Sample Task Order 2 (FY23 SMEs and Trainers).pdf

**Please note: This sample task order may be the basis for a task order that will be awarded under the Base IDIQ. Offerors are encouraged to price accordingly.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

OFFICE OF EXPORT CONTROL COOPERATION (ISN/ECC)

EXBS SUPPORT SERVICES CONTRACT

Task Order Title: Strategic Trade Control Experts and Border Security

Trainers

Task Order Number: Sample Task Order 2

Statement of Work Date: February 21, 2023

1. Background

A. ISN/ECC manages the U.S. Department of State’s Export Control and Border Security

(EXBS) Program. The EXBS mission is to enhance U.S. national security by strengthening partner country capabilities to comply with international strategic trade control norms and enforcement best practices to prevent proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their delivery systems, as well as counter illicit trade in conventional weapons.

B. ISN/ECC has identified the requirement to have a Contractor provide well-qualified strategic trade control and border security experts to provide consultative services to EXBS partner governments on development of regulatory frameworks, implementation guidance, license evaluation criteria and SOPs, internal compliance guidelines, and other licensing and enforcement policies and procedures that underpin effective implementation of an interagency-based export control system. In addition, experts must be able to develop/tailor and deliver training courses, conduct assessments, present on trade control topics, including proliferation financing, sanctions, foreign direct investment, emerging technologies, and transshipment, as well as perform related support activities designed to advance the capabilities of EXBS partner countries to implement strategic trade controls and sanctions, control their borders, interdict illicit trafficking in WMD-related materials and conventional weapons, and comply with international best practices. The contractor also will be responsible for making all associated travel arrangements for these experts and trainers in accordance with all Federal Travel Regulation requirements.

2. Requirements

A. Purpose: ISN/ECC requires the Contractor to provide a pool of well qualified trainers and experts who can perform a variety of activities for the EXBS program and partner countries. These include, but are not limited to the following:

1. Sanctions and Trade Controls Expertise

a. Provide consultative services to EXBS partner governments, including by participating in bilateral virtual and in-person consultations, reviewing/revising legislative drafts, supporting institutional development objectives, informing risk assessment activities, conducting awareness raising workshops, and providing embedded mentorship, as required.

b. Deliver customized presentations to government and foreign industry partners on strategic trade controls topics including sanctions, internal compliance programs, control lists, regulatory frameworks, sanctions, FDI, and proliferation finance.

c. Design and deploy interactive engagements, including case-study based training and table-top exercises, to facilitate experiential learning.

d. Assess effectiveness of national STC implementation and utilization of

EXBS assistance in advancing national-level capabilities.

2. Border Security Expertise:

a. Provide consultative services to EXBS partner governments, including by participating in bilateral virtual and in-person consultations, supporting institutional development objectives, informing risk assessment activities, and providing embedded mentorship, as required.

b. Plan, prepare for, and deliver courses to partner country customs and border security officers.

c. Mentor partner country border security officials in effective implementation of border security best practices, including in targeting, inspection, detection, seizure, evidence collection, post-shipment audits, and investigations of illicit cross-border activities.

d. Assess partner border security capabilities (e.g., officers, procedures, and infrastructure) and recommend enhancements.

e. Evaluate training curricula of border security agencies/academies and recommend improvements.

3. All trainers and experts must

a. Participate in preparatory meetings with ISN/ECC.

b. Travel to EXBS partner countries to accomplish activities.

c. Behave in a manner consistent with principles of integrity and ethics and respectful of host government traditions and customs.

d. Draft comprehensive after-action reports following travel.

4. Travel

a. ISN/ECC requires the contractor to make and pay for all travel arrangements required for these experts to conduct activities in EXBS partner countries around the globe, to include airline travel, ground transport, lodging, meals, incidentals, DBA insurance, etc. all in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulation.

