DRAFT_PWS_PAO_Daily_News_Media_Summary_DEC18.pdf

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

U.S. Army Europe Media Summary

Part 1

1. Introduction: This is a non‐personnel services contract to provide Media Summary. The Government shall not exercise any supervision or control over the contract service providers performing the services herein. Such contract service providers shall be accountable solely to the Contractor who, in turn is responsible to the Government.

1.1 Background: This contract shall provide non‐personal services support to U.S. Army Europe (USAREUR). The objective of this procurement is to obtain technical support to provide the informational resources essential to the Command to deliver assurance, deterrence, and operational independence to the USAREUR Commanding General in a strategic environment that has transformed completely in the last 2 years.

The tasking contained within this Performance Work Statement (PWS) requires Contractor services to support media research and summary analysis on a daily basis in support of Headquarters, USAREUR Public Affairs. In the area of open source and media analysis, this contract will require a daily morning media summary (news clips) product to identify U.S. national and international reporting on topics relevant to USAREUR. Contractor support shall be required to produce situational awareness reports, data‐centered background products, and assessment‐focused special reports summarizing media coverage of the theater and the Command. These products shall be drawn from media reporting, including foreign‐language media, and include such additional research and analysis as is necessary to ensure that the extent and impact of the reported developments can be readily understood. The Contractor shall also be required to answer Requests for Information (RFIs) derived from media analysis reports’ contents. All efforts shall fully facilitate command operations, exercises, training, and execution.

1.2 Responsibilities: The Contractor shall assume total responsibility for all requirements stated herein on the commencement date of the performance period. The Contractor shall perform as specified in this Contract and under the direction of the Contracting Officer (KO) and the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR).

1.2.1 Work Responsibility: The Contractor shall perform all work and assume responsibility for planning, programming, administering, managing, and executing all functions necessary to provide the services specified in this PWS. The Contractor shall conduct work in accordance with this PWS and all applicable United States (U.S.), German, and local laws, regulations, standards, provisions, and directives to include applicable publications in Part 6 of this PWS. The Contractor shall ensure that all work meets the level of service, performance standards, or tolerances specified in the PWS or in applicable referenced documents. Some services under this Contract may be performed at designated facilities, or portions of installations, by in‐house Government personnel or by other Contractors.

1.2.2 Administrative Responsibility: The Contractor shall perform all related administrative actions required to provide services or perform work such as material requisitioning, Quality Control (QC), financial control, meetings, and correspondence. The Contractor shall also maintain accurate and complete records, files, and libraries of documents to include all U.S. German, and local regulations, standards, provisions, codes, laws, technical manuals, and manufacturers’ instructions and recommendations that are necessary and related to the functions being performed. The Contractor shall compile historical data, prepare required reports, and submit information as specified by the Deliverable List presented in this PWS.

1.3 Objectives: This contract provides a daily media summary during real‐world operations, contingencies and crisis operations. Media summary characterizes the information environment by identifying articles that affect USAREUR units, Soldiers, missions and activities.

1.3.1 The media summary will be distributed no later than 5 a.m. Central European Time, every Monday through Friday, throughout the period of performance specified in this PWS.

1.3.2 The media summary will contain at a minimum 10 articles, but not exceed 15 articles, from national, international and regional news outlets (to include foreign language translated into English).

1.3.3 As required, the media summary will include input from the USAREUR Public Affairs Office on upcoming events or activities in the public and media.

1.3.4 The contractor will send the media summary to a predesignated email distribution list that is maintained by the USAREUR Public Affairs Office.

1.4 Functional Areas: USAREUR Public Affairs.

1.5 Period of Performance: The period of performance shall be for one (1) Base Year of 12 months and four (4) 12‐month option periods.

1.6 Management and Administration:

1.6.1 Contractor Management: The Contractor shall perform continual management of the tasking areas contained in the PWS and shall provide a Project Manager who shall (1) have full authority to act for the Contractor on all contract matters relating to daily operations under this contract; (2) conduct overall management coordination; and (3) be the central Point of Contact (POC) with the Government for performance of all work under this PWS.

1.6.2 Contractor Responsiveness: The Project Manager (or designated alternate) shall be available for communication with the COR 24 hours a day/7 days a week, in the event of a major incident after duty hours. Use of a personal answering service is permitted outside the Contractor’s normal work schedule.

The Project Manager (or designated alternate) shall respond within two hours of notification. The Project Manager (or designated alternate) shall have full authority to commit Contractor resources for prompt action on matters pertaining to execution of the PWS.

1.6.3 Meetings, Conferences, and Briefings: The Contractor shall attend, participate in, and furnish input to scheduled and unscheduled meetings, conferences, and briefings that relate to the functions and services described herein, as required by the Government, to provide effective communication and impart necessary information. The Project Manager (or designated alternate) shall attend meetings, as requested by the Government. Meeting attendees shall at times include Contractor managerial, supervisory, and other personnel knowledgeable of the subject matter. The Contractor shall participate in meetings, conferences and briefings from the Contractor's designated facility via phone or video teleconferencing capability. On occasion, travel may be required to support meetings, conferences and briefings in accordance with PWS Section 1.6.20. Meetings may start or end outside of regular duty hours.

