Attachment_I_-_PWS.doc

ATTACHMENT I - PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

JOURNAL COPYEDITING & PAGE COMPOSITION

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCES

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NORTH CAROLINA

1. BACKGROUND: The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) publishes the monthly scientific journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP). EHP is a world-renowned journal that helps the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) to implement its strategic plan of advancing science and improving health. EHP disseminates cutting-edge research throughout the scientific community. The name EHP is synonymous with quality due to years of hard work from its dedicated team.

EHP is a fully open-access (OA) journal that charges no author fees or page charges, and yet still produces and distributes high quality, composed, peer reviewed, and edited content. EHP is also an online-only journal; this distribution model keeps EHP content accessible to all authors and readers, and keeps the journal at the forefront of the publishing landscape. The journal is made available for free online at https://www.ehponline.org. EHP provides Advance Publication versions of papers upon acceptance and deposits their content into PubMed Central. EHP publishes 12 issues per year, in a monthly format. Each issue consists of both Research and original News content. This diversity of content helps EHP to reach a broad audience, from researchers and clinicians to policymakers and citizen scientists.

Currently, EHP receives about 1500 Research and Perspectives papers submitted by authors per year. Approximately 65% percent of these are rejected by our Editor in Chief (EIC) and Science Editor without further review. About another 20% are rejected during the peer review process, with most of these being rejected after the first review. Total acceptance rate is approximately 15%. Projected growth is approximately 5% per year. The EHP News program currently commissions between 60–80 original articles per year. 80% of this content is short format (one page) Science Selections, with the remainder comprised of long format Focus and Sphere of Influence articles. These articles do not undergo traditional peer review, though they are subject to fact checking by in-house staff and external subject matter experts. Projected growth is approximately 10–15% per year.

1.1. Current Processes and Specifications: EHP Research and News articles are currently copyedited in-house; according to proprietary style guidelines (the guidelines for News and Research are slightly different right now). Content is typeset for publication in Adobe InDesign with the assistance of an outside contractor. All correspondence with authors is handled directly by EHP staff via email or through our production tracking system (ProduXion Manager (PM), from Aries Systems). Files and assignments are trafficked through ProduXion Manager (EHP also employs Editorial Manager (EM), also from Aries Systems for peer-review tracking).

Content for the Chinese edition is translated with assistance from partner organizations in China. These partners also currently handle the typesetting of the Chinese content. These articles are maintained separately, and are published to a separate website.

2. OBJECTIVES: The basic service objective is to perform copyediting and typesetting services for the scientific journal EHP using a more customized and automated composition platform. Further, the contractor shall be expected to take over some interactions with authors that are currently handled by EHP staff, including the author proofing process. The journal will also move away from posting content only on the first of the month, and will instead publish new content throughout the course of each month as it completes its copyediting and composition cycle.

EHP also seeks a more integrated approach for the composition and publication of its Chinese Edition. Rather than living on a separate website, that content will be incorporated into the main EHP website. Contractors shall not provide translation services. Contractors shall provide PDF typesetting services for this content (the ability to read Chinese is not required for this work).

The contractor shall also provide an interactive publisher portal that EHP staff can access to view the progress of work, access working files, metadata, and correspondence associated with any paper, and generate reports. EHP’s existing ProduXion Manager system can fill this role, or a third-party system hosted or provided by the contractor shall suffice if that system meets the technical requirements stated in this PWS.

The journal also seeks a return to posting podcasts. Another contractor will handle the creation and delivery of raw materials for these podcasts, and no audio editing or transcription work will be required as part of this contract. However, this contract will be responsible for the creation of XML publication metadata, composition of the raw transcript, and for posting the completed podcasts to our online platform.

Specific guidelines for each major task can be found in the following sections. Please note that because copyediting and composition of journal content is so intertwined, EHP prefers to have one contractor handling all tasks listed in this PWS, and does not wish to break the copyediting and composition between multiple subcontractors. Freelance copyediting contractors, reporting directly to the prime contractor, are acceptable, however.

Expected publication numbers for the English edition of the journal in the first year of this contract are 425 articles; about 310 Research papers, 90 News articles, and 25 front- and back-matter pieces (editorials, letters, errata, retractions, in memoriam notices, brief communications). A 15% increase is expected each year following, though this is just an estimate. For the Chinese Edition, we expect to translate approximately 60–75 articles per year. For podcasts, we expect 6–10 in the first year, with varying numbers in the following years, not to exceed 15 podcasts in a single contract year.

