LONG TERM ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT CONTRACT III

SECTION C - DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/WORK STATEMENT ARTICLE C.1 INTRODUCTION Background The National Institutes of Health (NIH), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is the prime Federal agency for conducting and supporting medical research. It is comprised of 27 Institutes and Centers (ICs) through which it conducts research on a wide range of issues. The goal of NIH research is to acquire new knowledge to help prevent, detect, diagnose, and treat disease and disability, from the rarest genetic disorder to the common cold. The NIH mission is to uncover new knowledge that will lead to better health for everyone. NIH works toward that mission by: conducting research in its own laboratories; supporting the research of non-Federal scientists in universities, medical schools, hospitals, and research institutions throughout the country and abroad; helping in the training of research investigators; and fostering communication of medical and health sciences information. NIH is subject to the terms of the Federal Activities Inventory Reform (FAIR) Act. Under the provisions of the FAIR Act, the agency must undergo a Competitive Sourcing process which simply describes a systematic effort to have all commercial activities in the Federal Government periodically go through a process of competition. In NIHs negotiations with HHS and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regarding the competitive sourcing process, a number of administrative support positions were identified to be transitioned from government full time equivalent (FTE) to long-term contract as the positions are vacated by the current Federal employees. In addition to the positions to be filled as a result of the FAIR Act, NIH requires a vehicle to obtain other long-term administrative support services that are not inherently governmental. This acquisition is to obtain commercially provided administrative services on a long-term basis (i.e., from date of Task Order award through the performance period of the award resulting from this solicitation) across all of the NIH ICs and Offices for positions affected by the FAIR Act and for additional positions that are not inherently governmental. ARTICLE C.2 SCOPE This contract includes long-term administrative support, defined as at least twelve (12) months, to fill the needs of the positions that become vacant through FTE attrition. In addition, long-term needs for administrative support positions that are not deemed inherently governmental are included under the scope of this contract. Customer ICs can issue task orders against the contract; however, there is no guarantee of customer usage. C.2.1 General Requirements a. Contractor Personnel The following requirements apply to contractor personnel assigned to this contract: 1. The Contractor shall provide English-speaking, skilled personnel with the capabilities necessary to successfully meet government requirements. This includes supervision/management staff as well as administrative support personnel. Required skill categories are defined in terms of typical duties and performance level standards. 2. The Contractor shall provide skill levels and labor mix appropriate for the task(s) to be performed. 3. The Contractor and Contractor employees shall conduct only business covered by this contract during periods paid for by the Government and shall not conduct any other business on government premises. 4. All Contractor personnel shall be eligible to legally work in the United States, but not a requirement of citizenship. 5. Contractor personnel are expected to pass a minimum background investigation and conduct themselves in a professional and courteous manner at all times. Federal regulations prohibit the use of any controlled substances and alcoholic beverages while Contractor employees are working on Federal property or in Federal installations. Contractor personnel shall be made aware of these requirements prior to placement. Inappropriate conduct and/or substance abuse will not be tolerated. The Contractor will be responsible for removing any individual violating these provisions from the government facility and taking other actions as appropriate. The Task Order Contracting Officer's Representative may request removal of a contractor employee for improper conduct. A security violation will require immediate removal. 6. To provide continuity of service to NIH Customers, Contractors are required to provide a qualified replacement administrative support personnel of equal level on-site within five (5) business days after the removal of the original employee under a Task Order. 7. If the Contractor personnel must speak and read in a language in addition to English, or have other required skills, the Government will state those requirements in the Task Order. b. Supervision This contract may not be used to provide personal services. Government personnel may not perform any supervisory functions for Contractor personnel. Under the task orders, all individual contractor employee assignments and daily work direction shall be given by the applicable contractor employee supervisor. Notwithstanding any other provision of this contract, the Contractor shall at all times be responsible for the supervision of its employees in the performance of the services required. If the Contractor believes any government action or communication has been given that would create a personal services relationship between the Government and any contractor employee, the Contractor shall promptly notify the LTASC II Contracting Officer or the Task Order Contracting Officer. c. Recruitment and Retention The Contractor shall employ hiring and retention practices that allow the Contractor to identify, screen, place, monitor, train, and retain qualified candidates to fulfill service requirements under this contract. Contractors shall propose personnel that are capable of passing a minimum background investigation. d. Training The Contractor, at its own expense, shall perform training, except: 1. The Government will provide orientation and training on NIH-specific systems particular to the work to be performed by the Contractor. 