PERFORMANCE_WORK_STATEMENT_(v1.31.18).docx

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

UPPER AIR OBSERVATIONS: DENVER, CO

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Weather Service (NWS) office at Boulder, CO conducts an upper air observation program at the Weather Service Contract Meteorological Observatory (WSCMO) at the Denver International Airport in Denver, CO, which meets a variety of needs and serves a variety of users. Upper air observations are taken and coded for the operational use of meteorologists and hydrologists, as well as for international dissemination.

1.2 Authority: The Organic Act of 1890 charges the organization now known as the NWS with responsibility for forecasting the weather and issuing warnings for the benefit of agriculture, commerce, and navigation. The act also requires the taking of meteorological observations to define the climatology of the United States. The Air Commerce Act of 1926 added responsibility for furnishing weather reports, forecasts, warnings, and advice as may be required to promote safety and efficiency of air navigation. This responsibility was broadened in 1958 by the Federal Aviation Act.

1.3 Objective: The objective of this contract is to continue the upper air observation program currently being conducted at the Denver International Airport in such a manner that the highest possible quality data is available to the program's many users.

2. UPPER AIR RADIOSONDE REPLACEMENT SYSTEM OBSERVATIONS

2.1 General The Contractor shall provide an adequate number of NWS certified weather observers necessary to take, document, and disseminate upper air observations using the Radiosonde Replacement System (RRS) workstation in Denver, CO. All contract observers shall be RRS certified by the NWS prior to responding to this solicitation and maintain certification during the contract period of performance.

All services conducted in connection with the performance of this contract shall be in accordance with the most recent revision(s) of upper air observing manuals and guidelines used by the NWS (http://www.nws.noaa.gov/directives/sym/pd01014001curr.pdf), including those which take effect during the course of the contract. All scheduled observations shall be taken and disseminated in accordance with the provisions of this solicitation/contract.

2.2 Time Schedules for taking Radiosonde Replacement System Observations

Observations shall be taken two times daily, each and every day of the contract period. Observations shall have a standard scheduled release time of 0000 and 1200 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). Required upper air data shall be transmitted to National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) at the prescribed times for all scheduled releases. Whenever, for any reason, a scheduled observation is not taken or transmitted data is late to NCEP, the cause shall be documented in detail by the Contractor and sent electronically within one (1) day to the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) and the Contracting Officer (CO).

If the missed observation was due to equipment malfunction the contract observer shall be required to transmit electronically the coded reason for the missed observation. In the event of an extended equipment outage, the Contractor shall still be responsible for transmission of the appropriate 101XX group/groups for each missed observation. The coded 101XX group shall be completed as to explain the reason for the missing observation. If the missed observation was due to weather, the letter shall include the official surface observation for one (1) hour before and one hour after the standard scheduled release time. The Government estimates that there are approximately 3 equipment failures annually.

Normally, the completion of one upper air observation using the RRS requires the attention of one observer for a minimum of 3.25 hours. The Contractor shall have an RRS certified observer on duty at the WSCMO from 1015 to 1330 UTC and 2215 to 0130 UTC each day of the contract period. Additional time may be required when second releases are needed or if other problems arise. On average, there are 6 second releases annually.

2.3 Data Processing. All observation data shall be processed to usable data through the use of the RRS computer workstation furnished by the Government.

2.4 Observation Balloons. Observation balloons to be used in the taking of the RRS observation shall be inflated with hydrogen or helium gas, at the discretion of the government. The hydrogen and/or helium gases are bottled, and shall be furnished by the Government. All operating instructions and applicable safety equipment shall be supplied by the Government. The Contractor shall take all necessary precautions to ensure that appropriate safety measures are followed when working with hydrogen and/or helium gas.

The Contractor’s Site Supervisor shall maintain an inventory of hydrogen and/or helium gas cylinders on hand. Changes in inventory shall be reported to the Observing Program Leader (OPL), or designated representative, located at the NWS office in Boulder, CO. The site supervisor shall ensure hydrogen and/or helium cylinders are full when delivered. Empty or partially filled tanks delivered to the WSCMO shall not be accepted by the Contractor’s Site Supervisor or any contract personnel designated to receive deliveries of hydrogen or helium. Problems with delivery of hydrogen and/or helium shall be reported to the COR and OPL or designated representative as soon as possible so action may be taken by the WFO in Boulder, CO to rectify.

