Loren Data's SAM Daily™

FBO DAILY ISSUE OF APRIL 21, 2011 FBO #3435
DOCUMENT

D -- eCMS Support Services Market Research - Attachment

Notice Date

4/19/2011
 

Notice Type

Attachment
 

NAICS

541519 — Other Computer Related Services
 

Contracting Office

Department of Veterans Affairs;Center for Acquisition Innovation-Austin;1701 Directors Blvd;Suite 600;Austin TX 78744
 

ZIP Code

78744
 

Solicitation Number

VA798A11RI0157
 

Response Due

5/19/2011
 

Archive Date

6/18/2011
 

Point of Contact

Sylvia Thomas
 

Small Business Set-Aside

Total Small Business
 

Description

THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS REQUEST FOR INFORMATION SUPPORT SERVICES FOR THE ELECTRONIC CONTRACT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM ("eCMS") DISCLAIMER This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. All information received in response to this RFI that is marked as proprietary will be handled accordingly. In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI. Performance Work Statement (PWS) Department of Veterans Affairs Electronic Contract Management System (eCMS) Support Services February 2011 1.0Introduction. 1.1 Purpose. The purpose of this project is to acquire services to support the users of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Electronic Contract Management System. 1.2 Background. The Electronic Contract Management System (eCMS) processes on a series of servers located at the Austin Information Technology Center. End user support is addressed in concert with contracting office eCMS Application Coordinators (ACs) located thoughout the country. 2.0 Scope of Work. This procurement action is to acquire services related to the VA eCMS user administration. The contractor shall provide a full-time resource to deliver IT services in support of the VA eCMS program as described herein. This resource shall be fully trained, with experience in using the eCMS and knowledge of VA acquisition business processes, to be able to provide direct support to eCMS users nationwide. 2.1 Other Personnel Considerations. Personnel assigned by the contractor to the performance of work on this contract shall be acceptable to VA in terms of personal and professional conduct and technical knowledge. Should the assignment to this contract of any person in the contractor's organization be deemed to conflict with the interests of VA, or in the event performance is deemed to be unsatisfactory at any time during the life of the contract, the Contracting Officer will notify the contractor and may request that the person be immediately removed from the assignment. Replacement personnel qualifications shall be equal to or greater than those of the personnel being replaced. 2.2 Hours of Work. At a minimum, hours of work shall occur during normal Federal Government workdays and provide adequate coverage between core hours of 9 AM and 3:30 PM. Due to the requirement for close coordination with VA personnel, contractor employees are expected to maintain a work schedule that mirrors that of the VA personnel with which they work closely. Occasionally the contractor shall be required to work outside the normal 6 AM to 6 PM, Monday through Friday production hours. 2.3 Service Availability. If the assigned Contractor resource providing services in support of this requirement is unable to provide the required services, for any reason, for a consecutive period of more than 3 workdays, the Contractor shall, unless otherwise directed by the Contracting Officer, provide a replacement at no increase in contract price. Additionally, the Contractor shall provide a replacement (at no increase in contract price) for any full workday that the resource is unable to provide services, should that person's cumulative number of missed workdays exceed 10, for the entire period of performance. If the Contractor is unable to provide a replacement as required herein, a deduction will be made to the Contractor's invoice to account for the reduced level of service, or, at the VA's discretion, the Contractor may be allowed to work additional time to compensate for such time missed. If the VA chooses to reduce the invoice, such deduction will be based on the number of hours of service missed multiplied by an hourly rate to be negotiated at such time. This hourly rate will be based proportionally on the total fixed contract price for the resource. 2.4 Holidays. VA will observe U.S. holidays designated by Federal law, Executive Order or Presidential Proclamation. For a list of the holidays the VA observes at the performance location contact the COTR. 3.0 Specific Requirements. 3.1 eCMS Administration. "Perform all systems administration functions for the eCMS system, including configuration of user accounts, assignment of roles and permissions, specification of site data and Contracting Office data. This work shall be in coordination with the eCMS Application Coordinators (ACs). "Verification that the appropriate security documentation has been submitted for requesting access to eCMS. Review of user registrations to ensure conformance to VA format. "Maintenance of Contracting Office ACs accounts, assigning or deleting permissions or privileges as ACs change. "Managing eCMS user and eCMS ACs electronic mail (e-mail) distribution lists and mail-groups. "Collect eCMS data and materials that may potentially be of benefit to the VA eCMS users and composing appropriate documents for distribution to VA contracting officers. "Participates in working groups to enhance the eCMS system. "Provides testing and analysis of changes to the eCMS program via patches and version changes. "Validate user configuration change requests and as necessary submits/documents requests to the eCMS Contractor. 