# Presentation: 490236

## NIH CONTRACTOR PERFORMANCE  SYSTEM

- 01/28/2005

## Acquisition Reform

- 01/28/2005

## Acquisition Reform

- 01/28/2005

## 2005 and BEYOND

**NIH ****CONTRACTOR PERFORMANCE  SYSTEM**

- 01/28/2005

## NIH CONTRACTOR PERFORMANCE  SYSTEM

- 01/28/2005

**Notes:**
The NIH CPS is a multi-agency shared file through which Federal Contracting Personnel can collect, maintain and disseminate performance evaluations on current contractors.  The CPS has become the de facto system for collecting contractor performance evaluations throughout the Federal Civilian agency environment.  A separate URL is assigned to each agency which provides agency control over its data and authority tables.  Completed evaluations are available to all users across all subscribing agencies for the contract award source selection process. 

## WORLD WIDE

**CONTRACTOR PERFORMANCE  SYSTEM**

**WORLD WIDE**

- 01/28/2005

**Notes:**
The CPS represents U.S. government contracting offices in all 50 states and world-wide. 

## NIH CONTRACTOR PERFORMANCE  SYSTEM

**INSTANTANEOUS**** **** ACCESS**** ****TO****:**

**MULTIPLE AGENCY**
**    ****EVALUATIONS**

***27***
***FEDERAL DEPTS./INDEPENDENT  AGENCIES******	***
***11000***
***OVER FEDERAL ACQUISITION USERS***

- 01/28/2005

**Notes:**
All users have instantaneous access to the evaluations processed by 19 Federal Departments/Independent Agencies.  An evaluation can be processed and available for use in source selection in days, not weeks.  Some are turned around within 48 hours.  We have currently trained and registered over 6500 federal contracting officials and will be adding approximately 3000 more over the next few months.  Since the implementation of the Project Officer/COTR module several thousand Project Officers/COTR have been trained as well.

## FEDERAL DEPARTMENTS/AGENCIES

**Departments  of:**
**	****Agriculture****	****	****	****	****Treasury****	****	**
**	****Commerce****	****	****	****	****Interior**
**	****Energy****	****	****	****	****	****Education**
**	****Justice****	**** ****	****	****	****	****Veterans Affairs**
**	****Health & Human Services****	****	****Labor**
**	****State****	****	****	****	****	****Transportation**
**	****Homeland Security****	****	****	****Housing and Urban Dev.**
**Peace Corps.**
**General Services Administration**
**Environmental Protection Agency**
**U.S. Agency for International Development**
**Social Security Administration**
**Export/Import Bank**
**Architect of the Capitol**
**Federal Depository Insurance Company**
**Office of Personnel Management**
**National Science Foundation**

- 01/28/2005

**Notes:**
These are the agencies/Departments that currently subscribe to the NIH CPS.  We are working with the other civilian agencies now to bring them on board.  OFPP has tasked us to work with DoD and NASA to create a Federal Past Performance Retrieval System.  While we are still figuring out the details it has been decided that DoD, NASA and NIH will maintain their current systems but will download their completed evaluations to a central hub, warehouse or retrieval system.  Once the details are worked out users of the CPS, DoD and NASA systems will be able to access all completed evaluations maintained in this Federal Retrieval system.

## FACTS

** ****Started December 1996**
** ****Number of Evaluations finalized/completed in 2001 was 1,818**
** ****Number of Evaluations finalized/completed in 2002 was 1,829**
** ****Number of Evaluations finalized/completed in 2003 was 2,728**
** ****Number of Evaluations finalized/completed in 2004 was 3,500 **
** ****Current Number of Evaluations Available:**
**Standard****	****-   Finalized:****	**** 8,285      In Progress:     5,392**
**Construction - Finalized: 764       In Progress:     590**

- 01/28/2005

**Notes:**
The NIH Contractor Performance System was originally developed for NIH use only.  It was deployed in December 1996.  Once it was deployed and presented to a DHHS-wide symposium, other agencies and Departments in attendance expressed a desire to participate.  The CPS was opened to other agencies/Departments early in FY 1997 with EPA the first to join.  Since then the system has evolved from allowing the entry of evaluations and retrieving those evaluations to a system that completely automates the evaluation process from beginning to end.  When some statistical reports were run in FY 2000 there was a 182% increase in the number of completed evaluations available for source selection.  There has been a 125% increase in the number of new contractors and over 500 search are made per month.  

