PWS.pdf

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

ERDC Environmental Laboratory Animal Care and Use Program Attending Veterinarian

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 veterinary support for the ERDC-EL Animal Care and Use Program as per DOD Instruction 3216.01, Use of Animals in DoD Programs, 20 March 2019, DOD Animal Care and Use Review Office (ACURO) and Association for the Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC).

1.2 Background: Research activities of the Environmental Laboratory (EL) involve scientific work with vertebrate animals.

To maintain regulatory compliance, the government requires a qualified Attending Veterinarian (AV) to oversee the EL Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC).

The contractor shall provide AV services that ensure the Program conforms to all Department of War (DOW) regulations, under the regulatory oversight of the Animal Care and Use Review Office (ACURO), Fort Detrick, MD. ACURO seeks to ensure the highest possible quality of animal care through national accreditation and compliance with the Animal Welfare Act.

The contractor shall execute all duties necessary to maintain the Program's national accreditation by the Association for the Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) and compliance with the Animal Welfare Act (AWA).

1.3 Scope:

a. IACUC Participation: Service as an independent veterinary advisor/consultant to the IACUC. member of the EL IACUC. Review proposed animal use protocols, protocol amendments, and meeting minutes. The AV shall attend 100% of scheduled IACUC meetings (estimated 4 per year) in Vicksburg, MS and shall review documents within 5 business days of receipt.

b. Facility Inspections: Conduct physical inspections of EL animal care facilities; submit a written inspection report detailing compliance findings and corrective action plans to the IACUC. The inspections are semi-annual (2 times per year); inspections reports are due within 10 business days post-inspection.

c. SOP Technical Reviews: Review and drafts proposed updates to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) related to animal care, husbandry, and veterinary procedures to ensure clinical and regulatory adequacy. Government retains final approval authority. Reviews are performed semi-annually (minimum of 1 review cycle per year or upon regulatory update.)

d. Program of Veterinary Care (POVC): Annually, conduct a comprehensive technical review of the written POVC.

Prepare, sign, and submit the updated POVC document within 30 days of the review.

e. Technical & Advisory Consultation: Provide unlimited remote professional veterinary consultation (via telephone or email) regarding animal health, protocol development, and husbandry practices. Responses are required within 24 hours of inquiry during standard business hours.

f. Emergency Veterinary Services: Provide no more than 20 on-site emergency clinical veterinary care for research animals at EL facilities. Onsite response is required within 4 hours of emergency notification.

g. Leadership Coordination: The Contractor shall meet quarterly with the IACUC Chairperson to to report on program status, discuss identified compliance deficiencies, and provide veterinary recommendations to prepare for external AAALAC/ACURO audits.

1.4 Objectives:

The primary objectives of this contract are to:

1. Secure and Maintain Program Compliance: Provide certified AV expertise to satisfy IACUC, AWA, and DOW statutory program requirements.

2. Ensure Document Currency: Execute annual reviews, updates, and formal signoffs for the Program of Veterinary Care (POVC) and associated animal use protocols.

3. Provide Rapid Clinical Support: Establish reliable, structured timelines for technical guidance, remote consultations, and emergency on-site veterinary care.

1.5 General Information:

1.5.1 The Contractor shall inform the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) of issues or potential issues that might affect the performance within five business days of identifying those issues. Verbal reports shall be followed up by written reports within 10 busniness days.

1.5.2 Quality Assurance: The Government will evaluate the Contractor’s performance under this contract in accordance with the Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP). This plan is primarily focused on what the Government must do to ensure that the Contractor has performed in accordance with 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 documentation (e.g. deliverables, submittals, etc.) deadlines fall on a holiday, the closest work day prior to the holiday will apply as the deadline for submittal.

1.5.3.1 U.S. Holidays: Work may 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.

New Year’s Day January 1st M. L. King Memorial Day 3rd Monday in Jan Presidents Day 3rd Monday in February Memorial Day last Monday in May Juneteenth June 19th Independence Day July 4th Labor Day 1st Monday in September Columbus Day 2nd Monday in October Veteran’s Day November 11th Thanksgiving Day 4th Thursday in November Christmas Day December 25th

1.5.4 Operating Hours: The Government facility office hours, facility operating hours, and the Contractor support hour requirements often coincide, however, they may differ. Please refer to the following.

