SOLICITATION NOTICE
R -- COVID Door Screeners for the North Texas Health Care System
- Notice Date
- 7/6/2020 3:47:11 PM
- Notice Type
- Combined Synopsis/Solicitation
- NAICS
- 561320
— Temporary Help Services
- Contracting Office
- 257-NETWORK CONTRACT OFFICE 17 (36C257) ARLINGTON TX 76006 USA
- ZIP Code
- 76006
- Solicitation Number
- 36C25720Q0943
- Response Due
- 7/10/2020 8:00:00 AM
- Archive Date
- 07/17/2020
- Point of Contact
- Victoria G Rone, Victoria.Rone3@va.gov, Phone: 972-708-0843
- E-Mail Address
-
victoria.rone3@va.gov
(victoria.rone3@va.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- SBA Total Small Business Set-Aside (FAR 19.5)
- Awardee
- null
- Description
- The purpose of this amendment to Combined Synopsis/Solicitation Notice 36C25720Q0943 is to provide answers to questions and an updated Performance Work Statement. The question submittal due date and time closed on Wednesday, July 1, 2020 at 9:00am CST and NO further questions received after this date will not be answered. There are no changes to the due date and time for the submittal of offers/quotes. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Respectfully request that this contract be set-aside for SDVOSB or at least preference be given to SDVOSB on a sliding tier basis. The government at this time will not be changing its acquisition strategy. Will the screeners have any relationship or be covered by a collective bargaining agreement or in any way be involved with a union. No Is it possible to change the unit in the Price Cost schedule from 1 year to hourly due to possible changes in workload that are unforeseen? Interested/qualified offerors can submit the pricing in the format in which they feel is most suitable to meet the solicitation requirements. Page 2 - ESTIMATED QUANTITY OF REQUIRED EMPLOYEES PER LOCATION: Are the number of employees the number expected to be on duty during posted hours? For example, in Tyler facility you want two screeners on duty from 0700-1630 M-F. The number of required screeners per location is outlined in the solicitation. The offeror needs to provide their technical approach to meeting the government s need. Page 4 - Contractor Personnel Roster. Can the seven-day requirement be changed to 10 workdays? Seven days is not enough time to confirm acceptance, run background checks and do all the initial onboarding tasks required. 7-10 workdays are acceptable Page 4 - Contractor Responsibilities. para 4 - ""Contractor shall designate a full-time supervisor to be on site during set-up, tear-down operations, and performance of the work."" Do you want on-site supervisors on duty at each location? For example, where we have one screener working at Polk, do we also need an on-site supervisor as well? Which locations do you want an on-site supervisor? Dallas, Bonham and FWOPC should have supervisors on station the other locations should have a supervisor to report to at the other locations that can handle issues and address concerns immediately. Will we be given office space at the VA facility for the on-site supervisor to work from? No Page 4 - Contractor Responsibilities. para 5 - Does the VA currently have door screening service procedures that we can use to ensure we meet your expectations in tailoring our process to your needs? No Page 5 - Training/Licenses/Qualifications. para 1 - ""fully trained, experienced, professional door screening staff, Suggest changing ""experienced"" to ""capable."" I doubt that we will be able to find ~100 experienced COVID door screeners to cover the 77 required daily staff. Only qualified/interested parties who can meet the needs of the government s entirely shall submit an offer for this solicitation. Page 5 - Training/Licenses/Qualifications. para 3 - ""a training program on security, patient privacy, safety, emergency procedures, accidents/injuries and communication with Medical Center staff."" Can the Contractor utilize the VA's TMS system to train our screeners in the VAMC procedures or at least may my training officer have access to the TMS courses to develop our own training to make sure they are compliant with the VA procedures? We will provide VA information, however a qualified company providing similar services should have these general elements already in their training and should not solely depend on TMS as a guide to meet the expectation. We ll provide knowledge experts to provide a VA orientation regarding VA side of expectations related to safety, police, infection control and privacy. Page 6, para 2. Can the Contract screeners take the VA training on customer service to meet this contract requirement and to ensure consistent training? We will provide a customer service training related to the VA; however, a qualified contractor should have set requirements for training staff related to customer service and development that they ve created/developed for their staff. They should not depend on the VA training to meet this requirement. Again, if they are an experienced company performing work such as this then customer service training would be a key aspect of training and development for handling customers daily regarding service and potential conflicts. Page 6, para 6. Can the seven-day requirement be changed to 10 workdays? Seven days is not enough time to confirm acceptance, run background checks and do all the initial onboarding tasks required. 7-10 workdays are acceptable Page 6, para 7 Did you intend to have the Contracting Officer be responsible for this requirement or the COR? Contracting officers have authority to enter into, administer, or terminate contracts and make related determinations and findings. Contracting officers may bind the Government only to the extent of the authority delegated to them. No contract shall be entered unless the contracting officer ensures that all requirements of law, executive orders, regulations, and all other applicable procedures, including clearances and approvals, have been met. Contracting officers are responsible for ensuring performance of all necessary actions for effective contracting, ensuring compliance with the terms of the contract, and safeguarding the interests of the United States in its contractual relationships. In order to perform these responsibilities, contracting officers should be allowed wide latitude to exercise business judgment. Please see FAR Part 1 for further details. A contracting officer s representative (COR) assists in the technical monitoring or administration of a contract. Please see FAR Part 1 for further details. Page 7 Door Screeners. Para 3. What is the cutoff for the temperature reading where we do not allow entrance? 