IA02_Sources Sought Notice Draft PWS (W9124D26RA001).pdf

UNCLASSIFIED

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

Army Transition Assistance Program Services United States Army, Human Resources Command, Adjutant General Directorate, Transition Division

PART 1

GENERAL INFORMATION

1. GENERAL: This is a non-personal services contract to provide Congressionally mandated transition assistance services. The Government shall not exercise supervision or control over the contract service providers performing the services herein. Such contract service providers shall be accountable solely to the Prime Contractor who, in turn is responsible to the Government.

1.1. Description of Services/Introduction: The contractor shall provide all personnel, equipment, supplies, facilities, transportation, tools, materials, supervision, labor, administrative coordination, analysis, and other items and non-personal services necessary to perform Congressionally and Army mandated transition assistance services as defined in this Performance Work Statement except for those items specified as government furnished property and services. The contractor shall meet the standards in this Performance of Work Statement.

1.2. Background: The military Transition Assistance Program (TAP) as established by Congress in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 1991 (P.L. 101- 510). The original purpose of the program was to help ease the transition to civilian life for military service members who were involuntarily separated as part of the force structure drawdowns of the late 1980s. From 1991 to 2011, Congressional interest in the program remained high, particularly in regard to troops who served in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2011, Congress passed the VOW (Veterans Opportunity to Work) to Hire Heroes Act (Title II of P.L. 112-56), which made a pre-separation counseling program mandatory for all servicemembers with at least 180 continuous days of active duty. In 2011 the Government established the Veterans’ Employment Initiative Task Force with the Departments of Defense (DOD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) and charged the task force with redesigning TAP. The redesigned Transition GPS (Goals, Plans, Success) program includes a Military Life Cycle component that starts preparing the Service Member for civilian transition at the beginning of his or her military career and at certain milestones (e.g., promotion, deployment) throughout that career. At each of these milestones, servicemembers are made aware of Career Readiness Standards (CRSs) and are given opportunities to review and adjust personal financial planning objectives and individual development plans. Over time, Congress has also increased the number and scope of required TAP counseling topics. The John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act of 2019 (FY19 NDAA) authorized many changes to the TAP including starting transition activities no later than 365 days prior to transition for those who are separating or retiring, recommended retirees begin the transition process at least two years prior to retirement, individualized Initial Counseling between the service member and a TAP counselor as the official start to the transition process, pre-separation counseling covers by-law information to include benefits, entitlements and resources for eligible transitioning service members; and a service member election of two-days of instruction; these include the:

DOL Employment Track, DOL Vocational Track, DoD Education Track, and the Small Business Administration Entrepreneurship Track. Transitioning service members must elect at least one track but may attend more than one based on their ITP and post-transition goals.

1.3. Objectives:

1.3.1. Basic Objectives. The contractor shall provide services assuring compliance with Federal Law Title 10, Part II, Chapter 58, sections 1142-1144 outline transitioning Service Members’ entitlements to transition services and counseling covering matters of education, vocational rehabilitation, and civilian occupation employment assistance. The contractor shall provide transition assistance consisting of TAP activities, curriculum, resources, and services provided to enable eligible clients to attain the Career Readiness Standards (CRS) during TAP military life cycle (MLC). The expected annual Solider customer-base is 100,000 (Tier 1: 50%, Tier 2: 40%, Tier 1: 5%, Other: 5%).

1.3.2. Specific Objectives.

1.3.2.1. Notification and Registration of Eligible Population.

1.3.2.2. Individual Counseling and Case Management Services.

1.3.2.3. Teach Curriculum in Group Setting.

1.3.2.4. Plan, Coordinate, and Host TAP Associated Events.

1.3.2.5. Skill Bridge / Career Skills Programs (CSP).

1.3.2.6. Maintain Operational Virtual Center.

1.3.2.7. Strategic Communications and Marketing.

1.3.2.8. Local Customer Service, Data Entry, and Records Management.

1.3.2.9. Program Analytics and Reporting.

1.3.2.10. Provide Information Technology Support.

1.3.2.11. Provide Mobile TAP Services.

1.4. Scope: The contractor shall maintain capability required to sufficiently, and at the quality levels defined by the Government, execute TAP and provide resources accommodating anticipated throughput populations per each place of performance and at large amongst the eligible population enterprise. Federal Law Title 10, Part II, Chapter 58, sections 1142-1144 outline transitioning Service Members’ entitlements to transition services and counseling covering matters of education, vocational rehabilitation, and civilian occupation employment assistance. Transition assistance consists of TAP activities, curriculum, resources, and services provided to enable eligible Clients to attain the Career Readiness Standards (CRS) during TAP military life cycle (MLC). All eligible Clients must participate in the TAP utilizing transition assistance to meet CRS specific to their post-transition career goals. TAP participation will be documented no later than the discharge date recorded on DD Form 214.

