PWS_DDE_FYS_25-30_SOLICITATION.docx

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

(Includes associated Performance Requirements Summary (PRS))

USAWC Department of Distance Education First Year Studies Faculty Instructor

PART 1

GENERAL INFORMATION

1. General: This is a non-personal service(s) contract under which the personnel rendering the service(s) are not subject, either by the contract’s terms or by the manner of its administration, to the supervision and control usually prevailing in relationships between the Government and its employees.

1.1 Description of Services/Introduction: This is a non-personal service(s) contract to provide up to 6 Faculty Instructors and Evaluators for a Distance Education Program (DEP) in the First Year Studies Program, Department of Distance Education (DDE), U.S. Army War College (USAWC).

1.2 Background: The USAWC DEP is an accredited, blended, online and resident Senior Service College spanning two academic years, running from August through the following July during the first year, and August through June the second year. During the first year of studies, the curriculum consists of five nonresident core courses: a comprehensive exam, and the two-week First Resident Course. During the second year of studies, the curriculum consists of four nonresident core courses; two nonresident electives or an elective with a writing project or special program; and the two-week Second Resident Course with graduation no later than June.

1.2.1 International Fellows (IFs) are students from the military forces or governments of other nations and generally meet the same selection criteria as their U.S. counterparts. The total number of IFs selected to attend the USAWC DEP each year varies but is capped at 15 students. The IFs participate in the curriculum along with their U.S. counterparts in seminars, however, additional assistance and mentoring may be necessary for select IFs.

1.3 Scope: The Contractor shall provide non-personal service(s). The Contractor shall provide all personnel, equipment, transportation (unless otherwise specified), supervision, and other items necessary to perform services as described in the PWS and associated contract documents, except for those items specified in Part 3 Government Property and Services. The Contractor shall perform to the standards and acceptable quality levels identified in this PWS and associated contract documents.

1.4 Objectives: The objective of this contract is to facilitate DEP courses that encompasses five online courses and two resident courses with associated programs, including the evaluation of student performance in online discussion forums, appropriate experiential activities, papers and writing projects, and resident seminar discussion. The work may include the development, instruction, and evaluation of a regional study, comprehensive exam, online elective, or other experiential learning (such as exercise simulations or staff rides).

1.5 General Information:

1.5.1 Quality Control Plan (QCP): This acquisition is for commercial services and will be performed using FAR Part 12 procedures. The contractor’s existing quality assurance system shall be utilized In Accordance With (IAW) FAR 12.208.

1.5.2 Quality Assurance: The Government will evaluate the Contractor’s performance under this contract IAW the Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP). This plan is primarily focused on what the Government must do to ensure that the Contractor has performed IAW the performance standards. It defines how the performance standards will be applied, the frequency of surveillance, and the acceptable quality levels (performance thresholds).

1.5.3 Recognized Holidays: The following provides information on recognized holidays for the purpose of the PWS. If submittal of any tasks or documentation (e.g., deliverables, submittals, etc.) deadlines fall on a holiday, the closest workday proceeding to the holiday will apply as the deadline for submittal (identified by the department leadership).

1.5.3.1 U.S. Holidays: Work shall not be performed on U.S. federally recognized holidays occurring during the normal workweek unless otherwise directed by the Contracting Officer. When a U.S. holiday occurs on a Saturday or a Sunday, the holiday is observed on the preceding Friday or following Monday, respectively.

Independence Day

1.5.4 Operating Hours: The operating core hours are 0830 to 1500 Eastern, Monday through Friday except U.S. Holidays identified in paragraph 1.5.3.1 above or when the Government facility is closed due to local or national emergencies, administrative closings, or similar Government directed facility closings. Core hours are recognized as the range of open time when contractor may obtain Carlisle Barracks support to accomplish needed task. Flexible operating hours are from 0600 – 2000 Eastern. If required Contractor may complete work task during this time.

1.5.5 Place of Performance: The work to be performed under this contract will be performed at the USAWC, Carlisle Barracks, PA and another location from which the contractor can perform all aspects of this Contract. All travel to and from Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania shall be at the expense of the contractor.

1.5.5.1 Telework Capabilities: Unless indicated otherwise all services are remote in nature, however, all schedules are based on Eastern Time, regardless of the location of the instructor.

1.6 Clearance Requirements: RESERVED

1.7 Installation Access: Access to U.S. installations, buildings and controlled areas is limited to personnel who meet security criteria and are authorized. Failure to submit required information/data and obtain required documentation or clearances will be grounds for denying access to U.S. installations, buildings, and controlled areas. The Contractor shall ensure that any subcontractors used in performance of this contract complies with these requirements and that all employees, of both the Contractor and any subcontractor utilized by the Contractor, are made aware of and comply with these requirements.

