"ONE PUBS" PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION 100 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS 100.1 Acronyms/Definitions 100.2 Scope of Work 100.3 Purpose 100.4 Background 100.5 Workload History 110 GOVERNMENT-FURNISHED FACILITIES, EQUIPMENT AND SERVICES 110.1 Space and Building Services 110.2 Furniture, Furnishings & Office Equipment 110.3 Equipment and Tools 110.4 Printing Services 110.5 Government-Provided Training 120 CONTRACTOR-FURNISHED EQUIPMENT, MATERIALS, TOOLS AND SUPPLIES 120.1 Office Space 120.2 Office Supplies 120.3 Contractor-Furnished Items 120.4 Quality of Contractor-furnished Materials 120.5 Contractor-furnished Materials and Supplies 120.6 Contractor-furnished Equipment and Tools 120.7 Use of Government Supply Sources 120.8 Government Reimbursement for Supplies and Materials 130 CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL 130.1 Basic Requirements 130.2 Project Management 130.3 Technical Qualifications of On-Site Personnel 140 QUALITY CONTROL/QUALITY ASSURANCE 140.1 Contractor's Quality Control Program 140.2 Government's Quality Assurance Plan 140.3 Meetings with the Contractor 200 TECHNICAL WORK REQUIREMENTS 200.1 Customer Service/Call Center 200.2 Order Filling 200.3 Distribution/shipping individual orders 200.4 Mass distribution 200.5 Mailing list maintenance 200.6 User Surveys 200.7 Receiving/Storage/Inventory Control 300 MINIMUM STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE 300.1 Customer service/call center 300.2 Order filling 300.3 Distribution/shipping individual orders 300.4 Mass distribution 300.5 Mailing list Maintenance 300.6 User Surveys 300.7 Receiving/Storage/Inventory Control 400 ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS 400.1 Safety 400.2 Contingencies 400.3 Emergency/Disaster Contingency 400.4 Strike Contingency 400.5 Reports 500 SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS 500.1-1 Phase-In and Phase-Out Provisions 500.1-2 Phase-In 500.1-3 Phase-Out 500.2 Work Order Control System 600 TECHNICAL EXHIBITS 600.1 Government Furnished Property 600.2 Reports 600.3 List of Departmental Publications/Educational Information Performance Work Statement 100 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS. The Contractor must perform and accomplish the requirements to the standards of the Performance Requirement Summary (PRS). 100.1 ACRONYMS/DEFINITIONS Acronyms used throughout this Performance Work Statement (PWS) are defined as follows: AOS - Application Ordering System CCR - Customer Communications Representative CIP - Continuous Improvement Process CO - Contracting Officer COTR - Contracting Officer's Technical Representative ED - The U.S. Department of Education ERIC - Education Resources Information Center FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions FAR - Federal Acquisition Regulation FDO - Fee Determination Official IFDB - Incentive Fee Determination Board IRC - Information Resource Center (ED) MSP - Minimum Standards of Performance NLE - National Library of Education (ED) OCIO - Office of Chief Information Officer (OCIO) PO - Principal Office within the U.S. Department of Education PWS - Performance Work Statement QASP - Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan ODR - Observed Defect Rate OERI - Office of Educational Research & Improvement (ED) OPE - Office of Postsecondary Education (ED) SOW - Statement of Work incorporated into this solicitation TDD - Telecommunications Device for the Deaf Definitions used throughout this PWS are defined as follows: ALTERNATE FORMATS - Any format of a publication or information product that is accessible to people with disabilities, such as Braille, large print, audio tape versions of text documents, captioned versions of videotapes or text only electronic formats of documents. APPLICATION ORDERING SYSTEM (AOS)- A PC-based ordering system developed by the Department to manage the high volume of bulk orders of student aid applications and related publications it receives from colleges, high schools, libraries, and other educational organizations. In addition to the master database hosted on a PC maintained in the Program Information Branch (Student Financial Assistance Programs), the AOS includes an automated telephone ordering system developed in conjunction with the Department's FTS 2000 contract (AT&T Infoworx). It is presently maintained by the current mailing contractor. BULK DISTRIBUTION - Any mailing of bulk quantities of a printed product, such as a box of applications (or a partial box), usually in response to an order placed by an external customer or a conference coordinator within ED. CONTRACTING OFFICER - A person duly appointed with the authority to enter into and administer contracts on behalf of the government. CONTRACT DISCREPANCY - A failure of the contractor to perform in accordance with contract requirements and specifications. A contract discrepancy may result from a failure of the contractor to provide, or provide on time, the required contract products or services; or it may result because delivered products or services do not meet specific contract standards. CONTRACT DISCREPANCY REPORT (CDR) - A report used to document unsatisfactory contractor performance. The CDR requires the contractor to explain, in writing, why performance is unsatisfactory; how performance shall be returned to satisfactory levels; and how recurrence of the problem shall be prevented in the future. CONTRACTING OFFICER'S TECHNICAL REPRESENTATIVE (COTR)- An individual designated in writing by the Contracting Officer to act as an his/her authorized representative of the and perform specific contract administrative functions within the scope and limitations as defined by the Contracting Officer. CONTRACTOR - The contractor, its subsidiaries and affiliates, joint ventures involving the contractor, or any entity which the contractor may have merged or any individual or entity that assisted or advised the contractor in the preparation of a proposal under this solicitation. GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY (GFP)- All equipment, goods, and land possessed by the government and, subsequently, delivered or otherwise made available to the contractor. MASS DISTRIBUTION - Mailings of individual bulletins, publications, diskettes, etc., that are initiated by the Department to the addresses on one or more of its mailing lists. PERFORMANCE INDICATOR - A characteristic of an output of a work process that can be measured. PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS SUMMARY (PRS) - Identifies the key service OUTPUTS AND END RESULTS of the contract that will be evaluated by the government to assure contract performance standards are met by the contractor. PUBLICATION/INFORMATION PRODUCTS- An electronic document or hard copy including but not limited to written works, CD-ROMs, audio-visual tapes, pamphlets, posters, brochures and various applications. Documents in alternate formats, such as Braille, audiotape and large print are also included in this definition. QUALITY ASSURANCE - Those actions taken by the government to assure that the quality of purchased goods and services received are acceptable in accordance with established standards and requirements of the contract. QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE PLAN (QASP) - A written document used by the government for quality assurance surveillance. The document contains specific surveillance methods used by the government in quantifying and evaluating the contractor's performance. QUALITY CONTROL - Those actions taken by the contractor to control the production of goods and/or services to meet the requirements of the contract. RANDOM SAMPLE - A statistical sampling method whereby each service output and resultant accomplishment has an equal chance of being selected. RANDOM SAMPLING - A statistical method for evaluating a few individual items and measuring the quantity and/or quality against a pre-determined standard. SAMPLE - A sample consists of one or more service outputs in accordance with random sampling procedures to be evaluated by government personnel. SAMPLE SIZE - The number of outputs in the statistical sample; a group of one or more tasks drawn from the specified performance. 100.2 SCOPE OF WORK a. The Contractor is required to provide the services described in Section 200 (Technical Work Requirements) of this SOW. The Contractor shall be responsible for performing all tasks described. The work involves three principal areas: customer service, mail fulfillment (individual, bulk, mass mailings), and storage. b. The work shall be performed on normal Government workdays, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. EST. The Contractor shall provide a message recorder or an automated voice mail system when no operator is available during off-hours, and weekends. The contractor shall be required to have E-mail capacity to correspond with the COTR and the various PO representatives within ED. The contractor shall provide TDD callers equal access to telephone services, including all message recorder services. There is a possibility that weekend services may be required on special projects. Most likely weekend service will be covered under the Option A - Surges clause in Section H of the contract. 