1.5.4.1 Government Facility Office Hours: The Government facility office hours are 0700 - 1900 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.

1.5.4.2 Government Facility Operating Hours: The Government facility operating hours occur between the hours of 0700

– 1900 Monday – Friday. The Government facility is closed for operations during the recognized U.S. Holidays identified in paragraph 1.5.3.1 above. The Government facility may close due to local or national emergencies, administrative closings, or similar Government directed facility closings and will be communicated by the Contracting Officer to the Contractor.

1.5.4.3 Contractor Support Hours: The Contractor shall provide support between the hours of 0800 – 1600 Monday through Friday. The facility may be closed during local or national emergencies, administrative closings, or similar Government directed facility closings. The Contractor shall maintain an adequate workforce at all times, for the uninterrupted performance of all tasks defined within this PWS when the Government facility is not closed for the above reasons. When hiring personnel, the Contractor shall keep in mind that the stability and continuity of the workforce is essential.

1.5.5 Place of Performance: The work cover under this contract will be completed at the AV’s normal office location and at ERDC-EL Vicksburg.

1.6 Security Requirements: The following information is provided on security related matters.

1.6.1 General security requirements and guidance: The security requirements described below apply to all contract personnel (including employees of the prime Contractor (“Contractor”) and all subcontractor employees) supporting the performance requirements of this contract. The Contractor is responsible for compliance with these security requirements.

Questions regarding security matters shall be addressed to the designated Government representative (e.g., Contracting Officer Representative (COR), Requiring Activity (RA) representative, or Contracting Officer (if a COR or other RA representative is not appointed)). Contract personnel are critical to the overall security and safety of US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) installations, facilities and activities, and security awareness training contributes to those efforts. The Department of Defense (DoD) and Army security training requirements specified below, if applicable, are performance requirements; all applicable contract personnel shall complete initial training within 30 days of contract award or the date new contract personnel begin performance on the contract. Within five business days from the completion of training, the Contractor shall provide written documentation (e.g., email or memorandum) to the Government representative. The documentation shall include the names of contract personnel trained and which training they completed; the Contractor shall maintain training records as part of their contract files and be prepared to provide copies of training certificates to the Government representative. Contractor personnel and vehicles are subject to search when entering federal installations.

Additionally, all contract personnel shall comply with Force Protection Condition (FPCON) measures, Random Antiterrorism Measures (commonly referred to as “RAMs”), and Health Protection Condition (HPCON) measures. The Contractor is responsible for meeting performance requirements during elevated FPCON and/or HPCON levels in accordance with applicable RA plans and procedures --this includes identifying mission essential and non-mission essential personnel. In addition to the changes otherwise authorized by the changes clause of this contract, should the FPCON or HPCON levels at any individual facility or installation change, the Government may implement security changes that affect contract personnel.

The Contractor shall ensure all contract personnel are aware of their security responsibilities, including any site-specific requirements identified in local policies or procedures.

1.6.2 Pre-screen candidates using E-Verify Program: Contractors shall comply with the requirements set forth in FAR clause 52.222-54 Employment Eligibility Verification and FAR Subpart 22.18 in using the E-Verify Program at (https://www.e-verify.gov/) (website subject to change) to meet the contract employment eligibility requirements.

Contractors are encouraged to cooperate with Federal and State agencies responsible for enforcing labor requirements to include eligibility for employment under United States immigration laws in accordance with FAR 22.102-1(i). An initial list of verified/ eligible candidates shall be provided to the COR no later than three business days after the initial contract award.

When contracts are with individuals, the individuals will be required to complete a Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, and submit it to the Contracting Officer to become part of the official contract file

1.7 Post Award Conference/Periodic Progress Meetings: The Contractor shall attend any post award conference convened by the contracting activity or contract administration office in accordance with FAR Subpart 42.3. The Contracting Officer (KO), 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 apprise the Government of problems, if any, being experienced.

Appropriate action shall be taken to resolve outstanding issues. These meetings shall be at no additional cost to the Government.

