Statement of work.doc

ATTACHMENT A–STATEMENT OF WORK

I. PROJECT TITLE

Maternal and Child Health Bureau E-Learning and Web-based Conference

II. BACKGROUND

With the Federal Government’s emphasis on the deployment of a 21st century information infrastructure, innovation in science and education, and the accessibility of real-time information, the Maternal Child Health Bureau (MCHB) continually seeks cutting edge technology solutions to carry out these Federal priorities. Strategic e-learning technology allows MCHB to:

· leverage its investments to foster national exchange of information and collaboration;

· provide real-time and asynchronous training and technical assistance;

· share best practices;

· foster exposure to current public health data and practice information presented at conferences; and

· conduct routine grantee meetings to grantees and the MCH community.

E-learning has been encouraged by both the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). In addition, DHS also promotes and supports the strategic implementation of social media across HHS. Both e-learning and the new media implementation continue to be one of the MCHB priorities.

III. PURPOSE/SCOPE OF WORK

The purpose of this contract is to provide web-based, e-learning, and social media technology to disseminate research, demonstrate best practice models, and foster communication and collaboration among Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) grantees and the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) community.

The Contractor shall provide 51 interactive live webcasts and the archives, three (3) virtual conference recordings and the archives, and one (1) e-learning and social media training.

IV. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The period of performance shall be for 12 months from the effective date of contract with a possibility of four (4) 12-month option periods.

V. TASKS

All work performed, created, and delivered under this procurement must be 508 Compliant (see Section H.3. for further information concerning 508 Compliance).

The Contractor shall perform and complete the following tasks.

Task 1:

Conference Calls

1.1 Contractor shall participate in an initial teleconference with the COTR within five (5) calendar days of the effective date of the Contract (EDOC) to discuss the scope of the contract, and to develop the minutes for issues relating to goals and objectives, processes, time frames, priorities, budgetary issues, deliverables related to the work to be performed, and other related activities of the contract for the purpose of reviewing, clarifying and confirming the process and outcome expectations of MCHB.

1.2 Contractor shall participate in monthly conference calls with the COTR and appropriate MCHB staff.

1.3 Contractor shall provide monthly webcast updates prior to the call to discuss project progress.

Task 2:

Virtual Conference Archive

2.1 Contractor shall develop virtual conference archive for key MCH multimedia conferences pertaining MCH staff, grantees and the MCH community.

Contractor shall make the multimedia materials available in HRSA Web archive, including video recording, audio recording, editing, text transcripts, PowerPoint slides, and with site traffic recording and reporting within two (2) weeks after the live event. The web archives shall be organized in a user friendly layout; and materials will be readily searchable by keyword and topic.

2.2 Contractor shall provide virtual conference archive of the annual meeting of the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP) held in Washington DC.

· AMCHP is a national resource, partner and advocate for state public health leaders and others working to improve the health of women, children, youth and families, including those with special health care needs.

· The AMCHP meeting will be held February 12-14, 2012 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel (http://www.amchp.org/EVENTS/AMCHP-CONFERENCE/Pages/default.aspx). More information regarding past AMCHP conference archive can be found via the web at http://webcast.hrsa.gov/conferences/mchb/amchp2011/index.htm.

2.3 Contractor shall provide virtual conference archive of the annual New State Title V Directors Training Session/MCH Partnership Meeting in Washington DC traditionally held in October each year. The COTR will notify Contractor on the dates and location of the meeting once determined by MCHB. More information regarding the 2009 MCH Partnership Meeting including past archives can be found at http://webcast.hrsa.gov/conferences/mchb/ partnershipOctober2009/index.htm.

2.4 Contractor shall provide virtual conference archive of the Annual Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology Conference.

· This conference brings together researchers and health professionals working on issues related to improving the health of women, children and families in sharing research, enhancing knowledge, and generating new ideas for improved MCH data use and informed policymaking.

· The conference location may vary each year. The Annual Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology Conference will take place on December 14-16, 2011 in New Orleans, Louisiana (http://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/ MCHEpi/Conference/ AboutConference.htm). More information regarding past dates, duration and location information of this meeting can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/mchepi/2010/AboutConference.htm.

Below are sample conferences specification of the number of days and number of sessions archived in the past.

Task 3:

Interactive Live Webcasts

3.1 Contractor shall produce up to fifty-one (51) live interactive video webcasts originating from the MCHB (up to 300 participants each for up to 90 minutes) with the COTR’s approval.

