HISTORICAL RESEARCH AND WRITING SERVICES

Please review the following performance work statement and respond by e-mail message through the appropriate company point of contact if company can provide the services - for company to be included in any upcoming request for proposal. This is the only information needed for this request for information (RFI). Thank you. PWS: U.S. ARMY CENTER OF MILITARY HISTORY HISTORICAL RESEARCH AND WRITING SERVICES PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS) Part 1 GENERAL INFORMATION 1. GENERAL: This is a non-personnel services contract to provide historical research and writing services for the U.S. Army Center of Military History (CMH). The Government shall not exercise any supervision or control over the contract service providers performing the service herein. Such contract service providers shall be accountable solely to the Contractor who, in turn, is responsible to the Government. 1.1 Description of Services/Introduction: The Contractor shall provide all personnel, equipment, tools, materials, supervision, and other items and non-personal services necessary to perform historical research and writing services to the U.S. Army Center of Military History as defined in this Performance Work Statement except as specified in Part 3 as government furnished property and services. The Contractor shall perform to the standards in this contract. 1.2 Background: The U.S. Army Center of Military History is engaged in researching and writing the official history of the conflicts after 9/11. The resulting volumes are collectively known as the Tan Books series. The Histories Directorate within the U.S. Army Center of Military History seeks contractor support to research and write a volume describing the evolution of U.S. Army doctrine during the period from 9/11 through the end of 2016. 1.3 Objectives: The Contractor shall provide comprehensive historical research and writing support to the U.S. Army Center of Military History. This effort includes: - Conduct historical research and writing support sufficient to complete a final manuscript on The Evolution of Doctrine in the U.S. Army, 2001-2016. - Submit a final copy of the Doctrine manuscript, approximately 400 pages in length, to CMH at the end of the second option year, ready for transmission to the editors of Historical Products Division. - In the third option year, submit photographs, captions, tables, charts, bibliography, and any other necessary front and back matter. Work with the assigned editors and visual information specialists to finalize the manuscript into a publishable book. Also, prepare and participate in up to four presentations that will help advertise the book to the Army, academia, and the general public. 1.4 Scope: The Contractor shall perform specialized historical research and writing services for a volume of history to be published by the U.S. Army Center of Military History. 1.5 Period of Performance: The period of performance shall be for a base year of twelve (12) months and three option years of twelve (12) months each. The Period of Performance reads as follows: Base Year: 31 January 2018 through 30 January 2019 Option Year I: 31 January 2019 through 30 January 2020 Option Year II: 31 January 2020 through 30 January 2021 Option Year III: 31 January 2021 through 30 January 2022 1.6 General Information: 1.6.1 Quality Control: The Contractor shall develop and maintain an effective quality control program to ensure services are performed in accordance with this PWS. The Contractor shall develop and implement procedures to identify, prevent, and ensure non-recurrence of defective services. The Contractor's quality control program is the means by which he assures himself that his work complies with the requirement of the contract. As a minimum, the Contractor shall develop quality control procedures that address the areas identified in Technical Exhibit 1, "Performance Requirements Summary". The contractor shall provide one copy of the QC Program within 30 days of contract award to the contracting officer and the contracting officer representative (COR). After acceptance of the quality control plan the contractor shall receive the contracting officer's acceptance in writing of any proposed change to his QC system. 1.6.2 Quality Assurance: The government shall evaluate the contractor's performance under this contract in accordance with the Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan. This plan is primarily focused on what the Government must do to ensure that the contractor has performed in accordance with the performance standards. It defines how the performance standards will be applied, the frequency of surveillance, and the minimum acceptable defect rate(s). 1.6.3 Recognized Holidays: The Contractor will be performing services at its own discretion regarding working times and locations. The Contractor may perform work on federal holidays at its own discretion and in accordance with its own employment policies. New Year's Day, Labor Day, Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday, Columbus Day, President's Day, Veteran's Day, Memorial Day, Thanksgiving Day, Independence Day, Christmas Day 1.6.4 Hours of Operation: The Contractor is responsible for conducting business starting not earlier than 6:30 A.M. and ending not later than 6:00 P.M., Monday thru Friday except Federal holidays or when the Government facility is closed due to local or national emergencies, administrative closings, or similar Government directed facility closings. For other than firm fixed-price contracts, the Contractor will not be reimbursed when the government facility is closed for the above reasons. The Contractor must at all times maintain an adequate workforce for the uninterrupted performance of all tasks defined within this PWS when the Government facility is not closed for the above reasons. Contractor shall keep in mind that the stability and continuity of the workforce are essential. 