Records Research Center Support Services
REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)
INTRODUCTION
THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is issuing this Request for Information. This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation; therefore, do not submit a quote. There is no obligation for the Government to acquire any products or services described in this RFI. No funds have been authorized, appropriated, or received for this effort. The information provided may be used by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) in developing its acquisition strategy and to revise the Performance Work Statement (PWS). Interested parties are responsible for adequately marking proprietary, restricted or competition sensitive information contained in their response. Only electronic responses to this RFI will be accepted. The Government will not pay for any time expended or information submitted in response to this RFI. Eligibility in participating in a future acquisition does not depend upon a response to this notice.
BACKGROUND
The VBA has a need for a Contractor to provide support services to assist in researching of military records, drafting written responses, completion of data/record collecting, performance of data analysis, and reporting data. The Contractor shall provide all personnel, equipment, supplies, facilities, transportation, tools, materials, supervision and other items and non-personal services necessary to support the record research operations as defined in this PWS, except for those items specified as Government furnished property and services.
NAICS: 541611
QUESTIONS AND CRITICAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR INTERESTED CONTRACTORS
Responses are solely treated as information for the Government to consider. Direct or Indirect costs incurred in response to this RFI are at the expense of the vendor, not the Government. In accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulations, responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Any contract that may be awarded will not be based on information received or derived from this RFI, but rather on the outcome of a subsequent competitive process.
It is requested that all vendors interested in participating in this effort note their interest by responding to the areas identified in the Company Details", "Capabilities Statement , sections below.
Company Details
The page limit for responses to this section is 1 page.
Provide company point(s) of contact information (name, email address, address, telephone, and fax numbers).
Identify if your company are any of the following business concern statuses (include all that apply): Small Business (SB); Certified Small Business Administration (SBA) 8(a) firm; Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB); Service-Disabled, Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB); Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB); Economically Disadvantage Women-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB); Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB); Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HubZone) Small Business; Large Business.
Provide contracting vehicles your company holds, such as GSA schedules.
Capabilities Statement
The page limit for responses to this section is 5 pages.
Provide an overview of your firm s capabilities to fulfill the requirements of the PWS, to include organizational and staff capability and experience.
Provide a brief narrative summary of your technical approach to research military records, drafting written responses, completion of data/record collecting, performance of data analysis, and reporting data.
Provide an example of Research Activities: Records research support includes document handling and accountability, records review for information pertinent to a Veteran s claim, quality assurance, systems management, and database IT and management support. The records to be reviewed are a variety of media, including paper, electronic data, microfilm, microfiche, maps, and hand-written documents.
RESPONSE SUBMISSION
Please submit responses via email to ross.byrne@va.gov by July 26, 2019 3:00 p.m. (ET). The VA reserves the right to not reply to any emails, responses, and/or materials submitted.
**DRAFT PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT
PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)
Records Research Center (RRC) Support Services
GENERAL INFORMATION
Introduction
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), Compensation Service is seeking contractor services for support of research of military records. Compensation Service requires support with the new requirements assumed from the Army by VA to research Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard records containing historical information on individual units within these branches of service, as well as some personnel records, as they relate to claimed Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) stressors and some Agent Orange exposures.
Department of the Army has started reducing its support of the mission of the U.S. Army s Joint Services Records Research Center (JSRRC) in its current operations. Reduced support for this mission will negatively impact VBA processing timeliness and accuracy on cases from Veterans claiming PTSD, including that due to Military Sexual Trauma, and cases regarding Agent Orange exposure, including Blue Water Navy.
JSRRC s mission since 1989 has been to research Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard records containing historical information on individual units within these branches of service, as well as some personnel records, as they relate to claimed PTSD stressors and some Agent Orange exposures. JSRRC has developed expertise and relationships over time to retrieve records and provide an official response to VBA regional offices (ROs) with a summary of findings necessary for a claims processor to rate a case. Army leadership s position is that JSRRC is the middleman and that ROs could go directly to the Services and National Archives for records. However, the primary benefit of JSRRC is that researchers run to ground each RO request and return an answer on a stressor event in an average of 45 days. If RO employees had to do their own research today, there would be several incidents of back and forth conversations for clarification between the RO, Services, and their archive departments until the stressor verification is accomplished, causing more cases to roll into the claims backlog.
Scope or Purpose
Compensation Service requires support services to assist in researching of military records, drafting written responses, completion of data/record collecting, performance of data analysis, and reporting data. The Contractor shall provide all personnel, equipment, supplies, facilities, transportation, tools, materials, supervision and other items and non-personal services necessary to support the record research operations as defined in this PWS, except for those items specified as Government furnished property and services. Additional information regarding deliverables can be found in Section 6.
Period of Performance
The anticipated Period of Performance (PoP) shall be for twelve months from date of award.
Any work at the Government site shall not take place on Federal holidays or weekends unless directed by the Contracting Officer (CO). If required, the CO may designate the Contractor to work during holidays and weekends.
There are ten (10) Federal holidays set by law (USC Title 5 Section 6103) that VA follows:
Under current definitions, four are set by date:
New Year's Day January 1
Independence Day July 4
Veterans Day November 11
Christmas Day December 25
If any of the above falls on a Saturday, then Friday shall be observed as a holiday. Similarly, if one falls on a Sunday, then Monday shall be observed as a holiday.
The other six are set by a day of the week and month:
Martin Luther King's Birthday - Third Monday in January
Washington's Birthday - Third Monday in February
Memorial Day - Last Monday in May
Labor Day - First Monday in September
Columbus Day - Second Monday in October
Thanksgiving - Fourth Thursday in November
Place of Performance
The Contractor is responsible for conducting business that meets the needs of the location where they are assigned (Fort Belvoir Military Base). Usually this is an eight (8) hour day with 30 min for lunch, local time. The Contractor must be available 6:30 a.m.to 6:00 p.m. (eastern standard time) for weekly meetings and deliverables.