3.2 User Support. "As necessary to assist users, provide ad hoc and scheduled support sessions. Such sessions shall be coordinated with the eCMS ACs. These sessions may be one-on-one or with several participants. "Shall be required to mentor ACs in the proper use of the eCMS system, so these users may act as eCMS subject matter experts for VA contracting staff within their VA organizational entity. Interact on a one-on-one basis with Contracting Office ACs, respond to their inquiries, and regularly assist in reviews of eCMS features. "Shall provide on-call support for eCMS ACs and shall be available to assist on an ad hoc basis, as help requests are received. Support shall include telephone, e-mail, and web cast support to eCMS ACs, documenting help desk requests, providing status updates and resolution. "Monitor the VA eCMS Administrator Email account and respond to user questions via this forum. In working with eCMS users, shall also promote use of the Application Coordinators for fielding questions. Will attend the periodic Application Coordinator calls and participate via the AC Email-group as a means of prompting discussion among VA eCMS ACs nationwide. 3.3 eCMS Change Requests, Change Control Board, and Business Processes. "In working with eCMS, identify any corrections, modifications or additions that may be required to the eCMS system capabilities, or business processes, and forward such modifications or enhancement to the eCMS Change Control Board (CCB) for entry into the Change Requests (CR) database. "Attend eCMS CCB meetings via teleconference to ensure VA requirements are not overlooked. Monitor and analyze proposed eCMS enhancements, identifying those changes that meet the needs of the VA. "Assist ECBSO and other eCMS users in identification of new requests and/or in clarification of existing requests. 3.4 Reporting. "The Contractor shall attend a weekly call with the VA staff providing user support to discuss status of any system issues impacting the eCMS ACs and end users. The Contractor shall immediately report to the eCMS Project Team and the eCMS Contractor any system issues having impact on a specific contracting office, several contracting offices or on all eCMS users. Notification shall be via email, and if network issues are impacting email delivery, via telphone. If the Contractor does not receive a response from either the eCMS Project Team or the eCMS Contractor within 15 minutes, the Contractor will follow up with the eCMS Project Team via telephone. 4.0 Deliverables. 4.1 IT Services Associated With 3.0. Such services include identification of eCMS issues, recommended actions related to those issues, and implementation of such actions as approved by the Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR); administration of system modifications as necessary to address changes or enhancements; proposing new enhancements and reports, and implementation of same as approved by the COTR; related end-user assistance; and responding to queries for system usage statistics as coordinated with and approved by the COTR. The Contractor will meet with the VA staff supporting the eCMS end users on a weekly basis or more frequently should system monitoring activity dictate. A weekly support call will occur before noon eastern time on Monday's unless prior agreement for a derivation by the COTR. 5.0 Service Delivery Schedule. Deliverables (Performance Requirements)Standard (Performance Standards)Monitoring Method (Quality Assurance)Maximum Payment % for Meeting/Exceeding Standard (Incentives/Remedies) 3.1 eCMS AdministrationSystem administration provides viable timely solutions and requires re-work no more than 5% of the time. Project Manager and COTR verification that the requirements of the standard are satisfied100% payment Reduction of 5% of the monthly billing for this contract in any month where a deliverable of this type fails to meet the standard and is not corrected within 2 workdays. 3.2 User SupportUser Support provided meets user requirements. Support provided requires re-work no more than 5% of the time. Project Manager and COTR verification that the requirements of the standard are satisfied100% payment Reduction of 5% of the monthly billing for this contract in any month where a deliverable of this type fails to meet the standard and is not corrected within 2 workdays. 3.3 Change Requests, CCB, and Business ProcessesNo change request situations go unreported and shall offer an accurate, complete description of the issues. Change requests require re-work no more than 5% of the time.Project Manager and COTR verification that the requirements of the standard are satisfied100% payment Reduction of 5% of the monthly billing for this contract in any month where a deliverable of this type fails to meet the standard and is not corrected within 2 workdays. 