Statement of Work.pdf

STATEMENT OF WORK (SERVICES)

(SOW)

GENERAL INFORMATION

Title of Project:

Laundry and Linen Services

Statement of Need and Purpose:

This requirement is for Laundry and Linen Services for NIH/NIA Clinical Research Core located at

3001 S. HANOVER ST. 5TH FLOOR BALTIMORE, MD 21225

Background Information and Objective:

Laundry services have been provided under a Contractor Owned and Contractor Operated (COCO) facility.

The National Institute on Aging (NIA), one of the 27 Institutes and Centers of NIH, leads a broad scientific effort to understand the nature of aging and to extend the healthy, active years of life. The Intramural Research Program (IRP) of the NIA provides a stimulating setting for a comprehensive effort to understand aging through multidisciplinary investigator-initiated research, in this regard.

One of the IRP's program activities includes the Clinical Research Core (CRC) part of the NIA Clinical Unit within the Office of the Scientific Director. The CRC seeks to elucidate normative values and separate normal aging findings from disease states. The CRC’s goal is to prolong disease-free states with age. The CRC serves as an infrastructure to facilitate the creation and development of therapeutic targets for the treatment of age-related disease across the Intramural Research Program. The CRC performs research in various protocol studies that have direct clinical applications to aging and disease states. Participants in the various protocols may spend one or more days in the Clinical Unit participant rooms. Therefore, clean linens are required for exams and participants’ overnight stays.

The CRC has 15 beds in addition to 2 exam rooms and 8 treatment rooms. The clinical unit has an average weekly population of approximately 50 participants per week. The average bed turnover rate will be 3-4 beds every 2-3 days and the treatment and exam rooms every 2-3 hours for 6 hours each day.

Period of Performance:

The period of performance is: Base Year plus (4) 12-month option years:

Base Year 1/1/2025 to 12/31/2025 Option Year One 1/1/2026 to 12/31/2026 Option Year Two 1/1/2027 to 12/31/2027 Option Year Three 1/1/2028 to 12/31/2028 Option Year Four 1/1/2029 to 12/31/2029

SCOPE OF WORK

General Requirements:

Independently and not as an agent of the Government, the Contractor shall furnish all the necessary services, qualified personnel, material, equipment, and facilities, not otherwise provided by the Government as needed to perform the Statement of Work below:

Specific Requirements:

LEVEL OF EFFORT:

REQUIREMENTS. The Contractor shall:

The contractor shall provide all personnel, equipment, transportation, supplies, vehicles, and facilities, necessary to 1).

Receive soiled linen from the NIA CRC and 2). Clean; sanitize; press; fold; bundle; load; and, return linen in acceptable, cleaned condition. The Contractor shall wrap all clean linen carts in clear plastic or other applicable means to ensure cleanliness of packed items. The Contractor, in accordance with (IAW) this SOW shall accomplish all work IAW: (1) current Joint Commission Manual; and (2) industry standards. The Contractor shall ensure all work meets performance standards specified in this SOW and its referenced documents. The scope of service is for clean linen as per the PAR level (See Attachment A: NIA CRC Linen PAR Levels). The PAR level is subject to change based on NIA CRC needs. The COR will provide changes to the Contractor when needed, with delivery of new PAR levels within 1 week.

The contractor is required to provide the linens described in Attachment A – PAR Levels at the beginning of the contract’s period of performance. Throughout the performance of the contract, the contractor shall ensure that the soiled linens are removed and replaced with clean linens. Note that the Attachment A – PAR Levels list includes the colors of Jade and Navy; the contractor may provide different colors for these items. Each Friday, the contractor shall pick up the soiled laundry and replace stock back to the par level. NIA estimates that 300-400 pounds of soiled linens shall be picked up weekly.

LAUNDRY 24-HOUR PICK-UP/DELIVERY PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENT The temporal performance requirement for pick-up of soiled bulk laundry; transport of soiled bulk laundry to the cleaning facility; cleaning, sanitizing and packing for transport of bulk laundry; transport of cleaned, sanitized and packed bulk laundry; delivery of cleaned, sanitized and packed bulk laundry shall be: twenty-four (24) hours.

DEFINITON OF THE PICK-UP/DELIVERY FRAMEWORK OF TEMPORAL PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENT The twenty-four

(24) hours commences with the Contractor pick-up and transporting soiled laundry from the NIA CRC. This encompasses removal from the 5th floor of MedStar Harbor Hospital to the loading dock located at the rear entrance.

DEFINITION OF THE CONCLUSION OF THE 24 HOUR PICK-UP/DELIVERY TIMEFRAME The twenty-four (24) hour time frame concludes when the Government’s Representative confirms the receipt of a shipment of clean laundry and linen.

