Attachment_1_--_PWS.docx

Attachment 1

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

International Boundary and Water Commission, United States Section (USIBWC) Environmental Management Division Indefinite Deliveries Indefinite Quantities for Environmental Services The Contractor shall, as an independent Contractor and not as an agent of the Government, perform non-personal services for Environmental Services in accordance with the Description of Services herein.

PART 1. General Information

A. General: This is a non-personnel services contract to provide environmental services. The Government shall not exercise any supervision or control over the contract service providers performing the services herein. Such contract service providers shall be accountable solely to the Contractor who, in turn is responsible to the Government.

1.1 Scope. The Contractor shall, depending upon the Statement of Work contained in any Task Order (TO) issued under this Contract, furnish all labor, material, supplies, equipment, superintendence and transportation necessary to complete TOs for environmental services for projects found along the United States and Mexico international border in the United States (states of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California). The Contractor shall assist the International Boundary and Water Commission, United States Section (USIBWC) in complying with environmental laws and regulations applicable to the specific TOs issued. The environmental services consist of scientific, environmental engineering, technical, and regulatory compliance. Tasks shall fall within the general areas of analysis, studies, assessments, mitigation, and evaluations of the effects of USIBWC project construction, operation, maintenance, and management.

The Contractor shall have the capabilities to conduct appropriate field surveys, site visits, and interviews; determine the area of potential effects; prepare required research designs; conduct literature searches; execute suitable studies and prepare written reports; perform site monitoring; perform site mitigation through data recovery conduct laboratory work; and any investigations and studies that may be required during this Contract. The investigations and study work effort may require any but not be limited to the following disciplines: Archaeology; Paleontology; Historical Architecture; History; Air and Water Quality; Terrestrial, Wetlands, and Aquatic Ecology; Ecology; Biology; Economics; Engineering; Environmental Sciences; Hydraulics and Hydrology; Geology; Geophysics; Remote Sensing; Geographic Information Systems; Sociology; and National Register Nominations including all property and resource types, including National Historic Landmarks, Districts, Trails, Monuments and eligible sites.

The investigations, studies and reports will pertain to activities of the USIBWC; to the planning, construction, operations, and maintenance of USIBWC projects, and to planning studies conducted for other agencies.

1.2. Authorities: This work is to be conducted in accordance with and in fulfillment of the requirements of, but not limited to, the USIBWC's obligation under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended; the Archaeological and Historical Preservation Act of 1974, as amended; The Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979, as amended; The Native American Graves and Repatriation Act, as amended; Clean Air Act, as amended; Clean Water Act (Federal Water Pollution Control Act), as amended; Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, as amended; Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended; Estuary Protection Act of 1986, as amended; National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), as amended; National Flood Insurance Program; Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899, as amended; and Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, as amended.

Besides the above, the work will be conducted to comply with certain Executive Orders (E.O.), promulgated regulations, procedures, and implementing guidance documents including, but not limited to: E.O. 13514 (Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance); E.O. 11514 (Protection and Enhancement of Environmental Quality); E.O. 11593 (Protection and Enhancement of the Cultural Environment); E.O. 11990 (Protection of Wetlands); E.O. 11988 (Flood plain Management); Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Final Regulations (40 CFR Parts 1500 through 1508); USIBWC Operational Procedures for Implementing Section 102 of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, Other Laws concerning Specific Aspects of the Environment and Applicable Executive Orders published in the Federal Register September 2, 1981 (46 FR 44083-44094); USIBWC Operational procedures concerning Historic and Cultural Properties, and Applicable Executive Orders published in the Federal Register October 15, 1981 (46 FR 50859-50863); USIBWC Protection of Archaeological Resources, 22 CFR Part 1104; USIBWC Implementation of Executive Orders 11988 (Flood plain Management) and 11990 (Protection of Wetlands) published in the Federal Register December 29, 1978 (43 FR 61023-61 029); Public Law 111-011, Title VI, Subtitle D, Paleontological Resources Preservation Act (PRPA) of March 2009.

Any and all of the above services shall be required during the Contract period of performance. All work shall be conducted within the United States (U.S.) at locations along the United States and Mexican international boundary from the mouth of the Rio Grande at the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean in California. Some projects in the U.S. may require coordination with Mexican entities and knowledge of Mexican regulations to complete the specified work.

