SOW Comoros TMC 1.docx

1.0 SCOPE OF WORK

1.1. The Contractor shall provide corporate travel services for official domestic travel in the Comoros of Government employees, contractors, and invitational travelers. The corporate travel services that the Contractor shall provide include:

· Travel reservations, and issuance of tickets for air, advance seat assignments and advance boarding passes.

· Reservations for lodging accommodations.

· Commercial automobile rental services.

* Commercial passenger ferry services

· Detailed travelers' itineraries.

· Management information and billing reports derived from the booking database.

· Information pamphlets for Government travelers who use the contract.

1.2. Each of these items is discussed in detail in Section 1, continuation of block 20, paragraph 3.0, "Contractor Requirements for Providing Official Travel Services".

1.4. The Contractor shall also provide travel services for any individual sponsored by a participating agency under this contract, including personnel on temporary duty. Additionally, the Government is often called upon to assist U.S. citizens who wish to return to the U.S. The Contractor may be called upon to assist with the travel arrangements in such cases. The Contractor shall direct any question as to whether or not a service should be provided to a particular person, to the Contracting Officer or the Contracting Officer’s Representative.

1.5. Upon the request of employees or other persons with disabilities traveling on official business, the Contractor must arrange necessary and reasonable accommodations, including but not limited to airline seating, in-terminal transfers, ground transportation and barrier-free or otherwise accessible lodging.

2.0 DEFINITIONS AND ACRONYMS

Agency – U.S. Government activity at post, such as State Department, Foreign Commercial Service, or Foreign Agricultural Service.

ARC - Airlines Reporting Corporation. Website: https://www2.arccorp.com/

Authorized Itinerary – The:

• Lowest cost and refundable ticket;

• Usually traveled routing;

• Between a traveler’s authorized origin and authorized destination.

• On the authorized date of travel (for travel that is date-specific);

• In the authorized class of service.

• Using the fare type (unrestricted or restricted) authorized.

• And complies with US government regulation and the Mission Travel Policy.

Business Day - Embassy workweek hours, Monday through Thursday : 7:30 to 17:00 and Friday : 7:30 to 13:30, except holidays listed in Section 2, DOSAR 652.237-72, “Observance of Legal Holidays And Administrative Leave”.

BSP – IATA Billing and Settlement Plan

CBA - Centrally Billed Account. A Charge Card Account established by the General Services Administration. The Department of State has selected Citibank Visa Charge Cards. The contractor will provide the CBA via the GDS to the airlines such that the airline is the merchant for the air ticket cost. The contractor may only charge the CBA for transaction fees, not for airline tickets.

Commission - Amount paid to the Contractor by another entity not a party to this contract, such as an airline, hotel or rental car, for each airline ticket the Contractor books with that entity.

COR - Contracting Officer's Representative. See Section 2, DOSAR 652.242-70, Contracting Officer's Representative (COR)

Cost Construct – Travel that deviates from the authorized itinerary or authorized class of service. The Government will pay no more than the value of the authorized itinerary. A traveler-requested deviation from the date(s) of travel on their travel authorization shall not constitute a cost-construct unless, as a result of the date change, the base fare changes relative to the base fare of the authorized itinerary

DS-4022 – Exception Form for us of Non-Contract Carrier DS-3093 – Exception Form for use of Foreign Flag Carrier DS-4087 – Exception Form for Premium/Business Class Travel

DSSR – Department of State Standard Regulations

Embassy – Refers to U.S. Embassy of Madagascar and the Union of the Comoros.

Emergency - An unforeseen combination of circumstances that calls for immediate action. The term emergency includes, but is not limited to, disasters, forest fires, evacuations, floods, and civil unrest.

Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) - See 41 CFR Chapters 300-304. Chapter 301 governs travel and transportation allowances for Federal civilian employees. except for DOD personnel, who are subject to the JTR. The regulation can be accessed at website: https://www.gsa.gov/policy-regulations/regulations/federal-travel-regulation-ftr

Fly America Act - See 49 U.S.C. 40118. The Fly America Act requires Federal employees and their dependents, consultants, contractors, grantees, and others performing United States-financed air travel to travel by U.S. flag carriers. Details contained in 41 CFR 301-10.131 through 301-10.143 and 6 FAM 135.

GDS – U.S. Global Distribution System – used by travel agencies to reserve and ticket travel services.

Government - U.S. Government, including all participating U.S. Government agencies.

GSA - U.S. Government General Services Administration.

GTR - Government Travel Request issued on an electronic SF-1169 which is provided to a carrier or a carrier’s agent to procure passenger transportation services for the account of the U.S. Government. GTRs are used when an airline will not accept the CBA as the merchant. The GTR shall be used as a supporting document with the bill for the transportation charges.

