SOW Digital Audio Recording Civil Courts - FINAL.pdf

Procurement Sensitive: Unauthorized disclosure of this information violates the Procurement Integrity Act.

See FAR 3.104

U.S. Department of State (DoS)

Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs

U.S. Embassy Nassau, The Bahamas

Digital Audio Recording System for the Civil Courts

Procurement Sensitive: Unauthorized disclosure of this information violates the Procurement Integrity Act.

SECTION 1

SOLICITATION CONSIDERATIONS

1.1 SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT

This solicitation requires registration with the System for Award Management (SAM) prior to award, pursuant to FAR 4.1102 and other applicable regulations and guidelines. Information can be found at www.sam.gov.

1.2 TRADE AGREEMENTS ACT (19 U.S.C. 2512(A)) (TAA)

Pursuant to the Trade Agreements Act (19 U.S.C. 2512(a)) (TAA), Federal acquisitions of supplies may be made only from offerors that shall supply products of an eligible country under any of the free trade agreements entered into pursuant to the TAA. An article is considered a product of a country only if it is wholly a product of that country or if it has been, substantially transformed, in that country into a new and different article of commerce with a name, character, or use distinct from that of the original article(s). Note that any item that is a discreet article as it is sold in commerce, regardless of its ultimate function or use, cannot be considered, substantially transformed, and based solely on its integration into IT or other systems.

1.3 UNAUTHORIZED DISCLOSURE

The Contractor and its employees shall exercise the utmost discretion concerning all matters relating to their duties and functions. They shall not communicate to any person any information known to them by reason of their performance of services under this contract, which has not been made public, except in the necessary performance of their duties or upon written authorization of the Contracting Officer.

All documents and records (including photographs) generated during the performance of work under this contract shall be for the sole use and become the exclusive property of the U.S.

Government. Furthermore, no article, book, pamphlet, email, recording, broadcast, speech television appearance, film or photograph concerning any aspect of work performed under this contract shall be published or disseminated through any media without the prior written authorization of the Contracting Officer. These obligations do not cease upon the expiration or termination of this contract. The Contractor shall include the substance of this provision in all contracts of employment and in all subcontracts hereunder.

See FAR 3.104 for additional information.

1.4 PRIVACY AND SECURITY

Work on this project requires that personnel have access to Privacy Information. Personnel shall adhere to the Privacy Act, Title 5 of the U.S. Code, Section 5522a and applicable agency rules and regulations.

(Rest of Page Intentionally Left Blank)

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SECTION 2

INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS/RESPONDENTS

SUBMISSION INFORMATION PERTAINING TO REQUEST FOR QUOTE

2.1 INFORMATION TO CONTRACTOR

Contractors are reminded that information furnished under this Request for Quote (RFQ) may be subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Therefore, all items that are confidential to business or that contain trade secrets or proprietary or personnel information shall be clearly marked. Marking of items shall not necessarily preclude disclosure when Department of State (DOS) determines disclosure is warranted by FOIA. However, if such items are not marked, all information contained within the submitted documents shall be deemed releasable.

2.2 QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Offerors are warned against contacting any INL personnel other than the Contracting Officer and

Contract Specialist prior to award of the Contract resulting from this RFQ. If such a contact occurs and found to be prejudicial to competing vendors, the vendor making such a contact may be excluded from award consideration.

2.3 CONTRACTOR RELATIONSHIPS

The Department of State (DOS) encourages the use of subcontractors. In addition, the

Department requires that any potential Organization Conflict of Interest be identified in the proposal to ensure proper firewalls established prior to award.

2.4 MULTIPLE PROPOSALS/ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS

Contractors shall not submit, nor shall the Government accept or evaluate, multiple proposals offering alternative solutions. Contractors shall not submit, nor shall the Government accept or evaluate, multiple solutions within one proposal.