100.3 PURPOSE The purpose of this contract is to support principal offices throughout the U.S. Department of Education (ED) by providing a state of the art one-stop center with a full range of customer focused information products management, storage, ordering and distribution services. This includes, but is not limited to: 1) receiving and documenting customer requests for publications, documents and other information products by phone (staff and automated systems), TDD, fax, mail, Internet, EDNet, and personal visits, ED program requests; 2) referring customers who need services that are beyond the scope of this contract to the appropriate ED office; 3) responding to all requests within specific turn around times (see Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan); 4) maintaining and updating an accurate centralized mailing list system; 5) design, format and prepare an ED publications catalog, both in hard copy and on-line versions; 6) maintaining and updating the departmental publications database; 7) operating a 1-800 information product ordering service for ED 8) providing a full range of fulfillment services including but not limited to mailing, shipping, faxing, and electronic delivery via Internet and electronic dissemination capabilities; 9) ensuring customer satisfaction through enhanced user surveys developed by contractor 10) producing and providing documents in braille, large print, audio-tape, computer diskette or other alternate formats based on an as-requested basis. 11) providing grant applications to customers as a "phase in" project beginning in the second year of this contract. In this proposed publications environment, ED Principal Offices would retain editorial authority and would be responsible for funding and printing their own publications. The process would operate as follows: o) Each Principal Office is responsible for internal clearance and production of a publication through either ED's Office of Public Affairs (OPA) or the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI). o) Prior to publication, the Principal Office initiates a publication distribution order to the COTR. The order will include the target release date, a dissemination plan, and any other information that impacts on the distribution of the document. o) The publication is shipped from the printer to the Contractor who manages distribution in accordance with the plan. o) The Contractor provides monthly activity reports, inventories, and invoices by PO and triggers appropriate action on the key dates defined in the plan or when the demand for the publication is not within the parameters defined in the plan. The Contractor will also alert the COTR when there is a problem or if a product has not moved. Daily reports shall be required on the high-volume Application Ordering System (AOS). 100.4 BACKGROUND Each year, ED creates and distributes hundreds of information products, which are available at no charge, such as publications, reports, fliers, videos, brochures and posters. In addition, various organizations in the department make their products available electronically via fax on demand, Internet, as well as on CD-ROM and by other means, such as alternate formats for people with disabilities. Together, these products help define the mission of the Department. Senior management at ED has recognized that providing these information products to customers throughout the country is one of ED's core processes. They also emphasize the importance of keeping good track of the products and of getting timely ongoing customer input and evaluation, so as to make quality an integral part of the core process. 100.5 WORKLOAD HISTORY The following workload data is the government's best estimates of the volume of work shown. This is not intended to be all inclusive but lists the major categories of work. The following statistics are annual averages of the actual workload for FY 1996. There is no guarantee that this workload will remain the same under the contract. The Contractor shall be required to perform the workload that occurs under this contract. ESTIMATED ANNUAL TOTALS: o) Fax on demand requests = 7,200 about 75 different fax on demands available with length between 1-5 pages. o) letters received requesting publications = 70,000 o) Telephone call volume = 325,000* (average call lasts 2.5-3.0 minutes) * It is anticipated that telephone call volume will increase from 325,000 to approximately 1 million annually due to publicity of special products and activities within one to two years. o) total products disseminated = *6,933,350 * exclusive of OPE bulk/mass distribution Below represents estimates by office of publications and other documents disseminated for FY 1996 OFFICE AMOUNT DISSEMINATED o) Office of the Secretary (OS): 281,000 o) GOALS 2000 1,460,000 o) Office of the Deputy Secretary(ODS) 15,600 o) Office of the UnderSecretary(OUS) 359,000 o) Office of Civil Rights (OCR) 700 o) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) 5,050 o) Office of the General Counsel (OGC) 0 o) Office of Special Education (OSERS) 59,000 and Rehabilitation Services o) Office of Legislation (OLCA) 24,000 o) Office of Intergovernmental and 171,000 Intergovernmental Affairs (OIIA) o) Office of the Chief 11,000 Financial Officer (OCFO) o) Office of Management (OM) 276,000 o) Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE)* 18,000 o) Student Financial Assistance Program 1,215,000 (OPE/SFAP) o) Office of Educational Research 2,730,000 and Improvement (OERI) o) Office of Elementary and Secondary 77,000 Education (OESE) o) Office of Bilingual Education and 0 Minority Languages Affairs (OBEMLA) o) Office of Vocational and 29,000 Adult Education (OVAE) o) other ED offices 202,000 DEPARTMENTAL TOTALS 6,933,350 * exclusive of the OPE, Student Financial Assistance Program (SFAP) o) Total approximate various ED publications/products = 900 o) Current warehouse space utilized = approximately 105,000 square feet. o) monthly AVERAGE of 3,853 pallets (40"x 48"). IN ADDITION TO THE ABOVE, the Office of Postsecondary Education annual estimates for mailings are: o) 150-200 mass mailings per year ranging from 200-25,000 addresses on a given mailing list. o) Bulk distribution of approximately 55 million copies (usually in boxes of 50 or 100) of "The Free Application for Federal Student Aid" (three versions), Student Guide (1 version), and Funding Your Education (two versions). o) Up to one hundred (100) special bulk material delivery shipments per month for workshop and conference sites throughout the United States, and overseas dependencies usually of multiple products to each site. o) Maximum storage of materials: 50-60 million copies of the applications and other products for each year. OTHERS: o) As of this date, the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Safe and Drug Free School Program will be folded into this contract, effective approximately July 1998. Their projected workload is o) 21,342 calls per month/256,104 calls per year o) 176,487 products distributed per month/2,117,844 products distributed per year. o) In addition, as of this date, ED is projecting to send out approximately 75,000 grant applications beginning in option year one (1) of this contract. 110. GOVERNMENT-FURNISHED FACILITIES, EQUIPMENT AND SERVICES 110.1 Space and Building Services N/A 110.2 Furniture, Furnishings and Office Equipment N/A 110.3 Equipment and Tools N/A 110.4 Printing Services The Government Printing Office (GPO) must print or, by delegation, authorize the printing of the publications, brochures, pamphlets, and other printed materials used in the performance of this contract. 110.5 Government-Provided Training The Government will provide training to the Contractor on the use and operation of the Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) CD Rom publications database system and the Application Ordering System (AOS) during the transition period. Periodic training, as necessary, will be performed by the Government. 120 CONTRACTOR-FURNISHED PROPERTY, SERVICES, EQUIPMENT, MATERIALS, TOOLS AND SUPPLIES 120.1 OFFICE SPACE/WAREHOUSE SPACE The Contractor shall provide adequate protection from damage and facilities consistent with the standards and regulations based on the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) of 1970. Should the facilities be considered unacceptable by the Government, the Government retains the right to require the Contractor to relocate to facilities which meet Federal Government Standards, at the Contractor's expense. The contractor shall provide sufficient warehouse space to hold and store document stock, distribution materials, and negatives for information products. 120.2 OFFICE SUPPLIES The Contractor shall supply all office supplies and materials, including supplies required for computer operation, throughout the contract's duration. 120.3 Contractor-Furnished Items The Contractor shall be responsible for furnishing all equipment, materials, tools and supplies necessary to accomplish the work under this contract. 120.4 Quality of Contractor-furnished Materials The Contractor shall ensure that all materials and supplies used under this contract are not unsuitable or harmful to ED customers or its employees, meet manufacturer's specifications and comply fully with all applicable OSHA and EPA standards. 120.5 Contractor-furnished Materials and Supplies The Contractor shall be responsible for obtaining necessary supplies and materials required in the performance of the contract. 120.6 Contractor-furnished Equipment and Tools All equipment by the Contractor shall meet OSHA safety requirements. This equipment must operate using existing building circuits. It shall be the responsibility of the Contractor to prevent the operation or attempted operation of electrical equipment or combinations of equipment which require power exceeding the capability of existing building circuits. 