RFI 24-042.pdf

P R I N C E T O N P L A S M A P H Y S I C S L A B O R A T O R Y 1 0 0 S T E L L A R A T O R R D . • P . O . B O X 4 5 1 • P R I N C E T O N • N J • 0 8 5 4 0

PRINCETON PLASMA PHYSICS LABORATORY

RE: Sources Sought Notice for Temporary Staffing Services

DATED: January 24, 2024

Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), a national laboratory within the Department of Energy, is hereby soliciting information from potential sources for Temporary Staffing Services in support of PPPL’s Staff Augmentation Program.

PPPL is seeking capability statements from all interested parties that possess the technical capability to provide support for the requirements as noted in the draft Statement of Work, including Large Businesses and all socioeconomic categories of Small Businesses and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU)/Minority Institutions (MI), for the purposes of determining the appropriate level of competition and/or small business subcontracting goals for this effort. PPPL reserves the right to consider a Small, Small Disadvantage (SDB), 8(a), Women-owned (WOSB), Service-Disabled Veteran (SDVOSB), Economically Disadvantaged Women-owned Small Business (EDWOSB), or HUBZone business set-aside based on responses received.

Interested firms are requested to submit information in the form of a Capabilities and Qualifications Statement that includes: (1) Addressing all of the functional areas outlined in the attached draft; (2) Summarizing relevant past experience; and (3) Addressing all questions in the attached temporary Staffing Capability Statement Questions. Capabilities Statements shall not exceed 20 pages. The statement of capability shall be UNCLASSIFIED. Any information provided by industry to PPPL as a result of this sources sought synopsis is strictly voluntary. Responses will not be returned, nor will respondents be notified of the results of the evaluation. The information obtained from industry responses to this notice may be used in the development of an acquisition strategy and a future RFP (if applicable).

This capability statement should indicate the ability to be the prime subcontractor or lower-tier subcontractor and perform all aspects of the effort described herein. It is insufficient to provide only general brochures or generic information. Additionally, your responses must include the following: name and address of firm, size of business; whether they are Large, Small, SDB, 8(a), WOSB, SD-VOSB, EDWOSB, HUBZone, and HBCU/MI, and affiliate information: parent company, joint venture partners, and potential teaming partners.

All responses shall be submitted electronically via e-mail to Cheryl Colan at ccolan@pppl.gov no later than 2pm Eastern Standard Time Zone, February 19,2024. When responding please reference PPPL Staff Augmentation Program. Technical and procurement questions should be directed to the above point of contacts.

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It is emphasized that this sources sought notice is for planning and information purposes and is NOT to be construed as a commitment by the Government to enter into a contractual agreement, nor will PPPL pay for information solicited. Respondents will NOT be notified of the results of the evaluation.

If a solicitation is released, then it and any additional documents will be available on www.sam.gov.

It is the offeror's responsibility to monitor this website for the release of the solicitation and amendments (if any). Potential offerors will be responsible for downloading their own copy of the solicitation and amendments, if any.

http://www.sam.gov/

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STATEMENT OF WORK

For

Temporary Staffing Services

June 6, 2022

CAT: EXEMPT

Reference Work Planning #: N/A Revision: 0

PREPARED BY:

APPROVED BY:

Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory

P.O. Box 451

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Princeton, NJ 08543

STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW)

Temporary Staffing Services

June 6, 2022, 2022

1.0 BACKGROUND

Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), on Princeton University’s Forrestal Campus in Plainsboro, N.J., is devoted to understanding the physics of plasmas and to developing practical solutions for the creation of fusion energy. PPPL is managed by Princeton University for the U.S.

Department of Energy’s Office of Science, which is the largest single sponsor of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States.

PPPL frequently has a need for external staffing services to support specific projects and program activities. The laboratory is proactively expanding the staffing augmentation tools for temporary staffing services for exempt and non-exempt personnel for a wide-range of disciplines and skill sets, generally including business administration, clerical, engineering, Information Technology and technical personnel. PPPL, in its mission to develop fusion energy, is seeking to prepare for future challenges associated with staffing. This tool, in addition to others currently available, permits PPPL to rapidly bring on support to address peak workloads, being more operationally effective and more responsive to mission critical needs.