2.5 PERIOD OF ACCEPTANCE OF OFFERS

Contractors shall agree, if the proposal is accepted within ninety (90) calendar days (unless a greater period is inserted by the contractor) from the date specified in the solicitation for receipt of proposals, to furnish any or all of the requirements upon which prices are proposed at the price set opposite each item, performed and/or delivered at the designated point(s) within the time specified.

2.6 SPECIFIC SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

Vendors shall limit the number of pages to no more than fifteen (15), 12 Point Font, Times New

Roman, pdf.

Proposal MUST include the following to be considered compliant:

• TECHNICAL PROPOSAL: Anything that is required for a fully functional solution should be included in the proposal or it may be deemed non-responsive or subject to subsequent remedial repair once the contract has been agreed to. If anything is missing in the proposal it is the vendor’s responsibility to fix the system.

• PRICE: Unit and extended prices, inclusive of delivery charges in USD.

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• DELIVERY DATE: Proposed delivery date.

• DESCRIPTION: Description/nomenclature of the item being quoted; product literature may be provided. Quotation must demonstrate compliance with all required features.

Also include description of warranty terms.

• WARRANTY: The contractor shall warrant that their system shall perform as described in their proposal. The contractor shall detail their warranty service and length of time it is in effect in their response.

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SECTION 3

STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW)

3.1 BACKGROUND

The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) is responsible for the development, supervision, coordination, and implementation of international narcotics control assistance activities and international criminal justice issues for the U.S. Department of State

(DOS). The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement

(INL), U.S. Embassy Nassau, The Bahamas, has a requirement for the purchase and installation of digital audio recording equipment for the civil courtrooms of The Bahamas, as well as relevant training in the operation, maintenance, and repair of this system.

The U.S. Government, through the U.S. Embassy Nassau, is committed to assisting The

Bahamas Government in improving the rule of law and increasing citizen security by providing equipment, technology, and training to the Judiciary of The Bahamas. Ensuring the safety of their officers is a key component of this mission.

This request for Proposal is being issued under the Justice Sector Assistance to the Caribbean

Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) Program of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of

International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) Section in The Bahamas.

The primary goal of INL’s Justice Sector Assistance to CBSI Program is to strengthen the capacity of justice sector actors to respond effectively and efficiently to criminal justice challenges, combat crime, uphold the rule of law, and ensure public safety. In this instance, the program is working in conjunction with the Judiciary of The Bahamas.

Enhancing court Information Technology (IT) capacity and providing training for court staff would assist in the ability to address case backlog and delay. To this end, INL has engaged the technical assistance of National Center for State Courts to assist in the development, administration, and implementation a procurement process for an electronic recording system.

The U.S. Department of State seeks to assist The Bahamas in creating a robust electronic digital audio recording in courtrooms of The Bahamas. The project shall also provide a solution for transcribing the digital court record as well as the ability for judges and staff to be able to use and work with the original recording via computers.

The contractor will provide a multi-track digital recording and transcription system for six (6) total courtrooms. In addition, the contractor will provide the equipment needed for installation and training in the operation and maintenance of the system according to the specifications detailed below in order to provide real time transcriptions during trials in the civil courthouses in

Nassau, The Bahamas. The project will further include transcription hardware, software, and training to support that aspect of the system and in the use of the system. The project will also provide backup battery equipment for these courtrooms as well as for courtrooms who already has digital equipment installed. Support services are also to be included.

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The Contractor shall be responsible for the effective management and administration of all efforts undertaken under this requirement. The Contractor shall be responsible for ensuring that all work activities are performed in a timely and cost-effective manner while maintaining the highest quality of performance.

The Court desires an advanced system for recording, archiving, copying, and transcribing proceedings as described in the system functional requirements. Overall, vendors should supply the necessary software and hardware to cleanly and clearly make an audio record of Court proceedings in each courtroom on a daily basis, store these recordings for three years in a central location so that they can be backed up.

There are multiple technical approaches that are used for court digital audio recording. This proposal is seeking the best solution for the Judiciary of the Bahamas, prioritizing important factors such as ease of use, long-term sustainability, and ease of integration with other systems

(Windows OS).

