text in meetings, on conference calls. Provide effective communication access for people with disabilities in accordance with laws and regulations. Develop professional relationships and trust, facilitate the active involvement of local and state disability service agencies, organizations and advocacy groups. The translators will follow ethical codes that protect the confidentiality of information, listen to speakers’ statements and caption as timely, accurately, factually, and completely as possible. (20%)

Qualifications Required

· Certification by the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA):

· Certified Real-time Captioner (CRC), or equivalent state level certification or licensure

· Experience in specialized computer-aided speech-to-text software and transcription system.

· Working knowledge of standard spelling and/or phonetic abbreviations, text condensing strategies, and automatic speech recognition involved in creating meaning-for-meaning translations.

· Working knowledge of the computer equipment used, language and vocabulary used in assigned translating situations.

· Strong understanding of Disability Culture and People First Language.

· Operate a stenographic machine at 200 wpm. Maintain confidentiality.

· Possess strong listening skills, phonetic aptitude, and language skills to ensure transcription of the full meaning intended by the speaker(s).

· Essential Cultural and Linguistic Abilities.

· English Language—Knowledge of the structure and content of the English Language, including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

· People First Language—Knowledge of the cultural and grammatical structure of appropriate disability language.

· Customer and Personal Service—Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

· Law and Government—Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

Disability Integration - American Sign Language Interpreter Technical Specialist

Major Duties

The incumbent will be responsible providing American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation to meet the communications requirements of disaster survivors and the general public throughout emergency operations, programs and services while deployed to disasters and other emergency management events. Providing interpreting services to achieve equal access to effective communication to include, working collaboratively and providing guidance to Federal Coordinating Officer, Federal Disaster Recovery Coordinator, External Affairs, Disaster Survivor Assistance, Individual Assistance, Recovery and other program areas that interface with the community. Providing guidance for State and local governmental agencies to assist with ensuring people with disabilities have equal access to programs and services. Providing the Support Services Branch or designee, guidance & technical assistance to establish accessibility at Disaster Recovery Center and other field locations pursuant to established Agency policy guidance.

Qualification Required

· Three (3) years of experience providing American Sign Language (ASL) interpreting for the disability community and service delivery programs.

· Certification by the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID), or equivalent state level certification or licensure.

· Experience with assessing individual interpreting needs, including the needs for Certified Deaf Interpreter for minimal language skills, tactile sign language, etc.

· English Language—Knowledge of the structure and content of the English Language, including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

· People First Language—Knowledge of the cultural and grammatical structure of appropriate disability language.

· Customer and Personal Service—Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

· Law and Government—Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

3.1.4 Employee Conduct.

The Contractor's employees shall observe and comply with all applicable agency regulations, policies and procedures (e.g., fire, safety, sanitation, environmental protection, security, flag officer courtesy, "off limits" areas, wearing of military uniforms, and possession of firearms or weapons). The Contractor shall ensure that all contractor employees shall present a professional appearance at all times, and that their conduct shall not reflect discredit on the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency.

3.1.5 Removing Employees for Misconduct or Security Reasons.

The Government may, at its sole discretion, direct the Contractor to remove any Contractor employee from the FEMA Facilities for misconduct or security reasons or, if necessary, itself remove the contractor employee from the facilities. Such removal does not relieve the Contractor of the responsibility to provide sufficient qualified personnel for adequate and timely performance of the services required under this contract. If such removal occurs, the Contractor shall, within five (5) working days, provide resumes of possible alternative employees for FEMA’s review, interview, and approval. The Contracting Officer will provide the Contractor with an immediate written explanation for contractor removal.

3.1.6 Employee Identification.

Contractor employees visiting Government facilities shall wear a Government issued identification badge that, at minimum, displays the Contractor name, and the employee's photo, name, and badge expiration date. Visiting Contractor employees shall comply with all Government escort rules and requirements.

All Contractor employees shall identify themselves as Contractors when their status is not readily apparent, and must display all identification and visitor badges in plain view above the waist at all times while within FEMA facilities.