The confirmation of the receipt of a shipment of cleaned sanitized laundry is when the Government’s Representative have concluded the count of articles and the general receiving inspection of a delivery shipment for acceptance by the Government.

BUILDING ACCESS AND PICK UP TIME. Loading Dock access is located in the rear of MedStar Harbor Hospital. Soiled linen and clean linen areas are located on the 5th floor. Pickup and delivery is between 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM Monday through Friday. The scheduled pickup and drop offs days are once a week, normally Fridays unless an emergency occurs.

GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITIES

INVENTORY DATA SHEET The Government can provide inventory data when requested for information purposes only.

APPLICABLE PUBLICATIONS AND FORMS

Publications and forms listed below are applicable to the SOW are coded mandatory (M) or advisory (A). The contractor is required to follow those publications coded as mandatory (that is, a specific procedure in a paragraph, section, chapter, or volume specified in the SOW) and shall be guided by those coded advisory to the extent necessary to accomplish requirements of this SOW. The Government at the start of the contract will make all listed publications and forms available. The Government will maintain the publications. Supplements or amendments to listed publications from any organizational level may be issued during the life of the contract. Changes in the contract price due to supplements and amendments shall be considered under the "Changes" clause. The contractor shall immediately implement those changes in publications, which result in either a decrease, or no change in the contract price. Prior to implementing any such revision, supplement, or amendment that will result in an increase in contract price, the contractor shall submit to the COR and Contracting Officer a price proposal. Said price proposal shall be submitted within thirty (30) calendar days from the date the contractor receives notice of the revision, supplement, or amendment giving rise to the increase in cost of performance. Failure to submit the proposal as provided above shall entitle the Government to the performance in accordance with such change at no increase in contract price.

REGULATION MANDATORY/

ADVISORY

PUBLICATION DATE

International Fabric Care Institute A Current Edition

American Institute of Laundering A Current Edition

Institute of Industrial Launders A Current Edition

Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations Manual

M Current Edition

OSHA Blood borne Pathogens Final Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030

M Current Edition

Practical Application of Disinfections and Sterilization in Health Care Facilities - American Hospital Association

M Current Edition

GOVERNMENT QUALITY ASSURANCE (QA)

In accordance with the "Inspection of Services" clause, services rendered are subject to Government inspection during both the Contractor's operations and after completion of the tasks. The Government's Quality Assurance Surveillance Program is not a substitute for Quality Control by the Contractor. The Government reserves the right to choose the inspection methods to be used in implementing its Quality Assurance Program and to vary the inspection methods utilized during the work without notice to the Contractor.

At each delivery, a government representative will confirm that the correct quantity of linen has been delivered based on established PAR levels (See Attachment A: NIA CRC Linen PAR Levels). The government representatives will randomly inspect articles after delivery for serviceability, damage, and cleanliness. This inspection may occur as articles are pulled from inventory for use in the facility. All items found not conforming to standards will be reported to the COR, who will then notify the contractor, and returned to the contractor at the next scheduled pick up. A separate pick-up ticket shall be completed for nonconforming articles and the contractor shall re-perform the services to standards at no additional cost to the Government. Nonconforming articles shall be returned the next scheduled delivery, segregated from all other articles being delivered, and jointly inspected upon delivery by the contractor representative and the facility Government representative. If articles still do not conform to standards the contractor shall replace the articles at no additional cost to the Government.

PERFORMANCE EVALUATION MEETINGS:

The Contractor shall meet with appointed Government personnel and the COR as often as required at the discretion of the COR. Performance issues shall be discussed, and a mutual effort made to resolve the issues during these meetings.

The Contractor shall be fully knowledgeable in the requirements of the SOW and be prepared to discuss performance from the perspective of these requirements. All procedural requirements for notification of defects, submission of requests for re-work and other requirements associated with issuance and response to Contract Discrepancy Reports (CDRs) shall be set forth by the COR.

FEDERAL HOLIDAYS: The following legal holidays are observed. The delivery and pick up of soiled and clean linen is not required.

January 1st 1st Monday of September 3rd Monday of January 2nd Monday of October 3rd Monday of February November 11th Last Monday of May 4th Thursday of November June 19th July 4th December 25th

Note: If the president declares an additional holiday it will not be considered a holiday for the contractor.

DELIVERY OR DELIVERABLES

QUALITY CONTROL PLAN. The contractor shall establish and maintain a complete Quality Control Program (QCP) to verify the requirements of the contract are provided as specified. The plan shall include procedures to implement all requirements of the contract, which shall include the processing of laundry and the following:

An inspection system covering all the services required by this contract which must specify the areas to be inspected on either a scheduled or unscheduled basis, how often inspection will be accomplished and documented, and the name and title of the individual who will perform the inspection (this person should be someone other than the Program Manager and does not report directly to the Program Manager).