2. The Government will not authorize training for Contractor employees to attend seminars, symposiums, or user group conferences unless required for the performance of a task order, and such training is approved in advance by the Task Order Contracting Officer's Representative and Contracting Officer. 3. When the Government has given prior approval for training to meet special requirements that are peculiar to a particular Task Order, attendance to training will be considered part of the task order performance of services. e. Access to Federal Government Installation Access to the worksite will be limited. Because this is a Federal Government installation, Contractor work hours will be limited to the hours of 6:30 AM to 6:00 PM, Monday through Friday. The employees work schedule shall allow for the 10 Federal Holidays listed below. New Years Day (January 1) Martin Luther King, Jr.s, Birthday (Third Monday in January) Presidents Day (Third Monday in February) Memorial Day (Last Monday in May) Independence Day (July 4) Labor Day (First Monday in September) Columbus Day (Second Monday in October) Veterans Day (November 11) Thanksgiving Day (Fourth Thursday in November) Christmas Day (December 25) If the holiday falls on a Saturday, the preceding Friday is the holiday. If the holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is the holiday. When Inauguration Day falls within the regularly scheduled tour of duty of an employee in the Metropolitan Washington, DC area, it is observed as a holiday. In the instance of unscheduled facility closing due to snow or other inclement weather, presidential order, or other reason determined by the Office of Personnel Management, the Government shall not pay the Contractor for services not rendered. It shall be the Contractor's responsibility to determine how its employees are compensated for the day. f. Workload Management The Contractor shall implement management systems and controls for recording and monitoring workloads for all administrative tasks. A log of Contractor time spent on a task order contract shall be made available to the Government as requested. C.2.2 Specific Requirements The administrative support function is decentralized across NIH; therefore, each of the Agencys 27 ICs, and the operating units under the ICs, may have slightly different needs. However, the following grouping of activities has been developed to indicate the types of services administrative support personnel working under a potential Contractor must be able to provide for this contract. It is important to note that the services are grouped based on similar tasks and not based on individual positions. Administrative support personnel in any labor category may be expected to perform some, many, or all of the services listed below; however, duties may not be limited to the services detailed but must be reasonably related to or encompassed by the labor categories described. Administrative Tasks for General Office Support Services Assembling, copying, faxing and scanning a variety of materials and ensuring proper distribution of copies as required Maintaining a variety of office logs and files Maintaining calendars Managing complex schedules and calendars Greeting visitors, answering the main office phone, and taking messages as required Maintaining main staff directories Preparing, writing, and editing a variety of correspondence including letters and memos Preparing, creating, formatting, and editing spreadsheets, presentations, and charts Assisting with performing searches of electronic and hardcopy files and databases for records, supportive data, and historical documents Assisting in preparing or drafting initial correspondence in response to requests and in preparing an array of other documents for release in response to requests Responding to first line inquiries from a wide variety of key public, internal, and external constituencies Administrative Tasks for Services Support Submitting and following up on requests for services (i.e. telephone, key request, and help desk, etc.) Arranging for housekeeping, facility, and vehicle services Ensuring office equipment is maintained and functional Administrative Tasks for Travel Support Services Preparing all types of travel orders using the official travel system Preparing vouchers and making travel arrangements Answering/Researching general travel related questions Maintaining travel associated files Administrative Tasks for Meeting Support Services Organizing and supporting workshops and meetings Coordinating with NIH travel office to make travel arrangements Preparing notebooks, invitations, agendas, and support documents Reserving space for meetings Coordinating logistical and administrative arrangements for guest speakers and meeting attendees Providing administrative support during meetings, including arranging for audiovisual displays, taking meeting minutes, and following up with summary minutes or reports from meetings Administrative Tasks for Mail Support Services Receiving and processing incoming mail including preparing requests for FedEx shipments, UPS, and other priority mail services, and couriers Administrative Tasks for Procurement Support Services Preparing purchase requests for office supplies Preparing purchase requests for office equipment and services Answering questions and investigating discrepancies related to purchases Entering payment information into internal and external administrative databases Assisting with tracking and maintaining associated files related to purchases Administrative Tasks for Property Management Support Services Requesting property passes and property transfers Answering questions, assisting with tracking, and maintaining associated files Managing office Self Service Store accounts for office products Administrative Tasks for Personnel Support Services Preparing personnel packages as needed Assisting with various logistics required for faculty recruitments Processing and entering training requests Assisting with updating of Curriculum Vitaes (CVs), bibliographies, biosketches, and annual reports Administrative Tasks for Publication Support Services Providing assistance with manuscript preparation and editing Assisting with manuscript tracking and manuscript submissions Scanning journal articles, establishing PDF files of articles, and