Section C-001 - IDIQ PWS 20 JUL 2023.pdf

U.S. Department of State Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement

Bureau of Political-Military Affairs

Performance Work Statement

Worldwide Conventional Weapons Destruction

July 20, 2023

1.0 INTRODUCTION

The Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement (PM/WRA) in the U.S. Department of State’s (DoS) Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, oversees all U.S. Department of State Conventional Weapons Destruction (CWD) efforts. The U.S. Department of State provides CWD assistance to more than three-dozen countries globally. This assistance plays a critical role preventing nefarious actors from obtaining weapons and ammunition, enabling displaced communities to return to their homes after conflicts, facilitating economic development, enabling delivery of basic services, strengthening human security, and bolstering the capacity of our allies across the globe to manage arms and ammunition safely and securely. CWD is a foreign assistance program which comprises two main lines of effort: 1) Humanitarian Mine Action (HMA), and 2) Small Arms/Light Weapons (SA/LW) threat reduction.

HMA assistance includes clearance of landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW;

e.g. unexploded ordnance, improvised explosive devices, and abandoned ordnance); non-technical and technical survey to identify land contaminated by landmines and ERW;

explosive ordnance risk education (EORE) for civilian populations vulnerable to the threats posed by landmines and ERW; medical, rehabilitative, psycho-social, and vocational assistance to survivors of landmine and/or ERW accidents; and capacity building for host nation governments to conduct survey, clearance, and EORE activities independent of sustained U.S. assistance programming.

SA/LW threat reduction assistance includes helping host nation security forces to differentiate obsolete, aging, unstable, and excess munitions from usable stockpiles;

destroying obsolete/aging/unstable/excess munitions; strengthening munitions stockpile facilities with enhanced security measures and other physical infrastructure improvements; developing basic munitions inventory control systems; and building sustainable host government capacity in physical security and stockpile management

(PSSM).

CWD assistance projects are typically executed through commercial contractors, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), educational institutions, public international organizations, host nation government entities, or a consortium involving one or more of the above. Selection between these options is at PM/WRA’s discretion and based on ability to execute specific program objectives and to achieve broader U.S. Government (USG) foreign policy objectives in specific environments under specific conditions.

In general, but not exclusively so, the DoS contractor will be relied upon to carry out critical worldwide CWD functions including landmine, unexploded ordnance (UXO) , abandoned ordnance (AXO) and IED survey, clearance, and EORE in post-conflict environments; weapons and ammunition destruction and demilitarization, PSSM improvements including construction and upgrades of munitions storage facilities, and building local capacity to conduct CWD activities and advising host nation government entities which may entail construction of appropriate training facilities. The intent is to ensure and enhance appropriate institution building and technology/materiel transfer. U.S.-based, international, and/or local NGOs will be relied upon when they offer significant comparative advantages such as access to established local networks, serve to diversify USG investments and risks, or when other capabilities are limited or unavailable. Refer to PM/WRA’s annual report in Attachment B - “To Walk the Earth in Safety” for further information on the CWD program.

2.0 OBJECTIVE

The objective of this contract is to acquire and receive supplies and services from the Contractor for worldwide CWD activities as directed by PM/WRA. Tasks may include planning, organizing, training, deploying and operating contractor work parties to locate, destroy, safeguard, or remove landmines, SA/LW -- including advanced systems like Man Portable Air Defense Systems (MANPADS) and Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGMs), conventional ammunition, and to provide EORE.

3.0 REQUIREMENTS

1. The Contractor shall meet the challenges of responding to worldwide CWD services and supplies. The Contractor shall anticipate unknowns as well as changes in the geopolitical environment and manage risk during performance of tasks under this contract. The Contractor shall maintain open and frequent communications with PM/WRA while responding in the most efficient and effective manner under each task order. The Contractor shall anticipate the requirements to respond to simultaneous task orders.

2. While most Task Orders are issued with adequate notice, some task orders, such as those for weapon destruction activities, may be issued by PM/WRA on short notice or issued on an urgent or priority basis to support urgent foreign policy goals and objectives. The Contractor shall be flexible and agile in responding to any requirement including those requirements that may of necessity be changed.

3. CWD assistance projects are frequently executed in remote, challenging, and inhospitable environments without public utilities, limited communications, poor infrastructure, and sometimes under semi-permissive security conditions. The Contractor shall be capable of independently planning and executing all logistical arrangements necessary to perform the work required by individual task orders without reliance on U.S. government logistical networks or other U.S. government resources.