3. TASKS: The Government will 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. The contractor, in turn, shall be accountable to the Government for contractor personnel, subcontractors, or contract service providers. The contractor shall be accountable to the Government for contractor personnel, subcontractors, or contract service providers. The contractor shall:

· Copyedit all EHP articles, meeting the guidelines specified in the Copyediting and Copyediting Requirements sections.

· Compose and layout all edited articles, meeting the guidelines specified in the Composition section.

· Provide a portal for EHP staff to view the status of all in-process work, as detailed in the Publisher Portal section; or agree to use EHP’s implementation of ProduXion Manager, understanding the limitations imposed therein.

· Meet all timelines for delivering content to EHP, authors, the publishing platform, and all internal deadlines, as specified in the Timelines section.

· Meet all customer service guidelines, as detailed in the Customer Service section.

Task 1 – Copyediting Support Services: The contractor shall provide robust scientific copyediting services for our News and Research content according to EHP’s specified style guidelines (which will be unified for these two (2) sections going forward) and EHP’s Production Schedule. The contractor shall expected to maintain high standards of quality at all times, use robust software to automate routine processes, and adapt to the varying volume of content that is commonplace in any journal publishing workflow. Timeliness and quality are of the utmost importance to EHP.

The contractor shall adhere to the following guidelines:

· Content and metadata will be sent to the contractor via EHP’s electronic production tracking system. The contractor shall accept these deliverables (either via ftp, or by accessing the system directly; ftp is preferred, as it provides delivery of XML metadata) and shall electronically confirm receipt of files via email.

· All confirmations shall be received within 1 business day of receipt of files. When using ftp delivery, the contractor shall automate the confirmation email and ensure these are received by EHP in near-real time.

· All papers shall be copyedited in Microsoft Word on a Microsoft Windows platform.

· Any papers received from EHP in an alternative format (such as LaTeX) shall be converted by the contractor to Microsoft Word prior to copyediting (with all math converted to MathType objects). Robust conversion abilities, especially related to math and tables, are essential.

· Preflight software (such as Inera eXtyles, or a similar proprietary solution that is acceptable to EHP) shall be used to normalize the Word file, and to automate processing of references, figure/table/equation/reference citations, and lists, and must query the copyeditor when any errors are found. This tool shall verify the content of references against external databases such as PubMed and CrossRef, and must automatically (1) restyle reference content to match EHP’s style, (2) update missing content or replace incorrect data in references, and (3) add linking metadata to references (DOI, CODEN, ISSN). The tool shall also allow for automated correction of some basic grammatical or punctuation errors, and shall alert copyeditors to any detected problems that it is unable to fix.

· EHP does not require a redlined Word file to be provided to authors at proof stage, but the contractor shall keep such working files for review by EHP staff when requested.

· All edits shall adhere to the EHP style guide, which will be provided to the contractor but maintained by EHP staff. EHP welcomes feedback from the contractor and copyeditors on the overall usability of the manual, as well as specific style points.

· The EHP style guide was originally based on the AMA style guide, so experience with AMA style is a good starting point.

· Grammar, spelling, and punctuation shall be correct in all deliverables.

· Front- and back-matter content, including the News, generally has a more casual, less scientific tone, and this different tone must be accounted for in the copyediting of these article types.

· All math shall be edited for style and consistency. “Math” is defined as any construct containing an operator, variable, sub/superscript, or Greek character. To facilitate appropriate conversion, math shall be setup in Design Science MathType (this means the copyeditor, or another representative of the contractor, will likely have to perform a fair amount of “cleanup” on the math provided in each manuscript, as authors are not required to submit manuscripts with math already properly keyed into MathType – the contractor is responsible for the accuracy of this cleanup/conversion). The copyeditor/contractor must ensure that appropriate fonts and symbols are used, correct templates are used, and that all equations meeting the “math” guideline illustrated here (both display and in-text) are appropriately captured. Note that all equations shall be captured in their entirety; for example, in the expression x2 = 5, it is not sufficient to only capture the left-hand portion of the equation in MathType. Some general mathematical guidelines include:

· Do not capture spaces between operators or characters, unless the space conveys mathematical meaning (there is no instance where extra space around an operator conveys meaning). When space is appropriately captured, always use the correct template in MathType to obtain the correct <mspace>.

