D -- ISDN PRI Service - Toledo, OH

The GSA/FTS, Region 5 is announcing its intent to procure services required to provide telephone service for the Veterans Administration Hospital at 3333 Glendale Ave., Floor 1, Toledo, Ohio 43614 from a Central office. Service requirement is 1 PRI ISDN line with 20 DID/DOD numbers. The current exchange, 419-259 and current telephone numbers are to be retained by the end users. The service provider shall have the capability to acquire additional DID station numbers when necessary. Access to the local exchange shall include Emergency 911 service and functions, access to directory number information, i.e., NPA 555.1212 or 411, and access to operator services. Ancillary services may include extending the service to the desktop. All wiring installed shall be Cat 6, with armor, if necessary, and may include all termination equipment, racks, wire management (horizontal & vertical), hubs, patch panels, shelves, jacks, wall plates, etc. All equipment installed shall be tested, wires toned and tagged to identify the location at both termination points. Service Interruptions. In instances where work covered by this SOW requires the contractor to work around existing facilities, the contractor shall be responsible for preventing any unscheduled interruption to service or damage to equipment. The contractor shall be responsible for existing facilities in the event that damage or service interruption occurs as a result of contractor activities. Required interruption shall be coordinated with and scheduled through the facility manager. The contractor shall maintain an adequate inspection system and perform such inspections to assure that the work performed under the contract conforms to contract requirements. The contractor shall inform the Government of all periodic inspections and allow observation. The contractor shall maintain and make available to the Government adequate records of such inspections. Tools and Test Equipment. The contractor shall provide all tools and test equipment required to install, test, and demonstrate compliance. The service provider may be required to conduct periodic traffic studies to ensure adequate capacity is provided. The contractor shall document all test results and provide an electronic format, and hard copy if so requested, of all tests results to the Government. The Government requires prior coordination before the contractor performs any testing, etc. Grade of Service (GOS). The system shall be monitored and maintained to ensure sufficient transport facilities are in service to maintain a GOS during the busy period for both originating and terminating access line traffic between any network circuits to ensure P.03 for commercial access and P.07 for long distance (FTS2001 and commercial) access. The contractor shall monitor traffic when requested by the Government. The contractor shall immediately advise the Government, in writing, of any indication that the GOS is not being met and provide documentation to support recommended changes, i.e., increases and decreases to trunking, changes to access arrangements, etc. Federal Telecommunications System (FTS2001). The FTS2001 is comprised of two individual networks; Network A (MCI) and Network B9US Sprint). The contractor shall be required to work with the FTS2001 contractors to ensure compatibility of service and to resolve FTS2001 network trouble calls and billing related issues. Other Service Providers. The contractor shall coordinate with other telecommunications carriers/contractors concerning installation and maintenance of trunks, off-premise circuitry, equipment and ancillary devices necessary for restoration of service caused by faulty circuitry/equipment. Privacy Act Requirements. In compliance with the Privacy Act (5 USC 552a), the contractor shall ensure that unauthorized access to any calling records or other system configuration and usage data is prohibited. The Government permits/authorizes only Government personnel who have the required security clearances and a "need to know" access to the records. Service Center. Within 14 calendar days of contract award, the Contractor shall establish and/or provide and manage a service center to receive maintenance requests (i.e. trouble reports), and provide customer service and technical assistance accessible via toll free number from Toledo. The center shall be sufficiently staffed and equipped to accommodate receipt of maintenance requests during the hours of 7:30am - 4:30pm (local time Toledo), Monday through Friday, excluding Federal holidays. Emergency maintenance requests shall be accepted twenty-four (24) hours a day, seven (7) days a week. Emergency maintenance shall be provided twenty-four (24) hours a day, seven (7) days a week. Service completion times shall be as directed by the Government representative, but in no case shall service completion exceed 8 total hours unless a different completion period is mutually agreed upon by the Contractor and the Government representative. The Contractor shall provide a Customer Service Representative(s) to discuss service improvements and assist Government Representatives in the development of station plans, feature assignments and service order planning, at the request of the Government representative, at no cost to the Government. The