1.7.1 The Contractor shall attend, participate in, and furnish input to scheduled monthly meetings, monthly program coordination meetings (up to 12 meetings per period of performance, not to exceed two hours per meeting) to review contract performance, discuss program updates, and coordinate upcoming activities. Meetings will be scheduled by the Government with a minimum of five (5) business days' advance notice. While meetings will typically occur during standard duty hours, the Contractor may be required to participate in meetings scheduled outside standard duty hours to accommodate urgent operational needs. The Contractor shall designate a primary representative (e.g., the Contract Manager or designated alternate) to attend. Additional Contractor technical personnel may participate as determined necessary by the Contractor to address specific agenda items. The Contractor shall prepare and submit written meeting minutes, including a summary of discussion points and action items, to the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) within three (3) business days following each meeting.

1.8 Contracting Officer’s Representative (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.

1.9 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.

1.10 Contractor Travel: Local travel to and from IACUC meetings and lab inspections in Vicksburg, MS is a requirement. Infrequent travel for unanticipated meetings, to address nonemergency health issues, or to manage animal health emergencies may also be needed. Because of the need for quick response times during emergency and critical health crises, it is important the Contractor’s base of operation be no more than 200 miles one way from Vicksburg. Local travel will be reimbursed on a per miles basis in accordance with DoD joint travel regulations (IAW/JTR). In some instances, it may be necessary for the AV to secure overnight accommodations to attend Program functions that preclude the typical commute to Vicksburg. In such cases, the Contractor will be reimbursed upon submission of receipts for hotel, meals and other allowable expenses IAW/JTR. The contract allows for eleven (11) overnight stays over the five year period of performance and no more than 3 overnight stays in a given period of performance of base and/or option years. The contract will allow for up to five (5) trips per year and no more than twenty (20) over the five year period of performance of the contract.

Over the course of a given year, trips for any combination of purposes (regular meetings, infrequent visits, and/or emergency response visits) will be acceptable as long as the maximum number of trips is not exceeded.

1.11 Data Rights: 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.

1.13 Protection of Government and Contract Information: Per Public Use Notice of Limitations stated by Defense imagery Management operations Center and contained at www.dimoc.mil/resources/limitations/ , the Contractor shall not cite any information (e.g., contract information, pictures, locations, etc.) obtained through this contract on any hard copy or digital marketing tools to include its company website.

1.14 Safety: The following provides information pertaining to Safety and Accident Prevention:

1.14.1 Safety Laws and Regulations: The Contractor shall comply with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Safety and Health Requirements Manual (EM 385-1-1)).

The requirements under FAR 52.236-13 and specifically of the EM 385-1-1 include, but are not limited to the following:

PART 2

GOVERNMENT PROPERTY (GP) AND SERVICES

2. Government Property and Services

2.1 Services: N/A.

2.2 Equipment: N/A.

2.3 Common Access Cards (CAC): The Government will provide Common Access Cards (CAC) via the Trusted Associate Sponsorship System (TASS) (Web site https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/tass/ ).

PART 3

CONTRACTOR FURNISHED ITEMS AND SERVICES

3. Contractor Furnished Property and Services

3.1 General: The Contractor shall furnish all labor and expertise for the completion of each task.

PART 4

SPECIFIC TASKS

4.1 Basic Services: The Contractor shall provide services and expertise for the listed tasks below. The Contractor shall 1) be familiar with the mission of the ERDC-EL and have experience meeting the regulations set forth by the DoD ACURO for Animal Care; 2) have at 5 years of experience serving as an Attending Veterinarian in an AAALAC accredited program; 3) hold a degree as Doctor of Veterinary; 4) have experience in laboratory animal science and medicine and in care of the species of animals maintained by the ERDC-EL; and 5) meet applicable veterinary practice standards and must be licensed to practice in the State of Mississippi.

4.2 Tasks: Tasks consist of the following:

Task 1 - Attending Veterinarian Services for EL IACUC Program

Inspections and Meetings: Attendance of inspection by AAALAC of ERDC lab facilities for continuity of accreditation.

The AV shall provide guidance via reports from performing semiannual (2 times per year) facilities inspections and program reviews (FIPRs). Each FIPR shall not exceed one (1) business day onsite at the ERDC facility. The AV shall provide on-site technical support during external compliance inspections by ACURO and accreditation inspections by AAALAC (estimated at one inspection/review event of each type per year, not to exceed two business days onsite per event).