3. OPTIONAL LAUNCHES: SPECIAL OBSERVATIONS AND PROCEDURES

3.1 Special Radiosonde Replacement System Observations. Special RRS observations are deemed as those observations which are requested by the NWS, in addition to those specified in paragraph 2.1, Upper Air Radiosonde Replacement System Observations, as Optional Launches.

3.1.1 General. The Contractor shall be required to take, record, and document a special RRS observation associated with NWS sanctioned field projects or critical meteorological events. The minimum performance standard for this requirement is:

All special Radiosonde Replacement System Observations which are requested by the CO shall be taken within the terms and conditions of the contact. Normally, the RRS observation requires the attention of one RRS certified observer for a minimum of three hours for a special observation.

Special Launches will be ordered by the Contracting Officer as needed.

3.1.2 Notification Procedures for Special Radiosonde Replacement System Observations. Whenever possible, the NWS shall provide notification of at least twelve (12) hours before a special RRS observation is required. However, during a weather emergency, this 12 hour advance notice may not be possible. The Contractor shall make every effort to take the requested observation during weather emergencies with a shorter advance notification time. Typically this shorter advanced notification time will be no less than 6 hours. Special observations may require special dissemination and/or handling procedures such as terminating the flight at a lower burst altitude than normally obtained. The Contractor shall be instructed with regard to special dissemination and handling requirements when the request for a special RRS observation is made.

Priorities are listed in descending order of importance:

All data to 70 mb All data to 100 mb All data to 400 mb (successful flight) RADAT Messages Whatever data is available at transmission time

3.2 Authorized Contractor Personnel. Within three days of the notification of the award of the contract, the Contractor shall provide the COR with the names and contact information, including telephone numbers of all contract personnel to be contacted when the NWS requests a special RRS observation.

Whenever the upper air observation data cannot be entered into the communications system in the scheduled time window, the Contractor is required to relay the data using special system/email instructions provided by the COR. As a last resort, the Contractor is to notify the COR by email and telephone all available data to the National Weather Service office in Boulder, CO for relay to NCEP, within one hour or as soon as possible. In addition, an email explanation of the problem shall be sent to the COR and OPL or others at NOAA as designated by the COR within 24 hours.

3.3 Preparation and handling of Forms and Records. The Contractor shall prepare, store and/or electronically transfer all appropriate forms and records as required and/or specified by the COR. A monthly B-85 RRS Supply Inventory shall be completed and transferred electronically to NWS National Headquarters, the COR, and OPL by the third day of each month. A copy of the B-85 RRS Inventory shall be maintained at the observational facility. The COR/OPL or designated representative from the WFO in Boulder, CO shall be responsible for ordering National expendables supplies (See Section 4.8) for the WSCMO at Denver International Airport.

4. GOVERNMENT-FURNISHED MATERIALS & SERVICES

4.1 Observation Facility. The WSCMO facilities at Denver International Airport, including heat, electricity, water, security, pest control, and ground maintenance services shall be provided and maintained by the Government. The Contractor is limited to contract operations at the facility. No other business activity shall be allowed. The Government reserves the right to have NWS personnel enter the facilities at any time for any reason.

The Contractor is required to immediately notify the COR, OPL, and CO of any loss or damage to Government furnished facilities, equipment, or supplies. In the event of facility failure, such as a roof leak, broken window, etc., the Contractor shall take reasonable action to prevent further damage to equipment and other Government property.

The Contractor shall take responsible and reasonable care of the facility. The Contractor shall be responsible for maintaining their designated workspace, keeping it clean, safe, and presentable. The Contractor shall take immediate actions to rectify any noted concerns or safety violations directed by the COR.

