NWWN99362100420 Landscaping Statement of Work RFQ.pdf

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

Grounds (Landscape) Maintenance

Purchase Request #NW-WN9938-21-00420

1.0 SCOPE OF WORK

Place of performance will be as follows: National Weather Service Forecast Office 1 1 Weather Lane (Off RT. 231), P. 0. Box 1208, Gray Maine (ME) 04039-1208, All work performed under this contract is required to meet the quality and performance standards as identified. The contractor shall provide all personnel, equipment, tools, materials, supervision, and other items and services necessary to perform

Landscape Maintenance from April 1st through October 31st. Work shall be in a manner that will maintain healthy grass, shrubs, and plants and present a neat and professional appearance.

If services cannot be performed due to rain or thunderstorms, the Contractor shall perform any and all scheduled services the next duty day with no degradation to existing scheduled services.

2.0 Tasks

2.1 Mowing and Trimming Operations: The Contractor shall be responsible for monitoring the growth of the grass and scheduling cutting/mowing operations as required. The grass shall be cut on approximately .90 acres of grounds as indicated on Appendix B. The Contractor shall prevent scalping, uneven mowing, rutting by equipment, damage to trees and shrubs during contractor operations. The Contractor shall replace shrubs and trees damaged during mowing operations.

Precautions shall include removal or repair of equipment causing unnecessary damage or procedures causing unsatisfactory mowing. The Government is not responsible for damage to contractor’s equipment due to trash, debris, or uneven terrain. Contractor shall maintain all open drainage systems; open culverts under driveways and roads shall be free of debris, trash, limbs, leaves and grass clippings. April 1st through

September 30th the grass shall be cut to maintain height between 2 ½11 and 4".

The frequency of mowing may vary depending on weather conditions. During the month of October, the grass shall be cut weekly. Grass and weeds shall be trimmed around trees, shrubs, buildings, fences, poles, posts, fire hydrants, parking lot bumper blocks and other fixed obstacles, trimming height shall match surrounding area grass height.

Grass clippings shall be removed or mulched to provide a uniform appearance after mowing. All improved grounds shall look well-manicured at all times. All areas shall be trimmed concurrent with mowing. Damage to trees and shrubs from trimming caused by contractor shall be repaired by the contractor at no additional cost to the Government. If a plant should die or become unhealthy due to damage caused by the contractor, the contractor will be responsible for replacing the damaged plant or tree.

With a plant or tree of the same species and size. Plant or tree replacement or repair shall occur within 15 calendar days to the contractor by the Government. It is the contractor's responsibility to ensure their trimming or mowing services does not damage trees. Sod shall be completely removed from around base of all trees in lawn area and 24 inches away from edge of trunk, to form an even circle around the tree. If grass seeding is needed to repair damaged areas, use a compatible grass seed mixture.

2.2 Fertilize Grounds: The contractor shall furnish and apply a slow release fertilizer in (2) separate treatments; once in the spring and once again in the fall. Application shall be applied in accordance with the fertilizers instructions and recommendations for treatment.

2.3 Insect Control: 2 treatments for ant, tick, and grub control using environmentally friendly treatments (no neonicotinoid pesticides). The first treatment shall be in May and the second in July.

2.4 Edging: Grass shall be cut back from all edges 0.5" to 1.5" and not cut deeper than 1.5" to 2". Edging shall include removal of vegetation from cracks, and expansion joints in sidewalks1 driveways, and curbs. Grass shall not extend over the edge of parking lots, concrete streets 1 pads, sidewalks, driveways, paved areas or curbs in all areas.

2.5 Weed Control: Lawns shall be maintained to show continual progress in removal of annual and perennial weeds, including all clover and coarse grass species. Parking lots, walkways, crushed rock beds and all buildings shall be kept free of weeds, grasses, leaves and debris (including the forecast office, radar and upper air inflation buildings). Weed killing (herbicidal) sprays are not permitted.

2.6 Cleanup: All grass clippings, weeds1 and pruning shall be removed from the project premises as necessary. Walks and driveways shall be kept free of equipment and debris. Exterior walls of building shall be kept free of soil. When on the job site police entire grounds to remove all trash, debris and leaves. This shall include the vehicle parking lots, walkways and lawn areas.

2.7 Aeration and Dethatching: During May the entire lawn area (identified in Appendix B) shall be aerated using a powered aerator set to remove cores cleanly without tearing or otherwise damaging the turf. Coring tines shall be 1/2 inch in diameter, set on no more than 6 inch centers, and shall remove cores of at least 2 inches in depth.