Hotel and Motel Fire Safety Act of 1990 - Public Law 101-391, September 25, 1990. An Act to amend the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 to allow for the development and issuance of guidelines concerning the use and installation of automatic sprinkler systems and smoke detectors in places of public accommodation affecting commerce, and for other purposes. Hotel and Motel Fire Safety Act National Master List - Places of public accommodation in the United States and its territories that meet the fire prevention and control guidelines under the Hotel and Motel Fire Safety Act. Current information is also available on the internet at http://www.usfa.fema.gov/hotel.

IBA – Individually Billed Account, certain travelers (primarily U.S. direct hires) may be eligible to hold a U.S. Government contractor-issued individually billed account (IBA), commonly referred to as a travel card. An IBA should be used to procure transportation for official travel only when a CBA cannot be used or when travel is of an unanticipated, emergency nature and arranging travel through a TMC, thus using a CBA, would prevent accomplishment of the purpose of travel.

Indirect Travel – Travel that deviates, in routing, from the routing of the authorized itinerary.

JTR – Military Joint Travel Regulations

Lowest Available Fare - Except for the constraints of the airline contract program described in Section 1, continuation of block 20, paragraph 3.2.2 and the Fly America Act, Section 1, continuation of block 20, paragraph 3.2.3, the Contractor shall book the lowest available fare in accordance with agency policy, if any, as expressed in the contract. If reservations made by the Contractor are not at the lowest available rate allowed, at the time of ticketing, the Contractor shall refund the difference to the Government.

Media - A broad spectrum of methods used to provide a permanent record of communications (examples include paper, Electronic Data Interface (EDI), electronic, optically stored media, computer disks, or any other acceptable method of available communication).

OBT – The Online Booking Tool is provided by CWT Sato using the “Get There” program

Official Travel - Travel that is paid for and/or for which the traveler is reimbursed by the Government.

Open Skies Agreement – The EU Open Skies agreement can be a valid exception to the Fly American Act. Other Open Skies agreements are not as liberal as the EU agreement.

Personal Travel - Travel that is paid for by the employee/dependent and for which reimbursement will not be provided by the Government.

PNR - Passenger Name Records

Post – Embassy, consulate general, consulate, consular agency, presence post, branch office, or mission of the United States.

Premium Class Travel Report – Report, by agency, containing all Premium Class travel tickets issued by the contactor where the USG authorized Premium Class Travel

Refund - Ticket refund consists of the value of the ticket but does not include transaction fee or other service fee associated with issuing of the ticket. For billing purposes under this contract, a refund is not a separate transaction.

SOP – Standard Operating Procedures – Document provided by Contractor to Post detailing processes and procedures for service delivery of all contract requirements

Standard Carrier Alpha Code (SCAC) - Used by the Government to audit the Contractor’s billings. SCAC code may be obtained from the National Motor Traffic Association, Inc. 2200 Mill Road, Alexandria, VA 22314; telephone (703) 512-1800. The current cost is $28.00 ($24.00 to renew). The SCAC is only applicable if a GTR is used for payment.

Taxes and Fees - Charges for transportation imposed on travelers by other authority, such as U.S. Government federal taxes, airport passenger facility charges.

Tenant agencies – Other U.S. Government Agencies assigned to a given Embassy Transaction - Issuance of a ticket for common carrier transportation, or changes to that ticket after issuance. Other travel reservations associated with the travel under that ticket, including but not limited to, hotel reservations, car rental, and other traveler services, are not considered a transaction for purposes of charging a transaction fee.

Transaction Fee - Fee, charged by the Contractor, for issuance of a ticket for common carrier transportation or changes to that ticket, after issuance. Paragraph 17.0 addresses when a transaction fee may be charged for a transaction.

Travel Authorization - Document authorizing official Government travel. May also be referred to as Travel Order.

Travel Management Center (TMC) - A commercial travel firm under contract to the U.S. Embassy of Madagascar and the Union of the Comoros that provides reservations, ticketing, and related travel management services for Federal travelers.

Travel Services - Transportation reservations, for all modes of transportation, issuance and delivery of tickets, itinerary and invoices, reservations for lodging and vehicle rental services; and ancillary support related to travel.

User- Friendly - Ease of use geared towards those with a rudimentary or limited knowledge of computer systems and operations. The knowledge base includes how to log on and off the system, simple menu-based functions in a typical graphical user interface Windows-like environment, (for example, as point and click functions such as file, open, close), simple one-step commands, such as search, print and save.

3.0 CONTRACTOR REQUIREMENTS FOR PROVIDING OFFICIAL TRAVEL SERVICES

3.1 ESTABLISHMENT OF A TRAVELER’S AUTHORIZED ITINERARY

3.1.1 Upon receipt of a travel authorization, the contractor is responsible for determining a traveler’s authorized itinerary. The Contractor is not separately paid to establish the authorized itinerary since such work does not constitute a transaction under the terms of this contract. There is often a degree of subjectivity involved in the establishment of a traveler’s authorized itinerary, with an inherent tension between the principles of economy (lower cost) and efficiency (shorter or more convenient travel). The Contractor shall make authorized itinerary determinations that balance these principles in accordance with “reasonable person” and “prudent traveler” standards.

