QASP Courier Services 6.11.2024.pdf

QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE PLAN

VISN 1 COURIER SERVICES

Contractor’s Name: TBD

Contract Number: TBD

Contract Description: VISN 1 Consolidated Courier Services for:

VA White River Junction, VA Providence, VA Central Western Massachusetts, VA Manchester, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, and VA Boston Healthcare System

1. PURPOSE

This Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) provides a systematic method to evaluate performance for the stated contract. This QASP explains the following:

• What will be monitored?

• How monitoring will take place?

• Who will conduct the monitoring?

• How monitoring efforts and results will be documented?

This QASP does not detail how the contractor accomplishes the work. Rather, the QASP is created with the premise that the contractor is responsible for management and quality control actions to meet the terms of the contract. It is the Government’s responsibility to be objective, fair, and consistent in evaluating performance.

This QASP is a “living document” and the Government may review and revise it on a regular basis. However, the Government shall coordinate changes with the contractor. Copies of the original QASP and revisions shall be provided to the contractor and Government officials implementing surveillance activities.

2. GOVERNMENT ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The following personnel shall oversee and coordinate surveillance activities.

a. Contracting Officer (CO) - The CO shall ensure performance of all necessary actions for effective contracting, ensure compliance with the contract terms, and shall safeguard the interests of the United States in the contractual relationship. The CO shall also assure that the contractor receives impartial, fair, and equitable treatment under this contract. The CO is ultimately responsible for the final determination of the adequacy of the contractor’s performance.

Assigned CO: TBD

Organization or Agency: Department of Veterans Affairs, VISN1 Consolidated Contracting

b. Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) - The COR is responsible for administration of the contract and shall assure proper Government surveillance of the contractor’s performance. The COR is not empowered to make any contractual commitments or to authorize any contractual changes on the Government’s behalf.

Assigned COR: TBD Organization or Agency: Department of Veterans Affairs, VISN 1 Network Consolidated Laboratory

c. Other Key Government Personnel - <Upon award, Government will enter name, if applicable. This may include Performance Monitors, Clinical Quality experts, etc. who act on behalf of the COR to monitor performance.>

Wendy Strollo, NCL Program Director Susan Webber, Laboratory Manager, White River Junction VA Gina Hawthorne, Laboratory Manager, Providence VA Joni Surprenant, Laboratory Manager, Central Western Massachusetts VA Monica Zukovic, Laboratory Manager, Manchester VA Jacqueline Hite, Laboratory Manager, VA Connecticut Arthur McGee, Laboratory Manager, VA Boston

3. CONTRACTOR REPRESENTATIVES

The following employee(s) of the contractor shall serve as the contractor’s program manager for this contract.

a. Program Manager – Wendy Strollo

4. PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

Task Indicator Standard Acceptable

Quality Level

Method of Surveillance Incentive Disincentive

#1.

Emergency Requests

Timeliness of Emergency pickups

Vendor will pick up blood products, laboratory specimens and/or other items from VA or non-VA designated sites and deliver them within times specified in the contract

100%

Direct Observation and Random Sampling

Continuation of Services & Funding for each year

Negative

CPARS

Reporting

Task Indicator Standard Acceptable

Quality Level

Method of Surveillance Incentive Disincentive

#2.

Scheduled Routes

Timeliness of Routine pickups

Vendor will pick up blood products, laboratory specimens and/or other items from VA or non-VA designated sites and deliver them within times specified in the contract

Direct Observation and Random Sampling

Continuation of Services & Funding for each year

Negative

CPARS

Reporting

#3.

Communication

Communication of delayed, missed, canceled pickups/drop offs

Vendor will communicate to the appropriate person when there is any delay or change in the pickup and delivery times specified in the contract.

100%

Direct Observation and Random Sampling

Continuation of Services & Funding for each year

Negative

CPARS

Reporting

#4.

Quality

Training for proper handling of biological hazards.

Contractor staff trained to handle laboratory specimens, transport blood products and other hazardous items as outlined in the contract.

100%

Direct Observation and Periodic inspection

Continuation of Services & Funding for each year

Negative

CPARS

Reporting

#5.

Quality

Packing and transportation

Blood products and/or laboratory specimens are maintained in accordance with appropriate temperature requirements.

100% Direct Observation and Periodic inspection

Continuation of Services & Funding for each year

Negative

CPARS

Reporting

5. INCENTIVES

The Government at its discretion may extend the base period past its initial term as an incentive for satisfactory performance.

No more than 3 customer complaints from each site per month

6. METHODS OF QA SURVEILLANCE

Various methods exist to monitor performance. The POC’s shall use the surveillance methods listed below in the administration of this QASP.

a. DIRECT OBSERVATION (Can be performed periodically or through 100% surveillance)

b. RANDOM SAMPLING

c. PERIODIC INSPECTION

7. RATINGS

Metrics and methods are designed to determine if performance exceeds, meets, or does not meet a given standard and acceptable quality level. A rating scale shall be used to determine a positive, neutral, or negative outcome. The following ratings shall be used:

Rating Description

Green Yes. Performance and technical specifications are being met at an Acceptable Quality Level (AQL).