4.1.1 Smoke Free Requirement. Smoking is not permitted in any Government facility at the Boulder, CO WSCMO. In the performance of this contract, this includes the Operations Building, Upper Air Inflation Building, and the grounds within 50 feet of these buildings. This contract has zero tolerance for smoking within the designated locations and will be considered a violation of the contract terms and conditions if an occurrence is reported within the area(s). Such violations may result in contractor staff temporary or permanent expulsion from the facility by the COR as a safety violation. Any missed performance due to such an occurrence shall be deemed unexcused.

4.2 Telephone and Internet Service. Commercial telephone service and internet service shall be furnished by the Government. The Government shall provide and maintain telephone service with an unpublished number for backup dissemination of observations and other contract-related business. The Government will provide high speed internet service as the primary means of electronically transmitting data, reports, e-mail, and for software updates. The Contractor shall use the telephone and internet services only in the conduct of NOAA business under this contract.

4.3 Postage. Any postage or shipping costs required or related to internal Contractor requirements shall be the responsibility of the Contractor.

4.4 Security. The Government has provided a security system and monitoring service for the Operations Building at the Boulder, CO WSCMO. The Contractor shall be responsible for assuring that proper security measures are enforced at the facility. The Operations building, inflation shelter, and storage building shall be kept locked when unattended. The Contractor shall notify the CO, COR, and OPL or FIC, immediately of any loss or damage to Government furnished facilities, equipment, and/or supplies. Access to the building shall be limited to Contractor personnel unless otherwise stated elsewhere in this contract. In the event of a facility failure such as a roof leak, broken window, etc., the Contractor shall be required to take reasonable action to prevent further damage to equipment and/or property. No alteration to the facilities shall be made by the Contractor without written permission of the CO. The Contractor shall return the facilities to the Government in the same condition as received except for reasonable wear and approved modifications.

4.5 Conservation of Utilities. The Contractor shall be responsible for ensuring the use of utility conservation practices at the WSCMO. This shall include the use of lights, heating/air conditioning, electrical appliances, and water. Further, the use of such utilities shall be limited to the minimum amount required for the performance of the required services and used for no other purpose. No external electronic or other appliance may be utilized at the Facility without prior consent from the COR.

4.6 Safety. The Contractor shall be responsible to comply with all safety measures as required by local, state, and Federal regulations at this Government facility. The Contractor shall be responsible for ensuring the contractor staff is fully informed of all building safety and evacuation plans.

Dated: 01/31/2018

4.7 Government-Furnished On-Site Property. The Government shall furnish all necessary on-site electronic, communication, meteorological equipment, the Radiosonde Replacement System (RRS) workstation used for the transmission of electronic forms and official email, and other miscellaneous property necessary to perform the services required by this contract. All Government-Furnished equipment shall be maintained by the Government. The Contractor shall be responsible for proper operation and care of all Government-furnished equipment. The Contractor shall log all equipment failures in the Operations Log and immediately call the COR and/or maintenance personnel to assure a prompt response. During an equipment outage, the Contractor shall use available back up procedures to take observations if any backup is available. The Contractor shall not remove any Government owned and/or furnished property from the Facility site.

4.7.1. Appliances. Any appliances currently at the site are provided for the convenience of persons occupying the building. The Contractor is authorized to use these appliances at the site. However, the continued maintenance, repair, or replacement of these items is at the discretion of the Government and their continued availability for Contractor use is not guaranteed.

4.7.2. Key Control. Required keys, security codes, and combinations to locks shall be issued to the Contractor. If the COR determines a lock must be replaced because of loss of a key by the Contractor's employees, the Contractor shall pay all expenses associated with the cost of replacement and will be noted as a performance deficiency. All costs to replace keys and locks as required will be deducted from the invoice. Similarly, the Contractor shall pay the cost of changing a combination if the COR has reasonable cause to assume that the combination has been compromised by the Contractor's employees, such costs will be deducted from the Contractor’s invoice. Access keys and security codes shall be secure at all times. In the event, either the keys and/or security codes become compromised, the Contractor shall notify the CO and COR immediately by phone call and email.

4.8 Forms, Charts, and Expendable Supplies. The Government shall determine and furnish all forms, charts, and local and national expendable supplies necessary for the Contractor to carry out the requirements of this contract. Local expendable supplies include pens and pencils, paper, forms, CDs, hydrogen, etc. The Contractor shall request, in writing (electronic mail is acceptable), all local expendable supplies from the COR.