The AV shall serve as an independent, non-voting professional technical advisor to the EL IACUC.

The AV shall attend up to four (4) scheduled IACUC meetings per year to provide expert clinical and regulatory guidance. Each inspection or review should not require more than one day onsite at ERDC. Service as an independent veterinary advisor/consultant to the EL IACUC. The AV shall participate in up to three (3) ad-hoc program coordination meetings per year, as scheduled by the COR with at least five (5) business days' advance notice, to resolve emergent compliance or clinical veterinary issues.

Deliverable: The written report of inspections and/or reviews shall be due to the IACUC Chairman 10 days from the time of the inspection and/or review. Such records should include the date and time, general topic of consultation, relevant details of matter, summary of guidance provided, and eventual outcomes. These forms of documentation are filed for reference in the IACUC Records Room.

Task 2 - Annual Review and Update of the Program of Veterinary Care

The AV shall prepare and update the Program of Veterinary Care (POVC). While the POVC will be revised and updated at least once annually going forward, if new species are added to the Program throughout the course of the year, the POVC shall be revised. These revisions to add new species should be completed in advance of the arrival of new species.

Deliverable: Annual revisions to the POVC shall be submitted to the IACUC Chairman by September 1st every year. Revisions to the POVC. POVC revisions due to the addition of a new species shall be submitted to the IACUC Chairman no later than 60 days before the arrival of new species. Once submitted and approved, a document of the revised POVC shall be placed in the IACUC Records Room and on the Program’s intranet website so that it may be readily accessed by program participants.

Task 3 - Technical and Veterinary Guidance

The AV shall provide unlimited critical guidance on veterinary care. Contact information shall be kept up to date, and the AV shall provide new contact information to the IACUC Chairman in a timely manner. Depending on the nature of issue, the AV shall offer guidance in person, over the phone, or via email. Some nonemergency situations may require the presence of the AV to assess health conditions and to monitor efficacy of treatments. Therefore, the Contractor shall also be available to travel to Vicksburg on short notice as needed. Responses are required within 24 hours of inquiry during standard business hours.

Deliverable: A report for guidance activities and supporting documents shall be submitted to the IACUC Chairman within 10 days of being contacted by the IACUC for guidance. Such reports shall include the date and time, general topic of consultation, relevant details of matter, summary of guidance provided, relevant supporting documentation and eventual outcomes.

Task 4 - Emergency Services

The AV shall provide critical guidance on veterinary care in both emergency and nonemergency situations. Although emergencies are infrequent, the AV role shall be covered at all times.

Depending on the nature of issue, the AV shall offer guidance in person, over the phone, or via email. The Contractor may be needed on site (within 4 hours of notice) when emergencies arise and should be prepared to travel to Vicksburg on short notice if needed.

Deliverable: A report of an emergency response shall be submitted to the IACUC Chairman within 5 days of being contacted by the IACUC. Such reports shall include the date and time, nature of the emergency, relevant treatment details, summary of guidance provided, and eventual outcomes.

Task 5 – Leadership Coordination

The AV shall Meet quarterly with the IACUC Chairperson to align program goals, resolve identified compliance deficiencies, and prepare for external AAALAC/ACURO audits.

Deliverable: A report/review of the quarterly meeting shall be submitted to the IACUC Chairman within 10 days of the meeting.

PART 5

ATTACHMENT AND TECHNICAL EXHIBIT LISTING

5. Attachment and Technical Exhibit List

5.1 Technical Exhibit A – Performance Requirements Summary

TECHNICAL EXHIBIT A

Performance Requirements Summary (PRS)

Statements Standards/AQLs Inspections Performance Rating

Inspections and Meetings:

Attendance of inspection by AAALAC of ERDC lab facilities for continuity of accreditation.

The AV shall provide guidance via reports from performing semiannual (2 per year) facilities inspections and program reviews (FIPRs), compliance inspections by ACURO, accreditation inspections by AAALAC, formal meetings of the IACUC, and various infrequent meetings as needed. The AV brings considerable experience and expertise when engaging the Program on these occasions for technical expertise.ACURO, AAALAC and other infrequent meetings should not total more than 4 per year.