Relevant documents will be listed in each TO for the specific requirement. All documents listed in a TO will be made available by the USIBWC’s Contracting Officer (CO) during issuance of the Request for Proposal(s) (RFP). The Contractor shall be responsible for complying with updates and modifications to these documents. These and other cited documents can be reviewed by appointment with the cognizant CO, Acquisition Division, USIBWC, Building C, Suite 224, 4171 North Mesa Street, El Paso, Texas 79902-1441.

Federal Statutes, regulations, and Executive Orders are available through commercial sources, the Internet, or the U.S. Government Printing Office. Applicable State Laws (Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California) are available through the State's Environmental Divisions.

Since preservation of paleontological materials are largely under the jurisdiction of the individual states where work may be conducted, the authorities and permit requirements may be different depending on the location of the work requested by the TO.

1.3 Period of Performance: The Contract period of performance shall be for one (1) Base Year of 12 months and four (4) 12-month option years. Options are to be exercised at the unilateral right of government. The award of the base year does not guarantee that the Contractor shall receive award of any option years.

1.4 Quality Control (QC): The Contractor shall develop and maintain an effective quality control program to ensure services are performed in accordance with this PWS. The Contractor shall develop and implement procedures to identify, prevent, and ensure non-recurrence of defective services. The Contractor’s quality control program is the means by which he assures himself that his work complies with the requirement of the contract. The Contractor’s written Quality Control Plan (QCP) shall be made final after Contract award. The Contractor shall resubmit their QCP within three (3) calendar days of contract award. The Government shall have fifteen (15) calendar days to review and provide comments. The Contractor shall finalized the plan within seven (7) calendar days of the Government’s comments. Contractor After acceptance of the QCP the Contractor shall receive the CO’s acceptance in writing of any proposed change to the QC system prior to making the change.

1.4.1 Quality Assurance (QA): The government shall evaluate the Contractor’s performance under this contract in accordance with the Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan. This plan is primarily focused on what the Government must do to ensure that the Contractor has performed in accordance with the Performance Requirements Summary (PRS). It defines how the performance standards will be applied, the frequency of surveillance, and the minimum acceptable defect rate(s).

1.5 Recognized Holidays: Federal facilities and personnel will not be available on federal holidays and compensation for working on these days will not be provided to the Contractor unless approved in advance by the CO. The following are observed federal holidays:

1.6 Hours of Operation: The Contractor is responsible for conducting business during normal business hours as described in the individual task orders. Business hours will be based on the operations hours of the UISBWC headquarters or responsible field office assisting in the task orders. Normal business hours are usually between the hours of 0700-1700 Monday thru Friday except Federal holidays or when the Government facility is closed due to local or national emergencies, administrative closings, or similar Government directed facility closings. The Contractor will not be reimbursed when the government facility is closed for the above reasons. The Contractor must at all times maintain an adequate workforce for the uninterrupted performance of all tasks defined within this PWS and in individual task orders when the Government facility is not closed for the above reasons. When hiring personnel, the Contractor shall keep in mind that the stability and continuity of the workforce are essential.

1.7 Place of Performance: The required projects or services shall be performed along the United States/Mexico international boundary from the mouth of the Rio Grande at the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean. Locations shall be along the United States and Mexico international border in the United States (states of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California). Some projects in the U.S. may require coordination with Mexican entities and knowledge of Mexican regulations to complete the specified work. The work areas may be inside USIBWC buildings or outside at various terrains along the border to include desert, riverine, lake, mountain, and vegetated areas. In rare instances, some locations may be several miles from the border and these instances shall be identified in individual Task Orders issued under this Contract.

1.8 Type of Contract: This is an indefinite delivery indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract.

1.9. Physical Security: The Contractor shall be responsible for safeguarding all government equipment, information and property provided for Contractor use. At the close of each work period, government facilities, equipment, and materials shall be secured.

1.9.1. Key Control. The Contractor shall establish and implement methods of making sure all keys/key cards issued to the Contractor by the Government are not lost or misplaced and are not used by unauthorized persons. NOTE: All references to keys include key cards. No keys issued to the Contractor by the Government shall be duplicated. The Contractor shall develop procedures covering key control that shall be included in the Quality Control Plan. Such procedures shall include turn-in of any issued keys by personnel who no longer require access to locked areas. The Contractor shall immediately report any occurrences of lost or duplicate keys/key cards to the CO.

1.9.2. In the event keys are lost or duplicated, the Contractor shall, upon direction of the Contracting Officer, re-key or replace the affected lock or locks; however, the Government, at its option, may replace the affected lock or locks or perform re-keying. When the replacement of locks or re-keying is performed by the Government, the total cost of re-keying or the replacement of the lock or locks shall be deducted from the payment due the Contractor. In the event a master key is lost or duplicated, all locks and keys for that system shall be replaced by the Government and the total cost deducted from the payment due the Contractor.