Yellow

Yes. Performance and technical specifications are currently being met at the minimum AQL, but the following service/deliverable needs contractor attention:

(The Customer must identify what component of the deliverable and/or service requires attention.)

Red

No. Performance and technical specifications are not being met at AQL and the following service/deliverable needs immediate contractor resolution:

(The Customer must identify what component of the deliverable and/or service that is below the minimum AQL.)

8. DOCUMENTING PERFORMANCE

a. The Government shall document positive and/or negative performance. Any report may become a part of the supporting documentation for any contractual action and preparing annual past performance using CONTRACTOR PERFORMANCE

ASSESSMENT REPORT (CPAR).

b. If contractor performance does not meet the Acceptable Quality level, the CO shall inform the contractor. The CO shall document the discussion and place it in the contract file. When the COR and the CO determines formal written communication is required, the COR shall prepare a Contract Discrepancy Report (CDR), and present it to CO. The CO will in turn review and will present to the contractor's program manager for corrective action.

c. The contractor shall acknowledge receipt of the CDR in writing. The CDR will specify if the contractor is required to prepare a corrective action plan to document how the contractor shall correct the unacceptable performance and avoid a recurrence. The CDR will also state how long after receipt the contractor has to present this corrective action plan to the CO. The Government shall review the contractor's corrective action plan to determine acceptability. The CO shall also assure that the contractor receives impartial, fair, and equitable treatment. The CO is ultimately responsible for the final determination of the adequacy of the contractor’s performance and the acceptability of the Contractor’s corrective action plan.

d. Any CDRs may become a part of the supporting documentation for any contractual action deemed necessary by the CO. See Sample CDR below.

9. FREQUENCY OF MEASUREMENT

The COR shall assess contract performance on a yearly basis (minimum requirement) using the Quality Assurance Worksheet.

After award, both the contractor’s Program Manager and the COR shall sign this document.

Signature – Contractor Program Manager

Signature – Contracting Officer’s Representative

Attachment #1 QAW- Quality Assurance Worksheet

QUALITY ASSURANCE WORKSHEET

Performance Rating

VISN1 Site___________________ VISN1 Site POC: ___________________ Date: ____________ Deliverable/Service Quality

Rating Causative

Factors Effect on Mission Action

Required/Date

#1.

Emergency Requests

Green Comments Unnecessary for “Green” QA Rating.

Yellow

Red

#2.

Scheduled Routes

Green Comments Unnecessary for “Green” QA Rating.

Yellow

Red

#3.

Communication

Green Comments Unnecessary for “Green” QA Rating.

Yellow

Red

#4.

Quality (Training/Handling)

Green Comments Unnecessary for “Green” QA Rating.

Yellow

Red

#5.

Quality (Packaging/Transport)

Green Comments Unnecessary for “Green” QA Rating.

Yellow

Red

Rating Description

Green Yes. Performance and technical specifications are being met at an Acceptable Quality Level (AQL).

Yellow

Yes. Performance and technical specifications are currently being met at the minimum AQL, but the following service/deliverable needs contractor attention:

(The Customer must identify what component of the deliverable and/or service requires attention.)

Red

No. Performance and technical specifications are not being met at AQL and the following service/deliverable needs immediate contractor resolution:

(The Customer must identify what component of the deliverable and/or service that is below the minimum AQL.)

Attachment #2 – CDR: Contract Discrepancy Report

CONTRACT DISCREPANCY REPORT

1. CONTRACT NUMBER 2. REPORT NUMBER FOR THIS DISCREPANCY

3. TO: (Contracting Officer) 4. FROM: (Name of COR)

5. DATES

a. CDR PREPARED

b. RETURNED BY

CONTRACTOR:

c. ACTION COMPLETE

6. DISCREPANCY OR PROBLEM (Describe in detail. Include reference to PWS Directive; attach continuation sheet if necessary.)

7. SIGNATURE OF COR Date:

8. SIGNATURE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER Date:

9a. TO (Contracting Officer) 9a. FROM (Contractor)

10. CONTRACTOR RESPONSE AS TO CAUSE, CORRECTIVE ACTION AND ACTIONS TO PREVENT

RECURRENCE. (Cite applicable quality control program procedures or new procedures. Attach continuation sheet(s) if necessary.)

11. SIGNATURE OF CONTRACTOR REPRESENTATIVE Date:

12. GOVERNMENT EVALUATION. (Acceptance, partial acceptance, reflection. Attach continuation sheet(s) if necessary.)

13. GOVERNMENT ACTIONS (Acceptance, partial acceptance, reflection. Attach continuation sheet(s) if necessary.)

14. CLOSE OUT

NAME TITLE SIGNATURE DATE

CONTRACTOR

NOTIFIED

COR

CONTRACTING

OFFICER