Following aeration, the entire lawn area shall be dethatched using a powered vertical mower. Thatch shall be removed to within¼ inch of the ground surface. Contractor shall remove and dispose of all debris at an approved public or commercial dumpsite.

The entire lawn area shall be dethatched using a powered vertical mower.

2.8 Mulch Placement: Each year, by May 1st, the contractor shall provide and place bark mulch in all planting beds, shrubs, trees and walkways. Quantities supplied must be sufficient to maintain planting bed areas with a minimum mulch depth of four (4) inches, and tree mounds with a minimum depth of six (6) inches. A sample of mulch shall be approved by the TFprior to application.

2.9 Erosion Control: The contractor shall repair and fill all rivulets, soil slides, and washouts when necessary.

2.10 Leaf Removal: The contractor shall remove all leaves, pine needles, and other debris from plant beds and lawn.

2.11 Tree Pruning: Remove dead, damaged, or diseased wood from all trees (within 6 feet from the ground). This is a continuous requirement.

2.12 Shrub Pruning: Remove dead, damaged, or diseased wood from all shrubs.

By May 1 of the year, shrubs in front of building windows shall be pruned back to a height that does not obstruct the windows. Pruning shall be completed by May 1 and maintained continually through October.

2.13 Damage: If the Government determines that damage to shrubs and trees are caused by the contractor, the contractor shall repair/replace at no additional cost to the Government. The Contractor will be responsible for replacing the damaged plant or tree with a plant or tree of the same species, and size. Replacement or repair shall occur within 15 days of notice to the contractor by the Government.

Final Work: During the last two weeks of the landscaping/maintenance season (typically the last 2 weeks of October), the Contractor shall leave all planting beds, tree mounds, and rock beds in a weed free condition. Weather conditions permitting1 all grass shall be mowed if above the specified height and all debris to include twigs and leaves removed from the site.

3.0 General Information

3.1 Quality Assurance: Those actions taken by the Government to check services to determine if they meet contract requirements.

The Government will periodically inspect the contractor's performance in accordance with the Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP), Appendix A. The QASP is considered to be a living document and the Government may modify/change quality surveillance items and methods as deemed necessary to ensure satisfactory contract performance.

3.2 Quality Control: Those actions taken by the contractor to control the maintenance and repair of equipment used for landscaping services so they meet the requirements of the contract.

The contractor shall develop a complete quality control program to assure the requirements of the contract are provided as specified. A copy of the contractor's quality control program shall be submitted to the CO no later than 10 calendar days after award.

3.3 Hours of Operation

The National Weather Service Forecast Office at Gray 1 ME is a 24-hour, seven day a week operating facility.

Except where otherwise stated, all tasks will be performed Monday through Friday.

3.4 Contacts

Technical Contact

Local Contact

3.5 COVID-19 Notce

NOAA is committed to taking appropriate safety precautions to support the health and well-being of our employees and affiliates in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and will continue to assess all measures necessary to mitigate risks to the spread of the disease consistent with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

(CDC).

To help slow the spread of COVID-19, CDC recommends the use of face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain. NOAA personnel are strongly encouraged to follow CDC and State guidelines on the use of face coverings.

All individuals inside NOAA occupied workplaces are required to wear face coverings until further notice and are encouraged to maintain social distancing guidelines. Face coverings should cover the nose and mouth, but do not need to be medical-grade masks. Face coverings can be cloth masks, scarves, and bandanas.

Managers are responsible for determining social distancing practices in their individual offices.

Appendix A

QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE PLAN

QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE

PLAN FOR

GROUNDS MAINTENANCE SERVICES

INTRODUCTION

This Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) has been developed to evaluate contractor actions while implementing this PWS. It is designed to provide an effective surveillance method of monitoring contractor performance for each listed objective in the PWS in the maintenance contract.

The QASP provides a systematic method to evaluate the services the contractor is required to furnish.

This QASP is based on the premise the Government desires to maintain a quality standard in operating, maintaining, and repairing facilities and that a service contract to provide the services is the best means of achieving that objective.

The contractor, and not the Government, is responsible for management and quality control actions to meet the terms of the contract. The role of the Government is quality assurance to ensure contract standards are achieved.

In this contract the quality control program is the driver for product quality. The contractor is required to develop a comprehensive program of inspections and monitoring actions.

The first major step to ensuring a "self-correcting" contract is to ensure that the quality control program approved at the beginning of the contract provides the measures needed to lead the contractor to success.

