SAFETY EYEWEAR

Combined Synopsis/Solicitation This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotations are being requested and a separate written request for quotation will not be issued. This combined synopsis/solicitation will result in firm-fixed pricing for a 5-year Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract. The anticipated contract orders are not-to-exceed $150,000.00 over 5-years. The reference number is __2020-SS25__ and the solicitation is issued as a request for quote (RFQ). The detailed terms and conditions are presented in Attachment 1 to this combined synopsis/solicitation. The provisions and clauses incorporated into this solicitation document are those in effect at the time of publication. Provisions and clauses incorporated by reference have the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. The full text of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and Agriculture Federal Acquisition Regulations supplement (AGARs) can be accessed on the Internet at http://www.acquisition.gov/far and http://www.usda.gov/procurement/policy/agar.html. It is anticipated that a single IDIQ contract will be awarded. This is a restricted solicitation set aside for small businesses. The associated NAICS code for this effort is __333314_ and small business size standard is _500 employees _ or less. This requirement consists of safety eyeglasses and consulting services. The vendor shall return a Price Quotation with offered prices along with other requested information to the contracting specialist listed below in accordance with the Note to Offeror. The product specifications for this requirement are provided in SOW to this combined synopsis/solicitation. Delivery and acceptance of deliverables will be FOB destination. The provision at 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors – Commercial (Tailored), applies to this solicitation. Evaluation of Quotes The Government will award an Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible Contractor whose quote conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. In this acquisition, the Government will obtain best value by using the Tradeoff Process source selection approach which permits tradeoffs among cost or price and non-cost factors and allows the Government to accept other than the lowest priced quote. However, the Government will not make an award at a significantly higher overall cost to the Government to achieve only slightly superior performance. The following factors shall be used to evaluate quotes: Technical capability, past performance, and price. Technical capability of the service to meet the agency’s needs and the demonstrated ability to perform the work requested in the SOW which includes, among other things, the contractor’s facility, certifications, expertise, personnel, and the requisite skills needed to perform safety eyewear and fitting services. Technical personnel with demonstrated ability and experience to: Design, measure, fit, and adapt safety lenses and frames according to written optical prescription. Prepare work order for optical laboratory with instructions for grinding and mounting safety lenses in safety frames, and applying lens coatings that do not adversely affect the impact, heat, chemical, dust, and optical radiation protection rating of the lenses. Repair damaged safety frames and lenses. Produce prescription safety eyewear that meet or exceed the standards stated in the current revision of ANSI/ISEA Z87.1 Occupational and Educational Personal Eye and Face Protection Devices. Deliver ordered prescription safety eyewear and accessories in a timely manner. Maintain records of prescriptions, work orders, invoices, and payments. Relevant past performance and prior experience will be considered which includes the contractor's experience performing comparable commodities/services of similar or greater complexity that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and experience of similar scope, magnitude, and complexity to the requirements described in this statement of work. Past performance will also measure the degree to which a contractor has satisfied customers in the past and complied with federal, state, and local laws and regulations. In accordance with FAR 52.212-1 (b) (10) – regarding past performance, references are requested. Each Contractor must submit references which are either current or recent customers, and provide the name, address, phone number, fax and email for each reference. The Contractor shall list all current or prior federal contracts, total dollar amounts, contract name, agency, address, telephone number, email, fax, and a brief description of the project performed. If the offeror has no federal contracting experience, then he/shall send aforementioned references of contracts held in the following order: state, local, and private. Price The offeror shall provide two (2) copies (original and one copy) of its price proposal as a separate and detachable volume. The price proposal shall consist of Appendix 1 filled our reflecting the total estimated dollars per year. Include all pricing/financial information. In addition to the hard copies, the offeror shall submit a virus-free electronic copy in Microsoft Office Word or Excel. All information relating to the proposed price must be included in both hard copy and electronic format. The electronic version of the price proposal should not be read only or password protected. All formulas, lookup tables, and links should be intact, and no links should exist to files not included with the submission. Spreadsheets should not contain hidden worksheets. The offeror shall limit their prices to whole numbers (example: $1,000). If there are