· Blank or empty templates are not allowed.

· Certain characters (such as the degree symbol, when paired with a temperature) are not considered operators, and shall not be captured in math unless they are part of a larger equation.

· Fences (parentheses, brackets, braces) are considered operators when used in mathematical expressions. These must be captured with the appropriate template. Do not capture fences when used as part of text – this includes when the fences surround a mathematical expression in its entirety, and have no mathematical influence on the expression.

· Variables shall be captured consistently throughout the manuscript – do not allow the same variable to be captured in roman and italic fonts, for instance, unless each has a different meaning, and all variables must be captured as “math” (MathType), not just italic text.

· Correct symbols must be used for all characters, and these must map to the appropriate Unicode character. For instance, hyphens or dashes cannot be used in place of a minus sign.

· All papers shall be subject to a complete copyedit. Editors are expected to read the entire paper, and must correct grammatical, formatting, and style errors based on the guidance provided in the EHP style manual.

· The author’s voice shall be preserved in the paper – this is copyediting, not developmental editing or rewriting of content.

· Companion papers (parts 1 and 2, letter and response combinations, news articles associated with a research paper) must be edited by the same copyeditor, in consecutive editing sessions. The copyeditor must ensure consistency of language and terminology throughout these papers.

· The contractor shall accept timely feedback from EHP staff regarding incorrect edits or updated style guidelines, and have a policy in place for how that feedback will be distributed to the staff, and how staff will be monitored to ensure the same error is not repeated.

· Figures are also to be edited along with the paper. Figure edits will be limited to typos and content that is unclear/ambiguous (or figures that lack sufficient quality for publication). The contractor is not expected to fix errors in the figure, but must issue a query to the author, requesting a revised figure at proof stage. Figures must also be analyzed for 508 accessibility guidelines, and authors shall be queried for a revised figure when the image does not meet those guidelines.

· Tables are also to be edited along with the paper. Tables must follow EHP style with regard to headings and layout, and must meet 508 accessibility guidelines.

· Most EHP articles also include some form of supplemental materials (usually text, tables, and figures, but datasets and videos are also possible). The contractor is not responsible for copyediting these materials – they are posted “as is” – but the contractor is responsible for creating a table-of-contents file for this material (as required for our 508 accessibility guidelines), and is also responsible for editing the text of the manuscript against the content of the supplemental materials. For example, if the manuscript cites a figure in the supplemental materials, the copyeditor must ensure that the figure is actually present; if not, the copyeditor shall query the author.

· Copyeditors, or a separate editor on the copyediting team, must provide alternative text for figures, equations, or any graphical elements as needed to conform with 508 accessibility guidelines. Note that this may require subject-matter expertise, and/or correspondence with the author.

· Copyeditors shall query the author for any problems they are unable to resolve, or to confirm any edits that may change the meaning of the text. These queries will be included with the author proof. Copyeditors shall refrain from compound queries (asking multiple questions at once), must be specific in their queries (“as meant?” is not a sufficient query), and shall be wary of issuing too many queries in a single paper, resulting in “query fatigue” for the author. Queries of a larger scope (such as the possibility of not enforcing a style point in a specific paper) shall be referred to EHP staff at the time the query is generated, before the author proof is sent.

· Management, training, and review of all copyeditors will be the responsibility of the contractor. EHP will provide appropriate guidelines and feedback to the contractor as needed to facilitate the successful training of these individuals in the expectations of the journal.

· All copyeditors shall be native English speakers, and must reside in the United States.

· The contractor shall complete work within the timeframe specified. See the “Timelines” section later in this document for specific requirements.

· If the contractor is using ProduXion Manager for the online portal, rather than contractor supplied program, the copyediting task must be closed in PM when completed, and any relevant files or metadata associated with the task uploaded to the system.

Task 2 – Composition: The contractor shall handle all composition tasks, including file conversion, typesetting the article, adjusting and sizing of figures, proofreading, generating the author proof, sending proofs to the author, receiving author correspondence, applying author corrections, applying any corrections provided by EHP staff, preparing the article for final online publication, and publishing the article via our online publications platform.

EHP will transition to a continuous publication model (single-article/article-by-article publishing). The contractor shall publish issues based on the calendar month (i.e., any article published online as of January 2017 will be part of the January issue, and will be published directly into that issue).