Contractor shall provide technical assistance to Government Representatives as required in developing user equipment interfaces, and addressing technical requirement, at no cost to the government. The Government Representative is to serve as the Agency point-of-contact for customer agency telecommunications management functions. The GSA Telecommunications Order and Pricing System (TOPS) is an automated system for the electronic placement of orders for telecommunications services. The Contractor will receive a copy of the order generated by TOPS. All orders issued under this synopsis are subject to the terms and conditions of the resultant contract. The Contractor shall provide written notification to the Government representative(s), via facsimile or electronic mail, for GSA-issued orders within 24 hours of receipt, excluding Federal Holidays and weekends. This notification shall include: GSA Order Number, Contractor Order Number, if any, date of receipt, and due date. The Contractor shall submit a written completion report to the Government representative(s), via facsimile or electronic mail, within 48 hours after completion of each order, referencing the agency?s name, Agency Order Number and the date completed. The Contractor is advised that it is at risk of not being paid for work performed without having first received a proper order. Invoices. All invoices for TOPS-issued orders shall be sent directly to GSA. This includes all service components and charges for service, station assignment, systems feature changes, and other orders affecting delivery of telecommunications services. The contractor is responsible for providing personnel with expertise necessary to ensure professional design, installation and test of all services and equipment that may be ordered, provisioned and provided during the performance of these services. Materials. Materials are to be provided by the contractor when essential to the task performance. All materials purchased by the contractor for the use or ownership of the Federal Government becomes the property of the Federal Government. The contractor shall document the transfer of all materials as part of the final acceptance. Travel. Travel at government expense is not anticipated in performance of this task order. Performance: Work is to be accomplished through the General Services Administration (GSA), Federal Technology Services (FTS), Great Lakes Region, Cincinnati, OH office, through its contract with the selected provider. Certification by the Government of satisfactory services provided is contingent upon the contractor performing in accordance with the terms and conditions of the resultant contract, this document, the approved technical and cost proposal, and all amendments. Normally the client's representative, GSA's representative, and the contractor's representative(s) meet during the performance of this requirement, this may be telephonic at the option of GSA and client, to review performance. The client representative, the GSA representative, and the contractor?s representative may meet at the place of performance as determined by the client representative and GSA representative. GOVERNMENT FURNISHED RESOURCES General. The contractor shall specifically identify in the task proposal the type, amount, and time frames for any government resources. The GSA will provide the following resources: Facilities, Supplies and Services: none. Information. none. Duration of Task. The base period is 29 July 2002 through 28 July 2003. It is the government?s intent for this task to have service delivery, i.e., continuity of telecommunications services, renewable annually, for a period not to exceed five years. There may be routine fluctuation, increases and decreases, in the characteristics and quantities of services provided. Continuation of service is contingent upon a continuing need and fund availability. Personal Service. The client has determined that use of the GSA requirements contract to satisfy this requirement is in the best interest of the Government, economic and other factors considered, and this task order is not being used to procure personal services prohibited by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 37.104 titled ?Personal Services Contract.? Evaluation Criteria. A Technical and Cost Proposal shall be submitted by the contractor on company letterhead. The proposals shall identify the availability of standard commercial offerings available to satisfy the stated requirements and the corresponding unit costs including all service components and applicable charges. All required support services, i.e., equipment, and other non regulated services, shall be identified as an Other Direct Cost within the proposal document. The Government reserves the right to award based on the information provided, without discussions. Proposals submitted shall be in sufficient detail to allow for thorough evaluation. Proposals shall include documentation to demonstrate ability to meet the required delivery/installation requirements and detailed understanding and demonstrated knowledge and experience. In addition, proposals shall client references for whom similar support is being or has been provided within the past year. Cost proposal shall detail the service, equipment, and labor rates. Cost is approximately equal