## TYPES OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

**TYPES OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES**
**CONTRACTORS EVALUATED IN**
**CPS**

- 01/28/2005

**Notes:**
As you can see, the CPS evaluations cover multiple products/services, ranging from ship building to animal production to courier services.  

## TYPES OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

**CONTRACTORS EVALUATED IN**
**CPS**

**140 DIFFERENT PRODUCTS/SERVICES**
**EXAMPLES**

**Drilling Oil and Gas Wells**
**Bridge, Tunnel, Elevated Highways**
**Heavy Construction**
**Animal Specialty Services**
**Commercial Non-Physical Research**
**Commercial Physical Research**
**Architectural Services**
**Forestry Products**
**Facilities Support**
**Accounting, Auditing, and Bookkeeping**
**Legal Services**
**Colleges and Universities**
**Libraries**
**Aircraft**
**Boat Building and Repairing**

**Communications Services**
**Refuse Systems**
**Eating Places**
**Farm and Garden Machinery**
**Special Purpose, Protective Clothing**
**Riveting and Grommet Machines**
**Fertilizers**
**Courier Services**
**Business Consulting**
**Search and Navigation Equipment**
**Local Trucking**
**Analytical Instruments**
**Computer Related Services**
**Computer Facilities Management**
**Specialty Outpatient Clinics**

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**Notes:**
Here is a partial listing of the NAICS/SIC industries represented in the CPS.

## SYSTEM FEATURES

**SECURITY**

**EASY ACCESS**

**USER FRIENDLY**

- 01/28/2005

**Notes:**
A working group consisting of NIH contracting officers, procurement technicians, and program personnel was organized to design the CPS.  This group identified these three areas as the keystones for the CPS.  The FAR and the OFPP Best Practices guidelines on past performance were used as the controlling documents for the design.  There are four levels of security built into the CPS – starting with Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption.  The second level is the IBM MVS RACF password protection.  Further security is built in at both the application and database levels.  The database itself currently resides on an IBM Mainframe at the NIH Center for Information Technology – which is one one of the five Federally certified computer centers. An audit trail exists to identify hackers attempts to break in. The system is being reconstructed and will be moved to a server technology sometime in the Winter of 2002 (January/February).  This move will provide greater flexibility and newer technology as well as maintain the security of the mainframe system.

## CONFIDENTIALITY

**FAR PART 3****: **
**	**** ****SOURCE SELECTION/CONFIDENTIAL**
**FAR PART 42****:  **
** ****	****ACCESS TO FEDERAL ACQUISITION ****	****	****	****PERSONNEL ONLY**
**PRIVACY ACT**

- 01/28/2005

**Notes:**
Security is required because of the confidentiality requirements of the FAR.  Also, because the CPS collects evaluations on key persons named on the contract, the Privacy Act comes into play.   

## NOT RELEASABLE UNDER FOIA

**FOIA**

**EXEMPTION 5 **

- 01/28/2005

**Notes:**
As the CPS was being developed, NIH went to the Department of Justice for a ruling on Freedom of Information requests.  The opinion came back, that the data is not releasable under FOIA.  It falls under exemption 5, “harmful to the government’s interest.’

## ACCESS

**INTERNET**

**NETSCAPE NAVIGATOR**
**INTERNET EXPLORER**
**PC OR MAC**

- 01/28/2005

**Notes:**
The CPS is accessed via the Internet.  All the user needs is an Internet browser, such as Netscape Navigator/Communicator or Internet Explorer.  It works as well on a pc or a Macintosh.

Computer based training (CBT) is available on the Internet for COTR/PO and contractor training.  CBT for contracting officials will be available with a future version.  Updates to the CPS are automatic and seamless to the user.

## REQUIREMENTS

**JANUARY 1, 1999**
**ALL CONTRACTS GREATER THAN**
***$100,000***

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**Notes:**
Evaluations collected in the CPS meet the FAR requirements for contracts greater than $100,000.  However, there is no restriction limiting a user to enter only those contracts that meet the FAR requirement.  The CPS contains evaluations down to the $200.00 level.  Also, in the works is an analysis of whether, we need to add a simplified acquisition module to capture best value for contracts/purchase orders under $25,000.

## HOW MANY EVALUATIONS?

***INTERIM****** ******:  ***
***STANDARD:  REQUIRED -ACTIVE LIFE***
*** ******	******	******	******OF CONTRACT***
***CONSTRUCTION/A&E:  OPTIONAL AT***
***	******	******	******AGENCY DISCRETION***
***FINAL******:  ***
***REQUIRED FOR ALL AT EXPIRATION***

- 01/28/2005

**Notes:**
The FAR requires that, if a contract is longer than one year, at least two evaluations be done.  One, an interim, during the life of the contract.  The second, a final, upon contract expiration.  
Currently, the majority of our subscribing Departments/Agencies are entering interim evaluations annually on the anniversary date of the contract.  Each evaluation stands on its own and is available throughout the life of the contract.  

Final evaluations are entered shortly after the contract expires.  The CPS will maintain all evaluations on a contract until 3 years after the expiration date shown on the final evaluation.  These evaluations will then be flagged as archived and are unavailable for source selection use. 

## WORKFLOW

**	****ROLES**
**	**
**	****RULES**
**	****ROUTING**

- 01/28/2005

**Notes:**
In developing the Contractor Performance System, we followed the standard workflow process of considering the roles of the persons involved in the evaluation process from the technical person through the contractor.  The business rules were established and FAR requirements were considered.  Finally, the entire process (routing of the evaluation) was considered.  The FAR requires the Contracting Officer and Project Officer/COTR to participate as a team in evaluating the contractor.

## RESPONSIBILITIES - CO

***“******The ******contracting officer****** is ***
***responsible for contractual actions ***
***related to the source selection ***
***process, including ... conducting***
***or  controlling all negotiations ***
***concerning cost or price, technical***
***requirements, ******past performance****** ...******“***
***FAR 15.604 ( c) (3)***

- 01/28/2005

**Notes:**
This is the FAR site for the contracting official’s responsibilities.  

## RESPONSIBILITIES - COTR/PO

***“******The ******cognizant technical official****** is***
***responsible for the technical and***
*** ******past performance****** requirements ***
***related to the source selection ***
***process.”***
***FAR 15.604****** ******(b)***

- 01/28/2005

**Notes:**
This is the FAR cite for the COTR/PO responsibilities during the evaluation process.

## NIH CONTRACTOR PERFORMANCE  SYSTEM

- 01/28/2005

**Notes:**
Here is a diagram of the workflow process.  The contracting official (CO) assigns an evaluation to the COTR/PO electronically.  The COTR/PO then writes the narrative and scores the contractor’s performance on quality of product or service, cost control, timeliness, and business practices.  The COTR/PO then returns the evaluation to the CO electronically.  The CO reviews the evaluation, may make changes to the COTR/PO narrative with the COTR/PO concurrence.  When the CO submits the evaluation to the CPS, an e-mail is generated by the CPS to the contractor representative who will review the evaluation and an alternate contractor representative.  The primary contractor representative reviews and comments on the evaluation. The alternate’s role is to notify the CO if, for some reason, the primary representative is unable to review and comment within the 30 days allotted by the CPS. If the primary representative cannot meet the 30 day requirement, the CO can adjust the deadline forward or reassign it to some other person in the contractor’s organization.  The system takes over and will automatically finalize an evaluation if there is no response from the contractor within that 30 day or extended time period.  

Once the evaluation is finalized, it is available for all users.  Until the evaluation is finalized, the CPS flags it as “In Progress.” 

## WHAT IS EVALUATED?

**contractor’s record of conforming to specs**
**and standards of good workmanship**
**  ****contractor’s record of containing and **
**forecasting costs**
**  ****contractor’s adherence to contract schedules**

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## WHAT IS EVALUATED?

**contractor’s history of reasonable and**
**cooperative behavior and commitment to**
**customer satisfaction**
** ****the contractor’s business-like concern **
**    ****for the interest of the customer**

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**Notes:**
This slide and the next explain what is evaluated in the CPS.

## DATA COLLECTED

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**Notes:**
Data collected in the CPS are rated numerically from 0-5.  Zero being Unsatisfactory.  Five being Outstanding.  Supporting narratives are required for the numerical ratings on four categories:

Quality of Product or Service, Cost Control, Timeliness of Performance and Business Relations.

## SEARCH FOR EVALUATIONS 

**1****. CONTRACTOR**
**	****Name**
**   ****TIN/DUNS/SIC/Commodity**
**   ****Finalized/In Progress**
**   ****Interim/Final**
**2****.  KEY PERSONNEL**
**3****.  AGENCY**
**4****.  USER**

- 01/28/2005

**Notes:**
A user can search for an evaluation by the contractor’s name, NAICS/SIC or commodity, TIN or DUNs number.  A user is able to select all evaluations for a contractor or narrow the search to just finalized evaluations or just FINAL evaluations where the contract has expired.

Further, a user can search the CPS by Key Person’s name, Agency, and by user.

In the new reconstruction of the CPS, phase 2 will include a sophisticated ad hoc search engine for all users.  This will enable the users to create their own queries based on their own requirements.

## FINALIZEDSTANDARD  EVALUATIONS JANUARY 2005

**FINALIZED****STANDARD  EVALUATIONS ****JANUARY 2005**

- 01/28/2005

**Notes:**
This is a chart representing the current evaluations in the CPS.  Approximately 2% of all evaluations are unsatisfactory, with most of the evaluations rated excellent.

## MULTI-AGENCY USERS GROUP  

**Plan for future**
**	****enhancements**
**  ****Develop user and**
**	****management tools**
**  ****Represent agency concerns**
**  ****Decide on links to other web sites**
**  ****Line of communication**

- 01/28/2005

**Notes:**
The governing body of the CPS is the multi-agency users group.  All enhancements, etc. are passed through this group before implementation.  It also is a forum for agencies to express their concerns and offer suggestions.  The users group consists of at least one representative from each subscribing agency.  It meets approximately once a month.  To show you how well this group works together, over 90% of all members are in attendance at most meetings.  Minutes for the meetings are published on the CPS INFO page as well as e-mailed to the entire users group and may be disseminated to other interested parties.

## COMING SOON! 

**COMING SOON! **

- 01/28/2005

**Notes:**
Coming soon – the reconstruction of the CPS – move to server based technology.

A&E and two-step design module.  This module will emulate the ACAS and the evaluation form has been developed by the current CPS users group.  The A&E form is a hybrid of the SF 1421 and the ACAS form.  We  will request a deviation from the FAR requirement for civilian agencies regarding the use of the SF 1421.  We expect it will be approved.  The CAAC approved a similar deviation for the CPS Construction form.  

As mentioned earlier, ad hoc searching will be available in phase 2 of the reconstruction.

Corporations have asked for access to download each of their evaluations from the CPS to internal systems.  This capability will also be available in phase 2.

Further, we are investigating the need for a simplified acquisition module and will be forming a team shortly to address this.

And as always, we are enhancing the CPS to ensure that the newest technology is available to our users.

## RECIPIENT OF:

**RECIPIENT OF:**
**E-GOV TRAILBLAZER AWARD - 2000**
**NATIONAL PARTNERSHIP for REINVENTING**
**GOVERNMENT HAMMER  AWARD – 2000**
**HARVARD AWARD – 2000 semifinalist**
**BUSINESS SOLUTIONS in the PUBLIC INTEREST **
**(BSPI) AWARD – 2000 finalist**

- 01/28/2005

**Notes:**
We are the proud recipients of both the E-Gov Trailblazer award and Vice President Gore’s Hammer Award.

## A “Partnering” Endeavor

- Department of Defense
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- National Institutes of Health