The Contractor shall be aware of and comply with the requirements associated with Installation Access Control. The Government is not liable for any costs associated with performance delays due solely to a firm’s failure to comply with Installation Access Control System (IACS) processing requirements.

The Contractor shall return installation passes and/or issued identification to the issuing IACS office when the contract is completed or when a Contractor employee no longer requires access. This includes when an individual is terminated or at the expiration of their employment or when the contract ends (whether due to expiration, termination, or cancellation).

1.7.1 Background Checks: Contractor and all associated subcontractor employees shall provide all information required for background checks to meet installation access requirements to be accomplished by installation Provost Marshal Office, Director of Emergency Services or Security Office. Contractor workforce must comply with all personal identity verification requirements (FAR clause 52.204‐9, Personal Identity Verification of Contractor Personnel) as directed by DOD, HQDA and/or local policy. In addition to the changes otherwise authorized by the changes clause of this contract, should the Force Protection Condition (FPCON) at any individual facility or installation change, the Government may require changes in contractor security matters or processes.

1.7.2 Common Access Cards (CAC):

1.7.2.1 For contractors requiring Common Access Card (CAC). Before CAC issuance, the contractor employee requires, at a minimum, a favorably adjudicated National Agency Check with Inquiries (NACI) or an equivalent or higher investigation in accordance with Army Directive 2014‐05. The contractor employee will be issued a CAC only if duties involve one of the following: (1) Both physical access to a DoD facility and access, via logon, to DoD networks on‐site or remotely; (2) remote access, via logon, to a DoD network using DoD‐approved remote access procedures; or (3) physical access to multiple DoD facilities or multiple non‐DoD federally controlled facilities on behalf of the DoD on a recurring basis for a period of 6 months or more. At the discretion of the sponsoring activity, an initial CAC may be issued based on a favorable review of the FBI fingerprint check and a successfully scheduled NACI at the Office of Personnel Management.

1.7.2.1.1 The Contractor shall provide the following information: Last, First and Middle Names, government issued personal identifier (e.g., Social Security Number, Federal Identification Number, or Tax Identification Number), date of birth, primary email address (this email address will be used to contact the individual) and any other necessary information required to obtain a CAC or installation access card, to the COR within (5) after award (Deliverable 1). The Contractor shall ensure safeguarding of Personally Identifiable Information (PII).

Note: CACs are Government property and must be returned to Pass & ID Office, Bldg. 46- or your nearest DOD ID Card Office- when the contractor stops working OR prior to the expiration date on the card, whichever comes first. Contractors are also required to maintain an active CAC for the duration of their contract. (Find an ID card office at: https://idco.dmdc.osd.mil/idco/locator)

1.8 Physical Security: The Contractor shall safeguard all Government equipment, information, and property provided for Contractor use. At the close of each work period, Government facilities, equipment, and materials shall be secured IAW the Army Physical Security Program (AR 190-13.)

1.8.1 Operations Security (OPSEC) Requirements: Contractor personnel shall adhere to facility security policies and restrictions. The Contractor shall immediately report suspicious activities to security personnel. Government-issued access badges shall not be worn outside designated facilities where visible to the general public.

1.8.2 Key (Card) Control: NOTE: All references to keys include key cards. The Contractor shall establish and implement methods of making sure all keys issued to the Contractor by the Government are not lost or misplaced and are not used by unauthorized persons. No keys issued to the Contractor by the Government shall be duplicated. The Contractor shall develop procedures covering key control. Such procedures shall include turn-in of any issued keys by personnel who no longer require access to locked areas. The Contractor shall immediately report any incidents of lost or duplicate keys to the Contracting Officer. In the event keys, other than master keys, are lost or duplicated, the Contractor shall, upon direction of the Contracting Officer, re-key or replace the affected lock or locks; however, the Government, at its option, may replace the affected lock or locks or perform re-keying. When the replacement of locks or re-keying is performed by the Government, the total cost of re-keying or the replacement of the lock or locks shall be deducted from payment due to the Contractor. In the event a master key is lost or duplicated, all locks and keys for that system shall be replaced by the Government and the total cost deducted from the payment due to the Contractor. The Contractor shall prohibit the use of Government issued keys by any persons other than the Contractor’s employees. The Contractor shall prohibit the opening of locked areas by Contractor employees to permit entrance of persons other than Contractor employees engaged in the performance of assigned work in those areas, or personnel authorized entrance by the Contracting Officer. The Contractor shall establish and implement methods of ensuring that all lock combinations are not revealed to unauthorized persons. The Contractor shall ensure that lock combinations are changed when personnel having access to the combinations no longer have a need to know such combinations.