B. Parameters: The Contractor shall accomplish the following in order to fulfill the purpose of this SOW:

1. Subject Matter Experts:

a. Provide a pool of U.S and foreign trade control and sanctions experts who are available on an as-needed basis to conduct activities envisioned in this

SOW. Sanctions and trade control experts must have at least 10 years of experience in working strategic trade control matters for U.S. Government agencies, NGOs, contractors, or commercial entities. They also must have at least three years of recent experience in providing advice, support, training, consultations, and/or mentoring for foreign country officials

b. STC SMEs must be able to help partner government officials develop a variety of STC skills in export licensing, industry outreach, export enforcement, sanctions implementation, proliferation financing, and foreign direct investment fields.

c. Provide a pool of U.S. and foreign Border Security experts who are available on an as-needed basis to conduct activities envisioned in this

SOW. These Trainers must meet the following minimum requirements: ten or more years of field experience in performing U.S. border security activities (e.g., Customs, Border Patrol, HSI, BIS, DOJ, USCG, military);

five or more years of experience developing and delivering training; two or more years of experience in training foreign officers; a record of delivering training overseas; and capable of operating in an austere training environment.

d. Establish and maintain within the pool of experts the capacity to deliver border security training in all operating environments – i.e., border crossing points (BCPs), land borders between BCPs, airports, seaports, rivers, and littorals.

e. SMEs in the pool must be able to help partner government officers develop a variety of border security skills (front-line and supervisory) to include detecting and interdicting illicit trafficking in WMD-related materials, small arms, explosives, IEDs and components, and other contraband;

identifying illicit travel documents; detaining, questioning, and arresting suspected smugglers or illicit travelers; securing evidence and beginning the investigatory process; and targeting high risk shipments for close inspection.

f. Ensure some trainers in the pool are accredited to deliver World Customs

Organization-developed training such as the Strategic Trade Control

Enforcement Course and the Compendium on Customs Operational

Practices for Enforcement and Seizures (COPES).

2. Sanctions and Trade Controls Experts a.

The Implementer must:

a. Provide a standardized EXBS Trainer Request Form that includes the nature of the support, expected duration, location of the activity, unique for ISN/ECC to utilize to request training support.

b. Make all travel arrangements for experts and trainers per the following guidance:

i. The Contractor shall be responsible for ensuring that all experts and trainers have a current and valid passport. The Contractor shall be responsible for obtaining any visas and vaccinations required for

Trainer travel to foreign countries under this contract.

ii. The Government will reimburse the Contractor for the allowable travel costs incurred in performance of the contract in accordance with the

Federal Travel Regulations (FTR).

iii. The Contractor shall include a breakout of all authorized travel expenses as an attachment to its invoices. Travel must be directly related to and be required for performance of this contract.

iv. In no event shall costs associated with employees commuting to

CONUS work sites be reimbursable as a direct cost under this contract.

v. Travel costs shall not be burdened with any indirect costs unless such burdening is consistent with FAR 31 and the contractor's established or disclosed cost accounting practices. Any such burdening must be explained with supporting documentation.

vi. On flights over 14 hours, the U.S. Government will reimburse per diem

(i.e., housing and meals and incidental expenses [M&IE]) for an optional rest / preparation period up to 24 hours en route or upon arrival at the outbound destination. In lieu of a rest stop, the government will reimburse a day pass at a business class lounge. Government reimbursement for per diem will not exceed the dollar thresholds established in FTR.

vii. Travel and per diem charges are authorized for CONUS travel beyond a

50-mile radius of the Contractor employee's local place of performance whenever a task assignment requires work to be accomplished at a remote work site.

viii. No travel and per diem charges or associated labor charges for travel time shall be made for work performed at the Contractor's local office or any other work site within a 50-mile radius of the contractor employee's local place of performance.

ix. For travel where use of a personal automobile has been specifically authorized by the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), reimbursement shall be computed on the basis of actual miles traveled from starting point to destination. Other related miscellaneous expenses, such as tolls and parking fees, incurred in the performance of tasks authorized under this contract, will be reimbursed. Car rentals require advance written approval by the COR and will be authorized only when consistent with good business practice and shall not exceed the actual cost of renting a compact automobile (maximum of one automobile for five contractor personnel), unless extenuating circumstances (e.g., excess baggage) require other arrangements and subsequent COR approval is obtained.

x. Other Direct Costs (ODC): The Contractor may be required to procure additional supplies and services. Any equipment or supplies purchased will become government- owned. Examples of situations where ODCs can be utilized are emergency medical and dental care for trainers during international training, incidental supplies and services required to expedite overseas or domestic training, or exigent circumstances that require additional resources in complex overseas environments. All

ODCs shall be approved by the COR in advance. ODC shall not be burdened with any indirect costs unless such burdening is consistent with FAR 31 and the Contractor's established or disclosed cost accounting practices. Any such burdening must be explained with supporting documentation.

xi. All travel costs will be in accordance with Federal Acquisition

Regulations, Federal Travel Regulations and applicable State

Department policies.