4. Humanitarian Mine Action: The Contractor shall provide qualified and experienced personnel for each task order, capable of performing HMA to include: Humanitarian Demining (HD) such as survey, mapping, clearance, marking and handover of cleared land, use of mine detection dogs (MDDs) or other technologies as appropriate, providing supplies and equipment, training, technical assistance and capacity building within host nations; constructing HMA-related infrastructure (such as training facilities) for use by host government personnel; EORE such as public information dissemination, education and training and community mine action liaison all designed to reduce the risk of injury from mines and ERW by raising awareness and promoting behavioral change; capacity building within host nations regarding national mine action authorities regarding victim assistance coordination and the ability to support minimum victim support; and survivor/victim assistance such as casualty data collection, emergency and continuing medical care, physical and psychological rehabilitation, social and economic reintegration, and support for laws and public policies to ensure the full and equal integration and participation of survivors, their families, and communities in society. All HMA and HMA-related work shall be performed in compliance with International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) and host nation mine action standards. To the extent the contractor intends to incorporate use of animal detection systems (ADS), such as mine detecting dogs, under any task order issued pursuant to this contract, the contractor shall submit as part of its task order proposal a comprehensive plan for ensuring the safety, health, and wellbeing of all ADS employed under the task order. The plan and subsequent reports should address as appropriate the 18 issues identified by GAO as important to working dog health and welfare in GAO-23-104489 (October 2022):

a. Abuse and neglect

b. Emergency medical care

c. Euthanasia

d. Exercise

e. Food and water

f. Grooming

g. Health and welfare training

h. Housing

i. Medical needs after retirement

j. Medical records

k. Medication

l. Procurement

m. Rest and length of on-duty time

n. Retirement

o. Routine veterinary care

p. Routine welfare evaluations

q. Sanitation

r. Transportation

5. Munitions Disposal: The Contractor shall provide qualified and experienced personnel for each task order, capable of performing weapons removal, abatement and destruction operations to include: HMA and mitigation of ERW, small arms and light weapons (SA/LW) (including man-portable air defense systems, or MANPADS and anti-tank guided munitions) and conventional ammunition and explosives. These CWD operations may address stockpiles of excess or unserviceable weapons and excess or unstable ammunition and may include industrial demilitarization, explosive ordnance disposal operations, recycling/reusing residue from these procedures, detailed verification of such operations, and building host nation capacity to independently carry-out munitions disposal operations safely and effectively through construction of appropriate disposal facilities, equipment procurement, and training. For all operations, the Contractor shall alert PM/WRA immediately of any MANPADS or other conventional weapons system of high value, and provide as much photographic and forensic evidence as possible such as serial numbers, markings, nomenclature, and place of manufacture, condition, location, and place/date of transfer of missiles and/or grip stocks.

6. Physical Security and Stockpile Management (PSSM): The Contractor shall provide qualified personnel experienced in PSSM for: explosive ordnance and ammunition handling and disposal, SA/LW and other conventional weapons systems, MANPADS, and other explosive material. These operations may include evaluating national and site-specific storage facilities and procedures to assess safety, security, and needs; the provision and/or installation of PSSM infrastructure upgrades to reduce the threats of illicit proliferation and accidental explosion; and detailed verification of such operations. The Contractor shall ensure that appropriate security practices are in place and that management tools are available to allow for accountability of inventory. PSSM activities may entail refurbishment of existing stockpile facilities, physical security enhancements at existing stockpile facilities, and construction of new stockpile storage and related facilities and infrastructure.

7. Train and/or Advise Host Nations: The Contractor shall provide qualified personnel for the CWD activities outlined above who are also capable of advising, training and overseeing host nation officials and host nation personnel in the above activities. This would include the ability to assist host nations to develop capabilities and build capacity to become self-sufficient or to achieve goals, objectives, or end states as outlined by PM/WRA. Capacity building includes at a minimum: management oversight, financial tracking, technical expertise, logistics capability, data information development and upkeep, mine center development, staffing, surveying, victims assistance, and mine risk education. All capacity building to support HMA capabilities must be geared to provide national capabilities that are in line with IMAS. Training and advising host nation personnel may also require construction of appropriate facilities to support delivery of training/advisory services.