1.9 Post Award Conference/Periodic Progress Meetings: The Contractor shall attend any post award conference convened by the contracting activity or contract administration office IAW FAR Subpart 42.5. The Contracting Officer, COR, and other Government personnel, as appropriate, may meet periodically with the Contractor to review the Contractor's performance. At these meetings the Contracting Officer will apprise the Contractor of how the Government views the Contractor's performance and the Contractor shall appraise the Government of problems, if any, being experienced. Appropriate action shall be taken to resolve outstanding issues. These meetings shall be at no additional cost to the Government.

1.9.1 The Contractor shall attend, participate in, and furnish input to scheduled and unscheduled meetings, conferences, and briefings that relate to the functions and services herein as required by the Government to provide effective communication and impart necessary information. The Contract Manager or designated representative shall attend meetings as requested by the Government. Meeting attendees shall at times include Contractor managerial, supervisory, and other personnel knowledgeable of the subject matter. Meetings may start or end outside of regular duty hours.

1.10 Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR): Refer to Part 2 of this PWS for the definition of a COR. As determined by the Contracting Officer, a COR will be appointed and identified by letter of designation, a copy of which will be provided to the Contractor by the Contracting Officer. The designation letter states the responsibilities and limitations of the COR, especially with regard to changes in cost or price, estimates, or changes in delivery dates. The COR is not authorized to change any of the terms and conditions of the resulting order. The COR monitors all technical aspects of the contract and assists in contract administration. The COR is not authorized to obligate the Government. If the work is not written in the contract, the COR is not authorized to request new work. The COR is authorized to perform the following functions: assure that the Contractor performs the technical requirements of the contract, perform inspections necessary in connection with contract performance, maintain written and oral communications with the Contractor concerning technical aspects of the contract, issue written interpretations of technical requirements, including Government drawings, designs, specifications, monitor Contractor's performance and notifies both the Contracting Officer and Contractor of any deficiencies, coordinate availability of Government property, and coordinate site entry of Contractor personnel.

1.11 Contract Managers: The following personnel are considered essential personnel by the Government: Contract Manager and Alternate Contract Manager. The Contractor shall provide a Contract Manager who shall be responsible for the performance of the work. The name of this person and an Alternate Contract Manager, who shall act for the Contractor when the Contract Manager is absent shall be provided in writing to the COR within (5) days after contract award (Deliverable 2). The Contract Manager and Alternate Contract Manager shall have full authority to act for the Contractor on all contract matters relating to daily operation of this contract. The Contract Manager or Alternate Contract Manager shall be available during operating hours listed in PWS 1.5.4.

1.12 Additional Key Personnel: Certain experienced professional and/or technical personnel are essential for successful accomplishment of the work to be performed under this contract. These Key Personnel must be identified by name within the contractor’s offer for their resumes (and any additional documents) to be evaluated during the source selection process.

1.12.1 The contractor agrees that such personnel shall not be removed or replaced within the performance of this contract unless the following measures are taken:

1.12.1.1 If one or more of the key personnel, for any reason, becomes or is expected to become unavailable for work under this contract for a continuous period exceeding 30 work days, or is expected to devote substantially less effort to the work than indicated in the proposal or initially anticipated, the contractor shall, subject to the concurrence of the KO or COR, promptly replace personnel with personnel who possess equal or better qualifications as the original employee.

1.12.1.2 All requests for approval of substitutions hereunder must be in writing and provide a detailed explanation of the circumstances necessitating the proposed substitutions. The request must contain a resume for the proposed substitute, and any other information requested by the KO or COR. The KO or COR must concur in writing with the change.

1.12.1.3 If the KO or COR determines that suitable and timely replacement of Key Personnel who have been reassigned, terminated, or have otherwise become unavailable for the contract work is not reasonably forthcoming or that the resultant reduction of productive effort would be so substantial as to impair successful completion of the contract, the KO may terminate the contract for default or for the convenience of the Government, as appropriate, or make an equitable adjustment to the contract to compensate the Government for any resultant delay, loss or damage.

1.12.2 Key Personnel Qualifications: Required qualifications are listed on Attachment 1.

1.13 Identification of Contractor Employees: All Contractor personnel attending meetings, answering Government telephones, and working in other situations where their contractor status is not obvious to third parties must identify themselves, to include proper marking of signature blocks in correspondence, to avoid creating an impression in the minds of members of the public that they are Government officials. The Contractor shall ensure that all documents or reports, produced by Contractors are suitably marked as Contractor products or that Contractor participation is appropriately disclosed.

