CLAUSE I.93 – DEAR 970.5215-1 TOTAL AVAILABLE FEE: BASE FEE AMOUNT AND PERFORMANCE FEE AMOUNT (DEC 2000) (ALTERNATES II AND IV) (DEC 2000)
(a) Total available fee. Total available fee, consisting of a base fee amount (which may be zero) and a performance fee amount (consisting of an incentive fee component for objective performance requirements, an award fee component for subjective performance requirements, or both) determined in accordance with the provisions of this clause, is available for payment in accordance with the clause of this contract entitled, “Payments and advances.”
(b) Fee Negotiations. Prior to the beginning of each fiscal year under this contract, or other appropriate period as mutually agreed upon and, if exceeding one year, approved by the Senior Procurement Executive, or designee, the contracting officer and Contractor shall enter into negotiation of the requirements for the year or appropriate period, including the evaluation areas and individual requirements subject to incentives, the total available fee, and the allocation of fee. The contracting officer shall modify this contract at the conclusion of each negotiation to reflect the negotiated requirements, evaluation areas and individual requirements subject to incentives, the total available fee, and the allocation of fee. In the event the parties fail to agree on the requirements, the evaluation areas and individual requirements subject to incentives, the total available fee, or the allocation of fee, a unilateral determination will be made by the contracting officer. The total available fee amount shall be allocated to a twelve month cycle composed of one or more evaluation periods, or such longer period as may be mutually agreed to between the parties and approved by the Senior Procurement Executive, or designee.
(c) Determination of Total Available Fee Amount Earned.
(1) The Government shall, at the conclusion of each specified evaluation period, evaluate the contractor’s performance of all requirements, including performance based incentives completed during the period, and determine the total available fee amount earned. At the contracting officer’s discretion, evaluation of incentivized performance may occur at the scheduled completion of specific incentivized requirements.
(2) The DOE Operations/Field Office Manager, or designee, will be the Manager, Fermi Site Office. The contractor agrees that the determination as to the total available fee earned is a unilateral determination made by the Head of Contracting Activity, or designee.
(3) The evaluation of contractor performance shall be in accordance with the Performance Evaluation and Measurement Plan(s) described in subparagraph (d) of this clause unless otherwise set forth in the contract. The Contractor shall be promptly advised in writing of the fee determination, and the basis of the fee determination. In the event that the contractor’s performance is considered to be less than the level of performance set forth in the Statement of Work, as amended to include the current Work Authorization Directive or similar document, for any contract requirement, it will be considered by the DOE Operations/Field Office Manager, or designee, who may at his/her discretion adjust the fee determination to reflect such performance. Any such adjustment shall be in accordance with the clause entitled, “Conditional Payment of Fee, Profit, or Incentives” if contained in the contract.
(4) Award fee not earned during the evaluation period shall not be allocated to future evaluation periods.
(d) Performance Evaluation and Measurement Plan(s). To the extent not set forth elsewhere in the contract:
(1) The Government shall establish a Performance Evaluation and Measurement Plan(s) upon which the determination of the total available fee amount earned shall be based. The Performance Evaluation and Measurement Plan(s) will address all of the requirements of contract performance specified in the contract directly or by reference. A copy of the Performance Evaluation and Measurement Plan(s) shall be provided to the Contractor:
(i) prior to the start of an evaluation period if the requirements, evaluation areas, specific incentives, amount of fee, and allocation of fee to such evaluation areas and specific incentives have been mutually agreed to by the parties; or
(ii) not later than thirty days prior to the scheduled start date of the evaluation period, if the requirements, evaluation areas, specific incentives, amount of fee, and allocation of fee to such evaluation areas and specific incentives have been unilaterally established by the contracting officer.
(2) The Performance Evaluation and Measurement Plan(s) will set forth the criteria upon which the Contractor will be evaluated relating to any technical, schedule, management, and/or cost objectives selected for evaluation. Such criteria should be objective, but may also include subjective criteria. The Plan(s) shall also set forth the method by which the total available fee amount will be allocated and the amount earned determined.
(3) The Performance Evaluation and Measurement Plan(s) may, consistent with the contract statement of work, be revised during the period of performance. The contracting officer shall notify the contractor:
(i) of such unilateral changes at least ninety calendar days prior to the end of the affected evaluation period and at least thirty calendar days prior to the effective date of the change;
(ii) of such bilateral changes at least sixty calendar days prior to the end of the affected evaluation period; or
(iii) if such change, whether unilateral or bilateral, is urgent and high priority, at least thirty calendar days prior to the end of the evaluation period.
(e) Schedule for total available fee amount earned determinations. The DOE Operations/Field Office Manager, or designee, shall issue the final total available fee amount earned determination in accordance with: the schedule set forth in the Performance Evaluation and Measurement Plan(s); or as otherwise set forth in this contract. However, a determination must be made within sixty calendar days after the receipt by the contracting officer of the Contractor’s self-assessment, if one is required or permitted by paragraph (f) of this clause, or seventy calendar days after the end of the evaluation period, whichever is later, or a longer period if the Contractor and contracting officer agree. If the contracting officer evaluates the Contractor’s performance of specific requirements on their completion, the payment of any earned fee amount must be made within seventy calendar days (or such other time period as mutually agreed to between the contracting officer and the Contractor) after such completion. If the determination is delayed beyond that date, the Contractor shall be entitled to interest on the determined total available fee amount earned at the rate established by the Secretary of the Treasury under section 12 of the Contract Disputes Act of 1978 (41 U.S.C. 611) that is in effect on the payment date. This rate is referred to as the “Renegotiation Board Interest Rate,” and is published in the Federal Register semiannually on or about January 1 and July 1. The interest on any late total available fee amount earned determination will accrue daily and be compounded in 30-day increments inclusive from the first day after the schedule determination date through the actual date the determination is issued. That is, interest accrued at the end of any 30-day period will be added to the determined amount of fee earned and be subject to interest if not paid in the succeeding 30-day period.
(f) Contractor self-assessment. Following each evaluation period, the Contractor may submit a self-assessment, provided such assessment is submitted within 45 calendar days after the end of the period. This self-assessment shall address both the strengths and weaknesses of the Contractor’s performance during the evaluation period. Where deficiencies in performance are noted, the Contractor shall describe the actions planned or taken to correct such deficiencies and avoid their recurrence. The DOE Operations/Field Office Manager, or designee, will review the Contractor’s self-assessment, if submitted, as part of its independent evaluation of the Contractor’s management during the period. A self-assessment, in and of itself may not be the only basis for the award fee determination.