1.9.3. The Contractor shall prohibit the use of Government issued keys/key cards by any persons other than the Contractor’s employees. The Contractor shall prohibit the opening of locked areas by Contractor employees to permit entrance of persons other than Contractor employees engaged in the performance of assigned work in those areas, or personnel authorized entrance by the Contracting Officer.

1.9.4. Lock Combinations. The Contractor shall establish and implement methods of ensuring that all lock combinations are not revealed to unauthorized persons. The Contractor shall ensure that lock combinations are changed when personnel having access to the combinations no longer have a need to know such combinations. These procedures shall be included in the Contractor’s Quality Control Plan.

1.10 Special Qualifications: Task orders will state any required special qualifications needed for the specific task. Section 1.1 lists some of the areas of expertise required for completion of environmental tasks but is not all inclusive.

1.11 Post Award Conference/Periodic Progress Meetings: The Contractor agrees to attend any post award conference convened by the contracting activity or contract administration office in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation Subpart 42.5. The CO, Contracting Officers Representative (COR), and other Government personnel, as appropriate, may meet periodically with the Contractor to review the Contractor's performance. At these meetings the CO will apprise the Contractor of how the government views the Contractor's performance and the Contractor will apprise the Government of problems, if any, being experienced. Appropriate action shall be taken to resolve outstanding issues. These meetings shall be at no additional cost to the government.

1.12 Contracting Officer Representative (COR): The Contract COR and Task Order Level COR (if applicable) will be identified by separate letter. The COR monitors all technical aspects of the contract and assists in contract administration. The COR is authorized to perform the following functions: assure that the Contractor performs the technical requirements of the contract: perform inspections necessary in connection with contract performance: maintain written and oral communications with the Contractor concerning technical aspects of the contract: issue written interpretations of technical requirements, including Government drawings, designs, specifications: monitor Contractor's performance and notifies both the CO and Contractor of any deficiencies; coordinate availability of government furnished property, and provide site entry of Contractor personnel. A letter of designation issued to the COR, a copy of which is sent to the Contractor, states the responsibilities and limitations of the COR, especially with regard to changes in cost or price, estimates or changes in delivery dates. The COR is not authorized to change any of the terms and conditions of the resulting order.

1.13. Key Personnel: The following personnel are considered key personnel by the government. The Contractor shall provide a contract manager who shall be responsible for the performance of the work. The name of this person and an alternate who shall act for the Contractor when the manager is absent shall be designated in writing to the CO. The contract manager or alternate shall have full authority to act for the Contractor on all contract matters relating to daily operation of this contract. The contract manager or alternate shall be available between 8:00 a.m. to 4:30p.m Mountain time, Monday thru Friday except Federal holidays or when the government facility is closed for administrative reasons.

1.14. Identification of Contractor Employees: All contract personnel attending meetings, answering Government telephones, and working in other situations where their Contractor status is not obvious to third parties are required to identify themselves as such to avoid creating an impression in the minds of members of the public that they are Government officials. They must also ensure that all documents or reports produced by Contractors are suitably marked as Contractor products or that Contractor participation is appropriately disclosed. The USIBWC may provide identification to any Contractors performing work for the USIBWC where the work may require work in both the United States and Mexico.

1.15. Contractor Travel: Contractor will be authorized travel expenses consistent with the substantive provisions of the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) and the limitation of funds specified in this contract.

1.16. Other Direct Costs: This category includes travel (outlined in 1.15), reproduction, and shipping expenses associated with completion of task orders and visits to Contractor facilities. It could also entail the renting of suitable training venues.

1.17 Data Rights: The Government has unlimited rights to all documents/materials produced under this contract. All documents and materials, to include the source codes of any software, produced under this contract shall be Government owned and are the property of the Government with all rights and privileges of ownership/copyright belonging exclusively to the Government. These documents and materials may not be used or sold by the Contractor without written permission from the CO. All materials supplied to the Government shall be the sole property of the Government and may not be used for any other purpose. This right does not abrogate any other Government rights.

PART 2.

DEFINITIONS & ACRONYMS

2.1. Definitions:

2.1.1. CONTRACTOR. A supplier or vendor awarded a contract to provide specific supplies or service to the government. The term used in this contract refers to the prime.

