A01-(draft)_Statement_of_Work_(SOW)-CECOM_Command_Group_Support.docx

Statement of Work (SOW) Communications-Electronics Command (CECOM) Command Group Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland

SOW Section 1.1: Scope The scope of this effort is to provide products, services, and support to the CECOM Command Group, under the purview of the CECOM Command Group, in areas of strategic communications and messaging, engagements/events management, and protocol services.

SOW Section 1.2: Objective To obtain quality strategic communications products, services, and support in the form of events planning, speech writing, technical writing (grammar/editing), newspaper content writing and layout design, graphics design, and protocol services. Products, services, and support include the development of strategies, plans, and execution.

SOW Section 1.3: Background The mission of the Communications-Electronics Command (CECOM), headquartered at Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG), Maryland (MD), is to synchronize, integrate, and deliver Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) materiel readiness to the Total Army in support of the American Warfighter.

SOW Section 2.01: Applicable Regulations, Policies, and Procedures

1. AR25-50 Knowledge of AR 25-50 "Preparing and Managing Correspondence

SOW Section 2.02: Materials, Equipment, and Facilities The Government will provide onsite contractor personnel with workspace and materiel equivalent to that used by the Government personnel (i.e., personal computers, desks, chairs, cabinet space, and telephones) at no additional cost. Government shall provide access to data and information required for the execution of this effort. The aforementioned Government Furnished Property (GFP) will be furnished to the contractor for performance of the contract only. The contractor shall acquire all other required material and equipment not furnished by the Government, following purchase approval by the Contracting Officer (KO) or Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). Authorized purchases shall be reimbursed as a direct cost without associated Profit/Fee.

In addition to GFP provided by the Government, all subsequent contractor-acquired material and equipment purchased under the contract shall become GFP. At the end of the performance period of the contract, ownership of all GFP purchased by the contractor with funding from the contract will be transferred to the Government.

During the course of this contract, the contractor shall track and account for all provided GFP throughout the entire performance period of the Contract. The contractor shall be responsible for preventing damage to provided GFP. The contractor shall either repair or replace damaged GPF to the Government's satisfaction. The Government will determine acceptance of repairs and replacement. Contractor shall notify the COR within twenty-four (24) hours of damage, destruction, theft or loss of GFP. Upon completion of the period of performance of the contract, the contractor shall return all GFP to the Government in full working order.

A list of GFP for this contract is provided in Contract Attachment XXXX.

SOW Section 2.03: Security The highest level of facility security clearance required for the contractor to perform on this contract is SECRET. The highest level of classified material the contractor will be required to safeguard at its own facility is NONE. These security requirements and others are detailed in the Department of Defense form 254 (DD254) “Contract Security Classification Specification”. The contractor shall be in full compliance with all security requirements for performance of the contract.

SOW Section 2.04: Phase Out The Phase Out period is scheduled to allow for an orderly transition of performance from the incumbent contractor to a successor contractor. The Phase Out period is scheduled for the last _20_ business days of contract performance.

During the Phase Out period, if the incumbent contractor is not awarded the subsequent contract for the requirement, the incumbent contractor shall permit the successor contractor, on a non-interference basis, to observe and become familiar with any and all operations under this contract. The incumbent contractor shall remain responsible and liable for the completion of all requirements of this contract until the final day of this contract. The incumbent contractor shall not defer any requirements for the purpose of avoiding responsibility and transferring such responsibility to the successor contractor or the Government. The incumbent contractor shall provide contact information for current performing employees, for compliance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) clause 52.222-17 "Nondisplacement of Qualified Workers".

SOW Section 2.05: Contract Management The contractor shall provide oversight and direction to employees for performance of the effort. Contractor personnel shall only accept work directives from the contractor’s management, and the contractor’s management shall direct work that is in scope of this PWS. The Government will communicate upcoming tasks for this contract to the contractor management via the Contracting Officer and COR.

The contractor shall provide the Government with Monthly Labor Hours and Cost reports, in accordance with (IAW) Contract Deliverable Requirement List (CDRL) A001. When a labor position required by the contract has or will become vacant, the contractor shall submit a Critical Personnel Change report IAW CDRL A002.