discrepancies between the paper and electronic versions, we will defer to the paper copy. All information related to pricing shall only be included in this section of the proposal and identified as pricing data. This volume will stand alone in supporting the offeror’s approach to reasonableness and completeness of the overall price of this effort. The price proposal may be broken out by cost element by CLIN in sufficient detail to demonstrate understanding of the requirement. Under no circumstances should pricing data be included elsewhere in the proposal. Failure to comply with these formatting requirements may result in rejection of your proposal as non-responsive. Final acceptance of the product will be made after each delivery to confirm that the eyewear meets the specifications. Ordering Periods. The Government will evaluate offers for award purposes by adding the total pricing for the anticipated quantities for all ordering periods. The Government may determine that an offer is unacceptable if the ordering period prices are significantly unbalanced. A written notice of award or acceptance of an offer, mailed or otherwise furnished to the successful offeror within the time for acceptance specified in the offer, shall result in a binding contract without further action by either party. Before the offer’s specified expiration time, the Government may accept an offer (or part of an offer), whether or not there are negotiations after its receipt, unless a written notice of withdrawal is received before award. The Government does not assume the duty to search for data to cure the problems it finds in the information provided by the Contractor. The burden of providing thorough and complete past performance information remains with the Contractor. Quotes shall be submitted via email by the closing date to Sarah Schauf. [email protected]. Please reference the solicitation number on your documents. All questions must be submitted in writing to the Contracting Officer. A competitive firm-fixed price IDIQ requirements contract will be awarded to the responsible firm that results in the best value to the Government. The provision at 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications - Commercial Items, applies to this solicitation. The contractor shall complete the provision for NAICS code 333314 at http://www.sam.gov. The clause at 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions - Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition. Additional FAR clauses and AGAR clauses identified herein; Attachment 1 are considered applicable to this acquisition. The clause at 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders - Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition. The checked FAR clauses are identified in Attachment 1. To Submit a quote the contract must have an active Sam registry @ www.sam.gov. To be awarded this contract, the offeror must be registered with current information in the Federal Contractor Registration database found at http://www.sam.gov. The Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS) is not applicable to this acquisition. No applicable Numbered Notes. Quotations are due BY EMAIL to [email protected] later than 1:00 pm Central Time on, 06 April 2020. Only emailed quotes are acceptable. The assigned Contract Specialist is Sarah Schauf and may be reached by email at [email protected] or by telephone at (515) 337-7572. PART 2.0 STATEMENT OF WORK Introduction Organization Identification The main organization that will be managing this contract is the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Animal Disease Center (NADC), National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL), and Center for Veterinary Biologics (CVB) at the National Centers for Animal Health (NCAH) in Ames, Iowa. Location(s) On-site work for this contract will be done at: National Centers for Animal Health 1920 Dayton Avenue Ames, Iowa 50010 Mission United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) The USDA provides leadership on food, agriculture, natural resources, and related issues based on sound public policy, the best available science, and efficient management. Agricultural Research Services (ARS) The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency. Their job is finding solutions to agricultural problems that affect Americans every day, from field to table. ARS conducts research to develop and transfer solutions to agricultural problems of high national priority and provide information access and dissemination to: ensure high-quality, safe food, and other agricultural products assess the nutritional needs of Americans sustain a competitive agricultural economy enhance the natural resource base and the environment, and provides economic opportunities for rural citizens, communities, and society as a whole Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is a multi-faceted agency with a broad mission area that includes protecting and promoting U.S. agricultural health, regulating genetically engineered organisms, administering the Animal Welfare Act and carrying out wildlife damage management activities. These efforts support the overall mission of APHIS, which is to protect and promote food, agriculture, natural resources and related issues. National Centers for Animal Health (NCAH) The NCAH campus consolidated three USDA programs: the National Animal Disease Center (NADC), National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL), and Center for Veterinary Biologics (CVB) into one facility located in Ames, Iowa. The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) conducts the NADC, while the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) conducts the