2.1.2. CONTRACTING OFFICER (CO). A person with authority to enter into, administer, and or terminate contracts, and make related determinations and findings on behalf of the government. Note: The only individual who can legally bind the government.

2.1.3. CONTRACTING OFFICER'S REPRESENTATIVE (COR). An employee of the U.S. Government appointed by the contracting officer to administer the contract. Such appointment shall be in writing and shall state the scope of authority and limitations. This individual has authority to provide technical direction to the Contractor as long as that direction is within the scope of the contract, does not constitute a change, and has no funding implications. This individual does NOT have authority to change the terms and conditions of the contract.

2.1.4. DEFECTIVE SERVICE. A service output that does not meet the standard of performance associated with the Performance Work Statement.

2.1.5. DELIVERABLE. Anything that can be physically delivered, but may include non-manufactured things such as meeting minutes or reports.

2.1.6. KEY PERSONNEL. Contractor personnel that are evaluated in a source selection process and that may be required to be used in the performance of a contract by the Key Personnel listed in the PWS. When key personnel are used as an evaluation factor in best value procurement, an offer can be rejected if it does not have a firm commitment from the persons that are listed in the proposal.

2.1.7. PHYSICAL SECURITY. Actions that prevent the loss or damage of Government property.

2.1.8. QUALITY ASSURANCE. The government procedures to verify that services being performed by the Contractor are performed according to acceptable standards.

2.1.9. QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE PLAN (QASP). An organized written document specifying the surveillance methodology to be used for surveillance of Contractor performance.

2.1.10. QUALITY CONTROL. All necessary measures taken by the Contractor to assure that the quality of an end product or service shall meet contract requirements.

2.1.11. SUBCONTRACTOR. One that enters into a contract with a prime Contractor. The Government does not have privity of contract with the subcontractor.

2.1.12. WORK DAY. The number of hours per day the Contractor provides services in accordance with the contract.

2.1.13. WORK WEEK. Monday through Friday, unless specified otherwise.

2.2. Acronyms:

PART 3

GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY, EQUIPMENT, AND SERVICES

3. GOVERNMENT FURNISHED ITEMS AND SERVICES:

3.1. Services: The Government will provide assistance on specific task orders only when available and when agreed upon by the Contactor and the Government or expressed in the specific task order.

3.2 Facilities: The Government will provide space at facilities within the work area if available and agreed upon by the Contactor and the Government or expressed in the specific task order.

3.3 Utilities: The Government will not provide any utilities unless otherwise stated in the specific task orders or agreed upon by the Contractor and the Government. The Contractor shall instruct employees in utilities conservation practices. The Contractor shall be responsible for operating under conditions that preclude the waste of utilities, which include turning off the water faucets or valves after using the required amount to accomplish cleaning vehicles and equipment.

3.4 Equipment: The Government will provide equipment if available and agreed upon by the Contactor and the Government or expressed in the specific task order

3.5 Materials: The Government will provide material necessary to complete a task order if available and agreed upon by the Contactor and the Government or expressed in the specific task order. The USIBWC will supply the Contractor with documentation and maps of project areas and other information available and considered necessary by the USIBWC depending on the project specific TO. The USIBWC will not be liable if data provided is inaccurate or out of date; however, the USIBWC will try to provide the most current materials requested.

PART 4

CONTRACTOR FURNISHED ITEMS AND SERVICES

4. CONTRACTOR FURNISHED ITEMS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

4.1 General: The Contractor shall furnish all supplies, equipment, facilities and services required to perform work under this contract and any subsequently awarded TO, that are not listed under Part 3 of this PWS.

PART 5.

SPECIFIC WORK REQUIREMENTS

5.1. General

Work will be authorized by the issuance of an TO. Each TO under this Contract will have a Statement of Work which may include, but is not necessarily limited to, the following tasks: preparation of reports, studies, and other documents in support of the National Environmental Policy Act, including but not limited to segments of Environmental Assessments (EAs), Environmental Impact Statements (EISs), environmental inventories and related special study documentation; preparation of findings of no significant impacts; notices of intent, notices of availability, and other related notices; records of decision; activities related to the inventory, preservation, and restoration of natural and cultural resources; support of public meetings for project scoping and presentation of draft and final documents; data collection, analysis and documentation in accordance with cultural and natural resources laws, Executive Orders and regulations; technical support services for endangered species investigations, land management and wetlands protection; negotiations with regulatory agencies, mitigation design and implementation measures; participation in post-project monitoring; mediation support; and other scientific and technological investigations to accomplish the USIBWC's mission.