3.1.2 Any deviation from the authorized itinerary (other than a deviation in date that does not change the fare) constitutes a cost-construct. The value of the authorized itinerary determines the basis of any traveler-requested cost-construct. (Note: all indirect travel is cost-constructed, but not all cost-constructed travel is indirect.)

3.1.1.1 Should the traveler’s deviation from the authorized itinerary result in common carrier transportation costs in excess of the value of the authorized itinerary, the traveler is responsible for paying the difference prior to or simultaneous with the issuance of the ticket(s).

3.1.1.2 In cases when the value of the cost-constructed itinerary is less than the value of the authorized itinerary, savings accrue to the USG, not to the traveler or to the Contractor, and may not be used to offset any other expense, such as a Contractor-charged cost-construct service fee.

3.2 TRANSPORTATION

3.2.1 The Contractor shall offer the lowest available fare that complies with the agency’s mission requirements and the Mission Travel Policy, as well as check for lower fare at time of final ticketing. If reservations made by the Contractor are not at the lowest available rate allowed by policy, the Contractor shall refund the agency the difference.

3.2.2. The Contractor shall provide the Government with the reservation and ticketing services which industry practice normally accords corporate or private travelers, to include new and improved reservation and ticketing technologies. These shall include a 24-hour number available to travelers to perform emergency itinerary changes and emergency services outside regular business hours. The Contractor shall be responsible for ensuring that any subcontractor providing such emergency service complies with all conditions of the contract.

3.2.3. The Contractor shall adjust for any change(s) in flight, passenger ferry schedules. Tickets and billings shall be modified or reissued to reflect these changes.

3.2.4. The Contractor shall make a timely effort to notify travelers of airport closings, canceled or delayed flights or ferries. The Contractor shall promote the use of APP technologies such as CWTSatoToGo, trip case, tripit etc. to provide real time flight and gate changes.

3.2.5 The Contractor shall assist the travelers and liaise with the airlines for any change(s) in flight within the 24-hour period before departure time.

3.3. LODGING

3.3.1. The Contractor shall provide lodging reservation services. These services shall include initiating and confirming reservations and confirming the rate at which the reservation is made.

3.3.2. The Contractor shall endeavor to book rates that are within the per diem amount for the traveler’s authorized lodging location unless otherwise requested by the traveler. The Contractor shall identify any rate booked that exceeds the per diem amount by including a noticeable indicator on any travel document or itinerary

3.3.3. Final selection of accommodations rests with the traveler. If reservations made by the Contractor are not made at the lowest available, the Contractor shall refund the Government the difference. Since final selection of accommodations rests with the traveler, the reservations made by the Contractor shall be made at the lowest available rate that complies with the traveler’s request, or the Contractor shall refund the Government the difference. Lodging reservations for Federal Government employees on official business shall comply with the Hotel and Motel Fire Safety Act of 1990 (see Definitions). Selected lodging shall comply with the Hotel and Motel Fire Safety Act of 1990, if available, unless an exception is granted by the COR. As stated in the definition in paragraph 2.0, the Hotel and Motel Fire Safety Act of 1990 only applies to the United States and its territories.

3.4. RENTAL VEHICLES

3.4.2. Under the FTR, it is incumbent upon the traveler to be prudent in selecting the method of ground transportation that best meets the mission’s needs.

3.5. RELATED SERVICES

3.5.1. Health Requirements. The Contractor shall provide travelers with advice on necessary health requirements, including types of inoculations and vaccinations whether required or suggested for foreign travel.

3.5.2. Local Conditions. The Contractor shall provide information and advice on conditions at the various foreign destinations, including climatic conditions, type of clothing which are appropriate or essential, national, and religious holidays, location of American embassies and consulates, etc.

3.5.3. Foreign Currency Information. The Contractor shall provide technical advice on such matters as foreign currency exchange rate and transactions, securing auto insurance in conjunction with foreign automobile rentals, excess baggage requirements and fees.

3.6. Traveler's Itineraries - The Contractor shall provide to each traveler a complete, electronic itinerary document including, but not limited to the following:

· carrier(s) both marketing and operating;

· flight number(s);

· if applicable, annotate that the traveler refused the contract or lowest fare offered;

· departure and arrival time(s) for each segment of the trip;

· name, phone number, location, room rate(s), confirmation number of hotels/motels booked by the contractor at each destination and guaranteed arrival check-in time, cancellation requirements; and where applicable, tax-exempt information. If requested by the Government, the Contractor shall include a clear statement regarding compliance with the Hotel and Motel Fire Safety Act of 1990. If requested, the statement shall read as follows: "The lodging selected satisfies (or does not satisfy) the requirements of the Hotel and Motel Fire Safety Act of 1990." The Government would only make this request if travel will be within an area covered by this Act.

· Seat Assignment whenever possible and if offered free of charge by the airline;

· vehicle rental company, to include name and toll-free telephone number of supplier, pickup and return dates, location of pickup, confirmed rate and confirmation number and, where applicable, special pickup instructions and hours of operation, notably for off-airport suppliers.