CVB and NVSL. National Animal Disease Center (NADC) The NADC conducts basic and applied research on selected diseases of economic importance to the U.S. livestock and poultry industries. The goals of the research mission are to produce knowledge and technology to: Reduce economic losses from infectious, genetic, and metabolic diseases to the livestock and poultry industries and the associated rural agricultural community Reduce or eliminate pre-harvest contamination or infection of livestock and poultry with food-borne human pathogens Prevent suffering and death caused by diseases in agriculturally important livestock and poultry Center for Veterinary Biologics (CVB) The CVB implements the provisions of the Virus-Serum-Toxin Act of 1913 as amended to assure that pure, safe, potent and effective veterinary biologics are available for the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of animal diseases. This mission mandates the use of sound scientific technology to: Ensure that biologics are free of disease producing agents, especially foreign animal diseases Develop appropriate standards and procedures for product release Issue licenses and permits Monitor and inspect products and facilities Control field tests and release of veterinary biologics National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) The NVSL safeguard U.S. animal health and contribute to public health by ensuring that timely and accurate laboratory support is provided by their nationwide animal-health diagnostic system. NVSL staff accomplishes this through: Providing diagnostic services, reagents, and training in world-class facilities Responding to animal health emergencies Taking an active role in managing the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) Serving as an international reference laboratory Maintaining a well-trained and responsive staff Combined Campus Services During the development of the NCAH organizational plan in 2009, it was agreed by the three entities that make up NCAH that several services could be combined to save money, time, and personnel resources. The specific service combine were: Administrative Unit Animal Resources Unit Facilities Engineering Unit Information Management Unit Laboratory Resources Unit Safety and Security Unit Each unit was assigned under the directorate of one of the three NCAH programs. The Safety and Security Unit (SSU) is under the directorate of the APHIS CVB. SSU provides safety and security services on the NCAH campus. Background The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Centers for Animal Health (NCAH), Safety and Security Unit (SSU) provides biological, chemical, physical, radiological, and ergonomic safety and security services to almost 800 workers. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), under the General Duty Clause, Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, requires employers to furnish to each worker employment free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm. The NCAH conducts an Occupational Vision Conservation Program in accordance with 29 CFR 1910.132 Personal Protective Equipment, General Requirements and 29 CFR 1910.133 Personal Protective Equipment, Eye and Face Protection, which provides the necessary framework to comply with the agencies’ obligation to maintain a safe workplace and protect worker eye and vision health. The NCAH provides each worker appropriate eye or face protection when potentially exposed to eye or face hazards from flying particles, molten metal, liquid chemicals, acids or caustic liquids, chemical gases or vapors, potentially injurious light radiation, potentially infectious material, and/or other eye-hazardous agents. Scope The Contractor shall provide occupational prescription safety eyewear equipment to Government identified NCAH personnel based in Ames, Iowa that are required, in the course of their assigned duties, to enter designated "eye-hazardous" areas. For their protection, the appropriate personal protective equipment should be worn when entering these areas. Workers that use prescription lenses will be referred to the Contractor for the procurement of occupational prescription safety eyewear including frames, lenses, and accessories. All safety eyewear shall meet or exceed the standards stated in the current revision of ANSI/ISEA Z87.1 Occupational and Educational Personal Eye and Face Protection Devices. The NCAH estimates approximately 200 employees will require the services detailed under this Statement of Work. To ensure meeting DOL and OSHA safety requirements, and in order to obtain prompt reimbursement, the equipment shall be purchased following the policies, standards, and procedures described below. Description of Work The Vendor shall provide occupational prescription safety eyewear and accessories to support the NCAH at Ames, Iowa as listed in Appendix A: Prescription Safety Eyewear Safety Eyewear Lens Coatings Safety Eyewear Accessories On-Site Optician Services The USDA Contracting Officer (CO) is the point of contact for clarifying contract issues or changes. The USDA Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), or their designated representative, is the point-of-contact for the daily operations and administrative issues with this Statement of Work. After award of the contract, the Contractor shall meet with the USDA Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), or their designated representative, to discuss timing, contacts, documentation, and other pertinent information. This kick-off meeting will take place either on-site or by teleconference at the discretion of the COR after award of the contract. Prescription Safety Eyewear NCAH personnel who wear prescription