5.2. Contractor Responsibilities

The Contractor may be requested to prepare technical reports, reports for the general public, exhibits, research designs, historic preservation plans, management plans, restoration plans, and draft mitigation plans, and literature reviews, surveys, testing, data recovery by excavation, monitoring, recording, archival research, interviews and other documentation and historical tasks at the project site within the United States and Mexico international boundary area. In doing so, the Contractor shall follow established professional guidelines.

The Contractor shall not subcontract any portion of this Contract to a party other than those identified in their proposals submitted in response to the RFP for this Contract without written authorization from the CO. The USIBWC reserves the right to determine if the subcontractor is qualified for the specific TO.

Changes in specifics of the work requirements shall only be made at the direction of the CO by written modification to the TO.

5.3. Work Plan

When required by the TO, the Contractor shall submit a Work Plan (WP). The WP shall describe the detailed approach for the performance of the TO. The WP shall be provided in a 12-point font and not exceed 30 pages. At a minimum, the WP shall contain the following elements:

(i) Introduction. A general explanation documenting the task and goals.

(ii) Work Plan Approach. Explanation of how the activities will satisfy the requirements.

(iii) Key Personnel. Identification of key personnel to be used on the project and their responsibilities.

(iv) Quality Control. A description of the quality control organization, including a chart showing lines of authority and acknowledgment that the quality assurance/control plan shall be implemented for all aspects of the work specified in the TO.

(v) Schedule. An overall schedule for the execution of the work required by the TO shall be included in the WP. The schedule shall be in the form of a detailed bar-chart, a network analysis using the critical path method or other approved format. The Contractor shall furnish the WP for review by the USIBWC no later than thirty calendar (30) days after receipt of the TO notice to proceed (or a date mutually agreed to by both parties). The WP will be reviewed and approved by the CO or returned to the Contractor with comments for revision. Approval of the WP is required prior to performing the work specified in any TO which requires a WP. Upon approval of the WP, changes shall not be implemented without written concurrence by the CO.

5.4. Specific Requirements

The Contractor shall furnish all labor, equipment, supervision, materials and other resources required herein. Services shall consist of environmental and engineering services listed above.

5.4.1. Environmental Investigations and Studies. The TOs will include, but will not be limited to, the following tasks: preparation of complete and partial Environmental Impact Statements (EISs), Environmental Assessments (EAs), Environmental Information Documents (EIDs), environmental inventories and related special study documentation; Biological Assessments; preparation of findings of no significant impacts; notices of intent, notices of availability, and other related notices; records of decision; activities related to the inventory, preservation, and restoration of natural, archaeological, cultural and historic resources; public meeting support for project scoping and presentation of draft and final documents; data collection, analysis and documentation in accordance with cultural and natural resources laws, Executive Orders and regulations; technical support services to include Lead and Asbestos Surveys; technical support services in Environmental Management Systems; Phase I and II Environmental surveys; technical support services for endangered species investigations, land management and wetlands protection; negotiations with regulatory agencies, mitigation design and implementation measures; participation in post-project monitoring; mediation support; and other scientific and technological investigations to accomplish the USIBWC's mission.

5.4.2 Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The Contractor shall prepare and provide, as needed, appropriate maps, aerial photography, photograrnmetery and GIS database development, including both conventional and Global Positioning System (GPS) surveys of land and easement and related field data collection; topographic mapping (preparation of base maps from aerial photography); and preparation of rectified orthophotoquads. Upon completion of TOs the Contractor will furnish all data related to the project during project close-out.

5.4.3. Fieldwork - Overall

a. Sufficient time and personnel shall be allocated to assure that all work continues on schedule and is accomplished in accordance with the USIBWC approved work plan.

b. The Project Manager (PM) or the Principal Investigator (PI) is required by this Contract to perform regular field inspections and direction, see Part 6. PERSONNEL QUALIFICATIONS. The PM or PI shall devote adequate time to project management during field and lab analysis and report write up periods. Project Management participation will be documented in the appropriate monthly management and progress reports. Field Supervisors shall be in the field at least 80% of the time. PMs, PIs, and Field Supervisors are to be selected for their subject matter skills and firm working knowledge of the various federal laws and regulations governing the field of study discipline required for the work requirements for which they are being selected. For example, in those instances when the services of a qualified Paleontologist are required as the PI, the skills and working knowledge of the acceptable standards and guidelines within the profession for the preservation of paleontological and prehistoric resources are to be used. Management abilities are considered an important, but not primary, aspect of these skills. PMs, PIs, and Field Supervisors are to spend 80% to 90% of their time conducting oversight and insuring sound data collection.

c. Any request for deviation from the established and USIBWC approved work plan, including specific methods and techniques, shall be proposed in writing by the Contractor and approved by the CO prior to implementation. Deviations, however, shall not result in any additional cost or delays to the USIBWC.

