PWS as of 6.7.11.docx

February 17, 2011 June 7, 2011

HOUSING INSPECTION SERVICES’, SERVICES CONTRACT

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

CONTENTS

C.1 Overview C.2 Purpose C.3 Background and Approach C.4 Acronyms and Definitions C.5 Quality Management System Requirements C.6 Program Management Critical Components

Declaration and Release

C.1 OVERVIEW

C.1.1 The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is authorized pursuant to the Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (P.L. 93-288), as amended by the Robert T. Stafford Act (P.L. 100-707), to provide assistance to Applicants of Presidential declared disasters and emergencies. The Recovery Directorate is to ensure that individuals and families that have been affected by disasters have access to the full range of FEMA programs in a timely manner with the best possible level of service. The residential damage inspection contracts provide the basis for grant assistance to disaster applicants in accordance with the Act. The contracts receive extensive visibility from the highest level of Federal, State, and local Governments, and are continually in the public media.

C.1.2 A presidential disaster declaration occurs after a sequence of events, beginning with the disaster incident. Following the incident, if the recovery requirement exceeds local and state or U.S. Territory resources, the state’s governor may request a Preliminary Damage Assessment (PDA), which will be forwarded to FEMA headquarters along with a formal request for a presidential declaration. FEMA’s recommendations are sent to the President for approval. If a declaration occurs, a Federal Coordinating Officer (FCO) is assigned to the disaster, and a Joint Field Office (JFO) is established to coordinate recovery efforts.

C.1.3 Applicants are instructed to apply for assistance by dialing a 1-800 number or on line at WWW.DisasterAssistance.GOV. They may visit a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) and use a phone bank or a computer to register for assistance.

C.1.4 FEMA uses special purpose software, currently the National Emergency Management Information System (NEMIS), for processing applications. The majority of applications are processed automatically using business rules, although some manual routing of work is required. The majority of applications requiring an inspection are automatically routed to the Contractor using these business rules. NEMIS “virtual processing” allows work to be assigned, reviewed and approved from any work station via a secure VPN connection to the NEMIS network. This “virtual processing” capability allows flexibility in the location utilized for assignment and coordination of inspection activity. Assignment of work will be the responsibility of the Contractor.

C.1.5 Automated Construction Estimator (ACE) is software developed by FEMA and currently used by the Contractors to perform residential damage inspections in the field. In certain remote areas with no communication capability, inspections may be performed using a paper inspection form (Attachment 3) mirroring the software data collection fields.

C.2 PURPOSE

C.2.1 FEMA shall award multiple inspection contracts. Each Contractor is expected to support other Contractors as needed and required by FEMA. These contracts support the FEMA Individual Housing Program (IHP) by providing for the collection and reporting of information gathered by on-site inspection and verification or by other means approved by FEMA (e.g. inspector manned phone banks, aerial imagery, or tax data). FEMA and the States determine the type and amount of disaster assistance based on this information. The data collected includes but is not limited to:

· the extent of real property damage to the home;

· how the habitability of the home has been affected;

· verification of ownership, occupancy and insurance information;

· the extent of damages to personal property and vehicles;

· tarp inspections;

· photos of residential damage;

· information regarding other disaster expenses and needs;

· “sweep inspections”

· multi family and private road and bridge access issues

· customer service surveys;

· Mobile home site inspections, pre-placement interviews, and post-disaster assessments. This work is primarily to verify that a property is suitable for a temporary disaster housing unit such as manufactured home, mobile home, travel trailer, and/or other readily fabricated housing; and verification of placement sites such as private, commercial and group sites. The site inspectors should be knowledgeable in areas of manufactured housing and site development, installation inspection, and minor maintenance.

C.3 BACKGROUND and APPROACH

The Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006, Title VI – National Emergency Management, Subtitle B – Personnel Provisions, Chapter 1 – Federal Emergency Management Personnel, Section 621 Workforce Development, Sub Section 10102 Strategic Human Capital Plan requires FEMA to have a human capital strategy to ensure that FEMA has a workforce of appropriate size and with appropriate skills and training to carry out FEMA’s mission. Section 624 Surge Capacity Force requires FEMA to establish and implement a Surge Capacity Force for deployment of individuals to natural disasters and to acts of terrorism and other man-made disasters, including catastrophic incidents. The Surge Capacity Force should be trained and deployed under the authorities set forth in the Stafford Act. As such, the vendors’ proposals of staffing to include inspector staffing are designed to fulfill Section 624 for this work activity.

In today’s environment, FEMA has established rigid timelines for customer contact, reporting applicant status, residential damage inspection and reporting. FEMA’s contract inspection partners shall adopt a business model and philosophy that will provide FEMA a robust inspector work force, a Quality Management System that identifies the Quality Policy, Quality Goals and Objectives to perform the requirements (Attachment 1) and provide the deliverables (Attachment 12) for this contract.