The contractor may be requested to provide services at any of the following locations:
1800 G Street NW, Washington, DC 20420, and/or
Any VA Facility within the District of Columbia, and/or
Contractor s facilities (off-site), and/or
DoD installations in the National Capital Region.
Travel
Contractor travel must be reviewed and approved by the Contracting Officer s Representative (COR) in advance, reimbursed at cost, and in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulations (FTR) (https://www.gsa.gov/policy-regulations/regulations/federal-travel-regulation-ftr) and Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 31.205-46.
Travel within a 50-mile radius between the Contractor s facility and Government locations is considered local travel and will not be reimbursed. Travel to and from work is consider the cost of doing business and shall not be reimbursed. The Government will reimburse contractor for all appropriate costs associated with official travel.
Local travel will be necessary on a regular basis. Total travel cost shall not exceed the travel amount in the price schedule. The Government will not be responsible for any relocation expenses associated with moving Contractor personnel (even if a replacement is required) to the Washington, DC, commuting area or other job sites as may be identified either initially, or if necessary, with replacement of personnel.
Task Statement
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
For every task, the Contractor shall identify in writing all necessary subtasks (if any), and associated price by task, together with associated sub-milestone dates. The Contractor's subtask structure shall be detailed in the project management plan (PMP).
All written deliverables shall be phrased in layperson language. Statistical and other technical terminology shall not be used without providing a glossary of terms.
Where a written milestone deliverable is required in draft form, Compensation Service will complete its review of the draft deliverable within fifteen (15) calendar days from date of receipt. The Contractor shall have ten (10) calendar days to deliver the final deliverable from date of receipt of the Government s comments. All deliverables shall be delivered to the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) and Government Program Manager (PM).
The PM and/or COR will attend all meetings and briefings where deliverables or the execution of this contract will be discussed. The Contractor shall include the PM and COR in all communication related to this PWS and the execution of the contract.
All contract communication and communication related to work completed toward this contract must occur using VA-approved email accounts. All externally used documents must be 508 compliant.
All documents must be stored on VA Network or other location that has been expressly approved by the COR and Government PM.
The Contractor shall deliver all work products and deliverables throughout the Period of Performance, Close of Business (COB) shall be understood to mean 4:30 pm ET.
All work products and deliverables shall, at a minimum, be 95% free of errors, specifically content, spelling, grammar, formatting, and punctuation.
All Contractor personnel shall complete, at a minimum, fingerprint submissions for security background checks before performing work.
SPECIFIC MANDATORY TASKS AND ASSOCIATED DELIVERABLES
The work described herein is divided into four task areas: Administration and Program Management; Operations; Training; and Analysis/Evaluation.
6.1 Administration and Program Management
Project Management Plan (PMP)
The Contractor shall provide an updated detailed Project Management/ Implementation Plan (PMP) (original is submitted as part of the proposal) and briefing for the project team, within fourteen (14) days after award effective date. The PMP will present the Contractor s plan for completing the contract, describing the technical approach, management plan, organizational structure and resources, and management controls that will meet the objectives of this PWS. The Contractor's plan shall be responsive to this PWS and describe, in further detail, the approach to be used for each aspect of the contract as defined in the proposal. The Contractor shall keep the PMP up to date throughout the PoP, specifically; the Contractor shall provide recommended updates in the form of tracked changes in Microsoft Word, monthly. Negative response indicating no updates are made is required. The Contractor shall use artifacts and processes determined at time of award. Further, the Government may, at any time, request additional updates that will be completed by the Contractor and delivered to the Government no more than ten (10) days after the request. These updates may include the addition of activities not included in the initial plan.
For example, during the major milestone implementation, the Government may require project changes that will require prior approval from the CO. Contractor shall provide recommended changes to PM, COR and CO. Any recommended changes that impact the price shall be identified with price impact and shall not be implemented until and unless approved by the CO through a modification.
The final PMP shall comply with Project Management Institute (PMI) suggested requirements and the Draft PMP shall be inclusive of the following deliverables, at a minimum:
a. Staffing Plan: The staffing plan is to define the roles and responsibilities for all personnel supporting the contract. The goal of the plan is to ensure the contract support staff is properly aligned to the strategic goals, mission, and objectives of the research requirements. Staffing plan should also include the Contractor s organizational structure in support of the contract. The Contractor shall provide a detailed hiring plan and tracking tool that shows status of hiring including background checks, Personal Identification Verification (PIV) and start dates. The tracker shall include issues related to hiring and be included on the Risk and Issues Matrix for mitigation. The Staffing Plan shall also demonstrate the Contractor s process for immediately identifying and taking appropriate remedial action in addressing Contractor personnel determined to be unacceptable in terms of technical competency or personal conduct in performance of contract activities. Contractor remedial actions shall be executed in a manner that does not disrupt or degrade the quality or timeliness of services.
Only trained staff shall be permitted to conduct research activities. All staff changes must receive prior approval from the PM and COR. The Contractor shall create and maintain a staffing tracker.
b. In-Processing Plan: The Contractor shall develop an In-Processing Plan that addresses in-processing of all personnel supporting this contract to include describing how to meet the learning needs of the researchers and Training. The Contractor shall provide a tracking tool that shows status of in-processing and scheduled training.
c. Training Plan: The Contractor shall outline, as part of the proposal, how new hires will be trained. The Contractor shall complete initial training of staff members to include VA onboarding and badging within sixty (60) calendar days of effective date of the contract. All new hires shall be trained within sixty (60) days throughout the period of performance.
d. Operational Deployment Plan: The Contractor shall describe how contract personnel must be deployed to ensure little to no disruptions in the operations as well as the plan to maintain operations throughout the course of the contract. Contractor shall provide weekly updates.
e. Contractor Communication Plan: The Contractor shall outline the Contractor s roles and responsibilities of project participants in the review, approval and dissemination of information about key project processes, events, documents and milestones.