updating manuscript tracking databases, filing books, journals, and articles C.2.3 Personnel Requirements The Contractor shall provide personnel with the necessary skills and level of expertise required to support the tasks to be performed under the SOW. a. Key Personnel This contract requires at least one Program Manager and one Deputy Program Manager to be considered Key Personnel. Additional, non-key Deputy Program Managers may be utilized as deemed necessary by the Contractor over the life of the contract depending on Task Order requirements. Although the additional Deputy Program managers are not key personnel, they must still meet the educational requirements of the key Deputy Program Manager. The Key Personnel qualifications listed below are a requirement for contract award. Failure to provide a proposal that offers key personnel with these qualifications will render the proposal unacceptable and ineligible for award. Labor Category: Program Manager The Program Manager will be responsible for the overall performance objectives, contract deliverables, quality control (QC), and the placement of qualified personnel on this contract. The Program Manager will serve as the Contractors authorized point of contact with NIH and shall ensure contract compliance and satisfactory performance. This person requires a college degree and at least five (5) years of relevant experience or a high school diploma and ten (10) years of relevant experience. Relevant experience required for this position involves program management performing tasks such as staffing, budgeting, scheduling, and client interaction. Experience in a scientific research or clinical environment or a Federal agency is preferred. Labor Category: Deputy Program Manager The Deputy Program Manager will manage one or more Task Orders, depending on the Contractor's management structure. The Deputy Program Manager must have a working knowledge of the contract and some degree of authority to perform the Program Managers role for limited periods of time when the Program Manager is unavailable. The Deputy Program Manager requires a college degree and at least four (4) years of relevant experience or a high school diploma and eight (8) years of relevant experience. Relevant project management experience performing tasks such as staffing, budgeting, and scheduling is required in this role. Experience in a scientific research or clinical environment or a Federal agency is preferred. Based on future contract requirements, it may be necessary for a Contractor to assign additional non-key Deputy Program Manager(s) to oversee administrative support personnel either a) not accessible to the Program Manager (i.e., at a remote location) or b) located in a large concentration. The Program Manager and one Deputy Program Manager shall be available for assignment to this contract on the effective date of the first Task Order award, and remain in their respective positions a minimum of twelve months. However, the Program Manager and the Deputy Program Manager are not required to be designated full-time on this contract (when off-site). The number of Contractor personnel and workload required shall determine the extent of time the Program Manager and Deputy Program Manager dedicate to this contract. Either the Program Manager or the Deputy Program Manager shall be available for consultation during regular business hours. The personnel listed above are considered essential to the work being performed under this acquisition. Before removing or replacing any of the listed or specified personnel, the Contractor shall (1) notify the Government (the LTASC II Contracting Officer) reasonably in advance and (2) provide a detailed explanation of the circumstances necessitating the proposed substitution, a complete resume for the proposed substitute, and any other information requested by the Government necessary to approve or disapprove the proposed substitution. The Government will evaluate such requests and promptly notify the Contractor of approval or disapproval in writing. All proposed substitutions shall be determined by NIH to have qualifications and job status equivalent to the person being replaced. Discussions with the replacement may be required by NIH to further assess the qualifications of the candidate. b. Non-Key Personnel While not considered Key Personnel for the evaluation of proposals, the evaluation of the actual performance of the contract will depend greatly on the administrative support personnel provided by the successful Contractor. A brief description of the various levels of administrative support, including skill requirement, is given below. Examples of duties that may be performed under each category are described in the previous section. Support under this contract will include the following labor categories: Labor Category: General Clerk I (Clerk 1) At a minimum the Clerk 1 duties includes following a few clearly detailed procedures in performing simple repetitive tasks in the same sequence, such as aide in laboratory/clinical center, filing precoded documents in a chronological file or operating office equipment, e.g., scanner, photocopier, or printer. A minimum of high school diploma or GED is required. Labor Category: General Clerk II (Clerk 2) Follows a number of specific procedures in completing several repetitive clerical steps performed in a prescribed or slightly varied sequence, such as coding and filing documents in an extensive alphabetical file, data entry, simple posting to individual accounts, opening mail, running mail through metering machines, and calculating and posting charges to departmental accounts. Little or no subject-matter knowledge is required, but the clerk needs to choose the proper procedure for each task. A minimum of high school diploma or GED is required. Labor Category: Administrative Assistant 1 (Admin 1) The Admin 1 performs administrative functions. Duties include generic clerical skills such as greeting and directing visitors, fielding phone calls, scheduling meetings, responding to callers, taking minutes, composing memos, transcribing, developing presentations, generating reports, and monitoring invoices and expense reports. Must have basic computer skills to conduct internet research and perform data entry. Additional duties