1.6.5 Place of Performance: The work to be performed under this contract will be performed in a government provided office space in the U.S. Army Center of Military History at Ft. McNair, Washington, DC; with the exception of off-site oral history interviews and archival research, which may require travel outside the National Capital Region. 1.6.6 Type of Contract: The Government will award a Firm-Fixed Price contract. 1.6.7 Security Requirements: The Contractor performing work under this contract must be able to obtain and maintain a TOP SECRET clearance, and must maintain the level of security required for the life of the contract. The security requirements are in accordance with the attached DD254. 1.6.7.1 Security Clearance: The Contractor must be able to obtain a TOP SECRET clearance, and must also be able to obtain and maintain access to SCI and NATO information. The Contractor shall have access to classified material, including the SIPRNET, at the U.S. Army Center of Military History. The Contractor shall work on classified manuscript material prior to submission of the manuscript for declassification review by the Department of Defense and other government agencies. The Contractor shall conduct research in archival sources and undertake oral history interviews up to TOP SECRET. The Contractor shall perform all work with classified documents at the U.S. Army Center of Military History, which provides the Contractor safe storage for classified documents. 1.6.7.2 Physical Security: The Contractor shall be responsible for safeguarding all government equipment, information and property provided for Contractor use. At the close of each work period, government facilities, equipment, and materials shall be secured. 1.6.7.3 Key Control. The Contractor shall establish and implement methods of making sure all keys/key cards issued to the Contractor by the Government are not lost or misplaced and are not used by unauthorized persons. NOTE: All references to keys include key cards. No keys issued to the Contractor by the Government shall be duplicated. The Contractor shall immediately report any occurrences of lost or duplicate keys/key cards to the Contracting Officer. 1.6.7.3.1 In the event keys, other than master keys, are lost or duplicated, the Contractor shall, upon direction of the Contracting Officer, re-key or replace the affected lock or locks; however, the Government, at its option, may replace the affected lock or locks or perform re-keying. When the replacement of locks or re-keying is performed by the Government, the total cost of re-keying or the replacement of the lock or locks shall be deducted from the monthly payment due the Contractor. In the event a master key is lost or duplicated, all locks and keys for that system shall be replaced by the Government and the total cost deducted from the monthly payment due the Contractor. 1.6.8 Special Qualifications: Masters Degree in History for the Key Personnel involved in the historical research and writing. 1.6.9 Post Award Conference/Periodic Progress Meetings: The Contractor agrees to attend any post award conference convened by the contracting activity or contract administration office in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation Subpart 42.5. The Contracting Officer, Contracting Officers Representative (COR), and other Government personnel, as appropriate, may meet periodically with the Contractor to review the Contractor's performance. At these meetings the Contracting Officer will apprise the Contractor of how the Government views the Contractor's performance and the Contractor will apprise the Government of problems, if any, being experienced. Appropriate action shall be taken to resolve outstanding issues. These meetings shall be at no additional cost to the Government. 1.6.10 Contracting Officer Representative (COR): The (COR) will be identified by separate letter. The COR monitors all technical aspects of the contract and assists in contract administration The COR is authorized to perform the following functions: assure that the Contractor performs the technical requirements of the contract: perform inspections necessary in connection with contract performance: maintain written and oral communications with the Contractor concerning technical aspects of the contract: issue written interpretations of technical requirements, including Government drawings, designs, specifications: monitor Contractor's performance and notifies both the Contracting Officer and Contractor of any deficiencies; coordinate availability of government furnished property, and provide site entry of Contractor personnel. A letter of designation issued to the COR, a copy of which is sent to the Contractor, states the responsibilities and limitations of the COR, especially with regard to changes in cost or price, estimates or changes in delivery dates. The COR is not authorized to change any of the terms and conditions of the resulting order. 1.6.11 Key Personnel: The following personnel are considered key personnel by the government: The Historical Researcher and Writer. The contractor shall provide a contract manager who shall be responsible for the performance of the work. The name of this person and an alternate who shall act for the contractor when the manager is absent shall be designated in writing to the contracting officer. The contract manager or alternate shall have full authority to act for the contractor on all contract matters relating to daily operation of this contract. The contract manager or alternate shall be available between 10:00 a.m. to 4:30p.m., Eastern Standard Time, Monday thru Friday except Federal holidays or when the government facility is closed for administrative reasons. 