130 CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL. 130.1 BASIC REQUIREMENTS The Contractor shall provide staff who are qualified to perform the work described in this PWS. Contractor personnel responsible for answering the telephone and dealing with ED employees must be able to clearly speak and easily understand the English language, operate a TDD, and be familiar with and experienced in using GPO style manual, and United States Postal Service (USPS) address convention. 130.2 PROJECT MANAGEMENT a. The Contractor shall provide a project manager for administration and technical supervision of Contractor employees. The project manager shall be the Contractor's primary representative and have the Contractor's full authority to act on matters pertaining to the performance of services under this contract. b. The project manager shall have technical experience and be knowledgeable in all facets of the work required to be performed under this PWS and have a minimum of three (3) years of recent experience managing a contract or operation similar in scope and complexity to the present contract. 130.3 Technical Qualifications of Staff The Contractor shall employ staff who shall have technical knowledge of mail fulfillment, warehousing and the ability to service ED employees and customers in a professional and courteous manner. The Contractor's personnel shall possess the following knowledge, skills and abilities: a) extensive knowledge in the mail fulfillment process including familiarity with the US Postal service rules and regulations as well as other delivery services. b) extensive knowledge of the mailing process c) knowledge of effective warehousing of materials and inventory management d) skill in call center operations with focus on customer service e) knowledge of the various dissemination and distribution practices f) skill in using databases and key word searches on computer g) ability to process orders in an effective and expeditious manner h) skill in mailing lists data base management i) at least one employee shall be fluent in Spanish 140 QUALITY CONTROL/QUALITY ASSURANCE 140.1 Contractor's Quality Control Plan The Contractor shall establish a performance based quality control plan to ensure that the requirements of the contract are met as specified. An updated copy shall be provided to the COTR and the CO on the contract start date and as changes occur. This performance based quality control plan shall include but not be limited to the following: a. An inspection program addressing all of the services stated in the PWS. It must specify the areas to be inspected on either a scheduled or unscheduled basis and the names, titles and qualifications of the individuals performing inspections and the extent of their authority. Their functional roles must be depicted in an organizational chart. b. Methods of identifying deficiencies in the quality of services performed before the level of performance becomes unacceptable and the corrective actions needed to be taken; procedures for notifying the COTR when deficiencies are encountered; planned corrective actions and descriptions of proposed sampling techniques. In other words, a continuous improvement process (CIP). c. Methods of documenting and enforcing quality control operations of both the Contractor's and Subcontractors' (if any) work, including inspection and testing. d. The format for the Contractor's Quality Control Reports e. For each option year, the contractor shall include a section on problems its encountered, solutions implemented, and steps taken to avoid the same problems in the future. Documentation of all Quality Control Inspections, inspection results, and any corrective action required and/or performed, shall be maintained by the Contractor throughout the term of the contract. This documentation shall become the property of the Government and made available to both the CO and COTR upon request. The documentation shall be turned over to the CO within ten (10) days after completion or termination of the contract. 140.2 Government's Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan The Government will monitor, assess, record and report on the Contractor's technical performance under this contract in accordance with the procedures, methods and guidelines set forth in its Performance Based Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP). A copy of this plan is attached to the contract. 140.3 Meetings with the Contractor The Contractor, its designated Project Manager, or both, shall meet with the CO and COTR weekly for the first three months and biweekly for next three months. Thereafter, meetings shall be held as often as deemed necessary by the COTR and/or CO. At these meetings, a mutual effort will be made to resolve any and all problems identified. Written minutes of these meetings shall be prepared by the Contractor and concurred by the Government. In addition, monthly meetings with the contractor and the PO representatives will be conducted to discuss specific publication issues. The Contractor shall meet with the contractor, COTR and PO representatives bi-weekly during the transition period. 200 TECHNICAL WORK REQUIREMENTS The Contractor shall perform the following work in operating an offsite publications distribution center for the U.S. Department of Education. The Contractor shall be responsible for products upon delivery at their location. 200.1 Customer Service/Call Center The Contractor shall maintain a customer service call center between the hours of 8:00 am and 8:00 pm E.S.T. to receive toll free (800 number) voice and TDD telephone calls, customer service complaints, requests for information and publications from customers and departmental staff. This service desk will serve as the Contractor's primary point of contact for all incoming calls. The personnel at the service desk shall be familiar with the Contractor's standard operating procedures for performing work under this contract. The Contractor shall provide automated telephone answering capability for voice and TDD inquiries after normal working hours, on weekends, and holidays. The Contractor shall provide at least one customer service representative with proficiency in the Spanish language (speaking and writing). If the Contractor does not have specific information requested by the customer, the Contractor will use the ACCESS ERIC database. 200.2 Order Filling/Data Base Maintenance/Marketing The Contractor shall accept and process on-line requests for internal and external customers requests (phone, TDD, fax, letters, Internet, e-mail, electronic orders, on line forms) for information products. The Contractor shall have access to the Department's electronic world wide web sites and have access to all electronic bulletin board information from the Department. The contractor shall provide containers for mailing some information products. The Contractor shall receive mail correspondence from customers which covers the same subjects as those encountered on the 800 number telephone service. Daily mail must be opened, sorted, batched, and prepared for data entry to the automated system. The contractor shall also maintain the current contractor's P.O. Box, located in Brentwood, DC and pick up requests daily there for a period of six (6) months after award. Through data word searches, the Contractor shall identify the specific publication requested by the customer. The contractor shall be responsible for obtaining and abstracting information to maintain a publications database through a collaborative effort with ED. The initial publications data will be furnished by the government upon award so that the contractor can build the database in coordination with contract requirements and ED's needs. The database system shall interact with the various systems within ED and the ERIC system. In addition, the contractor shall design, format and develop an annual ED publication/information products catalog (hard copy and on-line version) utilizing information maintained in the database system. The catalog should consist of publications developed by ED during the previous three (3) years. The hard copy of the catalog shall be disseminated only to customers who request it. The on- line version shall be updated continuously as new products become available. The catalogs must be approved by the COTR. The contractor shall be required to conduct marketing activities regarding ED products and the One Stop Information center. The contractor shall develop a user's guide that explains its services. The user's guide shall be submitted to the COTR for approval. At the request of the COTR, the contractor shall provide informational briefings on its services. 