1.14 Contractor Travel: The Contractor may be required to travel to Washington, DC First Resident Course and Gettysburg, PA for Battlefield Staff Rides conducted during the summer resident courses. The Government will provide transportation to all the events. All other costs are the responsibility of the Contractor.

1.15 Other Direct Costs (ODCs): NOT APPLICABLE

1.16 Data Rights: The Government has unlimited rights to all documents and materials produced under this contract. All documents and materials, to include the source codes of software, produced under this contract shall be Government owned and are the property of the Government with all rights and privileges of ownership and 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 shall be the sole property of the Government and may not be used for any other purpose. This right does not abrogate any other Government rights.

1.17 Non-Disclosure Requirements: NOT APPLICABLE

1.18 Protection of Government and Contract Information: Per Public Use Notice of Limitations stated by Defense Media Activity and contained at www.dma.mil/Services/Visual-Information/References/Limitations/, the Contractor shall not cite any information (e.g., contract information, pictures, locations, etc.) obtained from the Government through this contract on any hard copy or digital marketing tools to include its company website. Information shall not be used in a manner that could imply endorsement of an individual, for-profit business, non-profit organization, or any other non-Federal entity (including DoD contractors), product, or service. This applies to both domestic and international users. Endorsement of a non-Federal entity, event, product, service, or enterprise may be neither stated nor implied.

1.19 Non-Disclosure Statements: NOT APPLICABLE

1.20 Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI): NOT APPLICABLE

1.21 Phase In /Phase Out Period: NOT APPLICABLE

1.22 Safety: NOT APPLICABLE

1.23 Environmental Compliance: NOT APPLICABLE

1.23.1 Environmental Compliance Plan and Program: NOT APPLICABLE

1.24 Required Training: The following provides information on training requirements.

1.24.1 Anti-Terrorism (AT) “Level I” Training: All contractor employees, to include subcontractor employees, requiring access Army installations, facilities and controlled access areas shall complete AT “Level I” Awareness training within 30 days after contract start date or effective date of incorporation of this requirement into the contract, whichever is applicable. The contractor shall submit certificates of completion for each affected contractor employee and subcontractor employee, to the COR or to the contracting officer, if a COR is not assigned, within five (5) days after completion of training by all employees and subcontractor personnel (Deliverable 3). AT “Level I” Awareness training is available at the following website: http://jko.jten.mil. Contractor personnel shall complete refresher training every twelve (12) months.

1.24.2 iWATCH Training: The Contractor and all associated subcontractors shall brief all employees on the local iWATCH program (training standards provided by the requiring activity ATO). This locally developed training will be used to inform employees of the types of behavior to watch for and instruct employees to report suspicious activity to the COR. This training shall be completed within 30 days after the contract is awarded or new employees commence contract performance, with the results reported to the COR within five (5) days after completion (Deliverable 4). https://www.armywarcollege.edu/iwatch

1.24.3 OPSEC Training: All Contractor employees, including subcontractors, shall complete OPSEC “Level I” training within 30 days of employment under this contract. Verification of the training shall be provided to the COR within five (5) days after completion of the training (Deliverable 5). OPSEC “Level I” training is available at http://www.cdse.edu/catalog/elearning/GS130.html. Contractor personnel must complete refresher training every 12 months. Verification of the training shall be provided to the COR within five (5) days after completion of the training.

1.24.4 Information Assurance (IA) Training

1.24.4.1 All Contractor employees, including subcontractors, performing services under this contract with access to a Government Info System (IS) must be registered in the ATCTS (Army Training Certification Tracking System) at commencement of services or employment. Verification of registration shall be provided to the COR within 30 days after registration.

1.24.4.2 All contractor employees and associated subcontractor employees must successfully complete the DOD Information Assurance Awareness prior to access to the IS/ issuance of network access and then annually thereafter. Verification of the training shall be provided to the COR within five (5) days after completion of the training. (Deliverable 6). Contractor personnel must complete refresher training every twelve (12) months.

1.24.5 Personnel Security Clearance Training: NOT APPLICABLE

1.24.6 Personally Identifiable Information (PII): Contractor employees, including subcontractors, performing services under this contract with access to PII and Government information shall complete “Identifying and Safeguarding PII” within 30 calendar days of employment. Contractor personnel shall complete refresher training every twelve (12) months from initial completion. The Contractor shall provide the COR a copy of the training certificates for its employees no later than five (5) days after completion (Deliverable 7). Training is available at http://iatraining.disa.mil/eta/piiv2/launchPage.html

1.24.7 OPSEC TRAINING. In accordance with Army Regulation 530-1, Operations Security, and per the Secretary of Defense Memorandum dated 20 July 2020, all “ON-SITE” contractor employees shall complete the following training courses: (Deliverable 8) 1.) OPSEC Awareness for Military Members, DoD Employees and Contractors [GS130.16] OR (Alternate) Army OPSEC Level 1 (Newcomers and Refresher) via ALMS at https://www.lms.army.mil 2.) Unauthorized Disclosure of Classified Information for DoD and Industry [IF130.16] 3.) Insider Threat Awareness Training [INT101.16] 4.) Introduction to Security Course [IF011.16] The SEC DEF training shall be completed within 30 calendar days of on-site contractor employees reporting for duty. All contractor employees shall complete annual OPSEC awareness training. The contractor shall complete training within 30 days of commencement of work and shall submit certificates for each contractor employee that will be working “ON-SITE” to the COR within 5 calendar days of completion of training.

This training is available at: https://www.cdse.edu/catalog/elearning/index.html.

1.24.8 Additional Training Requirements: Contractor shall accomplish any additional training that the Department of Defense, Department of the Army, local commanders may determine necessary for personnel working on military installations or working with military personnel (not to exceed 10 hours of instruction for the life of the contract).

PART 2

DEFINITIONS & ACRONYMS

2. Definitions and Acronyms

2.1 Definitions: Although not inclusive of every term used within this PWS, the following provides a list of definitions used throughout this PWS and commonly used in the acquisition field.

Academic Evaluation Report – means Academic Evaluation Report (AER) is an assessment tool for recording overall student performance during and academic program.

Contracting Officer – means a person with the authority to enter into, administer, and/or terminate contracts and make related determinations and findings on behalf of the Government. Note: The only individual who can legally bind the Government.

Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) – As defined in DFARS 202.101, means an individual designated and authorized in writing by the Contracting Officer to perform specific technical or administrative functions. DoD Instruction (DoDI) 5000.72, Part II Definitions states the following when defining a COR: “Defined in subpart 202.101 of Reference (f). Any individual delegated responsibilities pursuant to subpart 1.602-2 of Reference (e), regardless of local terminology, must be certified IAW this instruction. For example, local terminology can be COR, Contracting Officer’s technical representative, technical point of contact, technical representative, alternate COR, administrative COR, assistant COR, line-item manager, task order manager, quality assurance personnel, quality assurance evaluator, or COR management.” In addition, Army Regulation 70-13, Chapter 2, paragraph 2-2g, states, in part, the following when providing other surveillance support personnel to assist the COR when needed, “…These other surveillance support personnel may serve as on-site representatives of the COR in performance of actual contract surveillance if they meet all COR requirements and have been appointed by the Contracting Officer as alternate CORs.”

Contractor – means a supplier or vendor awarded a contract to provide specific supplies or service to the Government. The term used in this contract refers to the prime.

Contractor-acquired Property - means property acquired, fabricated, or otherwise provided by the Contractor for performing a contract and to which the Government has title.

Day – means, unless otherwise specified, a calendar day.

Defective Service – means a service output that does not meet the standard of performance associated with the Performance Work Statement.

Deliverable – means anything that can be physically delivered but may include non-manufactured things such as meeting minutes or reports.

Physical Security – means that part of security concerned with physical measures designed to safeguard personnel; to prevent unauthorized access to equipment, installations, material, and documents; and to safeguard against espionage, sabotage, damage, and theft.

Quality Assurance – (or Government contract quality assurance) means the various functions, including, inspection, performed by the Government to determine whether a Contractor has fulfilled the contract obligations pertaining to quality and quantity.

Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) – means the key Government-developed surveillance process document and is applied to Performance-Based Service Contracting (PBSC). The QASP is used for managing Contractor performance assessment by ensuring that systematic quality assurance methods validate that Contractor quality control efforts are timely, effective, and are delivering the results specified in the contract or task order. The QASP directly corresponds to the performance objectives and standards (i.e., quality, quantity, timeliness) specified in the Performance Work Statement (PWS). It provides specific details on how the Government will survey, observe, test, sample, evaluate, and document Contractor performance results to determine if the Contractor has met the required standards for each objective in the PWS. The QASP, with very few if any exceptions, is an internal to Government document.

Quality Control – means all necessary measures taken by the Contractor to assure that the quality of an end product or service shall meet contract requirements.

Statement – means the specific results-based activities required to satisfy objectives. A statement contains a result, the context of the statement, and the required action(s). Statements focus on “what” is to be accomplished; however, they are not prescriptive in describing “how” the outcome is to be achieved. Each objective may have several statements to flesh out the areas necessary to meet the objective. Statements are similar to Level 3 in a Work Breakdown Structure.