3.4 Reporting Reporting of system issues is accurate, complete, meets professional standards, and submitted on time. Issue followup occurs timely on 95% of the incidents.Project Manager and COTR verification that the requirements of the standard are satisfied100% payment Reduction of 5% of the monthly billing for this contract any month where a deliverable of this type fails to meet the standard and is not repaired within 2 workdays Deliverables shall be provided in the appropriate form for the deliverable products to the VA eCMS Contracting Officer, COTR, and Project Manager. Document deliverables shall be provided in Microsoft Word or other Microsoft Office document format. Electronic mail delivery is required, with the receiving party replying via e-mail to acknowledge receipt. Management and oversight of this effort shall be compliant with the project management principles and guidelines utilized for the overall eCMS effort. This oversight includes reviews and audits as required for compliance. The Contractor will assign a program manager to oversee this contract under general project management principles. Status shall be reported in a separate weekly status report, but discussed during the weekly eCMS project status meeting. 6.0 General Information. 6.1 Place of Performance. The Work shall be performed either on-site at VA provided facilities in Washington DC or at a Contractor provided location. Prior approval for travel is required and shall be authorized by the Contracting Officer and funded by the Government, on a case-by-case basis. Travel costs will be paid in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) in effect at the time of the Order. The Contractor may be required to travel by Government-provided transportation. 6.2 Government Furnished Property and Facilities. Should the Contractor employee work offsite the Contractor shall provide office support for the Contractor employee, including, but not limited to, office space and furniture, office supplies and telephone services as are reasonable in fulfilling the requirements of the SOW. Government will furnish computer hardware and software, (including security software) necessary to connect to VA Network. 6.2.1The contractor shall ensure adequate LAN/Internet, data, information, and system security in accordance with VA standard operating procedures and standard contract language, conditions, laws, and regulations. The contractor's firewall and web server will meet or exceed the Government minimum requirements for security. All government data will be protected behind an approved firewall. Any security violations or attempted violations will be reported to the VA project manager and VA Information Security Officer as soon as possible. The contractor shall follow all applicable VA policies and procedures governing information security, especially those that pertain to certification and accreditation. 6.2.2N/A. 6.2.3All persons requiring access to VA information systems shall sign a System Rules of Behavior Notice for those systems before being given access, and annually thereafter. Each employee requiring access to a VA system shall be required to submit the information necessary to prepare VA form 9957. 6.2.4All computer systems residing on VA premises or under VA control will be administered by VA System Administration staff. Contractor personnel will be granted only the least access required to accomplish activities associated with this Order. 6.2.5All employees of the Contractor must sign a non-disclosure agreement regarding release of data and information pertaining to the contract and publication of data and information of material related to the project. 6.2.6VA will provide limited access to the VA computer systems via the One VA Virtual Private Network (VPN) to the Contractor during the term of this Order. 6.2.7The Government will provide system access for off-site work in accordance with VA standard's local security regulations and rules of conduct. The Government will also provide the Contractor procedural guides, standards, reference materials, and program documentation for use to perform the requirements of this SOW. 6.3 Data. The Government shall have unlimited rights to all deliverables developed by the Contractor under this contract: 6.3.1Confidentiality of Data and Privacy Act. Any information systems involved with this Order are classified as systems of records subject to the Privacy Act of 1974 (Public Law 93-579). The Contractor may, during performance, observe or handle information subject to the Privacy Act or other Federal regulations. Duplication or disclosure of data and other information to which the Contractor shall or may have access because of this Order is prohibited by law. It is understood that throughout the performance of the Order, the Contractor may have access to confidential data that is either the sole property of VA, or is the sole property of other than the contracting parties. The Contractor hereby agrees to maintain the confidentiality of all such data to which access may be gained throughout contract performance, whether title thereto vests in VA or otherwise. The Contractor hereby agrees not to disclose said data, any interpretations thereof, or data derivative there to unauthorized parties in contravention of the