C.4 ACRONYMNS AND DEFINITIONS

ACE – Automated Construction Estimator – The field software currently used to complete inspections under IHP.

Caller Services – National Processing Service Center (NPSC) sections responsible for both Registration Intake and Helpline functions.

Catastrophic Event – Any natural disaster, act of terrorism, or other man-made disaster that result in extraordinary levels of casualties, damage or disruption severely affecting the population (including mass evacuations), such as infrastructure, environment, economy, national morale, or government functions in an area.

CMHIS – Contract Management and Housing Inspection Services (CMHIS) section provides oversight, performance monitoring, quality surveillance, and management of equipment, service, and residential damage inspection contract(s) awarded by the Government.

CO – Contracting Officer – A Federal employee presiding over the bid opening who reviews pertinent facts about each bid (including price, terms, free on board (FOB) point, etc.). After subsequent analysis and evaluation, the Contracting Officer will award the contract (s) to the responsive and responsible bidder.

CONUS – Continental United States.

COTR – Contracting Officer Technical Representative – A program office official who is designated by the Contracting Officer to assist in administering specific aspects (such as technical aspects) of the contract.

CS – Contract Specialist – The Contracting Officer may have several Contract Specialists. They will often be responsible for negotiating with offerors. Often, the only distinction between the Contracting Officer and the Contract Specialist is actual contracting authority. The Contracting Officer must sign the contractual documents and, therefore, has final responsibility for the contract process and performance.

Double Damage – The term “Double Damage” applies to any dwelling that had damage from a previous Federal Declaration within 12 months of the current disaster incident date and is occupied by the same Applicant as the previous disaster.

DRC – Disaster Recovery Center – An office established in areas directly affected by the disaster to facilitate direct interaction between FEMA and the Applicant.

FCO – Federal Coordinating Officer – The Disaster Recovery Manager responsible for all field operations for a particular disaster.

HA – Housing Assistance – Assistance administered by FEMA through IHP. It provides for individuals and households displaced from their pre-disaster residences, and/or whose pre-disaster residences are rendered uninhabitable who are underinsured or who have no insurance to provide for their housing needs.

HRR – Habitability Repairs Required – On each inspection the inspector makes a “Habitability Repairs Required” determination. FEMA’s definition of a habitable dwelling is one that is “safe, sanitary, functional, and presents no disaster-related hazards to the occupants.” The HRR decision is based on the damage sustained to the Applicant’s home and their access, and it is the main factor FEMA uses to determine eligibility for Housing Assistance.

IHP – Individuals & Households Program – IHP provides financial or direct assistance to those who have necessary expenses and serious needs as a result of a disaster declaration if they are unable to meet the needs through other means. Both HA and Other Needs Assistance (ONA) assistance are provided under IHP.

IMAR – Inspection Management Activity Reports – These reports show a variety of disaster specific inspection information, and provide the data for the majority of the Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP).

IMR – Inspection Management Review – A database, maintained by the Virginia NPSC Inspection Management’s Quality Surveillance (QS) section, evaluates the quality of Contractor work.

ISC – Inspection Services Coordinator – The ISC, typically located at the Joint Field Office (JFO), acts as liaison between the Task Monitor, JFO staff, Contractor representatives, and field personnel concerning inspection information.

ISO – International Organization for Standardization – ISO 9000 is a variety of standards for quality management systems. These standards support efficient/effective operation systems, customer satisfaction, and continual improvement. ISO is administered by accreditation and certification bodies.

ITS – Information Technology Services (Network Operations Center) – The Network Operations Center (NOC) is a 24/7 operation center that serves as the central control and management point for all IT production services. This is supported by various monitoring tools that enable the NOC to manage all systems, networks, managed services provided by telecommunications carriers, DHS data centers, and enterprise applications. The NOC serves as the central escalation, coordination, and management of systems to ensure IT services are available to Headquarters, Regional Offices, Joint Field Offices (JFO), State Offices, and other fixed sites in support of the FEMA Mission.

JFO – Joint Field Office – An office, established near or within the designated disaster area, housing representatives from federal, state and voluntary agencies responsible for coordination and monitoring disaster assistance delivery. This is a coordinating facility and is typically not a location where applicant contact occurs.

NPSC – National Processing Service Center – FEMA currently has three NPSC's located in Winchester, VA, Hyattsville, MD and Denton, TX. The NPSC is a full service disaster assistance processing and solutions center which delivers IHP assistance from applicant registration through communication of award amount.

OCONUS – Outside of the Continental United States.

ONA – Other Needs Assistance – Other Needs Assistance provision of the Individuals and Households Program provides assistance for necessary expense and serious needs that cannot be met through other available resources/program. ONA may be administered by FEMA (FEMA option) or the state (joint option).