1.6.4. Recognized Holidays: Unless otherwise directed by USAREUR Public Affairs due to unforeseen mission requirements, the Contractor is not required to perform routine services on the following recognized U.S. Federal Holidays:

New Year’s Day Labor Day Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday Columbus Day President’s Day Veteran’s Day Memorial Day Thanksgiving Day Independence Day Christmas Day

1.6.4.1. The Contractor must at all times maintain an adequate workforce for the uninterrupted performance of all tasks defined within this PWS. When hiring personnel, the Contractor shall keep in mind that the stability and continuity of the workforce are essential.

1.6.5 Quality Control Plan: The Contractor shall develop and maintain a Quality Control Plan (QCP) 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 is the means by which it assures that the work provided complies with the requirements of the contract. At a minimum, the QCP shall include the following:

a. A chart showing the organizational structure and lines of authority, the names, qualifications, duties, responsibilities, and classification of each member of the Contractor's Quality Control Team.

b. How the Contractor will monitor work to ensure that performance complies with all timelines, deadlines, and goals.

c. How the Contractor will monitor work to ensure that performance complies with all specifications and requirements of the contract, including clauses.

d. How the Contractor will monitor and ensure staff qualifications remain current and valid throughout contract performance.

e. How the Contractor will inventory and track maintenance of any Government Provided Equipment / Materials.

f. How the Contractor will identify, investigate, and correct any non‐conforming performance and prevent similar deficiencies in the future

g. How the Contractor will file and save all Quality Control related documents for the life of the contract plus 5 years.

1.6.5.1. A final QCP shall be submitted to the KO, through the COR, for review and acceptance within thirty (30) calendar days after contract award (ref: CDRL A001). After acceptance of the QCP, the

Contractor will receive the KO’s acceptance in writing. Any changes to the accepted QCP will be required to be resubmitted for acceptance within five (5) calendar days.

1.6.5.2. The Contractor shall inform the COR of issues or potential issues that might affect the performance within two (2) hours of identifying those issues. Verbal reports will be followed up by written reports within five (5) calendar days.

1.6.6. Quality Assurance: The Government shall evaluate the Contractor’s performance under this contract in accordance with the Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP). 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).

1.6.7. Place of Performance: The work to be performed under this contract shall primarily be performed at the Contractor’s facility.

1.6.8. Type of Contract: The Government will award a Firm Fixed Price (FFP) Contract.

1.6.9. Security Program: Contractor personnel are not required to have a security clearance to perform duties outlined in this PWS.

1.6.10. Common Access Card (CAC) Issuance: Not required. If requirement exists to visit the installation, USAREUR Public Affairs provided are representative and escort.

1.6.11. Communication Security (COMSEC): The data management and processing systems being managed include COMSEC equipment and material. The Contractor shall meet COMSEC briefing and Local Element management certification requirements of USAREUR.

1.6.12. Operations Security (OPSEC) Requirements: The Contractor shall apply Operations Security (OPSEC) to enhance protection for classified and unclassified critical information. Service OPSEC guidance shall also apply if the contracted activity is performed in a Service‐level operational environment. If a conflict is identified between Service and higher‐level guidance, the Contractor shall contact the COR for clarification. The Contractor shall develop, implement and maintain an OPSEC program to enhance protection of classified and unclassified critical information that will be used at the Contractor’s location during the performance of this contract in accordance with this PWS and DD‐254 Contract Security Classification Specification. The Contractor shall be in compliance with security requirements imposed by documents generated in response to DoD 5200.39, Critical Program Information (CPI) Protection within the Department of Defense, July 16, 2008. The Contractor shall be in compliance with OPSEC measures if imposed by programs supported or by documents generated by USAREUR. The Contractor shall be in compliance with DFARS 252.204‐7012 Safeguarding Covered Defense Information and Cyber Incident Reporting. OPSEC Awareness Education and Training shall be provided or coordinated through Government channels USAREUR OPSEC Program, Interagency OPSEC Support Staff (IOSS), etc.), as a cost management process. The COR can assist with this training coordination option. All personnel supporting the contract shall receive initial OPSEC awareness training and Annual OPSEC Refresher training. If the contractor has existing OPSEC awareness education, training, and planning processes in place to protect corporate information, these should be applied pending Government acceptance rather than creating a new program. The Contractor shall have an OPSEC plan for this contract. The Contractor shall provide an OPSEC plan. The OPSEC plan shall be submitted to the KO through COR for review and acceptance thirty (30) calendar days after contract award (ref: CDRL A004). After acceptance of the OPSEC plan, the Contractor will receive the KO’s acceptance in writing. Any changes to the accepted OPSEC plan will be required to be resubmitted for acceptance within five (5) calendar days.