provisions, without the written approval of the Contracting Officer, or the party in which title thereto is wholly vested. Also, FAR 52.224-1, Privacy Act Notification, and FAR 52.224-2, Privacy Act, as stated in Section I, Contract Clauses, apply to this Order. All Contractor personnel performing on this Order will be required to sign a Certificate of Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure prior to commencing work. The Certificate will be provided and maintained by the COTR. 6.3.2Limited Use of Data and Information. The presentation of any report of analytical material based on information obtained from this Order is prohibited unless approved by the COTR in writing. Presentation includes, but is not limited to, papers, articles, professional publications, speeches, testimony, or interviews with public print or broadcast media. VA will review the materials for accuracy, content, and manner of presentation with an eye toward the protection of the privacy of individuals. The Contractor and its personnel shall not divulge or release data or information developed or obtained in performance of this Order without written approval of the Contracting Officer. The Contractor shall not use, disclose, or reproduce proprietary information or data, which bears a restrictive legend, other than as required in the performance of this Order. This does not preclude the use of any data independently acquired by the Contractor without such limitations or prohibit in agreement (at no cost to VA) between the Contractor and the data owner, which provides for greater rights to the Contractor. The details of any safeguards that the Contractor designs or develops under this Order shall become the property of VA and shall not be published or disclosed in any manner without the express written consent of the Contracting Officer. If the Contractor, in the performance of this Order, obtains access to information, which has not been released, to the public, the Contractor may not: 6.3.2.1Use such information for any private purposes unless the information has been released to the public. 6.3.2.2Submit an unsolicited proposal to the Government, which is based on such information until one year after the release of such information to the public. 6.3.2.3Release such information without prior written approval by the Contracting Officer. The Contractor has the responsibility to obtain from its subcontractors all data and rights therein necessary to fulfill the Contractor's obligations to VA (including licensed software, if any) under this Order. If a subcontractor refuses to accept terms affording VA such rights, the Contractor must promptly bring such refusal to the attention of the Contracting Officer and not proceed with subcontract award without further authorization. 6.3.3Proprietary Data. If for any reason the Contractor is unable to complete performance under this Order or, if following the completion of this Order the Contractor ceases to provide support for any software described in this Order, the Contractor agrees to provide to VA any proprietary software or documentation that is relevant to the work performed under this Order. This provision applies to any data that would be necessary for the maintenance and continued development of any automated information systems, including but not limited to, system source and object codes, supporting system software and all relevant documentation and source listings. This data shall be provided to VA at no additional cost within thirty (30) calendar days following work stoppage. 6.3.4Rights in Government Furnished Data and Materials. VA will retain all rights and privileges, including those of patent and copy, to all Government furnished data. The Contractor shall neither retain nor reproduce for private or commercial use any data or other materials furnished under this Order. The Contractor agrees not to assert any rights at common law or in equity or establish any claim to statutory copyright in such data. These rights are not exclusive and are in addition to any other rights and remedies to which the Government is otherwise entitled elsewhere in this Order. 6.3.5The Contracting Officer is the sole authorized official to release, verbally or in writing, any data, the draft deliverables, the final deliverables, press releases or any other written or printed materials pertaining to this Order. The Contractor shall not release information without prior authorization. Any request for information relating to this Order, and presented to the Contractor, shall be submitted to the Contracting Officer at least thirty (30) days in advance of the desired release date. 6.4 Security and Access to Government Property and Facilities. The Contractor shall provide personnel to perform this contract who have the appropriate security credentials without delay. The Government will not be responsible for any direct costs associated with obtaining the appropriate security credentials. The following requirements shall apply to Contractor personnel during performance of the contract: 6.4.1Facility Access and Security. Contractor personnel performing work under this Order shall satisfy all requirements for appropriate security eligibility in dealing with access to sensitive information and information systems belonging