glasses or contact lenses must wear prescription eye protection in “eye-hazardous” areas. The COR, or their designated representative, will approve and authorize the provision of prescription safety eyewear. The COR, or their designated representative, will provide the Contractor with written notification of this approval and authorization to dispense. Once approval and authorization has been provided to the Contractor, the NCAH worker will submit a valid prescription from their personal licensed ophthalmologist or optometrist to the Contractor r for the creation of their prescription safety lenses. The Vendor shall only accept prescriptions provided within the past two (2) years. The prescription must specify the sphere, cylinder, axis, added magnifying power, prism, pupillary distance, and any additional information for each eye as needed for the manufacture of safety lenses. The Contractor shall measure, fit, and adapt safety lenses and frames for workers according to written optical prescription or specification. The Contractor shall assist NCAH personnel with selecting appropriate safety frames, as well as providing education regarding frame care and maintenance. The Contractor shall prepare the work order for the optical laboratory with instructions on the grinding and mounting of safety lenses in safety frames, and shall verify the quality and exactness of finished products before dispensing to NCAH personnel. The Contractor shall not dispense units unless the appropriate approval and authorization has been received. See Approval Form, Attachment 2. No more than two (2) units will be authorized to be dispensed every two (2) years, one (1) unit for far vision and one (1) unit for near vision, as needed. One (1) additional unit for the spectacle kit will be authorized for workers using full-face respirators. Additional prescription safety eyewear and/or accessories will be authorized on a case-by-case basis to replace damaged units. All prescription safety eyewear shall meet or exceed the standards stated in the current revision of ANSI/ISEA Z87.1 Occupational and Educational Personal Eye and Face Protection Devices. Products, units, or accessories for personal, non-work related use shall not be authorized by the USDA nor dispensed by the Contractor under any circumstances. Fitting, mounting, and dispensing fees shall be included in the final price quote. The Contractor shall issue an itemized sales ticket to accompany each dispensed prescription safety eyewear and accessories to the COR on a quarterly basis. Safety Eyewear Lens Coatings The COR, or their designated representative, will approve and authorize the provision of safety eyewear lens coatings as indicated on Appendix A: Fee Schedule of this Statement of Work. The COR, or their designated representative, will provide the Contractor with written notification of this approval and authorization to dispense. Photochromic prescription lenses for occupational safety eyewear are rarely authorized since the rate of tint change is too slow to allow movement into and out of buildings where eye injury hazards exist. Photochromic lenses for prescription safety eyewear will be authorized on a case-by-case basis for workers where an underlying medical condition merits its necessity to preserve eye and vision health as certified by the worker’s personal licensed healthcare provider via a written medical recommendation. The worker will provide this written medical recommendation to the COR, and the COR will approve and provide written authorization to the Vendor to dispense photochromic lenses after the COR consults with the worker’s supervisor to ensure that the slow rate of tint change will not present a health and safety hazard to themselves or others. Anti-reflective coatings for occupational safety eyewear are also rarely authorized since their use are recommended under niche work environments, such as prolonged exposure to glare from sunlight, fluorescent lighting, and computer screens which may increase eye strain and decrease work productivity. Anti-reflective coatings for prescription safety eyewear will be authorized on a case-by-case basis for workers where an underlying medical condition merits its necessity to preserve eye and vision health as certified by the worker’s personal licensed healthcare provider via a written medical recommendation. The worker will provide this written medical recommendation to the COR, and the COR will approve and provide written authorization (modification) to the Vendor to dispense anti-reflective coatings prescription lenses as needed. Permanent primary tinted prescription lenses for occupational safety eyewear will not be authorized as sudden changes in illumination levels, such as going from outdoors to indoors, can reduce vision briefly and may increase risk of personnel injury. Safety Eyewear Accessories The COR, or their designated representative, will approve and authorize the provision of safety eyewear accessories as indicated on Appendix A: Fee Schedule of this Statement of Work. The COR, or their designated representative, will provide the Contractor with written notification of this approval and authorization to dispense. Side shields are required for certain group of workers potentially exposed to volatile eye hazards including, but not limited to, laboratory, facilities, and engineering personnel. For workers that move between indoor and outdoor spaces regularly during their course of work, flip-up sunglass attachments will be authorized. Only neutral grey or smoke-colored tinting will be authorized for the sunglasses attachment to reduce color distortion effects. Non-slip temple grips will be authorized for workers that perform moderate to