Statement_of_work_Armenian_Domestic_Stringer.pdf

PDF 114 KB Posted Mar 18, 2019

Attached to: VOA Eurasia Multimedia Reporter-Armenian
Solicitation number: USAGM-19-EUR-RFQ-00010AM
Issued by: US Agency for Global Media

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Statement of Work - Armenian Multimedia Reporter

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BLANKET PURCHASE AGREEMENT

VOA EURASIA DIVISION - ARMENIAN

Statement of Work:

Duties:

The Voice of America's Armenian Service has a requirement for a talent vendor (hereinafter referred to as "Contractor") to provide a combination of services as described below. The work shall be performed on a Fixed-Price-Labor-Assignment basis. In addition, the Government will reimburse the Contractor for actual expenses as stated below. The Contractor's per-assignment rate shall include overhead (e.g., health insurance), G&A, and profit. The rate will be established on per assignment basis. No minimum assignments are guaranteed.

The Contractor shall be responsible for meeting all obligations; including but not limited to technical assignments under the terms and conditions of this Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA). The Contractor shall at all times adhere to all standards and principles in the Voice of America Journalistic Code at https://www.insidevoa.com/p/5831.html and VOA Best Practices Ethics. The Contractor shall request pre-approval before engaging in outside speaking and writing that will give rise to an actual or perceived violation of the Journalistic Code.

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The period of performance of this Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) is five years consisting of a one year base period and four (4) consecutive twelve-month ordering periods.

(a) The anticipated date of award of this Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) shall be from base year APRIL 1, 2019 – MARCH 31, 2024 and will be contingent upon availability of funds.

(b) Additional services in excess of the estimated amount may be requested provided upon the mutual consent of the parties as indicated by the offer and acceptance of additional orders. The Government may terminate this contract within 30 calendar day’s prior notice in the event of discontinued need for the Contractor’s services or with less prior notice as may be appropriate in the event of unsatisfactory performance or improper conduct on the part of the Contractor.

2.0 Scope of Work

The Contractor shall perform the following work at the location mutually agreed to by the authorized BBG/VOA representative:

(a) Contractor will translate news, reports and features from English into Armenian and adapt various materials for use on VOA Armenian Service's TV and Digital platforms https://www.insidevoa.com/p/5831.html

(b) Contractor will write, produce and edit for TV and web, voice and produce video packages covering wide range of subjects, and using variety of news sources

(c) Contractor will, when assigned, translate his/her stories to English, prepare and publish multimedia content on Service’s web site and other digital properties. He/she shall engage target audience through social media.

(d) Contractor will, when assigned, serve as an on-camera talent in live or live-to-tape studio TV shows and interactives; initiate and conduct original on-camera or Skype interviews with a wide variety of newsmakers

(e) The contractor shall be capable of and be responsible for independently operating contemporary television (TV) field production equipment and systems for the recording of video programming for VOA Armenian service.

(f) The contractor will, when assigned, provide periodical reports on developments in local media outlets, particularly national TV networks that carry VOA programming; these would be valuable inputs for adjustments of content strategies and programming

(g) The Contractor shall be available to work as all of the above within mutually agreed upon flexible hours, including evenings, weekends, and Government Holidays. A 30 minute non-paid meal break shall be coordinated with the COR.

(h) The quality and efficiency of the services performed by the Contractor shall be reviewed on a regular basis to ensure that the Contractor is meeting the requirements of the VOA.

(i) VOA may terminate this contract within 60 days prior notice in the event of discontinued need for the Contractor’s services or within lesser prior notice as may be appropriate in the event of unsatisfactory performance or improper conduct on the part of the Contractor.

3.0 Reimbursable Items

(a) Travel and Per Diem - The terms and conditions of the Federal Travel Regulations (FTR) shall apply to all travel and travel-related matters authorized herein. The Contractor shall be reimbursed at cost for travel-related expenses upon submission of properly substantiated invoices. There shall be no profit allowed on these expenses. The Contractor, in connection with authorized travel, shall be reimbursed for:

1. The cost of economy-class (coach) airfare;

2. Per diem at Government rates prevailing when travel is undertaken; and

3. Miscellaneous expenses incurred in connection with the travel, upon provision of appropriate justification.

(b) The Contracting Officer may ask the Contractor to substantiate related travel expenses by supporting information (e.g., dates, purpose of travel, and per diem) and documentation including receipts for airline travel costs, lodging, parking fees, ground transportation, and other miscellaneous fees in excess of $25.

(c) Other Out-of-Pocket Expenses - Upon presentation of substantiating data to the Contracting Officer, the Contractor shall be reimbursed for the following expenses without profit:

1. Passport/visa fees and photographs;

2. Taxi/limousine/bus fares to and from airports; and

3. Official long distance telephone calls from the Contractor’s office.

(d) The BBG will not reimburse costs associated with “Local Travel” to/from the Contractor’s office or for parking at the Contractor’s office. Neither will the BBG reimburse the Contractor for his “travel time”. However, the BBG will reimburse the Contractor for costs associated with “Local Travel” to locations where he/she will be covering stories if applicable. This reimbursement will include mileage (at JTR rates), tolls, and hourly parking.

(e) The Contractor MUST obtain prior written approval from the COR identified in the Contract before incurring any of the above reimbursable expenses.

4.0 SUBMISSION OF DELIVERABLES

(a) All work performed under this contract shall be completed and delivered within the time agreed upon by the Contractor and the ordering office – VOA Armenian, and as specified in each task order, oral or written.