to or being used on behalf of VA. 6.4.2The investigative history for Contractor personnel working under this contract must be maintained in the databases of either the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) or the Defense Industrial Security Clearance Organization (DISCO). Should the Contractor use a vendor other than OPM or Defense Security Service (DSS) to conduct investigations, the investigative company must be certified by OPM/DSS to conduct Contractor investigations. All costs associated with obtaining clearances for Contractor provided personnel shall be the responsibility of the Contractor. Further, the Contractor shall be responsible for the actions of all individuals provided to work for the VA under this Order. In the event that damages arise from work performed by Contractor provided personnel, under the auspices of this Order, the Contractor shall be responsible for all resources necessary to remedy the incident. Failure to meet these requirements within 10 calendar days, unless otherwise explicitly specified by the COTR, will be grounds for suspension or termination of all building and/or computer privileges, and removal from work on the Order, until such time as the requirement is fulfilled. 6.4.3Contractor personnel requiring unescorted physical access to VA Central Office (VACO) will be required to submit personal identifying information (full legal name: first, middle, and last), date of birth, state-issued driver's license or identification card number and the state that issued it, and name as it appears on the card) and may be subject to a criminal history check. Visitors who are not subjected to the criminal history check may need to be escorted at all times by someone who has been issued a permanent VACO ID badge. The cost of conducting the criminal history check is the responsibility of the contractor. The contractor shall pre-screen all personnel requiring physical access to the property to ensure they are legally able to work in the U.S. and are not currently sought by law enforcement authorities. Adjudication of information discovered during or after the criminal history check is solely the responsibility of the Chief, Security Services. Being admitted entry into the VACO, based on a finding of no criminal history, does not convey any security clearance. Contractor personnel's physical access privileges may be revoked at any time because of personal misconduct, including any type of safety- or security-related misconduct, criminal conduct, psychological instability, including illegal use or possession of controlled substances, or financial irresponsibility. If authorized access to VACO, each Contractor representative will have their picture taken and a permanent badge issued. Contractor personnel shall conspicuously display, on his/her person, a Government-provided identification badge while on-site at VACO. The identification badge, and associated data, shall be kept in a Government-maintained computer database for security purposes. All Contractor personnel must provide photo identification, when requested by any VACO security personnel. Badges issued to the Contractor's personnel, remain the property of the Government, must be protected from loss or damage, and must be relinquished to any VACO security personnel when requested, or upon completion of the work under this SOW. 6.4.4Contractor employees performing on this Order are required to complete the VA's on-line Security and Privacy Awareness Training courses annually. Contractors must provide signed certification of completion to the COTR during each year of the Order. This requirement is in addition to any other training that may be imposed by the VA. When Contractor personnel are on-site at VACO, Contractor personnel shall follow all established regulations, policies and standard operating procedures applicable to the facility. Violations of VA regulations and policies may result in the Contractor's personnel being removed from the premises and may result in termination of the Order for default. The Government will not be responsible for any of the Contractor's costs for replacement of personnel removed from a VA site for reasons associated with safety, security, and unprofessional or inappropriate conduct. 6.4.5The Contractor shall obtain all necessary licenses and/or permits required to perform the work. The Contractor shall take all reasonable precautions necessary to protect persons and property from injury or damage during the performance of this Order. Failure to complete the work by the required completion date, caused by delays in requesting security clearances, or due to revocation of access privileges resulting solely from the actions of the Contractor or their personnel, is not sufficient reason to warrant an extension in the Order time or amount. 6.4.6VA reserves the right to order Contractor personnel off the VACO site and take other security precautions in the event of an emergency, Government shutdown, times of elevated security risk, or any other reason deemed necessary by VA management or security staff. Contractor personnel must immediately leave the site and may not return until authorized by the COTR. 6.4.7Only business directly related to this Order may be conducted at VACO. All other business must be conducted off of Government property. Contractors may only be on-site when conducting business actually associated with the performance of this Order. 