· Itemized statement of transaction fee;

· Ticket number for all tickets issued;

· Fare bucket booked for each flight (air travel only);

· local and toll-free numbers, (toll-free only if available in the country in which these services are provided) for both the servicing office and the after-hours emergency services location.

· a statement and a copy of the passenger receipt coupon of all charges associated with the transportation ticket, including the ticket number, price, fare basis code, any fare restrictions, fees charged and a description of those fees.

· Copy of the e-ticket receipt.

· Listing of ticket numbers for the complete itinerary with price of the ticket to include the TMC service fee being charged. The Itinerary Invoice is a system generated document provided by the GDS;

· Name and address of lodging;

· Nightly rate for lodging (both “base” (pre-tax) and fully encumbered (inclusive of tax and any mandatory fees imposed by a government or hotel/motel);

· Pick-up and drop-off locations for car rentals;

· If required by post, an official tax invoice;

· This document shall be presented in a manner that is not readily editable, such as an automated document generated by a GDS. Easily modifiable documents, such as MS Word, are not acceptable.

3.7. TICKET DELIVERY

3.7.1. E-tickets shall routinely be provided no earlier than two days in advance of travel unless the Government requests otherwise or if earlier ticketing is required by the airline. The Contractor shall deliver tickets only to employees designated by the Government. Specific request for posts and other tenant agency policies will de detailed in the TMC Standard Operating Procedures. The Contractor shall provide e-ticket receipts with the Itinerary Invoice.

3.7.2. Travelers shall be provided an itinerary and confirmation number in advance of travel. The Contractor shall issue tickets for authorized travel in advance of travel and must have received an approval travel authorization to do so. In addition, to the itinerary invoice, the Contractor shall provide copies of all e-ticket receipts.

3.8. Management Reports and Deliverables - The Contractor shall provide the Government with management information reports. As a minimum, the Contractor shall develop the following reports which shall be delivered within the time frames set forth in Section 1, continuation of block 20, paragraph 10.0: All ticketing level data is to be available to the Embassy or Department of State Travel and Transportation Management Division when requested.

3.8.1. QUARTERLY PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS REPORT – The Contractor shall provide a concise quarterly narrative of the Contractor's activities. This report shall identify problems and recommend solutions. The report shall include suggestions to enhance service, where appropriate. The Government encourages interim reports, as deemed necessary by the Contractor;

3.8.2. QUARTERLY SALES ACTIVITY REPORT - The Contractor shall provide a concise quarterly narrative of the Contractor’s activities. This report shall identify problems and recommend solutions. The report shall include suggestions to enhance service, where appropriate. The Government encourages interim reports, as deemed necessary by the Contractor.

3.8.3. RECONCILIATION REPORT OF TRANSPORTATION BILLINGS

3.8.3.3 The Contractor shall deliver a monthly reconciliation report and supporting documents to posts electronically.

3.8.4 QUARTERLY SALES ACTIVITY REPORT

3.8.4.1. The Contractor shall provide a quarterly summary of sales activity data. The Contractor shall prepare the report in accordance with the sample in Section 1, Attachment 2. This summary shall reflect all official sales activity for each Post and agency using the contract, whether the travel was purchased using GTR, IBA or CBA.

3.8.4.2 MONTHLY TRANSACTION FEE REPORT

3.8.4.2.1 The Contractor shall provide a monthly report based on the transaction fee schedule of the contract. This report shall list all transaction fees to be paid by the user agency. The fees shall be broken down by agency, and by type of transaction, following the line items in the pricing portion of this contract.

3.8.4.2.2 Upon request of the COR, the Contractor will provide BSP reports listing all official travel tickets paid by the TMC as cash or credit card pass through to the airlines.

3.8.4.3 QUARTERLY UNUSED TICKET REPORT

3.8.4.3.1 The Contractor shall provide a quarterly report of all unused tickets from the previous 12 months.

3.9. COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM AND EMERGENCY SERVICES

3.9.1. The Contractor shall provide service, from Monday to Friday, compatible with the Embassy’s standard workday. Section 1, continuation of block 20, paragraph 13.0, below sets forth the normal working hours for Contractor personnel providing services under this contract. The Contractor shall provide web-based technologies and or mobile applications for ticket and travel management, or at a minimum dedicated 24-hour telephone service available to the travels that will allow immediate access to a reservation agent to perform emergency itinerary changes and ticket issuance outside regular business hours.

3.9.2. The Contractor shall be responsible for ensuring that any subcontractor providing 24-hour emergency service complies with all conditions of the contract.

3.9.3. In the event of emergencies (e.g., Presidential-declared disasters, forest fires, evacuations, floods, hurricanes, etc.), the Contractor shall maintain operations necessary to support the Government under this contract. This includes operating the office 24 hours a day as required by the Government responding to the emergency/evacuation and providing necessary delivery of tickets.