3.1.7 Conflict of Interest.

The Contractor shall not employ any person who is an employee of the United States Government if that employment would, or would appear to, cause a conflict of interest.

3.2 Security

The Contractor employee(s) will be provided access to the Agency's databases and other information required to perform the work outlined in the position descriptions or statements of duties upon completion of a background investigation commensurate with the risk designation associated with the contractor’s duties. The Contractor employee(s) shall abide by FEMA information security policies and procedures and FEMA will provide these contractors with appropriate access badges in compliance with HSPB-12 in order to have unescorted access to FEMA facilities and access to FEMA networks. Access to the Agency’s databases will be provided to the Contractor employee(s) upon satisfactory completion of any information security training and clearance processes required for systems access.

3.3 Privacy Act

Contractor access to information protected under the Privacy Act may be required in the performance of services under this Statement of Work. The Contractor shall comply with the Privacy Act of 1974 (the Act) and the agency rules and regulations issued under the Act in the design, development, or operation of any system of records on individuals to accomplish the efforts outlined under this task order. Contractor employees shall safeguard this information against unauthorized disclosure or dissemination in accordance with the law and Government policy and regulation. The Contractor shall assume full responsibility for maintaining privacy and confidentially regarding all electronic and hard-copy documents or other services provided to the FEMA in the performance of the requirements as required under this task order.

3.4 Type of Contract

The resultant contract shall be a Firm-Fixed Price contract.

3.5 Period of Performance

The period of performance for this contract will be for multiple awards throughout the US for a twelve-month base year, along with four twelve-month option years, with the option to exercise based upon availability of funding and the discretion of the government.

3.6 Place of Performance

The work required under this contract shall be performed throughout the Continental United States.

3.7 Deployment Conditions

Like deployed FEMA employees, contractors deployed pursuant to this statement of work may be required to work in excess of eight hours a day or in excess of 40 hours in a given week, including weekends and holidays, and under stressful, physically demanding, and austere conditions. Based on the mission needs of the Agency, a contractor’s work schedule and temporary duty site may be changed with little or no notice.

3.8 Hours of Operation/Weekly Progress Reports/Time and Attendance

The Contractor personnel shall be available during the hours of 6:00a.m and 6:00 p.m. EST, Sunday through Sunday to include Federal holidays. Contractor personnel shall be available during these hours unless a different time is agreed to between the Contractor and government.

3.9 Progress Report

The Contactor shall be responsible for keeping the COR informed of progress throughout the performance period of the task order, and ensure Contractor activities are aligned with FEMA objectives. The Contractor shall review the status and results of performance with COR on weekly basis and provide a written weekly progress report that addresses progress made on each assigned activity. In addition, every other week by close of business (COB) on Friday, accounting of the time and attendance of the Contractor employee(s) will be provided to and discussed with the COR; The COR will verify the time and attendance. Prior to the invoicing, the COR will advise and obtain approval from the Acting Chief Human Capital Officer.

Biweekly Progress Reports

On or before the 10th and 25th calendar day of each month, the contractor shall provide the COR (with a copy to the Contracting Officer) biweekly technical and financial progress reports. Reports may be submitted electronically in Microsoft Office formats (Word, Excel, etc.).

The technical status report shall contain:

· A description of any problem encountered or anticipated that will affect the completion of any individual task within the time and fiscal constraints as set forth in the statement of work, together with recommended solutions or a statement that no problems were encountered.

The financial Status Report shall contain a tabulation showing current and cumulative person hours expended by the Contractor, and the current cumulative expenditures. The COR will provide a copy of each report to the Contracting Officer. The report shall include a breakdown of labor hours by labor category. The report shall reflect hours allocated for the period, hours expended for the reporting period, hours expended year-to-date (or performance-to-date however applicable) for the performance period and unexpended hours remaining.

