PWS-TA-Instruments-Service-Contract_for-RFQ_2021Aug10.pdf

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

TA Instruments Service Contract

SCOPE:

The Concrete and Materials Branch (CMB) at the Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory (GSL) of the

U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) needs a service contract for the dynamic hybrid rheometer-2 (DHR-2) with environmental test chamber (ETC), Thermogravimetric

Analyzer (TGA), Simultaneous DSC/TGA (SDT), and Isothermal Calorimeter (ITC). The following list provides model numbers for the TA Instruments equipment to be covered:

• Discovery SDT 650 Auto - Simultaneous DSC-TGA 0650-0435;

• Discovery TGA 5500 5500-0406;

• TAM Air Thermostat (100/240VAC; 50/60Hz) SN:Y22890;

• HR-2 Discovery Hybrid Rheometer 5332-0176 and magnetorheological accessory; and

• DHR Environmental Test Chamber DETC-0082.

The Contractor shall furnish all labor, materials, equipment, firmware/software, and transportation necessary for the servicing and repair of instruments.

REQUIREMENTS:

The contractor will be required to perform the following upon request of the government. Each service call will specify all requested services and supplies required, to include, but not limited to:

- Performance or preventative maintenance visits (PMV)

- Accessory and fixture coverage

- Repair Coverage (service parts, labor, and travel)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE:

The period of performance will be 12 months beginning on contract award date for one base year (2021-2022) followed by three (3) option years for the dates defined in the contract schedule during the years below:

Option Year 1: 2022-2023

Option Year 2: 2023-2024

Option Year 3: 2024-2025

SECURITY REQUIREMENTS:

Access and General Protection/Security Policy and Procedures. All contractor and all associated sub-contractors employees shall comply with applicable installation, facility and area commander installation/facility access and local security policies and procedures (provided by government representative). The contractor shall also provide all information required for background checks to meet installation/facility 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 installation or facility change, the Government may require changes in contractor security matters or processes.

For contractors who do not require CAC, but require access to a DoD facility or installation.

Contractor and all associated sub-contractors employees shall comply with adjudication standards and procedures using the National Crime Information Center Interstate

Identification Index (NCIC-III) and Terrorist Screening Database (TSDB) (Army Directive 2014-05 /

AR 190-13), applicable installation, facility and area commander installation/facility access and local security policies and procedures (provided by government representative, as NCIC and TSDB are available), or, at OCONUS locations, in accordance with status of forces agreements and other theater regulations.

Pre-screen candidates using E-Verify Program. The Contractor must pre-screen Candidates using the

E-verify Program (http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify) website to meet the established employment eligibility requirements. The Vendor must ensure that the Candidate has two valid forms of Government issued identification prior to enrollment to ensure the correct information is entered into the E-verify system. An initial list of verified/eligible Candidates must be provided to the COR no later than 3 business days after the initial contract award.

QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVIELLANCE PLAN (QASP)

TA Instruments Service Contract

1. PURPOSE. This QASP is a Government developed document used to ensure that the Government receives quality services, and pays only for services actually provided. The QASP provides a systematic method to evaluate the services the Contractor is required to furnish.

2. SCOPE. The role of Government Quality Assurance is to ensure contract standards are achieved.

The QASP provides guidelines and methods for the Government’s oversight of the Contractor’s quality control efforts to assure timely, effective services are provided IAW the contract/order. The Contractor, and not the Government, is responsible for management and quality control actions to meet the terms of the contract.

3. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.

Contracting Officer (KO) - A person duly appointed with the authority to enter into, administer and terminate contracts on behalf of the Government. The KO is the only person who can legally commit the

Government and only the KO, as the Government’s agent, can modify the contract/order. The KO is the final authority for determining the adequacy of the Contractor’s performance. KO decisions arising under or relating to the contact are final.

Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) – An individual designated in writing by the KO to perform specific technical and administrative functions within the scope and limitations of their written appointment (e.g., surveillance of Contractor’s performance, accept services). The COR is not empowered to make any contractual commitments or authorize any changes to the order/contract or in any way obligate additional funds by the Government; such authority rests solely with the KO.

Quality Assurance Evaluator (QAE) – An individual designated by the requiring activity to assist the

COR and provide technical oversight of the Contractor’s performance. The QAE’s primary duty is to monitor the Contractor’s performance by physically checking to see that tasks are completed, reports are submitted, and desired outcomes are achieved. When a surveillance observation results in an unacceptable evaluation, the QAE will report the unacceptable performance to the COR. The QAE is not authorized to direct work, offer advice on how the work should be performed, change the contract, or in any way obligate payment of funds by the Government.

4. METHODS OF SURVEILLANCE. Surveillance is performed by the Government to provide objective quality evidence that there is a reasonable level of confidence that the services provided by the

Contractor have met all the requirements of the contract before authorizing payment. The primary methods of surveillance quarterly assessments/reporting and inspections.

Inspections: Inspections are planned at specific dates as determined by the surveillance schedule.