f. Risk Assessment and Mitigation Plan: The Contractor shall conduct risk identification, risk analysis, risk management, and risk monitoring and reporting, focusing on the processes, resources and data sources critical to managing the project. The Contractor shall provide a Risks and Mitigation plan weekly. Risk and issues shall be reported during the weekly update meetings as critical, high, medium, or low. A description shall be included of the risk/issue, the owner, progress made, and management strategy as applicable. Weekly status will be provided on each risk until they are closed out. The Project Manager may request that a perceived risk or issue be added and tracked for the contract.
g. Quality Control Plan (QCP): The Contractor shall provide a detailed QCP within 14 days of contract award. The QCP shall be reviewed quarterly and if there are any changes, the updated QCP shall be submitted to the PM and COR. The QCP shall document the overall approach to quality assurance activities. The QCP shall provide specifics regarding how the Contractor defines, implements, and assures quality during the contract life. The Contractor s QCP will be the basis for the Government s Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP). The VA will create the QASP upon receipt of the Contractor s first QCP and will be updated as the QCP is updated.
h. Transition Plan: The Contractor shall submit a Transition Plan that describes the process, details, and schedule for providing an orderly transition during the Contract s Phase in/Phase out period in accordance with the PWS. The initial transition period will include an effective date 30 days after date of award and then 60 days of transition.
The objectives of the Transition Plan are: to minimize the impacts on continuity of operations; maintain communication with staff and affected stakeholders; identify key issues; and overcome barriers to transition. The Contractor shall establish a transition management team capable of providing overall management and logistical support of all transition activities. The Contractor shall regularly report status to the PM, COR and CO at periodic meetings and through regular written reports during the Transition period. The Transition Plan shall include the following:
Inventory all Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) and Government Furnished Information (GFI) in Contractor possession
Status of all deliverables, current issues, problems, or activities in process that require immediate action
6.1.1 Deliverable will include the Project Management Plan (PMP) as defined above with the following structure/updates:
Staffing Plan, Organizational Structure
Weekly Hiring Plan and Tracker
TEI In-Processing and Training Plan
In-Processing and Training Plan Tracker
Operational Deployment Plan with weekly updates
Contractor Communications Plan
Risk Assessment and Mitigation Plan
Quality Control Plan (QCP)
Transition Plan
Post Award Conference
The Contractor shall attend a post award conference project kick-off briefing with VA project team, and project advisory group comprised of key stakeholders and SMEs. The post award conference will be held within ten (10) calendar days after contract award or as agreed upon between VA Government PM, COR, and Contractor. At the post award conference, the Contractor shall brief the details of the project management plan (PMP), which shall include the Contractor s intended approach, work plan, and project schedule including deliverables, tasks, and subtasks, with major milestones.
6.1.2 Deliverable will be participation in the post award conference and copies of any/all briefing materials created by the contractor.
Monthly Interim Progress Review & Smart book Report
6.1.3.1 Monthly Interim Progress Review (IPR): The Contractor shall support the VA with IPR activities in implementing a disciplined, comprehensive, and flexible program and project management processes, including: monitoring of project metrics; rigorous risk management; and prompt reporting on Government-approved schedule, performance, and risk baseline.
6.1.3.2 Monthly Status Report (MSR): The Contractor shall provide the MSR to the Government in a Smart book (SMT) format, electronically, no later than the 15th calendar day of each month. The SMT shall cover all work completed during the preceding month and will present the work to be accomplished during the subsequent month. The SMT shall identify any problems that have arisen and a statement explaining how the problem was resolved or an explanation why it has not been completely resolved.
Anticipated travel request shall be included as part of the Monthly IPR and SMT to include training for operational implementation. In addition, to seeking advanced approval of all travel requirements, the Contractor shall provide, on a rolling basis, a pre-trip request at least fourteen (14) business days in advance. The Contractor shall submit a post-trip report to the COR and PM within three (3) business days of trip completion, with receipts and validated expenses. The Contractor shall complete administrative tasks (e.g., background investigation forms, staff roster, mandatory training) to obtain access to military installations, VA facilities or other places of performance. All Contractor employees supporting this contract shall obtain a VA email address to use in support of all related PWS requirements.
The MSR shall be organized according to the PWS Tasks, and shall include, at a minimum, the following items:
Any requirements stated in the PWS;
Roster of personnel;
Pending in-processing status for new personnel;
Pre-trip projections, detailing planned travel for the upcoming sixty (60) day period;
Post-trip summary log;
Submission of all information necessary to obtain VA email addresses for contract staff;
Planned replacements for the upcoming thirty (30) day period;
Current expenditures and forecasted expenditures toward completion of the PoP;
Identification of risks;
A summary of the tasks and work products completed;
Planned training schedule;
A status of all contract deliverables to include schedule of delivery; and
Any other items requested by the Government, through the CO.
6.1.3 Deliverables include the Monthly IPR Briefing and the Monthly Status Report.
Weekly Operations Meeting with Weekly Status Reports (WSR)
The Contractor shall participate and facilitate weekly update meetings. Weekly meetings shall be set up after the kick-off meeting, considering availability of VA PMO staff, providing phone dial in and/or web conferencing. The weekly status report shall highlight risks and issues as well as any outstanding items.
The WSR shall be delivered via email to both the COR and PM. A summary shall be provided (2) business days prior to the meeting. The Contractor, PM and/or COR shall facilitate the meeting. The Contractor shall track action items, and provide minutes within (1) business day of the meeting.
6.1.4 Deliverables include the Weekly Operations Meeting, Status Report, and Summary.
6.2 Operations
6.2.1 Operational Support
VA Support Concept: The objectives of this requirement are to provide technical support services necessary to assist VBA in managing the complete life cycle of Records Information Management System. Life cycle management of records includes, but is not limited to, record identification, creation, maintenance, indexing, preservation, collection, conversion, disposition, review for declassification, research, FOIA/Privacy Act (PA) review for release, and retirement/destruction.