Deliverables:

The written report of inspections and/or reviews shall be due to the IACUC Chairman 10 days from the time of the inspection and/or review. . Such records should include the date and time, general topic of consultation, relevant details of matter, summary of guidance provided, and eventual outcomes. These forms of documentation are filed for reference in the IACUC Records Room.

Standards: at Successful, on-time submission of report from IACUC meetings and inspections.

AQL: Delays shall be reported as soon as possible. Approval by the technical POC or COR is needed for delayed reports.

What:, written reports

Who: Technical POC and COR

Standard(s): Inspection applies to all standards

Exceptional – 100% Complete Very Good –95% Complete Satisfactory –90% Complete Marginal – 75% Complete Unsatisfactory – 74% Complete

Task 2 - Annual Review and Update of the Program of Veterinary Care.

Deliverables:

- -Annual revisions to the POVC shall be submitted to the IACUC

Standards: Successful, on-time submission of revisions to the Program of Veterinary Care.

AQL: Delays shall be reported as soon as possible. Approval by the technical POC or COR is needed for delayed reports.

What: Revisions to the Program of Veterinary Care.

Who: Technical POC and COR

Very Good –95% Complete Satisfactory –90% Complete Marginal – 75% Complete

The performance ratings below reflect definitions at FAR (RFO) 42.1103 Table 42-1. The COR will use these ratings to evaluate the quality of contractor’s performance.

Performance Rating

Criteria

Chairman by September 1st every year.

-Revisions to the POVC. POVC revisions due to the addition of a new species shall be submitted to the IACUC Chairman no later than 60 days before the arrival of new species.

Task 3 – Unlimited Technical and Veterinary Guidance

Deliverable:

- Responses are required within 24 hours of inquiry during standard business hours. A report for guidance activities and supporting documents shall be submitted to the IACUC Chairman within 10 days of being contacted by the IACUC for guidance.

Standards: Successful, on-time submission of the report of guidance activities.

AQL: Delays shall be reported as soon as possible. Approval by the technical POC or COR is needed for delayed reports.

What: report of guidance activities

Who: Technical POC and COR

Standard(s): Inspection applies to all standards

Exceptional – 100% Complete Very Good –95% Complete Satisfactory –90% Complete Marginal – 75% Complete Unsatisfactory – 74% Complete

Task 4 - Emergency Services

The AV shall provide critical guidance on veterinary care in both emergency and nonemergency situations.

Deliverable: A report of an emergency response shall be submitted to the IACUC Chairman within 5 days of being contacted by the IACUC.

Standards: Successful, on-time report submission of emergency response activities.

AQL: Delays shall be reported as soon as possible. Approval by the technical POC or COR is needed for delayed reports.

What: report of emergency activities

Who: Technical POC and COR

Very Good –95% Complete Satisfactory –90% Complete Marginal – 75% Complete Unsatisfactory – 74% Complete

Task 5 – Leadership Coordination

The AV shall Meet quarterly with the IACUC Chairperson to align program goals, resolve identified compliance deficiencies, and prepare for external AAALAC/ACURO audits.

Deliverable: A report/review of the quarterly meeting shall be submitted to the IACUC Chairman within 10 days of the meeting.

Standards: Successful, on-time report/review submission of the leadership coordination meeting.

AQL: Delays shall be reported as soon as possible. Approval by the technical POC or COR is needed for delayed reports.

What: report of leadership coordination meeting

Who: Technical POC and COR

Very Good –95% Complete Satisfactory –90% Complete Marginal – 75% Complete

Excellent or Outstanding

Performance meets contractual requirements and exceeds many to the government's benefits. The contractual performance of the element or sub-element being assessed was accomplished with no problems and contractor actions were highly effective.

Very Good

Performance meets contractual requirements and exceeds some to the government benefits. The contractual performance was accomplished with few minor problems for which corrective actions taken by the contractor were effective.

Good

Performance meets contractual requirements. The contractual performance contains some minor problems for which corrective actions taken by the contractor were satisfactory

Marginal Performance does not meet some contractual requirements. The contractual performance reflects a serious problem for which the contractor has not yet identified corrective actions. The contractor's proposed actions appear marginally effective or were not fully implemented.

Unsatisfactory Performance does not meet contractual requirements, and recovery is not likely in a timely manner. The contractual performance contains serious problem(s) for which the contractor's corrective actions appear or were ineffective.