OP - Operational Preparedness - Includes all ongoing, non-disaster-specific efforts necessary to meet the performance requirements under the contract on extremely short notice, as specified in the contract.

Pre-Placement Interview (PPI) – An interview with the Applicant, using scripted screening questions, to determine the need for, size, accessibility features, and possible location for the placement of a temporary housing unit (Temporary Housing Units for Individuals with a Disability 9452.1).

Product – An inspection meeting the IHP Inspection Guidelines and/or addenda completed, without errors and returned to FEMA.

PWS – Performance Work Statement – A statement of work for performance-based acquisitions that describe the required results in clear, specific and objective terms with measurable outcomes (Federal Acquisition Regulations)

QS – Quality Surveillance – Inspection Management’s Quality Assurance Section assists the Task Monitors and COTR’s in evaluating the quality of work performed by the Contractor.

QC – Quality Control – Quality Control is the Contractor’s process for assuring that inspection quality meets the performance standards of the contract. FEMA participates in QC in order to verify that the Contractor is adhering to their QC plan.

QMS – Quality Management System – ISO 9001:2008 is a set of standardized requirements for a quality management system, regardless of what the user organization does, its size, or whether it is in the private or public sector. Organizations can be registered, indicating they are meeting all requirements.

Site Inspection (SI) – This is a physical site inspection to determine the feasibility of placing a mobile home, travel trailer or other temporary housing unit on the property.

TM – Task Monitor – Delegated authority by the Contracting Officer Technical Representative (COTR); the Task Monitor’s responsibility is to monitor the day-to-day inspection activity of the Inspection Contractors during the course of a disaster. The Task Monitor’s are located at the VA-NPSC

TO – Task Order – An order for services placed against an established contract or with Government sources (FAR 2.101).

C.5 QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

The contractor’s draft ISO 9001 Quality Management System (QMS) shall comply with version 2008 or any later version as designated by FEMA. The Contractor’s draft ISO 9001 Quality Management System (QMS) shall emphasize a process and preventive management approach that provides FEMA with assurances that the contractor’s quality management requirements will be fulfilled and clearly and comprehensively demonstrates the vendor’s quality management processes as coordinated activities that direct and control the contractor’s organization with regard to quality management.

The Contractor’s customer is FEMA and the product delivered to FEMA is a conforming and compliant inspection. The QMS shall include all the processes and procedures to deliver conforming and compliant inspections to FEMA and apply all requirements of the International Standards to those processes. The vendor shall establish, document, implement, and maintain a Quality Management System that will continually improve effectiveness by meeting the following ISO requirements as a minimum level of compliance:

1) Determine the processes and procedures needed for quality management and their application throughout the organization;

2) Determine the sequence and interaction of all processes;

3) Determine the criteria and methods needed to ensure that both the operation and control of these processes are effective;

4) Ensure the availability of resources and information necessary to support the operation and monitoring of these processes;

5) Monitor, measure where applicable, and analyze these processes;

6) Implement action(s) necessary to achieve planned results and continual improvement;

7) Ensure the control of subcontracted or outsourced processes that affect product conformity and quality.

The vendor’s draft Quality Manual shall include the entire scope of ISO 9001 with reference to the clauses contained in the ISO 9001 defining repeatable processes and procedures that minimally address clauses 4 through 8: (4 – Quality Management System, 5 – Management Responsibility, 6 – Human Resources, 7 – Product Realization and 8 – Measurement, analysis and improvement). Some ISO standards may be considered for exclusion due to the nature of the product provided by the vendor organization. These specific requirements shall be considered for exclusion by the customer and the certification entity. The QMS shall demonstrate an understanding of the interactions between the Contractor’s QMS and CMHIS QMS. The benefits shall be strengthened through effective internal auditing and management review of system performance.

The Contractor shall continually monitor/measure and refine all processes throughout the life of the contract to address any and all product, performance, and quality issues and demonstrate to FEMA the evolution of the Contractor’s QMS by improving inspection operations and results. The Contractor shall continually provide FEMA with evidence of compliance including but not limited to: the quality manual (and amendments made thereafter), required procedures and records, audit reports/findings and certificate of registration for the defined standard. Implementation of the QMS shall ensure that continual process improvement is established and quality procedures and standards are enforced.

The Contractor shall register their QMS by the end of the base year with a certification entity that demonstrates competence to audit, experienced in certifying organizations that conform to the management systems standards and accredited by the National Accreditation Board (ANAB)/ American National Standards Institute-American Society of Quality (ANSI-ASQ). The certificate of registration must be awarded to or in the name of, the specific entity, office, or project that is responsible for carrying out inspection operations via a third party audit conducted by an accredited registrar. Corporate ISO 9001 certificates of registration will only be accepted if the organization can show evidence that the relevant office conforms to the standards as defined by FEMA’s QMS requirements.