1.6.12 Identification of Contractor Employees: All contract personnel attending meetings, answering Government telephones, and working in other situations where their contractor status is not obvious to third parties are required to identify themselves as such to avoid creating an impression in the minds of members of the public that they are Government officials. They must also ensure that all documents or reports produced by contractors are suitably marked as contractor products or that contractor participation is appropriately disclosed. Contractors will not have to obtain or wear badges. 1.6.13 Contractor Travel: The Contractor shall travel to Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas; the Army War College and Army Heritage and Education Center at Carlisle, Pennsylvania; and such other locations as necessary to conduct research to complete the manuscript. Such travel will be at Contractor expense. 1.6.14 Other Direct Costs: N/A 1.6.15 Organizational Conflict of Interest: Contractor and subcontractor personnel performing work under this contract may receive, have access to or participate in the development of proprietary or source selection information (e.g., cost or pricing information, budget information or analyses, specifications or work statements, etc.) or perform evaluation services which may create a current or subsequent Organizational Conflict of Interests (OCI) as defined in FAR Subpart 9.5. The Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer immediately whenever it becomes aware that such access or participation may result in any actual or potential OCI and shall promptly submit a plan to the Contracting Officer to avoid or mitigate any such OCI. The Contractor's mitigation plan will be determined to be acceptable solely at the discretion of the Contracting Officer and in the event the Contracting Officer unilaterally determines that any such OCI cannot be satisfactorily avoided or mitigated, the Contracting Officer may effect other remedies as he or she deems necessary, including prohibiting the Contractor from participation in subsequent contracted requirements which may be affected by the OCI. 1.6.16 PHASE IN /PHASE OUT PERIOD N/A ? PART 2 DEFINITIONS & ACRONYMS 2. DEFINITIONS AND ACRONYMS: 2.1. DEFINITIONS: 2.1.1. CONTRACTOR. A supplier or vendor having a contract to provide specific supplies or service to the government. The term used in this contract refers to the prime. 2.1.2. CONTRACTING OFFICER. A person with authority to enter into, administer, and or terminate contracts, and make related determinations and findings on behalf of the government. Note: The only individual who can legally bind the government. 2.1.3. CONTRACTING OFFICER'S REPRESENTATIVE (COR). An employee of the U.S. Government appointed by the contracting officer to administer the contract. Such appointment shall be in writing and shall state the scope of authority and limitations. This individual has authority to provide technical direction to the Contractor as long as that direction is within the scope of the contract, does not constitute a change, and has no funding implications. This individual does NOT have authority to change the terms and conditions of the contract. 2.1.4. DEFECTIVE SERVICE. A service output that does not meet the standard of performance associated with the Performance Work Statement. 2.1.5. DELIVERABLE. Anything that can be physically delivered but may include non-physical things such as meeting minutes. 2.1.6. KEY PERSONNEL. Contractor personnel that are evaluated in a source selection process and that may be required to be used in the performance of a contract by the Key Personnel listed in the PWS. When key personnel are used as an evaluation factor in best value procurement, an offer can be rejected if it does not have a firm commitment from the persons that are listed in the proposal. 2.1.7. PHYSICAL SECURITY. Actions that prevent the loss or damage of Government property. 2.1.8. QUALITY ASSURANCE. The government procedures to verify that services being performed by the Contractor are performed according to acceptable standards. 2.1.9. QUALITY ASSURANCE Surveillance Plan (QASP). An organized written document specifying the surveillance methodology to be used for surveillance of contractor performance. 2.1.10. QUALITY CONTROL. All necessary measures taken by the Contractor to assure that the quality of an end product or service shall meet contract requirements. 2.1.11. SUBCONTRACTOR. One that enters into a contract with a prime contractor. The Government does not have privity of contract with the subcontractor. 2.1.12. WORK DAY. The number of hours per day the Contractor provides services in accordance with the contract. 2.1.13. WORK WEEK. Is defined as Monday through Friday, unless specified otherwise. 2.2. ACRONYMS: ACOR - Alternate Contracting Officer's Representative; AFARS - Army Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement; AR - Army Regulation; CFR - Code of Federal Regulations; CMH - U.S. Army Center of Military History; CONUS - Continental United States (excludes Alaska and Hawaii); COR - Contracting Officer Representative; COTR - Contracting Officer's Technical Representative; COTS - Commercial Off the Shelf; DA - Department of the Army; DD250 - Department of Defense Form 250 (Receiving Report); DD254 - Department of Defense Contract Security Requirement List; DFARS - Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement; DMDC - Defense Manpower Data Center; DOD - Department of Defense; FAR - Federal Acquisition Regulation; HIPAA - Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996; KO - Contracting Officer; NCRCC - National Capital Region Contracting Center; OCI - Organizational Conflict of Interest; OCONUS - Outside Continental United States (includes Alaska and Hawaii); ODC - Other Direct Costs; PIPO - Phase In/Phase Out; POC - Point of Contact; PRS - Performance Requirements Summary; PWS - Performance Work Statement; QA - Quality Assurance; QAP - Quality Assurance Program; QASP - Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan; QC - Quality Control; QCP - Quality Control Program; TE - Technical Exhibit. PART 3 GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY, EQUIPMENT, AND SERVICES 3.1 Services: N/A 3.2 Facilities: The Government will provide the necessary workspace for the Contractor to provide the support outlined in the PWS to include desk space, telephones, computers, and other items necessary to maintain an office environment. 