The proposal shall provide the ability for access to the digital recording record as approved by the Court by staff via the Internet or copy these recordings to standard audio commercial compact disc (CD) or flash drive. Redundant/fail-over hardware systems will also be required for recording and archiving of the proceedings in each permanent court location.

3.2 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

The following are deliverables that shall be required, according to program requirements and task resources. The deliverables below apply to each of the six courtrooms identified. Computer equipment shall also be included to support the proposed number of transcription workstations.

All computer equipment should be able to operate Bahamas government software Windows OS.

CLIN DESCRIPTION QTY UNIT

001 Digital Audio Recorder Installation

(Two (02) Electrical Engineers at 40 hours each)

80 HR

002 Digital Audio Recording System, Programmable controller for the system, Includes eight receiver units fpr audio amplication for the hearing impaired

6 EA

003 Sound Reinforcement – DSP, mixers, speakers, wiring, and installation, microphones, audio cables

6 EA

004 Computer Laptops (Brand name or equal)

Make: Lenovo, HP, Dell

HD Size: 500 GB or Higher

Ram: 6 or 8 GB

OS: Windows Professional 7, 8 or 10 - 64-bit

Processor: Intel i5 or i7

With a touch screen monitor, screen size 15” or higher

6 EA

005 Computer Desktops – All-in-one factor (Brand name or equal)

Make: Lenovo, HP, Dell

Model: Dell OptiPlex 7020

HD Size: 500 GB or Higher

6 EA

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Ram: 6 or 8 GB

OS: Windows Professional 7,8 or 10 - 64-bit

Processor: Intel i5 or i7

With a touch screen monitor

Monitors: (Brand name or equal)

Model: HP, Dell, Acer, AOL, LG

Size: screen size 19" to 21"

006 Cable – UTP 1000ft olid Cable (23 AWG LAN Network, Ethernet

RJ45 wire, Blue, Gigabit network ready)

6 EA

007 Cable - Cat 6 Plug Solid with insert 50U 6 EA

008 Digital Audio Recording Clocks or similar, 6 EA

009 Backup Batteries (Brand name or equal)

UPS – S500R

UPS – IPCARD

UFA Rackshelf

6 EA

010 Licenses – Log Notes Software 6 EA

011 Digital Audio Recording Software 6 EA

012 Cloud Platform - Automatic Speech to Text 6 EA

013 Biweekly Reporting – Training 1 EA

014 Biweekly Reporting - Installation of all six courts 1 EA

015 Training – Audio recording training sessions (twelve, two (02) hour sessions with follow-up course online)

1 LT

016 Training – System training sessions (twelve, two (02) hour sessions with follow-up course online)

1 LT

017 Training materials – training and instruction manuals 1 LT

018 Other Direct Costs (ODCs) – Hotel, Travel, Per Diem 1 LT

019 Digital Audio Recording Support Services (six civil courtrooms) 12 MO

020 Shipping to The Bahamas 1 LT

3.3 OPTION YEARS

CLIN DESCRIPTION QTY UNIT

1019 Digital Audio Recording Support Services (six civil courtrooms) 12 MO

2019 Digital Audio Recording Support Services (six civil courtrooms) 12 MO

3.4 DIGITAL AUDIO RECORDING INSTALLATION (CLIN 001)

The vendor shall provide and install a multichannel digital recording system for each courtroom.

3.4.1 Main Features

The system shall record a minimum of four discreet channels from a single courtroom simultaneously to hard disk. The system shall allow notation required by the Court's needs. The system shall have timecode linked to the audio for locating sections of the recording that is accessible via computer workstation/laptop/tablet interface. The Court requires that the system minimize the impact upon the clerk's workspace in the courtroom. The system shall also allow the clerk to provide immediate playback upon request that can be heard selectively by both headphones and/or everyone in the courtroom.