8. Processes and Procedures Reflect Industry and International Best Practices

a. All processes and procedures shall reflect and conform to industry and international best practices. The Contractor shall ensure that all personnel are adequately trained and equipped.

9. Personnel

a. Key Personnel – The Contractor shall identify those individuals it considers Key Personnel for providing worldwide CWD services and supplies and carrying out the objective of this contract. Key Personnel shall meet or exceed the qualifications identified and be substantiated in resumes submitted. Key personnel must be available within 30 days of task order award. Stability of the workforce is important to the Government, therefore, replacements for key personnel must be provided to the CO and COR for acceptance within 14 days of position vacancy.

If requested, the Contractor shall also provide qualified and experienced personnel capable of supporting PM/WRA goals and objectives through non-personal service activities such as support for publications, conferences, meetings, or other such activities as directed by PM/WRA.

b. Technical Expertise – Recruit, train, and maintain adequate technical expertise required in the full performance of activities necessary to support CWD. These technical experts must be capable of working with host nations and others to provide or enhance capacity building and training in support of specific joint host nation and PM/WRA CWD goals and objectives. Capacity building includes management oversight, financial tracking, technical expertise, logistics capability, data information development and upkeep, mine center development, staffing, surveying for operational demining, victims assistance, and mine risk education opportunities for affected communities.

c. Subject Matter Experts - The Contractor is expected to have subject matter expertise in the area of CWD operations, and shipment of personnel and equipment to worldwide locations, and knowledge of various guides, standards, policies and laws governing actions related thereto, including industry and international best practices. However, the Contractor shall keep up to date on new policies, standards and laws throughout performance under this contract. Individual Task Orders may refer or invoke other documents.

d. Qualified Staff - The Contractor shall ensure that there is adequate, well-qualified staff able to be at any designated worldwide location and fully operational within 30 days or as directed in each individual task order.

Adequate staff shall be available throughout the duration of this contract and vacancies shall be filled within 30 days for non-key personnel.

Training shall be provided to ensure staffs are ready and fully qualified.

Staff shall be capable of performing physically demanding work in isolated and harsh environments. The Contractor shall provide appropriate security and/or medical screening for all personnel to ensure they are capable of performing without threat to themselves or others and without jeopardizing the success of any task order hereunder.

10. Resources: The Contractor shall ensure that there are adequate resources available to efficiently and effectively perform the requirements of this contract.

This shall include adequate resources to allow for simultaneous tasks of similar effort in various worldwide locations. Resource allocation and prioritization are the responsibility of the Contractor.

11. Management Ability

a. Coordinate and Cooperate with Honest Nations and Others: Provide coordination and cooperation with other actors associated with the PM/WRA program to maximize the efficiency of achieving PM/WRA goals and objectives. This would include host nations, NGOs and/or other contractors operating in the same or similar areas, and other governmental agencies. The Contractor shall ensure a smooth transition between ongoing efforts and any new or subsequent task order issued and smooth transition at completion of any activities.

b. Coordinate and Competently Manage Teams and Subcontractors: The Contractor shall provide overall coordination and management of team members and subcontractors to optimize available personnel and resources and efficiently execute the requirements of this contract and individual task orders issued hereunder. The Contractor shall be responsible for allocating resources, rewarding performance and taking corrective action as necessary.

12. Corporate Knowledge and Experience

a. Planning and Budgeting Processes: Provide close working relations with PM/WRA in the coordination, planning and prioritization of task orders issued under this contract. This includes understanding and support for the PM/WRA planning process and budgeting cycles. The Contractor shall be responsible for clearly understanding all Task Order requirements, pricing task order’s appropriately, managing them efficiently, correcting any misunderstandings and preventing errors from being repeated.

b. In-Country Requirements: The Contractor shall be fully responsible for securing appropriate in-country approvals, certifications, accreditations, agreements, and/or other required host country documents within 30 days or as directed in each individual task order to permit full operational performance and prevent unnecessary delays.

c. Culture and Customs of Other Countries: The Contractor shall have firm knowledge of and experience in the cultural aspects and customs of various countries in order to avoid personnel and operational conflicts and permit efficient operations in countries in which they are expected to perform.