severe physical activity as part of their functional job duties as determined by the COR. On-Site Optician Services The Contractor shall have an optician come on-site to the National Centers for Animal Health at Ames, Iowa, on a bimonthly schedule to consult with workers for measuring, fitting, and/or adjusting occupational prescription safety eyewear. The optician shall come to the NCAH every second and fourth Wednesday of every month for 2 hours per visit to measure, fit, and/or adjust occupational prescription safety eyewear. The optician must meet or exceed the staff requirements. During these visits, the worker will provide the optician with a prescription from the worker’s personal licensed ophthalmologist or optometrist that shall be used for the creation of their prescription safety lenses, and the worker will select from a variety of authorized frames and accessories offered by the Contractor under contract terms. Task Order Type, Contracts and Requirements Task Order Type Delivery Order Bulk delivery orders will be issued against the contract. The Contractor will submit monthly invoices as costs are incurred for payment Acceptance Criteria The USDA COR will accept, reject, or require correction of deliverables. Correction will be necessary for deliverables found: To be contrary to the information contained in the Vendor’s accepted proposal; To be contrary to previous Government reviews of draft deliverables; To be contrary to the special instructions on documentation and other standards specified in this document; To be contrary to generally accepted professional practices; In the event of rejection of deliverables, the USDA COR shall notify the Contractor in writing or email within seven business days the specific reasons why the deliverable is being rejected. If for any reason a deliverable cannot be delivered within the scheduled period, the Contractor shall notify the USDA Contracting Officer or their designated representative in writing or email within seven business days detailing the cause of delay and the proposed revised schedule. The USDA Contracting Officer or designated representative shall make a business decision about the impact of the delay. Invoice Requirements Once a contract is signed, the Contractor will submit invoices to the COR using the IPP.gov website. All invoices shall be submitted through the IPP.gov system with the appropriate details of service in the invoice. Performance Measure Prescription Safety Eyewear The Vendor shall deliver prescription safety eyewear and accessories that meet or exceed the standards stated in the current revision of ANSI/ISEA Z87.1 Occupational and Educational Personal Eye and Face Protection Devices on a schedule mutually agreed by the USDA and the Vendor during the post-award kickoff meeting. Performance Measure Safety Eyewear Lens Coatings The Vendor shall deliver prescription safety eyewear and accessories that meet or exceed the standards stated in the current revision of ANSI/ISEA Z87.1 Occupational and Educational Personal Eye and Face Protection Devices on a schedule mutually agreed by the USDA and the Vendor during the post-award kickoff meeting. Performance Measure Safety Eyewear Accessories The Vendor shall deliver prescription safety eyewear and accessories that meet or exceed the standards stated in the current revision of ANSI/ISEA Z87.1 Occupational and Educational Personal Eye and Face Protection Devices on a schedule mutually agreed by the USDA and the Vendor during the post-award kickoff meeting. Performance Measures for On-Site Consulting Services The USDA will provide the Vendor with a customer service log form. The Vendor shall complete and maintain this customer service log for each of the bimonthly on-site visits during the period of performance. The Vendor shall submit this log to the COR immediately after completion of each on-site visit. The Vendor shall provide copies of these logs within 2 business days upon written request by the COR. The Vendor shall ensure compliance with the privacy and security standards. Security Requirements Any information made available in any format shall be used only for carrying out the provisions of this agreement. Such information shall not be divulged or made known in any manner to any unauthorized person. The Contractor shall immediately notify the USDA CO and COR upon discovery of any inadvertent disclosures of information, including Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and Protected Health Information (PHI). All information arising from this task, both hard copy and electronic, shall be returned to the government at task conclusion. Qualified and Properly Cleared Personnel The Vendor shall provide only fully qualified and properly cleared personnel for the work to be performed under this contract. The Contractor will ensure compliance with all applicable security regulations, and all program security operations requirements for facility access and handling of materials (if necessary). Contractor personnel must show a valid, government-issued photo identification in order to gain access to USDA facilities. The Government reserves the right to deny, withhold, or terminate access for cause. 