The contractor shall provide technical, analytical, and professional support as required to satisfy the objectives stated above. This support must be provided within the core hours of 6:30 am 5:30 pm, (EST) as a minimum.
Research Activities: Records research support includes document handling and accountability, records review for information pertinent to a Veteran s claim, quality assurance, systems management, and database IT and management support. The records to be reviewed are a variety of media, including paper, electronic data, microfilm, microfiche, maps, and hand-written documents. The contractor must be required to research paper records at various locations and use a laptop computer to access records and correspond with U.S. Army Records Management and Declassification Agency (RMDA), National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), and VBA staff.
The contractor must comply with all records handling requirements to include requests for documents, signing out documents, and returning documents to the proper location. Contractor personnel shall be able to conduct independent reviews or participate as part of a team. In accordance with VA guidance to include monthly metrics and production statistics, the contractor shall prepare and submit reports. Compensation Service estimates that the contractor must be able to process a minimum of 1300 records research requests per month.
The contractor shall ensure compliance with all NARA policies and perform all duties necessary to receive, process, and respond to requests for information from Compensation Service analysts.
6.2.1 Deliverables include contractors processing at a minimum 1300 records research requests per month.
6.3 Training
6.3.1 Training Support
The contractor shall assist Compensation Service in preparing and presenting mission related training as required. The technology trainer shall deliver quality training of end-user programs, which includes the development of informal and formal Microsoft Office and Adobe training, course content and student learning objectives, course syllabi, lesson plans, and student handouts/manuals. This shall encompass meeting with government personnel, determining training requirements, and preparing for and delivering required training. Emphasis on ensuring excellent customer service will be a key to success and serve as a single point of contact for all Microsoft Office training, as well as additional training/Computer-Based Training (CBT) on government developed applications. The Contractor is encouraged to maximize the use of online and virtual tools to increase contact and communication with staff.
In support of the training environment, the contractor shall create and maintain help documents to assist Compensation Service personnel with Word, PowerPoint, Excel, SharePoint, and Acrobat, as well as create and maintain a training page for employees to find answers to commonly asked questions. The contractor shall provide guidance on technology and industry direction to Compensation Service on the latest trends, in addition to educating personnel on VA/VBA directives. The contractor shall maintain, update, and/or revise Computer-Based Training and Web-Based Training on all VBA supported business applications to benefit and enhance records, research, and declassification support to VA. Additionally, the Acronym List must be updated and managed in a searchable format for ease of use.
6.3.1 Deliverables include delivery of training and development of informal and formal training, course content and student learning objectives, course syllabi, lesson plans, and student handouts/manuals within first quarter of contract award.
6.3.2 Refresher Training
Conduct and update short-term course aimed at recall and reinforcement of previously acquired knowledge and skills with all the requisite skills and information necessary to successfully execute the required research. Occurs annually.
6.3.2 Deliverables include training delivery and development of refresher course within six months of contract award.
6.3.3 VBA Research Tool
Timely reporting and tracking of data are essential to the maintenance and sustainment of the records. The contractor must be responsible for safeguarding and maintaining any records used in the research of claims. The contractor must participate in the collection and categorization of operational records for expanding the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) research library.
6.3.3 Deliverables include accurate reporting and tracking of records by each research into the identified VA tool.
6.4 Plans, Analysis and Evaluation (PA&E) (FFP)
Planning, analysis and evaluation (PA&E) are at the core of all functions of this PWS. PA&E task shall support and foster a culture of evidence-based decision making to ensure Compensation Service maintains the capability to provide effective support to the regional offices. The Contractor shall support measuring program effectiveness to include reviewing objectives, recommend evaluation criteria, collecting data, synthesizing data, drafting reports and support in the implementation of results. Access to the appropriate databases will be provided to the extent required to carry out PWS requirements.
The Contractor shall:
Support short- and long-range strategic planning and implementation; track and report on progress toward the achievement of strategic goals; identify and overcome potential barriers to success.
Develop a formal performance management framework, which offers approaches that use measurement as a component of improving performance supported by an evaluation and data analytics infrastructure.
Support Compensation Service in conducting advanced data analytics through data mining, modeling, forecasting, and advanced statistical methods.
6.4 Deliverables include mid-year and end-of-year assessments of the program and quarterly advanced data analytics report.
6.5 (Optional Item) Maturation and Transition Priority Programs
6.5.1 Maturation of Records Research Model
The Contractor shall develop a proposed maturation framework approach to mature the current records research model to support effective and optimized management, integration and oversight.
6.5.1 Deliverables TBD
Delivery Schedule
All Contractor provided work products are to be furnished within the specified delivery schedule (see below). Any changes to delivery dates must be discussed with the CO and COR. Significant changes to delivery schedule must be requested in writing to the CO. If for any reason any deliverable cannot be delivered within the scheduled time frame, the Contractor is required to explain why in writing to the CO including a firm commitment of when the work will be completed. This notice will cite the reasons for the delay and the impact on the overall project. The CO will then review the facts and issue a response in accordance with applicable regulations. All deliverables shall be delivered to the Government network unless otherwise noted.
Task
Deliverable
Quantity
Delivery Date
6.1.1
Project Management Plan
1
NLT 14 days after award, updates throughout the PoP
6.1.2
Kickoff Briefing Materials
1
NLT 10 days after award
6.1.3
IPR Briefing and Status Report
12
Once Monthly
6.1.4
Operations Briefing and Status Report
52
Once Weekly
6.2.1
Minimum of 1300 records research requests completed
Monthly
6.3.1
Training delivery and development of informal and formal training, course content and student learning objectives, course syllabi, lesson plans, and student handouts/manuals
TBD
NLT 90 days after award
6.3.2
Training delivery and development of refresher course
2
Once Yearly
6.3.3
Reporting and tracking of records
TBD
Daily or as work is completed
6.4
Mid-year and end-of-year assessments of the program
2
Twice Yearly
6.4
Quarterly advanced data analytics report
4
Once a Quarter
6.5.1
TBD
TBD
TBD
Personnel
8.1 Personnel Qualifications
The tasks and projects are for the Department of Veterans Affairs, working with Department of Defense and the Military Services. It is preferred that the contractor is familiar with organizational structures of VA, DoD, the Services. It is also important that the contractor be well-versed in overall Records Management Programs and the applicable Federal regulations and laws. It is preferred the contractor be knowledgeable of NARA policies, guidance, and latest trends, and have experience in managing records, especially electronic, at various levels. Additionally, the contractor must be able to develop an in-depth and thorough knowledge and understanding of VA business processes and work-related subject matter and materials to address specific customer needs for each application.