1.5. Performance Objective. The contract objective is to provide tailored, professional services that support each requirement of AR 600-81, and aid command and client understanding of statutory and regulatory requirements, available services, and support resources available to them during transition. Timelines are specified in Chapter 4 of AR 600-81 and shall be followed based on when the client initiates TAP services.

1.6. General Information

1.6.1. Quality Control (QC): The contractor shall develop and maintain an effective quality control program to ensure services are performed in accordance with this PWS. The contractor shall develop and implement procedures to identify, prevent, and ensure non-recurrence of defective services. The contractor’s QCP shall include, at a minimum, elements addressing redundancy of operations at all sites, conformance to reporting, data, and records management standards, deliverables, key performance indicators, and all other elements of quality addressed in this PWS. The contractor’s quality control program is the means by which the contractor assures that work complies with the requirement of this contract. The contractor’s quality control program is the sole responsibility of the contractor. The Government will not reimburse the contractor for any quality control actions, including travel. The contractor shall deliver the QCP with the contractor’s proposal. After acceptance of the QCP the contractor shall receive the contracting officer’s acceptance in writing of any proposed change to the QC plan, system, or methodology.

1.6.2. Quality Assurance: The government shall evaluate the contractor’s performance under this contract in accordance with the Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan. This plan is primarily focused on what the Government must do to ensure that the contractor has performed in accordance with the performance standards. It defines how the performance standards will be applied, the frequency of surveillance, and the minimum acceptable defect rate(s).

1.6.3. Recognized Holidays:

New Year’s Day Labor Day Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday Columbus Day President’s Day Veteran’s Day June 19th Federal Holiday Independence Day Memorial Day Thanksgiving Day Christmas Day

1.6.3.1. Host Nation Holidays. The contractor shall perform work on local Host Nation holidays occurring during the normal work week unless stated otherwise in respective Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA).

1.6.4. Hours of Operation: The contractor shall conduct business eight (8) hours per day with mandatory core hours of 0900-1500 local times Monday thru Friday except Federal holidays or when the Government facility is closed due to local or national emergencies, administrative closings, or similar Government directed facility closings. The Contractor must at all times maintain an adequate workforce for the uninterrupted performance of all tasks defined within this PWS when the Government facility is not closed for the above reasons. The contractor shall implement staff shifts, staggered to extend center hours, in support of local command needs which may include performance across a seven-day cycle to accommodate local missions. When hiring personnel, the Contractor shall keep in mind that the stability and continuity of the workforce are essential.

1.6.4.1. Telework. The Government reserves the right to request the contractor to telework on an as needed basis, when in the best interest of the Government to ensure continuity of TAP services. Upon notification of Government direction or approval of telework, the contractor shall coordinate with the local Designated Government Representative (DGR) on temporarily shifting to a telework status with email notification to the COR until otherwise revoked by the Government.

1.6.5. Place of Performance: The contractor shall perform work associated with this contract at the places of performance listed in Place of Performance Throughput Data.

1.6.5.1. Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA). Contractor shall comply with the provisions of current SOFA of host nations identified in the PWS.

1.6.5.2. Synchronized Pre-deployment and Operational Tracker (SPOT). Contractor shall comply with the requirement to ensure that all contractor personnel working in a theater location have been authorized.

1.6.5.3. Department of Defense Office of Contract Personnel (DOCPER). Contractor shall comply with processes and provisions applicable to host nation. Additional information can be found at http://www.eur.army.mil/contractor/ (website).

1.6.5.4. Contract employees traveling to Germany or Italy on official TDY travel are subject to the provisions of Army in Europe Regulation 715-9 dated 10 Sep 2009, Section V, paragraphs 23 and 24 respectively entitled "FAX-BACK" and “TESA/ASSA TDY”. This process requires that the contractor employees receive approval from the German Federal Ministry of Labor prior to their arrival in Germany.

This regulation and the applicable request forms can be accessed online on the Civilian Human Resource Management Agency Headquarters, US Army, Europe, web site at http://www.per.hqusareur.army.mil/cpd/docper/aereg7159online.htm.

1.6.6. Type of Contract: The government will award a Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) contract.

1.6.7. Security Requirements: National Agency Check with Inquiries (NACI) is a basic background investigation used by the U.S. government for positions that do not require access to classified information, but still necessitate a trustworthy employee. The contractor shall comply with all requests for information required to conduct NACI.

1.6.7.1. PHYSICAL Security: The contractor shall be responsible for safeguarding all government equipment, information and property provided for contractor use. At the close of each work period, government facilities, equipment, and materials shall be secured.

1.6.7.2. Key Control. The Contractor shall establish and implement methods of making sure all keys/key cards issued to the Contractor by the Government are not lost or misplaced and are not used by unauthorized persons. NOTE: All references to keys include key cards. No keys issued to the Contractor by the Government shall be duplicated. The Contractor shall develop procedures covering key control that shall be included in the Quality Control Plan. Such procedures shall include turn-in of any issued keys by personnel who no longer require access to locked areas. The Contractor shall immediately report any occurrences of lost or duplicate keys/key cards to the Contracting Officer.