to technical. Award shall be made based on a best value analysis using the following criteria. Technical Capabilities, Past Performance, and Cost. Technical Capabilities must identify and demonstrate: (1) Knowledge and understanding of the requirement(s) as defined in the SOW. (2) Identification of services and availability. Past Performance must include: (1) Description of past projects to include project number your firm has completed which is similar in scope to the SOW. Include points of contacts and their phone numbers with titles. Each reference shall include a contracting and technical point of contact. (2) The Government may supplement the information you provide with any other information it may obtain from any other source including its own experience with your firm, or information concerning your performance from any other reliable source. Cost. Provide cost that are both reasonable and realistic and include all related components and applicable costs and fees, for a base period of 29 July 2002 through 28 July 2003 and for each year, assuming all options will be exercised. Other Reporting Requirements. The contractor shall provide the following: The contractor shall bring problems or potential problems affecting performance to the attention of the GSA ITR as soon as possible. Verbal reports shall be followed up with written reports when directed by the GSA ITR. The contractor shall provide in writing the results of all meetings with the client that affect and/or change conditions, or result in additional agreements or requirements to the GSA ITR. Additional written reports may be required and negotiated. Inspection and Acceptance. In the absence of other agreements negotiated with respect to time provided for government review, deliverables shall be inspected and the contractor notified of the ITR?s findings within 5 workdays of normally scheduled review. Procedures for Payment. Billing and payment shall be accomplished through TOPS in accordance with the contract terms. The invoice shall reflect the current month?s charges. The contractor shall submit the invoice, and supporting documents, to allow the ITR to accept and certify services received by the client representative. The contractor is authorized to invoice only for the services ordered by GSA and provided in direct support of the contract requirements. In addition, a hard copy of the invoice shall be forwarded for payment to GSA. The address for TOPS is General Services Administration, FTS, 4KMP, 401 West Peachtree Street (FL 27 4KMP), Atlanta, GA 30365-2550 also identified on the Standard Form 300) by the tenth day of the following month. Ensure ACT number is identified on each invoice. Failure to comply with the procedures outlined may result in payment being delayed. Failure to comply with the procedures outlined above may result in your payment being delayed. Kick-off Meeting. The Contractor shall initiate work on this task order by meeting with key client agency representatives to ensure a common understanding of the requirements, expectations, and ultimate end products. The contractor shall discuss the overall understanding of the project and review the background information and materials provided by the client. Discussions will also include the scope of work, transition efforts, deliverables to be produced, how the efforts will be organized and project conducted; assumptions made and expected and result. A concerted effort shall be made to gain a thorough understanding of the client agency expectations. However, nothing discussed in this or in any subsequent meetings or discussions between the client and the Contractor shall be construed as adding, deleting, or modifying any task order requirements, including deliverable specifications and due dates. Section 508 Compliance All services and products provided in response to this synopsis and the resultant contract shall comply with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794d), and the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance board Electronic and Information Technology (EIT) Accessibility Standards (36 CRF Part 1194). This solicitation is a Request for Quotation, reference Number 5TS5702R015. This RFQ document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through FAC 2001-07. NAICS Code 5133, Telecommunications Services. FAR 52.252-2 applies to this acquisition. Full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at this address: http://www.arnet.gov/far. FAR 52.212-1 applies to this acquisition. FAR 52.212-2 shall not apply to this acquisition. Award shall be based on best value evaluation using criteria identified above. QUOTATIONS SHALL INCLUDE A COMPLETED COPY OF THE PROVISIONS AT FAR 52.212-3. FAR 52.212-4 applies to this acquisition. FAR 52.212-5 applies to this acquisition -- FAR 52.212-5(b): The following additional FAR clauses apply to this acquisition: 52.222-26, 52.222-35, 52.222-36, 52.222-37, and 52.232-33. Offers are due no later than 23 July 2002, 1:00 p.m. Central Time, to GSA/FTS, Mara E. Shultz, 10850 Lincoln Trail, Fairview Heights, IL 62208. Contact Barbara Graham at (216) 522-4218 (voice), Irene Hall at (216) 522-4008 or Mara Shultz at (618) 398-4929 (voice) for information regarding this RFQ. Submit any questions for clarification via e-mail to [email protected].