The contractor shall possess the expertise and capabilities to develop and deliver video, audio, and graphics through the life cycle of video development to rendering and publishing video for user consumption.
The contractor shall be fully responsible for safeguarding all material upon receipt and for ensuring that the contents of materials are protected and not publicly released. Documents and data to be captured may be classified or otherwise considered sensitive. All personnel assigned to the various projects in the agency must be required to adhere to the guidelines prescribed under FOIA and the Privacy Act. Non-disclosure statements will need to be signed by those involved in the various projects and provided to the Government. The security classification of these documents is such that personnel will require the appropriate clearances, either Secret or Top Secret, and courier card authorizations. All contractor employees involved must be U.S. citizens.
8.2 Contractor Experience Requirements Key Personnel
Certain skilled, experienced professional and/or technical personnel are essential for accomplishing the work to be performed. These individuals are defined as Key Personnel and are those persons whose rC)sumC)s were submitted and marked by the Contractor as Key Personnel under the Technical factor. Prior to key personnel being removed, diverted, or replaced from work, Contractor shall provide notice to the PM, CO and COR. If such a circumstance is necessary, a comparable replacement shall meet the requirements of the PWS.
Substitution of Key Personnel: All Contractors requests for approval of substitutions hereunder shall be submitted in writing to the PM, COR and the CO at least fifteen (15) calendar days in advance of the effective date, whenever possible, and shall provide a detailed explanation of the circumstances necessitating the proposed substitution, a complete rC)sumC) for the proposed substitute, and any other information requested by the CO necessary to approve or disapprove the proposed substitution. The PM, COR, and the CO will evaluate such requests and promptly notify the Contractor of approval or disapproval in writing. New personnel shall not commence work until all necessary security requirements have been fulfilled.
Any substituted personnel shall have the equivalent or better education, experience, and credentials than the personnel they replace, subject to VA review and approval.
Furthermore, Contractor personnel shall be proficient using office automation equipment and software and have written and verbal communication skills to support VA. Additionally, Contractor personnel are expected to have professional conduct that portrays the VA positively. Should any Contractor personnel be determined to be unacceptable in terms of technical competency or unacceptable personal conduct while on-site or while working on contract activities, the Contractor shall immediately remove and replace the unacceptable on- site personnel at no additional cost to the Government. Contractor personnel are to serve in a support role; final decisions regarding VA business will always be made by Government personnel. Contractor personnel shall not imply or misrepresent themselves as VA employees.
Key personnel are as follows:
Principle: The Principle is defined as an individual with 15+, years of relevant experience: education: Bachelor's Degree with 15 years total relevant experience with certification in project management (e.g., Project Management Professional (PMP) or additional 4 years' experience in a related field). Skills/Experience: Experience relevant to the PWS of successfully managing large-scale organizations involving multiple programs in support of an agency s mission with a total lifecycle budget and complexity comparable to the contract at hand. The Principle shall have a proven track record of engaging with related agencies at a senior level.
Program Manager: The Program Manager is defined as an individual with 12+ years of relevant experience. Education: Bachelor's Degree with 12 years total relevant experience. Certifications: Certification in project management (e.g., Project Management Professional (PMP) or additional 4 years experience in a related field. Skills/Experience: Experience relevant to the PWS of successfully directing and controlling the activities of one or more large programs. The Program Manager shall have a proven track record of engaging with related agencies at a senior level.
Security
9.1 VA Information and Information System Security/Privacy Requirements
9.1.1 General
All Contractors and Contractor personnel shall be subject to the same Federal security and privacy laws, regulations, standards and VA policies as VA, including the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. B'552a, and VA personnel, regarding information and information system security. Contractors must follow policies and procedures outlined in VA Directive 6500, Information Security Program; and VA Handbook 6500.6, Contract Security which are available at: http://www1.va.gov/vapubs and its handbooks to ensure appropriate security controls are in place.
9.2 Access to VA Information and VA Information Systems
VA will supply the Contractor with the minimum logical (technical) and/or physical access to VA information and VA information systems for employees, sub-contractors: (1) to perform the services specified in the contract, (2) to perform necessary maintenance functions for electronic storage or transmission media necessary for performance of the contract, and (3) for individuals who first satisfy the same conditions, requirements, and restrictions that comparable VA employees must meet to have access to the same type of VA information.
All Contractors and subcontractors working with VA Sensitive Information are subject to the same investigative requirements as those of regular VA appointees or employees who have access to the same types of information. The level of background security investigation will be in accordance with VA Directive 0710, Handbook 0710, which are available at: http://www1.va.gov/vapubs, and VHA Directive 0710 and Implementation Handbook 0710.01, which are available at: http://www1.va.gov/vhapublications/index.cfm . Contractors are responsible for screening their employees. The following are VA's approved policy exceptions for meeting VA background screenings/investigative requirements for certain types of Contractor personnel:
Contractor personnel not accessing VA information resources, such as personnel hired to maintain the medical facility grounds, construction contracts, utility system contractors, etc.
Contractor personnel with limited and intermittent access to equipment connected to networks on which no VA sensitive information resides
Contractor personnel with limited and intermittent access to equipment connected to networks on which limited VA sensitive information resides and with limited and intermittent access to facilities at which they are escorted
9.3 VA Information Custodial Requirements
VA information provided to the Contractor for either the performance or administration of this contract shall only be used for those purposes. No other use is permitted without the CO s express written authorization. This clause expressly limits the Contractor s rights to use data as described in Rights in Data - General, FAR 52.227-14(d)(1). The Government shall retain the rights to all data and records produced in the execution or administration of this contract.