Government provided expendable supplies include RRS instruments, batteries, lighting units, train regulators, parachutes, twine, and balloons. The Contractor shall furnish the NWS with a monthly inventory of Government national expendable supplies on hand by completing the RRS Supply Inventory, and all WS Forms required as indicated in the Upper Air Program Radiosonde Operations Manual electronically.

Expendable supplies may be delivered by courier service to a small, locked storage building on contract site premises. Contract personnel shall transfer these expendable supplies from the storage building to the supply room in the main Operations building within twenty-four (24) hours after delivery. On occasion, the Contractor shall make someone available to receive delivery of emergency supplies/parts, and/or special allotments of expendables shipped to the observation site. If any supplies on hand are reduced to a fifteen (15) day supply, the Contractor shall immediately notify the COR.

4.9 Regulatory Handbooks and Manuals. The Government shall furnish those portions of the handbooks and manuals which provide the regulatory material regarding meteorological observations which the Contractor is required to comply in the performance of this contract. These manuals include, but are not limited to, the following:

Radiosonde Replacement System Workstation User Guide National Weather Service NWSPD 10-1401 Federal Meteorological Handbook No. 3 (FMH) Engineering Handbooks Numbers 8, 9 and 15 (EHB)

All other appropriate NWS manuals or training guides since revised added or included after the date of this Performance Work Statement (PWS).

From time to time, additions, deletions, and revisions, are made to the regulatory materials listed previously. Such changes are made in writing and notification shall be subsequently made via email. As appropriate to complete successful contract performance, the Contractor shall be responsible for printing and filing all such changes into the appropriate handbook(s) or manual(s) in accordance with instructions attached to such revisions, additions, or deletions. Changes are normally of a routine or minimal nature and should not impact the Contractor's manpower requirements.

5. PERSONNEL CERTIFICATION AND MANPOWER REQUIREMENTS

5.1 Certification Requirements. All Contractor personnel who are assigned the duties of taking observations shall be certified upper air observers utilizing the RRS system. The requirement procedure for certification by NOAA NWS in upper air observations are outlined in NWSM 10-1401. The Contractor's Site Supervisor certification must be verified by the COR. Contractor personnel must demonstrate proficiency in all facets of the upper air program. RRS observer and Site Supervisor certificates with the required endorsement(s) will be displayed in plain sight or available for review as necessary. Certifications shall remain current, without lapse, during the contract period of performance.

Uncertified Contractor personnel may watch observations in a training capacity only if supervised by the contract station supervisor, upon advance notification to the COR.

5.2 Initial Contingent of Contractor Employees for Phase-In and Required Qualifications. A Phase-In may be required at the discretion of the CO. The initial contingent of Contractor employees who participate in the Phase-In Training are required to have a minimum of one year previous experience in the taking of surface and upper air observations. This previous experience must have been during the last 3 years.

In addition, the Contractor's Site Supervisor must have a minimum of three (3) years of experience in taking upper air observations. At least one year of this experience must have occurred during the last 3 years. The site supervisor must be an RRS certified observer.

Note that this requirement is subject to the McNamara-O’Hara Service Contract Act of 1965 (SCA, as amended, 41 U.S.C 6701 et seq, and its implementing regulations, including Nondisplacement of Qualified Workers Under Service Contracts which may require the right of first refusal for a possible right to an offer of employment.

5.3 Staffing Requirements. The upper air observation system utilizes the RRS computer workstation and requires a minimum of 3.25 hours to complete the observation from release to burst, performed by a NWS approved RRS certified observer. Additional time may be necessary to quality control data, complete required reports and perform other upper air observation related tasks. Much of the operator's time is spent responding to the RRS workstation prompts, data evaluation and quality control. A list of all Certified Upper Air Observers shall be provided to the CO and COR within 3 days of contract award.