The methods of identifying and preventing defects in the quality of service performed before the level of performance becomes unacceptable. This will include procedures for a method of inspection to assure proper temperatures, bleaches, bluing, chemical rinse, detergents, and other additives are adhered to.

Records of all quality control inspections conducted by the contractor and corrective action taken to prevent continued reoccurrence of deficiencies. This documentation shall be made available to the COR during the term of the contract.

The contractor shall provide its Quality Control Reports and Infection Control Reports as is requested to the COR throughout the duration of this contract.

A plan to keep products segregated in accordance with their inspection status, such as accepted, rejected, set aside for re-wash, and awaiting decision, to prevent intermixing and unauthorized use.

A description of the methods of communications with the Government regarding performance of the contract.

EXPOSURE CONTROL PLAN. The contractor shall develop an Exposure Control Plan to identify, in writing, tasks, and procedures in which occupational exposure to blood occurs. The contractor shall make the plan accessible to their employees. The contractor shall provide the government a copy of this plan. The contractor shall make all their personnel aware of this plan not later than contract commencement date and not later than the first day of work for new employees.

SAFETY AND ACCIDENT PREVENTION PROGRAM. The Contractor shall describe its company’s Safety and Accident Prevention Program.

QUALITY ASSURANCE. The government may visit the contractor’s facility to observe equipment and in-process work.

PERFORMANCE EVALUATION MEETINGS. The Contractor shall meet with designated government employees as per the discretion of the COR during the performance of this contract as needed to discuss concerns and assess the effectiveness of the contractor’s efforts.

TEST PIECE SERVICE. The contractor shall obtain Test Piece Service from an approved laboratory. The National Association of Institutional Linen Management (NAILM), 2130 Lexington Road, Suite H, Richmond, KY 40475, and International Fabricare` Institute (IFI), 1251 Tech Road, Silver Spring, MD 20904, are two known acceptable laboratories.

Should the contractor propose to obtain these services from a laboratory other than one of these two, the name and address of the proposed laboratory shall be submitted for approval to the COR.

Once each quarter, the contractor shall perform washroom tests for tensile strength and whiteness retention in accordance with the laboratory instructions. The tensile strength is considered acceptable, if the tensile strength loss is rated at "satisfactory" or greater. The whiteness is considered acceptable, if the whiteness loss is rated "good" or greater. A copy of the test results shall be provided to the COR as requested. Whenever tensile strength loss or whiteness retention deficiencies occur, the contractor shall take corrective action within five working days and retest.

Retest results will be forwarded immediately upon receipt to the COR for review. This process shall be repeated until tensile strength loss and whiteness retention are within prescribed tolerances, or the contractor is notified of the government's intent to terminate the contract because of unacceptable performance.

WASH FORMULAS. The wash formulas shall be in accordance with NAILM Standards. The Contractor shall use bacteria stat with the recommended wash formula.

LOST ITEMS: All lost articles/hospital medical instruments, etc., found by the contractor employees shall be turned over to the COR the next business day or in a time as directed by the COR.

CONTRACTOR FURNISHED ITEMS. In addition to items specified elsewhere in the contract, the contractor shall furnish:

The Contractor shall provide all property or services necessary for the performance of this contract that is not specifically identified as furnished by the Government. Such property or services shall include, but is in no way limited to facilities, tools, bundle tie machine, materials, equipment, (such as soaps, detergents, bleaches, starches, sizing, spotting agents, plastic, and packaging materials), and copier paper.

The contractor shall provide their employees all appropriate protective clothing as required by OSHA.

The contractor shall provide, or cause to be provided, all Pick-up and Delivery Vehicles and vehicle drivers.

The Contractor shall provide a method to document delivery and return of linens to the Contractor.

The Contractor shall provide a facility equipped and ventilated to prevent dissemination of contaminants. The ventilation system shall include adequate intake filtration, exchange rate, and exhaust in accordance with local, state, and federal requirements. (Reference: Joint Commission Accreditation Manual for Hospitals).

The Contractor shall provide access to the COR and Government representatives to inspect the laundry facility to verify the sanitary conditions contained therein at any time by its authorized representatives.

The Contractor shall provide Carts for Soiled and Clean Linen.

SPECIFIC TASKS. The following tasks are to be performed by the contractor:

TICKETING. The contractor shall supply at no cost to the government, serially numbered tickets for use in distributing and removing linens. The tickets should include the contract number and an itemized list of linens and/or services or similar information as agreed upon by the Government.

LINEN.

Each item shall be clean, dry, and free of lint, scorch marks, and other damage to the fabric. White fabrics shall be white and free of yellow, green or gray tints. Colors shall be bright and clear.

The contractor shall ensure the laundry processing chain is arranged, so that there is no contact between soiled and cleaned sanitized laundry. There shall be no interchange of personnel between the handling/processing of clean sanitized and soiled, laundry unless they are properly attired. The linen shall be handled with minimum shaking and agitating.