Prior to termination or completion of this contract, Contractor will not destroy information received from VA or gathered or created by the Contractor during performing this contract without prior written approval by the CO. A Contractor destroying data on VA s behalf must do so accordance with National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) requirements as outlined in VA Directive 6300, Records and Information Management and its Handbook 6300.1 Records Management Procedures, and applicable VA Records Control Schedules. All data and reports shall be transferred to VBA upon contract completion.
The Contractor shall not make copies of VA information, electronic or otherwise, except as necessary to perform the terms of the agreement or to preserve electronic information stored on Contractor electronic storage media for restoration in case any electronic equipment or data used by the Contractor needs to be restored to an operating state.
The Contractor shall not use technologies banned in VA in meeting the requirements of the contract (e.g., Bluetooth-enabled devices).
9.3.1 Physical Security
IfB the contract requires taking VAB data to a contractor site and the dataB contains Personally Identifiable Information,B the contractorB will provide an independent physical security assessmentB ofB their facilityB to the COR prior to commencing work.B General guidelines for physical securityB can be found inB VA Directive 0730, Section 6 (Physical Security) and VA Memorandum (subj:B IT Oversight & Compliance Information Physical Security Assessments) dated October 24, 2007.B B
9.4 Training
All Contractor and subcontractor personnel requiring access to VA information and VA information systems shall complete the following before being granted access to VA information and networks:
Sign and acknowledge understanding of and responsibilities for compliance with the National Rules of Behavior related to access to VA information and information systems
Successfully complete VA Information Security Awareness training and annual refresher training as required
Successfully complete VA Privacy Awareness training and annual refresher training as required
Successfully complete any additional Information Security or Privacy training as required for VA personnel with equivalent information system access
The Contractor shall provide to the COR a copy of the training certificates for each applicable employee within 1 week of the initiation of the contract and annually thereafter, as required. These online courses are located at www.tms.va.gov. To self-enroll, click the Create New User button on the red bar and complete the assigned training.B The COR will provide the contractor with the appropriate information to complete self-enrollment. Technical issues with TMS should be directed to the TMS help desk at vatmshelp@va.gov or 1.866.496.0463.
Failure to complete this mandatory training within the timeframe required will be grounds for suspension or termination of all physical and/or electronic access privileges and removal from work on the contract until the training is completed.
9.5 Contractor Personnel Security
All contract employees who require access to the VA site(s) and/or access to VA local area network (LAN) systems shall be the subject of a background investigation and must receive a favorable adjudication from the VA Security and Investigations Center (SIC). These requirements are applicable to all subcontractor personnel requiring the same level of Background Investigation.
The level of background security investigation will be in accordance with VA Directive 0710 dated September 10, 2004 and is available at http://www1.va.gov/vapubs/viewPublication.asp?Pub_ID=487&FType=2
9.6 Background Investigation
The contract employee level of background investigation required for this effort is NACI.
9.7 Contractor Responsibilities
1. The Contractor shall bear the expense of obtaining background investigations or reciprocals of previous investigations held that meet or exceed the required investigation level. The cost of background investigations is based on the current Office of Personnel Management (OPM) rate at the time the application is processed at OPM. Please see https://nbib.opm.gov/hr-security-personnel/investigations-billing-rates-resources/billing-rates/ for current rates. . VA will pay for investigations or reciprocals processed through the VA SIC and conducted by OPM in advance; however, the Contractor shall reimburse the full cost of background investigations/reciprocals to VA within 30 days of Bill of Collections received from VA. VA shall send up to three plus one final delinquent notice to the Contractor. If the Contractor does not adhere to the Bill of Collections, future invoices may be subject to be offset by VA to recoup background investigation/reciprocal costs.
2. Immediately after contract or task order award, the COR will provide the Contractor with the following background investigation documents to be completed by the Contractor and returned to the COR to begin the background investigation process for all contract employees working on the contract who will have access to VA facilities, VA systems, or privacy data:
Background Investigation Request Worksheet
Optional Form 306 Declaration of Federal Employment
Fingerprint Request Form
3. Upon receipt of the above-stated documents from the COR, the VBA Acquisition Staff will submit the background investigation package to the VSC Security Specialist for processing through the SIC. Upon notification of favorable fingerprint results, the contractor may begin work while the background investigation is ongoing. Thereafter, the Contractor will receive an email notification from the SIC identifying the website link that includes detailed instructions regarding completion of the background clearance application process in the Electronic Questionnaires for Investigations Processing (e-QIP) system. E-QIP is an online, Internet accessible system where the contractor employee shall complete the security questionnaire required for OPM to process the background investigation.
4. Contractors who have a current favorable background investigation previously conducted by OPM or Defense Security Service (DSS) may be accepted through reciprocation. When a previous clearance is currently held, it does not preclude the vendor from submitting a complete Background Investigation Package as stated above to the COR immediately after contract or task order award for all contract employees who will be working on the contract.
5. The Contractor shall prescreen all personnel who require access to VA site(s) and/or access to VA LAN systems to ensure they maintain a U.S. citizenship or Alien Registration that authorizes them to work in the U.S. and are able to read, write, speak and understand the English language.
6. Contract performance shall not commence before:
The VSC has confirmed favorable fingerprint results, or
SIC confirms that it has received the Contractor s investigative documents, the documents are complete, and that the investigation information has been released to OPM for scheduling of the background investigation, or
VSC or the SIC has confirmed that the verified investigation will be reciprocated.
7. The COR will notify and forward the Contractor a copy of the Certificate of Investigation when the background investigation has been favorably completed or a Certificate of Eligibility (Form 4236) if the investigation has been reciprocated. The Contractor, if notified of an unfavorable adjudication by the Government, shall withdraw the employee from consideration from working under the contract. Failure to comply with the Contractor personnel security requirements may result in termination of the contract for default.