may include filing and faxing. A minimum of high school diploma or GED is required. Labor Category: Administrative Assistant 2 (Admin 2) In addition to the skills defined under the Admin 1 level category, the Admin 2 performs administrative and office support activities that require an ability to multi-task and assist multiple NIH employees at once. More advanced computer skills are required as the assistant will be required to perform word processing, spreadsheet management, and conduct more advanced internet research. Also, reviewing and disseminating memorandums to staff; conducting documents control for routing through office; preparing purchase request for small purchases, reviewing draft policies, standard operating procedures, and memorandums for grammar and format; coordinating travel and submitting data into the NIH travel system; compiling equipment requirements for office staff (e.g., laptops, printers, monitors); preparing training requests; and preparing matrix of office needs. Staff in this category must have a minimum of a high school diploma and two (2) years of related work experience. Labor Category: Senior Administrative Assistant (Admin 3) In addition to the skills defined under the Admin 2 level category, the senior administrative assistant is expected to perform more complex administrative tasks and will typically be supporting senior-level staff. Responsibilities include those described for administrative assistant but require more work experience within each function. Advanced computer skills and internet research skills are required. The position requires the assistant to perform a variety of administrative functions such as creating and analyzing written documents for dissemination to leadership, compiling information for outside inquiries and reports, and developing and maintaining tracking tools to be used for reporting data. .A high level of creativity is expected. Prior work in a scientific research environment for a large Federal agency, as well as a firm knowledge of business administration is desired. A college degree or a high school diploma and four (4) years of related work experience are required for this position. Labor Category: Executive Assistant (Admin 4) The executive assistant performs administrative duties for executive management. Relieves the executive of administrative type functions in order to increase the time an executive has available for executive level responsibilities This position requires the ability to perform all tasks of the other positions, but requires advanced computer and internet research skills. May handle a wide variety of situations and conflicts involving the clerical and administrative function of the office. Responsible for confidential and time sensitive material. Prepares routine and advanced correspondence including letters, memoranda, and reports. Relies on experience and judgment to plan and accomplish goals. Candidate should have the ability to work well with all levels of management and staff. Prior experience in a scientific research environment for a large Federal agency is preferred. A comprehensive understanding of NIH, its organization and culture is also desired. A college degree and four (4) years of related work experience or a high school diploma and eight (8) years of related work experience are required. An administrative support position on an awarded task order can increase in level (Clerk 1 through Admin 4) during the life of the task order. Upon the request Task Order Contracting Officers Representative and approval of the Task Order Contracting Officer, an increase in level may occur if the individual in that position gains more experience or earns a degree while working on the task order qualifying him/her for the next level. Allowing this growth helps retain individuals that NIH customers have invested resources to train. C.2.4 Contract Level Management The Office of Acquisitions (OLAO) will provide contract-level management and oversight of the contract, while the customer (the ordering IC) will perform the day-to-day management and oversight of the Task Order. A Long-Term Administrative Support Contract (LTASC II) Contracting Officer's Representative within OLAO will be designated to oversee and manage the contract and an LTASC II Contracting Official will perform contract administration duties. Responsibilities of the government LTASC II Contracting Officer's Representative are described in further detail in section G. The LTASC II Contracting Officer's Representative will track and guide contract performance over the life of the contract. OLAO employs several methods and tools to assist this effort, in close concert with customer monitoring and evaluation efforts. C.2.5 Place of Performance Tasks will be performed across all of NIHs Institutes and Centers. The majority of services will be provided in the Washington Metropolitan Area (including but not limited to Bethesda, Rockville, Frederick, Gaithersburg, and Poolesville,) and Baltimore; however, contract support will also be required in facilities located in the following cities: Durham, NC; Cincinnati, OH; Detroit, MI; Framingham, MA; Hamilton, MT; and Phoenix, AZ. The distribution of administrative support employees across the locations identified is unknown. Currently, the majority of NIH's Full Time Equivalent (FTE) employees work in facilities in the Washington Metropolitan Area. While this distribution of total FTE may or may not reflect the distribution of administrative support employees, NIH is providing this information to assist contractors in estimating their workforce requirements. C.2.5.1 Contractor Obligation to Provide Reasonable Accommodations Clause For the purposes of this clause, a contractor or covered subcontractor refers to a contractor or subcontractor at any tier performing in the United States, or a contractor or subcontractor at any tier performing outside the United States with employees recruited in the United States. The United States is defined as the several States, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Wake Island. Additionally, covered subcontractor refers to a subcontractor performing under a subcontract at any tier with a value that exceeds or is expected to exceed $10,000. a) The Contractor shall ensure that all of