5.4.4. Analysis.

a. The Contractor shall use state-of-the-art laboratory procedures to accomplish all analyses necessary to implement the established work plan. The analyses are basic to the successful completion of the project and are to be planned for in the established work plan. Analytical techniques are to be selected that are relevant to the objectives of the TO or specific project.

b. All material (including samples collected, maps, files, notebooks, forms, and photographs) held in temporary storage during analysis and preparation of any report prepared under this contract shall be clearly marked as USIBWC property. These materials shall be surrendered to the USIBWC on demand or at the end of each TO.

5.4.5. Deliverables. Quantities and schedules for deliverables will be set forth in each TO.

a. Documents: All documents shall be 8.5 inch x 11 inch, typed on white bond paper, and bound. All photographs shall be clear, color copies. All drawings in documents shall be 8.5 inch x 11 inch or 11 in x 17 inch, computer generated, clear and legible. Reduction shall be such that all printing is legible and reproducible. All documents shall be provided in either English or International System of units (SI), or both, as specified in the TO. Documents shall be provided in the latest Microsoft Word version or other mutually agreed upon format on electronic media (CDRecordable, DVD, File Transfer Protocol (FTP)) as specified in the TO. Data or document tables shall be provided in spreadsheet format (Microsoft Excel or other mutually agreed upon format).

b. Aerial Photography: All general site maps prepared from aerial photography for planning and/or inventory purposes shall be at a scale appropriate for the project. All maps shall be provided electronically or when required on stable base film, such as Mylar or acid-free photographic paper. Horizontal and vertical scales shall be in English or SI units and be based upon current geodetic datum for the project area.

c. Geographic Information Systems (GIS): Data layers to be developed may include, but are not limited to: natural resources, cultural resources properties (in some cases not for public release), flood flow/hydrology, infrastructure, land use, protected species locations (not to be released to the public), socioeconomic resources, soil associations, topography, and vegetation cover. ArcGIS software shall be used for GIS reports, maps, and data analysis.

d. Report Requirements. The Contractor shall prepare reports as specified in the TO to meet the following conditions and requirements, as applicable. Reports shall be delivered in the quantity specified and by the date indicated in each TO. All reports and drafts shall be submitted to the CO at:

International Boundary and Water Commission, United States Section 4171 North Mesa Street Building C, Suite 100 El Paso, Texas 79902

One copy of each report shall be an unbound original suitable for automatic photocopying. An electronic copy of each report shall be provided for publication on the USIBWC website in PDF format. The Contractor shall ensure that any confidential or sensitive information is adequately protected from unauthorized access in the electronic format copy.

5.4.6. Written Progress Reports. Written progress reports shall be submitted to the CO and COR beginning within thirty (30) calendar days of the date of issue of each Task Order, and submitted every month after that within five (5) calendar days of the close of the reporting period. Reports on separate TOs shall be combined with the permission of the CO or COR. These reports shall include as a minimum:

a. Description of the work performed and a quantitative statement of overall progress, including percentage of work accomplished on each task specified by individual TO.

b. Description of current problems that may impede performance and suggested corrective actions.

c. Discussion of work to be performed during the next two months.

5.4.7. Technical Report Content and Standards

a. Draft Technical Reports. Preliminary Draft written technical reports, as specified by the TO, shall be submitted before the formal written draft technical report for USIBWC review, comments, and approval. The draft technical report, revised as necessary, along with an electronic CD or DVD copy of the report shall be submitted to the USIBWC, any cooperating agencies, and others for review and comments. Copies of all comments will be supplied to the Contractor to assist in improving the draft, but the Contractor shall only be required to respond to the USIBWC comments. The draft report shall be typed or computer printed on numbered pages in either manuscript form or justified columns form. All figures and tables shall be present, although they need not be in final form, as long as they are legible. Draft reports will not be reviewed if, in the opinion of the CO, they are not a complete draft, or if they have not been edited. If the draft report is not acceptable to the USIBWC, any additional costs to bring the report to acceptable standards shall be at the Contractor's expense. The concluding draft must be acceptable to the USIBWC before publication of the final report and shall be a single-spaced, print-ready copy with all figures and tables in final form. A preliminary final in hard copy or electronic format may be requested by the USIBWC if comments on the draft technical report are extensive.

b. Final Technical Reports

(i) Final technical reports will be rejected if they do not conform to specifications, or if editorial or typographical errors, production flaws, format discrepancies or any other problems cause them to be unacceptable to the USIBWC. Quality assurance and quality control is an essential requirement in all submittals. Any additional costs to review the final report or to bring it to acceptable quality will be at the Contractor's expense.