FEMA Inspection Services representatives or their designees shall participate as an observer in all internal, external, surveillance and re-certification audits conducted by the Quality Manager and/or the certification official. FEMA will audit the results of the following:

· Task Order Performance – Audit will verify conformance to the requirements.

· Operational Preparedness – Audit will verify conformance to the requirements.

· Quality Management System – Audit will verify conformance to the requirements.

FEMA will provide an audit plan prior to the audits. Non conformities discovered during the audits will be provided to the Contractor as major or minor. FEMA will provide findings in writing to the Contractor.

The Contractor shall include in their QMS the method they will use to implement corrective and preventive actions, verification of corrective action and how they will maintain improvement in the area of the non-conformity. Audit logs will be kept by FEMA.

C.6 PROGRAM MANAGEMENT CRITICAL COMPONENTS

The critical components are the requirements to be performed by the Contractor to deliver FEMA a conforming inspection.

C.6.1 POST AWARD DE-BRIEF

The Contractor and FEMA shall meet to review and discuss the QMS draft and discuss their strengths, weaknesses, and risks identified by the Source Selection panel. The review will determine if all the processes to perform the critical operational component requirements of C.6 are addressed and applicable ISO 9001:2008 standards to manage the processes are included. Additionally, corrective actions for the weaknesses and risks shall be discussed.

C.6.2 TRANSITION

The incumbents shall continue to perform task orders issued during the transition period. The transition period allows the Contractors to apply their approaches to transition workloads and equipment from the incumbent Contractor (i.e. current activations), initiate activation of the staff proposed for this effort and apply their QMS in the operation.

To minimize any decreases in productivity and to prevent possible negative impacts on additional services, the Contractor shall have personnel on board, at no additional cost to the government, Up to 90 days phase in/phase out periods. During the phase in period the Contractor shall become familiar with test/training requirements in order to commence full performance of services on the contract start date.

C.6.2.1 PHASE OUT

The incumbents shall be responsible for a phase out process that shall be approved by FEMA. That process is separate from this requirement document and shall not be discussed in this document.

C.6.2.2 PHASE IN

Transition by the new awardees for this contract will begin on the day of the award. The Operational Preparedness audit will consist of a verification of the preparedness capabilities to perform the requirements. FEMA shall provide training for the Contractor’s trainers. A maximum of ten (10) Contractor staff members per contract may be trained by FEMA during this transition period. The trained Contractor staff members shall provide subsequent training to other Contractor personnel. Classes will be held at a location agreeable to all parties and will last approximately five (5) calendar days. The scope of the training is subject to change.

Training shall include the operation of the NEMIS System, for the residential damage data collector (ACE), inspection assignment, Contractor Review, QC review, No Contact inspections, Contractor Supervisor Review. ACE System training also includes the use of the system to make habitability determinations and to complete home inspections. Training will include hands-on use of the system to accomplish inspections in simulated or actual disaster conditions. The training is limited to explanation of FEMA programs and policies and not intended to establish the vendor as a subject matter expert on damage assessment. Training shall also include fraud awareness and detection to identify indicators of potential fraud and procedures to follow when encountered. FEMA shall attend and audit the training exercise performed by the Contractor. Performance of manual paper inspections will also be demonstrated.

FEMA will provide training on the different disaster assistance programs (e.g. disaster housing, Small Business Administration disaster loans, and Individual and Households Program). FEMA will also provide training on the process by which assistance is obtained, including application, verification, disbursement, appeals/reconsiderations, Help-line functions, and other factors related to the recovery process.

C.6.3 OPERATIONAL STRUCTURE & PREPAREDNESS REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor shall describe in detail the components of their proposed Preparedness functions and operational aspects to respond to any size/type disaster and/or multiple disaster declarations. This shall include the methodology and business practices to accomplish the production and quality requirements for this contract.

C.6.3.1 OPERATIONAL

The Contractor shall propose their organizational structure to be implemented for this contract. The organizational structure shall demonstrate the different levels of authority of the organization; the duties assigned, and detail the layers that make up the Contractor’s QMS, day to day staffing and inspector work force. If more than one job function is assigned to an individual, the percentage of time dedicated for each job function shall be disclosed. The Contractor shall describe in detail all positions associated with day-to-day operations.

C.6.3.2 PREPAREDNESS

Describe in detail all Preparedness processes, functions and procedures to be implemented to respond to any size/type disaster and/or multiple disaster declarations with a workforce to accomplish the production requirements and quality deliverables. This detail shall include, but not be limited to, the establishment of a Operational organizational structure, ongoing Preparedness preparations, inspector training, review staff training, field managers, Quality Control inspectors, safety/security management and staff, benefit packages and work force retention.

