**SECTION E -- INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE**

# E.1 GENERAL

At a minimum, the following paragraphs shall be applicable to all Task
Orders (TO) issued under this Contract. Additional inspection and
acceptance requirements may be specified in each Task Order Request
(TOR).

Determination of the acceptability of each completed deliverable will be
made by the Government in accordance with the inspection and acceptance
requirements and standards of performance stated herein and in Section
F.

**E.2 CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FAR 52.252-2) (FEB
1998)**

This Contract incorporates the following Federal Acquisition Regulation
(FAR) clauses, by reference, with the same force and effect as if they
were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer (CO) will
make their full text available. The solicitation provisions and/or
contract clauses are available in either HTML or PDF format at
<http://www.arnet.gov/far/>.

52.246-2 Inspection of Supplies---Fixed Price (AUG 1996)

52.246-3 Inspection of Supplies---Cost Reimbursement (MAY 2001)

52.246-4 Inspection of Services---Fixed Price (AUG 1996)

52.246-5 Inspection of Services---Cost Reimbursement (APR 1984)

52.246-16 Responsibility of Supplies (APR 1984)

## E.3 INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE BY THE GOVERNMENT

The Government will inspect and accept supplies and services in
accordance with the FAR clauses incorporated into this contract and any
specific requirements included in the TOs.

**E.3.1 RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE**

Government inspection responsibilities will be specified in individual
TOs.

The Contracting Officer Representative (COR) or designated
representative will inspect, and be responsible for, the review and
acceptance of all deliverables under this Contract, prior to its
acceptance by the Government CO. Acceptance testing will be performed by
the COR or designated representative(s), at the location(s) specified in
each task order.

#### E.3.2 SCOPE OF INSPECTION

All deliverables will be inspected for content, completeness, accuracy,
and conformance to the requirements (including any applicable
standards). Inspection will include validation of information or
software through the use of automated tools and/or testing of the
deliverables, as appropriate.

The scope and nature of this testing will be determined by the TO
Contracting Officer or his or her designated representative and will be
sufficiently comprehensive to ensure the completeness, quality, and
adequacy of all deliverables.

Acceptance criteria will apply to all draft and final deliverables, to
include, at a minimum, the following:

a.  Optional, substitute, replaced, modified, or supplemental products
    delivered by the Contractor within the scope of this Contract;

b.  Modifications made by the Contractor in order to ensure compliance
    with the requirements;

c.  Documentation (e.g., operations manuals, program documentation, user
    manuals, and security manuals) and training classes (including
    classes for on-line users, operations personnel, and system
    maintenance and security personnel); and

d.  Software, which is added or field-modified after a successful
    performance period.

**E.3.3 WRITTEN ACCEPTANCE/REJECTIONS BY THE GOVERNMENT**

The Government will provide written notification of acceptance or
rejection of all deliverables, both draft and final. All rejections will
include the specific reason(s) for rejection.

**E.3.4 GOVERNMENT COMMENTS**

Inspection and acceptance of initial deliverables procedures are as
follows, unless modified in a TO:

> a\. The Government will provide written acceptance, comments, and/or
> change requests, if any, within fifteen (15) working days from receipt
> by the Government, of all required Contract deliverables; and

b.  Upon receipt of the Government comments, the Contractor shall have
    fifteen (15) working days to revise and re-submit the Contract
    deliverable(s) if it is not a "draft" deliverable. If it is a
    "draft" deliverable, the Contractor shall revise and re-submit the
    draft deliverable no later than the date specified for the next
    scheduled submission of the deliverable(s).

**E.3.5 RE-SUBMITTED DELIVERABLES**

The Government will review and verify the adequacy of the re-submitted
deliverable(s). The Government will provide the Contractor written
notice of acceptance/rejection or request for extension of the review
period within fifteen (15) working days after receipt of each
re-submitted final deliverable.

**E.4 ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA**

Deliverables will be accepted if they are completed in accordance with
the specification, schedules, test plans, or other acceptance criteria
stated herein and also those acceptance criteria and other requirements,
which are incorporated into an individual TO. The Contractor's
performance and all Contractor submitted deliverables will be evaluated
for conformance with the performance requirements set forth in the TO.

Reports, documents, and narrative-type deliverables will be inspected
and accepted when all Government comments/revisions, when applicable,
have been incorporated.

Software deliverables will be accepted when all discrepancies, errors,
or other deficiencies have been resolved to the Government\'s
satisfaction.

Training will be accepted as complete when all specified personnel have
been trained in accordance with the Government-provided or accepted
training plan/schedule as determined by the Government.

**E.5 QUALITY ASSURANCE**

Inspection and quality assurance (QA) activities will be conducted by
the Government on all deliverables provided by the Contractor under this
Contract, to include, but not be limited to, documentation, training, IT
support services, and installed software. Inspection and QA activities
by the Government may include participation by personnel as specified in
the TO.

**E.5.1 GOVERNMENT PRACTICES**

Government QA will be conducted throughout the program to verify that
all Contractor-delivered products and services conform to all
requirements of this Contract. Examples follow:

a.  Independent verification and validation services will be used when
    it is effective, economical, or otherwise in the Government\'s
    interest, as determined by the Government;

b.  If a TO provides for delivery and acceptance at product destination
    and the quality inspection is conducted elsewhere, the products will
    not be reinspected, but will be examined for quantity, damage in
    transit, and substitution or fraud;

c.  Government quality inspections will be performed by, or under the
    > direction of, Government personnel prior to acceptance; and

d.  Government QA on subcontracted products and services will be
    performed, when required, in the best interest of the Government.
    This does not relieve the prime Contractor of any responsibilities
    under the solicitation, which include ensuring that:

> 1\) Products are developed and released or shipped from the
> Subcontractor as specified in Section D of this Contract;
>
> 2\) Conditions for QA at the source are acceptable;
>
> 3\) QA procedures for the Subcontractor's products and services are
> enforced by the prime Contractor; and
>
> 4\) QA is performed as required by individual TOs.

**E.5.2 NONCONFORMING PRODUCTS OR SERVICES**

Nonconforming products or services will be rejected. Contractor QA shall
maintain, as part of the performance record of the Contract, records of
the following:

a.  The number and types of deficiencies found; and

b.  Decisions regarding the acceptability of processes, products, and
    correction action procedures.