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3.4.2 Courtroom Recording

The system shall have microphones of appropriate number, types, and polar patterns to adequately cover a courtroom and its personnel for multitrack recording. The Court also requires the addition of equalizers, echo cancellation, and dynamics as needed for sound quality control.

3.4.3 Support of Auxiliary Systems

The system shall support audio recording of the video conferencing systems that may already installed in several of the courtrooms. The system shall also be able to import court schedule data from a future commercial court case management system.

3.4.4 Hardware

The vendor shall provide all the required hardware, wiring, software, and accessories required including backup media as part of their proposed solution.

3.4.5 Installation Timeline

Installation is to begin within 30 days after equipment delivery. Installation to be completed within five (05) working days. All the installation work will be completed during business hours

(8:30AM to 5:00PM EST).

3.5 SOUND REINFORCEMENT SYSTEM (CLIN 003)

The Court requires that a sound reinforcement system to be used for the digital recording playback be installed in each courtroom.

3.5.1 Playback & Audio Enhancement

The system shall have an adequate number of speakers and amplifiers to provide appropriate levels of sound for all people in the courtroom. Appropriate sound absorption materials may be installed as needed and approved to improve the audio record.

3.5.2 Audio Amplification for the Hearing Impaired

A portable wireless (infrared (IR) or radio frequency (RF)) audio amplification system is also needed to provide support to the hearing impaired in each of the courthouses that will be implemented during this phase of the project. Eight (8) receiver units shall be included with each system proposed.

3.6 TRAINING (CLIN 015 and CLIN 016)

Two distinct training programs are required with the equipment: maintenance and repair of the system and the operation and use of the system by the relevant staff in the judiciary.

Training will be conducted at each Courthouse and/or Administrative Offices as scheduled and agreed between the vendor and the Court. Required training sessions will be scheduled Monday through Friday anytime from 9:00am to 4:00pm.

The contractor shall provide twelve (12) in-person training sessions in the use and operation of the equipment in the courtroom for the court clerks, administrative professionals, judges, magistrates, lawyers, and other legal staff. The training sessions shall be for two (02) hours each.

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The Contractor will also include follow-up courses online. This will be in the form of modules users can access upon request and is a self-paced online training.

Training will cover all normal daily recording activities not limited to daily sound check, create new file, annotations (Log Notes), start, stop, pause, recording levels, and save. Training will also cover specific tasks such as saving the recording files to a remote location, retrieving recording files from remote locations, searching for files by specific case numbers/text, creating distributable media copies, and creating files of specific cases exported from a daily recording.

Training will be conducted using the exact software/hardware to be installed in the courtrooms.

The contractor shall provide a complete training program in the maintenance and repair of the system for the information technology department and other staff identified as having a role in maintaining and repairing the system. Following completion of this training, members of the IT

Department should be able to repair and maintain the system. The training sessions shall be for two (02) hours each. The Contractor shall also include follow-up courses online. This will be in the form of a virtual session for users, at their request and is limited to one, one hour session per month.

Training is to be completed within fourteen (14) days of installation and can be completed after the first courtroom is successfully installed and inspected.

3.7 SOFTWARE INSTALLATION AND LICENSES:

Digital Audio Recording software is to be provided and installed. Log notes software license is also to be provided and installed. Additional requirements include - Windows 10, Adobe Reader, Adobe Flash Player, CutePDF writer, File format converter, Microsoft Office 2013, Mozilla

Firefox browser, Java, and Symantec endpoint protection. Microsoft Teams is also required.

Cloud Platform - Automatic backup and storage of audio files (1TB per courtroom), 24/7 remote

(web based) access for authorized users, Automatic Speech to Text (1500 per courtroom), Transcript Order Management and eCommerce (not including transaction fees).

3.8 WIRING INSTALLATION

Installation may include running conduit and power in courtrooms that do not already have enough already in place. Wiring installation dates and time will be determined based on estimated amount time required by the vendor. The particulars will be agreed during the kick-off meeting.

