Unit 3

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Unit 3 Assembling the Task Order Package
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Unit 3 Assembling the Task Order Package
Overview
This unit contains information on the nine
elements which constitute a complete Task Order
Package following

• Unit 3.1 Task Order Review Checklist
• Unit 3.2 Work Plan Review Checklist
• Unit 3.3 TEC Factors
• Unit 3.4 Task Order Quality Assurance Review
  Form
• Unit 3.5 Surveillance Plan
• Unit 3.6 CBI Form
• Unit 3.7 COR Certification
• Unit 3.8 SOW
• Unit 3.9 IGCE

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Unit 3 - Assembling the Task Order Package
Roles and Responsibilities
Unit 3.1 Task Order Review Checklist. . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TOM /
PO Unit 3.2 Work Plan Review Checklist . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .TOM / PO /
CO Unit 3.3 TEC Factors . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . TOM / PO Unit 3.4 Quality Assurance
Review Form. . . . . . . . . . . . . TOM / QA
OFFICER / PO Unit 3.5 Surveillance Plan .. . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . TOM / PO Unit 3.6 CBI
Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TOM /
PO Unit 3.7 COR Certification. . . . . . . . .
. .TOM / TOMS Duly Authorized Supervisor Unit
3.8 SOW. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .TOM /
PO / CO Unit 3.9 IGCE. . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . TOM
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Unit 3.1Task Order Review Checklist
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• The Task Order Review Checklist contains several
  questions which must be answered by the TOM.
  Most of the questions on the checklist require a
  simple Yes or No response.

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A copy of the Checklist can be easily downloaded
from the NWPP Contract webpage.

• Leave blank the number of the contract (1) and
  Task Order (2).
• Enter the name of the TOM in 3.
• Enter the name of the project in 4.
• If you are unsure about the kind of Task Order,
  leave section 6 blank. The CO will contact you
  to discuss this after the CO has reviewed the TO
  Package and the SOW.

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• Answer all other questions.
• Be sure to fill in 10, which will specify the
  section of the NWPP contract SOW that applies to
  the work to be performed in this task order.
• If 14 is yes, then the approval of the TOMs
  Senior Information Resource Management Officer
  (SIRMO) must be attached to the Task Order
  Package.

To answer 10, you can refer to a copy of the
overall contract SOW at the NWPP Webpage
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• Once the Task Order Review Checklist is complete,
  the TOM will sign and date the document.
• This document will be forwarded to the Project
  Officer (PO) for signature as part of the Final
  Task Order Package.

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Key Points

• Remember
• The section of the NWPP SOW that pertains to the
  Task Order must be entered by the TOM in item 10.
• SIRMO approval must be sought by the TOM if
  necessary for the scope of requested services in
  the Task Order.
• Reponses to the QA / QC questions must be
  consistent with the responses on the QA / QC
  form.

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Unit 3.2Work Plan Review Checklist
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• The Work Plan Review Checklist describes the team
  who will review the proposals once they are
  received from the Contractors.
• The Work Plan Review Checklist also specifies the
  approach that will be used in evaluating the
  Contractors proposals such as
• Cost is more important than Technical Quality
• Technical Quality is more important than Cost
• Cost and Technical Quality are equally important
• Please be aware that as the TOM for a Task Order
  you are still required to list yourself as a
  reviewer if you intend to review the Contractors
  proposals.

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A copy of the Checklist can be easily downloaded
from the NWPP Contract webpage.

• Leave blank the number of the contract (1) and
  the Task Order (2).
• Enter the name of the TOM in 3.
• Enter the name of the project in 4.
• Enter the names of the members of the review
  panel in 5.
• Place a check (?) next to the type of Task Order
  Review criteria in Item 6. There should be a
  check (?) next to only one (1) set of criteria.

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• Once the Task Order Review Checklist is complete,
  the TOM will sign and date the document.
• This document will be forwarded to the Project
  Officer (PO) for signature as part of the Final
  Task Order Package.

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Key Points

• In most cases the TOM should be listed as a
  member of the Work Plan Review Panel.
• At least one other person must be included on the
  Review Panel for a minimum of two panel members.
• If the TOM is not listed on the review panel,
  then the TOMs review of the Contractors
  proposals will not be considered in the final
  selection of a successful bidder.
• Dont forget the category of Task Order Review
  Criteria checked (?) in Item 6 on this form must
  match the TEC review criteria sheet. (See Unit
  3.3)

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Unit 3.3TEC Factors
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• The Technical Evaluation Criteria (TEC) are the
  factors which will be used by the Work Plan
  Review Panel to review and evaluate the bids
  which are received from the Contractors in
  response to the solicitation.

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You can download sample sets of TEC Factors from
the NWPP webpage.

• The sample TEC Factors are available for the
  following general topics including
• TMDL Preparation
• Training / Outreach
• Written Guidance Document Preparation
• Workgroup Support

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• Also on the NWPP webpage, you can see specific
  TEC sheets which were used in previously awarded
  Task Orders.