(Note: Use of Advance Publications is being eliminated as part of the move to article-by-article publication. The contractors shall not use the Advance Publications process or Adobe InDesign for any typesetting tasks for EHP’s content.)

The following guidelines shall be met for successful EHP composition:

· All edited Word files shall be converted to JATS XML for use in composition; the JATS version will be 1.1 Archiving and Interchange DTD (Green). All work will be performed only to the XML file once conversion is complete, and the contractor shall follow any and all tagging guidelines issued by EHP. Further, the alt-text 508-compliance elements created by the copyeditor must be converted/merged into the XML as well.

· All equations and mathematical content in the article shall be typeset using MathML; the MathML version will be 2.0 – Presentation format. This includes not just display equations, but also in-text math (such as single variables and simple equations containing any operators, variables, sub/superscripts, or Greek characters). The contractor shall follow any and all tagging guidelines issued by EHP, including but not limited to the use of stretchy attributes for fences, proper over/under tagging vs. sup/sub tagging for display vs. inline (and over-character tagging for built elements vs. single-character entities), no use of mtables for alignment purposes, proper guidelines for space and alignment, and use of proper Unicode characters for all symbols.

· All non-keyboard characters shall be represented by Unicode values, not SGML entities.

· Article layout shall be performed in 3B2. The article XML will be imported into 3B2 for composition. All edits to the article will be made to the XML via 3B2. Processing instructions shall be used for any display requirements that are specific to a single version of the article, but shall be removed from the final XML deliverable provided to EHP’s publications platform.

· This shall be a single-source publishing model, where all article derivatives (PDF, HTML, and any future article versions) are derived from the XML. At no time will the contractor be permitted to edit PDF, HTML, or other deliverable files. For example, when authors return their corrections to the PDF author proof, the contractor shall apply the corrections only to the XML via 3B2, and will then create a new PDF from the composed 3B2 file.

· The contractor shall develop specific 3B2 article templates for each article type published by EHP. Article layouts will be redesigned from their current style with assistance from the new contractor during development of these templates. Some of the changes to be made will include:

· All articles shall move to a two-column format.

· Running heads shall be eliminated.

· All author lists shall move to the heads area of the article, below the title.

· Acknowledgments shall move from the manuscript note to the main text.

· All blue shading within the article (appendixes, tables, etc.) shall be removed.

· Graphics production (sizing; cropping of white space, and unnecessary titles and frames; rearranging figure parts; adding part labels; adjusting resolution; removing background shading, and adjusting brightness/contrast; and small adjustments of color to meet 508 accessibility guidelines) is the responsibility of the contractor. The contractor shall size figures appropriately for the article template, taking the contents of the figure into account (for instance, ensuring the text within the figure meets minimum point size guidelines – such guidelines will be provided by EHP). EHP does not expect the contractor to redraw or retype figures – problems in that area shall be flagged by the copyeditor, and the author requested to provide a new figure correcting the errors along with their proof corrections.

· Sizing of tables is the responsibility of the contractor. All tables shall be typeset as OASIS/CALS tables within the JATS 1.1 guidelines.

· Appropriate layout of display equations is the responsibility of the contractor. Guidelines will be provided by EHP, but general Math Into Type guidelines typically apply.

· The contractor shall provide proofreading services for each paper. Proofreading will take place before the author proof is sent, and again after author proof corrections have been integrated. For the first proofread, the proofreader will compare the deliverable to both the original files received from the journal, and the copyedited files. For the second proofread, the proofreader will compare the deliverable to the author proof and the proof corrections provided by the author. All proofreading corrections must be applied to the XML/MathML through the 3B2 system.

· The contractor shall make PDF proofs available to the paper’s corresponding author (or his designate, or EHP staff as directed) for review. This will entail maintaining a website (server space and bandwidth provided by the contractor) for authors to download their proofs from, as well as upload corrections to; sending proof notification messages and download reminders to the corresponding author via email, on a schedule determined by EHP; accepting proof corrections via direct upload to the website, or via email; sending email confirmations that corrections have been received; answering basic queries from authors about their proofs; and forwarding complex queries from authors to EHP staff for the appropriate response. The author proof website must be customizable, allowing for EHP branding and the inclusion of custom author instructions. The site must also be password protected, allowing authors to only have access to their paper. Alternatively, the contractor may use EHP’s ProduXion Manager system for this work.

