Unit 1

1. Unit 1 “Orientation” NWPP Multiple-Award Technical Support Contract Training (eff. 08/2005) Unit 1

2. Unit 1 – “Orientation” Overview • Basics of the National Watershed Protection Program Multiple-Award Technical Support Contract • Roles & Responsibilities for Each Participant • What is Performance-Based Contracting? • How do I get Started? This unit contains the following information: NWPP Multiple-Award Technical Support Contract Training (eff. 08/2005) Unit 1

3. In October 2002, the EPA Office of Acquisition Management (OAM) awarded Technical Support Contracts for the National Watershed Protection Program. The contracts were part of the Acquisition Plan of the EPA Office of Water / Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds (OWOW). Unit 1 – “Orientation” Basics (1) NWPP Multiple-Award Technical Support Contract Training (eff. 08/2005) Unit 1

4. Unit 1 – “Orientation” Basics (2) The contracts support several EPA activities: • Technical, logistical & administrative support for water quality monitoring & assessments. • Economic modeling & cost / benefit analyses. • Development of technical guidance(s). • Technical, logistical & administrative support for workshops & meetings. • Training on water quality & monitoring. • Maintenance & enhancement of EPA web sites. NWPP Multiple-Award Technical Support Contract Training (eff. 08/2005) Unit 1

5. Unit 1 – “Orientation” Basics (3) The contracts support OWOW’s mission to aid States, Territories, and authorized Tribes in: • Developing methods to determine water quality. • Developing methods to identify impaired waterbodies. • Advancing the protection & restoration of the nation’s watersheds & waterbodies through the use of point and nonpoint source pollution controls. • Providing support for water quality monitoring. • Developing tools for ecosystem restoration. • Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) development and implementation. NWPP Multiple-Award Technical Support Contract Training (eff. 08/2005) Unit 1

6. The four National Watershed Protection Program Technical Support Contracts constitute a Multiple-Award of a single indefinite Delivery / Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract. Unit 1 – “Orientation” Basics (4) • Each contract has a five-year ordering period. • The total Level-of-Effort in each contract is estimated to be 750,000 hours over the five-year ordering period. NWPP Multiple-Award Technical Support Contract Training (eff. 08/2005) Unit 1

7. Unit 1 – “Orientation” Basics (5) Important Differences from the Traditional EPA Technical Support Contract Vehicle: • Work is performed through Task Orders, not through Work Assignments. • Work is managed by Task Order Managers, not by Work Assignment Managers. • There are no Option Periods. • A variety of Task Order types can be accommodated: LOE, Fixed Price, Time & Materials, etc. • Each Task Order is competed among the four vendors who participate in the Multiple-Award contract vehicle. NWPP Multiple-Award Technical Support Contract Training (eff. 08/2005) Unit 1

8. Unit 1 – “Orientation” Basics (6) • 68-C-02-108 Tetra Tech, Inc., Fairfax, VA • 68-C-02-109 The Cadmus Group, Watertown, MA • 68-C-02-110 Research Triangle Institute, Research Triangle Park, NC • 68-C-02-111 Parsons Engineering Science, Inc., Fairfax, VA EPA competes individual Task Orders (one by one) among the four vendors holding the National Watershed Protection Program Multiple-Award Technical Support Contracts: NWPP Multiple-Award Technical Support Contract Training (eff. 08/2005) Unit 1

9. Unit 1 – “Orientation” Task Orders under this Contract must be placed by September 30, 2007. Basics (7) NWPP Multiple-Award Technical Support Contract Training (eff. 08/2005) Unit 1

10. Unit 1 – “Orientation” Roles & Responsibilities (1) • Task Order Manager (TOM) • TOM’s QA/QC Officer • TOM’s Funds Certifying Officer (FCO) • Project Officer (OWOW / AWPD) • Contracting Officer (OAM / CPOD / Cincinnati) • Office of Chief Financial Officer (OCFO / RTP) The “Cast of Players” • The Roles and Responsibilities of each member of the cast will vary at different phases of the contract activity. Each unit in this training package describes the roles and responsibilities for the activities covered by the unit. NWPP Multiple-Award Technical Support Contract Training (eff. 08/2005) Unit 1