3.3 Utilities: N/A 3.4 Equipment: N/A 3.5 Material: N/A ? PART 4 CONTRACTOR FURNISHED ITEMS AND SERVICES 4. CONTRACTOR FURNISHED ITEMS AND RESPONSIBILITIES: 4.1 General: N/A 4.2 Secret Facility Clearance: N/A 4.3. Materials: N/A 4.4. Equipment: N/A ? PART 5 SPECIFIC TASKS 5.1 BASIC SERVICES. The Contractor shall provide research and writing support services for the final publication of a volume of the Tan Book series on The Evolution of Doctrine in the U.S. Army, 2001-2016, in accordance with tasks outlined herein and all attachments. 5.2 Base Period Tasks: Contractor shall provide the following tasks during the base period: 5.2.1 Conduct research in published literature and unclassified and classified primary source material, and conduct oral history interviews with key individuals with firsthand knowledge of the topic. Contractor shall prepare and submit bi-monthly progress reports to provide a brief narrative summary of progress on the research conducted, to include identification of the collections reviewed and interviews conducted, an analysis of the quality of the research acquired, and an estimated percentage of the total research completed to date. 5.2.2 Provide a draft comprehensive prospectus in accordance with the U.S. Army Center of Military History Book Process SOP, to include a detailed chapter-level outline of the volume and a proposed schedule for completing all chapters. Finalize the prospectus based on guidance from the Chief Historian, U.S. Army Center of Military History. 5.2.3 Provide the first draft of the introductory chapter with endnotes, and revise in accordance with guidance from the Chief Historian, U.S. Army Center of Military History. 5.2.4 Provide the first draft of a second chapter with endnotes, and revise in accordance with guidance from the Chief Historian, U.S. Army Center of Military History. 5.2.5 Prepare the draft chapters in accordance with the U.S. Army Center of Military History Style Guide and the Chicago Manual of Style. 5.3 Option Period Tasks: Contractor shall provide the following tasks during the option periods one through three: 5.3.1 Conduct research of unclassified and classified primary source material, conduct oral history interviews, and prepare chapters, including complete endnotes and applicable tables and charts, based on the final prospectus. Provide necessary illustrations, captions, bibliography, and other necessary front and back matter. Review and incorporate editorial comments on previously submitted chapters. 5.3.2 Produce a manuscript of approximately 400 typed, double-spaced pages in length that incorporates all revisions required by the Chief Historian and make ready for publication. 5.4. CONTRACTOR MANPOWER REPORTING (CMR) : The Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Manpower & Reserve Affairs) operates and maintains a secure Army data collection site where the Contractor shall report ALL Contractor manpower (including subcontractor manpower) required for performance of this contract. The Contractor shall completely fill in all the information in the format using the following web address https://Contractormanpower.army.pentagon.mil. The required information includes: (1) Contracting Office, Contracting Officer, Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR) or also known as the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR); (2) Contract number, including task and delivery order number; (3) Beginning and ending dates covered by reporting period; (4) Contractor's name, address, phone number, e-mail address, identity of Contractor employee entering data; (5) Estimated direct labor hours (including sub-Contractors); (6) Estimated direct labor dollars paid this reporting period (including sub-Contractors); (7) Total payments (including sub-Contractors); (8) Predominant Federal Service Code (FSC) reflecting services provided by Contractor (and separate predominant FSC for each sub-Contractor if different); (9) Estimated data collection cost; (10) Organizational title associated with the Unit Identification Code (UIC) for the Army Requiring Activity (the Army Requiring Activity is responsible for providing the Contractor with its UIC for the purposes of reporting this information); (11) Locations where Contractor and sub-Contractors perform the work (specified by zip code in the United States and nearest city, country, when in an overseas location, using standardized nomenclature provided on website); (12) Presence of deployment or contingency contract language; and (13) Number of Contractor and sub-Contractor employees deployed in theater this reporting period (by country). As part of its submission, the Contractor shall provide the estimated total cost (if any) incurred to comply with this reporting requirement. Reporting period shall be the period of performance not to exceed 12 months ending September 30 of each government fiscal year and must be reported by 31 October of each calendar year. Contractors may use a direct XML data transfer to the database server or fill in the fields on the website. The XML direct transfer is a format for transferring files from a Contractor's system to the secure website without the need for separate data entries for each required data element at the website. The specific formats for the XML direct transfer may be downloaded from the website. PART 6 APPLICABLE PUBLICATIONS 6.1 Applicable Publications: 1) U.S. Army Center of Military History Book Process SOP 2) U.S. Army Center of Military History Style Guide, dated 2008. 3) Chicago Manual of Style, 15th Edition, 2003. www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.html