200.3 Distribution/Shipping Individual Requests The Contractor shall ship and distribute individual educational information/products upon request in the most effective manner for the government, considering both cost and delivery time. Standard turnaround for processing publication orders shall be 48 hours. Orders shall be processed on a daily basis and shipped out within 2 business days. Upon request by COTR (primary contact) or specified designated person, orders may be marked for expediting and shipped out on the same day or following morning at the latest. Most orders are sent by mail. Expedited orders may be shipped via overnight mail if requested by COTR or if the customer is able to supply a overnight mail account number when ordering. The contractor shall have a piece-tracking capability which monitors the production flow and verifies the fulfillment process at the individual order level from order entry through shipment. This process will be part of the database system. Because of the large numbers to be handled annually, the contractor shall use proper handling and delivery techniques for this function to ensure rapid turnaround, accurate delivery, and lowest possible mailing costs. The contractor shall maintain an appropriate administrative arrangement to provide mail handling statistics and penalty indicia accountability for all official government items. The contractor shall produce or arrange for the production and distribution of publications and other education materials in Braille, large print, audio tape, computer diskette, or other alternate formats on as-requested basis. In consultation with the COTR, contractor shall establish a relationship with, and develop alternate format policy in conjunction with the Department's Alternate Format Center and Section 504 Coordinator to ensure that alternate format requests are handled in the most expeditious manner. As appropriate, the Government will provide the contractor with documents in standard formats such as ASCII text, Word Perfect, Microsoft Word, or other standard text formats for their production in alternate formats. The contractor shall warehouse in alternate formats any materials so designated by the Government. The contractor shall deliver electronic versions of education information products including short publications over electronic networks such as the Internet via electronic mail. The contractor shall direct and strongly encourage requestors to access on-line (i.e. Internet) versions of publications, where available. The COTR reserves the right to limit the number of copies per individual order. This number will be identified on a case by case basis. 200.4 BULK and MASS Distribution Bulk Distribution. The contractor shall process the bulk distribution of materials as requested by COTR or PO designee, or in response to orders received from external customers by telephone, fax, or other means. A single order processed by the Contractor may include bulk quantities of one or more publications. It is estimated that the Contractor shall distribute as many as 11.5 million documents (during peak periods) in bulk mailings per month. (Most of these peak period mailings will be handled through the Application Ordering System, as described later in this section.) Because of the large numbers of documents handled, the contractor shall use large volume handling and delivery techniques for this function to ensure rapid turnaround, accurate delivery, and lowest possible costs. Due to the need for frequent communication, transmittal of materials between the various ED components, emergency requests for rush shipments to training and conference sites, the contractor shall provide daily messenger in the metropolitan DC area and delivery capability through the most cost efficient process. This service shall cover only official ED functions and services. The COTR reserves the right to limit the number of copies per individual order. This number may be set in advance for each publication type.. Application Ordering System (AOS). In cooperation with ED, the Contractor shall participate in the operation of an automated ordering system (known as the AOS) for bulk orders of application materials for the federal student aid programs administered by the Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE). The AOS is a high-volume system that annually distributes over 55 million copies of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, the Spanish version of the application, the Student Guide, and Funding Your Education. The peak volume for this system occurs in the months of October, November, and December, when 75% of the orders are filled. The contractor shall maintain an IBM compatible PC computer with sufficient power and capacity to run the AOS programs and store its data files (Pentium-based computer with a minimum of 16M RAM using Microsoft Windows 95). The AOS system currently requires approximately 1G of hard drive space. In addition, the computer must have a minimum of two (2) 33.6 modems (1 for dial-in and 1 modem for dedicated phone line with ED). It must be able to communicate over the dedicated phone line using Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) and TCP/IP. ED will provide software to use these capabilities. A dial-in connection must utilize Symantec's pcAnywhere communication program. If more than one computer is used at the contractor site, a networking capability supporting TCP/IP shall be installed to connect the various computers. Bulk quantities of student aid materials are sent to postsecondary schools, high schools, libraries, nonprofit counseling organizations, and congressional offices. Schools and other organizations can only be added to the AOS database with the approval of the appropriate OPE representative. The AOS order-taking process begins in early September. Currently, over half of the orders are recorded by an automated toll-free service (AT&T Infoworx) and then transferred to the customized AOS database kept in the Program Information Branch. The Contractor shall support the automated system by providing customer support and manual entry for schools that have had difficulty placing an order, or who are experiencing delivery problems. Unless the Contractor proposes, develops, and successfully tests an alternative to the AOS (outside of contract funds), the Contractor shall maintain a regularly-updated copy of the AOS database on its computers, so that it may confirm and take orders from external customers over the phone. Updated ordering information will be regularly exchanged between the ED and contractor databases for AOS. To facilitate the exchange of ordering information, ED may request that the contractor also host the PC Infoworx computer at the contractor site. When Contractor or ED staff identify delivery problems based on calls received, the Contractor shall place and ship expedited orders using the fastest and most reliable mode of shipment available. The Contractor shall respond to these urgent requests within one day of the receipt of the request. Mass Mailings. The Contractor shall develop procedures for regular mailings of single or multiple materials to ED mailings lists. (These mailings will be initiated by ED offices, as opposed to requests received by the contractor by telephone or other means from members of the public.) The contractor shall have the capability to generate labels from diskettes that ED provides, or to print the address directly on the envelopes or mailers. The contractor shall have the capability for folding or otherwise preparing materials for insertion in a wide variety of envelopes and mailers. The contents of these mailings range from one-page letters to 1,000-page handbooks that are boxed by the printer. The contractor shall have the capability to perform occasional "matching jobs", where a printout or label specific to the addressee has to be placed in an envelope that has the correct address for that packet. 200.5 Mailing List Maintenance - The Contractor shall create, maintain and upgrade a program for centralized mailing list management. Periodic updates from ED offices, selective surveys and purges of inactive users will be made at the direction of ED. The Government will furnish the initial mailing list. The contractor shall operate a mailing file maintenance system, accessible electronically by selected ED personnel, that collects data about registered users to support accurate document distribution to individuals based on but not limited to such factors as subject, areas of interest, occupation, and geographic location. Selected ED personnel must be able to retrieve the mailing lists from the contractor's maintained database at their work stations upon request in mailing list and/or report format. Information to update the mailing list will be provided by the Government to the contractor either in electronic (i.e. e-mail, or disk) or hard copy format (i.e. postcards, business cards, handwritten lists). The contractor shall purchase outside mailing lists and expand ED's mailing list based on dissemination needs that are expressed by PO liaisons and the COTR. The contractor shall update the system within 24 hours of receipt of information. The Government retains title of the entire mailing list throughout the life of the entire contract period. Two (2) weeks prior to the end of the contract, the contractor shall surrender the mailing list program data and related software to ED. 200.6 Enhanced User Surveys To increase the effectiveness and utility of all ED products and services to researchers and practitioners and the general public, the contractor shall develop and implement telephone and written surveys of system users regarding service and product satisfaction and impact. In addition, the contractor shall determine results through enhanced user surveys to obtain such information as: o) customer satisfaction with the content and quality of the document; o) customer satisfaction with the timeliness of your document?; o) was the customer service acceptable?; o) did the requested product satisfy the customer's request and needs?; o) was the correct document?; o) was the customer satisfied with the overall service?; o) customer suggestions for improved service. The contractor shall routinely include user satisfaction response forms with orders. User requirements shall also be surveyed. Survey instruments shall be reviewed and approved by the COTR. Office of Management and Budget Clearance for most survey instruments will be