Section M Evaluation Factors for Award

Some examples of facilities support contracts are as follows:

Custodial services

Grounds maintenance

Guard services

Transportation operation and maintenance

The third type of contract involves both procure- ment of services and construction work. This type of contract is a facility support combination contract (FSC/COMBO). An example of this contract is maintenance and repair of HVAC systems. Preventive maintenance is service work, and the repair of a system is construction. The Service Contract Act would apply to the service work. Depending on the description of the work, the Service Contract Act or the Davis-Bacon Act could apply to the construction effort. Should the construction cost be less than ,000, the Service Contract Act would regulate the wage rate for the contract. Preparation of combination contracts is in the UCF. Housing maintenance contracts are an excellent example of a combination contract.

QUALITY ASSURANCE PROGRAM

When the government purchases goods and services, methods assuring that the contractor provided requirements of the contract must be in place. Naval shore activities must develop and set up procedures to assure that the quality and quantity of goods and services conform to contract requirements to accomplish this. These procedures come under the heading of "quality assurance." Quality assurance differs from quality control, in that, you focus on the quality of the product delivered and not the steps taken to get there. Contractors are responsible for providing quality control that controls the production process. Quality control must also ensure a constant quality output.

Base the Quality Assurance (QA) Program on a written plan and key it to performance-oriented specifications. The QA program focuses on the quality of the product delivered by the contractor, not on the steps taken or contractor procedures that provide the product. This plan also includes the use of scheduled inspections and provides a structural approach to surveillance. This permits good management control of the quality assurance process.

For an effective QA program, you must meet certain criteria. First, write the performance work statement (PWS) so the quantity and quality of the contracted work is measurable. View the development of the PWS and the quality assurance plan as a simultaneous process since both documents interrelate. The PWS defines required work outputs and quality standards, while the QA plan defines inspection and measurement methods for work production.

Next, the QA plan must provide for adequate and economical contract surveillance. Provide the depth and detail of surveillance compared with the importance of the contract being monitored. Surveillance on a trash pickup service would not require the same depth of surveillance as a new water-service line contract. Also the QA plan must have the authority written into it, so the FSCM/ROIC can take corrective action for nonperformance or unsatisfactory performance.

There are three basic principles that the QAE must follow when performing surveillance. It does not matter whether it is a facilities support contract or a construction contract.

Product. Quality assurance evaluates the product provided by the contractor. The product results either from a contractor-developed procedure or from a government-specified procedure. Satisfactory production normally confirms that the contractor is using satisfactory procedures. The government concern arises with the contractor procedures only when output or services are inadequate. When the government specifies the procedure, compliance with the procedure is the desired product.

Compliance. Monitor contractor compliance with contract requirements through the performance indicators and standards specified in the PWS. Performance indicators are measurable attributes of the outputs. Compare the contractor's performance against a standard gauge. For example, on a trash pickup service contract, scheduled trash collection is the work required. Timeliness is a good indicator of performance and the standard is trash pickup must be within 4 hours of the scheduled time.

Cause of the problem. When observed perfor- mance indicators show production does not meet contract requirements, then the QAE identifies the cause of the problem. The QAE looks beyond production to learn the cause of the problem. If the cause of the problem rests with the government, take