11. Unit 1 – “Orientation” Roles & Responsibilities (2) • Develop the Task Order Package. . . . . . . . . . . . . TOM & PO • Develop the QA Requirements . . . . . . . . .TOM & QA Officer • Prepare and Issue the Solicitation. . . . . . . . . . . . .CO & TOM • Review the Proposals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CO & TOM • Award the Task Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .CO • Fund the Task Order. . . . . . . TOM’s Funds Certifying Officer • Manage the Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .TOM • Receive the Invoices from the Contractor . . . . . . . . . . OCFO • Accept Invoices from OCFO & Authorize Payment . . . . TOM • Accept the Deliverable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TOM • Close Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CO / OCFO / TOM’s FCO / TOM NWPP Multiple-Award Technical Support Contract Training (eff. 08/2005) Unit 1

12. Unit 1 – “Orientation” Roles & Responsibilities (3) • Remember: • Technically speaking, the TOM is a Task Order Project Officer (TOPO). • EPA’s Contracts Management Manual (CMM) has a full explanation of the TOPO’s role and responsibilities. • The NWPP Contract webpage has a link to the CMM and other useful procurement tools. NWPP Multiple-Award Technical Support Contract Training (eff. 08/2005) Unit 1

13. Unit 1 – “Orientation” Performance-Based Contracting (1) Performance-Based Contracting emphasizes the desired outcome of the work and the associated goals. This approach benefits both the government and the contractor. • The contractor benefits from increased freedom and flexibility in achieving the project objectives. • The government benefits as contractors compete to develop innovative ways to achieve the objectives. NWPP Multiple-Award Technical Support Contract Training (eff. 08/2005) Unit 1

14. Unit 1 – “Orientation” Performance-Based Contracting (2) • Remember: • The Office of Budget and Management has identified Performance-Based Contracting as a highly efficient means of procurement. All agencies of the Federal Government are encouraged to adopt Performance-Based Contracting. • The NWPP Contract webpage has a link to useful tools for Performance Based Contracting. NWPP Multiple-Award Technical Support Contract Training (eff. 08/2005) Unit 1

15. Unit 1 – “Orientation” Performance-Based Contracting (3) FAQs Q. What’s new about Performance-Based contracting? A. The table on the following page presents a comparison of Performance-Based Task Order Package in the NWPP Multiple-Award Contract with a Work Assignment Package in a traditional EPA contract vehicle. NWPP Multiple-Award Technical Support Contract Training (eff. 08/2005) Unit 1

16. Unit 1 – “Orientation” Performance-Based Contracting (4) NWPP Multiple-Award Technical Support Contract Training (eff. 08/2005) Unit 1

17. Unit 1 – “Orientation” Performance-Based Contracting (5) FAQs Q. What is a Surveillance Plan? A. A Surveillance Plan ensures that “systematic quality assurance methods” are used to evaluate contractor performance. NWPP Multiple-Award Technical Support Contract Training (eff. 08/2005) Unit 1

18. Unit 1 – “Orientation” Performance-Based Contracting (6) FAQs Q. How will I know if the final product is going to accomplish the objectives of my project? A. It will be your responsibility as a Task Order Manager (TOM) to develop clear and measurable objectives for the project. Your Performance Standards and Surveillance Plan will help you evaluate the performance of the contractor. You can also employ incentives to encourage greater Contractor efficiency and performance. NWPP Multiple-Award Technical Support Contract Training (eff. 08/2005) Unit 1

19. Examples of many Surveillance Plans for Task Orders are posted on the NWPP Contract Web page on the EPA intranet. http://intranet.epa.gov/waters/nwpp/directory_of_tos.html NWPP Multiple-Award Technical Support Contract Training (eff. 08/2005) Unit 1

20. On the NWPP webpage there is a toolbox for Performance-Based Service Acquisition. There you can find numerous resources to assist you in developing your Task Order http://intranet.epa.gov/waters/nwpp/pbsa.html NWPP Multiple-Award Technical Support Contract Training (eff. 08/2005) Unit 1

21. Unit 1 – “Orientation” Next Steps • Complete COR Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .See Unit 2 • Get Familiar the NWPP Webpage . . . . . . . . .EPA Intranet • Begin Developing a SOW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . See Unit 2 • Funds Availability?. . . . .See your Funds Certifying Officer • Determine the QA Requirements. . . . See your QA Officer NWPP Multiple-Award Technical Support Contract Training (eff. 08/2005) Unit 1

22. Unit 1 – “Orientation” If you have a question about the information in this unit please click on the link below to send an email to the Project Officer. Zabawa.Christopher@epamail.epa.gov NWPP Multiple-Award Technical Support Contract Training (eff. 08/2005) Unit 1