8. The Contractor will be responsible for the actions of those contract and subcontract employees they provide to perform work for VA. In the event damage arises from work performed by Contractor personnel, under the auspices of the contract, the Contractor will be responsible for resources necessary to remedy the incident.
9. Should the Contractor use a vendor other than OPM or DSS to conduct investigations, the investigative company must be certified by OPM/DSS to conduct Contractor investigations. The Vendor Cage Code number must be provided to the VA SIC, which will verify the information and conclude whether access to the Government s site(s) and/or VA LAN systems can be granted.
10. The investigative history for Contractor personnel working under this contract must be maintained in the databases of either OPM or the Defense Industrial Security Clearance Organization (DISCO).
9.8 Government Responsibilities
1. After the SIC has adjudicated the background investigation package from the Contractor, the SIC will send an e-mail notification to the Contractor and their POC identifying the e-QIP website link that includes detailed instructions regarding completion of the background clearance application process and the level of background that was requested.
2. Upon receipt of required investigative documents, SIC will review the investigative documents for completion and initiate the background investigation by forwarding the investigative documents to OPM to conduct the background investigation. If the investigative documents are not complete, the SIC will notify the vendor of deficiencies and include corrective instructions.
B
3. VA will pay for investigations and reciprocals processed through the VA SIC and conducted by OPM in advance, however, the Contractor shall reimburse the full cost of background investigations/reciprocals to VA within 30 days of Bill of Collections from VA. VA shall send up to three plus one final delinquent notice to the Contractor. If the Contractor does not adhere to the Bill of Collections, future invoices may be subject to be offset by VA to recoup background investigation costs and may be considered grounds for default.
4. The COR will notify and forward the Contractor a copy of the Certificate of Investigation when the background investigation has been favorably adjudicated or a Certificate of Eligibility (Form 4236) if the investigation has been reciprocated. The COR will also notify the Contractor of an unfavorable adjudication by the Government.
9.8.1 Security Incident Investigation
The term security incident means an event that has, or could have, resulted in unauthorized access to, loss or damage to VA assets, or sensitive information, or an action the breaches VA security procedures. The contractor/subcontractor shall immediately notify the COR and simultaneously, the designated ISO and Privacy Officer for the contract of any known or suspected security/privacy incidents, or any unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information, including that contained in system(s) to which the contractor/subcontractor has access.
Security Violations: To the extent known by the contractor/subcontractor, the contractor/subcontractor s notice to VA shall identify the information involved, the circumstances surrounding the incident (including to whom, how, when, and where the VA information or assets were placed at risk or compromised), and any other information that the contractor/subcontractor considers relevant.
Data Breach: With respect to unsecured protected health information, the business associate is deemed to have discovered a data breach when the business associate knew or should have known of a breach of such information. Upon discovery, the business associate must notify the covered entity of the breach. Notifications need to be made in accordance with the executed business associate agreement.
Theft or Break-In: In instances of theft or break-in or other criminal activity, the contractor/subcontractor must concurrently report the incident to the appropriate law enforcement entity (or entities) of jurisdiction, including the VA OIG and Security and Law Enforcement. The contractor, its employees, and its subcontractors and their employees shall cooperate with VA and any law enforcement authority responsible for the investigation and prosecution of any possible criminal law violation(s) associated with any incident. The contractor/subcontractor shall cooperate with VA in any civil litigation to recover VA information, obtain monetary or other compensation from a third party for damages arising from any incident, or obtain injunctive relief against any third party arising from, or related to, the incident.
Notice of Security Incident: The contractor/subcontractor shall provide notice to VA of a security incident as set forth in the Security Incident Investigation section above. Upon such notification, VA must secure from a non-Department entity or the VA Office of Inspector General an independent risk analysis of the data breach to determine the level of risk associated with the data breach for the potential misuse of any sensitive personal information involved in the data breach. The term 'data breach' means the loss, theft, or other unauthorized access, or any access other than that incidental to the scope of employment, to data containing sensitive personal information, in electronic or printed form, that results in the potential compromise of the confidentiality or integrity of the data. Contractor shall fully cooperate with the entity performing the risk analysis. Failure to cooperate may be deemed a material breach and grounds for contract termination.
Liquidated Damages for Data Breach: Consistent with the requirements of 38 U.S.C. B' 5725, a contract may require access to sensitive personal information. If so, the Contractor is liable to VA for liquidated damages in the event of a data breach or privacy incident involving any SPI the contractor/subcontractor processes or maintains under this contract.
Notice of Security Incident: The contractor/subcontractor shall provide notice to VA of a security incident as set forth in the Security Incident Investigation section above. Upon such notification, VA must secure from a non-Department entity or the VA Office of Inspector General an independent risk analysis of the data breach to determine the level of risk associated with the data breach for the potential misuse of any sensitive personal information involved in the data breach. The term 'data breach' means the loss, theft, or other unauthorized access, or any access other than that incidental to the scope of employment, to data containing sensitive personal information, in electronic or printed form, that results in the potential compromise of the confidentiality or integrity of the data. Contractor shall fully cooperate with the entity performing the risk analysis. Failure to cooperate may be deemed a material breach and grounds for contract termination.
Security Risk Analysis: Each risk analysis shall address all relevant information concerning the data breach, including the following:
Nature of the event (loss, theft, unauthorized access)
Description of the event, including:
Date of occurrence
Data elements involved, including any PII, such as full name, social security number, date of birth, home address, account number, disability code;
Number of individuals affected or potentially affected;
Names of individuals or groups affected or potentially affected;
Ease of logical data access to the lost, stolen or improperly accessed data considering the degree of protection for the data, e.g., unencrypted, plain text;
Amount of time the data has been out of VA control;
The likelihood that the sensitive personal information will or has been compromised (made accessible to and usable by unauthorized persons);
Known misuses of data containing sensitive personal information, if any;
Assessment of the potential harm to the affected individuals
Data breach analysis as outlined in 6500.2 Handbook, Management of Security and Privacy Incidents as appropriate and
Whether credit protection services may assist record subjects in avoiding or mitigating the results of identity theft based on the sensitive personal information that may have been compromised.