3.9.4. Telephone - The Contractor shall respond to all telephone return calls within one (1) hour. The Contractor shall respond to e-mail requests within one business day, unless travel is scheduled on a weekend, holiday, or business day subsequent to the day of the request.

3.9.5. Emergencies - The Contractor shall continue to provide services during emergencies or contingencies. In connection with evacuations or large-scale air movements of noncombatants, refugees or troops, the Contractor shall establish temporary office or expand existing services, as appropriate, to expedite travel (such as, Noncombatant Evacuation Operation missions). The Government will provide its own facilities during emergencies, as required.

3.9.6.1 The Contractor shall be able and willing to accept an EFT for payment of transaction fees.

3.9.6.2 Government Travel Request (GTR) – The Contractor shall be able and willing to accept a GTR for invoicing/payment of common carrier transportation tickets.

7.0 MINIMUM PERSONNEL REQUIREMENTS

All Contractor personnel providing services under this contract shall be fluent in English and/or in French and meet the following requirements. See also paragraph 20.0 below, “Key Personnel”, for requirements regarding Key Personnel.

7.1. Contractor's Project Manager – The Contractor shall provide a Project Manager who shall be responsible for the administration, supervision, and coordination of its Government operations. The Project Manager shall have experience in the management of travel services and shall have adequate authority to make decisions for the timely resolution of problems. The Project Manager shall coordinate closely with the COR.

7.3. Travel Counselors/Reservationists - The Contractor shall provide full-time travel counselors/reservationists. The Travel Counselors/Reservationists shall have been trained in operating the proposed automated reservation and ticketing equipment. The Contractor shall provide qualified substitute personnel for absent permanent employees, when service levels are negatively impacted, as determined by the Government.

7.4. Other Personnel - The Contractor shall provide whatever other personnel are necessary to comply with the requirements of this contract.

7.5 Other Considerations – All Contractor personnel who provide services under this contract shall be acceptable to the Government in terms of personal conduct. Employment and staffing difficulties shall not be justification for failure to meet established schedules.

8.0 CONTRACTOR’S QUALITY CONTROL PLAN

8.1. General. The Contractor shall maintain procedures to continually monitor the quality of travel services, with the goal of providing and maintaining the highest level of customer service/satisfaction. These procedures shall ensure compliance with communication requirements, Section 1, continuation of block 20, paragraph 3.10 and include:

* an internal method for monitoring, identifying and correcting deficiencies in the quality of service furnished the Government and

* Quality Service survey form that addresses travel services to be furnished under this contract.

8.2. Specifics. The Contractor’s Quality Control plan shall outline procedures to ensure that the lowest applicable fares are obtained. To ensure compliance, the Contractor shall, as necessary:

* make adjustments for any change(s) in flight, passenger ferry;

* modify or reissue tickets and billings to reflect any changes;

* provide timely notification to customers of changes to tickets/itineraries, particularly those which occur after ticket issuance (e.g., fares, routing, delays, closings), and;

* provide courteous and prompt resolution of customer complaints.

The Contractor’s automated system shall assure reservation accuracy and lowest fares, and rebooking passengers at lower fares or reserving preferred seats if such fares or seats are not available at the first attempted booking. Additionally, the Contractor shall identify methods to check all tickets/itineraries for required data and lowest fares, to include those that cannot be checked through the automated system(s).

8.3. Within fourteen days of contract award, the Contractor shall furnish a Quality Service survey (questionnaire) to the COR for approval. The Quality Service survey shall include, as a minimum:

* measurement factors for prompt telephone response;

* courtesy and professionalism of Contractor personnel;

* reservation accuracy;

* ticket delivery and document accuracy, and;

* overall quality of service provided.

Additionally, the survey form shall identify the Contractor and provide space for customer comments. The Contractor shall periodically distribute these questionnaires to at least ten percent (10%) of ticketed travelers, but not less than twice a year. The Contractor shall make these responses available to the COR.

9.0 TRANSITION REQUIREMENT AND CONTINUITY OF SERVICES

9.1. The Contractor shall comply with FAR clause 52.237-3, "Continuity of Services", during any transition period.

9.2. The Government requires a smooth and orderly transition between the Contractor and the successor Contractor to ensure minimum disruption and avoid decline in service to the Government. Unless otherwise specified by the Government, the Contractor shall provide to the successor Contractor copies of all bookings and Passenger Name Records (PNRs) taken on or before the contract expiration date, for travel taking place after the expiration of the contract. In addition, the Contractor shall provide the successor Contractor with copies of all agency profiles and all Government traveler sub-profiles as well as all Government travel preference profile cards currently in possession of the Contractor, as directed by the Contracting Officer or COR.

9.3. The Contractor shall book all requests it receives prior to the expiration of the contract regardless of the date of commencement of travel. Unless otherwise requested by the ordering agency, however, the Contractor shall not issue tickets for travel that commences later than two working days after the expiration of the contract.