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. Personnel Security Requirements Vendor personnel shall comply with USDA Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD-12), Policy for a Common Identification Standard for Federal Employees and Contractors, Federal Information Processing Standards Publication (FIPS PUB) 201, Personal Identity Verification (PIV) of Federal Employees and Contractors, and USDA security policy and procedures. Only US citizens with appropriate security clearance will be authorized to access government computer systems. USDA Identification Badges Contractor employees completing on-site work under this Statement of Work must present a valid, government-issued photo identification (e.g., driver’s license, passport card or book) to gain site access. Contractor employees will then be provided with temporary visitor identification badges upon entry to the premises. USDA requires government-issued identification badges and display of them at all times while on the premises. The Contractor shall ensure that all Contractor employee USDA visitor identification badges are returned to the USDA immediately after completion of on-site services as the Contractor employee exits the premises. The Government will have and exercise full and complete control over granting or denying of visitor identification cards or other required security identification badges. It shall be the Contractor’s responsibility to account for all identification cards/badges issued to Contractor personnel. Final Vendor payment will be withheld until all identification cards and security identification badges as well as keys or other Government assigned items have been accounted for. Disclosure of Sensitive or Proprietary Information The Vendor shall not disclose sensitive or proprietary information of, or in the possession of, the USDA or any of its operating units, Vendors, or business partners to unauthorized persons. The Vendor will be subject to any penalties imposed by law for unlawful disclosure of Department information. Vendor employees may be required to sign Non-Disclosure Statements. HIPAA, HITECH, and Privacy Act Work on this Statement of Work may require that personnel have access to Privacy Information. The Vendor shall adhere to the Privacy Act, Title 5 of the U. S. Code, Section 552a – as amended and applicable agency rules and regulations. The Vendor shall ensure that all contract personnel take the required USDA Privacy training. The Vendor shall protect the privacy, security, and integrity of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and Protected Health Information (PHI) from unauthorized access and shall comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinic Health Act of 2009 (HITECH), and Privacy Act of 1974 -- as amended. The Vendor shall not use or disclose PII/PHI, except as permitted by law and in accordance with the individual’s rights as required under the HIPAA regulations. Physical Security Custody of sensitive information must be protected under The Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C. § 552a -- as amended. The Contractor/Service Provider shall be responsible for safeguarding Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and Protected Health Information (PHI) data against unauthorized disclosure, dissemination or modification in accordance with the requirements, law and USDA PII policy and regulations. This shall include, but is not limited to: Privacy and PII data located in IT Systems, software, research data / information, personnel (institutional knowledge) and buildings/offices. Period and Place of Performance Details Period of performance shall be one (1) year with four (4) ordering periods of 12 months each. Schedule of Work On-Site services are generally to be performed during the day shift (between 7:00 am to 6:00 pm), Monday through Friday, excluding Federal Holidays. The Vendor shall coordinate work schedules with the USDA COR to ensure that service requirements are met and the availability of, and access to, Government personnel and resources. The Contractor at all times must maintain an adequate workforce for the uninterrupted performance of all tasks defined within this Statement of Work when the Government facility is not closed for the above reasons. When hiring personnel, the Contractor shall keep in mind that the stability and continuity of the USDA workforce are essential. Other Special Requirements Quality Assurance The Contractor shall be solely responsible for the supervision, management, and inspection of its employees under this Statement of Work. The Contractor will monitor and ensure its employees meet the requirements of this Statement of Work. The Contractor shall provide and maintain an inspection system acceptable to the Government covering services provided under this Statement of Work. Staff Qualifications Experienced staff with specialized education and training is required to meet the established performance period. The Contractor shall ensure and certify that their staff satisfies all of the professional and ethical requirements of industrial and occupational safety eyewear providers in the United States, as well as the following: Must be proficient in written and spoken English. Must be knowledgeable of OSHA regulations, and NIOSH and ANSI standards pertaining to industrial and occupational safety eyewear. Must have a licensed optometrist available for consult during business hours that meets the following requirements: Doctor of Optometry degree from an educational program that is accredited by the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education (ACOE) at the time the degree was obtained. Possess and maintain a current, full, and unrestricted license to practice optometry in the State of Iowa. Must submit qualifications for approval by the Government. Must have a licensed optician available for consult during business hours, to come on-site to the address listed in Section 8 to provide service. In addition the contractor shall meet the following requirements: Must be a practicing optician for a minimum of three (3) years. Must be knowledgeable on the designing, measuring, fitting, adjusting, and adapting industrial occupational safety eyewear.