Program protection measures shall be applied and approved by USAREUR at all locations where Critical Information is developed, produced, analyzed, maintained, transported, stored, tested, or used in training. The Contractor shall request guidance from the COR on any specific predetermined OPSEC critical information associated with the contract or any associated OPSEC plans that directly relate to the information provided by the Government. OPSEC protective measures shall be applied as directed by the Government. While performing on a Government site, the Contractor shall comply with the OPSEC guidance or plans specific to that location or program supported. This guidance will be provided by the COR, when needed.

1.6.13. SCI Justification: None.

1.6.14. Physical Security: None.

1.6.15. Special Qualifications: None.

1.6.16 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 KO, COR, and other Government personnel, as appropriate, may meet periodically with the Contractor to review the Contractor's performance. At these meetings, the KO 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 may be conducted via telecom and shall be at no additional cost to the Government.

1.6.17 Contracting Officer Representative (COR): The COR for this contract 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: ensure 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 and specifications; monitor Contractor's performance and notify both the KO and Contractor of any deficiencies; coordinate availability of Government furnished property; and coordinate 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 contract.

1.6.18 Key Personnel: The following personnel are considered key personnel by the Government:

Project Manager and Alternate Project Manager. The Contractor shall provide a Project Manager and alternate who shall be responsible for the performance of the work. The name of this person, and the alternate who shall act for the Contractor when the Project Manager is absent, shall be designated in writing to the KO within five (5) calendar days of contract award (ref: CDRL A005). The Project Manager and alternate shall have full authority to act for the Contractor on all contract matters relating to the daily operation of this contract. The Project Manager or alternate shall be available during Contractor’s normal business hours plus as designated in Section 1.6.2 above. Key personnel in these positions must meet the following qualifications:

a) minimum of 10 or more years of program management experience preferably in support of strategic communication/public affairs/media operations and

b) an undergraduate degree in Mass Communication, Public Affairs, Journalism, International Relations, Political Science or other communications field.

c) If the proposed Program Manager or the Alternate Program Manager does not possess one of the identified undergraduate degrees in (b), the Army will accept as an alternative, the combination of undergraduate college degree in any field of study, plus a minimum of 5 additional years of experience in support of strategic communication/public affairs/media operations or other communications field than described in (a). Hence, the individual would need undergraduate college credit in any field of study and a minimum of 15 years of the identified experience.

1.6.18.1. The Contractor shall provide resumes for all key personnel (ref: CDRL 005) and update them as appropriate during the life of the contract. The Government reserves the right to designate additional key personnel during the life of the contract, as dictated by mission changes.

1.6.18.2. The Contractor agrees that the Project Manager or alternate shall not be unavailable for a continuous period expected to exceed fifteen (15) work days and shall not be reassigned to different work within the contract life for a continuous period expected to exceed fifteen (15) work days. The Program Manager and the alternate shall not be absent at the same time.

1.6.18.3. The Contractor agrees that key personnel shall not be moved, reassigned or replaced without Government written concurrence and, in the event, shall be replaced by equally qualified personnel.

Further, the Contractor shall notify the KO in writing, at least two weeks in advance of replacing key personnel. Prior to replacing key personnel, the Contractor shall demonstrate to the satisfaction of the KO that the qualifications of prospective replacement personnel are equal to or better than the qualifications of any key personnel being replaced. All requests for approval of substitutions hereunder shall be in writing and shall provide a detailed explanation of the circumstances necessitating the proposed substitution(s). The request shall contain a complete resume for the proposed substitute and any other information requested by the KO. The KO will make the final concurrence or non‐concurrence with the proposed substitution. Written concurrence or non‐concurrence will be provided to the Contractor.

1.6.18.4. Key personnel positions shall not be vacant longer than fifteen (15) calendar days, unless the KO grants a written extension. The Program Manager and the alternate positions shall not be vacant at the same time.

1.6.19 Identification of Contractor Employees: All Contractor 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. Contractor personnel will only require Government

ID badges when performing work on site in Germany per the requirements of Section 1.6.20 below.

Badges will be arranged by the COR once travel dates are confirmed.

1.6.20 Contractor Travel: None.

1.6.21 Other Direct Costs: Reserved.

1.6.22 Data Rights: The Government has unlimited 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 KO. 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.

1.6.23 Organizational Conflict of Interest: Contractor and subcontractor personnel performing work under this contract may receive, have access to or participate in the development of proprietary or source selection information (e.g., cost or pricing information, budget information or analyses, specifications or work statements, etc.) or perform evaluation 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 KO 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 KO to avoid or mitigate any such OCI.

The Contractor’s mitigation plan will be determined to be acceptable solely at the discretion of the KO and in the event the KO unilaterally determines that any such OCI cannot be satisfactorily avoided or mitigated, the KO 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.