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Key Points

• Typically, from 3-5 factors are developed by the
  Work Plan Review Panel to use in the evaluation
  of contractors proposals.
• The combined total of all factors must equal 100
  points.
• Each of the examples of TEC guidance presented
  at the NWPP web page suggest a Work Plan factor
  in Item 1. If the TOM wishes to have a Work
  Plan from the contractor, the requirement for a
  work plan must either be included as a TEC
  factor, or included as the first task in the SOW
  on which the contractors will submit a bid price.
  The NWPP Multiple-Award contracts do not allow
  for any other mechanism to obtain a Work Plan
  from the vendors.

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• Once the TOM completes the TEC Factor sheet, this
  document will be forwarded to the Project Officer
  (PO) for acceptance as part of the Final Task
  Order Package.

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Unit 3.4Task Order Quality Assurance Review
Form
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What do I need to know? (1)

• As part of OAMs initial solicitation for the
  Multiple Award Watershed Protection Program
  Contract Vehicle, each company submitting
  proposals was required to submit a Quality
  Management Plan (QMP). The QMP is a generic plan
  on how the company, when eventually selected as a
  contractor, would ensure that "quality" is
  managed.
• These QMPs were approved by EPA as part of the
  review of proposals.

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• The QMPs for the four successful bidders are
  posted at the NWPP Contract Webpage.

http//intranet.epa.gov/waters/nwpp/qa.html
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What do I need to know? (2)

• All work performed or funded by EPA that involves
  the acquisition or analysis of environmental data
  must have an approved Quality Assurance Project
  Plan.
• In preparing a Task Order Package, the TOM must
  consult w/ the TOMs QA/QC officer to ensure the
  Task Order Quality Assurance Review Form is
  completed satisfactorily for the scope of
  requested services in the SOW.

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What do I need to know? (3)

• For some types of Task Orders, the QA procedures
  outlined in the QMP may be adequate to ensure
  implementation of EPAs QA policies. This will
  depend, in a case-by-case situation, on the QA
  Officers review of the items of work in the SOW
  which has been prepared by the TOM.
• For other types of Task Orders, the
  implementation of EPAs QA policies will require
  the preparation of a QAPP for the Task Order.

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What do I need to know? (4)

• Whether or not a QAPP is required will depend on
  the consultation of the TOM with the TOMs QA
  Officer while the items of work are being
  assembled in the Scope of Work.
• The results of this consultation will be
  reflected in the Quality Assurance Review Form,
  signed by the TOM and the TOMs QA Officer.

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Quality Assurance Review Form (1)

• The TOM enters the title of the proposed project
  and answers the first question.
• If the answer to the first question is no, the
  TOM proceeds to the end of the QA Review Form.
• If the answer to the first question is Yes, the
  TOM proceeds to answer the remaining questions in
  consultation with the TOMs QA Officer

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QA Review Form (2)

• Once the form prepared, the following are added
• TOM signature date
• QA/QC Officers signature and date
• This document is then forwarded to the Project
  Officer (PO) for signature as part of the Final
  Task Order Package.

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Key Points

• The QA Review Form is an essential element of the
  final Task Order Package.
• The Contracting Officer must ensure a copy of the
  QA Review Form with all dated signatures is
  present in the Task Order File-of-Record before
  the Contracting Officer will place the package
  out for bid in a solicitation.
• The TOM should also keep a signed copy of the QA
  Form in the TOMs File-of-Record.

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Quality Assurance Review FormFAQ
Q Once the Task Order is awarded, who is responsible for ensuring implementation of the QA requirements and completion of any QAPPs that are identified on the Quality Assurance Review Form?
A QA is viewed as a program office issue, not a contracting issue. The COs role in the process is to ensure that the Task Order packages have QA review forms signed by the QA Officer prior to the Task Order packages being sent to the vendors for a bid. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the TOM and the TOMs QA Officer to assure the requirements on the QA review form are fulfilled during the Contractors performance of the Task Order.
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Unit 3.5Surveillance Plan
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• As discussed in Unit 1, a particular feature of
  the NWPP Multiple-Award Contract is that it is a
  Performance-Based vehicle. Accordingly, a
  requirement for Performance-Based vehicles is
  that each Task Order contain a Surveillance Plan.
• A surveillance plans details measurable standards
  by which the government will evaluate the
  Contractors performance. As a TOM, it is your
  responsibility to ensure that clear and
  measurable objectives are communicated in the
  Surveillance Plan. Typically this includes the
  quality, quantity, timeliness, etc. of the
  outputs.

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• You can find templates for Surveillance Plans at
  the NWPP Intranet page.
• You can also find examples of Surveillance Plans
  for Task Orders already awarded.

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Here is a sample Surveillance Plan.
Points to Remember

• There must be a STRONG LINKAGE between the
  Performance Objectives (Column 1) and the Tasks
  in the SOW.
• The Performance Standard (Column 2) is the
  measure that the TOM will apply to the
  Contractors performance of each task.