· The PDF proof provided to the author must be in the correct article template for the given article type; must have a “final” layout (balanced columns, figures and tables placed according to journal style rules and callouts, displayed math properly broken according to journal style rules and Math Into Type guidelines – the former takes precedence); must include line numbers; must be watermarked as a proof; must contain reference and citation (figure, table, equation, reference) hyperlinks; and must include any author queries generated during copyediting. The queries shall be summarized on the last page of the proof, with hyperlinked callouts in the margins of the paper indicating what section of text the query applies to. The PDF must use embedded fonts and conform to the PDF version specified by EHP (PDF version 1.6). Supplemental materials must also be presented for download and review by the author.

· EHP will also consider proofing systems that allow an author to directly edit their paper online. The underlying technical details, limitations, and customizability of the system must be approved by EHP before implementation would be considered.

· The contractor shall apply the author’s corrections (within EHP’s editorial and style guidelines) to the article XML/MathML via 3B2. A second proof can be provided to the author, but only if requested by the author or directed by EHP staff. The contractor shall ensure the article layout is correct after corrections have been applied.

· As directed, the contractor shall send articles to EHP staff for review after author corrections have been made. The contractor shall make any and all corrections requested by EHP staff before preparing the article for final publication.

· When all corrections are complete, the contractor shall create a final publication PDF through 3B2 (PDF version 1.6). This file shall include high-resolution figures, embedded fonts, and reference and citation (figure, table, equation, reference) hyperlinks, along with hyperlinks to any references to supplemental material files, which shall link to the final URL on the online publishing platform (this will be a predictable address). The layout of the article must also follow EHP guidelines. The contractor shall also export the final XML (minus processing instructions, but including the elements tagged for 508-compliance) from 3B2 for publication alongside the PDF (with the associated hi-res figure files provided separately, and any supplemental materials, including the SM TOC created by the copyeditor).

· All XML deliverables must follow EHP tagging guidelines, and must parse against their specified DTD. Further, the contractor is expected to develop a Schematron to ensure consistency in content tagging and adherence to EHP and publishing platform tagging guidelines.

· The contractor shall deliver all final publication files (including but not limited to XML, PDF, figures, supplemental materials) to the online host specified by EHP (this host will be determined in a separate contract award). The contractor shall assign the publication date (unless otherwise directed by EHP staff) and page numbers (or equivalents); perform all uploads and quality control (QC) checks within the online publication platform; officially publish the content on behalf of EHP; will verify that publication has completed successfully, and that any post-pub processing tasks of the online platform (including but not limited to distribution to A&I databases, CrossRef DOI registration, article indexing, and distribution to dark archives) have completed successfully; all will supply any corrected files as needed to facilitate the successful post-pub processing of these tasks.

· Note that content can be published on any working day, at any time during the business day. It is expected that the contractor shall publish content on a daily basis, as it becomes available, and will not restrict the publication of content to only certain days of the week, to only a certain number of days per week, or to only when a certain amount of content is ready for publication. See the “Timelines” section later in this document for the amount of time that the contractor is allocated to prepare and publish each paper.

· Translated content (Chinese to start; other language translations may be added in the future) will be added to the JATS XML by a third-party when translation is complete. The contractor shall generate separate typeset PDFs from this translated content using the existing article templates, and translated content must be redelivered and republished to the online host as needed. (Note: only some content that EHP publishes is subject to translation. The contractor is not expected to have an understanding of the particular foreign language in order to perform this work – all proofreading of translated content will be handled externally.) EHP will make assignments to the contractor when this work is needed, through its editorial and production teams, in coordination with EHP’s International Editor.

· Podcasts will be published as separate items, outside of an issue. The Government will provide the contractor with the audio file (likely mp3), transcript (in Word format), and article metadata from our production tracking system (ProduXion Manager, assuming electronic file delivery is being used). The transcript does not require editing, but must be converted to XML, and a PDF proof generated for publication online. The XML, PDF, and audio file shall be delivered to the online platform for publication at the direction of the journal.

· The contractor shall supply an electronic “reverse feed” to EHP’s manuscript tracking system (in XML format via ftp) when publication of a paper is complete. This feed will not only confirm the end date of the work, but will also include any relevant metadata updates as directed by EHP. Alternatively, if using ProduXion Manager as the tracking system, the contractor shall complete the appropriate composition tasks in PM by logging into the system, and uploading any necessary files and correspondence to the File Inventory and History, respectively.