2.0 OBJECTIVE

Staffing Agencies will provide temporary personnel to assist during peak demands, and unplanned absences. While a majority of the on-site work will be performed at PPPL at 100 Stellarator Road, Princeton, N.J. 08543, additional work locations may be added, as needed, and the length of the assignments will vary. All temporary personnel must comply with PPPL policies and procedures in the execution of the assigned tasks.

3.0 SCOPE OF WORK

3.1 Requirements Parameters

A. PPPL will provide the job work scope requirements and the duration of the assignment to The Staffing Agency(s), here and after referred to as the “request”. BOA hired personnel will not have supervisory responsibility. Request will include:

• Job title

• skill category

• Minimum qualifications

• Job description

• Approximate start/end date

• Work hours

• Location of assignment

B. All temporary personnel resumes shall be provided within one (1) week of the request, unless otherwise agreed upon.

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C. PPPL will review the resume(s) of the individual(s) proposed by The Staffing Agency to ensure the temporary personnel are sufficiently qualified to fulfill the assignment.

D. Based on PPPL’s preference of candidates, The Staffing Agency shall contact the candidates to evaluate their interest level and to further assess their qualifications.

E. The Subcontractor shall work with PPPL to schedule interviews of each of the candidates and present a detailed assessment of his/her qualifications based on the agreed upon competencies.

F. PPPL will issue a Job Order, under a Basic Ordering Agreement (BOA), to the selected Staffing Agency. The Subcontractor may be required to deploy temporary personnel within one (1) day of identification, unless otherwise agreed, but may only be deployed upon approval from PPPL Office of Human Resources.

G. It is expected that all temporary personnel supplied by The Staffing Agency will:

• Dress appropriately for the position(s)

• Act in a professional and courteous manner

• Follow all PPPL policies and procedures at all times

H. Citizens from certain foreign countries may be prohibited to perform work for PPPL, as per federal government policy.

I. A Non-Disclosure Agreement may be required for specific work scope.

3.2 Temporary to Permanent Hire

A. The services will normally include placement of temporary subcontracted personnel with PPPL. If PPPL wishes to directly hire Staffing Agency personnel as a salaried employee, the schedule will be based on the annual salary (excluding overtime) to which PPPL and subcontracted personnel agree.

B. If PPPL elects to hire one of the Subcontractor’s personnel before the 1000-hour period, the following schedule applies:

1. 0 to 500 hours % of annual salary approx. 3 months

2. 501 to 999 hours % of annual salary approx. 4 -6 months

3. After 1000 hours No Charge

3.3 PPPL Responsibilities

A. The PPPL technical point of contact assigned to the Job Order will oversee the work completed by the temporary personnel and provide feedback to the Office of Human Resources appointed

PTR.

B. Any performance concerns will be addressed directly with The Staffing Agency’s Account Manager by the Office of Human Resources appointed PTR. The Staffing Agency will have

PPL-PD-SERV-SOW; REV 0 (3/2017) Page 4 the opportunity to furnish replacements for any temporary personnel whose performance fails to meet the minimum qualifications, or who fails to comply with PPPL policies and procedures.

C. PPPL will track and measure compliance with on-boarding processes such as PPPL-specific orientations, system and process.

3.4 Subcontractor Responsibilities

A. The Staffing Agency will provide staffing services to PPPL, by recruiting, qualifying, and placing temporary personnel on assignment at PPPL’s place of business or other identified location.

B. The Staffing Agency will, as the employer of record, pay temporary personnel wages and provide them with the benefits that the Staffing Agency offers to them.

C. The Staffing Agency will pay, withhold, and transmit payroll taxes; provide unemployment insurance and workers’ compensation benefits; and handle unemployment and workers’ compensation claims involving temporary personnel.

