United States Department of Agriculture

Research, Education, and Economics

Agricultural Research Service

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

PREPARED BY
USDA, ARS, NEA, MNGDBL

Background

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Systematic

Mycology and Nematology Genetic Diversity and Biology Laboratory (MNGDBL) located in
Beltsville, MD, studies the systematics of fungi essential for solving problems in sustainable and
conventional agriculture. Research emphasis is on organisms important as pathogens that
threaten the production of a safe and abundant food supply and biological control agents of
insects and diseases to reduce the need for chemical inputs in agriculture. MNGDBL owns
extensive and comprehensive fungal and nematode collections and associated reprints and
documents for taxonomic information regarding the specimens. These reprints and documents
include information about and/or related to accurate scientific names of fungi, geographic
distribution, host ranges, morphology, and literature for identification. MNGDBL began
scanning these documents in FY21-22 and has completed scanning of approximately 30,000
documents, which is approximately one-half of the collection and represents approximately one-
million individual pages. These represent documents for which information is not yet entered in
the MNGDBL databases with an inventory or index. Each document consists of the equivalent of
approximately 20 – 40 single-sided pages, some of which can be sheet fed but the majority will
likely need to be scanned individually on glass.

Scope
MNGDBL requires imaging, optical character recognition, when possible, for author and date of
documents, services for ongoing data entry and to make historic documents available to users.
MNGDBL seeks to have its fragile and irreplaceable document collection imaged, and metadata
made available in a form which can be readily entered into its existing database. Scanning
resolution will be 300 dpi and file format will be archival PDF.

Contractor Requirements

• Contractor must have proven experience with projects of a similar size and scope for
fragile documents, removing staples, paperclips, etc., but not cutting or otherwise altering
documents.

Mycology & Nematology Genetic Diversity & Laboratory

Bldg. 010A - BARC-West
10300 Baltimore Avenue
Beltsville, MD 20705-2350
An Equal Opportunity Employer
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• Contractor must be able to pick up, transport, and safely return documents to USDA-
MNGDBL.

• Contractor must be able to provide certified product training at the request of USDA-
MNGDBL in support of the project.

• Contractor will be expected to work with MNGDBL project members who will provide
oversight in this project since it will be the responsibility of the MNGDBL oversee the
handling of the documents and provide feedback about issues concerning the data
extracted.

Tasks And Performance Measures

TASKS PERFORMANCE STANDARD ACCEPTABLE

INDICATOR QUALITY
LEVEL (AQLS)
1. Analysis of existing Identification of Ongoing through 90 100%
system and critical needs bases on days after start date
development of plan current use/future
needs
2. Pull documents and Successful analysis Ongoing through 100%
transport to and inspection of the project timeline
scanning facility. documents and safe
arrival at scan facility
3. Scan documents and Successful production Ongoing through 100%
return to storage of images with project timeline
boxes in original acceptable resolution
order.

4. Provide documents Successful production Ongoing through 100%

in PDF form. of PDF and text-based project timeline
files
5. Consolidation and Successful production End of contract 100%
indexing of image of Excel-readable file
text data with author date and
literature number
when available
6. Safe transport and Return of documents End of contract 100%
return of documents in boxes to original
to USDA- location in MNGDBL
MNGDBL Library, Bldg 010A,
Rm 003
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Deliverables

Deliverable Due Date Format

Weekly updates of progress
Required data field list to be
provided and sample data
Scanned document files in PDF
form at a minimum of 300 dpi to
be provided on encrypted USB
drives
Excel or database index file to be
provided on encrypted USB
drives or by email
Participate in face-to-face
progress meeting to be scheduled
periodically after each 30-40
hours of work is completed
By end of following week Email status document to L.
Castlebury
Within 15 days of project Emailed document to L.
start Castlebury
Ongoing as indexed and Physical USB drive to L.
completed Castlebury
End date of contract Physical USB drive/email to
L. Castlebury
Periodically as work is On-site with L. Castlebury
completed with final & S. Dominick
meeting by contract end
date.

Period of Performance:

Estimated Period of Performance:

Base Year -September 2022 – September 2023
Option Yr 1 - September 2023 – September 2024
Option Yr 2 - September 2024 – September 2025

Option to continue the work and add funds as new documents may be identified for imaging
during the course of this work or the number of documents is underestimated.
No less than 600,000 pages are anticipated to be scanned over the period proposed for which at
least one-half are too fragile for automatic sheet feeding.
Face-to-face meetings will be scheduled after each 30-40 hours of work to review progress.

Government Furnished Property

MNGDBL will provide workspace consisting of a room, desk or bench and office chairs for
onsite work, if necessary, in addition to the documents to be scanned.