C.6.4 KEY PERSONNEL AND INSPECTOR STAFFING

The Contractor shall provide proposed position descriptions of the various staff working on this contract to include office staff, operation staff and inspector cadre levels for the organization. The inspector cadre descriptions shall include a quality supervisor position, quality inspector position, field inspector supervisor position and varied levels of field inspector position descriptions. The Contractor shall provide the number of positions for each description which will be the baseline staffing model to perform the scope of work. The inspector personnel shall not be an employee or under contract to multiple Housing Inspection prime contractors for the duration of the contract.

Timelines associated with new hiring and replacement of field inspection staff members shall be communicated to the COTR to include timelines from a vacancy to replacement.

FEMA’s contract partners shall have the following key positions described in figure 1 within their organization. These positions shall interact with Housing Inspection Services Program Management Staff. Replacement of these positions after contract award shall be approved by FEMA prior to position offer. FEMA requires a 30 day advance notification prior to transfer of key personnel.

Figure 1 – Example Organizational Structure

C.6.4.1 STAFFING/EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY

Contractor staff working on this contract must complete required DHS forms and supply such information as determined by FEMA Security prior to the first declaration of a task order award.

The Contractor shall ensure that its staff and all employees undergo a background vetting process that includes, at a minimum, completing the FBI National Criminal History Check, local law enforcement checks, and credit checks.

After the Contractor’s staff and employees are deemed suitable to work on the contract in accordance with the Agency’s criteria, the Contractor’s staff and employees shall obtain an identity credential. The identity credential shall be resistant to fraud, tampering and counterfeiting. The contractor must have the ability to grant access control credentials utilizing electronic verification and biometric authentication in near real-time and in accordance with the Agency’s criteria. The Contractor must have the capability to issue identity credentials to each suitable applicant, regardless of location (nationwide), within the 72 hour timeframe.

The Contracting Officer may direct the Contractor to exclude from working on this contract any staff found or deemed to be unsuitable or whose continued employment on the contract is deemed contrary to the public interest or inconsistent with the best interest of the agency.

The Contractor shall arrange with its staff the return of any DHS or FEMA- issued identification badges that either have expired or have been collected from terminated or departing Contractor employees to the COTR within 72 hours of termination or departed Contractor employee or sub-contractor.

The Contractor’s inspection staff shall be trained to recognize record and assess disaster related damages to residential structures for the purpose of determining habitability, and be indoctrinated to the process between disasters.

The Contractor shall be trained on fraud awareness and detection to identify indicators of potential fraud and procedures to follow when encountered.

C.6.5 CUSTOMER SERVICE

The Contractor’s customer service and community needs sensitivity training curricula on the job behavior shall include rules of behavior policies and procedures (Attachment 4) that is required of the National Processing Service Center (NPSC) Federal Employees. Those on the job topics to be enforced are alcohol/drug-free workplace rules, smoke-free workplace, security, weapons, and threat levels, violence in the workplace, safety, dress code and personal use of Government office equipment.

A third party FEMA Contractor will execute a Customer Service Survey performing a random sampling of applicants the Contractor has contacted, including “withdrawals”, during the course of activation. Survey forms will be distributed and results will be evaluated by FEMA based on the Customer Survey scoring system used by the Customer Survey Contractor. (Attachment 5 a and b)

C.6.6 ONGOING TRAINING

The Contractor’s inspector training curricula shall be approved by the COTR. The training curricula shall ensure that its inspectors are knowledgeable of the FEMA Repair Program, Customer Service, Security Awareness and Privacy Awareness training (Attachment 6). All training is required annually. The Contractor’s training program report shall include the inspector ID number, or employee name for other than inspectors. On-site training audits may be conducted as frequently as determined necessary by FEMA. Contractor training topics shall include an annual tabletop Operational and Preparedness exercise that FEMA will observe to verify inspection production capabilities. The exercise shall be a FEMA-declared mock disaster exercise, and be performed at the Contractor’s operations center. The exercise shall include, but not be limited to, discussion of the program mission, scenario response covering the requirements of the PWS, procedural influences and inspector participation in the exercise.

C.6.7 COMMITMENT & COMMUNICATIONS

The Operational Preparedness and inspection requirements established by FEMA for the Contractor are the Agency’s commitment to provide a prompt response and provide a quality assessment of residential damage in order to provide assistance to disaster survivors. The Contractor shall commit to FEMA their resources to perform the work within the boundaries of the contract.

The commitment is displayed throughout the proposal to meet the mandatory performance capabilities. The proposals do not leave open-ended timelines for completion of their capability to perform work. Milestones for various activities are shown to include depth of support and staff size to complete work at all levels.