13. The Contractor shall provide medical services, support and transport, if required, for all personnel. The Contractor shall provide casualty treatment to stabilize large-scale shrapnel damage or traumatic amputation within five (5) minutes of occurrence. The Contractor shall be responsible for making arrangements by the most expeditious and practical means available for casualty evacuation to a medical facility or hospital. The Contractor shall incorporate in their proposals in response to each task order a primary and secondary plan for the evacuation of personnel for medical reasons in the conduct of CWD programs. The Contractor shall conform to the insurance requirements under this contract.

14. Communications/Signage/Logos/Press Releases

a. The Contractor shall establish reliable communications between work parties, headquarters, host nations, PM/WRA and others as appropriate to ensure activities are well coordinated and that results are efficiently achieved. This shall include adequate medical communications.

b. The Contractor shall be knowledgeable in local languages or provide interpreters to ensure effective communications with and between teams in the field, the Contractor, medical support, local residents, host nation authorities, and U.S. government officials.

c. The Contractor shall ensure that all signage at work sites, all vehicles and equipment, all printed MRE materials, caps and apparel related to the project, include an accurate, full-color reproduction of the U.S. flag, unless there is a specific security risk in doing so. All press releases generated by the Contractor (domestic or in the local area), interviews with print and electronic media, etc., must explicitly make clear that the project is funded by the US, and funded in particular by the State Department (DoS), PM/WRA.

d. Furthermore, all press releases that are generated by the Contractor related to the PM/WRA project should be provided in draft to the COR beforehand in order to ensure that they are accurate and correctly characterize PM/WRA’s role. Any photos of the project that are taken and disseminated and/or posted online by the Contractor should bear an explanatory caption that credits DoS PM/WRA for funding the project.

15. Logistics

a. The Contractor shall provide all the transportation, storage and movement of Contractor personnel, all necessary supplies, materials, equipment, explosives, medical and security support to conduct independent operations. The Contractor shall have knowledge and experience with export and import laws and regulations including those applicable to defensive articles and technologies. The Contractor shall have no expectation of favorable treatment or expedited processing by U.S. government licensing and regulatory authorities.

b. The Contractor shall provide logistics and administrative support necessary for all task order operations including appropriate accommodations to house and feed personnel and store necessary equipment and supplies. This shall include any office space, communications centers or field operational elements.

c. The Contractor shall provide for the acquisition of equipment, supplies and/or commodities, the delivery of the equipment, supplies, and/or commodities worldwide, and the maintenance of the equipment, supplies and/or commodities until final disposition as directed by PM/WRA.

Purchases may include “equipment drops” delivered to various countries as identified in individual task orders and include for their safe transportation, maintenance, storage and final delivery.

d. The Contractor shall be required to maintain and report on the Equipment/Commodities Inventory Attachment F. Where possible and cost effective, local procurement of supplies, commodities and equipment including explosives, shall be considered. All supplies, commodities and equipment purchased should follow competitive procurement policies as applicable. Deliveries may require Contractor training to host nations.

e. The Contractor shall have no expectation that U.S. Government logistical capabilities and networks, such as MilAir or diplomatic pouch courier services, will be available to the Contractor to execute any work performed pursuant to this contract. While the Government may authorize the Contractor to access U.S. Government logistical networks under rare and exceptional circumstances, such authorization will be at the Government’s sole discretion.

16. Safety, Security and Medical Support: The Contractor shall be held solely responsible for the safety of its staff and any third-party present during the execution of this contract. Although missions shall generally be performed in permissive environments, the Contractor should be capable of providing security as required based on the threat. The Contractor shall ensure that:

a. Safety procedures followed during the execution of the contract are consistent with international and industry best practices and to the most current versions of IMAS and host nation mine action standards, as required.

b. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), communications, medical support and emergency transport are available. Guidance on these aspects also found in most current versions of IMAS.

c. Any person present during field operations is familiar with and adheres to standard operating safety procedures, to include the wearing of appropriate protective equipment.

d. Work at any site ceases immediately in any instance where any of the safety criteria is not fulfilled and does not resume again until all criteria are met.

e. Adequate measures are taken to safeguard personnel, protect property and safeguard against sabotage, damage and theft of all material, supplies, and equipment provided for under this contract and individual task orders. This shall include the safe storage and handling of explosives, and demolitions-rated materials such as primers, detonating caps and detonation cord.

f. If the Contractor encounters suspected chemical, biological, and radiological (CBR) items during performance of CWD efforts, the Contractor shall notify the GTM, COR, and the host nation and take necessary and immediate action to protect personnel and property.