D. The Staffing Agency agrees that, as the employer of record, it is responsible for all compliance items related to US Affordable Care Act (ACA), OSHA Law, Unemployment and Disability Insurance, Workers' Compensation, and withholding Gross Income Tax. The Staffing Agency will be solely responsible for any and all penalties associated with not complying with any law, rule or regulation, and will indemnify Princeton University entirely with regard to any disputes or issues pertaining to compliance or that question the employer of record, which is at all times the Staffing Agency.

E. The Staffing Agency agrees to comply with all federal, state, and local Equal Employment

Opportunity/Non-Discriminatory policies.

F. The Staffing Agency agrees that ALL temporary personnel must successfully complete a background screening check, as a requirement to start an assignment. Background screenings should include:

1. Criminal Background Checks, including scanning county, state, and/or federal records.

Criminal records from any of those sources will contain the following if applicable:

a. Arrests

b. Convictions of felonies and misdemeanors

c. Court records (dockets, judgements, etc.)

d. Warrants

e. Sex offenses (if working with student and requested by PPPL in further writing)

f. Incarceration records

2. Employment Screening:

a. Employment history

b. Criminal history

c. Professional references

d. Social security number verification

e. Education verification (Bachelor and above)

f. Credit (for I.T. and Finance positions)

3. E-Verify candidates (i.e., ensure that they have a right to work in the U.S.)

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4. Drug Testing may be required for Testing Designated Positions (TDP) and will be identified in the Job Order

5. For positions determined to be physically demanding, staff may be required to complete a Post-Offer Pre-Employment Screening (POPES) exam prior to the first day of work and will be identified in the Job Description. The hire must be found capable of performing the physical requirements of the position to ensure their safety and that of other staff

6. Reference Check: minimal of three (3) professional references

G. The Staffing Agency agrees that ALL temporary personnel must adhere to all PPPL policies and procedures including but not limited to anti-harassment, standards of conduct, conflict of interest, drug and alcohol usage, etc.

H. The Staffing Agency agrees to monitor contract end date and that no temporary personnel are to conduct work beyond contract end date.

I. Staffing Agency agrees to reduce markup % to the negotiated Reduced Max Mark Up Fee % (reference Attachment 3 – Temporary Staffing Pricing Table) upon Agency personnel’s two thousand eighty (2080) work hours and for the remainder or the assignment, without reducing temporary personnel(s) Pay Rate.

4.0 TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

PPPL may approve travel costs when business needs justify them as follows:

A. Under PPPL direction, temporary personnel are required to perform assigned work at external vendor facilities.

B. Local talent is unavailable and PPPL approves sourcing talent requiring temporary relocation.

C. All travel costs are required to be pre-approved by PPPL prior to any incurred expenses.

D. All travel costs will be incorporated into the Job Order and paid to the temporary personnel by the Staffing Agency in accordance to PPPL’s Subcontractor Guidelines for Travel.

5.0 SUBCONTRACTOR QUALIFICATIONS

A. Previous experience with providing temporary personnel for one (1) or more of the skill categories identified in Exhibit A.

B. The Staffing Agency’s key personnel have sufficient skills, knowledge, and abilities to recruit for and manage any ensuing agreement from this solicitation. Offeror should provide resumes of its corporate key personnel, e.g., site-specific General Manager, Safety Specialist, key recruitment personnel, and Information Technology support, etc.

that have at least three years of relevant professional experience in the field of corporate staffing support that will be the key personnel included in any ensuing agreement.

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C. The Staffing Agency’s proposed direct labor rates must meet or exceed the Department of Labor minimum hourly labor rate, and related fringe benefits for all of the required skill categories. The Staffing Agency must ensure that the ranges proposed for distinct levels within a skill category (e.g., Administrative Assistant, I, II, III, etc.) overlap to permit a rational growth path for increased job responsibility.

D. The Staffing Agency must demonstrate its ability to provide temporary personnel who have the ability to commute to the designated work location identified in the Job Orders.