C. Process

1. There will be approximately 30 events involving at least 15 partner countries, based on prior year activities and the expected workload required in the coming years.

2. For each training, ISN/ECC will complete an EXBS Trainer Request Form and provide it to the Contractor for pricing.

3. For each EXBS Trainer Request Form that ISN/ECC submits, the Contractor will provide a cost proposal including all applicable labor and travel costs and fees. Training support activities and travel arrangements may begin after obtaining written COR approval of the cost proposal.

4. If applicable, ISN/ECC will provide course materials to the Contractor within one week of cost proposal approval.

5. EXBS Field Staff will make all the logistics arrangements associated with in-country consultations, course deliveries, mentoring, assessments, etc.

Contractor must coordinate initially with ISN/ECC Country Program

Managers before reaching out to EXBS Advisors and/or Program

Coordinators to coordinate planned training activities.

6. SMEs will administer a training survey provided by ISN/ECC (Attachment C) at the end of each course delivery and contribute to EXBS Impact Assessment

Tool following each engagement

7. Once the training activity is completed, SMEs will accomplish an after action report in the format directed by ISN/ECC (template at Attachment D.) and

Contractor will submit to ISN/ECC within two work weeks of completing the training activity.

8. The Contractor must be prepared to be flexible in implementing this task order.

D. Key Personnel Categories: This effort will require a Program Manager and a Project

Manager in accordance with the Base Services IDIQ.

E. Additional Personnel: In addition, the Contractor will provide for no fewer than sixteen

(16) Trainers/Experts meeting the requirements laid out above. The contractor may propose additional support personnel.

1. The Contractor will provide a list of current Approved Trainers quarterly for

ISN/ECC review.

2. If the list of Approved Trainers available for ISN/ECC training needs falls below the minimum threshold of trainers for either Border Security (8) or

Sanctions and Trade Controls (4), the Contractor will provide the resumes of three prospective trainers for ISN/ECC to review for each Approved Trainer below the threshold.

F. Constraints: The Contractor may not recommend follow-on activities to event participants without express authorization from the Contract Officer. Examples of prohibited activities include, but are not limited to placing the Contractor’s logo on travel materials; advertising Contractor services or touting Contractor past performance in presentations to, or conversations with, foreign participants; and initiating conversations with event participants to promote Contractor services.

G. Acceptance Criteria: The COR will review individual itineraries, tickets, and reservations for their completeness, accuracy, format, and acceptable content. The

Contractor shall correct any deficiencies within established program guidelines as directed by the CO/COR and shall resubmit the deliverable item no later than a mutually-agreed upon date. The CO with assistance from the COR for this requirement must approve requests for correction of these deliverables which require exceptions to established program guidelines. The COR will also review all other deliverables under this requirement for completeness, accuracy, format, and acceptable content. The

Contractor shall correct any deficiencies within established program guidelines as directed by the COR and shall resubmit the deliverable item no later than a mutually-agreed upon date.

H. Quality Control Plan: The Contractor, not the U.S. Government, is responsible for providing quality control services that meet the performance standards set forth in this contract. The Contractor shall develop and maintain a Quality Control Plan (QCP).

1. The QCP shall enumerate well-defined and understood lines of authority, responsibility, and accountability for performing and monitoring work performed under this contract. The QCP shall list the quality control procedures (i.e., examinations, inspections, and audits) the Contractor shall employ to ensure the services conform to contract requirements and meet the mission and objective of the EXBS program. The frequency of the reviews and inspections shall be not less than semiannually. The COR shall be notified

(via e-mail) no less than seven (7) calendar days in advance of any planned

QC procedures being employed.