9.4. For example, if a contract ends on Friday, the Contractor, unless otherwise requested, shall not issue tickets for travel commencing later than the following Tuesday. The Contractor is required to issue and deliver all such tickets by close of business of the last working day of its contract (in this example, Friday). Issuance of and delivery of tickets for travel beginning the following Wednesday or later, even if originally booked by the Contractor, is the responsibility of the successor Contractor. As of Monday, all new requests shall be handled by the successor Contractor.

9.5. The Contractor shall adhere to the following procedures during the transition process:

9.5.1. The outgoing Contractor shall not take travel reservations later than twelve noon on the day of operations except in cases of emergency travel. Such emergency ticketing shall be done only when authorized by the COR.

9.5.2. Afternoon hours of the final day of operation for the outgoing Contractor shall be used for the transfer of the PNR's to the incoming Contractor.

9.5.3. If the transition is for an on-site operation, the on-site office shall be closed to walk-in traffic, starting at twelve noon (local time) on the day prior to the last day of operations of the outgoing Contractor, except for emergency travel arrangements.

9.5.4. If the incoming Contractor had proposed to take over the outgoing Contractor’s CRS or other equipment, this should be finalized during the afternoon hours of the last day of the transition.

9.5.5. The Government is responsible for notifying its employees of the proposed closings and interim procedures for obtaining emergency services. Such notice shall be posted in the on-site office.

9.5.6. The outgoing Contractor shall make all seminar and meeting arrangements it receives prior to the end of the contract, regardless of the date of commencement of the meeting. Unless a purchase order has been issued to the outgoing Contractor, all arrangement information shall be turned over to the incoming Contractor. If a purchase order has been issued to the outgoing Contractor, that Contractor will continue to make the requested arrangements in accordance to the terms of the contract under which the purchase order was issued.

NOTE: Failure to affect a smooth transition will be documented, forwarded to the outgoing Contractor, and will be made available for future past performance evaluations in accordance with solicitation requirements.

10.0 DELIVERABLES

10.1. The Contractor shall provide the following deliverables/submittals within the time frames identified below:

REFERENCE/

DELIVERABLE

*Days represent calendar days

10.2. ADDRESSEES

10.2.1. The address for the COR is set forth below:

U.S. EMBASSY

Lot 207A Point Liberty – Andranoro – Antehiroka

Antananarivo 105 – Madagascar

11.0 NOTICE TO PROCEED, PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE, AND OPTIONS.

11.1. NOTICE TO PROCEED

11.1.1. Immediately upon receipt of notice of award, the Contractor shall take all necessary steps to prepare for performance of the services required hereunder. The Contractor shall have a maximum of thirty calendar days to complete these steps.

11.1.2. Following receipt from the Contractor of acceptable evidence that the Contractor has obtained all required licenses, permits and insurance and is otherwise prepared to commence providing the services, the Government shall issue a Notice to Proceed.

11.1.3. On the date established in the Notice to Proceed (this notice will allow a minimum of seven (7) calendar days from the date of the Notice to Proceed, unless the Contractor agrees to an earlier date), the Contractor shall start work.

11.2. The performance period of this contract is from the start date established in the Notice to Proceed and continuing for 12 months, with four (4), one-year options to renew. This contract also includes an additional option under FAR 52.217-8. The initial period of performance includes any transition period authorized under the contract.

12.0 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

The Contractor which is located in Moroni, Comoros is required to provide the travel services required hereunder.

13.0 HOURS OF SERVICE

The Contractor shall provide service from Monday to Thursday from 7:30 to 17:00 and on Friday from 7:30 to 13:30. The Contractor shall provide emergency services outside regular working hours through a 24-hour phone number, available to all Government travelers. See also Section 1, continuation of block 20, paragraph 3.10.

14.0 BASIS OF COMPENSATION TO THE CONTRACTOR

14.1. Official Travel. The Government will reimburse the Contractor for transportation services for official travel arranged by the Contractor. This reimbursement will include only the actual carrier rates and/or fares effective for air tickets issued to Government travelers for official travel. The Government will also pay the Contractor, upon receipt of a proper invoice, the applicable transaction fees. The Contractor shall comply with travel authorization requirements established by the Government to verify that transportation billed is for official travel. The Government shall issue a Travel Authorization (TA), which shall be furnished by the traveler to the Contractor. The Contractor shall use this TA to document each official ticket.

14.2 Transaction Fee. See paragraph 17.0 for details regarding how the transaction fee shall be administered.

14.4. Commissions by Service Providers. Other compensation for services provided under this contract may be in the form of commissions received by the Contractor from carriers, and suppliers of lodging, rental vehicles, and other travel services. The Government accepts no responsibility or liability for payment of such concessions. The Contractor is warned that commercial practices may not apply to the payment of commissions on Government rates.

14.5. Advance Deposits. When advance deposits or fees are required by hotels or similar facilities for the arrangement of seminars or conferences, the Government shall pay the Contractor for such fees incurred.

15.0 BILLING AND PAYMENT PROCEDURES

15.1. Billing and payment procedures for transportation expenses will differ, as noted below, according to whether the agency is participating in the Government travel card program. Only the cost of official carrier transportation and excess baggage may be charged to the Government, plus the transaction fee, reduced by any commission.

15.2. The Contractor shall refund immediately the difference in cost if the Contractor has failed to book the lowest available fare except for the constraints noted in Section 1, continuation of block 20, paragraph 3.2.1, that satisfies agency needs. No transaction fee shall be charged for this refund, but neither shall the transaction fee paid by the Government, be refunded by the Contractor.

15.3. The traveler must make payment for services, such as hotels. The traveler shall make such payment, as appropriate, to the supplier or to the Contractor. The Contractor may allow any other mutually accepted arrangement.

15.5 Agencies not participating in the Government Travel Charge Card or CBA Program

15.5.1. Each traveler’s agency will assign the Contractor, a U.S. Government Transportation Request (GTR), SF-1169, as an obligation/procurement instrument covering a designated period of time corresponding to the billing cycle. Each ticket issued by the Contractor shall reference the appropriate GTR number in the endorsement.

15.5.2 At each agreed upon billing cycle, the Contractor shall prepare and issue to each agency a Public Voucher for Transportation (SF 1113) with an itemized report or invoice which sets forth the name of the traveler, origin and destination points, ticket number, GTR number and fare. The statement shall also include a summary of the number and dollar value of all tickets issued during the designated period. Enclosed with this statement shall be the supporting documentation, such as ticket coupons, together with related TAs.

15.5.3. The Contractor shall fully document fares on the invoice or report any exceptions to the use of GSA's airline contract. This reporting requirement applies to official Government travel only. Failure to provide adequate documentation of agency justification for not using any mandated program may result in the Contractor being denied compensation by the Government in excess of a documented discount fare.

15.5.4. The Contractor shall bill no more frequently than monthly. For each agency using the GTR, the Contractor, with review and approval by the COR, shall document each agency's requirements. This documentation shall specify:

* the vendor code;

* requirements for documentation and authorization of official travel;

* delivery arrangements;

* invoice requirements, billing and payment procedures and appropriate agency addresses.

* SCAC Code: If payment will be by GTR, the Contractor shall obtain a Standard Carrier Alpha Code (SCAC) from the National Motor Freight Traffic Association (1001 North Fairfax Street, Suite 600, Alexandria, VA 22314; ph. 866-411-6632; or go to www.nmfta.org, select “Quick Links” to apply for a new SCAC or renew an existing SCAC). This code will be used by the Government to audit the Contractor's billings. The cost of obtaining this designation shall be borne by the Contractor. The COR shall provide the Contractor assistance in this process.

16.0 REFUND PROCEDURES

16.1 Under no circumstances shall the Contractor provide any Government employee with a cash refund on tickets for official Government travel.

16.2. Agencies shall use SF 1170s or receipts for returned tickets to apply to the Contractor for refunds for unused transportation purchased directly by the agency. Documentation standards shall be established by each agency but, as a minimum, the Contractor shall identify each refund or credit by original ticket and invoice number (if applicable).

16.2.2. For GTR Purchases: The Contractor shall remit refunds to the agency within ten working days after receipt of application for refund. There is nothing expressed or implied in this provision to preclude the Contractor from making refunds on account.

17.0 TRANSACTION FEE PROCEDURES

17.1 Official and Personal Travel. These procedures apply only to official Government travel, not personal travel. Any transaction fee charged to an individual on personal travel shall be between the traveler and the Contractor. However, the Contractor shall post in a plainly visible location, the transaction fee to be charged to a traveler on personal travel.

17.2. Charging of Transaction Fees. Block 20, paragraph 2.0 includes definitions for “Transaction” and “Transaction Fee”. The pricing portion of this contract sets forth more than one transaction fee amount and the applicable fee is based upon which category in the pricing table describes the transaction. For example, if the service is performed on-site, then the transaction fee charged for the transaction shall be the “on-site services domestic/international transaction fee”. The following paragraphs describe what constitutes a transaction for purposes of charging a transaction fee.

17.2.1. When requested by the Government, the Contractor is required to arrange for transportation of one or more individuals. The Contractor may charge only one transaction fee per itinerary when the ticket is issued. When multiple people travel on the same order, each individual traveler would have an itinerary. The (individual) itinerary could have multiple tickets, but only one transaction fee per is charged. (Fee is not based on the number of tickets needed to complete the (individual) itinerary). Until such time as the Government requests the Contractor to issue and the Contractor issues a ticket for transportation, no transaction fee shall be charged for any services associated with that transportation, including but not limited to:

* the original transportation reservations;

* changes to the original transportation reservations;

* lodging reservations;

* car rental reservations; and

* any related services described in Continuation of Block 20, paragraph 3.5 or elsewhere in this contract

17.2.2. Upon issuance of the transportation ticket, the Contractor shall charge the Government the applicable transaction fee for one transaction, that transaction being the ticket issuance. The Contractor shall not charge additional transaction fees for any other services noted above or elsewhere in this contract.