(b) The work will not be paid, partially or in full, in case it has not been determined to be complete by the VOA Armenian Service supervisory staff, and the Contractor was promptly informed of the same immediately after the work has been evaluated.

(c) The Contractor shall advise the ordering office of any anticipated delays within twenty-four (24) hours after receipt of an order.

5. 0 VOA CONTROL OF THE WORK

While VOA encourages initiative in discovering, pursuing and developing stories, etc., until VOA accepts a story, etc., VOA will not pay the Contractor for any story, etc. VOA follows Voice of America journalistic guidelines and standards available at https://www.insidevoa.com/p/5831.html and VOA Best Practices. The Contractor and those reporting stories are responsible for errors or material breaches of these journalistic guidelines. Material errors or breach are grounds for VOA to refuse to provide further work to the persons breaching these standards and can be the basis for a termination for default of this agreement in whole or part. The remedies in this clause are cumulative and do not restrict any other actions VOA may have under the agreement, at law or in equity.

Before designating a stringer to a VOA assignment (story, etc.,) VOA must have approved the use of that stringer. VOA also reserves the right to restrict use of some stringers for some VOA assignments. The Contractor shall notify VOA of the names of the designated https://www.insidevoa.com/p/5831.html stringers as soon as the Contractor designates the stringer. VOA has complete discretion to require the Contractor to remove stringers from VOA assignments.

VOA and stringers may communicate directly via the designated COR.

VOA has complete editorial control over the content of stories VOA publishes in any form or media. Stringers who object to VOA editorial decisions shall present their objections to the Contractor/COR who can determine whether and how to pursue the matter with VOA.

Editorial decisions concerning the content or presentation of stories shall not be subject to the disputes clause. Those decisions are solely within the discretion of the Contracting Officer.

VOA is not responsible for the safety or health of the Contractor and its stringers when pursuing any story. The Contractor and the involved stringers must determine on their own the risks and are at liberty to stop and exit any story or situation when they reasonably believe they are at risk of injury, particularly if any person or persons, know or unknown, are reasonably believed to be seeking to inflict harm on journalists.

If VOA/COR does not accept a deliverable from the Contractor due to inferior quality, errors, etc., the Contractor may, depending on the type of deliverable, be entitled to resubmit the deliverable at VOA/COR’s sole discretion. For example, if the item submitted was a breaking news item and its publication is time sensitive, VOA will not accept resubmission of that breaking news item. In any event, the Contractor must obtain approval in writing from VOA/COR before resubmitting a deliverable that VOA/COR deemed unacceptable.

6.0 SUBMISSION OF INVOICES

The Contractor shall submit an original monthly invoice of detailed work completed and accepted by the Government to the COR. The Contractor’s monthly invoice shall list: (a) the days for which assignments/hours are being billed for work performed, (b) the programs produced, (c) reimbursable expenses, if any, and (d) comply with 1952.232-91 Electronic Invoicing and Payment Requirements clause (below).

1952.232-91 Electronic Invoicing and Payment Requirements

- Invoice Payment Platform (IPP) (April 2016)

Payment requests for all new awards may be required to be submitted electronically through the U. S. Department of the Treasury's Invoice Payment Platform System (IPP). "Payment request" means any request for contract financing payment or invoice payment by the Contractor. To constitute a proper invoice, the payment request must comply with the requirements identified in

FAR 32.905(b), "Payment documentation and process" and the applicable Prompt Payment clause included in this contract. The IPP website address is: https://www.ipp.gov.

7.0 ACCEPTANCE

(a) The Contractor shall maintain a monthly Attendance Log of all assignments worked. A copy of this Attendance Log shall be attached to the Contractor’s invoice.

(b) COR for this contract is Inesa Mkhitaryan (imkhitar@voanews.com), VOA Armenian Service Chief; The alternative COR is Alen Mlatisuma, Eurasia Division’s Internet Managing Editor (amlatisu@voanews.com)

CRITICAL EVALUATION FACTORS: ARMENIAN LANGUAGE SKILLS-SET AND EXPERIENCE.

Apart from proficiency in spoken and written Armenian, the Contractor is absolutely expected to have the flair for; and control of VOA Standard Armenian-language broadcast skills-set. This invariably means the Contractor has to be an experienced, practicing, multimedia journalist with print, electronic and on-line presence over a minimum of three years at a licensed Armenian broadcasting station, online media outlet or has a discernable online blog. The Contractor’s past experience and current capacity to multitask with a crew to pre-plan, script, shoot, edit, post-produce and host content on TV and create/manage customized VOA websites, which shall be tested, should be added advantages.

ACCEPTANCE OF AGREEMENT

The Contractor agrees that no employer-employee relationship exists between the Voice of America and the Contractor.

Your signature certifies that you agree to perform all the services set forth or otherwise identified above and on any continuation sheets for the consideration stated.

The rights and obligations of the parties to this BPA shall be subject to and governed by (a) this order for supplies or services (b) such provisions, representations, certifications and specifications.

ACCEPTANCE OF THIS BPA TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

SIGNATURE: ______________________________________

TYPE NAME: ______________________________________

Contractor is required to sign and return 1 copy.

Office of Contracts Broadcasting Board of Governors International Broadcasting Bureau 330 Independence Ave, SW Suite 4360 Washington, DC 20237

- End of Statement of Work –

Base Period

April 1 2019- March 31, 2020

CLIN No.