RFQ-CDF-23-FSandR.pdf

RFQ-CDF-23-FSandR

REQUEST FOR QUOTE

The Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (The CDFI Fund) is issuing this Request for Quote (RFQ) for the purpose of establishing a single-award Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) for, “CDFI Data Collection, Reporting and Management Services”. Task orders under this BPA will be issued in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) 8.405-3 and the Offeror’s current GSA contract.

The Offeror may enter into a BPA task order that extends beyond the current term of their GSA Schedule contract, as long as there is at least one unexercised option period in their contract that, if exercised, will cover the BPA task order’s full period of performance if all options are exercised.

Please submit your response in accordance with the requirements and instructions contained herein.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Clauses, Terms and Conditions………………………………….…… Pages 2 - 4

Performance Work Statement…………………………………….…… Pages 5 - 17

Contract Documents, Exhibits, and Attachments …...……….…… Page 18

Notices, Provisions, and Prohibitions.………………………….…… Page 19

Quotation Instructions…..……………………………………………… Pages 20 - 25

Evaluation…………………………………………………………………. Page 26 - 27

IMPORTANT DATES

Question Submission: November 1, 2022 at 2:30PM ET

Please submit questions on or before November 1, 2022 at 2:30PM ET to Purchasing@fiscal.treasury.gov with the subject line “RFQ Data Collection, Reporting and Management Services ; Attn: COHSE/SROW.

Quote Submission: November 8, 2022 at 2:30PM ET

Please submit a complete quote on or before November 8, 2022 at 2:30PM ET to Purchasing@fiscal.treasury.gov with the subject line “RFQ Data Collection, Reporting and Management Services ; Attn: COHSE/SROW.

mailto:Purchasing@fiscal.treasury.gov

52.252-2 CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEB 1998)

This contract incorporates one or more clauses by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. Also, the full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at this address: https://www.acquisition.gov/far

1052.201-70 CONTRACTING OFFICER’S REPRESENTATIVE (COR) APPOINTMENT AND

AUTHORITY (APR 2015)

(a) The COR(s) are named on the award form. Should a change to the COR(s) be necessary in the future, they will be named on the modification SF-30.

(b) Performance of work under this contract is subject to the technical direction of the COR identified above, or a representative designated in writing. The term “technical direction” includes, without limitation, direction to the contractor that directs or redirects the labor effort, shifts the work between work areas or locations, and/or fills in details and otherwise serves to ensure that tasks outlined in the work statement are accomplished satisfactorily.

(c) Technical direction must be within the scope of the contract specification(s)/work statement.

The COR does not have authority to issue technical direction that:

(1) Constitutes a change of assignment or additional work outside the contract specification(s)/work statement;

(2) Constitutes a change as defined in the clause entitled “Changes”;

(3) In any manner causes an increase or decrease in the contract price, or the time required for contract performance;

(4) Changes any of the terms, conditions, or specification(s)/work statement of the contract;

(5) Interferes with the contractor's right to perform under the terms and conditions of the contract;

or

(6) Directs, supervises or otherwise controls the actions of the contractor's employees.

(d) Technical direction may be oral or in writing. The COR must confirm oral direction in writing within five workdays, with a copy to the Contracting Officer.

(e) The Contractor shall proceed promptly with performance resulting from the technical direction issued by the COR. If, in the opinion of the contractor, any direction of the COR or the designated representative falls within the limitations of (c) above, the contractor shall immediately notify the Contracting Officer no later than the beginning of the next Government work day.

(f) Failure of the Contractor and the Contracting Officer to agree that technical direction is within the scope of the contract shall be subject to the terms of the clause entitled “Disputes.”

52.203-17 CONTRACTOR EMPLOYEE WHISTLEBLOWER RIGHTS AND REQUIREMENT TO

INFORM EMPLOYEES OF WHISTLEBLOWER RIGHTS (JUN 2020)

52.204-9 PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION OF CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL (JAN 2011)

52.204-25 PROHIBITION ON CONTRACTING FOR CERTAIN TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND VIDEO

SURVEILLANCE SERVICES OR EQUIPMENT (AUG 2020)

1052.210-70 CONTRACTOR PUBLICITY (APR 2015)

The Contractor, or any entity or representative acting on behalf of the Contractor, shall not refer to the supplies or services furnished pursuant to the provisions of this contract in any news release or commercial advertising, or in connection with any news release or commercial advertising, without first obtaining explicit written consent to do so from the Contracting Officer. Should any reference to such supplies or services appear in any news release or commercial advertising issued by or on behalf of the Contractor without the required consent, the Government shall consider institution of all remedies available under applicable law, including 31 U.S.C. 333, and this contract. Further, any violation of this clause may be considered during the evaluation of past performance.

https://www.acquisition.gov/far

52.217-8 OPTION TO EXTEND SERVICES (NOV 1999)

The Government may require continued performance of any services within the limits and at the rates specified in the contract. These rates may be adjusted only as a result of revisions to prevailing labor rates provided by the Secretary of Labor. The option provision may be exercised more than once, but the total extension of performance hereunder shall not exceed 6 months. The Contracting Officer may exercise the option by written notice to the Contractor within 30 days.