(ii) Copies of final technical reports, number of which will be stated in the individual Task Order, shall be submitted by the Contractor.

(iii) One electronic copy of the final technical report(s) shall also be submitted by the Contractor.

(iv) Final technical reports shall conform to the following format specifications:

a. body of report shall be single space typed or typeset, justified, offset printed front and back, pages numbered, and no more than 500 pages (250 sheets) can be bound in any one volume;

b. appendices shall be single space typed or typeset, offset printed front and back, pages numbered, may be bound separately if body and appendix together exceed 500 pages (250 sheets), and may be provided in Portable Document Format (pdf) format;

c. drafting shall be acceptable (by USIBWC) in appearance;

d. binding shall be perfect bound with title printed on spine, cover may include a photographic or drafted representation of an appropriate resource topic, USIBWC logo, and the title of the report (Contractor's logo shall not be larger than four square inches);

e. photographs shall be produced with at least a 150 lines-per-inch screen; and be printed on photo-quality paper with a minimum resolution of 600 x 600 dots-per-inch, or better, all photographs shall be properly labeled (typed);

f. drafted figures shall be photographically, not xerographically, reduced and in the correct page position;

g. gutter margin shall be an inch wider than the outside margin; and deviations from format requirements that could result in a better publication shall be submitted by the Contractor for USIBWC consideration and approval by the CO.

PART 6.

PERSONNEL QUALIFICATIONS

6.1. Personnel Requirements: The Contractor shall employ, either directly or through subcontract, personnel adequate in numbers, education, skill, and qualifications to accomplish the work required in compliance with the TO's. The USIBWC reserves the right to review the resumes of and to interview Contractor employees performing under the contract solely for the purpose of ascertaining their qualifications relative to the personnel qualification terms of the contract. Accordingly, the Contractor shall furnish such resumes to the CO upon request.

6.2. Professional Personnel: Project Manager or Principal Investigator(s). The Contractor shall appoint a Project Manager (PM) or Principal Investigator (PI) and alternate to serve as a single point of contact and liaison between the Contractor and the CO and/or COR for the services required under the Contract. The PM or PI shall be responsible for the coordination of the services provided under the Contract and shall respond to questions regarding clarification of project deliverables. Services shall be accomplished with adequate internal controls and review procedures to reduce conflicting errors and omissions and provide for the technical adequacy of TO requirements. The PM or PI shall have direct control of the professional aspects of the entire program under this Contract. The PM or PI shall possess adequate qualifications and expertise according to the qualifications standards of their profession to conduct research and resource management programs. The PM or PI shall be responsible for all data recovery, study, analysis and reporting undertaken as a result of this solicitation. The administrative and management aspects inherent in the Contract shall be the responsibility of the PM or PI. For example if the TO is for paleontological work, the PM or PI shall be a qualified paleontologist and shall demonstrate a firm working knowledge of acceptable standards and guidelines within the profession.

6.3. Technical and Support Personnel: The Contractor shall insure that adequate technical and support personnel are available and that all technical and support personnel are competent and experienced in the work proposed.

a. Field Supervisor. The Field Supervisor shall have professional training in the discipline they are supervising and not less than three (3) years experience in field surveys. The Field Supervisor is expected to spend at least 80% of his/her time in the field.

b. Crew Members. The Crew Members shall have education and experience in natural, cultural, environmental sciences, ecological, or natural resource investigations to perform required work in each TO without need for excessive supervision.