Shrinkage shall be no more than what may be termed as "natural" for the fabric in accordance with best commercial practice. The contractor shall treat all articles in such a manner as to keep the dimensional changes of the article to a minimum and to avoid damage of any kind to the fabric. The contractor shall follow care instructions on labels in all articles. If manufacturer's care instructions are not included in an article, the contractor shall request such instructions from the COR.

All tumbled work linen shall be completely dry and soft.

Items processed on flatwork and irons, such as sheets, and pillowcases shall be machine-finished so the surfaces are smooth and without "rough-dry" spots, wrinkles, or "tails". When received by the customer, flatwork shall be free of creases caused by improper folding. See Technical Exhibit A: Packing Instructions.

The contractor shall assemble completed work and return as indicated in Technical Exhibit A: Packing Instructions. The contractor shall ensure strict segregation of articles is maintained as specified for the CRC.

The contractor shall receive unsorted and contaminated linen in linen bags. Separate containers shall be used for transporting clean linen and soiled linen. The same carts may be used provided the carts are cleaned and disinfected for each use and a clean sanitized liner is used. All clean linen carts shall be wrapped in clear plastic or applicable as per industry standards.

WORKMANSHIP AND SANITATION. Finished articles shall conform to the generally accepted industry standards for quality of cleanliness, finish, and appearance. All work performed shall be done under sanitary conditions and in accordance with OSHA standards. The items shall be clean, not only in the sense of being free from soil, stains, and objectionable odors, but also free from excess cleaning chemicals, bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms, including pathogens or disease-producing organisms, which might cause irritation to the skin. Cotton and polyester blended articles shall be laundered with an ionizing agent to prevent static electricity build-up.

OSHA BLOOD BOURNE PATHOGENS STANDARDS. The contractor shall comply with all standards in OSHA Blood borne Pathogens Standard 29 CFR 1910.1030.

RE-PERFORMANCE OF LAUNDERING. Notwithstanding the provisions of this contract covering inspection, acceptance, and deduction from payment, any items found not meeting the requirements of the SOW shall be re-cleaned at no additional cost to the government. Such items found as packages that are opened by the customer will be identified by the COR to the contractor's representative after the unsatisfactory condition is discovered. After they are re-cleaned, the contractor shall pack these items separately and identify by marking “Attention COR".

TRANSPORTATION. Clean articles will be transported in separate carts. Strict segregation of articles shall be maintained as specified. Each cart shall be covered during transportation. Vehicles used in the transportation of the items called for in this contract shall be clean, conform to commercial standards, and be equipped to protect against contamination of all items during transportation. Vehicles being used to transport laundry shall be subject to examination at all times by the COR.

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS - The following Performance Standards are applicable to the Specific Task listed in Technical Exhibit B: QASP Performance Requirements Summary. Method of Surveillance will be Periodic Surveillance Checklist and Customer Complaint. The performance standards are:

Pickup and Delivery Schedules are met: 95% of the time, and with no more than three (3) validated customer complaints per month.

Correct Quantities of cleaned Laundry Delivered: 95% of the time, and with no more than three (3) validated customer complaints per month.

One-Hundred percent (100%) of cleaned Laundry delivered free of all dirt, stains, dampness, odors, mildew, cleaning chemical residue: 95% of the time, and no more than three (3) validated customer complaints per month.

One-Hundred percent (100%) of cleaned Laundry delivered properly finished and packaged: 95% of the time, with no more than three (3) validated customer complaints per month.

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS. The Government will inspect the documentation and records pertaining to the services provided under this contract in accordance with the inspection of services clauses. The contractor shall maintain proper documentation relating to all pick-ups, delivery, exchange, invoicing, and any other matter relating to the services provided under this contract. Document inspection may include but is not limited to, invoices, delivery receipts, and signatures from drop off and delivery. Maintain a system of records as to work performed, sufficient to respond to all reasonable issues with regard to the laundry inventories.

PERFORMANCE EVALUATION MEETINGS. The Contractor or his authorized representative shall meet with the Contracting Officer Representative (COR). A meeting shall be held whenever a Contract Discrepancy Report (CDR) is issued. The written minutes of these meetings shall be signed by the Contractor and the COR. Should the Contractor not concur with the minutes, the Contractor shall state areas of non-concurrence in writing within two calendar weeks to the COR. The time and place of these meetings will be designated by the COR.

CONTRACTING OFFICER’S REPRESENTATIVE (COR) The CRC will have a government representative primary and alternate assigned. The government representative will be responsible for inspection and acceptance of services at the tenant level. The contractor will be provided with the name and contact information of the designated government representative and an alternate government representative. The COR may make unannounced visits to the Contractors facility for the purpose of inspecting quality of work, packaging, equipment operations and records.