necessary. It is the responsibility of the contractor to have a working knowledge of the OMB clearance process and to prepare all documents necessary to obtain such clearance in a timely fashion. Users of alternate format documents shall be included in these surveys. All reports reflecting user feedback and every complaint (written or verbal) shall be provided to the COTR. The contractor shall also provide a brief note explaining any complaint. The contractor shall group comments and complaints by Principal Office. The contractor shall provide the COTR in the first quarter of each contract year a plan and timetable for accomplishing this task. 200.7 Receiving/Storage/Inventory a. The Contractor shall establish and maintain an automated stock inventory system which provides for "real time" inventory control on all publications in performing the work under this contract. The Departments present stock inventory system consists of approximately various publications and includes education documents, CD/ROMs, audio-visual tapes, posters, pamphlets and brochures, and press releases. A copy of the inventory is shown in Technical Exhibit 3. The storage and distribution of ED grant applications will be phased in beginning in the first option year of this contract. b. The Contractor shall ensure the stock inventory system is kept up to date and accurately reflects the stock on hand. In doing this, the Contractor shall enter, on a daily basis, information on all items ordered, received and issued from stock. The contractor shall salvage materials as designated by COTR. c. The Contractor shall develop reorder points for all stock items and inform the PO Representative of the need to replenish stock to ensure that all adequate stock is on hand to meet identified requirements. The contractor shall also inform the PO representative when stock is not moving. d. Immediately after contract award, the COTR will provide the Contractor an initial inventory of Government-furnished property. The operational or conditional status will be jointly determined. If the Contractor fails to participate in the inventory, it shall accept as complete and accurate the listings provided by the Government. Any item found not to be in working order, or not suitable for its intended purpose, will be recorded and the CO, COTR, and the Contractor shall certify the joint inventory as accurate. e. The Contractor shall conduct a monthly physical inventory of all stocked items using a state of the art inventory system. The contractor shall provide results of this inventory to the COTR. The COTR or PO representative shall set a different reorder point for each product in the inventory (i.e. for "Free Application for Federal Student Aid" products, a reorder point of 500,000 copies is necessary; other publications will require a reorder point of much less. f. The Contractor shall receive all information from GPO or outside printing contractors, store all publications, and provide adequate protection. g. Warehousing facilities and environmental conditions shall be appropriate to maintain all stock in good condition. h. The facility shall have sufficient loading/unloading access to meet Government Printing Office and postal service shipping requirements, including the handling of automatic forklift mechanisms for pallets. 300 MINIMUM STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE The Contractor shall meet the Minimum Standards of Performance (MSP) described below in performing the work described in Section 200 of this SOW. The MSP identify the point of demarcation between satisfactory and unsatisfactory performance. The Government will monitor the Contractor's performance in accordance with procedures set forth in its QASP and will take appropriate action for all documented instances where performance falls below the MSP. 300.1 CUSTOMER SERVICE/CALL CENTER 95% of all incoming calls shall have no customers waiting longer than forty-five (45) seconds for a customer service representative with no more than 5 customer complaints per quarter. The Contractor shall answer all calls in a courteous manner and accurately transcribe the information onto a service call request in the computer. The contractor shall provide accurate and useful information on publications. 300.2 Order Filling 95% of all data entered is accurate. The Contractor shall accept and process requests by phone, fax, letters, Internet, e-mail, etc. 300.3 DISTRIBUTION/SHIPPING-INDIVIDUAL ORDER REQUESTS In-stock items shall be shipped within 2 business days of receipt of order 95% of the time. All orders shall be shipped the most cost efficient/effective manner. Time frames for alternate format production and distribution will be determined by COTR and contractor after award. 300.4 BULK AND MASS DISTRIBUTION In-stock items shall be shipped within 3 business days of request 95% of time. All orders shall be shipped the most cost efficient/effective manner. 300.5 MAILING LIST MAINTENANCE Mailing lists updated on a continuous basis and are 98% accurate. No more than 2% of all mailouts are returned as undeliverable. The Contractor shall maintain a file and a system of record noting dates returned and reason; and re-mailed. 300.6 ENHANCED USER SURVEY Surveys are conducted at a pre-determined schedule to be agreed to jointly by Contractor and the Government for customer service, measuring product satisfaction, impact, courteousness of contractor staff, and whether their order was filled correctly. The Contractor shall include user satisfaction forms with appropriate products requested on a pre-determined schedule. Surveys will generally be in written format, but occasionally be taken by telephone. The contractor shall include individuals with disabilities in these surveys. 300.7 RECEIVING/STORAGE/INVENTORY CONTROL All items logged into automated inventory control system within 2 business hours of receipt from delivery. 400. ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS 400.1 Safety a. The Contractor shall comply with all applicable safety and occupational health requirements set forth in 29 CFR 1910, OSHA's General Industry Standards. If the Contractor fails or refuses to promptly comply with safety requirements, the CO may issue an order stopping all or part of the work until satisfactory corrective action has been taken. b. The Contractor shall orally via phone inform the COTR of any unsafe/hazardous conditions within thirty (30) minutes of becoming aware of the condition, and in writing within one (1) workday. If the condition is within the scope of the Contractor's responsibility, as contained in this SOW, the Contractor shall correct the unsafe condition and notify the COTR and CO. c. The Contractor shall orally inform the COTR within two (2) business hours of the occurrence of all types of injuries and illnesses (first aid, limited duty, lost time and facility) sustained by a Contractor employee arising out of and in the course of his/her employment; a detailed written report is required within 24 hours to the CO. The Contractor shall comply with OSHA and other regulatory agency requirements for record keeping and reporting of all accidents. d. The Contractor shall report to the COTR and CO all incidents where Government property is damaged by Contractor employees. A verbal report shall be made within four (4) business hours of an occurrence; a written report of the facts and extent of damage is due within three (3) workdays. The Contractor shall be responsible for all damages caused purposively or by negligence of its employees. 400.2 Contingencies In the event of a national disaster or major disruption at ED, the Contractor shall be prepared to continue, and expand if necessary, performance to meet the mission requirements of the operations and maintenance support services included in this SOW. In all such situations, the Contractor shall assume that the Government cannot provide any supplemental forces and continue to need the same or additional performance under the contract which the Contractor shall be required to meet. In the event that a national disaster or emergency occurs and results in an increase of work directed by the CO and an increase in the cost of performance, such increase will be subject to the "Changes" clause (FAR subpart 52.2). Such emergency situations may include, but will not be limited to: a. A national or local emergency (e.g., national epidemic or localized outbreak of disease), that increases contract requirements, or ; b. A national disaster (e.g., fire, flood, other acts of God) that impacts upon the Contractor's ability to perform. 400.3 Emergency/Disaster Contingency The Contractor shall implement an emergency/disaster contingency plan which includes at a minimum: (1) an initial mobilization and contingency plan outlining the methods in the above-cited emergency situations, and (2) a contingency plan for each Subcontractor. The Contractor's plan shall also provide for the continuation of Subcontractor's services in the event a Subcontractor is unable to satisfactorily implement its contingency plan. Any changes to the plan must be approved by the CO prior to implementation of this change. 400.4 Strike Contingency The Contractor shall implement a strike contingency plan for the continuation of services required by this SOW in the event of a work stoppage, slowdown, or similar action by Contractor or Subcontractor employees. The Contractor's plan shall also provide for the continuation of Subcontractor services in the event a Subcontractor is unable to satisfactorily implement his strike contingency plan. Also, all proposed changes to this strike contingency plan shall be approved by the COTR prior to their implementation. 