PHASE-OUT CONTRACTS. Upon expiration of either a ProTech-Weather task order or the delivery period of the IDIQ contract itself, and the award of a new contract, the incumbent ProTech-Weather Contractor shall work with the successor, at the request of the Government, for a period of up to 90 days after award to ensure an orderly transition from incumbent to successor Contractor without interruption to or loss of proficiency of services. Phase-out services shall include the training of any successor Contractor by the incumbent ProTech-Weather Contractor. The orderly transfer of work from the incumbent ProTech-Weather Contractor to the successor shall be addressed during the phase-out period. The incumbent ProTech-Weather Contractor bears the ultimate responsibility for performance under its respective contract and of all required task order services during the phase-out period. (a) The NOAA Acquisition and Grants Office (AGO) Ombudsman is available to organizations to promote responsible and meaningful exchanges of information. Generally, the purpose of these exchanges will be to: 1. Allow contractors to better prepare for and propose on business opportunities. 2. Advise as to technologies and solutions within the marketplace that the Government may not be aware of, or is not fully benefiting. 3. Identify constraints in transparency. (b) The AGO Ombudsman will objectively, reasonably, and responsibly collaborate with parties and recommend fair, impartial, and constructive solutions to the matters presented to him/her. Further, the AGO Ombudsman will maintain the reasonable and responsible confidentiality of the source of a concern, when such a request has been formally made by an authorized officer of an organization seeking to do business with, or already doing business with NOAA. (c) Before consulting with the AGO Ombudsman, interested parties must first address their concerns, issues, disagreements, and/or recommendations with the respective contracting officer for resolution. However, direct access to the AGO Ombudsman may be sought when an interested party questions the objectivity or equity of a contracting officer’s decision, or when there is a bona fide reason to believe that reasonable, responsible, and objective consideration will not be received from an assigned contracting officer. (d) There are several constraints to the scope of the AGO Ombudsman’s authority, for instance: 1. Consulting with the AGO Ombudsman does not alter or postpone the timelines of any formal process (e.g., protests, claims, debriefings, employee employer actions, activities involving A76 competition performance decisions, judicial or congressional hearings, or proposal, amendment, modification or deliverable due dates). 2. The AGO Ombudsman cannot participate in the evaluation of proposals, source selection processes, or the adjudication of protests or formal contract disputes. 3. The AGO Ombudsman is not authorized to generate or alter laws, judicial decisions, rules, policies, or formal guidance. 4. The AGO Ombudsman is not authorized to develop or alter opportunity announcements, solicitations, contracts, or their terms or conditions. 5. The AGO Ombudsman cannot overrule the authorized decisions or determinations of the contracting officer. 6. The AGO Ombudsman has no authority to render a decision that binds AGO, NOAA, the Department of Commerce, or the S. Government. 7. The AGO Ombudsman is not NOAA’s agent relative to the service of magistrate or judicial process and cannot be used to extend service of process to another party (whether federal, public, or a private entity). (e) After review and analysis of a filed concern or recommendation, the AGO Ombudsman may refer the interested party to another more suitable federal official for consideration. Moreover, concerns, disagreements, and/or recommendations that cannot be resolved by the AGO Ombudsman will need to be pursued through more formal venues. (f) The AGO Ombudsman is not to be contacted to request copies of forms and/or documents under the purview of a contracting officer. Such documents include Requests for Information, solicitations, amendments, contracts, modifications, or conference materials. (g) Questions regarding items (a) through (f) within this language shall be directed to ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, NOAA AGO Ombudsman, at ▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇▇▇@▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇.
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