E. The Staffing Agency should describe any plans to subcontract any work to lower-tier Vendors. Offeror should provide a detailed breakdown of what work and/or services are to be performed by each of the team members or lower-tier Vendors, including an estimated percentage of effort by each. Offeror should identify in its proposal if the lower- tier Vendor is a small business under the NAICS code identified herein.

F. The Staffing Agency shall provide resumes of proposed resources for the six resources identified in Exhibit A: PPPL Skill Categories for consideration that clearly demonstrate the Offeror’s ability to provide qualified resources capable of meeting identified needs and performing outlined tasks providing requisite deliverables described in the Job Description Exhibit B.

G. The Staffing Agency should describe their benefits, holidays and other elections offered to staff utilized for this agreement in a format similar to the table provided below. PPPOL seeks Offerors with holiday schedules as similar to the Federal structure as possible, so as to provide consistency to temporary staffing services when laboratories are closed that will be included in any ensuing BOA.

6.0 ENVIRONMENTAL, SAFETY, AND HEALTH

When applicable, the professional personnel working on the PPPL site for more than 40 hours in a given year shall take and pass PPPL General Employee Training (GET), and all safety training required to carry out the tasks they have been deployed to.

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7.0 DELIVERABLES

The Princeton Technical Representative (PTR) in conjunction with the PPPL assigned point of contact to each Job Order will review all work/deliverables to ensure all requirements of the Job Order are met.

For each executed Job Order (role, number, duration), the deliverables will be:

A. Response(s) to PPPL performance feedback.

B. If the duration of the Job Order falls beyond the period of performance, an extension may be executed by modification of the Job Order. This extension must be requested before the end of the period of performance.

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Exhibit A

Skill Categories

Skill Category Definition

Clerical

Provides secretarial and clerical services. Work mostly involves filing, record keeping and other such functions. Clerical job roles often require individuals to perform highly routine office support tasks with little autonomy.

Business

Administration

Business Administration roles are required to have higher educational qualifications such as a bachelor’s degree and/or equivalent experience. Administrative services involve management or the performance of business operations, decision making, as well as handling of people and other resources to direct activities toward common goals. Services include Professionals in Human Resources, Communications, Project Management, Facilities Management, Business Operations (Accounting, Procurement & Budgeting), etc.

Technical

Technical Support Staff are responsible for the fabrication, maintenance and operation of instruments and equipment and for the maintenance and upkeep of facilities. Other members of this staff provide services such as computer support, A/V support, drafting, material handling, stock room, shipping and receiving, etc.

Engineering

Engineering staff participate in the research and development programs at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory by designing, maintaining, operating, and improving instruments, equipment, and systems; by designing, writing, maintaining, and improving computer programs and systems; or by providing equivalent professional knowledge and skills in other disciplines necessary to carry out the Laboratory's research and development efforts.

IT

Information Technology (IT) involves the development, implementation, support, maintenance, repair or protection of data or computer systems. Specific roles in IT can be categorized as engineering, technical or business administration and will be identified in the job description.

Custodial Custodians are responsible for the cleaning, maintenance and care of buildings, facilities and fixtures.

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Capability Statement Questions

Temporary Staffing Services

1) What past performance and current capabilities does your company provide related to Temporary Staffing Services? b) If your company does not have past experience and/or current capabilities in a specific Temporary Staffing, what other companies on your team, along with their past experience and current capabilities, will perform these specific services? What kind of formal arrangement does your company have in place with these companies to provide these services?

2) What is your company’s capability and experience in areas as outlined in sections 5.0 Subcontract

Qualifications, in the Statement of Work. b) If your company does not have these capabilities and experience, what other companies on your team have this capability and experience?

3) Does your company specialize in PPPL’s Industry? b) Describe your talent pool and does it have a diverse and inclusive talent pool?

4) What is your candidate attraction methodology?

5) What screening processes do you have in place?

6) Does your firm possess a clear equality and diversity policy?

7) How quick is your firms Turn Around for filling a position need?