100.0 Page 8, para 1. Who is responsible for providing the colored wristbands? The contractor or the VA.? The last sentence implies that the COR will get replacement wristbands. The government will supply the wristbands. Page 8, para 5. What PPE is required? For Door screening employees face mask, gloves, face shield, could also change depending on CDC guidelines or VHA guidelines update or evolve for COVID-19) Refer to page 8 in PWS. Page 8, para 9. Can the screeners utilize the TMS training for bloodborne pathogens and PPE to ensure consistent training? We will provide VA information, however an experienced company providing similar services should have these general elements already in their training and should not solely depend on TMS as a guide to meet the expectation. We ll provide knowledge experts to provide a VA orientation regarding VA side of expectations related to infection control. Page 10, para 2. Contractor shall be required to provide professional signage for screening staff operation as outlined in the PWS. Contradicts page 8 para 18. Please clarify. Page 9 in PWS -VA will supply all signage and social distancing information/signage. If a contractor wants to post any signage it shall meet a minimum requirement of VA s policy and hand-written signs shall not be allowed or posted. (related to social distancing) Signage will require approval from COR and Contracting Officer to ensure it meets expectations. Page 10 in PWS - Contractor shall be required to provide professional signage for screening staff operation as outlined in the PWS. The VA will have the final decision on all signage being posted. Signage for hours of door screening operation and number to call for concerns or questions will need approval. VA will provide social distancing information related to CDC and VHA requirements, this is separate from signage the contractor will need to put in place for communicating hours of operation, and phone number, etc. Page 10, last para - Can the seven-day requirement be changed to 10 workdays? Seven days is not enough time to confirm acceptance, run background checks and do all the initial onboarding tasks required. 7-10 workdays are acceptable Page 11, Para 5 - can this requirement be deleted? It seems this is an unnecessary administrative burden. This contract has nothing to do with outpatient escorts. Outpatient Escort staff assist in transporting potential COVID patients to the location that the VA has designated as a COVID testing area located in Dallas, Bonham and FWOPC and help getting patients to the appropriate area to be tested while officially escorting them. They are located at the entry doors to work with the door screening staff. Communication is a must and an expectation that they will work with and communicate with outpatient escort staff as outlined by the VA and any other VHA staff such as VA police, EMPO and safety to meet all elements for VHA guidelines related to screening and taking care of our Veterans appropriately and in a safe manner. If this is considered an administrative burden and unnecessary, then an offeror may not have the necessary experience in a health care setting or lacks an understanding that patients will be required to be transported and handed off without leaving the custody of a door screener, escort or VHA staff member. Outpatient Escort staff also assist at the main entrances with getting patients out of vehicles and off the shuttles and getting them transported to their appointments. It is a concern of the government if an offeror deems communication among staff and other contractors as a burden. This requirement will NOT be deleted. Page 11, Qualifications - Para 2. ""responsible for providing a facility orientation to all staff, offer a training program on security, patient privacy, safety, emergency procedures, accidents/injuries and communication with Medical Center staff."" can the contract staff utilize TMS training as much as possible to ensure consistent training? We will provide VA information, however a qualified company providing similar services should have these general elements already in their training and should not solely depend on TMS as a guide to meet the expectation. We ll provide knowledge experts to provide a VA orientation regarding VA side of expectations related to safety, police, infection control and privacy. Page 12, para 2 - ""will ask verbal screening questions"" What verbal questions are you wanting us to ask? The government will provide the questions. Page 13, para 2 - Can we have access to the VA SOP for this requirement as a model for the contractor version? There is no VA SOP in place as a model for a contractor. Page 14, Para 1 - what do you mean by character and physical capabilities of each employee? Background checks, experience, knowledge, ability to perform the physical requirements of the job, proper training, and education to meet expectations. Page 14, para 2 - Delete. We do not use vehicles in this requirement. (Modified) Page 14, Proposed Plan. Please change 15 days to 30 days. 15 days to too short to roll out this program to eight locations. This requirement is in support of National Emergency declared by the President Trump on March 13, 2020 concerning Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Outbreak. Issued under authority of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. 5121-5207 (the ""Stafford Act ). This emergency determination authorizes federal assistance to supplement State and local response efforts & meets. This roll out days will remain. Page 15, Quality Assurance. ""The Contractor shall provide adequate on-site supervision at all locations, at all times in order to achieve quality assurance and to handle all customer service concerns."" Refer to PWS Questions 3 above. Dallas, Bonham and FWOPC should have supervisors on station the other locations should have a supervisor to report to at the other locations that can handle issues and address concerns immediately. Page 17, Government Responsibilities. ""The participating VA Medical Center shall provide orientation and training on VA policies and procedures relating to security, patient privacy, safety, emergency procedures, accidents/injuries and communication with VA staff."" Does this orientation and training meet the requirements outlined in page 5 - Training/Licenses/Qualifications? We will provide VA information, however an experienced company providing similar services should have these general elements already in their training and should not solely depend on TMS as a guide to meet the expectation. We ll provide knowledge experts to provide a VA orientation regarding VA side of expectations related to safety, police, infection control and privacy.
- Web Link
-
SAM.gov Permalink
(https://beta.sam.gov/opp/41135fe37c3c48f8aaf410f3f275bef3/view)
- Place of Performance
- Address: Department of Veterans Affairs North Texas Health Care System See Performance Work Statement For All Locations and Addresses, Dallas, Texas 75216
- Zip Code: 75216
- Zip Code: 75216
- Record
- SN05711944-F 20200708/200706230147 (samdaily.us)
- Source
-
SAM.gov Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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