400.5 Reports The Contractor shall be responsible for submitting to the COTR the reports listed in Technical Exhibit 2. 500 SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS 500.1-1 Phase-In and Phase Out Provisions The Contractor shall provide a plan describing actions, plans, and procedures to ensure: (1) a smooth transition from contract award to full operational status, and (2) a smooth transition from current contract performance to performance by a different contractor in a follow-on period. Phase-Out plans shall include provisions for completion of appropriate Contractor responsibilities should there be a contract termination proceeding. 500.1-2 Phase-In The Contractor shall provide a work force which is fully qualified and capable of performing all work required under this contract Upon award, the Contractor shall have a detailed plan for assuming responsibility and accountability for all Government-furnished property. The surveillance plan will take effect after the transition period has been completed. The Contractor shall work with the COTR and OCIO in order to arrange and install a Department of Education provided FTS 2000 800 number. The contractor shall work with the COTR on the implementation of mailing lists and inventory. The telephone system utilized for this project shall have at a minimum the following characteristics: o) mandatory use of the FTS2000 network as stated in the Code of Federal Regulations o) use of toll free number to be assigned o) an automatic call director for distribution of calls to operators o) the ability to record messages on an automated voice mail system when no operator is available during regular hours of operation, Monday through Friday of each week. o) the ability to record and report usage statistics such as number and duration of calls. o) be fully accessible for TDD users in its answering and recording capabilities. 500.1-2 Phase-Out a. The Contractor shall present a detailed plan for any phase-out period, regardless of precipitating reasons. The plan shall include procedures for minimizing impact on contract performance. b. The Contractor's Phase-Out Plan shall: (1) Present procedures for retaining the required staffing level (including key personnel) necessary to provide complete contractual support through expiration of the contract. (2) Describe in detail how responsibility and accountability will be relinquished for all Government-furnished equipment. c. The Contractor shall coordinate its activities with the incoming Contractor to effect a smooth and orderly transition at the end of the contract period. d. The Contractor shall remove all Contractor-owned equipment, tools, parts, and belongings from the Government-furnished spaces by midnight on the last day of the contract. 500.2 Work Order Control System a. The Contractor shall establish an automated work order control system and monitor the receipt and timely completion of all information product requests. The system shall also maintain cost (if applicable) and job order accounting data on all work orders. The system shall be capable of generating pre-formatted and ad hoc reports on work orders. b. This system shall contain but not be limited to the following information on work orders: 1) date received (day, month, year); 2) mode of receipt (letter, telephone); 3) source of request (individual, school, superintendent, principal, ED staff, Congress, other Federal agencies); 4) method of distribution (regular mail, express mail) 5) publication requested (by code) 6) number of copies by publication, date mailed (day, month, year) 7) name of person placing the order 8) source of how the requestor became aware of the product (e.g., magazine, newspaper) 9) information requested by alternate format and what type of format was delivered 10) customer type (e.g., parent, teacher, administrator, business, etc.) 11) referrals to internal offices and external organizations TECHNICAL EXHIBIT 1 Government Furnished Property ITEMS 1) publications/educational information inventory (to be provided to contractor upon award) 2) FTS 2000 800-number 3) ED mailing list 4) publications database TECHNICAL EXHIBIT 2 The Contractor shall submit the reports listed below. The U.S. Department of Education reserves the right to change, modify, delete, or add report requirements for compliance by the Contractor as may be required for ED administrative purposes. If reporting requirements are significantly increased an equitable adjustment will be made. 1. Monthly Progress Report a. The Contractor shall submit concise monthly progress reports summarizing the previous month's activities and identifying problems, accomplishments, and any projected problems for the forthcoming months. The MPR shall include, but not be limited to the following: (1) A Work load statistical report, by PO/office on work completed for the previous month containing: o) Telephone requests received o) Written requests received (fax, Internet, e-mail, letters, etc.) o) Work orders completed o) Number of products sent out, by title (2) Current stock inventory listing (3) Quality control program activities undertaken during the previous month; and (4) Major accomplishments/problems encountered (5) One page statistical summary of information disseminated for the entire department including, but not limited to information for the month and cumulatively on the following: o) total transactions o) number of calls received o) number of documents disseminated o) number of fax-on-demand requests o) the title of the ten (10) most requested publication and number disseminated. o) number of calls referred to another ED office o) number of complaints received (month and cumulative), reason for complaint and action taken (for month alone) o) number and types of documents in alternate format requested and disseminated and their titles o) CIC/GPO monthly sales volume of ED publications o) state of the art methods/creative ways of improving efficiency, performance and cost savings b. The contractor shall create custom reports each month (not to exceed five (5)) per month as a response to requests from POs. One example of this may be "How many publications were sent out by office and by length of publication, e.g. less than 5 pages, 6 to 20 pages, 21-50 pages, and 51 pages or more?" c. The contractor shall submit one copy of this MPR to the CO and COTR by the 5th work day of each month. 2. Expenditure Reports a. The Contractor shall submit an itemized expenditure report no later than 10 working days from the beginning of each month covering all services and materials furnished during the preceding month. The expenditure report shall be prepared and grouped in such a manner that separate accounting is maintained for each Principal Office and include, but not be limited to costs for each principal office for the following: 1) storage costs; 2) bulk and individual request distribution costs; and 3) postage costs. b. Every six months, or as requested, the contractor shall make recommendations to the Government in improving the quality and quantity of reports prepared by the Contractor and submitted to the Government. c. The Contractor shall prepare and submit required Postal Service Forms and shall make a full accounting of all postage and shipping charges. PERFORMANCE BASED QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE PLAN CONTRACT NO. INTRODUCTION This Performance Based Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) has been developed pursuant to the requirements of the Performance Based Statement of Work in Contract No. RK98001001 . This plan sets forth procedures and guidelines that the Department of Education will use in evaluating the technical performance of the Contractor, . A copy of this plan will be furnished to the Contractor so that it will be aware of the methods that the Government will employ in evaluating its performance; and address any concerns that the Contractor might have prior to initiating work. (All percentages indicated shall be quantitatively measured on a quarterly basis.) A. PURPOSE OF THE QASP 1. The QASP is intended to accomplish the following: a. Define the roles and responsibilities of participating Government officials; b. Define the types of work to be performed with required end results, i.e. work orders, preventive maintenance, distribution processes, etc . c. Describe the evaluation methods that will be employed by the Government in assessing the Contractor's performance; d. Provide copies of the quality assurance monitoring forms that will be used by the Government in documenting and evaluating the Contractor's performance; and e. Describe the process of performance documentation. 2. The Contractor has developed a performance based Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) which sets forth procedures and responsibilities for controlling high quality work. The Contractor has designated his employee, to be responsible for implementation of the QASP. B. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF PARTICIPATING GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS The following Government Officials will participate in assessing the quality of the Contractor's performance. Their roles and responsibilities are described as follows: 1. Jim Clemmens will serve as the Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR). He will be responsible for monitoring, assessing, recording and reporting on the technical performance of the Contractor on a day-to-day basis. He will have the primary responsibility for completing "Quality Assurance Monitoring Forms" which he will use to document his inspection and evaluation of the Contractor's work performance. It is extremely important for the COTR to establish and maintain a team oriented line of communication with the Contractor's Project Manager (PM) and the PM's office staff due to daily interface necessary in performing monitoring functions. The COTR, CO, and PM must work together as a team to ensure that required work is accomplished in an efficient and proper manner. Meetings should be held on a regular basis in order to resolve serious problems. Less serious problems should be discussed and resolved on an impromptu basis. 2. Helen Chang will serve as the Contracting Officer (CO) and have overall responsibility for overseeing the Contractors's performance. The Contract Specialist (CS) will also be responsible for the day-to-day monitoring of the Contractor's performance in the areas of contract compliance, contract administration, cost control and property control; reviewing the COTR's assessment of the Contractor's performance; and resolving all differences between the COTR's version and the Contractor's version. The CO may appoint CS to attend meetings with contractor rand act on her/his behalf. All planned additions and modifications resulting in alterations of the facility's structure or mechanical services must be approved by the CO prior to commencement. The CO may call upon the expertise of other Government individuals as required. The Contracting Officer's procurement authorities include the following: a. FINAL authority for any decisions which produce an increase or decrease in the scope of the contract; b. FINAL authority for any actions subject to the "Changes" clause; c. FINAL authority for any decisions to be rendered under the "Disputes" clause; d. FINAL authority for negotiation and determination of indirect rates to be applied to the contract; e. FINAL authority to approve the substitution or replacement of the Project Manager and other key personnel; f. FINAL authority to approve the Contractor's invoices for payment, subject to the Limitation of Costs clause and the Limitation of Funds clause; g. FINAL authority to approve the GFE/GFP inventory turnover to the Contractor; h. FINAL authority to monitor and enforce Department of Labor promulgated labor requirements; I. FINAL authority to administer all property-related clauses contained in the contract; j. Authority to arrange for and supervise QA activities under this contract; k. FINAL authority to approve the Contractor's on-site purchasing, work order control, stock equipment inventory, pager/telephone credit card record systems and other systems which the Contractor is required to furnish under the contract; l. FINAL authority to approve the Contractor's Quality Control Program, preventive maintenance program, emergency/disaster contingency plan, strike contingency plan and phase-in/phase-out plan; m. To approve all Contractor purchases of equipment, supplies, and materials exceeding $2,500; and n. Signatory authority for the issuance of all modifications to the contract. C. IDENTIFICATION OF THE TYPES OF WORK TO BE PERFORMED This contract calls for the Contractor to provide publications distribution/warehousing support services for the U.S. Department of Education. The work to be performed under the contract falls into the categories listed below: a. Customer service/call center b. Order Filling/database Maintenance/marketing c. Distribution/shipping- individual orders d. Bulk and Mass distribution e. Mailing list maintenance f. Enhanced user surveys g. Receiving/Storage/Inventory Control D. METHODOLOGIES TO BE USED TO MONITOR THE CONTRACTOR'S PERFORMANCE Even though the Government through its COTR will be monitoring the Contractor's performance on a continuous basis, the sheer volume of tasks performed by the Contractor make 100% technical inspections impractical. Accordingly, the Department of Education will use three methodologies (random sampling, validated complaints from ED employees and outside customers and 100% inspection) to monitor the Contractor's performance under this contract. The use of these methodologies is described in QASP, Exhibit A. E. QUALITY ASSURANCE REPORTING FORMS 1. The COTR will use two quality assurance monitoring forms (Exhibits B & C) to document and evaluate the Contractor's performance under this contract. The two forms when completed will document the COTRs understanding of Contractor requirements, what was actually done, and the impact or consequences of what was not done. 2. The COTR will evaluate each event in accordance with the following definitions of contractor performance: a. Superior (+) --- a level of performance which exceeds the minimum standards of performance b. Acceptable (o) --- an acceptable level of performance which meets the minimum standards of performance. c. Unacceptable (-) --- a level of performance which is not acceptable and fails to meet the minimum standards of performance. 3. The COTR must substantiate all tasks which he judges to be indicative of "superior" or "unacceptable" performance. Performance at the "acceptable" level is expected from the Contractor. Performance at all three (3) levels will be evaluated. 4. The COTR will forward copies of all completed QA monitoring forms to the CO/CS and Contractor by close of business on the days the forms were prepared. The Contractor is required to respond in writing to any negative QA monitoring form(s) within 5 working days after receipt of the form(s). F. ANALYSIS OF SURVEILLANCE RESULTS 5. The CO/CS will review each QA monitoring form prepared by the COTR. When appropriate, the CO/CS may investigate the event further to determine if all the facts and circumstances surrounding the event were considered in the COTR's opinions outlined on the forms. The CO/CS will immediately discuss every event receiving a substandard rating with the Contractor to assure that corrective action is promptly initiated. 6. At the end of each month, the COTR will prepare a written report for the CO/CS summarizing the overall results of his surveillance of the Contractor's performance during the previous month. This report will become part of the formal QA documentation. QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE PLAN EXHIBIT A A. CUSTOMER SERVICE/CALL CENTER 1. Contract Requirement; Section 200.1 of SOW Performance Indicator: Incoming calls shall be answered in a courteous manner with no caller waiting longer than forty-five (45) seconds for a customer service representative. No more than five (5) complaints shall be registered per quarter. The Contractor will be expected to obtain complete information on the nature of all calls/requests for publications from the caller and accurately transcribe it onto a publications request order form. The Contractor will also be responsible for answering routine questions on publications and be able to determine the exact publication the customer is seeking through the data base key word or abstract search components. 2. Primary Method of Surveillance: Random sampling. Validated complaints will be used as a second method of surveillance. Also, the COTR will periodically call customers. 3. Measured Standard of Performance (MSP): 95% of all calls no callers waits longer than forty-five (45) seconds per call. No more than five complaints per quarter will be registered. 4. Quantity of Worked Performed: approximately 25,000 calls per month. 5. Level of Surveillance: Level I - Three (3) days each month Level II - One (1) day each week Level III -Two (2) days each week The initial level of surveillance will be at Level II. The level of surveillance may be adjusted monthly based on the Contractor's performance. If performance during the past month was poor, then Level III will be used; if performance was excellent, the Level I will be used. 6. Sample Size: 25 calls 7. Sampling Procedures: The COTR will randomly select a two-hour period during a work day (work days will also be selected on a random basis) during which he will monitor the time taken by the employee assigned to the Customer Service Desk to answer incoming calls/requests for publications. The COTR will not inform the Contractor of the randomly-selected day or times during the day, but will inform the CO. 8. Evaluation Procedures: The COTR will periodically monitor the Customer Service Desk and record the number of calls received by the Customer Service Desk and length of time each caller waited. The COTR will also review monthly reports supplied by the contractor informing telephonic data. In addition, the Government reserves the right to monitor phone calls for quality of service. 9. Analysis of Results: The COTR will compute the Observed Defect Rate (ODR) for the past months's performance as follows: ODR = # of Calls answered within 2 rings x 100 # of Calls received by the Customer Service Desk If the Calculated ODR is equal or greater than the MSP, the contractor's performance is acceptable. If the calculated ODR is less than the MSP, the Contractor's performance is unacceptable. B. ORDER FILLING 1. Contract Requirement: Section 200.2 of SOW. Performance Indicator: The Contractor shall be responsible for operating and maintaining the complete and accurate data base. The Contractor is also responsible for performing standard error-checking routines to ensure accuracy and consistency of data entered. All updates are entered into the One Pubs Customer data base on a daily basis in an accurate and complete manner. 