EMERGENCY CONTACT. The contractor shall provide the COR with an emergency point of contact (POC) considered Key Personnel for this contract; who shall be available by either electronic pager, telephone, or cell phone number at all times, while this contract is in force. The emergency contract is for emergency and/or unforeseen contingency operations regarding the Government’s facilities; the Contractor’s facilities; the transportation systems; or any other unforeseen contingency. The Contractor shall maintain the capability to return the emergency call within 30 minutes of the Government’s making the emergency call.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

Travel:

No travel will be reimbursed for this service.

Key Personnel:

CONTRACTOR EXPERIENCE.

CONTRACTOR QUALIFICATIONS. The contractor shall have a minimum of five years’ experience in providing hospital and other commercial laundry services of not less than 80% in both scope and size to this requirement. The contractor shall have a work force possessing the skills, knowledge, and training to satisfactorily perform the services required by this contract. All personnel must perform the work up to the standards set forth within this contract. Personnel performing under this performance work statement shall remain Contractor employees and will not be considered Government employees. The contractor shall not employ any person who is an employee of the United States Government, if the employment of that person would create (or appear to create) a conflict of interest. All contractor staff having direct interface with employees of the government shall be able to read, write, speak and understand the English language.

CONTRACTOR STAFF QUALIFICATIONS. The Contractor shall provide all staff necessary to accomplish the work and ensure staff are properly trained to meet specified requirements of this contract. Staff having direct interface with government personnel under this contract shall be able to read, write, speak, and understand English. All contractor staff shall be legal residents of the United States.

KEY PERSONNEL EXPERIENCE.

PROGRAM MANAGER – ALTERNATE PROGRAM MANAGER. The Program Manager shall have at least five (5) years of experience in the management of hospital laundry cleaning services. The Alternate Program Manager shall be the Alter-ego of the Program Manager and shall have at least three (3) years of experience in the management of hospital bulk laundry cleaning services. The contractor shall provide a Program Manager who shall be responsible for the performance of the work. The Program Manager or the Alternate Program Manager shall have full authority to act on behalf of the contractor on all technical requirements relating to the daily operation of the contract. The name of this person and an alternate to act for the contractor when the manager is absent shall be designated in writing to the COR no later than the start of the contract. The Program Manager or Alternate Program Manager shall be available either in person or by telephone during normal working hours (Monday through Friday 7:00 AM – 3:30 PM) and after hours if needed. The designation letter shall include the name of the designee(s) and phone number(s) for duty hours and after duty hours. The Program Manager or Alternate Program Manager shall be mobilized to respond to a Government inquiry within one (1) hour.

CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL AND VEHICLE OPERATORS

APPEARANCE. Contractor personnel shall present a neat appearance and must be easily recognizable as an employee of the contractor. The contractor employees shall either wear a garment bearing the name of the individual and the contractor or an identification badge on the outer garment with the name of the individual and the contractor. This may be accomplished by wearing distinctive clothing bearing the name of the company, or by wearing appropriate badges or identification tags which contain the company name.

TRAINING. Infection control is of paramount importance to NIH/NIA. Employees shall receive education and training to increase the employee's knowledge and awareness of laundry service requirements for health care service. The Contractor shall document the participation by his laundry service personnel in a relevant continuing education program. Such training will be at the expense of the CONTRACTOR.

CONTRACTOR EMPLOYEE COMPLIANCE. The Contractor shall ensure that Contractor’s employees entering MedStar Harbor Hospital (MHH) and the NIA (5th floor) observe and comply with all MHH and NIA regulations, policies and procedures concerning fire, safety, environmental protection, sanitation, security, traffic, parking, “off limit" areas, and possession of firearms or other lethal weapons.

CONTINGENCY PLAN. The contractor shall provide a Contingency Plan. The contractor also has the responsibility of notifying the COR, if at any time the plan is changed. The contractor shall notify the COR of any event that jeopardizes performance under this contract. The plan shall include contingency operations for:

MOBILIZATION. In the event that mobilization and services are required beyond the contractor's capability to provide services, the contractor shall advise the COR of the capability and additional volume, which the contractor can obtain from the local civilian community. Mobilizations that extend beyond the normal contract purview may be subject to a claim by the contractor for the additional cost incurred as agreed upon by the COR.

LABOR DISPUTES. In the event of a labor dispute, the contractor's responsibility to provide the service will not be terminated. The contractor shall provide the COR his strike or other employee job action contingency plan to continue performance of service without interruption or degradation in the quality of service. In the event of a strike or other labor dispute interference with timely contract performance, the contractor shall immediately notify the COR and initiate action under the contingency plan.

DISASTER. In the event of a disaster, to include but not limited to destruction of the facility, sabotage, or an act of God or nature that renders the contractor's facility unsafe, the contractor shall determine a feasible alternative method of providing services and make recommendations to the COR.