6.4. Key Personnel:

a. Key personnel shall include the PM or PI, and Field Supervisors. These key personnel shall be continuously responsible for the conduct of and for close involvement with the technical efforts identified herein.

b. The key personnel identified in the Contractor's technical proposal are considered essential to the successful completion of the work being performed by the Contractor under this Contract. If, during the performance of this Contract, the Contractor must utilize key personnel or specialized personnel other than those named in the technical proposal, such substitution shall not be made without prior written approval of the CO.

c. The Contractor shall submit all requests for changes in Key Personnel at least fourteen (14) calendar days prior to the departure of Key Personnel. The submission shall include the proposed replacements resume. The proposed replacement must meet or exceed the qualification for that positions as provided for in the Contract or individual TO.

d. The Contractor shall submit a resume/vitae of its key personnel with each TO technical proposal.

e. Key personnel must have demonstrated familiarity with the Southwest portion of the United States, as appropriate to the TO. Work experience and familiarity in southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and northern Mexico shall be a qualifying asset.

f. If key personnel are found to devote less effort than as stated in the Contractor's technical proposal, or are not performing to the USIBWC's satisfaction, the CO will direct replacement of such personnel, modify the Contract, or terminate the Contract as appropriate.

6.5. Qualifications: Key personnel from PM or PI to Field Supervisor levels, shall be experienced in the tasks of this Contract for which they will be responsible. Qualifications shall at a minimum meet the following educational requirements:

a. Project Manager/ Principal Investigator: The qualified individual for this position shall have a Doctoral or Masters Degree in environmental sciences, biological sciences, physical sciences, engineering or natural resources and a minimum five (5) years of experience managing large task order contracts involving multiple concurrent projects at multiple locations.

b. Field Supervisor: The qualified individual for this position shall have a Masters or Bachelors degree in the discipline they are supervising including but not limited to environmental sciences, biological sciences, physical sciences, engineering or natural resources, and a minimum three (3) years of experience in managing and supervising field work activities.

c. Crew Members: The qualified crew members shall have a Bachelors degree or equivalent experience in one of the five disciplines listed in item (b) above, or a discipline directly related to the work to be performed.

6.6. Safety

The Contractor shall be responsible for compliance with any and all requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The Contractor's Health and Safety Program shall comply with and reflect appropriate requirements of OSHA specifically 29 CFR 1910 and 29 CFR 1926. The USIBWC will not be responsible for accidents or injuries which may occur during the performance of a TO.

6.7. Supervision

During the Contract, the following situations shall require prior written approval by the CO.

a. Any Key Personnel changes.

b. Reduction of the PM or PI's active conduct of the project or the proportion of normal working hours spent on the project.

PART 7.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

7.1. During progress of the work, the Contractor may be called upon by the USIBWC to produce preliminary study data and information that are deemed necessary to satisfy USIBWC needs. The Contractor shall provide data from this project to the extent that such requests do not detract from the contractual objectives of the study.

7.2. The Contractor shall be responsible for the accuracy and validity of the data. In case of controversy or court challenge of a study or report(s), the PM or PI(s) shall testify for the USIBWC in support of a report(s) findings.

7.3. Neither the Contractor nor their representatives shall release or publish any sketch, photograph, report, or other material of any nature obtained or prepared under this Contract without specific written approval of the CO, except as specifically provided for in this Description of Services or Individual TO's.

7.4. Copyright shall not be claimed by the Contractor for any materials produced under this Contract. All such materials are to remain USIBWC property.

7.5. It is expected that the Contractor and his employees may, during the term of the Contract, present reports of the work to various professional societies and publications. Abstracts and copies of reports dealing with work sponsored by the USIBWC and as required by this Contract shall be submitted to the USIBWC and shall contain credit that the work was performed under this Contract, giving the Contract Number. Professional courtesy is requested to extend this credit to all reports, articles, and papers resulting from USIBWC sponsored work for an indefinite period of time.

7.6. Meetings. Progress and Review Meetings shall be held at an agreed upon interval or interval identified in the individual TO either at the USIBWC, the Contractor's place of business, or a mutually agreed upon location for discussion of questions and problems relating to the work under the TO.

7.7. Coordination. When directed by the CO, the Contractor shall be required to coordinate with other Contractors or consultants involved with specific aspects of a project being developed under separate TOs or Contracts.

7.8. Permits. Should it become necessary to secure the right of ingress and egress to perform any of the work identified in the TO on properties not owned or controlled by the USIBWC, all necessary permits, licenses and approvals from pertinent property owners, local, state and federal authorities shall be obtained by the Contractor as necessary for the performance of the services. The Contractor shall secure the consent of the owner before effecting entry on such property.

7.9. Re-submittal. If documents submitted for review, as described above, are deficient or incomplete as specifically defined in the TO, the Contractor shall correct the deficiencies and resubmit the data. The data resubmitted will consist of the original quantity of submittal documents. The Contractor shall assume all costs due to re-submittal of documents.