Periodic inspections will be performed during working hours of the Contractor’s operation. Periodic inspections may be performed more frequently if the COR/QAE discovers the quality of the Contractor’s performance is less than acceptable.

5. SURVEILLANCE PROCEDURES.

a. The COR will develop a monthly schedule of reporting activities based on the Performance Standards as outlined in the contract/order and Performance Requirements Summary, as applicable, as well as any other critical contractual requirements the COR determines to be higher risk requiring oversight. The reporting outlined in the monthly schedule will be as detailed and in-depth as necessary to provide the

Government with the objective quality evidence required to support acceptance of a monthly contract invoice.

b. The COR/QAE will monitor performance based on the monthly reports and will ensure all services required by the order/contract are successfully performed. Successful or exceptional performance will be documented as well as deficiencies in Contractor performance. Documentation will be maintained for future reference, audit, and proof of inspection. Any uncorrected unacceptable observation will result in an unacceptable rating, a corrective action request to the Contractor and notification to the KO.

c. The COR will notify the Contractor, in person, each time an unacceptable observation has been recorded and ask the Contractor to correct the problem. The COR/QAE will record the contract requirement and the specific deficiency to the requirement. The Contractor will be given one week after notification to correct the deficiency in accordance with requirements of the contract. Deficiencies that cannot be corrected within the specified time will be reported to the Contracting Officer.

d. The COR will report more serious (systemic in nature) deficiencies or recurring deficiencies in the same area that could indicate a trend by using DA Form 5479-R, Contract Discrepancy Report (CDR). The

CDR will state the Contract Requirement, the specific contract reference and the specific nonconformance to the requirement. The COR will forward copies of CDRs to the KO within one working day. The KO will notify the Contractor and request corrective action. The KO may require the Contractor to re-perform any services that do not meet contract requirements at no additional cost to the Government. The

Contractor will return a copy of the completed and signed CDR to the KO for inclusion in the contract/order file.

e. The COR/QAE will re-evaluate services that were found deficient to ensure corrections were made within the timeframe outlined in the contract or other agreed upon time. The COR/QAE will not consider the services complete until all deficiencies have been corrected. Contractor’s failure to complete corrective actions will be reported immediately to the KO for further action.

f. The COR/QAE will accept the services provided and authorize payment, typically on a monthly basis or upon satisfactory completion of the work. This is done by approving the Contractor’s invoice.

g. The COR/QAE will submit a brief quarterly activity report to the KO which will include summary of customer feedback, summary of contract discrepancies and corrections, recommendations, invoices accepted and any other pertinent activities.

6. SURVEILLANCE MATRIX

The Surveillance Matrix below is the list of performance objectives and standards that must be performed by the contractor. This matrix details the method of surveillance the COR will use to validate and inspect these performance elements. Inspection of each element will be documented in the COR file.

Performance objectives define the desired outcomes. Performance Standards define the level of service required under the contract to successfully meet the performance objective. The monitoring method defines how, when, and what will be assessed in measuring performance. The Government performs surveillance, using this QASP, to determine the quality of the contractor's performance as it relates to the performance element standards. The PRS should be used to form the foundation of the COR's inspection checklist.

Performance

Objective

Performance

Standards\

AQL Monitoring

Frequency

Method of

Surveillance

Completed lists. List shall be completed at the level of detail needed to convey the information in a clear and concise form.

Accept able or

Unsatis factory

Rating

Assessme nts as needed

Inspection upon completion of work.

Repairs and

Maintenance completed.

System updates, fixes, and routine maintenance shall be performed as required with no system crashes and no data errors.

Accept able or

Unsatis factory

Rating

Assessme nts as needed

Inspection upon completio n of work.

Timeliness Reports shall be accurate and completed at the level of detail needed to convey the information in a clear and concise form.

Accept able or

Unsatis factory

Rating

Assessme nts as needed

Inspection upon completion of work.

7. QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE FILE. The COR/QAE file shall contain:

a) Copy of the COR appointment letter from the KO, any changes to that letter, and any termination letters; b) Training Certifications for COR; c) Copy of the contract and all contract modifications; d)

Copy of the applicable Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP); e) Copy of the contractor’s

Quality Control Plan (QCP); f) All correspondence initiated by authorized representatives (Contractor or

Government) concerning performance of the contract; g) Names, position titles and contact information of all key personnel assigned to this contract both Government and Contractor; h) Monthly surveillance schedules & Surveillance Checklists; i) Records of all inspections performed and the results; j)

Customer Feedback; k) Memoranda for record of minutes of any meeting, telephone conversations and discussions with the contractor or others pertaining to the contract or contract performance; l)

Documentation pertaining to acceptance of services, reports or data.

8. RECORDS: All records will be retained for the life of this contract. The COR/QAE will forward these records to the KO upon completion of the contract/order.

9. CHANGES: The QASP is a living document and, as such, may be changed as needed. However, the

KO must approve changes. The COR will submit recommended changes to the KO for approval.