CONTRACTOR – GOVERNMENT RELATIONSHIPS

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GOVERNMENT, CONTRACTOR, AND CONTRACTING PERSONNEL.

The Government and the Contractor understand and agree that the services to be delivered under this contract are non-personal services and that no employer-employee or master-servant relationship exists or will exist under the contract between the Government and the Contractor or between the Government and the Contractor's personnel. Further, the Contractor is not the Government's agent.

The Government will not exercise any supervision or control over Contractor personnel performing services under this contract. Contractor personnel shall not become an integrated part of the Government organization in connection with performance under this contract.

The services to be performed under this contract do not require the Contractor or his employees to exercise personal judgment and discretion on behalf of the Government, but rather, the Contractor's employees shall act and exercise personal judgment and discretion on behalf of the Contractor.

DEFINITIONS AND ACRONYMS:

DEFINITIONS - Special terms and phrases related to the Performance Work Statement are as follows:

ACCEPTABLE QUALITY LEVEL (AQL) - The maximum percent defective, the maximum number of defects per 100 units or in a lot, wherein performance will still be considered satisfactory. The AQL is allowable leeway or variance from a standard before the Government will reject the line-item service resulting in the issuance of a Contract Deficiency Report. An AQL does not say that the Contractor may knowingly offer defective services. It implies that the Government recognizes that defective performance sometimes happens unintentionally. As long as the defective performance does not exceed the AQL, the Government will not reject the line-item service. However, the contractor shall re-perform the defective service when directed at no additional cost to the Government.

ADVERSE CONDITION – An item received from customer in a state beyond serviceability as determined by the Quality Assurance (QA) Inspector or government representative.

CHANGE ORDER - A written order signed by the COR directing the Contractor to make changes.

CLEAN - Finished linen articles that are dry, free of visible soil, lint, and objectionable odors, such as cleaning chemicals, mold, mildew, body bacteria, etc. Spots and stains are removed where practical without damaging the fabric.

CLEANLINESS - Item is entirely clean, thoroughly dry, and free of lint.

CONTAMINATED LAUNDRY - All soiled laundry originated from this requirement is categorized as contaminated. In accordance with the “Infection Control” Section (Laundry subsection) of the Joint Commission Manual, the contractor is responsible for properly handling contaminated laundry.

CONTRACT DISCREPANCY REPORT (CDR) - A formal, written documentation of Contractor non-conformance or lack of performance for contracted work. A CDR requires the Contractor to respond within ten working days as to the cause, corrective action, and preventive action taken. A CDR formally notifies the Contractor of unsatisfactory performance that will result in deductions unless the Contractor can provide objective evidence to mitigate these deductions.

CONTRACT MODIFICATION - Any written alteration in the specification, contract period, price, quantity, or other contract provisions of the existing contract.

CONTRACTING OFFICER - A person with the authority to enter into, administers, and/or terminates contracts and makes related findings. The Contracting Officer is the only individual who has the authority to contractually bind the Government. The Contracting Officer may designate a Government employee to act as his authorized representative.

This individual shall not be authorized to award, agree to, or sign any contract or modification thereto, or in any way to obligate the payment of money by the Government.

CONTRACTING OFFICER REPRESENTATIVE (COR) - The person who has been designated as the authorized representative of the Contracting Officer acting within the limits of his authority. The COR can also serve as the Quality Assurance Evaluator (QAE) in the absence of the government representative or QAE. The COR verifies completion of the work, certifies invoices related to completed work, and ensures compliance with all provisions of the contract.

CONTRACTOR - The Contractor as used herein refers to both the prime Contractor and any subcontractors to the Contractor. The Contractor shall be responsible for ensuring that subcontractors comply with the provisions of the contract.

CORRECTIVE ACTION - Action taken by the Contractor to correct a deficiency and identify the cause(s) of the deficiency.

DAMAGE - A defective condition of an item due to improper processing resulting in the item being unsuitable for return to service.

DEDUCTION - A monetary deduction that will be subtracted from the Contractor's invoice for non-compliance to contractual/quality requirements in accordance with the Inspection Clauses in the Contract.

DEFECT/DEFICIENCY/DISCREPANCY - Each instance of noncompliance with a contract requirement. A deficiency may be caused by nonperformance or poor performance. Each deficiency (discrepancy) is subject to either Contractor re-performance or deductions.

DRY WEIGHT - Weight of cleaned, processed linen that is dry to the touch.

DRYNESS/SOFTNESS - Fluff dry items (Tumbled work) such as bath towels, hand towels, mattress pads, mattress covers, and blankets are completely dry and soft.

FINISH - Items such as shirts, trousers, utility clothing, and other wearing apparel must be machine finished, so that all surfaces are smooth and wrinkle free. There should be no rough spots. These items should retain their original shape and size.