5.4 Site Operations Guide. The Contractor shall prepare a Site Operations Guide within a minimum of 3 days of contract award; however, no notice to proceed will be granted until the list has been provided to the COR and CO. This guide shall contain detailed local instructions for operation of the facility. This guide shall contain, but not be limited to, working hours, working schedules, equipment operation instructions, who to call in the event of equipment failure, how to obtain supplies, names and telephone numbers of personnel to be contacted in emergencies, and safety instructions. This guide shall become Government property and shall be kept at the observing site. The guide shall be updated as required by changes at the observing site. A copy of this guide and all updates shall be furnished to the COR for approval. The Contractor shall implement all requested revisions needed to the Operations Guide as requested by the COR. The Contractor, upon assuming responsibility for the duties outlined in this PWS shall maintain the Operations Guide.

6. CONTINUITY OF SERVICES

6.1 General. Upper Air Observations are currently being performed by contract employees. The services must continue to be performed with the utmost proficiency and without interruption. To this end, this contract provides for a Phase-In-Period, if necessary.

6.1.1 Contractor Orientation. The Contractor shall be responsible for performing only the duties outlined in the PWS. The Contractor shall abide by all directions in the PWS except as may be authorized in writing by the Contracting Officer. The Contractor shall ensure that employees understand that only the designated COR may provide technical direction under this contract, and that only the Contracting Officer may change the scope, terms and conditions of the contract. The Contractor shall instruct all employees and new hires as to the responsibilities, parameters, and limitations of their position. The Contractor shall have each employee sign a statement affirming that this instruction has taken place and that the employee understands the extent and limitations of his/her responsibilities under this contract. The dated and signed statements shall be kept on file at the contract site for Government inspection.

6.2 Phase-In Period. The Phase-In Period may begin up to 30 days prior to the completion of current contract.

During a Phase-In Period, the Incumbent Contractor shall conduct on-site familiarization of all phases of the services required to be performed under this contract. The Incumbent Contractor shall retain full responsibility for all observations and other contract requirements during the Phase-In Period. The familiarization shall be for the initial contingent of Incoming Contractor employees. Familiarization or training of additional or replacement employees shall be the responsibility of the Incoming Contractor. Determination of necessity of Phase-In and amount of days shall be made by the Contracting Officer.

6.3 NWS Oversight of Phase-In Period. The COR reserves the right to be present at any time during the Phase-In Period, as deemed necessary, to ensure the orderly transition of services from the Incumbent Contractor to the Incoming Contractor.

6.4. Phase-Out Period. The Incumbent Contractor may be required to conduct a Phase-Out Period in conjunction with a new Contractor's phase-in period. This period may begin up to 30 days prior to completion of this contract. The Incumbent Contractor shall be required to provide orientation, and familiarization as may be required for an Incoming Contractor's initial contingent of employees. The Incumbent Contractor shall continue to be totally responsible for contract performance during the Phase-Out Period.

The NWS shall be present in an advisory capacity at the observatory during this time period, as deemed necessary, in order to ensure an orderly transition of services by the Incumbent Contractor employees to Incoming Contractor's employees. Determination of necessity of Phase-Out and amount of days shall be made by the Contracting Officer.

7. CONTRACTOR CONTRACT MANAGEMENT

A. The Contractor shall designate an individual in the Contractor's corporate office who will be the Contractor's authorized representative responsible for overall contract management. The Contract Manager shall have full authority to act for the Contractor on all matters relating to performance under this contract. The Contract Manager shall provide the primary point of contact between the Contractor and the COR. The Contract Manager shall provide overall supervision, leadership, and management of the contract effort and shall receive and execute, on behalf of the Contractor, such technical directions as the Contracting Officer or COR may issue within the terms and conditions of the contract.

B. To perform day-to-day oversight of Contractor employees, the Contractor shall designate a Site Supervisor who will serve as daily point of contact for the COR. The Senior Weather Observer may assist the COR as the liaison between the Contract Manager and contractor's on-site staff to assist in resolving problems, but has no authority under the contract to direct the Contractor.

8. CERTIFICATION AND ACCREDITATION

Certification and Accreditation Requirement Statement. The certification and accreditation requirement of CAR Clause 1352.239-72 (clause not included in this contract) does not apply, and a security accreditation package is not required.