2. The Government will perform periodic inspections to ensure that the services conform to prescribed requirements. Quarterly program reviews by the

Government will include a discussion of quality, service, schedule, cost control, business relations, management and other important areas.

3. Deliverables

A. Monthly Status Report: The Contractor shall submit Monthly Status Reports (MSRs) to the COR. Reports shall include at a minimum:

1. Use of funding including: funds expended to date; estimates of future expenditures by month; and an assessment of whether the remaining funds will be utilized by the end of the period of performance;

2. Track funding by the associated partner country;

3. Making necessary travel arrangements, to include airline tickets, hotel reservations, visas, and local ground transportation; and

4. Issues – description of any issues/problems encountered in task execution and a discussion of the steps taken (or that will be taken) to overcome the issue/problem in order to comply with all task terms and conditions specified in this Statement of Work and the Contractor’s proposal

5. The MSR shall provide information on work completed, work in progress and work outstanding, as well as highlighting cost, schedule and performance issues encountered or anticipated.

6. Submit a draft version of the Monthly Status Report within five (5) working days following each month to the COR. The COR will respond within five

(5) working days with comments. The Contractor shall incorporate the comments within five (5) working days. For final deliverables, the COR will either accept or reject them within five (5) working days of submission.

7. In the event of rejection, the COR will notify the Contractor in writing of the reasons for such rejection. Absence of notification will be construed as an acceptance.

B. Meetings and Teleconferences: The Contractor shall be responsible for scheduling and managing monthly teleconferences directed by the COR that are required in the performance of the contract. The Contractor shall be responsible for taking the meeting minutes. The Contractor shall create a template which shall be submitted to the COR for review, comment and approval five days before the first meeting. The Contractor shall provide the meeting minutes to the COR within three (3) working days following the meeting or teleconference. The basic template should consist of the following information:

1. Date and time of the meeting;

2. The purpose of the meeting;

3. Program components discussed;

4. The meeting lead or chair’s name;

5. Assigned action items;

6. Decisions made.

C. Quality Control Deliverable: Within thirty (30) calendar days of completing a QC inspection the Contractor shall provide (via e-mail) a written report to the CO and COR, documenting the performance and completion of such inspection/review, describing the scope of the work related to the reviewed operations and any identified deficiencies. If any deficiencies were identified during this inspection/review, the Contractor shall also submit with their report a written Corrective Action Plan identifying specific, measurable corrective action with an associated implementation timeline to the CO and

COR. The Contractor shall ensure timely implementation of all corrective action(s) and track the completion of such corrective actions in their monthly program management report.

D. Tailored course materials: Within thirty (30) calendar days of provision of off the shelf course materials, Contractor will provide revised course materials that are tailored for the recipient partner country.

E. After Action Report: Within two weeks of completion of a training activity, Contractor will provide an after action report documenting the results of the activity.

4. Place of Performance

Training activities will take place at various locations in ISN/ECC partner countries. Periodic planning and follow-up sessions will be required from time to time at ISN/ECC’s Washington, DC office, as deemed necessary by the COR or the Program Managers.

5. Period of Performance

Base Year: TBD

Option Year 1: TBD

Option Year 2: TBD

Option Year 3: TBD

Option Year 4: TBD

Performance Standards

The Contractor shall adhere to the following minimum performance standards in executing this task order:

Performance

Objective

Performance

Standard/Thresholds

Frequency of

Surveillance

Effective communication

Contractor responds to

GTM/COR emails and phone calls within one (1) working day

Periodic communication

Monthly Status

Report

Draft report provided to the

COR within five (5) working

Monthly days of the end of the month

95% of the time

Respond to COR comments within five (5) working days of receipt 95% of the time

Meeting and teleconference summaries

Draft report provided to the

COR within three (3) working days 95% of the time.

Draft report is 95% accurate.

After every meeting or teleconference

Quality Control and

Inspections

Plan – within thirty (30) calendar days of contract award.

Inspections – within thirty

(30) calendar days of completing such inspection

Via e-mail a written report to the COR and CO, documenting the completion of such inspection, describing the scope and any identified deficiencies.

Periodic communication