FLAT WORK - Flat work finished laundry items are machine pressed, folded, and tied or wrapped in bundles. Flatwork finished articles includes sheets and pillowcases.

JOINT COMMISSION (JC) - A national organization dedicated to improving the care, safety, and treatment of patients in health care facilities, and publishers of the Joint Commission on Accreditation Manuals.

LAUNDERING - The process by which soiled fabric items are cleaned and treated includes cleaning by mechanical action in appropriate temperature water with solutions of detergents and other additives, ironing, and pressing. These additives include repellent treating, bleaching, bluing, rinsing, chemical rinse (sour, fabric softener, and any other agent for controlling the growth of microorganisms, such as molds and bacteria), and starching. The appropriate products and procedures are to be determined by the contractor for the various types of fabric and nature of soil.

LOST – Not returned within 24 hours of scheduled delivery date.

LOT - The total number of service outputs in a surveillance period, as defined in the Acceptable Quality Level column of the Performance Requirements Summary.

PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS SUMMARY (PRS) - Identifies the key service outputs of the contract that will be evaluated by the Government to ensure the Contractor meets contract performance standards.

PLANNED SAMPLING - A method of looking at a subjectively determined number of items in a lot, to form general conclusions about the quality of that lot against a standard.

PLASTIC WRAP - Plastic wrap shall be of sufficient strength to hold linen without bursting or tearing during transit and normal handling.

PROCESSING – All soil, spots, and stains are removed during laundering without damage to fabric.

QUALITY ASSURANCE (QA) - A method used by the government to ensure services meets the requirements of the contract.

QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE PLAN (QASP) - A written plan that details what is to be evaluated, how evaluations are to be accomplished, frequency of evaluations, evaluation parameters, sampling guides inspection checklists, and other information that the COR should have to provide effective QA.

QUALITY CONTROL PLAN - this document is to be submitted to the Government with respect to controlling quality by the Contractor.

QUALITY CONTROL PROGRAM (QCP) - The Contractor’s system to control the equipment, systems, or services to ensure that requirements of the contract are performed.

QUALITY CONTROL - Those actions taken by the Contractor to control the production of goods or services, so they meet the specifications and requirements of the contract.

RANDOM SAMPLE - A sampling method where each service output in a lot has an equal chance of being selected.

RANDOM NUMBER TABLE - A table of numbers arranged in a random fashion. The table is used to identify random samples for Quality Assurance.

RANDOM SAMPLING - A method of looking at a few individual items in a lot to determine the quality of that lot against a standard.

REPAIRABLE ITEMS – Articles with minor rips, tears (less than four inches), open seams, holes, missing buttons, and broken zippers.

ROUGH FINISHED ARTICLES - Includes bath towels, blankets, bathrobes, pajamas, gowns, linen bags, wash cloths, and re-usable under pads.

SAMPLE - One or more service outputs drawn from a lot. The number of outputs in the sample is the sample size.

SAMPLING GUIDE - The part of the QASP that contains the information needed to perform a random sample.

SAMPLING PLAN - A Government plan which indicates the AQL, the number of units from each lot which are to be inspected (sample size), and criteria for determining acceptability of the lot (acceptance and rejection numbers). It is used to develop the sampling guide.

SANITIZED. Articles made free of dirt, filth, bacteria, and other foreign agents that may or will endanger health or cause infection, illness, or disease.

SMELL – Articles are sanitized, free of objectionable odors to include no trace of washroom supplies left in fabrics.

SPECIAL WASH – Special wash items are defined as items that have been stained while in the government’s possession and will need special attention.

STANDARD OF PERFORMANCE - The desired value or measure of a performance indicator.

STARCHED AND FINISHED ARTICLES - There is no government requirement.

SURVEILLANCE - Planned or random observations of the timeliness, accuracy, completeness, and/or quality of services performed.

TAILS - A condition created when flatwork is not folded evenly with the corners not meeting each other.

UNSERVICEABLE ARTICLES - No longer usable or repairable for purpose intended.

WHITENESS/COLOR – White fabrics are sparkling white, and free of yellow and gray tints, or any other unsightly appearance. Colors are bright and clear.

ACRONYMS. Commonly used acronyms are listed below.

AQL Acceptable Quality Level OSHA Occupational Safety & Health Agency CDR Contract Discrepancy Report CFR Code of Federal Regulations CLIN Contract Line Item Number COB Close of Business COR Contracting Officer's Representative CQC Contractor Quality Control FAR Federal Acquisition Regulation GPE Government Furnished Equipment GFP Government Furnished Property IAW In accordance with CO Contracting Officer SDS Safety Data Sheet PRS Performance Requirements Summary SOW Performance Work Statement QA Quality Assurance QAE Quality Assurance Evaluator QASP Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan QC Quality Control QCP Quality Control Program TE Technical Exhibit

TECHNICAL EXHIBIT A

PACKAGING INSTRUCTIONS

This chart is for the benefit of the contractor who must finish the listed items to achieve the required appearance. The finishing method is only listing of how the required appearance has been achieved in the past and is not an instruction to finish any item in that fashion.