The contractor shall provide the Government with means of contacting the contractor management for coordinating assignment of tasks, obtaining status, and handling contractual issues. A contractor management point of contact shall be available for contact on a 24/7 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) basis.

If the Government customer activity requires contract changes to COST, SCHEDULE, LEVEL OF EFFORT, or PERFORMANCE, the Government customer will coordinate the requirement change through the COR, who in turn will coordinate with the Contracting Officer and the Contractor. If the contractor requests a change to the contract, the contractor will contact the Contracting Officer or the COR, with the COR in turn bringing the request to the Contracting Officer.

SOW Section 2.06: Travel All Non-Local Travel must be authorized in advance by the COR, and be performed IAW established Joint Travel Regulations (JTR). Non-Local Travel is defined as fifty (50) miles or more from the primary place of performance. Travel does not include miles for commuting to the primary place of performance.

Authorized Travel shall be payable as a direct cost without associated Profit/Fee. There will be no reimbursement for Local Travel in and around the primary place of performance. Reimbursement for the cost of lodging and incidental expenses will be considered to be reasonable and allowable to the extent that costs submitted for reimbursement do not exceed the rates and amounts allowed by the JTR as it applies to civilian employees of the United States Government.

SOW Section 2.07: Personnel Qualifications The contractor shall employ only personnel who meet the minimum qualifications provided under Appendix A, Level of Effort (LOE), and are fully qualified and competent to perform the tasks specified in this SOW. For purposes of verifying that labor category qualifications are met, upon request by the COR the contractor shall provide within five (5) business days the resumes of contractor personnel performing support services under the contract. For Government review of prospective contractor employee resumes, the Government shall limit responses to whether resumes meet the LOE minimum qualifications for labor categories.

The contractor shall staff all required labor positions with fully qualified personnel within twenty business days of contract award or by the effective period of performance starting date, whichever date is later. If a required labor position becomes vacant, the contractor shall fill it with a fully qualified individual twenty (20) business days of any vacancy.

SOW Section 2.08: Work Hours The average work week for personnel is 40 hours. Overtime, defined as hours worked that are in excess of 40 hours per week, is not authorized unless written authorization is obtained from the Contracting Officer or the COR. Due to unforeseen needs for support, contractor personnel periodically will be required to provide services outside prime shift. Prime shift is defined as 0800 hours to 1700 hours, Monday through Friday. The Contractor shall adhere to the published Federal Holiday schedule. When work is to occur outside normal business hours (weekends, holidays, before 0800 or after 1700 local time), the Government customer will contact the COR with the requirement, and the COR will communicate the need to the contractor.

Contractor is not required to perform services on these Government holidays, except by specific request:

Hours worked by professional (non-Service Contract Act) labor categories in excess of 40 hours per week, or outside of prime shift, will be compensated at the same pay rate as the initial 40 hours. Premium pay rates are not permitted for professional labor categories. Premium pay rates for SCA labor categories will be reimbursable IAW the SCA and Department of Labor regulations.

Military installation closures due to emergencies: From time to time, the Installation Commander may close all or part of the military installation in response to an unforeseen emergency or similar occurrence. Such emergencies include, but are not limited to, adverse weather such as snow or flood, an Act of God, such as tornado or earthquake, or an installation disaster such as a natural gas leak or fire. Contractor personnel are considered non-essential personnel for purposes of any instructions regarding the emergency. In the event of an installation closure, contractor personnel shall promptly secure all GFP appropriately and evacuate in an expedient but safe manner. In situations when the contractor staff is affected by installation closures and would like to make up work hours, the contractor shall request this to be done through the COR.

Contractor personnel are authorized to work an Alternate Work Schedule (AWS), with approval by the COR, provided that there is no impact to cost or performance. AWS is defined as both flexible work schedules and compressed work schedules. Flexible work schedule is defined as, in the case of a full time employee, has 80-hour bi-weekly basic work requirement that allows an employee to determine his or her own schedule within the limits as approved by the COR, and in the case of a part-time employee, has a bi-weekly basic work requirement of less than 80 hours that allows an employee to determine his or her own schedule as approved by the COR. Compressed work schedule is defined as, in the case of a full-time employee, an 80-hour biweekly basic work requirement that is scheduled by an agency for less than 10 workdays; and in the case of a part-time employee, a biweekly basic work requirement of less than 80 hours that is scheduled by an agency for less than 10 workdays and that may require the employee to work more than 8 hours in a day.

The contractor shall at all times maintain an adequate workforce for the uninterrupted performance of all tasks defined within this SOW when the Government facility is open for operations.

SOW Section 2.09: Contractor Manpower Reporting (CMR) The Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Manpower & Reserve Affairs) operates and maintains a secure Army data collection site where the contractor shall report ALL contractor manpower (including subcontractor manpower) required for performance of this contract. The contractor is required to completely fill in all the information in the format using the following web address: The required information includes:

- Contracting Office, PCO, Contracting Officers Technical Representative;

- Contract number;

- Beginning and ending dates covered by reporting period;

- Contractor name, address, phone number, e-mail address, identification data for incoming contractor employee;

- Estimated direct labor hours (including sub-contractors);

- Estimated direct labor dollars paid this reporting period (including sub-contractors);

- Total payments (including sub-contractors);

- Predominant Federal Service Code (FSC) reflecting services provided by contractor (and separate predominant FSC for each sub-contractor if different);

- Estimated data collection cost;

- Organizational title associated with the Unit Identification Code (UIC) for the Army Requiring Activity (the Army Requiring Activity is responsible for providing the contractor with its UIC for the purposes of reporting this information);

- Locations where contractor and sub-contractors perform the work (specified by zip code in the United States and nearest city, country, when in an overseas location, using standardized nomenclature provided on website);

- Presence of deployment or contingency contract language; and

- Number of contractor and sub-contractor employees deployed in theater this reporting period (by country). As part of its submission, the contractor will also provide the estimated total cost (if any) incurred to comply with this reporting requirement Reporting period will be the period of performance not to exceed twelve (12) months ending 30 September of each government fiscal year and must be reported by 31 October of each calendar year. Contractors may use a direct Extensible Markup Language (XML) data transfer to the database server or fill in the fields on the website. The XML direct transfer is a format for transferring files from a contractors systems to the secure web site without the need for separate data entries for each required data element at the web site. The specific formats for the XML direct transfer may be downloaded from the web.

SOW Section 2.10: Contractor Mandatory Training The contractor shall ensure that its employees complete all Government mandated training requirements as determined by the CECOM Command Group. The contractor shall track Mandatory Training compliance using their own resources. For purposes of verifying that compliance with mandatory training requirement, upon request by the COR the contractor shall provide within five (5) business days all requested evidence of completed training.

SOW Section 2.11: Spillage Contractors must comply with DoD 5220.22-M (National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual), Army Regulation 380-5 (Information Security program), and AR 380-49 (Industrial Security Program). All security incidents involving classified information shall be immediately reported to the COR, KO, and Government Security Manager.

Unauthorized Disclosures of Classified Information (UDCI), also commonly referred to as a "spill" or "spillage", are identified either by internal or external persons recognizing that classified data has been transmitted or stored on an unapproved medium. In the event of a UDCI, the contractor shall implement immediate efforts to contain to contain the spillage and prevent further damage to National security. The contractor, upon notification of such event to the Government, shall provide a mitigation plan at no cost to the Government to include as applicable removing individuals from contract, training, criminal charges, corrective actions.

The contractor is responsible for reimbursing the government for contractor initiated “at fault” spillage incidents determined as willful or negligent by the investigating Government official. In these cases, the KO will issue a unilateral modification to reduce the contractor’s profit/fee by a cost of the associated cleanup costs across the enterprise needed to restore the affected systems and network(s) to normal operating configurations.

SOW Section 3.0: Performance Requirements This section specifies Performance Objectives and Performance Elements. The contractor’s performance will be evaluated by the Government IAW the SOW and the Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP).

All contractor personnel performing under this section PWS 3.0 must be capable of working on a team in a high-pressure fast-paced environment.

For the SOW Section 3 subparagraphs below, “performance standard” (STD) represents the ideal level of performance desired by the Government. “Acceptable Quality Level” (AQL) represents the minimal level of performance considered satisfactory by the Government.

SOW Section 3.1: Program Management (events) The contractor shall provide services for event planning, coordination, and synchronization for senior executive-level events. The contractor shall be responsible for strategizing and planning the senior executive-level events from conception through completion. The contractor shall provide personnel with prior experience as an event planner or organizer, excellent time management/communication skill, self-directing initiative, the ability to manage multiple projects independently, and be proficient using Microsoft Office. Personnel must be capable of working in a fast-paced environment in team. Contractor personnel are responsible for the following tasks:

SOW Section 3.1.01. Assisting in organizing memorable events that meet quality expectations.

SOW Section 3.1.02. Assisting in conducting plans, designs, and production of events while managing all project delivery elements within time limits.

SOW Section 3.1.03. Assisting Government Project Leaders in liaising with community partners, vendors, and tenant organizations to ensure all needs are met, and identifying and ensuring all requirements are satisfied.

SOW Section 3.1.04. Assisting Government Project Leaders during Integrated Project Team (IPT) meetings to ensure proper planning and assets are available for each event.

SOW Section 3.1.05. Assisting in organizing facilities and managing all event details such as décor, catering, entertainment transportation, location, invitee list special guests, and equipment.

SOW Section 3.1.06. Assisting in ensuring compliance with legal, health, and safety obligations.

SOW Section 3.1.07. Assisting in identifying and specifying staff requirements, and coordinating their activities.

SOW Section 3.1.08. Proactively handling any arising issues and troubleshooting any emerging problems on the event day.

SOW Section 3.1.09. Conducting pre- and post-event evaluation, and reporting on outcomes.

SOW Section 3.2: Speech Preparation:

The contractor shall provide a Speech Preparer to directly support the CECOM Commanding General, Deputy to the Commanding General, and other CECOM senior leaders for speaking engagements, scripting projects, public relations messages, political messaging, executive presentations, professional journal articles, and messaging the workforce. The speech writer shall be fluent/current on Department of Defense (DOD), Department of the Army (DA), and CECOM topics, able to weave various elements of a presentation together in a comprehensive and logical manner, able to describe complex material and information in detail, and be able to write in a conversational tone. The speech writer shall be proficient in Associated Press (AP) Style Guide, and capable of producing work in a “story-telling” tone. The speech writer’s responsibilities include:

SOW Section 3.2.01. Develops and writes speeches, briefings, and other communications.

SOW Section 3.2.02. Translates the ideas, objectives, corporate position, and management philosophy into messaging that relates to the topic, speaker, and intended audience.

SOW Section 3.2.03. Compose and/or review editorials, press releases, or articles representing CECOM management.

SOW Section 3.2.04. Assists CECOM executives with speech delivery preparations.

SOW Section 3.2.05. Contributes to moderately complex aspects of a project.

SOW Section 3.2.06. Works both independently and collaborative in nature.

SOW Section 3.3. ‘APG News’ Content Creation and Layout Design:

The contractor shall create and curate the content necessary for the weekly publication of the APG News newspaper and its website, as outlined by the Aberdeen Proving Ground Public Affairs Office (APG PAO) and Appendix A. The Commander or the PAO will provide oversight and final approval authority for the all APG NEWS content created IAW this PWS. The contractor shall not publish any content without obtaining final approval authority. Responsibilities under this section include:

SOW Section 3.3.01. The contractor shall create and curate the editorial content necessary for the APG NEWS print edition. This content includes, but is not limited to: news and feature stories, personnel profiles and Q&As.

SOW Section 3.3.02. The contractor shall take or curate the photographs and associated captions necessary to accompany the editorial content of the weekly publication of the APG NEWS. The contractor will supply access to a stock photography service. The contractor shall, when needed, create graphics and illustrations for the APG NEWS.

SOW Section 3.3.03. The contractor shall create and curate the editorial content necessary for the APG NEWS website. This content includes, but is not limited to, news stories, features, profiles, photographs, videos and other multimedia products.

SOW Section 3.3.04. The contractor shall capture or curate the photographs, video footage and audio footage necessary to accompany the editorial content of the APG NEWS website. The contractor will supply access to a stock photography service.

SOW Section 3.3.05. The contractor shall write the social media posts necessary to promote APG NEWS editorial content on Aberdeen Proving Ground social media platforms. The contractor shall create content specifically for APG social media pages that may or may not appear in the print or digital version of the APG NEWS.

SOW Section 3.3.06. The contractor shall create the page design and layout necessary for the weekly publication of the APG NEWS, and special editions. The contractor shall follow APG NEWS page design standards and branding guidelines as outlined by the APG PAO in Appendix A.

SOW Section 3.3.07. The contractor shall meet all deadlines outlined by APG PAO in Appendix A.

SOW Section 3.3.08. The contractor shall furnish the necessary computer, camera and printing equipment and software required for the production of the APG News and its website as outlined by the APG PAO in Appendix A, unless already provided.

SOW Section 3.4: Technical Writing:

The contractor shall produce high-quality documentation that is appropriate for the intended audience through research and the creation of information. The contractor shall also perform thorough review and editing of original work and work of others to include documentation, announcements, messages, flyers, brochures, and programs. The contractor shall organize and complete correspondence IAW Army Regulation 25-50 standards and AP Style Guide, and demonstrating clarity, conciseness, style, and terminology. Technical writers must be capable of producing presentations using Microsoft Powerpoint and other formats to brief General-level senior leadership. The responsibilities of this position include:

SOW Section 3.4.01. Maintain records and files of work and revisions.

SOW Section 3.4.02. Edit, standardize, or make changes to material prepared by other writers or the CECOM and APG Garrison personnel.

SOW Section 3.4.03. Confer with senior leaders, customer, and publishers to establish technical specifications and to determine subject material to be developed for publication

SOW Section 3.4.04. Review published materials and recommend revisions, or changes in scope, format, content and methods of reproduction and binding.

SOW Section 3.5: Graphics Design:

The graphics design support requirements include comprehensive preparation by gathering information and materials, planning concepts by studying information and materials, illustrating concepts by designing rough layouts of art and copy regarding arrangement, size, type size and style, and related aesthetic concepts. Most products will be developed using Microsoft Office and Adobe Creative tools. Printing shall be by accomplished through a Defense Logistics Agency Document Services facility, contractor or third-party vendor. The five performance elements include:

SOW Section 3.5.01. The contractor shall develop, produce, update and inventory written information including fact sheets, brochures, reports, flyers, briefings, multi-media presentations (consisting of embedded music, photographs, video, animation and motion graphics) newsletters (ranging from 4 to 20 pages), briefings, and other items requested by the government.

SOW Section 3.5.02. The contractor shall develop, produce, update, and inventory information display products including posters, displays, signage, banners, etc. (including multi-item sets and displays)

SOW Section 3.5.03. The contractor shall develop and update graphics for use throughout the organization. These products include program-wide templates for fact sheets, brochures, booklets, posters, exhibits, displays, electronic newsletters, and briefings as well as graphics illustrating data relationships and concepts. In addition, the contractor shall support the design and production of briefing packets for Government meetings.

SOW Section 3.5.04. The contractor shall support the development and maintenance of the organizations’ presence on major online information and social media outlets, including but not limited to Wikipedia, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, Instagram, and the organizational public website. This includes design and concept for CECOM public websites and social media sites.

SOW Section 3.5.05. The contractor shall receive draft publications and products and convert drafts to final designated formats. Publications and products may include command reports, booklets, newsletters, brochures, PowerPoint briefings, information papers, biographies, fact sheets, etc.

SOW Section 3.6: Protocol Support:

Works in a protocol office with other Government and contractor employees with the mission to organize and plan for official visits. Ensure proper etiquette for official engagements and streamline interactions with identified guests and other important people.

SOW Section 3.6.01. Plan and manage protocol aspects of official events hosted by APG senior leaders, the Deputy Chief of Mission, or other official officers as needed.

SOW Section 3.6.02. Prepare guest lists and invitations for events and ensure that they are properly delivered and verify acceptances/regrets.

SOW Section 3.6.03. For formal lunches and dinners, produce seating charts, place cards, and table arrangements, which may include centerpieces.

SOW Section 3.6.04. Meet and greet guests at official events and monitor events to ensure they follow proper protocol.

SOW Section 3.6.05. In coordination with Community Relations and PAO, develop and maintain contact lists and guest lists for receptions, lunches, dinners, and other representational activities. Ensure that the data is accurate.

SOW Section 3.6.06. Participate in meetings, conferences, and social functions to aid on matters of protocol.

SOW Section 3.6.07. Maintain and update biographic profiles.

SOW Section 3.6.08. Maintain a calendar of events of interest for Senior Mission Commander’s personnel of special events.

SOW Section 3.6.09. Provide translations of community, business, or other event protocol-related materials.

SOW Section 3.6.10. Reserve parking for Very Important Person (VIP) visitors and receives senior leader visitors as directed.

SOW Section 3.6.11. Accomplish “special projects” as directed.

SOW Section 3.6.12. Perform other duties as assigned.

Appendix A

1. APG NEWS Content Requirements

1.1. Each issue of the APG NEWS will have a minimum of 12 editorial pages and a maximum 36 editorial pages and be comprised of at least 60% editorial content. The contractor is responsible for creating or curating the content required to fill editorial space.

1.1.1. The contractor will receive direction from APG PAO for identifying on-post events to be covered, as well as key installation and Army priorities to serve as content drivers for the APG NEWS.

1.1.2. Authorized news and information sources include the Office of the ATSD(PA), DMA, the Military Departments and their subordinate levels of command, and other U.S. Government agencies.

1.1.3. Commercial news and opinion sources, such as AP, UPI, and the New York Times are not authorized for use in DoD publications except as stated in DoDI 5120.4.

1.1.4. Newspapers may publish community service news and announcements of the civilian community for the benefit of command or installation personnel and their families. Actions will be in compliance with DODI 5120.4.

1.1.5. Political News: Cartoons, news and editorials pertaining to political campaigns shall not be carried in the printed or electronic APG NEWS newspaper, with the exception of balanced impartial news summaries provided by commercial newsgathering wire service where authority exists to use such services. No opinion poll, survey or straw vote relating to a political campaign, candidates, or issues will be conducted.

1.2. The contractor will ensure all content adheres to AP Style and DoD Style standards, including localized style as outlined by APG Public Affairs.

1.3. The contractor will ensure the APG NEWS adheres to all copyright and defamation laws. The contractor shall ensure all written permission to publish copyrighted, syndicated, or wire service material is on file at the PAO and the contractor’s office before publication. The spirit of DOD 5500.7-R, Joint Ethics Regulation, and AR 360-1, the Army Public Affairs Program will be maintained in production of the APG NEWS.

2. APG NEWS Advertising

2.1. Advertisements shall be provided from contract (Contract Number). The contractor shall not accept advertisements from contract (Contract Number) later than 10:00 a.m Tuesday prior to the date of publication, unless as replacement for rejected/unallowable advertisement.

2.2. The contractor will provide continuous and timely feedback to contract (Contract Number) regarding which advertisements have been accepted or determined unallowable, and when advertising space in the APG NEWS has been filled.

2.3. Empty space resulting from rejected advertisements, canceled stories, or other causes will be replaced with appropriate filler material.

3. APG NEWS Page Layout and Web Content Management Requirements

3.1. The contractor must provide a desktop design system, to include all software and hardware that is compatible with existing and future PAO standard government issued PCs, unless otherwise already provided. The contractor must utilize a desktop design system to include all software and hardware that is up to industry standard. The contractor must maintain a design system capable of connecting/sending the paper to the commercial publisher.

3.2. The contractor shall provide a selection of varied styles of headline types and various styles of text (body) types on a weekly basis. (Headline styles in sizes 6 point through 72 point, with capability for larger sizes as required, and text sizes from 6 to 24 point). APG NEWS print type shall be standard news print, subject to requirements of applicable laws and regulations.

3.3. The contractor shall ensure the following content is always included in the standard APG NEWS issue template:

3.3.1. The masthead of each issue of the newspaper will include the name and telephone number of the Garrison Aberdeen Proving Ground Public Affairs Office (PAO), the name of the Contractor, the frequency of publication, method of reproduction and circulation.

3.3.2. The Flag of each issue will include the following statement: Published in the interest of the people of Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland.

3.3.3. Contact information (mailing address, email address, telephone number) in the APG NEWS advertising section of the newspaper for inquiries about APG NEWS advertising. This information will provided to the contractor by the Government, from contract (Contract Number).

3.3.4. The following disclaimer in 8-point bold or 10-point type: ”APG NEWS is printed by (name of printer), a private firm (or individual), in no way connected with the Department of the Army, under exclusive written contract with APG…The appearance of advertising in this publication, including inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement by the Department of the Army or (name of printer) of the products or services advertised.”

3.3.5. Any statement, which implies the newspaper is an official publication of the Department of the Army, is prohibited. Official Department of the Army seals, insignia, or emblems may not be used in the flag or masthead.

3.4. The contractor will ensure each page of the APG NEWS website includes the following disclaimer: “The appearance of advertising on this webpage does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Army or the Department of Defense.”

3.5. The contractor will ensure content uploaded to the APG NEWS website follows existing content management practices including tagging, archiving, photo cropping, URL names, etc., as outlined by APG PAO.

4. Performance Expectations

4.1. Content, Approval and Deadlines

The Contractor shall obtain approval from the Government employee “Editor” and other approval authorities identified by the PAO for each issue of the APG NEWS prior to submitting it to the contractor/publisher of contract (Contract Name), or uploading it online to the APG NEWS website.

Standard: All content for the APG NEWS print edition is provided to Government approval authorities for review prior to 4 p.m. Monday the week of intended publication.* If Monday is a holiday, content is provided by 4 p.m. Friday prior to publication.

AQL: All content for the APG NEWS print edition is provided to Government approval authorities for review prior to 7 p.m. Monday the week of intended publication* *Exceptions due to unusual circumstances or Government delay, as identified by the PAO, do not apply

Standard: Each edition of the APG NEWS, in its entirety, is approved by all Government approval authorities prior to issuance to (Contract Name).

AQL: 100% compliance

Standard: APG NEWS web content (that did not first appear in the print edition) is approved by all Government approval authorities prior to its publication on the APG NEWS website.

AQL: 100% compliance

The contractor shall, on an irregular basis, create and finish APG NEWS content outside the normal production timeline and deadline, with specific guidance from the APG Public Affairs Office.

Standard: APG NEWS content deadlines falling outside the normal production timeline will be completed within 24 business hours of the request.

AQL: APG NEWS content deadlines falling outside the normal production timeline will be completed within 36 business hours of the request, no more than 6 times per year* *Exceptions due to unusual circumstances or Government delay, as identified by the PAO, do not apply

4.2. APG NEWS Print Submission to Publisher

A minimum of 50 issues per year will be published by Wednesday of each week. When the publication date falls on a holiday, the newspaper will be published the day prior to the holiday. The Government will provide the Contractor with a list of recognized holidays upon awarding of the contract.

Standard: The APG NEWS final draft is provided to contract (Contract Number) no later than 10:00 a.m. Wednesday*

AQL: The APG NEWS final draft is provided to contract (Contract Number) no later than 12:00 noon Wednesday, no more than 6 times per year* *Exceptions due to unusual circumstances or Government delay, as identified by the PAO, do not apply

4.3. Publishing and Promoting APG NEWS Content Online

The contractor shall upload the APG NEWS online edition and individual articles by Wednesday each week to the newspaper’s website. When the publication date falls on a holiday, the newspaper will be published the day prior to the holiday. The Government will provide the Contractor with a list of recognized holidays upon awarding of the contract.

The contractor shall create social media posts necessary to promote APG NEWS editorial content on APG social media platforms.

Standard: Drafted social media posts to accompany specific articles, as well as the overall digital edition will be submitted to Government approval authorities for review prior to 5 p.m. Wednesday after the print edition deadline.

AQL: Drafted social media posts to accompany specific articles, as well as the overall digital edition will be submitted to Government approval authorities for review prior to noon Thursday after the print edition deadline.

The contractor shall, on an irregular basis, upload APG NEWS content specifically meant for the newspaper’s website outside the normal production timeline and deadline, with specific guidance from the APG Public Affairs Office.

Standard: Content falling outside the normal production timeline will be uploaded to the APG NEWS website within 12 business hours of the request.

AQL: Content falling outside the normal production timeline will be uploaded to the APG News website within 24 business hours of the request, no more than 6 times per year* *Exceptions due to unusual circumstances or Government delay, as identified by the PAO, do not apply