Subcontractor – means one that enters into a contract with a prime Contractor. The Government does not have privity of contract with the subcontractor.

Workday - The number of hours per day the Contractor provides services IAW the contract.

Work Week - Monday through Friday, unless otherwise specified.

2.2 Acronyms: Although not inclusive of every term used within this PWS, or that may be included in an acquisition, the following provides a list of acronyms commonly used in the acquisition field.

PART 3

GOVERNMENT PROPERTY (GP) AND SERVICES

3. Government Property and Services

3.1 Services: The Government will provide:

3.1.1 Access to DEP LMS.

3.1.2 A user account on the USAWC Local Area Network (LAN). This account will include an army.mil e-mail address. The Contractor shall ensure that they connect their device to the LAN at least monthly to ensure that access is maintained.

3.1.3 A Microsoft Office 365 account with an armywarcollege.edu email address and access to the .edu educational domain.

3.1.4 Government mail services, which are for official Government business use only.

3.1.5 Transportation in support of the staff rides during both Resident Courses.

3.2 Facilities: The Government will provide access to computer terminals on the USAWC LAN in common-user study carrels in the U.S. Army War College Library, or in DDE spaces, as available.

3.3 Utilities: The Government will provide all utilities in the facility for the Contractor’s use in performance of the tasks outlined in the PWS. The Contractor shall instruct employees in utilities conservation practices. The Contractor shall operate under conditions that preclude the waste of utilities, which include turning off the water faucets or valves, light switches, etc. after using the required amount to accomplish tasks requiring the use of the utilities.

3.4 Equipment: The Government will provide telephones, scanners, fax machines, and printers. Use of these items shall be limited to official Government business only.

The Government will not issue a computer as GFE as a part of this contract.

3.5 Materials: The Government will provide course references in electronic form.

PART 4

CONTRACTOR FURNISHED ITEMS AND SERVICES

4. Contractor Furnished Property and Services

4.1 General: The Contractor shall furnish all personnel, equipment, transportation (unless otherwise specified), supervision, and other items necessary to perform services as described in the PWS and associated contract documents, except for those items specified in Part 3 Government Property and Services.

4.2 Equipment: Each contractor shall provide and maintain their own Microsoft Windows compliant laptop and install the necessary root certificates and/or other software as defined or mandated to ensure access to the necessary systems to perform various assignments and/or positions.

4.2.1 The personal device must operate with the most current Windows operating system, have current versions of the following browsers: Microsoft Edge, Firefox, and Chrome, active virus protection, CAC Card reader, camera, microphone, and speakers.

4.2.2 Each contractor is solely responsible for ensuring that their personal devices and equipment are operating properly. CBKS regulation 25-71 prohibits government employees or contractor employees from troubleshooting or repairing personally owned devices of any kind.

PART 5

SPECIFIC TASKS

5. Specific Tasks

5.1 Basic Services: The Contractor shall provide services for the full DEP, encompassing five online core courses, comprehensive exam, and two summer resident courses with associated programs and includes the evaluation of student performance in online discussion forums, appropriate experiential activities, papers and writing projects, and resident seminar discussion. The work may include the development, instruction, and evaluation of regional studies and electives.

5.1.1 The student submissions and data folders are subject to the Privacy Act of 1974. Control of the electronic data/folders requires the Contractor to safeguard all passwords or communications and any data that the Contractor may download as part of the student evaluation process. Each Contractor is personally responsible for ensuring that student Privacy Act information is appropriately safeguarded when accessing the current DEP LMS from any location – on site or away from the USAWC.

5.2 Tasks: Tasks consist of the following:

5.2.1 Orientation. Contractor shall provide feedback and guidance to USAWC DEP students during an online Orientation Program. Contractor will ensure students have access to Blackboard, upload their bio in Compass, and are able to interact with other students in their assigned seminar in a Teams synchronous session.

5.2.2 Core Courses. During each academic year, the Contractor shall instruct, evaluate, monitor academic progress, and advise two seminars, each composed of approximately twenty USAWC DEP students (to include military, government civilians, and international fellows) during the five online core courses. In each core course, the Contractor must provide faculty comments evaluating and assessing each student’s performance on the written requirement, to include forums, journals, and complete overall course evaluation for up to 40 students. The Contractor shall enter these evaluation comments within the appropriate fields into all required locations (e.g., CMS and SIS) in the DEP LMS. Evaluation comments are due 10 calendar days after the conclusion of the course.

5.2.2.1 Faculty Preparation, Monitoring and Advising

5.2.2.1.1 Foundations Contractor shall review one biography for approximately 40 DEP students and identify those students most in need of writing assistance based on the U.S. Army War College Assessment Program. The Contractor shall contact and discuss the evaluation with all students who are identified as weak writers and highly encourage these students to participate in the Applied Communication & Learning Lab’s online remedial writing lab or other writing remediation as determined by the contractor’s assessment of the student’s needs.