The Contractor shall participate in regular exchanges of information with FEMA and regarding program, performance, quality, complaints and procedural changes that may occur. Nothing in this contract is intended to limit any formal or informal exchanges of information designed to enable the Contractor to perform under this contract. Such exchanges are encouraged.

A proactive communication between the Contractors and FEMA on issues and challenges shall occur as opposed to FEMA initiating the communications in the areas of performance, quality, and complaints. Clearly defined protocol within the Contractor’s proposals that defines key points of contact to bring issues to resolution will be considered the most effective.

C.6.8 INSPECTION TASK ORDER PERFORMANCE

The Contractor shall respond to inspection task orders that are in a single declared area, or multiple declared areas in CONUS and OCONUS. The Contractor shall comply with local, state, and federal laws, statutes and ordinances; health, occupational and safety regulations; and any state and local rules or regulations. To support the inspection effort, IHP Inspection Guidelines (Attachment 7) contains pertinent and relevant instructions for the inspection process. Disaster specific addenda could require ongoing modifications to the IHP Inspection Guidelines.

Once the Contractor is put on stand-by for an event, in rare instances FEMA may issue a task order for the Contractor to pre-deploy the inspector cadre planned for that event to a location that can enable a quicker start of the inspection process.

FEMA will make every effort to alert the Contractor of anticipated levels of production, inaccessible areas, mandatory evacuations, and disaster magnitude for each disaster task order. The Contractor shall be responsible for determining the potential number of inspections per task order via other information gathering methods (e.g. performing their own disaster assessments within the affected areas).

The Contractor may start issuing inspections to inspectors immediately after the NEMIS Housing Assistance Module (HA) is turned on. FEMA will consult with the Contractor as to when the module will be activated. The Contractor’s workforce shall be capable of completing the inspections in the shortest timeframes. The inspection workload needs to be assessed by the Contractor to ensure a first-in, first-out process of completing inspections by the inspectors. The contractor shall notify the Task Monitor on planned release of inspectors. The Government reserves the right to disable Contractor Review of returned work in large disasters. The Contractor will receive a minimum of one (1) hour notice of this action. This means the toggle function within NEMIS called “Auto-determination” is turned on. The work will come directly from the inspector to FEMA without a review capability by others. The quality assurance surveillance by FEMA will not be suspended when Contractor Review is disabled. Contractor Review may be reinstated at the Government’s discretion, usually when the workload has decreased to a level which the Contractor Review staff can process in a timely manner.

The Contractor is responsible to maintain a continuity of operations that will meet all of FEMA’s requirements during normal and catastrophic events.

C.6.8.1 INITIAL INSPECTIONS AND APPEAL INSPECTIONS

The Contractor shall perform inspections of residences via electronic means at the damaged residence using Government furnished equipment and software.

For each task order, inspectors shall make every effort to reach the damaged dwellings by whatever means possible including but not limited to utilizing aircraft, boat, or foot travel when necessary. The Contractor shall make every effort to schedule the inspection with the Applicant prior to arrival at the damaged dwelling.

The Contractor shall document the damages sustained in accordance with this contract and IHP Inspection Guidelines that address specific inspection processes as well as any unique disaster circumstance for the Contractor to follow. The inspectors shall assess the actual disaster related damage and the overall habitability of homes and complete each appropriate field in the residential damage data collection software.

Appeal inspections are performed in the same manner as the initial inspection, and are performed as a result of the Applicant appealing to FEMA that their initial inspection did not capture all the damages and/or repairs; and in some cases, the first inspector failed to identify all damages caused by the disaster.

In the event electronic means are not possible, inspections shall be completed manually. FEMA will provide Office of Business Management (OMB) approved paper inspection forms to the Contractor on an as-needed basis. The Contractor shall provide staff to insert the results of these paper inspections into the NEMIS system. The Contractors will be responsible for the proper destruction of the PII information in a process identified in the security plan approved by FEMA. The form may be modified to accommodate special inspection circumstances, particularly in areas with non-traditional housing.

Completed inspections are returned to FEMA. Some inspections are not completed due to different circumstances.

C.6.8.1.1 WITHDRAWN INSPECTIONS

If an Applicant wishes to withdraw his application at the time of the inspection, the inspector shall explain the potential impacts of being withdrawn from the FEMA program. The reason for withdrawal shall be clearly documented in the inspection comments.

C.6.8.1.2 NO CONTACT INSPECTIONS

If the inspector is unable to contact the applicant, the inspection shall be processed in accordance with FEMA requirements. A site visit and exterior inspection are required. The Contractor shall only return as “No Contact” those inspections for which the Applicant could not be located after exhaustion of all aggressive efforts within 14 days from the date the inspection was issued to the inspector. Aggressive efforts include, but are not limited to, phone calls to all phone numbers on different days at different times of the day, repeated site visits, contact of neighbors and contact of postal workers, a note of the inspector’s visit with a return phone number posted on the damaged dwelling, and a letter sent to the current mailing address. The Contractor will be paid only for fully documented No Contacts.