3.10 Travel

Contractor travel will be required to support this contract. Travel is required to successfully complete performance under this contract and the Government will reimburse the Contractor in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulations and Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) 31.205-46 Travel Costs. The Contractor shall be responsible for obtaining the Contracting Officer’s approval (coordinated through the Contracting Officer's Representative), via electronic mail, for all reimbursable travel in advance of each travel event. All travel costs included on an invoice must be detailed and itemized. Travel expenses will be reimbursed only if travel is required in the performance of the efforts outlined in the SOW.

3.11 Kick-Off Meeting

The Contractor shall attend a Kick-Off Meeting with the Contracting Officer and other designated representatives within five (5) business days of notification of award. The Kick-Off Meeting will be held at the Government's facility. Attendance by the designated "Key" contractor personnel is required at the Kick -Off Meeting.

3.12 Project Plan

The Contractor shall provide a draft Project Plan at the Kick-Off Meeting for Government review and comment. The Contractor shall provide a final Project Plan to the COR no later than five (5) business days after the Kick-Off Meeting.

4.0 CONTRACTING PERFORMANCE MONITORING

4.1 Quality Assurance

· The Contractor shall have in place and maintain a Quality Control Plan (QCP) that covers, as a minimum, how the Contactor intends to meet the requirements of all performance objectives, monitor, and proactively manage staff and task order requirements.

· The QCP shall also include the mechanism by which the Government will be notified of performance related incidents that are likely to affect quality of service or impact mission accomplishment.

· The Contractor shall provide a copy of its QCP to the COR within thirty (30) days of notification of task order award.

· Any changes, to the QCP shall be provided to the Government for the review and comments within ten (10) business days.

· The Contractor shall ensure overall quality of work performed. All support and related activities performed under this Contract shall be planned, controlled, and documented as required by existing regulations and guidelines. Critical characteristics of the quality of work performed are as follows:

· Meets agreed upon schedule dates.

· Prepares well-reasoned comprehensive statements/reports

· The following general quality measures will be applied to each work product received from the Contractor:

· Quality Level of Effort:

a. On-time delivery

b. Customer satisfaction rating

c. Innovative problem-solving approach, goal achievement/strategy and execution

· Schedule Performance:

a. Progress against milestone schedule and creative approaches to achieving targeted schedule.

b. Timely notification of schedule issues, accompanied by recommendation of corrective action.

· Accuracy:

a. Work products shall be accurate in presentation, technical content, and adherence to accepted elements of style as defined in the GPO Style Guide.

· The Contractor shall deliver an electronic copy of all written product concurrently to the COR, CO, and designated FEMA senior leader(s) for review and approval. Portable Document Format (PDF) is acceptable; however all source files (e.g., Microsoft Word, Excel, Visio, PowerPoint, etc.) shall be delivered in addition to PDFs. The Contractor will use its own format unless one is specified by the COR. Electronic transmission will be the primary delivery mechanism; however, hard copies will be provided, as requested. All contractor-provided documents will be clearly marked as such, either by printing on letterhead, or by using a header or footer, or by similar means.

· The COR will require ten (10) days from receipt of deliverables for review, comment, accept, or reject the document. Acceptance will be based on the deliverables meeting accepted professional standards for technical content, workmanship, and responsiveness to the stated requirements.

4.2 Quality Monitoring

The Contractor shall be in compliance with FAR Clause 52.246-4, Inspection of Services-Fixed Price and its QCP when performing all services required under this task order. The Government and the Contractor will meet if a Contractor Discrepancy Report (CDR) is issued which would dictate scheduling a meeting sooner.

4.3 Contracting Officer's Representative (COR)

The Contracting Officer will appoint in writing, upon award, a COR whose function will be to assist the Contracting Officer in monitoring and administering performance of requirements under this contract. The COR will be responsible for reviewing and accepting or rejecting work products form the Contractor, and for setting specific but reasonable project timelines and deadlines per discussion with the Contractor. The COR has NO AUTHORTY to make (or imply) any changes which affect the pricing, delivery schedule, scope, period of performance, or other terms and conditions that otherwise would obligate the Government in any way. When and is such changes are desirable, change requests will be forwarded to the Contracting Officer for consideration and negotiation.