5.2.2.1.2 Each Contractor shall analyze course objectives and curriculum materials and incorporate guidance from the DDE Chair, the Year Group Director, and the Course Director (CD), as the Contractor prepares him/herself to lead students through the curriculum materials, task, and evaluation requirement.

5.2.2.2 The real-time nature of Distance Education requires dedicated self-study and preparation by the Contractor to comply with the JPME requirements in the OPMEP. The Contractor shall maintain currency with evolving professional military education requirements through dedicated individual preparation and participation in a program of lifelong learning based on the OPMEP.

5.2.2.3 For each core course, each Contractor shall attend, and participate in, a faculty instructor guidance (FIG) session lasting up to three hours that is conducted by the Course Director. These meetings usually occur several weeks prior to the first student assessment in a particular course and may include a post-course, after-action review session of the previous, completed core course. The Course Director will provide administrative information on the conduct of forums and rubrics for the evaluation of student papers and forum participation.

5.2.2.4 Each contractor can expect to spend approximately three hours per week per seminar, throughout the entire academic year, communicating with and advising their students on administrative and academic issues/requirements (i.e., review outlines, completion of an external online training course to meet specific learning outcomes, etc.). The Contractor shall notify the Year Group Director within one business day regarding potential student academic problems or unusual student personal or professional situations that may affect the student’s performance in the DEP.

5.2.2.5 Each Contractor shall return student telephone calls and e-mails within twenty-four (24) hours of receipt. Each Contractor shall enter academically appropriate and substantive conversations with students into the DEP LMS “Official Correspondence” field under “Students” menu.

5.2.2.6 Each contractor shall host and record (at least) two synchronous virtual sessions, per course using Office 365 Teams. At least one session shall cover the essay requirements, and (at least) one session shall cover the forum requirement(s). If Contractor has two seminars, they must complete each seminar separately.

5.2.3 Evaluating Written Requirements. The Contractor shall evaluate/re-evaluate written requirements (papers) submitted/resubmitted for the students within their assigned seminar during each core course and up to 50 students for the comprehensive exam.

5.2.3.1 The USAWC Communicative Arts Directive (CAD) publishes evaluation standards which may be amplified by the respective Course Director and the Year Group Director. Each Contractor shall provide commentary and assessment using the review function in Microsoft Word directly into each student’s paper. Each Contractor shall further provide formal assessment with amplifying commentary into all required locations (e.g., CMS and SIS) in the appropriate DEP LMS fields. Requirements submitted online shall be evaluated online.

5.2.3.2 Each Contractor shall provide each student with beneficial constructive feedback on the content, organization, and style of each written submission, and for content, organization, and delivery for oral communication submissions, in accordance with DDE guidance. Feedback shall be diagnostic and corrective, giving individual mentorship on writing style, grammar and punctuation, critical thought, organization, and substance of content as outlined in appropriate USAWC curricular material. The intent is to promote effective writing and analysis at the strategic leader and graduate levels and to identify those students who require remedial instruction. Corrective comments, commendatory acknowledgements, and content commentary on each essay must be substantive and constructive, pointing the student toward specific areas for improvement, extending the student’s learning, and identifying strengths.

5.2.3.3 For requirements where there is a formative assessment, each contractor will review product (an outline and/or a rough draft) and provide students with corrective feedback (as appropriate) on the content, organization, and style to assist student development using Peerceptive (or some other formative venue provided by the Government). Specifically, each contractor will scan each of the student’s submittals and the feedback provided by the student’s peers, then assess any additional critique necessary to meet standards on the requirement. The contractor may make a subjective determination on the level of feedback required. If they determine that peer feedback is sufficient and/or paper is on track, then no additional comments are required. However, if Contractor feels that peer feedback is inadequate or they desire to explicitly point out concerns with submission that may prevent from meeting standards, then they may either provide a critique through Peerceptive or in an email directed to the student in question. This requirement shall be completed not more than once per course per student. Due to the nature of the assignment, students who submit their product(s) later than the due date cannot make up this requirement. Instructors shall not be held accountable for any work not done due to student non-submittal on this task.

5.2.3.4 If a student submits unsatisfactory work, the Contractor shall provide a clear, legible, and detailed analysis that explains why and how it did not meet the standard and the necessary corrections to make that work satisfactory. Each Contractor shall make personal notifications to each student who fails to meet the standard by telephone or email. The Contractor shall evaluate resubmissions in the same manner as the original submission. The DDE Chair makes all final determinations of acceptability of submissions.