6.5Personnel Security. 6.5.1The work associated with this Order has been determined to have Low Risk sensitivity. To satisfy the VA requirements, an initial Interim Background Clearance will be completed prior to beginning work, which will be followed up with a Low Risk Background Investigation to perform work under this Order. Appropriate Background Investigation (BI) forms will be provided upon Order award, and are to be completed and returned to the VA Security and Investigations Center (SIC) within thirty (30) days for processing. Contractors shall be notified by SIC when the BI has been completed. 6.5.2The Contractor shall prescreen all personnel requiring access to the computer systems to ensure they maintain a U.S. citizenship, and are able to read, write, speak and understand the English language. The Contractor shall provide the name, address, and date of birth, Social Security Number and any other pertinent and relevant information of the Contractor personnel assigned to this project to the COTR prior to Post Award Conference. 6.5.3The Contractor shall bear the expense of obtaining background investigations. If the investigation is conducted by the OPM, the contractor shall reimburse VA within thirty (30) days. 6.5.4The Contractor shall submit or have their personnel submit the required forms (SF 85P - Questionnaire for Public Trust Positions, SF 85P-S - Supplemental Questionnaire for Selected Positions, FD 258 - U.S. Department of Justice Fingerprint Applicant Chart, VA Form 0710 - Authority for Release of Information Form, Optional Form 306 - Declaration for Federal Employment, and Optional Form 612 - Optional Application for Federal Employment) to the VA SIC within 30 calendar days of receipt. These forms can be obtained by the contractor at the following Web site: http://www.va.gov/vabackground_investigations. 6.5.5All costs associated with obtaining clearances for Contractor personnel will be the responsibility of the contractor. Further, the Contractor shall be responsible for the actions of all individuals provided to work for VA under this Order. In the event that damages arise from work performed by Contractor provided personnel, under the auspices of this Order, the Contractor shall be responsible for all resources necessary to remedy the incident. 6.5.6The Contractor, when notified of an unfavorable determination by the Government, will withdraw the employee from consideration from working under the Order. 6.5.7Failure to comply with the personnel security requirements may result in termination of the Order for default. 6.5.8The VA SIC will notify the Contracting Officer and Contractor after adjudicating the results of the background investigations received from OPM. 6.5.9The Contracting Officer will ensure that the Contractor provides evidence that investigations have been completed or are in the process of being requested. 6.6Cyber Security Requirements and Specifications. 6.6.1VA computer systems designated as sensitive include any system that contains information that is subject to the Privacy Act or other regulations, or the modification of which could adversely affect the performance of Federal programs. Every computer system at VACO is considered to be sensitive. Therefore, Contractor personnel performing on the Order will have applied for the background investigation referenced in 6.5.1 above before getting access to VA computer systems. 6.6.2Should the Contractor need to obtain access to VA computer systems from off-site locations during performance of the Order, the Contractor shall ensure adequate LAN/Internet, data, information, and system security in accordance with VA standard operating procedures and standard contract language, conditions, laws, and regulations. The contractor's firewall and web server shall meet or exceed the Government minimum requirements for security. All Government data will be protected behind an approved firewall. Any security violations or attempted violations will be reported to the COTR and VA Information Security Officer as soon as possible. The Contractor shall follow all applicable VA policies and procedures governing information security, especially those that pertain to certification and accreditation.
 

Web Link

FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/notices/1f836c1391f1c60fd17ffda382d9b22b)
 

Document(s)

Attachment
 

File Name: VA798A-11-RI-0157 VA798A-11-RI-0157 ECMS SUPPORT SERVICES.docx (https://www.vendorportal.ecms.va.gov/FBODocumentServer/DocumentServer.aspx?DocumentId=192599&FileName=VA798A-11-RI-0157-000.docx)

Link: https://www.vendorportal.ecms.va.gov/FBODocumentServer/DocumentServer.aspx?DocumentId=192599&FileName=VA798A-11-RI-0157-000.docx

 

Note: If links are broken, refer to Point of Contact above or contact the FBO Help Desk at 877-472-3779.
 

Place of Performance

Address: Department of Veterans Affairs;810 Vermont Avenue, NW;Washington, DC 20420

Zip Code: 20420
 

Record

SN02427860-W 20110421/110419234620-1f836c1391f1c60fd17ffda382d9b22b (fbodaily.com)
 

Source

FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)

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