9. PREPARATION AND MAILING OF FORMS AND RECORDS

The Contractor shall prepare and electronically transfer all observational records and all WS Forms and records as specified to the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR). All original observational records shall be electronically transferred to the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), 151 Patton Ave, Asheville, North Carolina 28801, for archiving, publishing, and off-station quality control. The Contractor shall prepare and submit (electronically) all forms outlined in the National Weather Service Manual10-1401, which are applicable to the program. The completed monthly form is submitted within 3 days after the end of the month.

10. ACCESS TO FEDERAL FACILITY: HOMELAND SECURITY POLICY DIRECTIVE (HSPD-12) IMPLEMENTATION

The performance of this contract requires contract employees to have physical access to the Federal Government's premises for more than 180 calendar days or to have access to a Federal Government's information system. Any items or services delivered under this contract shall comply with the Department of Commerce personal identity verification (PIV) procedures that implement HSPD-12, Federal Information FIPS PUB 201 (http://www.csrc.nist.gov/publications/fips/fips20 l/FIPS-20 l-022505.pdf) and OMB Memorandum M-05-24 (http://csrc.nist.gov/piv-program/memo/m05-24.pdf). The contractor shall insert this clause in all subcontracts when the subcontractor is required to have physical access to a federally controlled facility or access to a Federal information system.

Contractor employees without the proper clearance to work on the Federal site in compliance with HSPD-12 may be denied access. Following contract award, the contractor shall commence the security background clearance and badging process to ensure access for performance.

Additional information on contractor compliance with the above and required forms can be found at http://www.osec.doc.gov/osy/ and http://www.wasc.noaa.gov/wrso/index.htm.

11. MISSING UPPER AIR OBSERVATIONS

(A) Payment will be made based on the terms and conditions of the contract. If the Contractor fails to take the standard daily required observations without an excusable basis as determined by the CO, payment for undelivered services will be suspended and may be disallowed from the relevant invoice. The per launch cost will be calculated by taking the yearly amount divided by 730 (365*2).

(B) No invoice suspension will occur for observations not taken due to lack of expendables or due to equipment outage or facility failure provided that such deficiencies were reported in a timely manner in accordance with Section 2.2 2.2 Time Schedules for taking Radiosonde Replacement System Observations and 3.1 Special Observations and Procedures.

12. QUALITY CONTROL MEASURES

The contractor shall submit a Performance-Based Quality Control Plan (QCP) to the COR and Contracting Officer within fourteen (14) calendar days from award. The plan shall include procedures for identifying potential problems, reporting of issues, resolutions, and ensuring they do not re-occur. The Government will review and either approves or note deficiencies/issues with the submitted plan within 14 calendar days of receipt. Once approved by the CO, the contractor shall abide by this plan throughout the performance period of the contract, unless otherwise updated and approved.

Monitoring, inspection, and acceptance of services will be in accordance with the QCP as approved by the Contracting Officer and the performance measures noted below. The Government will document and evaluate the contractor's performance in accordance with the Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP).

13. QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE PLAN (QASP) PERFORMANCE MEASURES

The QASP performance standards are identified below. The Contractor's performance of the items will be evaluated continuously throughout the contract's stated performance period. The Contractor shall meet the acceptable performance standards as noted below. The COR will be responsible for monitoring performance to assess progress. The CO shall be notified by the COR when it appears that contractor's performance will not successfully meet the established measures.

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

May impact CPARS rating

Shall be certified in accordance with NWSI 10-1304, Section 14

4. No smoking. PWS Section 4.1.1

14. QUALITY ASSESSMENT AND CONTRACTOR PERFORMANCE RATING SYSTEM (CPARS)

The Government, through its COR and CO, will be monitoring the Contractor’s performance on a continuing basis over the contract performance period, applying the applicable standard and compliance with the terms and conditions. Annually, or more often at the determination of the CO, the contractor's performance will be rated and entered in the Contractors Performance Rating Appraisal System (CPARS). CPARS is utilized Federal Government wide to report contractor performance on contracts exceeding $150,000.

In general, the work will be evaluated in terms of how well the requirements of the contract are satisfied, the extent to which the contractor independently performs, generation of high quality deliverable(s), the timeliness of scheduled task(s) accomplishment, and observations.