C.6.8.1.3 NO ENTRY/INACCESSIBLE INSPECTIONS

The Government will compensate the Contractor for inspections performed without entry to a specified residence only when the residence is destroyed, has been condemned, entry has been restricted by local building authorities, or is inaccessible for inspection due to standing water, landslide, or similar unsafe situation. Inaccessible does not include inspections on islands or where the natural course of travel to an applicant’s dwelling is by boat, walking trails, snow mobiles, or off-road vehicles. Alternate route or detours that allow access to dwellings are not considered inaccessible. At least one (1) site visit shall be made to inspect the exterior of the residence when the residence is accessible for exterior inspection. A full description of conditions preventing entry to the dwelling shall be provided by the inspector. The inspector shall meet with the applicant to record all other verifications such as ownership, occupancy and signatures, as well as documenting any other serious needs or necessary expenses.

C.6.8.1.4 PRIORITY INSPECTIONS

Some inspections can be subject to priority designation. This classification would be identified by the Task Monitor and shall be completed and returned within 24 hours after the Contractor is notified of such priority. The Contractor will receive notification of the priority inspection by email to a Contractor designee or on paper form via fax. The Contractor shall include a report of all priority cases in the Operational Report. Priority cases are estimated to comprise less than 5% of the inspections issued per disaster.

C.6.8.2 SHELTER INSPECTIONS

Disasters that utilize shelters as a means to provide alternative temporary housing for disaster survivors who have registered with FEMA and are due inspections may require the Contractor to address these inspections as “priority cases”. FEMA will partner with the Contractor to expedite completion of these inspections. FEMA may provide a liaison at the shelter to facilitate prioritizing the inspections and Applicant communications.

The COTR may task the Contractor to perform shelter inspections in order to expedite the closure of shelters These inspections may require the Contractor to provide additional inspector staff to ensure that all shelter evacuees are contacted. The scope is to start the inspection process by obtaining the name, address, registration number and current contact information by shelter location and arrangements to meet at the residence to perform the inspection. Shelter IHP Inspection Guidelines (Attachment 8) describe the process for this task. The Contractors’ staff will assign and expedite the shelter inspections. The entire process is to run concurrent with the regular inspection program and will be considered complete upon the closure of the disaster shelters.

C.6.8.3 SITE INSPECTIONS

The data elements to be collected are described by guidelines. Site inspections are for different disaster related needs. Site inspections are performed to identify site suitability for temporary disaster housing units, such as manufactured homes, travel trailers, and/or other readily fabricated housing; and placement sites, such as private, commercial and group sites. Site inspections are also performed to determine lodging condition pre- and post-stay of Applicants in an alternative lodging site, such as a motel, hotel or other approved emergency lodging site. These tasks will not be performed for all disasters. These tasks are addressed via line items and are described in disaster-specific guidelines for any given disaster. Site inspections require the inspector to be knowledgeable of the building trades, able to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, inspection set-up criteria, site plan requirements, measurements, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals.

C.6.8.4 SWEEP INSPECTIONS

At FEMA’s discretion, the Contractor shall perform Sweep inspections. Sweep inspections include obtaining registration information and performing inspections during one (1) site visit. The Contractor shall refer to Section J, Attachment 7, “IHP Inspection Guidelines”, for assistance and detailed direction. The Contractor will be notified of the Sweep Inspection requirement within 24 hours of the start of Sweep Inspections. Sweep inspections may be electronic or require the use of manual inspection forms to perform the Sweep inspection process.

C.6.8.5 GEOSPATIAL INSPECTIONS

Geospatial inspections are intended to provide estimated residential damage data from a geospatial analysis as a supplement to physical inspections in areas with extensive damage conditions. Geospatial analysis provided by the Contractor will enable the Contractor to return a completed inspection that includes pre-determined residential damage line items for a repair grant, habitability determination, or an inaccessible status for a rental grant. Either will allow FEMA the ability to assess applicant requests during times of a federally declared disaster as a surrogate for traditional ground inspections for areas of mass destruction and/or inaccessibility due to the disaster. Geospatial analysis provided by the Contractor will supplement and enhance the traditional field Quality Control inspection process. In large events, FEMA and the Contractor can increase the volume of Quality Control using this technology in order to validate the traditional ground inspection performed by the Contractor.