4.4 General Acceptance Criteria

General quality measures as set forth below will be applied to each work product received from the Contractor under this Statement of Work:

· Performance reviews given by the supervisor on site based on the position the contractor holds.

· Able to deploy, within 72 hours, staff identified and required to meet the FCO’s identified needs.

· Consistency to Requirements - all work products must satisfy the requirements of the Statement of Work.

Timeliness- work products shall be submitted in a timely manner in accordance with objective deadlines as agreed upon by the FEMA Contracting Officer’s Representative and the Contractor.

5.0 FURNISHED PROPERTY, SPACE, EQUIPMENT AND RESOURCES

5.1 Government Furnished Space/Equipment

The Government will provide the workspace, equipment, and supplies necessary for the Contractor to perform the requirements of this task order, unless specifically stated otherwise. The Government will also provide access to facilities, personnel, temporary office space, a computer, any necessary building access identification, and telephones for work performed on-site. On-site is defined as at the Government’s facility.

5.2 Government-Provided Resources

FEMA's Office of the Chief Component Human Capital Officer will provide an overview of the tasks and provide briefings on operation and management structure.

6.0 Requirements

The Contractor shall provide a minimum of 1,000 staff capable of and qualified to provide on-site support services in the areas Public Assistance, Hazard Mitigation, Internal Affairs, Information Technology, Payroll, Processing, Benefits and other duties defined in this Statement of Work.

7.0 Deliverables

An electronic record copy of all deliverables shall be submitted to the COR for review and approval. The Contractor will use its own format unless one is specified.

· Provide personnel within 24 hours of request.

The COR will require seven (7) working days from receipt of deliverables for review, comment, acceptance, or rejection. If the seven (7) days are exceeded, deliverables are automatically accepted unless otherwise specified. Acceptance will be based on the deliverables meeting accepted professional standards for technical content, workmanship, and responsiveness to the stated task order requirements.

RFI Questions – Emergency Managers Applicant Pool

1. Describe the type of staffing support you provide to other Federal Agencies to include but not be limited to:

a. Describe your areas of expertise in providing staffing support.

b. Describe how long you have been providing this support and to what types of organizations.

c. Describe how you manage requests with very short delivery times.

d. Describe how you manage remote staff

e. Describe your hiring process.

i. Are your employee’s full time, part time, 1099, or a combination of the above?

f. Describe what experience you have, the length of experience in providing the service to support either disasters or situations that involve emergency management.

g. Provide a description of the types, numbers and qualifications of the staff you hire by areas of expertise to include but not be limited to:

i. Emergency Managers

ii. Engineers: civil, electrical other

iii. Communications

iv. Public Assistance

v. Grants

vi. Administrative

vii. HR

viii. All others

h. Describe how you qualify or vet your applicant pool and those you hire?

i. Do any of your employees possess clearances? If yes, what type, and what are their backgrounds?

2. Describe how you would assure your organizations ability to provide staff to a disaster with a 48 hours call up time frame.

3. Describe how you train your staff?

4. Describe how you are able to contact and deploy your staff on short notice?

5. Describe how you would assure that your staff are prepared to deploy to an austere work environment and agree to work in such an environment?

6. FEMA is an equal opportunity employer. To that end, FEMA encourages all to apply including those who are over 55 years of age and individuals with disabilities, including individuals who may require reasonable accommodations. .

7. Describe how you identify and provide reasonable accommodations including accommodating individuals subject to short call up time.

8. In what geographic locations are your staff located? How many are in each location: (Mary, you may want to break this up differently.)North East, SE, Mid-Atlantic, Central (north, south), West coast (N/S), Alaska, HI, PR,

9. How do you manage your staff?

10. Describe how do you match people and positions?

11. Describe your experience in providing staffing support to organizations that required more than 500 or 1,000 people?

12. Describe how you comply with the Affordable Care Act.

13. Describe how you comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act

14. Describe how you address employees who have performance or behavioral issues while deployed.

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