2. Primary Method of Surveillance: Random Sampling. Validated complaints will be used as a second method of surveillance. 3. MSP: 95% of data entered is accurate. 4. Quality of Work Performed: 400,000 orders taken per month 5. Level of Surveillance: Level I -- Three (3) days each month Level II -- Five (5) days each month Level III-- Eight (8) days each month The initial level of surveillance will be at Level II. The level of surveillance may be adjusted monthly based on the Contractor's performance. If performance during past month was poor, then Level III will be used; If performance was excellent, then Level I will be used. 6. Sample Size: 20 orders each month (Level II) 7. Sampling Procedures: On the last day of the month, the COTR will randomly select work days during the month (whichever number is appropriate for the selected level of surveillance) as the days he will conduct his QA review. 8. Evaluation Procedures: The COTR will compare screen printouts of orders 9. Analysis of Results: The COTR will compute the Observed Defect Rate (ODR) for the past month's performance as follows" ODR = # of data fields with correct data x 100 Total # of data fields C. DISTRIBUTION/SHIPPING- INDIVIDUAL ORDERS 1. Contract Requirement: Section 200.3 of SOW. Performance Indicator: The Contractor shall be responsible for shipping all in-stock items. Orders shall be shipped the most cost efficient manner. 2. Primary Method of Surveillance: Random sampling. 3. MSP: Items must be shipped within 2 business days of receipt of order 95% of the time. 4. Quantity of Work Performed: 15,000 orders each month. 5. Level of Surveillance: Level I --- Three (3) days each month Level II --- Four (4) days each month Level III--- Seven (7) days each month The initial level of surveillance will be at Level II. The level of surveillance may be adjusted monthly based on the Contractor's performance. If performance during past month was poor, then Level III will be used; If performance was excellent, then Level I will be used. 6. Sample Size: 20 orders per month 7. Sampling Procedures: On the last day of the month, the COTR will randomly select work days during the month (whichever number is appropriate for the selected level of surveillance) as the days he will conduct his QA review. 8. Evaluation Procedures: The COTR will review a report on completed work orders generated by the Contractor's work order control system and compare actual work order completion dates with the agreed upon completion dates and note all instances where actual completion was on or before the agreed upon date. 9. Analysis of Results: The COTR will compute the Observed Defect Rate (ODR) for the past months's performance as follows" ODR =# of orders shipped within 24 hours x 100 # of orders shipped on days sampled D. BULK and MASS DISTRIBUTION 1. Contract Requirement: Section 200.4 of SOW. Performance Indicator: The Contractor shall be responsible for mass distribution of products. Items shall be shipped via the most cost efficient manner. 2. Primary Method of Surveillance: Random Sampling 3. MSP: Items must be shipped within 3 business days of receipt of request 95% of time. 4. Quantity of Work Performed: 50 orders per month 5. Level of Surveillance: Level I--- Three (3) days each month Level II---Four (4) days each month Level III--- Seven (7) days each month The initial level of surveillance will be at Level II. The level of surveillance may be adjusted monthly based on the Contractor's performance. If performance during past month was poor, then Level III will be used. If performance was excellent, then Level I will be used. 6. Sample Size: 3 orders per month 7. Sampling Procedures: On the last day of the month, the COTR will randomly select work days during the month (whichever number is appropriate for the selected level of surveillance) as the days he will conduct his QA review. 8. Evaluation Procedures: The COTR will review a report on completed work orders generated by the Contractor's work order control system and compare actual work order completion dates with the agreed upon completion dates and note all instances where actual completion was on or before the agreed upon date. 9. Analysis of Results: The COTR will compute the Observed Defect Rate (ODR) for the past month's performance as follows: ODR =# of mass shipments shipped within 72 hours of request x 100 # of orders shipped on days sampled E. MAILING LIST MAINTENANCE; 1. Contract Requirement: Section 200.5 of SOW. Performance Indicator: The Contractor shall be responsible for creating, maintaining and updating the mailing lists. 2. Primary Method of Surveillance: Random Sampling 3. MSP: Mailing lists are updated on a monthly basis and are 98% accurate.[note 2% accuracy is due to contractor error not to due circumstances beyond contractor's control). 4. Quantity of Work Performed: revisions per month 5. Level of Surveillance: Level I -- 3 days each month Level II -- 5 days each month Level III-- 8 days each month The initial level of surveillance will be at Level II. The level of surveillance may be adjusted monthly based on the Contractor's performance. If performance during the past month was poor, then Level III will be used; If performance was excellent, then Level I will be used. 6. Sample Size: 25 changes each month 7. Sampling Procedures: On the last day of the month, the COTR will randomly select work days during the month (whichever is appropriate for the selected level of surveillance) as the days he will conduct his QA review. 8. Evaluation Procedures: The COTR will compare the orders sent out with the number of orders sent back for incorrect mailing addresses by the US Postal Service. If source of the incorrect address was ED, the contractor shall not be penalized. If source of address was the contractor, the contractor shall be held accountable. The Contractor will keep records of all mail returned due to incorrect addresses. 9. Analysis of Results: The COTR will compute the Observed Defect Rate (ODR) for the past month's performance as follows: ODR = # of accurate mailing labels sent out x 100 Total number of pieces sent out If the contractor ODR is equal than the MSP, the Contractor's performance is acceptable. If the calculated ODR is less than the MSP, the Contractor's performance is unacceptable. G. ENHANCED USER SURVEYS 1. Contract Requirement: Section 200.6 of SOW Performance Indicator: The Contractor must survey customers on a pre-determined schedule to be agreed to jointly by Contractor and the Government for customer service, product satisfaction and impact. Methods of surveys should include but not be limited to telephone surveys and written documentation. Customers requesting alternate format shall be included in the survey. 2. Primary Method of Surveillance: Periodic inspection 3. MSP: To be determined 4. Quantity of Work Performed: surveys per 4 month period 5. Level of Surveillance: Level I -- 3 days every 4 months Level II -- 5 days every 4 months Level III-- 8 days every 4 months The initial level of surveillance will be at Level II. The level of surveillance may be adjusted every four months based on the Contractor's performance. If performance during the four month period was poor, Level III will be used. If performance was excellent, then Level I will be used. 6. Sample size: 5 orders per month 7. Sampling procedures: On the last day of every four months, the COTR will randomly select work days during the previous month as the days he will conduct his QA review. 8. Evaluation Procedures: The COTR will periodically review the process of user surveys. 9. Analysis of Results- [to be determined] H. RECEIVING/STORAGE/INVENTORY CONTROL 1. Contract Requirement: Section 200.7 of SOW. Performance Indicator: The Contractor must accurately log received items into inventory control system within 2 business hours of receipt. 2. Primary Method of Surveillance: Periodic Inspection 3. MSP: All items are logged into system within 2 business hours. 4. Quantity of Work Performed: 500 orders stored per month. 5. Level of Surveillance: Level I -- Three (3) days each month Level II -- Five (5) days each month Level III-- Eight (8) days each month The initial level of surveillance will be at Level II. The level of surveillance may be adjusted monthly based on the Contractor's performance. If performance during past month was poor, then Level III will be used; If performance was excellent, then Level I will be used. 6. Sample Size: 10 deliveries per month 7. Sampling Procedures: On the last day of the month, the COTR will randomly select work days during the previous month (whichever number is appropriate for the selected level of surveillance) as the days he will conduct his QA review. 8. Evaluation Procedures: The COTR will periodically review storage facility for the accuracy. 9. Analysis of Results: To be determined QUALITY ASSURANCE PLAN EXHIBIT B QUALITY ASSURANCE MONITORING FORM WORK TASK: SURVEY PERIOD METHOD OF SURVEILLANCE: Random Sampling LEVEL OF SURVEILLANCE SELECTED: NUMBER OF ITEMS SAMPLED DURING SURVEY PERIOD: ANALYSIS OF RESULTS: ODR = X 100 OR . % EVALUATION OF CONTRACTOR'S PERFORMANCE: (from Quality Assurance Plan) NARRATIVE DISCUSSION OF CONTRACTOR'S PERFORMANCE DURING SURVEY PERIOD: PREPARED BY: DATE: QUALITY ASSURANCE PLAN EXHIBIT C QUALITY ASSURANCE MONITORING FORM WORK TASK: SURVEY PERIOD METHOD OF SURVEILLANCE: Validated Complaints DATE AND TIME OF COMPLAINT: NAME OF COMPLAINANT: NATURE OF COMPLAINT: RESULTS OF COTR/QAS's INVESTIGATION INTO COMPLAINT: DATE/TIME CONTRACTOR NOTIFIED OF COMPLAINT: ACTION TAKEN BY CONTRACTOR: RECEIVED AND VALIDATED BY: PREPARED BY: DATE: