Background

During Phase II of the Goldstar project, a Mass Mod will be issued to capture the clause exception(s) from existing contract holders. This information will be stored with the contract details. After the Mass Mod has been accepted, Contracts Online will be updated to show the Standard Terms and Conditions for the Solicitation the Contractor is award on, and the Refresh # of the Solicitation that the Contractor has accepted the terms and conditions for. It will also show any Exceptions to the Standard Terms and Conditions for that Contractor. The Goldstar project will also remove the gold star, from which the project took its name, because there was a negative perception of not having a gold star under the current process.

First, all centers refreshed their solicitations, which generated a Schedule Refresh Mod (Mass Mod) for each solicitation. This Mass Mod will baseline all the contracts for each solicitation, capture any existing exceptions, and route the Mod to either the Procurement Contracting Officer (PCO) or the Administrative Contracting Officer (ACO). If the contract holder has exceptions they will enter the exception during their review/acceptance of the Mass Mod. The Mod with the requested exceptions will be routed to the PCO to ensure that the exceptions are valid awarded exceptions with their existing contracts. If the Contractor does not have any exceptions, the mod will be routed to the ACO as usual for signature.

Email Notification

When the Mass Mod is initiated the Contractor community will receive an email notification. The email provides a link to the Mass Mod application and instructions, including the PIN #, to access and respond to the Mass Mod

Vendor Support Center

The Contractor then accesses the Vendor Support Center to respond to the Mass Mod. Next, the Contractor will enter their contract number and PIN, as listed in the email.

Begin the Mod Process

The Contractor will be taken to the Mod. The Mod will have the standard Mass Mod pages “About this Automated Process”.

The “Overview Page”

The “FAQ” Page

Unlike most Mass Mods, the “Significance of this Modification” page has been removed.

Recovery Act and E-Verify

The next screen will display the “E-Verify and Recovery Act Response” page.

1. If the Contractor selects “Yes” to E-Verify, then clause 52.222-54 is added to the list of clauses and the SF30.

2. If the Contractor selects “No” to E-Verify, then clause 52.222-54 will not be added to the list of clauses and the SF30.

3. When the contactor selects “Yes” to Recovery Act, the following clauses will be added to the list of clauses and the SF30.

a. 52.203-15 - Whistleblower Protections Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Mar 2009)

b. 52.204-11 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act -Reporting Requirements (Mar 2009)

4. 52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Items (Feb 2010) ALT II (Dec 2009)

5. When the contactor selects “No” to Recovery Act, the following clause is added to the list of clauses and the SF30.

a. 52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Items (Feb 2010) (note: ALT II does not apply if they select no, the original clause applies)

Clause Listing and Exceptions

The next screen displays a list of all clauses to be included in the contract. The page also provides the ability to take “Exceptions” to the individual clauses. All “Exceptions” must be approved by the Contracting Officer before becoming a part of the contract. An Exception can be added by clicking the “Take Exception” link.

Entering a Clause Exception

Upon clicking the “Take Exception” link, the “Clause Exception” window will open. Follow these steps to enter an “Exception”:

1. Click the Clause number link to view the full text of the clause.

2. Find the specific area of the clause you wish to take “Exception”

3. Highlight that specific part of the clause.

4. Copy that part of the clause, by using the copy functionality or Ctrl +C.

5. Paste or Ctrl +V, the highlighted part of the cause in the first box “Exert from Clause”

6. Next click the “Ready to Edit” button. This will copy the information into the “Contract Clause Exception” box for you to edit the text with your “Exception”.

7. Finally, click the “Save and Submit” button.

Note: This information will be posted on Contracts Online as you have typed. Please be sure to use correct English and punctuation because this information will be visible to GSA customers who use eLibrary.

After adding “Exceptions” scroll to the bottom of the page and you will see the entire list of clauses that are “Pending CO Approval”. These clauses will be sent to the Contracting Officer for verification and approval. When you are ready to submit your clause “Exceptions”, first, click the “Select All” button. This will put a checkmark next to all the other clauses that you did not take “Exception”. Finally, click the “Accept Selected” button to approve the checked clauses.

Sample SF30

A “Sample SF30” page will be displayed. The “Sample SF30 will include clauses which have been accepted, but none of the “Exceptions” that you have submitted. This is because the “Exceptions” have not yet been approved by the Contracting Officer. You will receive a new SF 30 once the CO has made a determination on your “Exceptions”.

Authorization

To submit the Mass Mod for review, complete the “Authorization” page by clicking the “Accept Pending PCO Approval” button. This will submit the Mod for review.

Next, enter your PIN # to confirm your submission.

Confirmation

A confirmation page will be displayed.

The Contracting Officer is sent an email notification to review the “Exceptions” to the Mass Mod.

Contracting Officer Approval/Rejection/Clarification

Once the CO has reviewed your Mass Mod with the “Exception Request”, they can either “Approve the Exception, Reject the Exception, or Request Exception Clarification”.

If the CO requires additional clarification, the Contractor will receive an email notification to go back into the Mass Mod application to review and respond to the CO’s comments.

Responding to Request for Clarification

When the Contractor receives the clarification request from the CO, they will return to the Mass Mod application. The Contractor will log in using the “Authentication Screen” which requires reentry of PIN information.

The Contractor will locate the Mod with “Pending for Clarification.

The Contractor has the option to edit the Modification or withdraw the Exception request

If the Contractor selects “Edit” the “Contractor Clarification Interface” is displayed so the Contractor may revise the “Revised Exception Text” and resubmit to the CO.

To submit the Mass Mod for review, complete the Authorization page, and Click the “Accept Pending CO Approval” button. This will submit the Mod for review.

Next enter your PIN # to confirm your submission.

The “Confirmation of Submission to the CO for Review” will be displayed.

The CO is sent an email notification that there is a Mass Mod to review.

Once the CO has completed their determination and approved the “Clarification”, the Contractor will receive an email notification to sign the Modification. The Contractor must return to the Mass Mod application.

Contractor must enter PIN information received with the initial E mail

The Draft SF 30 will include all the approved Clause Exceptions and Responses to the E-Verify and Recovery Act Clauses.

Contracts Online

Once the mod is Applied/Awarded, the Contractor receives an email that notes all the exceptions, gives a link to all Exception data, Refresh Number, and Clauses associated with the refresh, and are displayed in the Contracts Online section of eLibrary.

Customers will be able to see all the standard terms and conditions associated with the refresh, and be able to view the clauses and Exceptions.

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