· The completion of certain tasks in PM can also be performed by an electronic feed, and the contractor is encouraged to make use of this whenever possible.

· The contractor shall maintain some type of version-control system on their server in order to maintain all working files generated during the composition process. This includes, but is not limited to, multiple iterations of copyedited Word files, author proofs, edited figures, supplemental materials, and XML files.

· The contractor is free to archive all working files and correspondence off their system after an agreed-upon period (for instance, 6 months after final publication). These archives must be maintained for the life of the contract (and any follow-on contracts), and must be turned over to EHP in the event a follow-on contract is not issued, or the contract is terminated for any reason.

Task 3 – Publisher Portal: The contractor is free to use EHP’s current production tracking system, ProduXion Manager, to fulfill the needs of this contract. Otherwise, the contractor shall provide an online publisher portal for EHP staff to monitor and review the progress of work. The portal must be customizable to supply EHP with the information we need, and to suit the workflow that we specify.

· The portal must provide real-time online access and monitoring of all papers throughout the copyediting and composition processes.

· The portal must provide access to all files provided by EHP, all files provided to and from the author, and must also contain a record of all correspondence related to each paper.

· The portal shall be secured via username/password, with credentials provided to EHP staff upon request.

· The portal must specify both total working days for all papers with the contractor, as well as working days spent in each work queue.

· The portal must include a search feature.

· The contractor shall track manuscripts according to EHP’s manuscript numbers. The portal must also track manuscripts in this manner.

· The portal shall display relevant metadata for each paper, as directed by EHP during setup.

If the contractor wants to use ProduXion Manager, they must understand that, as a system provided by EHP, its setup will be biased toward the needs of internal EHP staff. Contractors will be accommodated when possible, but their needs or desires will not take precedence over the needs or desires of the in-house EHP staff. Therefore, contractors are encouraged to provide as much detail on the workflow in response to this PWS, and as many expectations of the ProduXion Manager system as possible, so that EHP can make a reasonable determination of whether we are willing to setup the system as requested.

Task 4 – Customer Service Support: The contractor shall provide customer service support as follows:

· The contractor shall assign an individual customer support representative (with a backup) to act as a single point of contact for all inquiries from the journal. Direct email and phone contact information must be provided for both individuals. EHP will not entertain responses that do not stipulate a central customer support representative for our account, or that requires support to be initiated through a ticketing system or phone queue.

· The journal expects the ability to host regular conference calls with the account manager, and with any other members of the contractor’s team that are required based on current projects or issues. The frequency for these calls is expected to be once a week at the start of the contract, moving to once every two weeks or once a month under normal operations. A regular meeting schedule will be established to ensure consistency in these conference calls. When materials need to be shared in real time, a WebEx (or similar) meeting can be initiated by the contractor.

Task 5 – Correspondence Services: The contractor shall provide correspondence service support as follows:

· The contractor shall maintain frequent contact and interaction with authors, editors, and other individuals who work closely with EHP. In many instances, the contractor shall contact individuals on behalf of the journal. The contractor shall maintain exceptional service standards in all these interactions, and must always present the journal in a positive manner.

4. QUALITY CONTROL: The Government is committed to a highly interactive relationship between quality control by the contractor and quality assurance by the government recipient of services. This relationship shall be achieved through an effective prevention based quality control program dedicated to ensuring the best possible products and services to end users. The QCP shall document how the contractor intends on meeting and complying with the quality standards established in this PWS. At a minimum, the QCP shall include a self-inspection plan, an internal staffing plan, and an outline of the procedures that the contractor shall use to maintain quality, timeliness, responsiveness, customer satisfaction, and any other requirements set forth in this PWS.

The contractor’s QCP shall be maintained throughout the life of the contract and shall include the contractor’s procedures to routinely evaluate the effectiveness of the plan to ensure the contractor is meeting the performance standards and requirements of the contract.

5. COMPLIANCE: All content published in EHP must be Section 508 accessibility guidelines as defined by the federal government. Please see the following URLs for details:

· Section 508 Information: http://www.section508.gov/

· Guide to the Section 508 Standards: https://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/communications-and-it/about-the-section-508-standards/guide-to-the-section-508-standards

· Making Files Accessible: http://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/making-files-accessible/index.html NOTE: If the deliverable includes features and functions in addition to those identified as requirements, these features and functions also need to conform to relevant Section 508 technical provisions, functional performance criteria, and information, documentation and support.