1.6.7.2.1. In the event keys, other than master keys, are lost or duplicated, the Contractor shall, upon direction of the Contracting Officer, re-key or replace the affected lock or locks; however, the Government, at its option, may replace the affected lock or locks or perform re-keying. When the replacement of locks or re-keying is performed by the Government, the total cost of re-keying or the replacement of the lock or locks shall be deducted from the monthly payment due the Contractor. In the event a master key is lost or duplicated, all locks and keys for that system shall be replaced by the Government and the total cost deducted from the monthly payment due the Contractor.

1.6.7.2.2. The Contractor shall prohibit the use of Government issued keys/key cards by any persons other than the Contractor’s employees. The Contractor shall prohibit the opening of locked areas by Contractor employees to permit entrance of persons other than Contractor employees engaged in the performance of assigned work in those areas, or personnel authorized entrance by the Contracting Officer.

1.6.7.3. Lock Combinations. The Contractor shall establish and implement methods of ensuring that all lock combinations are not revealed to unauthorized persons. The Contractor shall ensure that lock combinations are changed when personnel having access to the combinations no longer have a need to know such combinations. These procedures shall be included in the Contractor’s Quality Control Plan.

1.6.7.4. Anti-Terrorism and Information Assurance Training.

1.6.7.4.1. AT Level I Training: All contractor employees, to include subcontractor employees, requiring access to Army installations, facilities and controlled access areas shall complete AT Level I awareness training within 30 calendar days after contract start date or effective date of incorporation of this requirement into the contract, whichever is applicable. The contractor shall submit certificates of completion for each affected contractor employee and subcontractor employee, to the COR or to the contracting officer, if a COR is not assigned, within 30 calendar days after completion of training by all employees and subcontractor personnel. AT Level I awareness training is available at the following website: https://jkodirect.jten.mil/ .

1.6.7.4.2. AT Awareness Training for Contractor Personnel Traveling Overseas: US based contractor employees and associated sub-contractor employees to make available and to receive government provided area of responsibility (AOR) specific AT awareness training as directed by AR 525-13. Specific AOR training content is directed by the combatant commander with the unit ATO being the local point of contact.

1.6.7.5. Location Specific Security.

1.6.7.5.1. Access and General Protection/Security Policy and Procedures: Contractor and all associated sub-contractor employees shall comply with applicable installation, facility and area commander installation/facility access and local security policies and procedures provided by government representative. The contractor shall also provide all information required for background checks to meet installation access requirements to be accomplished by installation Provost Marshal Office, Director of Emergency Services or Security Office. Contractor workforce must comply with all personal identity verification requirements as directed by DOD, HQDA and/or local policy. In addition to the changes otherwise authorized by the changes clause of this contract, should the Force Protection Condition (FPCON) at any individual facility or installation change, the Government may require changes in contractor security matters or processes.

1.6.7.5.2. Enterprise-directed and Local Installation Government Mandated Threat and Security Training during Contract Period. All Government mandated training shall be provided by the Government during normal business hours. Training shall be onsite classroom training and/or applicable on-line training. The contractor shall track all yearly training requirements and shall ensure all individual contractors are compliant. If the training requirements are not met, the Government (installation or command) may refuse access to systems or work location and the contractor shall be considered delinquent in providing acceptable staff. The contractor shall maintain a training roster and training records; and report the training status if requested by the Government.

1.6.7.6. iWATCH Training: The contractor and all associated sub-contractors shall brief all employees on the local iWATCH program (training standards provided by the requiring activity ATO). This local developed training will be used to inform employees of the types of behavior to watch for and instruct employees to report suspicious activity to the COR. This training shall be completed within 60 calendar days of contract award and within 30 calendar days of new employees commencing performance with the results reported to the COR NLT 30 calendar days after contract award.

1.6.7.7. Contractor Employees Who Require Access to Government Information Systems: All contractor employees with access to a government info system must be registered in the ATCTS (Army Training Certification Tracking System) https://atc.us.army.mil/iastar/index.php at commencement of services, and must successfully complete the DOD Information Assurance Awareness prior to access to the information systems and then annually thereafter.

1.6.7.8. Global Address Listing (GAL): All contract employees who require access to Government Information Systems shall update their profile and Global Address Listing (GAL) information:

https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/milconnect within 10 working days of being granted IT access.

1.6.7.9. OPSEC Training: Per AR 530-1, Operations Security, the contractor employees must complete Level I OPSEC Awareness training. New employees must be trained within 30 calendar days of their reporting for duty and annually thereafter.

1.6.7.10. Threat Awareness and Reporting Program (TARP). IAW AR 381-12, 1-10 all DA contract employees possessing a security clearance shall receive annual TARP training instructed by a CI agent or other trainer as specified in AR381-12,2-4b. Training shall be accomplished annually during the organization's scheduled TARP training session. In those instances where live training is not possible, such as in deployed theaters of operation, CI units may, in coordination with appropriate commanders, develop alternative means to conduct threat awareness training and meet the requirements of this AR 381-12.