- 01/28/2005

## History

- The Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act (1994) requires that a contractor’s past performance be considered in the source selection process of granting a Federal contract award.
- In order to accomplish this task more efficiently and effectively the idea to create an electronic system came to fruition.
- Today three electronic systems are recognized by the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP):	DoD, NASA and NIH

- 01/28/2005

## The Making of PPIRS

- In March 2001, OFPP requested NIH to initiate a process in which the DoD, NASA and NIH collectively explore options available for exchanging past performance data.
- Extensive discussions were held on options for sharing data.
-  At a meeting held in June 2001 the following options were discussed:  1) creating a portal, 2) multidirectional data exchange, 3) using the existing PPAIS – Hub and Spoke, 4) trusted authentication and 5) other options.

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## The Making of PPIRS (Continued)

- Upon considering each option and taking into account cost, technical complexity and security concerns it was decided that the only viable option would be to use the existing PPAIS – Hub and Spoke.
- The PPAIS would be modified to accept finalized evaluations from NASA and NIH in addition to the  DoD finalized evaluations it is currently receiving.
- The evaluation form currently used by PPAIS would  be modified to reflect data items collected by the three existing systems.

- The Making of PPIRS (Continued)

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## The Making of PPIRS (Continued)

- The name of the revised PPAIS system would become “The Past Performance Information Retrieval System” (PPIRS).
- In October 2001, the following were prepared:
- 	A draft “kick off” letter was prepared that would later be used by OPFF to announce the implementation of PPIRS.
- 	A configuration management board charter and plan.
- In January 2002 a meeting was held to discuss the requirements for PPIRS and a draft Memorandum of Understanding was prepared.

- The Making of PPIRS (Continued)

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## The Making of PPIRS (Continued)

- In February 2002 a meeting was held to discuss the status of funding PPIRS, the charter, modification of the Service Level Agreement and mapping of NASA’s and NIH’s items to PPIRS.
- During the months of February, March, April and May the committee worked on reserving a domain name (URL), data mapping issues, establishing group structures for NIH and NASA users, ensuring that data files from NASA and NIH can be retrieved, education and training, announcements in CBD and links to websites and finalizing the charter and memo for OFPP to announce the implementation of PPIRS.

- The Making of PPIRS (Continued)

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## The Making of PPIRS (Continued)

- In June 2002 the PPIRS domain name (URL) became functional, the charter was finalized, NASA’s finalized evaluation data were loaded and the PPIRS web site became operational.

**  ****July 1, 2002 PPIRS is implemented and is announced**
**    ****by OFPP.**

- The Making of PPIRS (Continued)

- 01/28/2005

## Features & Benefits

- PPIRS contains finalized evaluations from DoD, NASA and NIH’s collection systems.
- Authorized Contractor and Government personnel have automated access to all recent and relevant past performance information in support of a given acquisition.
- Security
- Over 18,000 evaluations available for retrieval
- Over 2,000 registered government users
- Meets the requirements of the President’s e-gov  initiative.

- 01/28/2005

## Pricing

- Centrally collected off a tax across all federal agencies of which DoD’s portion is 60%.
- Total cost for PPIRS for FY 2003 is projected to be $530K.
- Federal share approximated at $230K.
- Cost to Federal Agencies/Departments will be a taxation at the agency’s department level and not a user’s fee.

- 01/28/2005

## Availability

- Available July 1, 2002
- To access PPIRS use the following URL: _[http://www.](http://www.ppirs.gov/)__[ppirs](http://www.ppirs.gov/)__[.](http://www.ppirs.gov/)__[gov](http://www.ppirs.gov/)_
- To gain access, prospective PPIRS users fill out an on-line request for a userID and password.
- After supplying user account information and a self-assigned userID and password, the prospective user must request access to one of the Agency/Component groups (usually the head of the Agency/Component group affiliated with the user’s organization).

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## Availability (continued)

- Contractors gain access to their own data through the Central Contractor Registry (CCR) at  http://www.ccr.gov.

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## http://cps.od.nih.gov

- Visit Our Website:

- 01/28/2005