Based on the determinations of the independent risk analysis, the contractor shall be responsible for paying to the VA liquidated damages in the amount of $ 37.50 per affected individual to cover the cost of providing credit protection services to affected individuals consisting of the following:
Notification;
One year of credit monitoring services consisting of automatic daily monitoring of at least 3 relevant credit bureau reports;
Data breach analysis;
Fraud resolution services, including writing dispute letters, initiating fraud alerts and credit freezes, to assist affected individuals to bring matters to resolution;
One year of identity theft insurance with $20,000.00 coverage at $0 deductible; and
Necessary legal expenses the subjects may incur to repair falsified or damaged credit records, histories, or financial affairs.
Reimbursement: Based on the determinations of the independent risk analysis, the Contractor shall be responsible for paying to the VA liquidated damages in the amount of $37.50 per affected individual to cover the cost of providing credit protection services to affected individuals consisting of the following:
Notification;
One year of credit monitoring services consisting of automatic daily monitoring of at least 3 relevant credit bureau reports;
Data breach analysis;
Fraud resolution services, including writing dispute letters, initiating fraud alerts and credit freezes, to assist affected individuals to bring matters to resolution;
One year of identity theft insurance with $20,000.00 coverage at $0 deductible and;
Necessary legal expenses the subjects may incur to repair falsified or damaged credit records, histories or financial affairs.
9.9 Government-Furnished Information, Equipment, and Facilities
The Government will provide office space, telephone service, IT communication devices and commodities, VA network access when authorized contract staff work at a Government location as required to accomplish the tasks associated with this PWS. All procedural guides, reference materials, and program documentation for the project and other Government applications will also be provided on an as-needed basis.
The contractor shall request other Government documentation deemed pertinent to the work accomplishment directly from the Government officials with whom the contractor has contact. The contractor shall consider the COR as the final source for needed Government documentation when the contractor fails to secure the documents by other means. The contractor is expected to use common knowledge and resourcefulness in securing all other reference materials, standard industry publications, and related materials that are pertinent to the work.
VA may provide remote access to VA specific systems/network in accordance with VA Handbook 6500, which requires the use of a VA approved method to connect external equipment/systems to VA s network. Citrix Access Gateway (CAG) is the current and only VA approved method for remote access users when using or manipulating VA information for official VA Business. VA permits CAG remote access through approved Personally Owned Equipment (POE) and Other Equipment (OE) provided the equipment meets all applicable 6500 Handbook requirements for POE/OE. All the security controls required for Government furnished equipment (GFE) must be utilized in approved POE or OE. The contractor shall provide proof to the COR for review and approval that their POE or OE meets the VA Handbook 6500 requirements and VA Handbook 6500.6 Appendix C, herein incorporated as Addendum B, before use. CAG authorized users shall not be permitted to copy, print or save any VA information accessed via CAG at any time. VA prohibits remote access to VA s network from non-North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries. The exception to this is countries where VA has approved operations established (e.g. Philippines and South Korea). Exceptions are determined by the COR in coordination with the Information Security Officer (ISO) and Privacy Officer (PO).
This remote access may provide access to VA specific software such as Veterans Health Information System and Technology Architecture (VistA), ClearQuest, ProPath, Primavera, and Remedy, including appropriate seat management and user licenses, depending upon the level of access granted. The contractor shall utilize government-provided software development and test accounts, document and requirements repositories, etc. as required for the development, storage, maintenance and delivery of products within the scope of this effort. The contractor shall not transmit, store or otherwise maintain sensitive data or products in contractor systems (or media) within the VA firewall in accordance with VA Handbook 6500.6 dated March 12, 2010. All VA sensitive information shall always be protected in accordance with VA Handbook 6500, local security field office System Security Plans (SSPs) and Authority to Operate (ATO) for all systems/LAN s accessed while performing the tasks detailed in this PWS. The contractor shall ensure all work is performed in countries deemed not to pose a significant security risk.
Performance Metrics
The table below defines the Performance Standards and Acceptable Performance Levels for Objectives associated with this effort.
Deliverable or Requirement
Performance Standard
Surveillance
Method
Acceptable Performance Level
6.1.1 Project Management Plan
The PMP shall be timely, comprehensive, thoughtful, and relevant.B The PMP shall be completed on time.B Weekly status reports will be complete and accurate.B Monthly progress reports will be complete and accurate.
100% inspection
Two or fewer errors or omissions in the reports and on-time 100%
6.2.1 Operational Program Analysis Minimum 1300 requests completed
Each researcher shall complete at a minimum 1300 records research requests. Each request will be completed accurately and timely (within 40 days).
Random sampling (10x per month per researcher)
One or fewer errors or omissions and on time 100%
6.3.1 Training
Training shall be conducted timely at all training material shall be comprehensive, thoughtful, and relevant.B
100% inspection and results from test
Researcher shall pass test at 85% or higher
6.3.2 Refresher Training
Training shall be conducted timely at all training material shall be comprehensive, thoughtful, and relevant.
100% inspection and results from test
Researcher shall pass test at 90% or higher
6.4 Program Assessment
Deliverable shall be timely, comprehensive, thoughtful, and relevant.B The Assessments shall be completed on time.B Written in a professional business style. Recommendations related to assessments should be provided.
100% inspection
Two or fewer errors or omissions and on time 100%
6.5 TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
Changes to the Performance Work Statement
Any changes to this PWS shall be authorized and approved only through written correspondence from the CO through execution of a modification. Costs incurred by the Contractor through the actions of parties other than the CO shall be borne by the Contractor.
Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Benefits Adminsitration
Contract Specialist Ross Byrne
ross.byrne@va.gov