its employees and covered subcontractor employees working under this contract are advised that it is the obligation of the Contractor and covered subcontractor to provide for their respective employees, upon request, reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), as amended, 42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq., Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, 29 U.S.C. 793, 41 C.F.R. Part 60-741, Executive Order 11,758 (Jan. 15, 1974), as amended, and FAR Subpart 22.14. b) The EQUAL OPPORTUNITY FOR WORKERS WITH DISABILITIES clause at 41 C.F.R. 60-741.5 is incorporated by reference. If this Contractor Obligation to Provide Reasonable Accommodation clause is included in a contract, solicitation, purchase order, CLIN, contract modification, or covered subcontract at any tier with a value that also exceeds or is expected to exceed $15,000, FAR 52.222-36 is also incorporated by reference. If any or all of the services are to be performed on a Government installation (excluding the expectation of contractor or covered subcontractor employees being on the Government installation solely for the purpose of meeting attendance), FAR 52.237-1 is also incorporated by reference. c) In compliance with 5 U.S.C. 3109 and FAR 37.104, this is a nonpersonal services contract. The nonpersonal services nature of this contract is maintained even if the services provided are closely associated with the performance of inherently governmental functions as determined under FAR Subpart 7.5 and OFPP Policy Letter 11-01 (Sep. 12, 2011), or even if this contract involves advisory and assistance services as defined under 31 U.S.C. 1105(g), or even if the services under this contract are considered vital to the Government and must be continued without interruption as provided under FAR 37.110(c). Additionally, all services shall be performed by contractor and subcontractor employees under the supervision of the contractor or subcontractor, the Government has no authority to discharge contractor or subcontractor employees, the Government shall not direct wages to contractor or subcontractor employees, the relationship between the Government and contractor or subcontractor employees is limited to the scope and duration of the contract, and it is understood between the parties that nothing in this contract shall be construed as to create an employer-employee relationship between the Government and any employee of the contractor or any subcontractors. Consequently, in no way shall a contractor or subcontractor employee be considered an employee of the Government. d) The Contractor shall ensure that all of its employees and covered subcontractor employees working on this contract are advised that the employees must make requests for a reasonable accommodation to their respective employers, and not to the Government. e) For contractor and covered subcontractor employees performing on a Government installation, the Government is responsible for maintaining facility accessibility to a level required by the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 4151 et seq. However, the Contractor and covered subcontractor are responsible for furnishing any reasonable accommodation for a contractor or covered subcontractor employee to perform on the Government installation. Further, in accordance with FAR 52.237-1, the cost of any reasonable accommodation shall not be charged to the Government unless the cost was contemplated and clearly presented by the offer, quote, or bid which the Contractor submitted to obtain this contract. In any event, a reasonable accommodation cost cannot be included in the cost basis that is used by the Contractor or covered subcontractor to calculate fee or profit. Furthermore, the Governments disallowance of a reasonable accommodation cost cannot be cause for the Contractor or covered subcontractor to claim an undue hardship in providing a reasonable accommodation. f) The Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officers Representative and Contracting Officer for this contract of any reasonable accommodation offered to or sought by a contractor employee or covered subcontractor employee that will adversely impact performance of this contract. g) Nothing in this clause shall be construed as to prevent a contractor employee or covered subcontractor employee from bringing forward a disability discrimination complaint to the appropriate Equal Employment Opportunity Office, regional or area office for the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), or to the U.S. Department of Labor Deputy Assistant Secretary for Federal Contract Compliance (DOL-DAS-FCC). In accordance with FAR 22.1406, the Contracting Officer shall forward any disability discrimination complaint against a contractor or covered subcontractor to the DOL-DAS-FCC. h) The Contractor shall ensure that all of its employees and covered subcontractor employees working on this contract are informed as to the substance of this clause. Nothing in this clause shall limit the Governments rights in any way under any other provision of this contract, including, but not limited to, the Governments right to inspect and accept the services to be performed under this contract. The substance of this clause shall be included in all covered subcontracts at any tier. i) In fulfillment of the Contracting Officers obligation at FAR 22.1404, the Contractor and covered subcontractors are furnished with the appropriate notices for posting in employee/applicant-viewable, conspicuous places. These notices are accessible at the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs website at http://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/ofccpost.htm, and are available in English, Spanish, and Chinese. Additional notices are available from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission at http://www1.eeoc.gov/employers/poster.cfm. j) The Contractor and any covered subcontractor recognize that failure to comply with the obligations set forth under the ADA, Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Executive Order 11,758, and/or FAR Subpart 22.14 can constitute sufficient cause for the Government to withhold progress payments, terminate or suspend this contract, debar the Contractor or covered subcontr...