4.0 DELIVERABLES

• The Contractor shall provide the CO, COR, and the GTM, one electronic copy of a comprehensive monthly summary including the information discussed in task-order specific weekly reports, as well as:

o Dollar amount obligated to the contract vehicle, to-date;

o Amount of funds expended during the reporting month;

o Total dollar amount expended to date under the contract vehicle;

o Estimated total dollar amount expended at end of contract year;

o Total unexpended funds on the contract vehicle;

o Summary of activities performed during the reporting period, including any anticipated issues or setbacks to contract activities and proposed solutions.

• Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan: The Contractor shall submit and maintain their own Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) for measuring performance on each task order. This plan shall be designed to capture the Contractor’s unique approach to providing outstanding CWD services worldwide.

It should include desired outcomes, required services/tasks performance standards, acceptable quality levels, and monitoring methods/surveillance. This plan shall be reviewed and considered in the development of a live QASP. The plan is to be considered incorporated to the specified task order.

• Resumes: The Contractor shall provide the resumes of all proposed key management and field personnel when submitting proposals to the Contracting Officer for task order requests for proposal. Of particular interest are the credentials of the task leader, field supervisors, EOD, HMA and other technical specialists such as but not limited to master mine detection dog handler, PSSM experts, and host country advisors. These personnel must have considerable field experience with the aforementioned operations.

• Insurance: The Contractor shall ensure that all contractor personnel used to execute services under this contract are adequately covered by insurance.

Contractor insurance coverage shall comply with the provisions issued by the controlling legal authority in the host nation and receiving nation(s) against any service-related illness, injuries, death or disability, and third-party liability. The Contractor shall submit proof of such insurance to the Contracting Officer before commencing action under any awarded task order.

• Reports and Invoices: At a minimum, the Contractor shall provide one paper or electronic copy of each report to the cognizant Government Technical Monitor (GTM). Due dates and number of copies are outlined below and may be supplemented or further specified in individual task orders. Formats will generally be left to the Contractor who should be able to display his particular information in a meaningful way. If the format is not acceptable by the Government, then the Government reserves the right to mandate the format to be used.

• Routine Progress Reports, Invoices, Estimates to and at Completion (ETCs&EACs) o The Contractor shall provide routine progress reports (weekly, monthly and/or quarterly. These reports shall be in sufficient detail to allow the government to clearly understand progress achieved and the reasonableness of costs incurred. It shall also include performance metrics and monitoring in accordance with the task order’s QASP. (See Attachment H for Sample Progress Report.)

o Invoices specifically require review by the GTM and approval of the COR prior to payment. Timely submittal of routine invoices is a necessary condition of this contract and any report or invoice that is delinquent or inadequate may be sufficient to report negative past performance to the Contracting Officer. Continuously deficient performance or improper conduct on the part of contract personnel may result in the termination of the contract. Invoices must show current billing and cumulative billing to date. Large invoices and attachments must be sent via email as a WinZip file.

o When submitting 75% letters to the Contracting Officer, The Contractor must also submit a ETC and EAC.

• Adverse Incident Reports: Adverse incident reports defined at a minimum to include casualties, theft, malfeasance, negative encounters with host nationals and security breaches are due immediately after an incident occurs. One copy should be delivered immediately via email or the most expeditious means to the cognizant GTM.

• Lessons Learned Report: Within two weeks after the completion of each Task Order’s performance period, the Contractor shall provide a lessons learned report and seek disposition instructions of any equipment remaining under said Task Order. One copy should be delivered to the cognizant GTM.

• Transition Plans: The Contractor shall provide general outlines for incoming and outgoing transition plans with his proposal. One copy of detailed incoming and outgoing transition plans shall be submitted to the cognizant GTM within 30 days for each individual task order award.

• Special Reports: Special reports may be requested as the circumstances dictate or as identified in individual Task Orders.

• Final Report: The Contractor shall be required to provide one copy of a final report within 30 days of completion of the contract to the cognizant GTM.

• Close Out Plan: No later than sixty (60) days prior to the expiration of a task order’s current period, the Contractor shall provide one copy of a close-out plan to the cognizant GTM with milestones that details follow on disposition of material in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 45, Government Property.

5.0 PERIOD AND PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

The effective date commences the IDIQ’s five-year ordering period. The place of performance is to be defined at the task order level. See Sections F-006 and F-007 for more information.

(End of Section C-001)