U.S. Department of Education RFP ED-99-R-0039 Amendment 0001 The closing date of this RFP is NOT extended by reason of this amendment. 1) Clause H. 26., QUALITY ASSURANCE PLAN, is revised to read as follows: Performance Indicators and Schedule of Incentives/Deducts: The work performed on this Contract is subject to an Annual Evaluation by a panel consisting of Department of Education employees (See Clause H.27. - Evaluation Plan). The following Quality Assurance Plan Standards are written as defined in the Surveillance Plan. The Standards will allow the Government to make an objective assessment of the Contractor's performance based on the quality, completeness, and timeliness of its technical work. The Surveillance Plan (Attachment B) is to be utilized as the standards for performance under the contract. Incentives/Deductions will be applied to the following list of Performance Indicators in the Surveillance Plan for which contractor performance is evaluated as exceeding/not meeting the established standards. CONTRACT DELIVERABLES/ACTIVITIES STANDARDS, INCENTIVES AND DEDUCTS Task: Facility Upgrades to Electronic Environment for Processing Standard: Upgrade completed by the end of Calendar Year 2000 Standard to be met: 100% completion Incentive: $3,000 incentive if upgrade completed by 8/1/2000 and 4 Clearinghouses are using the new system Deduction: $100 deduction for each working day upgrade is delayed Task: Thesaurus, Other Authority Files and Database on Facility's Web Site Standard: All significant Authority Files and Database on Web site by end of Calendar Year 2000 Standard to be met: 100% completion Deduction: $100 deduction for each working day upgrade is delayed Task: Acquisitions Arrangements Standard: All organizations belonging to Facility contacted at least annually & three new arrangements added per year. Standard to be met: 100% completion Incentive: $1,000 incentive if over 5 new arrangements added per year Task: RIE Documents to EDRS Standard: Adhere to monthly preset schedule Standard to be met: 2 delays per year permitted without penalty Incentive: $2,500 incentive if more than 6 deliveries are ahead of schedule Deduction: Beginning with 3rd delay, $100 deduction for each working day delivery is tardy Task: ERIC Vocabulary Input Standard: Input 90 new descriptors each year (10) originated by Facility Standard to be met: 100% completion Incentive: $1,000 incentive per year for 15 or more descriptors added by Facility Task: Conduct Training Programs and Workshops Standard: Scheduled at least annually for staff at each Clearinghouses & Facility Standard to be met: At least 13 Clearinghouse/Facility training/workshop sessions held each year of contract Deductions: $200 deduction for each training/workshop session not held under the number of 14 Task: Monthly Report Standard: Complete narrative and statistical reports, according to specifications of contract. Ten copies forwarded to COTR by 15th of following month Standard to be met: 100% Incentive: $2,500 incentive if more than 6 reports delivered ahead of schedule Deductions: $100 deduction for each working day delayed after due date Task: Annual Report Standard: Complete and submits two copies to COTR within one month (30 calendar days) after next contract period of operation begins Standard to be met: 100% Deductions: $100 deduct for each working day delayed after due date 2) Clause H. 27., EVALUATION PLAN, is hereby added: The Government will evaluate the Contractor's performance at 12-month intervals based on the Quality Assurance Plan. Contract Tasks, Standards, Incentives and Deductions are listed in the QASP clause. The 12-month Evaluation Periods will begin at the end of the contract's Base Period, which is from the effective date of the Contract, until 12 months afterward, and for each succeeding 12-month period, which coincide with the Contract Option Years. The Quality Assurance Plan is intended to encourage the contractor toward superior quality, timeliness, and completeness of its work on this Contract. The determination of incentives/deductions will be made unilaterally and in writing by the Contracting Officer and shall be binding on both parties, and shall not be subject to appeal under the Disputes Clause (FAR 52.233-1) of the Contract. The Contracting Officer's determination to make an incentive/deduction in no way alters the contractor's responsibilities to perform any functions or produce any deliverables that are required by this Contract. Also, the Contracting Officer's determination to make an incentive/deduction in no way alters the Department's obligation to pay the contractor for other costs that are allowable, allocable, and reasonable. In the event the Contract is terminated, either in whole or in part, incentives/deductions will only apply to on-going Tasks for the Evaluation Period in which the termination takes place. Incentive/Deduction Plan: The following is a description of the plan by which the Government may make an incentive/deduction to the contractor, based on its technical performance of the Contract. The Quality Assurance Plan lists matching sets of Activities and Performance Standards which apply to all Contract work Tasks. The Performance Standards will allow the Government to make an objective assessment of the contractor's performance based on the quality, completeness, and timeliness of its technical work. A panel of two (2) Department of Education employees will comprise a Technical Evaluation Panel. They are the Administering Contracting officer's Technical Representative (COTR) and the Contract Specialist (CS). The Evaluation Panel will conduct 12-month Evaluation Period assessments of the contractor's performance in meeting established technical standards for all contract tasks referenced in the Quality Assurance Plan clause. The Evaluation Panel will make a written recommendation to the Contracting Officer in regard to making incentives/deductions. Evaluation Procedures: The steps listed below will be followed in making Incentive/Deduct determinations for this Contract: 1. The Evaluation Periods are the Base Year (12-month period) and each successive 12-month Option Year period of the contract. 2. Evaluation of the contractor's performance will be based on the contract Tasks and Standards contained in the Quality Assurance Plan clause. In order to make any change(s) to the Surveillance Plan the Government and contractor shall agree to a Modification of the contract, that changes the language in the Quality Assurance Plan. 3. Within 10 days of the end of an Evaluation Period the contractor has the option of submitting a written self-evaluation report of its performance during the preceding period to the Contracting Officer, who in turn will provide it to the Evaluation Panel. The contractor may submit any material that will assist the Evaluation Panel in rating its performance. 4. Within 20 days after the end of an Evaluation Period the Evaluation Panel will meet to determine a rating(s) of the Contractor's performance on Tasks for the preceding period. All reports and data items submitted during the Evaluation Period, including the Contractor's self-evaluation report (if provided by the contractor), will be used by the Evaluation Panel to assist members in rating the contractor's performance on specific Contract Tasks. 5. Within 30 days of receiving a written recommendation regarding an Incentive/Deduct from the Evaluation Panel, the Contracting Officer will make a unilateral determination of an incentive/deduction to be paid to/by the Contractor. 6. After receiving the written recommendation from the Evaluation Panel to make an Incentive/Deduct, the Contracting Officer will unilaterally modify the Contract to authorize an Incentive/Deduct, if all the conditions for making an Incentive/Deduct stated herein are met. 3) Attachment B of the RFP is deleted in its entirety and replaced with the attached chart (Attachment B-Revised)to reflect both incentives and deductions. 4) In Clause L.6., Section IV, Qualifications of Key Personnel, paragraph one, replace "Subtask 6.5" with "Subtask 7.4."