6. PHASE-IN/PHASE-OUT PERIOD: To minimize any decreases in productivity and to prevent possible negative impacts on additional services, the contractor shall have personnel on board during the three (3) month phase-in, and for up to six (6) months during phase-out. During the phase in period, the contractor shall become familiar with performance requirements in order to commence full performance of services on the contract start date. The contractor shall prepare to assume full responsibility for all areas of operation in accordance with the terms and conditions of this contract. The contractor shall take all actions necessary for a smooth transition of the contracted support operations. Transition requirements are as follows:

· In order to minimize the disruption of service for any follow-on contract, the incumbent shall participate with the successor contractor and the contract officer representative (COR) in an orderly transfer of services for any follow-on contract. It is anticipated that a 6 month transition period is set aside at the end of the routine performance period for the phase-out of the contractor’s performance. Any resulting contract from this PWS shall include the phase-out transition period in the established completion date. During the transition period, the incumbent shall prepare transition reports and documents which shall describe the status of marketing efforts, all email lists, and any outstanding issues that a new contractor must know in order to continue service of the publication with minimal disruption.

· All electronic and print documentation and materials developed under the contract (including applications, databases, and intellectual property) shall be transferred, as directed by the COR, to the successor or the NIEHS.

6.1. Phase-Out: Prior to the completion of this contract, an observation period shall occur, at which time team management personnel of the incoming Contractor may observe operations. This will allow for orderly turnover of equipment, and records and will help to ensure continuity of services. The outgoing Contractor is ultimately responsible for performing full services IAW the contract during the phase-out period and shall not defer any requirements for the purpose of avoiding responsibility or of transferring, such responsibility to the succeeding Contractor. The outgoing Contractor shall fully cooperate with the succeeding Contractor and the Government, so as not to interfere with their work or duties. The outgoing Contractor shall ensure all outstanding work orders, equipment, and all Government-owned items are turned in to the COR. All outgoing Contractor personnel shall out-process through the designated Government personnel to ensure compliance with the Government’s requirements for closing e-mail accounts, terminating access, and turning in ID cards, etc. The outgoing Contractor shall be prepared to transition the work load to the newly selected Contractor during the 90 day phase-out period, which will occur prior to the end of the period of performance of the contract.

7. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS:

· Restriction on contractor’s use of or dissemination of databases: Mailing lists either furnished to the contractor by the COR or prepared by the contractor as part of its continuing efforts to support the journal are protected by the Privacy Act, and shall not be used by the contractor or any other third party for any purposes other than for the expressed purpose of this contract. Mailing lists provided as part of this contract shall not be disseminated to other persons or entities, except the COR and EIC, and shall not be used by the contractor, its subcontractors, or any other organization of persons for any purpose other than the services specifically described by the PWS and contract document. The contractor shall ensure that all subcontracts and consultant agreements in support of this contract include this restriction.

· Privacy Act Notice: This PWS requires the Parties to do one or more of the following: design, develop, or operate a system of records on individuals to accomplish an agency function in accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, Public Law 93-579, December 31, 1974 (5 USC 552a) and applicable agency regulations. Violation of the Act may involve the imposition of criminal penalties. The Privacy Act System of Records applicable to this project is Number 09-90-0024.

8. DATA RIGHTS: The Government has unlimited rights to all documents/material produced under this contract to the extent permitted by the data rights clauses. The parties mutually acknowledge their understanding that this is the government’s intent. All documents and materials, to include the source codes of any software, if applicable, 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 contracting officer. All materials supplied to the Government will 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.

9. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: The period of performance shall include a twelve month base period (inclusive of a two (2) month phase-in period) with four (4) 1-year option periods.

10. HOURS OF OPERATION: The contractor shall be responsible for providing routine services between the core hours of 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM Eastern time Monday through 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. All responses to queries from EHP staff and authors, reviewers, and associate editors must be issued in a timely manner, usually the same business day. The contractor shall at all times maintain an adequate workforce for the uninterrupted performance of all tasks defined within this PWS 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. No overtime (OT) or compensatory time (CT) is authorized under this contract.