1.6.7.11. Information assurance (IA)/information technology (IT) training: All contractor employees and associated sub-contractor employees must complete the DoD IA awareness training before issuance of network access and annually thereafter. All contractor employees working IA/IT functions must comply with DoD and Army training requirements in DoDD 8570.01, DoD 8570.01-M and AR 25-2 within 30 days of starting employment.

1.6.7.12. Annual Cyber Awareness Training: All contractor employees, to include subcontractor employees, requiring access to Army installations, facilities and controlled access areas shall complete the Annual Cyber Awareness Training located at the US Army IA Training Center web site listed below (previous training expires 25/Nov/13): Link: https://ia.signal.army.mil/DoDIAA/default.asp.

1.6.7.13. Acceptable Use Policy: All contractor employees, to include subcontractor employees, requiring access to Army installations, facilities and controlled access areas shall complete a new Acceptable Use Policy (Annual Requirement) at the same web site: Link: https://ia.signal.army.mil/DoDIAA/default.asp.

(Click “Login”, Log in with CAC, confirm information on page, click on “View and Sign AUP”.

1.6.7.14. The Government retains the right to remove or deny access of Government controlled locations to contract personnel, regardless of prior clearance or adjudication status, whose actions clearly conflict with the interest of the Government. The reason for removal will be fully documented in writing by the Contracting Officer and reviewed by legal counsel. When/if such removal occurs, the contractor shall, within 21 business days, assign qualified personnel to any/all resulting vacancies.

1.6.7.15. Data Security. The contractor shall provide administrative control of the data being processed, including Personally Identifiable Information (PII) contained in resumes and other submitted materials. The contractor shall protect unauthorized release of or access to such data consistent with established Department of Defense (DoD) and Army standards, procedures, and protocol. In the event of a PII breach, the contractor shall immediately notify the DGR, KO and COR. Contractor shall provide a detailed report of the event within one hour of the discovery of a breach. Contractor shall also follow local installation regulations and provisions as outlined by the commander and local policy.

1.6.7.16. Background Checks. Contractor personnel performing work under this contract shall be subject to background checks or investigations. Contractor personnel shall maintain a favorable suitability investigation during the term of the contract pursuant to the requirements of Army Regulation (AR) 25-2 and AR 380-67. The contract company must conduct a pre-employment background screening on potential employees to ensure they can pass the Tier 1 background investigation that is required for a CAC and network access.

1.6.7.16.1. Common Access Cards. For contractors requiring Common Access Card (CAC). Before CAC issuance, the contractor employee requires, at a minimum, a favorably adjudicated National Agency Check with Inquiries (NACI) or an equivalent or higher investigation in accordance with Army Directive 2014-05.

The contractor employee will be issued a CAC only if duties involve one of the following: (1) Both physical access to a DoD facility and access, via logon, to DoD networks on-site or remotely; (2) Remote access, via logon, to a DoD network using DoD- approved remote access procedures; or (3) Physical access to multiple DoD facilities or multiple non-DoD federally controlled facilities on behalf of the DoD on a recurring basis for a period of 6-months or more. At the discretion of the sponsoring activity, an initial CAC may be issued based on a favorable review of the FBI fingerprint check and a successfully scheduled NACI at the Office of Personnel Management.

1.6.7.16.2. The Contractor shall provide the Designated Government Representative (DGR) the following information for all new personnel: Name (to include alias or maiden name), Social Security Number, and dates of any prior Military, Civilian or Contractor service with the Government. This information shall be forwarded through the DGR to the Security Manager. No Contractor personnel shall be assigned until the initial suitability prescreening security checks are validated. Upon confirmation of a favorable initial suitability prescreening check, the Contractor shall have the new personnel report to the unit or organization Security Manager to initiate the in-processing to include an actual background investigation utilizing the e-QIP program and initiate the DD Form 2875 (Information System Access Request) within three workdays of employment. Any Contractor personnel operating a Government-provided computer shall possess a favorable suitability investigation or an approved waiver pending investigation prior to gaining access or use of any computer/computerized device. Failure to maintain suitability standards set forth herein shall subject the Contractor personnel to suspension of access to Government automated systems. If Contract personnel are suspended from system access, the Contractor remains responsible for the performance of services. Upon learning of personnel misconduct, the Contractor shall report the incident to the COR within 24 hours of being made aware of the incident. The contractor shall notify the COR regarding any staff that has not had a CAC issued greater than 30 calendar days of EOD; in addition, the Contractor shall report (and follow up weekly) any NIPR access that is not granted within 10 business days from the date of CAC issuance.