The Contractor shall provide imagery analysts to develop, conduct, and refine procedures for the use of a geospatial inspection. The technical objectives involve providing skilled, professional GIS image analysts, developing damage polygons provided as analytical results in a geospatial format, zip code data products describing areas impacted by damage, and other mapping products useful in expedited Applicant processing. These services will support FEMA in the identification of Applicants that have received catastrophic damage, thus directing inspection resources.

C.6.8.6 REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION

All inspection types require the following documentation to be gathered by the inspector at the time of the visit.

C.6.8.6.1 FEMA Form 009-0-3 (English) and 009-0-4 (Spanish) Declaration and Release Form (Attachment 9a and b)

FEMA forms 009-0-3 English and 009-0-4 Spanish versions shall only be used by the inspector when the electronic version is not available. The electronic version of this form shall be made available to the Applicant by the inspector at the time of the inspection. All other language versions will require paper forms. When the paper forms are used, the name and registration ID of the Applicant shall be legibly written on the form by the inspector. At the cost of the Contractor, the original shall be returned to the designated FEMA site following the organization and delivery guidance as outlined in Section H. A signature is required on the forms by the Applicant, or by a member of the household 18 years of age or older, who lived in the household at the time of the disaster. Proof of identification must be verified at the time of signature. The signature is a declaration that the person signing the form is a U.S. Citizen, a Non-Citizen National, or a Qualified Alien. Should the Applicant refuse to sign the form, the inspector will complete the inspection (when permitted), check the “signature not obtained” button, change the job status to “withdrawn”, flag for Host review, and comment: “APP REFUSES TO SIGN”. The Contractor shall be fully paid for properly documented inspections when the Applicant refuses to sign.

C.6.8.6.2 FEMA INTRODUCTORY LETTER

The inspector shall deliver a FEMA-provided letter, which identifies the inspector performing the inspection, states the purpose of the inspection, and indicates that the inspector is under contract to FEMA. The letter also provides the phone number the Applicant can call for program questions and inquiries about the status of their application. This letter shall be delivered in person and shall not be left if the family is not home. At the discretion of the COTR, the inspector may be required to deliver a FEMA-provided packet containing program information as well. Storage and distribution of these letters are the responsibility of the Contractor.

C.6.8.6.3 OWNERSHIP VERIFICATION

The Contractor’s inspector shall view and record required documentation proving ownership of the damaged dwelling. When documents are not available at the time of inspection, the inspector shall exhaust all efforts to verify tax and/or other county/local records by contacting or visiting the appropriate local Government office. Additional steps required for ownership verification include a call to the insurance company, and use of other available and reliable means such as commercially available databases that include ownership. When necessary, the Contractor shall make a second visit to the Applicant to verify ownership. In all cases where the Applicant is unable to verify ownership, the inspector shall complete the inspection as an owner, even though ownership has not been proven (recording all damages).

C.6.8.6.4 OCCUPANCY VERIFICATION

The Contractor’s inspector shall view and record documentation proving occupancy. In instances where documentation is unavailable during the inspection, the inspector shall exhaust all means available to verify occupancy, including calls to the landlord, utility companies, or other available and reliable sources. In all cases where the Applicant is unable to verify occupancy, the inspector shall complete the inspection following the IHP Inspection Guidelines.

C.6.8.6.5 PHOTOGRAPHS

The Contractor shall explain to the FEMA Applicant during the on-site inspection that the photographs are part of the inspection verification process required by FEMA. Photographs shall be taken of the interior and/or exterior residential damage and any visible water level when present. A minimum of two with a maximum of five photographs are required unless noted below.

· Photographs to support the Habitability Repairs Required decision;

· Photographs shall be taken of real property damage that impacts the Applicant’s overall habitability of the dwelling;

· If no dwelling exists, only one (1) photo of the foundation is needed;

· At no time is the inspector to photograph the Applicant, people or items such as jewelry, collections, and other valuables that are not part of the FEMA program;

· “No Contact” inspections, one exterior photograph shall be required;

· “Inaccessible” inspections, only a single photograph of the barrier to access shall be required;

· The Contractor shall store the photographs for FEMA electronically;

· Photographs will be identified by the FEMA registration ID, and archived by the Contractor;

· Contractor shall provide a method for FEMA to access the photographs electronically 24 hours following the completion of the inspection;

· The image size, when viewed, shall be approximately 4x6 inches. Compressed images are acceptable.

The Contractor will review the photographs taken to determine the photo quality and concurrence with the inspection photograph requirements. A summary of these reviews shall be included in the weekly report provided to FEMA, which shall include the registration numbers of photographs taken and/or archived, comments on photo issues and actions taken to correct discrepancies, and any other comments the Contractor deems appropriate.

Training, electronic picture warehousing, camera logistics, purchasing, inventory, tracking of photography equipment and transmitting archived picture data shall be the responsibility of the Contractor.

C.6.9 QUALITY CONTROL

Following…