Once the quality control program is approved, careful application of the process and standards presented in the remainder of this document will ensure a robust quality assurance program.

I

I

I I

Performance · Objective

PWS

Para

Performance Standard AQL

Surveillance Method

Mowing and trimming operations

2.1 Grass is maintained within

proper height for its area.

Grass is even and clippings are removed.

Trimming occurs in the Same visit as the mowing.

Customer complaints shall not exceed 2 per month

Customer Complaints

Edging 2.4 Grass shall be cut back from all edges 0.5'' to 1.5" and not cut deeper than 1.5'' to 2". Edging shall include removal of vegetation from cracks, and expansion joints in sidewalks, driveways, and curbs. Grass shall not extend over the edge of parking lots, concrete streets, pads, sidewalks, driveways, paved areas or curbs in all areas.

Requirement met 95% of the time.

Random Inspection

Weed Control 2.5 Lawns shall be maintained to show continual progress in removal of annual and perennial weeds, including all clover and coarse grass species. Parking lots, walkways, crushed rock beds and all buildings shall be kept free of weeds, grasses, leaves and debris (including the forecast office, radar and upper air inflation buildings)

Requirement met 95% of time

Random Inspection

Police Grounds of Trash and Litter

2.6 Grounds are free of trash

and litter.

Customer complaints shall not exceed 2 per month.

Customer Complaints

Shrub Pruning 2.12 Remove dead, damaged, or diseased wood from all shrubs. Shrubs in front of building windows shall be

Customer complaints shall not exceed 2 per month.

Customer Complaints pruned back to a height that does not obstruct the windows

SURVEILLANCE: The Technical Contact (TC) will receive complaints from Government personnel and pass them to the contractor's Quality Control Inspector (QCI) for correction.

STANDARD: Customer complaints shall not exceed the thresholds cited above for each performance standard. The TC shall notify the Contracting Officer for appropriate action in accordance with FAR 52.212.4, Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items (May 1997) or the appropriate Inspection of Services clause, if any of the above service areas exceed the customer complaint thresholds.

PROCEDURES: Any Government employee that observes unacceptable services, either incomplete or not performed, for any of the above performance objectives should immediately contact the TCand the TC will complete appropriate documentation to record the complaint. The TF will consider the customer complaint valid upon receipt from the customer. The TC should inform the customer of the approximate time the unacceptable performance will be corrected and advise the customer to contact the TC if not corrected. The TC will consider customer complaints as resolved unless notified otherwise by the customer. The TC will notify the QCI of the customer complaint via e-mail. The QCI will be given two calendar days after written notification to correct the unacceptable performance. If the QCI disagrees with the complaint after investigation of the site and challenges the validity of the complaint, the QCI will notify the TF in writing via email. The TC will conduct an investigation to determine the validity of the complaint.

If the TF determines the complaint as invalid, he will document the written complaint of the findings and notify the customer. The TF will retain the annotated copy of the written complaint for his/her files. If after investigation the TF determines the complaint as valid, the TF will inform the QCI and the QCI will be given an additional calendar day to correct the customer complaint. A customer complaint will not be recorded if proper and timely c01Tection of the unacceptable condition(s) is accomplished. The QCI shall return the written customer complaint document, properly completed with actions taken, to the TF, who will file the complaint for monitoring future recurring performance. Recurring customer complaints are not permitted for any of the above service items. If a repeat customer complaint is received indicating the same deficiency during the service period (month, quarter, etc.), the TF should contact the Contracting Officer for appropriate action.

Submission of Invoices

The contractor shall prepare and submit an invoice by electronic mail to the Contracting Officer's Representative with a courtesy copy sent to the local Point of Contact. Invoices shall be submitted in accordance with this clause and Federal Acquisition Regulation clause 52.212-4(g), entitled "Contract Terms and Conditions

– C o m m e r c i a l Items" to constitute a proper invoice, the document must include the items listed in paragraphs (1) through (7) of this section. If the invoice does not comply with these requirements, it will be returned within 7 days after the date the designated office received the invoice with a statement of the reasons why it is not a proper invoice.

1) Name and address of the contractor;

2) Invoice date and number (Contractors are encouraged to date invoices as close to the mailing date as possible);

3) Contract or Purchase Order Number and Line Item Number;

4) Description of services performed;

5) Name and address of official to whom payment is to be sent;

6) Contractors are strongly encouraged to assign a sequential invoice number system;

7) Name, title, phone number and mailing address of person to be notified in the event of a defective invoice