1.6.7.16.3. The contractor is responsible for ensuring the contractor employees complete an electronic FBI fingerprinting at the nearest installation, completion of an OF-306 (Declaration of Federal Employment), completion of an electronic questionnaire investigation e-QIP (SF-85) and provide proof of citizenship, i.e., birth certificate or current US Passport. Once all information has been provided to the Installation security manager, he/she shall in turn process the contractor for processing using the Personnel Security Investigation Portal (PSIP) system to initiate the investigation. Once the “favorable” FBI fingerprint check as verified by OPM and SF85 has been forwarded to OPM, the DGR can authorize provisioning the contractor with an Initial (Interim) CAC.

1.6.7.16.4. Clearances. Contractor personnel performing work under this contract shall complete a National Agency Check Investigation Tier 1 and must maintain that level of security for the life of the contract. In the event the contractor identifies classified information, the contractor shall be responsible for safeguarding all confidential or sensitive in nature information. Failure to safeguard any classified/privileged information, which shall involve the contractor or the contractor's personnel, or to which they may have access, may subject the contractor and/or the contractor's employees to criminal liability under Title 18, Section 793 of the United States Code (USC). Consistent with Title 5 USC 552a, provisions of the Privacy Act apply to all records and reports maintained by the contractor.

1.6.7.16.5. HSPD-12. The contractor shall comply with agency personal identity verification procedures identified in the contract that implement Homeland Security Presidential Directives-12 (HSPD-12), Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Guidance M-05-24, Federal Information Processing Standards Publication (FIPS PUB) number 201) and GSA HSPD-12, Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), Personnel Security Process, dated November 18, 2005.

1.6.7.16.6. Position Sensitivity. In accordance with DOD 5200.2-R, the DoD Personnel Security Program, this contract requires personnel performing work on a sensitive AIS to be: 1) a US Citizen, and 2) assigned to positions which are designated at one of 3 sensitivity levels (IT-I, IT-II, or IT-III). These designations equate to Critical Sensitive and Non-Critical Sensitive positions. The contractor shall ensure individuals assigned to these sensitive positions have completed the appropriate access requests forms.

1.6.7.16.6.1. IT Level I – Individuals assigned to positions where damage to DOD networks and development systems can be accomplished, and no checks are in place to determine potential destruction of sensitive information. The investigation requirement for these positions is completion of Tier 5 investigation (formerly SSBI) with favorable results.

1.6.7.16.6.2. IT Level II – Individuals assigned to positions where daily unsupervised access to DOD networks and information systems containing Sensitive but Unclassified or Sensitive Classified up to and including Collateral Secret information is part of their duties. The Investigation requirement for these positions is completion of a Tier 3 investigation (formerly NACLC) with favorable results.

1.6.7.16.6.3. IT Level III – Individuals assigned to non-sensitive positions where daily unsupervised access to DOD networks and information systems containing Sensitive but Unclassified is part of their duties. The Investigation requirement for these positions is completion of a Tier 1 investigation (formerly NACI) with favorable results.

1.6.7.16.7. All Sensitive positions require that investigations be completed prior to assigning individuals to a position of trust. A US Citizen that has a Tier 3 investigation in process and a successful local records check, can be allowed assignment to the positions before the completion of the investigation, in the best interest of the DOD, at the discretion of the Contracting Officer. In those instances, an interim clearance may be granted for positions requiring access to classified information.

1.6.7.16.8. The contractor shall ensure all security requirements are inserted into all subcontracting agreements when the subcontractor is required to have physical access to a Federally controlled facility or access to a Federally controlled information system.

1.6.7.16.9. In accordance with HSPD-12, OMB M-05-24 and FIPS 201-1, unless a previous favorable background investigation has been completed in the last ten (10) years, all contractor employees shall be the subject of the appropriate background investigation conducted by the Government.

1.6.7.16.10. No contractor employee shall commence work until an interim eligibility/suitability determination has been completed.

1.6.7.16.11. Non-US citizens shall not be used in the performance of this contract. The Government will not grant exceptions.

1.6.8. Special Qualifications: The contractor shall ensure the licensure, certification, certificate, education, experience, and other Government prescribed qualifications or competencies of all positions are continuously met or exceeded by personnel filling such positions for the duration of the period of performance. The Government reserves the right to inspect or request copies of certifications and qualifications at any time during the period of performance. The contractor shall respond to and submit evidence of certifications and qualifications to the Government within seventy-two (72) hours upon request. Refer to Technical Exhibit E – Special Qualifications.

1.6.9. Post Award Conference/Periodic Progress Meetings: The Contractor agrees to attend any post award conference convened by the contracting activity or contract administration office in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation Subpart 42.5. The contracting officer, Contracting Officers Representative, and other Government personnel, as appropriate, may meet periodically with the contractor to review the contractor's performance. At these meetings the contracting officer will apprise the contractor of how the government views the contractor's performance and the contractor will apprise the Government of problems, if any, being experienced. Appropriate action shall be taken to resolve outstanding issues.

