Attachmnt 7_Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan.docx

QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE PLAN

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. In addition, the QASP should recognize that unforeseen and uncontrollable situations may occur.

This QASP is a “living document” and the Government may review and revise it on a regular basis to ensure that the QASP remains a valid, useful, and enforceable document. However, the Government will coordinate changes with the Contractor. Copies of the original QASP and revisions will be provided to the Contractor and Government officials implementing surveillance activities.

The following FAR clauses may apply depending on contract type:

52.246-4 Inspection of Services – Fixed-Price.

2. GOVERNMENT ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The following Government personnel are responsible for overseeing and coordinating surveillance activities.

Contracting Officer (CO) - The CO is responsible for ensuring performance of all necessary actions for effective contracting, ensure compliance with the contract terms, and safeguard the interests of the United States in the contractual relationship. The CO is also responsible for ensuring 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: Robert Leblanc Organization or Agency: Defense Health Agency Telephone: 703-681-1790 Email: robert.e.leblanc6.civ@mail.mil

Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) - The COR is responsible for technical administration of the contract and is responsible for ensuring proper Government surveillance of the Contractor’s performance. The COR is responsible for keeping a quality assurance file and at the conclusion of the contract, or when requested by the CO, providing corresponding documentation to the CO. The COR is not empowered to make any contractual commitments or to authorize any contractual changes on the Government’s behalf. The Contractor shall refer any changes they deem may affect contract price, terms, or conditions to the CO for action.

3. CONTRACTOR REPRESENTATIVES:

The following employees of the Contractor serve as the Contractor’s Corporate Manager and Program Manager for this contract.

4. PERFORMANCE STANDARDS:

Performance standards define desired services. The Government performs surveillance to determine if the Contractor exceeds, meets or does not meet these standards. The Government will use the standards identified in the ATTACHMENT 1 entitled “Performance Requirements Summary (PRS)” to determine Contractor performance and will compare Contractor performance to the Minimum Acceptable Quality Level (AQL).

5. INCENTIVES:

The Government will use Performance Ratings in the Contractor Performance Assessment Reports System (CPARS) as the incentive. Ratings will be based on meeting, exceeding, or not meeting the acceptable quality levels (AQLs).

6. METHOD OF QA SURVEILLANCE:

The COR or other designated Government personnel will use the surveillance method identified above in the administration of this QASP.

The COR will contact the Contractor's Program Manager when an AQL is not met and inform the Program Manager of the specifics of the problem.

Surveillance results may be used as the basis for actions (to include payment deductions) against the Contractor. In such cases, the Inspection of Services clause in the Contract becomes the basis for the CO’s actions.

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:

Exceptional – Performance meets contractual requirements and exceeds many to the Government’s benefit. The contractual performance of the task and sub-task being assessed was accomplished with few minor problems for which corrective actions taken by the Contractor were highly effective.

Very Good - Performance meets contractual requirements and exceeds some to the Government’s benefit. The contractual performance of the task and sub-task being assessed was accomplished with some minor problems for which corrective actions taken by the Contractor were effective.

Satisfactory - Performance meets contractual requirements. The contractual performance of the task and sub-task contain some minor problems for which corrective actions taken by the Contractor appear or were satisfactory.

Marginal - Performance does not meet contractual requirements. The contractual performance of the task and subtask being assessed reflect a serious problem for which the Contractor has not yet identified corrective actions. The contractor’s proposed actions appear only marginally effective or were not fully implemented.

Unsatisfactory – Performance does not meet most contractual requirements and recovery is not likely in a timely manner. The contractual performance of the task or sub-task contains a serious problem(s) for which the contractor’s actions appear or were ineffective.

8. DOCUMENTING PERFORMANCE:

a. ACCEPTABLE PERFORMANCE.

The Government shall document positive performance. A report template is attached. Any report may become a part of the supporting documentation for fixed fee payments, award fee payments, or other actions.

b. UNACCEPTABLE PERFORMANCE.

When unacceptable performance occurs, the COR shall inform the contractor. This will normally be in writing unless circumstances necessitate verbal communication. In any case the COR shall document the discussion and place it in the COR file.

When the COR determines formal written communication is required, the COR shall prepare a Contract Discrepancy Report (CDR), and present it to the contractor's task manager or on-site representative. A CDR template is attached to this QASP.

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 COR. The Government shall review the contractor's corrective action plan to determine acceptability.

Any CDRs may become a part of the supporting documentation for contract payment deductions, fixed fee deductions, award fee nonpayment, or other actions deemed necessary by the CO.

Prepared by: ____ (TBD) __________, COR

Signature & Date – Contracting Officer’s Representative

CONTRACT DISCREPANCY REPORT (CDR)

1. Contract Number: < insert number >

2. TO: (Contractor Program Manager) < insert name >

3. FROM: COR, (TBD)

4. DATE and TIME (of observed discrepancy):

5. DISCREPANCY OR PROBLEM: < Describe in detail. Identify any attachments. >

6. CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN: A written corrective action plan < is / is not > required.

< If a written corrective action plan is required include the following. > The written Corrective Action Plan will be provided to the undersigned not later than 5 days after receipt of this CDR.

Prepared by: COR, (TBD)

Received by: ___________________________________