17.2.3. Once the ticket is issued, if the traveler requests a change in that ticket that requires ticket reissuance, the Contractor shall charge the Government an additional transaction fee. No additional transaction fee shall be charged for any other services.

17.2.4. After ticket issuance, if the Contractor must change and/or change and reissue the ticket because the Contractor or the Government discovers a Contractor-caused error in the routing, carrier or other problem, there shall be no additional transaction fee charge.

20.0 KEY PERSONNEL.

20.1 The Contractor shall assign to this contract the following key person to the identified position/function:

*To be completed at time of award.

20.2. During the first 90 days of performance, the Contractor shall make no substitutions of key personnel unless the substitution is necessitated by illness, death, or termination of employment. The Contractor shall notify the COR within 10 calendar days after the occurrence of any of these events and provide a detailed explanation of the circumstances necessitating the proposed substitution, complete resume for the proposed substitute, and any additional information requested by the COR. The proposed substitute must possess qualifications comparable to the original key person, as well as satisfying any minimum standards set forth elsewhere in the solicitation/contract.

20.3 After the first 90 days, the Contractor may substitute a key person if the Contractor determines the change is necessary. However, prior to making that substitution, the contractor shall provide a complete resume for the proposed substitute, and any additional information requested by the Contracting Officer. The proposed substitute shall possess qualifications comparable to the original key person and meet the minimum standards set forth in the contract.

20.4. Whenever a Key Person substitution is requested, the Project Manager shall sign the resumes, certifying that the resume is accurate and complete, and that the proposed replacement meets the required experience levels. The COR will notify the Contractor within 5 calendar days after receipt of all required information of the decision on the substitution. The COR shall confirm oral approvals or rejections in writing. The Government will modify the contract to reflect any changes in key personnel.

21.0 Personal Injury, Property Loss or Damage (Liability) - The Contractor hereby assumes absolute responsibility and liability for any and all personal injuries or death and/or property damage or losses suffered due to negligence of the Contractor's personnel in the performance of the services required under this contract.

22.0 Insurance - The Contractor, at its own expense, shall provide and maintain during the entire period of performance of this contract, whatever insurance is legally necessary.

23.0 Bonding of Employees - The Contractor shall obtain bonding for all employees associated with this contract and shall provide evidence of bonding before initiating any work.

24.0 Permits - Without additional cost to the Government, the Contractor shall obtain all permits, licenses, and appointments required for the prosecution of work. The Contractor shall obtain these permits, licenses, and appointments in compliance with applicable host country laws. The Contractor shall provide evidence of possession or status of application for such permits, licenses, and appointments to the Contracting Officer with its proposal. Application, justification, fees, and certifications for any licenses required by the host government are entirely the responsibility of the Contractor.

25.0 Post Award Conference - Within 30 days after contract award, a post award conference will be held, the precise location, date, and time to be provided by the Government at time of award.

26.0 Task Order Issuance - Under this contract, any request for travel management services for official travel shall be considered to be issuance of a task order under the clause at FAR 52.216-18.

27.0 REQUIRING ACTIVITIES AND PARTICIPATING AGENCIES

(a) Requiring Activity(s).

(1) The following activity(s) are requiring activity(s) whose official transportation requirements must be ordered under this contract:

(2) Employees and their dependents of any of the above requiring activity may use travel services of a company other than this contractor if the traveler is already in official travel status and needs to make changes to travel arrangements previously made by the contractor.

(b) Participating Agency(s). U.S. Government agencies, other than those listed above as requiring activities, may be participating agencies. Employees and dependents of these participating agencies may elect to request contractor services for their official travel under this contract, even though they are not required users.

(c) Personal Travel. U.S. Government employees and their dependents may request contractor assistance for personal travel. However, no individual, including an employee or dependent of an employee working for a requiring activity, is required to use the services under this contract for personal travel.

28.0 QUALITY ASSURANCE AND SURVEILLANCE PLAN (QASP)

This plan provides an effective method to promote satisfactory contractor performance. The QASP provides a method for the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) to monitor Contractor performance, advise the Contractor of unsatisfactory performance, and notify the Contracting Officer of continued unsatisfactory performance. The Contractor, not the Government, is responsible for management and quality control to meet the terms of the contract. The role of the Government is to monitor quality to ensure that contract standards are achieved.

Services.

Performs all travel management services set forth in the scope of work.

1. thru 19.

All required services are performed and no more than one (1) customer complaint is received per quarter.

Transaction Description

Period 1 Option Period 2 Option Period 3 Option Period 4

Off-Site Services for airline ticketing:

Domestic Transaction fee

Reservation for Domestic Travel: Transaction fee for Lodging, Ferry or Car Rental

Assistance with passport or VISAs

Assistance with Seminars, Meetings and Workshops:

1 to 50 pers 50 to 100 pers (price per person)