5.2.3.5 Each Contractor shall complete evaluations of student submissions, to include the comprehensive exam, and resubmissions into all required locations (e.g., CMS and SIS) in the DEP LMS. Evaluation comments are due within 10 calendar days after the requirement due date. Each Contractor must provide faculty comments on every paper at the point under discussion and summary comments within the LMS fields for the individual requirement and the overall course. During the period in which the Contractor is actively involved in the evaluation process, the Contractor shall be accessible to students and DDE Government employees by e-mail and by phone.

5.2.3.6 In addition to instruction and evaluation, each Contractor shall mentor/advise students within their seminar who are identified by the First Year Director as needing assistance. Mentoring includes providing general guidance and supplemental assistance to students in organizing and preparing their written course requirements prior to submission. Mentoring will emphasize helping students with the basic organization and logical analysis of their papers for subsequent courses. Consequently, Contractor shall provide feedback on the content, style, and organization of student responses. In doing so, Contractor may review and comment on draft outlines but will not review draft papers. For questions on the substance of course content, Contractor shall refer students to the Course Director. The Contractor shall record substantive communications with a student into the DEP LMS. The Contractor shall notify the Year Group Director regarding students with potential academic problems or unusual personal or professional situations that may affect their DEP performance. Once a student formerly submits their paper in the DEP LMS, the student will then work directly with the assigned faculty evaluator.

5.2.4 Forums and Journals. The mostly asynchronous online forum in the DEP simulates the face-to-face discussions held in a seminar room during a resident course. This discourse and collaboration are a critical part of the adult learning model where students face the challenge of submitting their ideas for critical seminar group appraisal and discussion.

5.2.4.1 During each core course, Contractor shall conduct and evaluate threaded discussions or role-playing simulations in one or more asynchronous online forums for their assigned seminar using the DEP LMS forum software tool. Core course forums can take on many forms and thus require different levels of Contractor engagement at different times, varying in length and intensity. Running forums are generally active for several weeks but only require students to provide one initial post and two response posts per week. Exercise or project forums are high intensity for ten to fifteen days requiring daily interaction by students. However, the aggregation of all core course forums and exercise requirements should not exceed 300 cumulative hours. Forums are asynchronous but may include synchronous online sessions using Office 365 Teams, or some other collaboration tool. Each Contractor shall prepare his/her seminar(s) to conduct the forum by appropriately dividing the students into teams, assigning team leaders, and issuing guidance to team leaders and all students regarding the conduct and objectives of the forum, as directed by the Course Director. Each Contractor shall make personal contact with all assigned students by telephone, collaboration tool, or email to provide an introduction for each of the core course forums. The CD will provide a draft introduction to facilitate this action. Each Contractor shall also identify the few exceptions of students who cannot participate in the forum to the Course Director and Education Technicians in accordance with the CD’s instructions. The Education Technicians will then assign these students an alternate written evaluation requirement.

5.2.4.2 Core course forums evaluate student achievement of course learning objectives through dialogue and collaboration. This dialogue generally takes two forms. First, students individually post answers in response to a question provided by the Course Director and initiated by the Contractor, then post subsequent replies to other students’ entries. The Contractor guides the discussion to ensure that all aspects of a question are addressed to achieve the learning objectives. These discussions may be written or potentially via video/audio recording and presentation. Second, students may assume roles within a notional group and collaborate to produce team and/or individual products assigned by the CD, ranging from a policy statement to a prioritized list of capabilities to a deliberate plan. The Contractor answers student questions, helps guide the work schedule and provides corrections and insights to ensure that students achieve the learning objectives.

5.2.4.3 Student posts and work must reflect graduate-level thought and conform to the same writing standards in the USAWC Communicative Arts Directive that are applied to course papers; this includes citing the source of material that informs a comment, even if from a fellow student. Typical initial posts may consist of 250 words with response posts of 150 words. As technology and modalities advance, forums may require video/audio recorded entries and dialog using various products, i.e., Microsoft Teams, FlipGrid, smart phones, cloud sites, etc. The Communications Arts standards for communications of all types will apply.

5.2.4.4 During the faculty instructor guidance (FIG) session, the CD will specify the learning objectives, timing, format, questions to be addressed and an evaluation rubric for each forum. Each Contractor shall exercise judgment to accomplish the faculty instructor tasks stated in paragraph 5.4.2. As directed by the CD, each Contractor shall enter the forum software and read all new student posts; personalize material provided by the CD then post it to guide that day’s/week’s discussion; provide periodic posts throughout the day/week, as needed, to ensure student discussion is achieving the learning…