Item Required Appearance Finishing Method

Bath blanket Folded neatly Shake/Fold

Bath towel Folded neatly & secured in bundles of ten Shake/Fold/Tie

Draw sheet Smooth with no wrinkles, folded neatly & secured in bundles of 10

Flat Iron/Fold/Tie

Flat Sheet Smooth with no wrinkles, folded neatly & secured in bundles of 10

Flat Iron/Fold/Tie

Fitted Sheet Smooth with no wrinkles, folded neatly & secured in bundles of 10

Flat Iron/Fold/Tie

Gown Tie Folded neatly & secured in bundles of ten Shake/Fold

Laundry Bag Folded neatly & secured in bundles of ten Shake/Fold

Pillow case Smooth with no wrinkles, folded neatly & secured in bundles of 10

Flat Iron/Fold/Tie

Thermal blanket Folded neatly Shake/Fold

Wash cloth Folded neatly & secured in bundles of ten Shake/Fold

Scrubs Smooth with no wrinkles, folded neatly Flat Iron/Fold

Version 11-30-2016-1 FAR Part 11—Describing Agency Needs

TECHNICAL EXHIBIT B

QASP PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS SUMMARY

List of SOW Requirements

SOW Reference Acceptance Quality Limit

(AQL)

Primary Surveillance Method

Deduction Percentage

Pickup and Delivery Schedules are met

LAUNDRY 24-

HOUR PICK-

UP/DELIVERY

PERFORMANCE

REQUIREMENT

0.95 Random 10

Correct Quantities of Laundry Delivered

GOVERNMENT

QUALITY

ASSURANCE

(QA)

0.95 Random 10

Laundry delivered free of all dirt, dampness, odor, mildew, chemical residue, etc., GOVERNMENT

QUALITY

ASSURANCE

(QA)

0.95 Random 10

All items properly finished and packaged

GOVERNMENT

QUALITY

ASSURANCE

(QA)

0.95 Random 10

1. Purpose.

To list the SOW requirements considered most critical to satisfactory contract performance. Note, that the contractor’s failure to perform a single disinfection cleaning task to standard in a Type I, II, or III service area will render the entire service area unsatisfactory.

Identify the SOW reference(s) that identifies standards for the SOW requirements considered most critical to satisfactory contract performance.

Provide maximum allowable defect rates for each SOW requirement. The maximum allowable defect rate is the defect rate in the population of services above which the contractor’s quality control is considered unsatisfactory. The maximum allowable defect rate does not represent a threshold above which payment deductions are taken. Deductions may be taken for all defects (with credit for rework to the extent appropriate) irrespective of whether the maximum allowable defect rate was exceeded or not.

Identify the primary surveillance method as appropriate to SOW requirements.

Specify the applicable deduction base percentage applicable to each listed SOW requirement.

2. Re-performance of Services. If any of the services do not conform to contract requirements, the Government will require the contractor to re-perform the services in conformity with contract requirements, at no additional cost to the Government. When the defects in services cannot be corrected due to circumstances, the Government may (1) require

Version 11-30-2016-1 FAR Part 11—Describing Agency Needs the contractor to take necessary action to ensure that future performance conforms to contract requirements and (2) reduce the contract price to reflect the reduced value of the services performed. The Government may exercise appropriate contractual remedy should the contractor fail to promptly take the necessary action to ensure future performance is in conformity with contract requirements.

2.1. The contractor shall be required to correct/eliminate any deficiencies in services within the following prescribed time frames: twenty-four (24) hour turn around delivery time. Notification begins when inspection is done upon receipt of cleaned items and formal record is filed (e.g., Customer Complaint Record, and Random Sample Discrepancy Notification) are issued to the contractor. Time of notification and correction of all applicable deficiencies should be entered on all Government documents and retained in the contract file. The Government may execute a deduction in payment for non-compliance when validated by the Contracting Officer.

3. Criteria for Determining Maximum Allowable Degree of Deviation (AQL) From Requirement

3.1. Random Inspections. The AQLs are based inspection of cleaned laundry. Deficiency levels which exceed the AQL are unacceptable and may trigger actions in Paragraph 4.

3.1.1. When apparent non-satisfactory work is identified, the Contractor shall be required to respond to a Contract Discrepancy Report (CDR). The Contractor shall explain reasons for substandard performance, how performance will be returned to acceptable levels, and how recurrence of the same or like problems will be prevented.

3.1.2. The Government will evaluate the Contractor's explanation, assess its validity, and determine whether it is acceptable.