52.217-9 OPTION TO EXTEND THE TERM OF THE CONTRACT (MAR 2000)

(a) The Government may extend the term of this contract by written notice to the Contractor prior to the expiration of each contract period; provided, that the Government gives the Contractor a preliminary written notice of its intent to extend at least 30 days before the contract expires. The preliminary notice does not commit the Government to an extension.

(b) If the Government exercises this option, the extended contract shall be considered to include this option clause.

(c) The total duration of this contract, including the exercise of any options under this clause, shall not exceed 36 Months.

52.232-18 AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS (APR 1984)

LAPSE FUNDING

In the event of a lapse funding resulting in a government shutdown, the status of Fiscal Year funding and any necessary action required of the Contractor will be made available at the following website:

https://www.fiscal.treasury.gov/doing-business-with-fiscal-service/ . It is the Contractor's responsibility to monitor this website for information regarding Fiscal Year funding.

1052.232-7003 Electronic Submission of Payment Requests (APR 2015)

(a) Definitions. As used in this clause—

(1) “Payment request” means a bill, voucher, invoice, or request for contract financing payment with associated supporting documentation. The payment request must comply with the requirements identified in FAR 32.905(b), "Content of Invoices" and the applicable Payment clause included in this contract.

(b) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this clause, the Contractor shall submit payment requests electronically using the Invoice Processing Platform (IPP). Information regarding IPP, including IPP Customer Support is available at www.ipp.gov or any successor site.

(c) The Contractor may submit payment requests using other than IPP only when the Contracting Officer authorizes alternate procedures in writing in accordance with Treasury procedures.

(d) If alternate payment procedures are authorized, the Contractor shall include a copy of the Contracting Officer’s written authorization with each payment request.

PAYMENT AND INVOICE QUESTIONS (IPP)

For payment and invoice questions, go to https://arc.fiscal.treasury.gov/ipp/fsippqrg.htm or contact Accounts Payable at (304) 480-8000 option 7 or via email at AccountsPayable@fiscal.treasury.gov.

OVERPAYMENTS

In accordance with 52.212-4 section (i) 5 Overpayments: Accounts Receivable Conversion of Check Payments to EFT: If the Contractor sends the Government a check to remedy duplicate contract financing or an overpayment by the government, it will be converted into an electronic funds transfer

(EFT).

https://www.fiscal.treasury.gov/doing-business-with-fiscal-service/ http://www.ipp.gov/ https://arc.fiscal.treasury.gov/ipp/fsippqrg.htm mailto:AccountsPayable@fiscal.treasury.gov

This means the Government will copy the check and use the account information on it to electronically debit the Contractor's account for the amount of the check. The debit from the Contractor's account will usually occur within 24 hours and will be shown on the regular account statement.

The Contractor will not receive the original check back. The Government shall destroy the Contractor's original check, but will keep a copy of it. If the EFT cannot be processed for technical reasons, the Contractor authorizes the Government to process the copy in place of the original check.

MARKING OF SHIPMENTS

The Contractor shall ensure the order number is clearly visible on all shipping/service documents, containers, and invoices.

PERFORMANCE EVALUATION

This BPA is subject to a performance evaluation via the Contractor Performance Reporting System (CPARS) at www.cpars.gov. Following the end of each BPA Call period (exceeding SAT) a completed Government evaluation shall be forwarded to the Contractor. The Contractor may submit written comments, if any, within the time period specified in the evaluation transmittal. The Contractor’s comments shall be considered in the issuance of the final evaluation document. Any disagreement between the parties regarding the evaluation shall be forwarded to the Contracting Officer. The final evaluation of the Contractor’s performance is the decision of the Contracting Agency and will be reviewed at least one level above the Contracting Officer. A copy of the final performance evaluation report will be sent to the Contractor and to the Government’s past performance database at https://www.cpars.gov/.

1052.242-70 Postaward Conference Alternate I (JAN 2017)

(a) A postaward conference will be held with the successful offeror.

(b) The postaward conference will be held via telephone and/or video conferencing. The Contracting

Officer or authorized designee will provide the Contractor with the date and time along with other pertinent information, including the agenda for the postaward conference.

https://www.cpars.gov/

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS (CDFI) FUND

BLANKET PURCHASE AGREEMENT (BPA)

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

Data Collection and Reporting Strategies

1.0 OVERVIEW/BACKGROUND

The Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (The CDFI Fund) was created for the purpose of promoting economic revitalization and community development through investment in and assistance to community development financial institutions (CDFIs). The CDFI Fund was established by the Riegle Community Development and Regulatory Improvement Act of 1994, as a bipartisan initiative.

The CDFI Fund achieves its purpose by promoting access to capital and local economic growth through several innovative programs:

1.1 Through its Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Program by directly investing in, supporting, and training CDFIs that provide loans, investments, financial services, and technical assistance to underserved populations and communities.

1.2 Through its Native Initiatives by taking action to provide financial assistance, technical assistance, and training to Native CDFIs and other Native entities proposing to become or create Native CDFIs.

1.3 Through its New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) Program by providing an allocation of tax credits to community development entities (CDEs) which enable them to attract investment from the private sector and reinvest these amounts in low-income communities.

1.4 Through its Bank Enterprise Award (BEA) Program by providing an incentive to banks to invest in their communities and in other CDFIs.

1.5 Through its Bond Guarantee (BG) Program by issuing bonds to support CDFIs that make investments for eligible community or economic development purposes.

1.6 Through its Capital Magnet Fund (CMF) Program by offering competitively awarded grants to finance affordable housing solutions and community revitalization efforts that benefit low-income people and communities nationwide.

1.7 Through its Small Dollar Loan (SDLP) Program by providing grants for Loan Loss Reserves and Technical Assistance to Certified CDFIs to establish and maintain small dollar loan programs which help unbanked and underbanked populations build credit, access affordable capital and allow greater access into the mainstream financial system.

1.8 Through its Economic Mobility Corps (EMC), a joint initiative of the CDFI Fund and AmeriCorps that places full-time national service members in Certified CDFIs to enhance their capacity to provide financial literacy, financial planning, budgeting, saving, and other financial counseling activities.

1.9 Through its CDFI Rapid Response Program (RRP) by offering grants to provide immediate assistance in communities impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic through a streamlined application and review system.

1.10 Through its CDFI Equitable Recovery Program (ERP) by providing awards to Certified CDFIs to expand lending, grant making and investment activities in low- to moderate-income communities that have historically experienced significant unmet capital and financial services needs and were disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic; and to enable CDFIs to build organizational capacity and acquire technology, staff, and other tools necessary to accomplish the activities under a CDFI ERP Award.

The CDFI Fund’s Vision and Mission are as follows:

Vision: An America in which all people and communities have access to the investment capital and financial services they need to prosper.

Mission: To expand economic opportunity for underserved people and communities by supporting the growth and capacity of a national network of community development lenders, investors, and financial service providers.

Background: In CY 2020, the CDFI Fund contracted with a data management firm for work connected to the CDFI Fund’s 5-Year Strategic Plan (2016-2022) specifically to (1) assess the current state of data management including data collection, analysis, quality, and change management; (2) identify opportunities for improvement in data management; and (3) recommend an implementation strategy to achieve the recommendations. This work helped to kick-off the CDFI Fund’s efforts around data management, but additional tasks remain. Further, the adjudication of comments during the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) process for the new Certification Application and its related reporting tools (the Annual Certification and Data Collection Report and the Transaction Level Report) as well as the IT-build for it has raised questions around the timing, unit of data collected (transaction v. aggregate), required data collection fields, and other topics related to data usage and recipient reporting. Finally, the CDFI Fund’s Financial Strategies and Research (FS&R) is dealing with an unprecedented volume of reports due to increased program funding and new COVID-19 related programs. This has created a need to have additional support to handle the processing of recipient reporting until additional permanent staff can be hired. FS&R is the data steward for the majority of the CDFI Fund’s data collection efforts and author of its research reports. With this effort, we hope to better understand our collected data, determine what data needs to be collected, and learn about the best ways to collect, manage and analyze this self-reported recipient data.

2.0 SCOPE OF WORK

Under this BPA, the Contractor shall perform a broad range of data reporting and management services which extends to data collection, data requests, data usage, recipient reporting, analysis reports, and data storage. These services include assessing current (or “As Is”) data reporting and management environment, including where and how the CDFI Fund needs to improve; establishing a roadmap for implementing these improvements; and documenting the CDFI Fund’s target (or “To Be”) data reporting and management environment.

3.0 PLACE(S) OF PERFORMANCE

The Contractor shall perform the majority of the work off-site at their location and, if needed, come on-site at the following location with COR approval:

Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund 1801 L Street NW, 6th Floor Washington DC 20006

Due to current restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, travel restrictions established by each state must be considered prior to any requests for travel. All travel must be pre-approved by the COR and shall be invoiced in accordance with Federal Travel Regulation should it occur.

4.0 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The period of performance shall be for a base period of 12 months and two (2) 12-month option periods from time of award.

5.0 TASKS AND DELIVERABLES

The Contractor shall perform the following tasks and corresponding deliverables. Note: For any task that results in a deliverable, as specified in the agreed upon Project Plan & Schedule, the Contractor shall first provide a draft version of the requested deliverable(s). Incorporating CDFI Fund feedback, the Contractor shall then provide a final version of the deliverable(s). All the tasks outlined below except for Task 5.1 may be performed in any order and are not interdependent on each other for kick-off or completion of work. However, the CDFI Fund is prioritizing Task 5.5 ahead of the remaining tasks because it has a firm due date for its deliverables.

5.1. Kick-Off Meeting, Bi-Weekly Status, and Project Plan & Schedule

Upon contract award, the Contractor and the Government shall conduct two (2) joint conference calls that last sixty (60) minutes per call during the first ten (10) days of the contract. The purpose of these conference calls is for introductions and to review the scope of work, the governance procedures, and the contract requirements.

Upon task order award, the Contractor and the Government shall hold a Project Kick-Off Meeting to discuss the Project Plan & Schedule and to review the scope of work, governance procedures, and task order requirements. Additionally, the Contractor shall hold half-hour bi-weekly conference calls with the Government to discuss and update the Project Plan & Schedule. The Contractor shall update the Project Plan & Schedule as necessary and submit to the COR for acceptance. The Project Plan & Schedule shall include the following:

a. Project timeline and mandatory tasks with task durations, inclusive of who will be accountable for each

b. Project progress for work accomplished in reporting period and project milestones

c. Work to be accomplished in the next reporting period

d. Project risks, if any, and anticipated delays

e. Detailed resource allocation

f. Contract total

g. Current period billing

h. Total billing to date

i. Remaining funds

j. Monthly estimated payment plan

Deliverable: At the contract level, no deliverables are required. At the task order level, the Contractor shall deliver a completed Project Plan & Schedule to the COR via email within five (5) business days after the Project Kick-Off Meeting. If the COR determines changes are necessary, the Contractor shall deliver an updated Project Plan & Schedule consisting of any agreed upon verbal change(s) within five (5) business days after the COR’s request. Additionally, the Contractor shall deliver an updated Project Plan & Schedule within five (5) business days after the conclusion of each month during the life of the task order. COR will review the Project Plan & Schedule and communicate any request(s) for changes or acceptance by email correspondence.

All rework must be submitted by email to the COR for final approval within five (5) business days after the request.

5.2 Metadata Repository Refinements and Population

The CDFI Fund has a metadata repository, and the repository has been partially populated. As part of this task, the Contractor shall review and refine repository attributes, and provide information using the attributes which will allow the CDFI Fund’s IT department to make necessary updates to the repository. Specific requirements for this task and the corresponding deliverables will be defined at the task order level.

5.3 Data Requests and Reports

The CDFI Fund receives data requests from various organizations which may require the calculation of a single number as a response up to the creation of analysis reports. The Fund is looking to make our data request responses more operationalized and routine in nature.

However, we do have a full accounting of past and current data requests and the information provided to fulfill that request whether it was a dataset, a brief analysis or a more in-depth report.

The Contractor shall review these requests, compare them to existing reports, conduct a reporting gap analysis, and make recommendations. Specific requirements for this task and the corresponding deliverables will be defined at the task order level.

5.4 Recipient Reporting

The Contractor shall review the current state of the CDFI Fund’s recipient reporting efforts with the aim of making recommendations to improve the CDFI Fund’s ability to collect self-reported data and analyze it while reducing the burden on recipients. Recipient reporting is the collection of self-reported data from certified CDFIs who enter this information into AMIS either manually through a web-based user interface or upload bulk records through a .csv template. Specific requirements for this task and the corresponding deliverables will be defined at the task order level.

5.5 Other Targeted Population Research Review Update

In 2018, the CDFI Fund conducted research to assist in updating CDFI Certification policies for Targeted Populations, especially designating Other Targeted Populations (OTPs) as Target Markets for Certified CDFIs. OTPs are those populations that can be shown to have disparities in their access to financial products and services. With the upcoming launch of a new Certification Application, the CDFI Fund requires the Contractor to conduct another review of OTPs to see if existing evidence supports an expansion in the number of pre-approved OTPs with a particular focus on the category of Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) and its subgroups. The Contractor shall also make recommendations around the updating process and schedule for OTPs by the CDFI Fund. Specific requirements for this task and the corresponding deliverables will be defined at the task order level.

5.6 FS&R Unit Staffing Support

The Contractor is asked to provide labor support to assist with service request responses, data cleaning, data analyses, and research summaries for the data collection efforts managed by FS&R. The individual tasks are unknown at this point in time; therefore, specific requirements for this task and the corresponding deliverables will be defined at the task order level.

6.0 ACQUISITION TYPE

The Government intends to award a single Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) with fully loaded firm-fixed labor rates and monthly firm-fixed unit prices for services under GSA MAS Schedule SIN 541611.

BPA task orders will be issued based on the needs of the Government at firm-fixed prices.

7.0 CONTRACTOR MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

The Contractor and/or their partnering organization collectively (i.e. Teaming Partner(s), Subcontractors) shall:

a. Have 10 years of experience in Data Management.

b. Have knowledge of Data Collection and Reporting strategies.

c. Have 10 years of experience in conducting Research projects involving literature reviews, empirical data analysis and focus groups.

d. Have knowledge of best practices in Research and Evaluation activities.

8.0 KEY PERSONNEL AND PERSONNEL MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

The Government defines “key personnel” as the individual(s) (i.e. project manager) who will be accountable for overseeing and possibly completing some of the work that the Government requires under this contract that, if they were not in place, then the work would not be successfully completed.

Project Manager The Project Manager is responsible for the organization of the technical teams and the execution of the work. The Project Manager shall provide technical leadership to the project team.

Minimum Qualifications: Ten (10) years of experience in supervision or oversight of projects involving data management services. Bachelor’s degree in Business, Management, Engineering, Computer Science, Information Systems, or related field. An advanced degree is preferred. Project Management Professional (PMP) certification is preferred.

Business Data Analyst The Business Data Analyst provides knowledge of business data requirements and processes. The Business Data Analyst applies analytical and business expertise to assist in defining, analyzing, validating and documenting business data environments, technology, and management processes.

Minimum Qualifications: Five (5) years of experience in business data management. Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems, Computer Science, Business, Accounting, Engineering, Finance, or related field.

An advanced degree is preferred. Data Management certification (e.g., DAMA Certified Data Management Professional) is preferred.

Systems Data Analyst The Systems Data Analyst provides knowledge of system data requirements and processes. The Systems Data Analyst applies analytical and technical expertise to assist in defining, analyzing, validating and documenting operating environments, states of technology, and database structures.

Minimum Qualifications: Five (5) years of experience in technical data management. Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems, Computer Science, Business, Accounting, Engineering, Finance, or related field.

An advanced degree is preferred. Data Management certification (e.g., DAMA Certified Data Management Professional) is preferred.

Analyst Programmer The Analyst Programmer analyzes research data using SAS and STATA software: clean and weight data, aggregate summary data comparisons, run check tables and SAS or STATA reports to ensure accuracy.

Must have effective verbal and written communication skills to coordinate with Research Consultants, Clients, Programmers, Quality Assurance, Graphics Team and other NRC Associates to assure that “perfect product” is produced. Excellent organizational and planning skills required.

Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree of social sciences with statistical training/knowledge and course training in research methods and two (2) years of relevant experience. Excellent verbal/written communication skills required. SAS and STATA programming skills, basic DOS/Windows computer applications, SQL Server (or other relational database), Excel and MS Word. Must have working experience with statistical applications software. Research methodology training/experience required.

Research Analyst The Research Analyst analyzes verbal or statistical data to prepare reports and studies for use by professional workers in a variety of areas, such as science, social science, law, medicine, or politics.

Searches sources, such as reference works, literature, documents, newspapers, and statistical records to obtain data on assigned subject. Analyzes and evaluates applicability of collected data. Prepares statistical tabulations. Writes reports or presents data in formats such as abstracts, bibliographies, or maps. May interview individuals to obtain data or draft correspondence to answer inquiries.

Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in a related field of study and two (2) years of experience in a related field.

Research and Evaluation Associate The Research and Evaluation Associate provides technical and operational assistance on evaluation studies for social sector programs; collaborates on survey development and construction; monitors data collection and manages on-site data collection contractors; reviews contractor work for quality assurance;

conducts content analyses of focus group discussions and open-ended interview questions; interprets survey data; produces data tables, charts, and illustrations for technical reports, presentation materials, and scholarly articles; collaborates on technical report production and literature reviews; and manages project files and retrieval systems.

Minimum Qualifications: Master’s degree in health, education, or other social sciences; six (6) years of experience in research and evaluation including three (3) years of experience participating in technical assistance projects in research and evaluation; experience using word processing software applications;

and excellent written and oral communication skills.

Senior Research Advisor The Senior Research Advisor directs the design, coordination, and delivery of formative research and evaluation technical assistance to local, state and federal agencies, and private foundations; provides lead technical assistance on program evaluation, including development of questions, study design, sampling, instrument development, data collection procedures, data analyses, and report preparation;

pursues the identification and development of new research and evaluation opportunities with an emphasis on the application of behavior theory, communication, and social marketing to promote behavior change; provides technical leadership in the use of quantitative and qualitative methods, and participatory approaches; manages proposal development; provides strategic planning assistance to clients and donors; leads collaboration with partner organizations.

Serves as in-house technical expert on social science research and evaluation issues, such as research design, methodological and research protocols, instrument design, data collection planning, research task analysis, research budgeting, research site selection, and data processing and analysis constraints.

Minimum Qualifications: Master’s degree in education, sociology, research, evaluation, or related fields;

15 years of experience in research and evaluation activities, including five (5) years in research and evaluation project planning and management; technical publications in related fields desirable;

experience with state and federal social services; and excellent written and presentation skills.

8.1 All Contractor Personnel

All Contractor personnel hired for work under this contract shall either be U.S. citizens or have lawful permanent resident status.

All key personnel must be vetted and approved by OSP prior to beginning work on any portion of this contract.

8.2 Identification of Key Personnel

For the purpose of this contract, the approved Contractor’s key personnel will be identified at time of award.

9.0 KEY PERSONNEL REPLACEMENT PROCESS

Key personnel may, with the consent of the contracting parties, be amended from time to time during the course of the contract to add or remove key personnel. A formal modification is only required when the key personnel are specifically named in the contract. This process only applies to the extent that the contract does not otherwise specify notice or personnel replacement obligations.

Government Request

The Government may require replacement of key personnel in the instance of non-performance, misconduct, alleged misconduct, or whose continued use under a contract is contrary to the best interests of the Government.

Circumstances that support a request for replacement include but are not limited to performance that is inconsistent with the contract and/or task order Performance Work Statement (PWS), terms and conditions, or violations of Federal laws, regulations, or agency conduct standards. The Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) will give written notice to the Contractor of the need for substitution, including the circumstances surrounding the request for replacement. In accordance with FAR Part 1.602-2(b), the Contracting Officer (CO) will ensure the Contractor receives impartial, fair, and equitable treatment;

however, the CO is not required to investigate or validate allegations or wait until a final resolution of the circumstances surrounding the request for replacement before requiring substitution of key personnel.

Within 24 hours of receiving notice, the Contractor shall respond to the Government’s request to replace key personnel and provide key personnel replacement resume(s) to the COR. The resume(s) shall demonstrate that the qualifications of proposed replacement key personnel meet the qualifications stated in the PWS. The COR will notify the Contractor, in writing, within 48 hours of receiving key personnel replacement resume(s) if the Contractor provided replacement personnel is acceptable.

The Government reserves the right to disapprove the proposed substitute(s) and negotiate with the Contractor for other key personnel replacement(s). Any Contractor replacement of key personnel must be done in consultation with the COR. The process for replacing key personnel as described above does not suspend the Contractor’s obligation to continue performance under the contract.

Contractor Request

If the Contractor must substitute key personnel, the Contractor shall provide written notice to the COR and the CO two (2) calendar weeks before the proposed replacement date, whenever possible. At a minimum, the Contractor shall provide the Government with notice 48 hours before replacement.

The only exception to the 48-hour notice is death, incapacitation, abrupt termination, or resignation from employment of key personnel. If the deadline for providing notice falls on Friday after 5:00 pm (ET), a weekend, or on a Federal Holiday, the Contractor shall provide notice the next business day if more than 48 hours. The notice shall state the circumstances necessitating the proposed substitution of the key personnel and shall provide resume(s) of proposed replacement key personnel for review and consultation.

The Contractor shall demonstrate that the qualifications of the proposed substitute(s) meet the qualifications stated in the PWS. The Government reserves the right to disapprove the proposed substitute(s) and negotiate with the Contractor for other key personnel replacement(s). Assignment of key personnel must be done in consultation with the COR.

10.0 GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITY, FURNISHED FACILITIES, SERVICES, AND

INFORMATION

10.1 GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITIES

The Government will provide for physical security and safety for Contractor personnel when on-site at the government location.

10.2 FURNISHED FACILITIES, SERVICES AND INFORMATION

The Government will provide meeting space for Contractor personnel when at the Government location, and remote access to systems, software, and data needed to perform the scope of work under this contract, including a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) Card.

10.3 CONTRACTOR’S RESPONSIBILITIES

The Contractor shall be responsible for personal computers used for remote access to Government systems. The Contractor shall be responsible for safeguarding any PIV Cards. Lost or stolen PIV Cards must be reported to the COR within one hour of learning that they are missing.

11.0 OTHER REQUIREMENTS

11.1 COMPLIANCE WITH GOVERNMENT LAWS, RULES, AND REGULATIONS

While the Contractor’s personnel are at the Government facility, the Contractor is responsible for compliance with all laws, rules, and regulations governing conduct with respect to health and safety – not only as they relate to its employees and agents, but also to other personnel who are Government employees or agents of the Government and to property at the site regardless of ownership. While on Government premises and in possession of Government property, the Contractor is responsible for such property and any damages thereto by the Contractor’s employees.

11.2 CONFIDENTIALITY

Contractor personnel performing services under this contract shall comply and complete the following security access requirements:

a. Provide all documentation required for a Sensitive but Unclassified (SBU) background security check for receipt of a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) Card.

b. Sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA).

At the completion of the contract, the Contractor shall send a written notice from the authorized principle of the company attesting that all file records pertaining to this contract in possession of the Contractor were destroyed in accordance with NIST SP-800-12 and NIST SP 800-88.

11.3 NON-PERSONAL SERVICE STATEMENT

Contractor employees performing services shall be controlled, directed and supervised at all times by management personnel of the Contractor. Contractor employees shall perform independent of and without the supervision of any Government official with the exception of when they are on–site at the Government’s facility.

Actions of Contractor employees may not be interpreted or implemented in any manner that results in any Contractor employee creating or modifying Federal policy, obligating the appropriated funds of the U.S. Government, overseeing the work of Federal employees, providing direct personal services to any Federal employee or otherwise violating the prohibitions set forth in Parts 7.5 and 37.1 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR).

11.4 CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

The Contractor shall comply with FAR 52.203-16, Preventing Personal Conflicts of Interest.

Further, the Contractor shall not advise the CDFI Fund to take any action that will benefit, or appear to benefit, the Contractor beyond the scope of this contract. The Contractor shall inform the CDFI Fund if the appearance of such a conflict exists. For example, the Contractor shall not influence the CDFI Fund to enter into financial arrangements with entities that the Contractor expects to have future business dealings with, unless the CDFI Fund has been advised of the prospect of that future business.

11.5 SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS

Upon contract expiration, the Contractor shall have no property or possessor rights to any of the correspondence, files, or materials of whatever kind or description, or any copies of duplicates of such, whether developed or prepared by them or furnished to them by the Government in connection with the performance of the contract. Upon demand, the Contractor shall surrender immediately to the Government such items, matters, materials, and copies. In addition to the provisions, terms, and conditions relating to the deliverables stated in this contract (including hardware, software, and algorithmic code), the U.S. Government has rights set forth in FAR 52.227-17 Rights in Data—Special Works.

11.6 END OF CONTRACT TRANSITION

In the event this contract is terminated, expires, or is superseded for any reason, the Contractor shall be required to transition all services identified in this contract in such a way as to facilitate a smooth, professional, and business-like transition to full support by a new Contractor in accordance with FAR Clause 52.237-3. The Contractor shall begin the end of contract transition within 15 business days following notification of contract expiration. The Contractor shall perform the following activities in addition to transition planning and reporting.

11.6.1 Transition of Data and Files

The Contractor shall relinquish all files and documentation related to this contract, regardless of the media it is stored on (including paper, tape, diskette, CD, etc.) to the CDFI Fund.

11.6.2 Transition of Explicit and Tacit Knowledge

The Contractor shall transition all explicit and tacit knowledge, regardless of the source or method used (including processes, procedures, and methods) related to this contract to the CDFI Fund.

12.0 FEDERAL HOLIDAYS

The following are federal holidays observed by the CDFI Fund:

New Year’s Day Labor Day Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Columbus Day President’s Day Veterans’ Day Memorial Day Juneteenth National Independence Day Thanksgiving Day Independence Day Christmas Day

Holidays that fall on Saturday are observed on the previous Friday. Holidays that fall on Sunday are observed on the following Monday. Holidays shall also include any additional day(s) granted by Executive Order, which can be viewed on the Office of Personnel website at Federal Holidays (opm.gov).

13.0 CONTRACTING OFFICER AUTHORITY

In no event shall any understanding or agreement between the Contractor and any Government employee other than the Contracting Officer on any order modifications, change orders, letter or verbal direction to the Contractor be effective or binding upon the Government. All such actions shall be formalized by the proper contractual document executed by the appointed Contracting Officer. The Contractor is hereby put on notice in the event a Government employee other than the Contracting Officer directs a change in the work to be performed or increases the scope of work to be performed, as described in DTAR 1052.201-70(c)(1-6); it is the Contractor’s responsibility to make inquiry to the Contracting Officer no later than the beginning of the next Government work day before making the deviation. Payments will not be made without being authorized by the appointed Contracting Officer with the legal authority to bind the Government.

14.0 QUALITY CONTROL PLAN (QCP)

The Contractor shall establish a complete internal QCP for each individual task order that includes methods for monitoring, identifying, and correcting deficiencies for each performance category. The QCP shall be maintained by the Contractor for them to ensure the requirements of the contract and each task order are met as specified in the task order’s Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP). The Contractor shall report any performance issues that they found immediately to the COR for discussing remediation options.

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/#url=2022

15.0 QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE PLAN (QASP)

The Government will evaluate the Contractor's performance in accordance with the Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) identified within each task order. The purpose of the QASP is to ensure reliable, uninterrupted services are provided in accordance with the PWS. This plan shall also ensure acceptable performance and assist in avoiding unnecessary mistakes and/or delays.

16.0 ORDERING PROCEDURES UNDER THE BLANKET PURCHASE AGREEMENT (BPA)

This BPA provides for the general terms and conditions between the Bureau of the Fiscal Service and the Contractor (BPA Holder). This BPA is effective upon signature of the Contracting Officer (CO) and the Contractor for a base period of 12 months and two (2) 12-month option periods or the expiration date of the Contractor’s GSA schedule contract, whichever occurs first. Obligation is only incurred against this BPA when a BPA Order is placed on a firm-fixed price basis.

16.1 ORDER OF PRECEDENCE

All BPA Orders are subject to the terms and conditions of the BPA. In the event of conflict between a BPA task order and the BPA, the BPA will take precedence.

16.2 ORDERING OFFICIALS

Only warranted Contracting Officers from the Bureau of the Fiscal Service are allowed to place BPA task orders against the awarded BPA. The Contractor shall not provide any services without receiving a fully executed BPA task order signed by a CO. The Contracting Officer reserves the right to request additional pricing discounts.

16.3 SINGLE AWARD BPA ORDERS

BPA task orders will be directed to the successful Contractor and will not be synopsized.

16.4 BPA ORDERING PROCEDURES

a. Types of Task Orders: The following types of task orders may be issued when there is a need:

1. Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) Task Order: A task order that addresses a reasonably definite requirement for which there are one or more tangible tasks and corresponding deliverables that can be accomplished under a defined duration of work with a reasonable degree of confidence. This type of order can include a not-to-exceed line item for travel cost or services, as long as it doesn't exceed 49% of the total task order amount.

2. Labor-Hour (LH) Task Order: This is a task order that addresses a requirement where there is no Other Direct Cost (ODC) and it is not possible at the time of placing the task order to accurately estimate the extent or duration of the work or anticipate costs with any reasonable degree of confidence. No materials are necessary in the performance of the work. Labor-Hour task orders shall be issued with a not-to-exceed ceiling price, which includes estimated levels of effort or work hours per Contractor employee labor category or for non-employee subcontracted services/labor. The Government shall be invoiced only for actual hours expended on task order work. The Contractor shall never exceed the not-to-exceed dollar amounts established under this BPA or any task order issued hereunder.

Contractor employee hours are limited to 40 hours per week. All hours worked in excess of 40 hours per week shall be approved in advance in writing by the COR.

All Contractor invoices shall include the appropriate signed and/or certified employee time sheets that support the hours being billed.

b. Request for Quote: When information data collection and reporting strategy services are required within the scope of work of this BPA, the Ordering Official will issue a Request for Quote (RFQ) in accordance with FAR Part 8.405-3 specifying the following, at a minimum:

1. BPA holder’s contract number.

2. A description of the work to be performed in the form of tasks and corresponding deliverables.

3. Timeframe(s)/milestone(s) for the work to be completed.

4. Acquisition Type (firm-fixed price or labor hour)

5. Place(s) of performance, including number of required visits per location and duration of time, if possible.

6. Any other specifics (i.e., additional key personnel qualifications, security requirements, government-furnished property, or information).

7. Task order QASP.

8. Pricing template in Microsoft Excel format.

9. Technical response format.

10. Due date for quote.

The RFQ does not commit the Government to pay any costs incurred in the submission of any quote, nor does it commit the Government to issue a BPA task order for such services. The Government intends for each RFQ to result in the award of a BPA task order; however, there is no guarantee that a BPA task order shall be issued in every case.

16.5 BPA HOLDER’S TASK ORDER QUOTE

The BPA Holder shall provide a quote on or before the due date as specified in the BPA task order RFQ that shall consist of the following:

a. Technical Approach: Describing how they will accomplish the tasks and corresponding deliverables in the BPA Order’s PWS.

b. Key Personnel and Personnel: Identification of Key Personnel and Personnel in a Staffing Plan that:

i. Identifies key personnel (i.e. project managers) and personnel that will be performing work under the BPA task order that meet the qualification identified in the Base BPA contract PWS Section 8.0 (resume, certificates, work examples on projects similar in scope, size, duration and complexity), inclusive of job descriptions for each.

ii. Identification of subcontractors and/or Contractor Teaming Arrangements with other firms to bring additional expertise.

iii. Subcontracting Plan/Contractor Teaming Arrangements, including a matrix outlining the roles and responsibilities of the subcontractor(s)/Contractor Teaming Arrangements for the BPA task order.

Note: Please be sure to clearly identify who is/are the "key personnel" and “personnel” at the BPA task order level in the quote and provide clear and sufficient information on how they meet the required minimum qualifications in PWS Section 8.0 and any additional qualifications identified in the task order.

c. Work Plan & Schedule: A Work Plan & Schedule that identifies a list of activities to be performed, milestones, duration of activity, deliverable due dates, and personnel involved in each activity in support of working toward completing a task or deliverable identified in the BPA task order’s PWS.

d. Quality Control Plan: A complete internal QCP for the BPA task order that includes methods for monitoring, identifying, and correcting deficiencies for each performance category in the QASP. The QCP shall be maintained by the Contractor to ensure the requirements of the BPA task order are met as specified in the task order Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP). The Contractor shall report any performance issues found immediately to the COR for discussing remediation options.

e. Pricing

(1) Firm-Fixed-Price (for FFP task orders): The BPA Holder’s quote for firm-fixed-price task orders shall also consist of the following, unless otherwise specified in the request:

i. A list of labor categories and rates in accordance with their BPA (Attachment A

– Labor Categories & Fully Loaded Firm-Fixed Labor Rates) that will be used to perform the work under the BPA task order, number of personnel per labor category, and level of effort (hours) to be used for each task and corresponding deliverable listed in the BPA task order’s PWS that shows how they arrived at their firm-fixed-price.

ii. Travel costs, when applicable, for the BPA task order shall be in accordance with the Contractor’s GSA contract and Federal Travel Regulations and either be invoiced as part of the BPA Holder’s firm-fixed-price for the BPA task order or within the awarded not-to-exceed amount with prior COR approval.