All wiring for microphones shall be installed within the walls, flooring, ceilings, and furniture in the courtrooms. All cabling should be concealed where possible and recessed floor boxes should be installed. Should over-floor cable management be required due to underfloor access constraints, we recommend that the cable management system be ADA compliant, architecturally sensitive, and permanently affixed. Exposed wiring on the surface of the floor or elsewhere is not acceptable unless specifically allowed in writing by the designated official from the Government of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.

All power for computer-recording systems shall use uninterruptible power supplies sufficient to provide fifteen (15) minutes of backup power. Power conditioning units will also be required as

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necessary in certain courthouses. The Court also requires that a proper grounding system be implemented on each courthouse and courtroom as needed to reduce audio noise to a minimum.

The Court further requires that all installed hardware must remain accessible for ease of repair or replacement. The Court also requires that sufficient extra cable be run through conduits as a backup in case of cable failure.

If electrical system remediation is necessary for the vendor’s solution, the estimated cost for that work shall be included in the vendor’s proposal. A list of government approved electrical contractors is available online at:

http://www.bahamas.gov.bs/wps/wcm/connect/473ff192-e4d5-4760-83c6-

818125208890/approved+contractors.pdf?MOD=AJPERES

Any deviation from the proposed electrical remediation must be approved by the designated government of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas official.

3.9 TECHNICAL AND CUSTOMER SERVICE SUPPORT (CLIN019 and 1019)

Technical and customer service support will be required after equipment installation. The Court requires at least twenty-four (24) months of warranty and customer service to guarantee an adequate customer support. The time of service shall be 7:00AM – 5:00PM EST Monday through Friday where the vendor can be reached via a customer service support telephone number and/or email, and Microsoft Teams access. Support Services are to begin immediately after first court installation.

3.10 DIGITAL RECORD ARCHIVING

The Court requires that recordings shall be archived on servers provided by The Bahamas government IT department. This in turn requires that the digital recorders be attached to the government computer network (Ethernet). The Bahamas Department of Information Technology will work with the selected vendor to achieve this requirement.

Vendors shall also provide an estimate of yearly storage requirements for the entire system noting that this is for planning purposes only.

3.11 COPYING RECORDINGS

The Court requires that three (03) of the transcription unit computers will have compact disc

(CD) recorders to allow copying of court recordings. These recordings shall ideally be able to make standard CD audio format and/or other non-proprietary format (for example WAV, AIFF, AU or MPEG-4). However, if a proprietary format is proposed then the vendor must provide the

Court with an unlimited, non-lapsing license to use the proprietary software and archive files and file formats to access and reproduce the Court’s audio records.

3.12 TRANSCRIPTION TRANSMISSION

The Court requires that digital audio recordings be electronically sent via the government’s computer network to the central data center that in turn are made available to the transcription office.

http://www.bahamas.gov.bs/wps/wcm/connect/473ff192-e4d5-4760-83c6-818125208890/approved+contractors.pdf?MOD=AJPERES http://www.bahamas.gov.bs/wps/wcm/connect/473ff192-e4d5-4760-83c6-818125208890/approved+contractors.pdf?MOD=AJPERES

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3.13 REDUNDANCY AND BACKUP

The Court requires backup systems adequate to maintain the court record in each courtroom and district archival capability with the goal of minimizing downtime. The vendor shall work with the courts and government IT to develop this plan.

3.14 FUTURE SUPPORT AND UPGRADABILITY

The Court requires that all hardware and installation be done leaving sufficient ability for future upgrades. Future upgrades may include laying more cables in conduit, adding video presentation capabilities, upgrading microphones and speakers, and adding additional control units.

In addition, the vendor shall provide to The Bahamas and maintain all versions of the software needed to record and playback the proposed system for a period of two (2) years.

3.15 SYSTEM TESTING

Each of the six courtroom systems is to be tested to ensure full operational capability.

3.16 REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

Support Area Title Delivery Date/Description

Installation Update Report

Status Report At conclusion installation

Training Report Status Report At conclusion of training

Installation report to be provided for six (06) courts after courts’ completion and signed off.

Training reports to be completed after at conclusion of training.

3.17 QUALITY ASSURANCE

3.17.1 Quality Control Plan

The Contractor shall establish a quality control program/plan The Contractor shall implement and adhere to the approved quality control program/plan when performance begins, and throughout the performance period. The Contractor shall provide the Contracting Officer

Representative updates of the quality control plan as changes occur. At minimum, the quality control plan shall include the following:

3.17.1.1 An inspection system covering all services required by the contract. It shall specify the services to be inspected on both a scheduled or unscheduled basis, how often inspections will be accomplished, and the tasks of the individuals who will perform the inspections.

3.17.1.2 A method of identifying deficiencies in the quality of services performed before the level of performance becomes unacceptable.

3.17.1.3 A method of documenting and enforcing quality control operations.

3.17.1.4 A customer complaint program. The program shall include:

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3.17.1.5 A way for customers to report complaints, deficiencies, and noncompliance with the terms and conditions of the contract. The medium chosen by the Contractor shall be easily assessed. Adequate publicity shall be given so that customers may readily contact the

Contractor.

3.17.1.6 A description of the manner in which the Contractor shall promptly investigate any customer complaint and respond to the customer. The Contractor shall forward a monthly synopsis of complaints received and actions taken to INL not later than five (05) days after the end of each month.

3.18 Quality Control Records

Records of all inspections conducted by the Contractor and necessary corrective actions taken shall be maintained by the Contractor. The Contractor shall make these documents available to the USG throughout the term of this contract.

3.19 Quality Assurance and Surveillance Plan (QASP)

Designed to provide an effective surveillance method to promote effective Contractor performance. The QASP provides a method for INL to monitor Contractor performance and advise the Contracting Officer of unsatisfactory performance. The Contractor, not the

Government, is responsible for management and quality control to meet the terms of the contract.

The role of the USG is to conduct quality assurance to ensure that contract standards are achieved.

Performance

Objective

Standard and Acceptable

Quality Level (Maximum allowable deviation)

Incentive/

Disincentive

Calculation

Performs all services set forth in the Statement of

Work.

All required work is properly performed and no more than one (01) customer complaint is received per month.

Negative Incentive:

Low rating in

CPARS; appropriate action under the inspection and termination clauses of the contract.

2% of the invoiced amount for tasks billed will be reduced for non-performance.

Performance: number of valid written complaints during the month.

Deliverables and reports are high quality, complete, and timely.

Deliverables and reports are written clearly and concisely, comply with all contract requirements, and are professionally sound.

Deliverables and reports are timely distributed to all

Negative Incentive:

Low rating in

CPARS; appropriate action under the inspection or termination clauses of the contract.

Number of deliverables or reports that are either untimely or not in accordance with contract requirements.

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parties identified in the contract.

Spelling and grammar checks are accomplished on all deliverables.

No deliverables or reports are submitted late or not in accordance with contract requirements.

2% of the invoiced amount for tasks billed will be reduced for non-performance.

3.20 Surveillance

INL will receive and document all complaints from Government personnel regarding the services provided. If appropriate, INL will send the complaints to the Contracting Officer for transmittal to the Contractor for corrective action.

3.21 Standard

The performance standard is that the Government receives no more than one (01) customer complaint per month. Contracting Officer Representative shall notify the Contracting Officer of the complaints so that the Contracting Officer may take appropriate action to enforce the applicable inspection clause.

3.22 Procedures

3.22.1 If any personnel observe unacceptable services, either incomplete work or required services not being performed, they should immediately contact INL.

3.22.2 INL will complete appropriate documentation to record the complaint.

3.22.3 If INL determines the complaint is invalid, INL will advise the complainant. INL will retain the annotated copy of the written complaint for its file.

3.22.4 If INL determines the complaint is valid, INL will inform the Contracting Officer who will contact the Contractor and provide the Contractor additional time to correct the defect (if additional time is available). The Contracting Officer shall determine how much time is reasonable.

3.22.5 The Contracting Officer will, at minimum, notify the Contractor by e-mail of any valid complaints.

3.22.6 If the Contractor disagrees with the complaint and challenges the validity of the complaint, the Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer. The Contracting Officer will review the matter to determine the validity of the complaint.

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3.22.7 The Contracting Officer will consider complaints as resolved unless notified otherwise by the complainant.

3.22.8 Repeat customer complaints are not permitted for any services. If a repeat customer complaint is received for the same deficiency during the service period, INL will contact the

Contracting Officer for appropriate action under the Inspection clause.

3.22.9 If the contractor fails to meet the performance standard, the Government reserves the right to take action under the Inspection clause, including a deduction from the invoice.

3.23 CONTRACTING OFFICER’S REPRESENTATIVE:

Katina Russell

U.S. Embassy Nassau

INL Program Specialist

42 Queen Street

Nassau, Bahamas

(242)322-1181 ext. 4234

(242) 376-7157

The Department of State Project Manager will be the Certifying Official for government payment vouchers. The PM will also provide task order monitoring, task oversight and direction on administrative issues.

3.24 PROJECT MANAGEMENT

In addition to the named project manager noted above, the vendor shall propose a complete project management plan with Gantt chart timeline, proposed technical resources, and detailed explanation of the activities planned for the project.

The contractor shall also provide a detail list of the items to be delivered. The list shall include serial numbers, so that the donation Letter can be prepared by INL for the Bahamas government.

The contractor shall deliver the equipment to the locations provided by the INL COR.

The contractor shall provide INL with a report of the students who attended the training and certifications.

3.25 DELIVERY (SHIPPING AND HANDLING INSTRUCTIONS)

International courier: Final destination U.S. Embassy Nassau, The Bahamas.

A draft copy of the Bill of Laden is to be sent at least two (02) weeks before estimated ship date.

Provide ship date at least two (02) weeks before arrival. Cargo is to be shipped “Express

Release”. Name of shipping company to The Bahamas, freight forwarder, trucking company, local agent (as applicable) is to be provided in advance of shipment. Failure to do so may cause delays and costs associated with such delays will be at the expense of the contractor. All charges for delivery and transportation, local handling to the destination is the responsibility of the contractor and must be prepaid. Price must include delivery to the below address.

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All related items included on this order and associated documents shall be labeled and marked for, and the shipping documents, including original bills of lading, certificates of origin and commercial invoice shall be submitted by courier or international courier to the consignee’s following address:

INL Section

US Embassy Nassau, The Bahamas

Attention: GSO Customs and Shipping

Katina Russell (INL)

Embassy of the United States

#42 Queen Street

PO Box N-8197

Nassau, The Bahamas

TEL: 242 322-1181 EXT 4286 OR 4279

Or NassauGSOShipping@State.gov

All boxes and AWB must be marked as “Diplomatic Cargo”. Improperly marked shipments may be rejected by the Government. The Contractor shall send a copy of each commercial invoice, for customs clearance purpose, to the INL office at the address described above.

Vendor shall consolidate the entire shipment to prevent loss and misdirection. Partial shipments are not allowed. Packaging and preservation shall be IAW best commercial practices to enable shipment to final destination, without repacking or incurring damage during shipment and handling. Delivery times are between 9-12 weeks but can change due to COVID-19.

PLEASE NOTE: All orders are ultimately intended for an overseas destination. If the shipment will involve wood packaging material, then the packing and palletizing must conform to the standards in the International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures Publication No. 15:

“Guidelines for Regulating Wood Packaging Material in International Trade” (ISPM 15) and have the appropriate markings indicating that the materials meet this standard. Any deliveries arriving at our indicated domestic delivery address that do not meet these standards will be rejected and must be corrected at the contractor’s expense.

Shipping within the United States: Final Destination Nassau, The Bahamas

Items will be delivered by the vendor to the U.S. Nassau in The Bahamas and shall be delivered within 90 calendar days from receipt of contract award.