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Here is a sample Surveillance Plan.

• The Surveillance Plan (Column 3) describes how
  the TOM will document the Contractors
  performance.
• Contractor Incentive (Column 4) customarily
  reads TOM will address compliance in the Past
  Performance Review. (See Unit 10)
• As each task is completed the TOM will use Column
  5 to certify the Contractors performance as
  satisfactory or unsatisfactory.

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Key Points

• In order for a Surveillance Plan to be effective,
  there must be a strong linkage between the SURV
  Plan and the Schedule of Benchmarks
  Deliverables in the SOW. This will be discussed
  in Unit 3.8.
• The Surveillance Plan is one of three documents
  (along with the TEC sheet and the SOW) which the
  Contractors will consider in preparation of their
  bid.

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Key Points

• It is important to note
• The completed Surveillance Plan will become part
  of the File-of-Record maintained by the TOM and
  CO at the end of the Task Order.

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Unit 3.6CBI Form
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• The CBI Review form is completed by the Task
  Order Manager.
• For more information on CBI please see the
  Contracts Management Manual.
• This document will be forwarded to the Project
  Officer (PO) for acceptance as part of the Final
  Task Order Package.

http//epawww.epa.gov/oamintra/policy/
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Unit 3.7COR Certification
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COR Form

• A Contracting Officers Representative (COR) Form
  is required from the TOM. This form certifies
  that the TOMs COR certification is up-to-date.
• If you are not COR certified, or if you think
  your COR certification may have expired, refer to
  Unit 2 for instructions on securing an active
  certification.

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• All Task Order Managers are urged to appoint an
  Associate TOM to each Task Order. In the event
  that you are unavailable to manage your Task
  Order, the Associate TOM can supervise the work
  and approve the invoice payments.
• The Associate TOM must also furnish a COR form,
  showing active certification as a Contracting
  Officers Representative.

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Unit 3.8SOW
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Statement of Work

• The Statement of Work (SOW) in an integral
  component of a Task Order package. The SOW
  describes the tasks to be performed as well as
  the schedule of when the tasks are to be
  completed.
• TOMs should use extreme care when composing the
  SOW. The SOW managed by the Task Order Manager
  and Contracting Officer as a binding document
  between the Contractor and the EPA any changes
  or revisions to the SOW are subject to the
  agreement of both parties and must proceed
  through a formal amendment process (see Unit 8).

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• Consistent with Performance-Based contracting,
  the SOW should be written in a results-oriented
  fashion. This means that the SOW should clearly
  and thoroughly describe the desired output
  /deliverable of each task. However, the SOW is
  not intended to be a set of instructions for the
  Contractor. Rather, Performance-Based
  Contracting gives the Contractor the flexibility
  to develop the most efficient means of achieving
  the objectives of the project.
• This simple truth underscores the relationship
  between the SOW and the Surveillance Plan (SURV),
  for it is the SURV which documents the
  Contractors success in achieving the projects
  objectives.

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• On the NWPP webpage you can find sample SOWs for
  many of the commonly requested tasks (i.e.
  holding a conference/workshop, developing a
  model).

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• Also on the NWPP webpage, you can see specific
  Scopes of Work which were used in previously
  awarded Task Orders.

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• Finally, the NWPP webpage offers a SOW Fact Sheet
  to assist you in the development of your own SOW.

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Unit 3.9IGCE
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• The Independent Government Cost Estimate (IGCE)
  is the governments estimate of the cost to
  complete the tasks described in the Statement of
  Work.
• The IGCE should account for technical staff labor
  categories, hours, and rates direct material and
  supplies subcontracting consultant services
  travel indirect rates and profit and fee.
• The primary purpose of an IGCE is as a benchmark
  in evaluating Contractors cost proposals.

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• IGCE templates are available on the NWPP Contract
  Webpage in Excel and Lotus-1-2-3 format.
• Each template is specific to a single calendar
  year and has the hourly rates approximated for
  the various labor categories.
• When developing an IGCE you must apportion the
  costs among the calendar years in which the costs
  are expected to be incurred.

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• To fill out the IGCE template simply enter the
  estimated number of hours for each labor
  category.
• The total cost will be automatically calculated
  based on the labor rates.

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Unit 3Next Steps
A complete Task Order Package consists of

• Task Order Review Checklist
• Work Plan Review Checklist
• TEC Factors
• Task Order Quality Assurance Review Form
• Surveillance Plan
• CBI Form
• COR Certification
• SOW
• IGCE

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Unit 3 Next Steps

• After the TOM has assembled a complete Task Order
  package, it is sent to the Project Officer for
  review and then on to the Contracting Officer.
  These steps are discussed in Unit 4.
• Unlike other EPA Contract Vehicles, the
  Procurement Request is not submitted at the time
  the Task Order package is submitted.
• The Procurement Request will be requested after
  the bid process for the amount of the selected
  bid.