These meetings shall be at no additional cost to the government.

1.6.9.1. Weekly Periodic Progress Meetings (Phase-In Period). The contractor shall facilitate and participate in weekly meetings with the Government during the Phase-In portion of the contract. The contractor shall brief the Government on progress in the execution of the approved contractor Phase-In Plan.

1.6.9.2. Weekly Periodic Progress Meetings. The contractor shall facilitate and participate in weekly meetings with the Government during the full period of performance of the contract. The contractor shall brief the Government on the performance related to Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), timely submissions of Contract Data Requirements List (CDRL) items, and conformance to acceptable quality limits (AQLs) established in the Performance Requirements Summary (PRS).

1.6.9.3. Quarterly Periodic Progress Meetings. The contractor shall facilitate and participate in quarterly meetings in which the contractor shall make available, either virtually (camera enabled face-to-face) or in-person the ownership and corporate staff to discuss issues with performance and generate understanding of mitigation and resolution plans.

1.6.10. Contracting Officer Representative (COR): The COR will be identified by separate letter. The COR monitors all technical aspects of the contract and assists in contract administration The COR is authorized to perform the following functions: assure that the Contractor performs the technical requirements of the contract: perform inspections necessary in connection with contract performance:

maintain written and oral communications with the Contractor concerning technical aspects of the contract:

issue written interpretations of technical requirements, including Government drawings, designs, specifications: monitor Contractor's performance and notifies both the Contracting Officer and Contractor of any deficiencies; coordinate availability of government furnished property, and provide site entry of Contractor personnel. A letter of designation issued to the COR, a copy of which is sent to the Contractor, states the responsibilities and limitations of the COR, especially with regard to changes in cost or price, estimates or changes in delivery dates. The COR is not authorized to change any of the terms and conditions of the resulting order.

1.6.11. Key Personnel: The contractor shall ensure that positions identified as Key Personnel are vacant no more than fourteen (14) business days when serving at a place of performance within CONUS and twenty-one (21) business days when serving at a place of performance OCONUS. Qualifications for all key personnel are listed in Technical Exhibit E – Special Qualifications. The follow personnel are considered key personnel by the government:

1.6.11.1. Contract Program Manager (CPM). The contractor shall provide a CPM who shall be responsible for the performance of the work. The name of this person and an alternate who shall act for the contractor when the manager is absent shall be designated in writing to the contracting officer. The CPM or alternate shall have full authority to act for the contractor on all contract matters relating to daily operation of this contract. The CPM and alternate shall be onsite at Fort Knox, KY Human Resources Command Headquarters, from 0800-1600 Monday thru Friday except on Federal holidays, when executing Government authorized travel, or when the government facility is closed for administrative reasons. CPM and alternate shall be available by telephone 24/7 and on Federal holidays or when the government facility is closed for administrative reasons.

1.6.11.2. Alternate Contract Program Manager. The contractor shall ensure the alternate Contract Program Manager possesses all certifications and credentials required by the primary; and is imbued by the contractor with all of the same authorities to act for the contractor on all contract matters relating to daily operation of this contract.

1.6.12. Identification of Contractor Employees: All contract personnel attending meetings, answering Government telephones, and working in other situations where their contractor status is not obvious to third parties are required to identify themselves as such to avoid creating an impression in the minds of members of the public that they are Government officials. They must also ensure that all documents or reports produced by contractors are suitably marked as contractor products or that contractor participation is appropriately disclosed.

1.6.12.1. Badging. The contractor shall provide each employee with a numbered ID badge prior to working on this contract. The badge format shall be approved by the COR and shall include the contractor’s name and contract title, which is clearly visible from at least a distance of eight feet. The format shall be submitted to the COR for review NLT five (5) business days after start of phase-in for approval. The badge shall include a color photograph of the individual employee, employee’s name, company name, functional area of assignment (Division/Branch) contract title, and badge expiration date. Contractor personnel shall wear the company issued badge, which shall be attached to clothing above the waist at all times when performing work on-site under this contract. Badge shall not be hidden under clothing or in a pocket. The badge shall be displayed at all times while in the place of performance and removed after the duty day.

Local installation security rules shall govern the wearing of the ID Cards elsewhere, both on and off the military installation.

1.6.12.2. The contractor shall be responsible (in coordinating with the DGR) for collection and turn-in of CACs from terminated contractor/subcontractor employees, and from all contractor and subcontractor employees upon completion of contract. CACs shall be collected and turned into the DGR or local installation security office, with notification to the KO and COR. Turn-in shall be accomplished within one business day of employee termination and/or contract expiration. If the card is not collected, the contractor shall notify the KO, COR and Chief, AG ID Card Section, in writing within one business day of employee termination and/or contract expiration as to circumstance for non-collection of card(s). If any cards are not collected, the contractor shall notify the KO and COR in writing within one (1) business day of employee termination and/or contract expiration, and as to circumstances for non-collection of card(s).