INL Section

US Embassy Nassau, The Bahamas

Attention: GSO Customs and Shipping

Katina Russell (INL)

Embassy of the United States

#42 Queen Street

PO Box N-8197

Nassau, The Bahamas

TEL: 242 322-1181 EXT 4286 OR 4279

Procurement Sensitive: Unauthorized disclosure of this information violates the Procurement Integrity Act.

A shipping address in Nassau for items so that they will be imported without duty. They can be stored for a limited amount of time in Nassau at the Embassy Warehouse; however, they must be removed within two months of arrival.

3.26 MARKING AND PACKING

All items (box, carton, and package) must be marked as follows:

U.S. Embassy INL/Nassau

Order No. (provided upon award)

Item #___ of ___ (is applicable)

(Improperly marked shipments may be rejected by the Government)

3.27 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE:

The installation will be conducted at the six civil courtrooms in Nassau Bahamas. The Civil

Courts are located on Bank Lane in Nassau, New Providence. Five are located in the Ansbacher

Annex and one is located in the Supreme Court Complex. The building installations are in close proximity to each other, within one quarter of a mile.

3.28 TYPE OF CONTRACT

Firm Fixed Price.

3.29 WARRANTY

Projected maintenance fees for the entire proposed system for a period of five (05) years shall be provided.

3.30 AFTER SALES SERVICE

The contractor shall provide a primary point of contact who will commit to answer the requirements and claims during the execution of the contract and the warranty of the services of installation and start up.

All original technical documentation of the equipment physically and digitally;

All updates, manuals, and updated data bases for a period of two (2) years;

Invoicing to DOS/INL in such a manner to reflect the breakdown of the proposal;

Provide representation for warranty, support and training as agreed upon in the final documents.

3.31 CUSTOMS CLEARANCE AND TAX EXEMPTIONS

Customs clearing is the responsibility of the vendor. The U.S. Government will assist the vendor in obtaining customs clearance and tax exemption certificates from the Government of the

Bahamas in accordance with Marking and Submission of Documentation requirements for this contract. The US government will stamp and endorse appropriate customs clearing documents and return to the vendor/local handling agent.

All goods and services shall be provided with tax exemption, INL/DOS shall not incur the cost of VAT, entrance, or any other related tax for this order.

Procurement Sensitive: Unauthorized disclosure of this information violates the Procurement Integrity Act.

3.32 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE (POP)

The contractor shall complete performance according to the following schedule:

Contractor shall begin work immediately after arrival of equipment. Installation of equipment and complete system delivery no later than 150 calendar days from the signing of the contract.

Trainings both onsite and online commence within fourteen14 days of installation. Base Support for twelve (12) months with the option to exercise an additional twelve (12) months.

3.33 EVALUATION FACTORS FOR OFFERORS

The following are the evaluation factors for proposals sent by the bidders:

• Compliance with the requested technical specifications and warranty period as per

Statement of Work.

• Award from this solicitation will be made on an “all or none” basis.

• Award will be made to the lowest priced, technically acceptable, responsible quoter.

• The Government reserves the right to reject quotations that are incomplete, non-compliant with the terms of this solicitation, or that are unreasonably high in price.

• For evaluation purposes, the price will be determined by multiplying the offered prices times the quantities stated in the schedule, and arriving at a grand total, including all options, if any.

• The Government will evaluate the proposed delivery time frame and the technical specifications. The Government will only consider for award those companies that the

Government determines have a high likelihood of satisfactorily completing the required items based on the proposal.

• The Government will determine quoter responsibility by analyzing whether the apparent successful quoter complies with the requirements of FAR 9.1.

• Unless an exception in FAR 4.1102 applies, a quoter must be registered in SAM

(www.sam.gov) in order to be eligible for award. If the quoter does not become registered in the SAM database in the time prescribed by the Contracting Officer, the

Contracting Officer will proceed to award to the next otherwise successful registered quoter.

http://www.sam.gov/