10.1. Federal Holidays: The National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences observes the following holidays:

· New Year’s Day

Labor Day

· Martin Luther King’s Birthday Columbus Day

· Presidents Day

Veteran’s Day

· Memorial Day

Thanksgiving Day

· Independence Day

Christmas Day

11. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: The management office place of performance, and the place of performance for EHP’s customer support representative, shall be anywhere in the United States. Additionally, copyeditors can be anywhere in the United States, as these positions require high-level language skills due to the customer support requirement. Any other personnel involved in the contract outside of these particular positions, can be anywhere in the world as long as they are available in the required times of operations so as not to delay any contract requirement to the Government.

12. CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL: The contractor shall provide personnel who are qualified to provide all services and work in a professional and courteous manner. Contractor personnel shall abide by applicable regulations, NIEHS rules and procedures, and present a neat appearance if working at NIEHS locations.

13. GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY, EQUIPMENT, AND SERVICES: This section identifies those items such as property, information and/or services that will be provided for the contractor’s use (without cost to the contractor) to allow the contractor to provide the required services, such as materials, facilities, training, etc. as follows:

· Facilities: The Government shall not furnish work space, work stations, computers.

· Materials: The Government will not provide Standard Operational Procedures (SOPs), applicable regulations, manuals, texts, briefs or any other materials associated with these projects.

· Training: The Government will not provide any training, management, or accountability for contractor’s staff beyond the initial guidance given during initial setup, and the ongoing feedback that is provided throughout the course of the contract.

14. CONTRACTOR FURNISHED ITEMS AND RESPONSIBILITIES: The contractor shall furnish all supplies, equipment, and services required to perform work under this contract that are not listed under section 13 of this PWS.

14.1. Items: The contractor shall provide all required hardware, software, licenses, internet access, etc., along with all necessary support, to perform this work. The Government will not will provide any equipment, materials, or technical support. The contractor shall not have access to the NIEHS network or email accounts.

14.2. Software: The contractor shall use the following software in the completion of the work described herein:

· Microsoft Word (2010 or later) for Windows (Windows 7 or later is the required platform)

· Design Science MathType

· 3B2

· Adobe Acrobat

This is not an exhaustive list of the software that may be required to fulfill this work – this is merely the software that the journal requires you to use. When not specified, the contractor is free to select the software that best fits their needs.

14.3. Security/Security Log: The contractor shall maintain the security and integrity of their systems at all times. This includes promptly installing updates to mitigate security threats, actively testing all software releases for potential security holes, and promptly informing customers of known or suspected data breaches.

15. ATTACHMENT/TECHNICAL EXHIBIT LISTING: This section lists all attachments and technical exhibits applicable to the contract.

· Appendix 1 - Timelines

· Attachment II - Quality Assurance Requirements Summary

· Attachment III - Reporting and Deliverable Schedule

· Attachment IV - Historical Data & Workload

APPENDIX 1

Timelines: The contractor shall perform work in a timely manner and according to EHP’s production schedule, which includes specific deadlines for various milestones throughout the life of an article. These milestones include:

· Receipt of files to sending author proof = no more than 8 working days; this includes:

· File conversion and cleanup = 2 working days

· Copyediting = 3 working days

· XML conversion, figure processing, and article setup = 1 working day

· Proofreading = 1 working day

· Proofreading/layout corrections and send author proof = 1 working day

· Incorporation of author corrections, proofreading, and final layout = no more than 2 working days

· Preparation for final publication = no more than 1 working day

· Online QC and publication = 1 working day (unless a specific publication date has been provided by the journal)

Officially, authors will be given three (3) working days to respond to their proof corrections. Papers shall not be published until author corrections have been received. The contractor shall provide email reminders to authors who have not returned their proof corrections, on the following schedule (the first notice is sent to the author on the day the proof is first made available):

· 1 day late

· 1 week late

· Every week following the 1 week late deadline, until corrections are received

For the Chinese Edition, the contractor has five (5) working days to create article proofs from the time that the translated XML is delivered. Proofs are sent to our International Editor, so reminder emails are not needed, and corrections will be limited to presentation and layout, and not content. Papers must be published online within 3 working days of journal approval.

For Podcasts, the contractor has three (3) working days to create a proof of the transcript. Proofs are sent to the journal News team, so reminder emails are not needed, and corrections will be limited to presentation and layout, and not to content. Podcasts must be published online within three (3) working days of journal approval.

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