1.6.13. Contractor Travel. All travel must be at the lowest cost to the Government. Prior to the execution of travel, the contractor shall complete and submit the pre-travel request documents and pre-travel cost estimates, in the format established by the Government, to the COR. Profit on travel is forbidden. The contractor shall request travel no less than fourteen (14) days prior to the first day of travel unless directed by the Government. Costs of contractor travel executed prior to or without documented Government approval shall not be reimbursed to the contractor. The contractor shall submit all receipts and other required supporting documentation related to travel expenses, with the travel expense report, within five (5) business days upon completion of official travel for consideration of approval of reimbursement. The contractor shall execute all travel in accordance with the FTR and JTR.

1.6.13.1. The contractor may be required to perform local travel. Local travel is defined as official travel requiring the contractor to execute tasks within the scope of this contract, within a fifty (50) mile radius of a location identified as a place of performance (examples: approved hiring, education, or networking events). The Government will not reimburse the contractor for any local travel within a fifty (50) mile radius of a location identified as a place of performance. The contractor shall not submit for or seek reimbursement for local travel.

1.6.13.2. The Government will not reimburse the contractor for travel to cover support services due to a contractor vacancy at a place of performance.

1.6.13.3. Contractor will be authorized travel expenses consistent with the substantive provisions of the Joint Travel Regulation (JTR) and the limitation of funds specified in this contract. All travel requires Government approval/authorization and notification to the COR.

1.6.13.4. Due to the sustained military operations, OCONUS locations and deployment of Army personnel, the contractor may be tasked to provide remote TAP services to deployed clients. The contractor shall ensure that sufficient staffing (or that a sufficient number of personnel) with valid passports in their possession is maintained to ensure services are available in the event of occasional, mission essential OCONUS travel.

1.6.13.5. Outside the Contiguous United States (OCONUS) Travel and PRO-FILE. PRO-FILE is the means by which Army contractors provide data to Personnel Recovery Mission Software (PRMS) which in turn utilizes this data to create digital Isolated Personnel Report (ISOPREP) files. Individual contractor employees shall submit their PRO-FILE Survey through Army Knowledge Online (AKO) at https://usacac.army.mil/organizations/mccoe/cdid/prp/about within 90 days prior to OCONUS travel.

Completion of the PRO-FILE survey is mandatory for all DA contractors traveling OCONUS for official duty purposes. PRMS digital ISOPREP files created through the PRO-FILE survey remain valid for a maximum of one year from date of completion.

*If a surge arises in overseas place of performance, travel shall be for at least 30 days, not including travel days.

1.6.14. Other Direct Costs Training and Marketing Materials. The Government will reimburse the contractor for approved ODCs such as marketing and questionnaire materials; shipping, and distribution of materials; and preprinted. Mass printing is not a permissible ODC. The contractor shall submit requests for approval of reimbursable ODCs to the COR for review and to the KO for approval prior to expenditure. For purchases in excess of $3,000.00, the requests for approval shall include at least three quotes for the items being procured (other than travel). The contractor shall submit with invoices copies of approved purchase request and all receipts or any other supporting documents necessary to ascertain the validity of ODCs invoiced against this contract. Profit on training and marketing materials shall not be allowed.

1.6.15. Data Rights: The Government has unlimited and immediate access rights to all documents/material produced under this contract. All documents and materials, to include the source codes of any software, produced under this contract shall be Government owned and are the property of the Government with all rights and privileges of ownership/copyright belonging exclusively to the Government. These documents and materials may not be used or sold by the contractor without written permission from the Contracting Officer. All materials supplied to the Government shall be the sole property of the Government and may not be used for any other purpose. This right does not abrogate any other Government rights.

1.6.16. Organizational Conflict of Interest: Contractor and subcontractor personnel performing work under this contract may perform services which may create a current or subsequent Organizational Conflict of Interests (OCI) as defined in FAR Subpart 9.5. The Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer immediately whenever it becomes aware that such access or participation may result in any actual or potential OCI and shall promptly submit a plan to the Contracting Officer to avoid or mitigate any such OCI. The Contractor’s mitigation plan will be determined to be acceptable solely at the discretion of the Contracting Officer and in the event the Contracting Officer unilaterally determines that any such OCI cannot be satisfactorily avoided or mitigated, the Contracting Officer may affect other remedies as he or she deems necessary, including prohibiting the Contractor from participation in subsequent contracted requirements which may be affected by the OCI.

1.6.17. The contractor shall ensure that all newly hired personnel complete required training and other administrative actions necessary to access Government systems, meet security standards, or otherwise conduct work within this PWS within no more than thirty (30) days after hiring. The contractor shall submit a New Employee Training Plan as a part of the proposal.

1.6.18. All contractor employees fulfilling the requirements of this contract, shall read and sign a Nondisclosure Statement, as part of their suitability check, prior to beginning work. Performance of this contract may require the contractor to access data and information proprietary to the Government agency or of such a nature that its dissemination or use, other than in performance of this contract, would be averse to the interest of the Government or others.

1.6.19. The contractor shall submit as a part of the proposal, a Management and Staffing Plan that deliberately addresses: Technical Exhibit D – Place of Performance Throughput Data; Technical Exhibit C

– Estimated Work Task Analysis; every higher-level-objective (tasks and sub-tasks), Service Contract Act (SCA) and Department of Labor wage-determination considerations, each place of performance, and redundancy in the event of staffing turnover. The contractor shall ensure redundancies include primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary; and that all redundancies maintain acceptable quality levels established in all portions of the contract and this PWS.

1.6.19.1. The contractor shall submit, as an attachment to the Management and Staffing Plan, position descriptions.

1.6.19.2. The contractor shall submit, at the request of the Government, reformatted position descriptions as required to facilitate OCONUS staffing.

1.6.20. The contractor shall review and update the Site Management Manual (SMM) found in Technical Exhibit G for administrative and operational control requirements and provide the first draft to the COR, for Government approval, NLT two (2) weeks after completion of phase-in period. The contractor shall maintain and utilize the most current version of the SMM thereafter. The contractor shall review on a semi-annual basis and provide recommended changes for Government concurrence..

1.6.21. Phase-In / Phase-Out Period To minimize any decreases in productivity and to prevent possible negative impacts on additional services, the Contractor shall have sufficient personnel on-board, during the sixty (60) day phase in / phase out periods. The contractor shall immediately upon conclusion of a phase-in period be fully ready to structurally and operationally manage global portfolios throughout multiple time zones, countries, and authorities having jurisdiction, while operating 24-hours per day, as required, with responsive capabilities able to deploy and employ assets in contingency situations, upon direction from the Government, comprehensively coving all requirements within this PWS.

1.6.21.1. Phase-In Period During the sixty (60) day phase-in period, the Contractor shall become familiar with performance requirements in order to commence full performance of services on the contract start date.

1.6.21.1.1. The contractor shall develop and implement a comprehensive Phase-in Plan that addresses the full range of contract entrance and exit assumption of duty activities and describes the approach to minimize disruption to ongoing operations. The contractor shall submit the Phase-In Plan with the proposal.

1.6.21.1.2. The contractor shall work collaboratively with the Government and other contractors to plan and execute an orderly transition and uninterrupted service during the designated contract transition period.

1.6.21.2. Phase-Out Period During the phase-out period, the contractor shall continue full service on all higher-level objectives, tasks, and sub-tasks within this PWS while phase-out is ongoing. The contractor shall execute phase-out activities and support incoming contractor (if any) phase-in activities necessary to transition when the contract reaches the end of its performance period. The contractor shall submit the Phase-out plan to the KO and COR within sixty (60) days after award.

1.6.21.2.1. The contractor shall coordinate the orderly change to a new contractor or Government provided services such that the level and quality of service, including security if applicable, are not degraded, and to exercise its best efforts and cooperate to affect an orderly and efficient transition to a successor.

1.6.21.2.2. Upon written notice from the Contracting Officer, the Contractor shall:

• Furnish phase-out service for 60 days concurrent with the final 60 days of performance under the contract or contract termination.

• Negotiate in good faith a plan with a successor(s).

• Adopt a disciplined exit transition methodology to ensure the Government receives sufficient technical and non-technical data, data and/or software rights, licenses, and other relevant information.

• Develop an exit transition timeline that compliments successor(s) Phase-In Plan.

• Ensure that the Government retains and receives appropriate data rights and equipment.

• Knowledge transfer from incumbent staff to new follow-on Contractor staff.

• Exit transition staffing plan to ensure that the successor has access to key personnel and subject matter experts during relevant periods of the transition.

1.6.22. Service Contract Reporting. In accordance with Office of the Secretary of Defense Memorandum, Revised Department of Defense Contractor Manpower Reporting Initiative, dated Oct 16, 2019, the Contractor must report contractor manpower to the System for Award Management website at https://www.sam.gov NLT 31 October each year. All data shall be reported in accordance with applicable Federal Acquisition Regulation and supplements. The COR shall verify that the Contractor has complied with the required contractor manpower reporting annually and document the results in their October COR Status Report. The contractor shall report to the COR and Contracting Officer upon completion of SCR.

1.6.23. Contract Incentives.

1.6.23.1. The contractor shall report to the Government quarterly the quantity of clients, in a by name list, that have transitioned between thirty (30) and ninety (90) days, completed post DD-214 TAP Survey, and that within such survey responded with satisfaction attributed to participation in TAP and the services the client received from TAP.

PART 2

DEFINITIONS, ACRONYMS, AND ABBREVIATIONS

2. DEFINITIONS, ACRONYMS, AND ABBREVIATIONS:

2.1. DEFINITIONS:

ARMY TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (TAP) TAP is the commander’s program that provides transition assistance for Military…