3.2 At a minimum, the Contractor shall ensure that each interactive live webcast:

· Receive a videoconference feed from one location (e.g. the Parklawn Building in Rockville, or through the National Institutes of Health videoconference bridge for multiple locations) and streaming over the web. When video is not requested by the COTR, the Contractor shall receive an audio feed with streaming PowerPoint presentation over the web;

· Host registration through web-based system for general users or invitation only registration access for closed events;

· Market and promote webcast to target audiences;

· Provide online and telephone technical help for registrants and MCHB staff;

· Produce Section 508 compliant accessible version of PowerPoint slides and handouts with closed captioning;

· Provide technical rehearsal with MCHB staff and presenters;

· Allow webcast participants to pose questions via audio and text message interfaces;

· Administer a user satisfaction survey for each webcast. The survey shall contain questions that assess the usefulness of the content, technology methods of presenting information, and the quality of technical assistance provided by the contractor;

· Archive complete presenter materials on HRSA Web Archive within one (1) week after the webcast;

· Maintain a database of recording and reporting of participants, messages, and evaluation.

Task 4:

Training Session

4.1 Contractor shall conduct an annual training session via webcast open to all MCHB staff and MCHB grantees on current and emerging e-learning technology including but not limited to webcast best practices, social media tools, online collaborative tools, and free web-based tools. The COTR will notify the Contractor of the date of the training/webcast.

4.2 Contractor shall videotape the session and post the archive on the MCHB web site.

Task 5:

Website Development and Maintenance

5.1 Contractor shall develop, manage, and maintain web presence for MCHB e-learning and web-based conferences.

5.2 Contractor shall produce the content for the web using materials submitted by MCHB staff and presenters. This includes the management and maintenance of HRSA MCHB Webcast and Virtual Conference Archive that are readily searchable by keywords and topic.

5.3 Contractor shall conduct ongoing web crawling to detect internal broken links for HRSA MCHB Webcast archive and MCH Timeline.

5.4 Contractor shall provide updates to the MCH History Timeline (http://www.mchb.hrsa.gov/timeline/) on a semi-annual basis, incorporating new and revised information provided by MCHB staff (http://www.mchb.hrsa.gov/timeline/). Contractor shall work collaboratively with the COTR, HRSA’s Office of Information Technology staff, and Office of Communication staff as necessary. Posting shall not occur without written permission to proceed with the specifically identified posting from the COTR.

Task 6:

Evaluation

6.1 Contractor shall develop a customer satisfaction data survey for the COTR’s review and approval.

6.2 Contractor will provide analysis of customer satisfaction data with regards to users accessing archives of sessions, frequency of usage of archives of e-learning materials and the level of user satisfaction on content accessibility and ease of search.

Task 7:

Reporting

Annual and Final Reporting

7.1 Contractor shall submit reports intended for MCHB program administrators. The reports shall include the status and results of this contract as outlined in the previous tasks.

· Reports shall include the summary of all tasks, web statistics on the number and geographic distribution of hits to access information from the designated web site(s), statistics on social media engagement, synopses of user satisfaction survey results, and challenges and recommendations for future webcasts.

· Two (2) hard copies and an electronic copy of each report shall be submitted to the COTR.

Earned Value Management

7.2 Contractor shall prepare and submit a monthly Earned Value Management (EVM) Report in accordance with the agreed upon the monthly status report format by the COTR and Contractor. Cost and schedule milestone data collected shall include:

· Planned Start Date;

· Planned End Date;

· Actual Start Date;

· Actual End Date;

· Planned Percent Complete;

· Actual Percent Complete;

· Planned Cost; and

· Actual Cost.

Task 8:

Transition Plan Contractor shall provide a transition plan for 30 days to transition work from previous contractor.

The transition plan shall include:

· Delivery of copies of existing policies and procedures and required metrics and statistics;

· Coordination with the COTR;

· Review, evaluation and transition of services;

· Transition of historic data;

· Inventory of conference and webcast archives, MCH Timeline, and other materials; and

· Transfer of all media files.

OPTION TASKS

Option Task 1

Contractor shall provide virtual conference archive for one (1) additional MCHB-sponsored meeting (events and dates to be determined) as described in Task 2. This task may be exercised 10 times per year for the base period and the option periods.

Option Task 2

Contractor shall produce up to five (5) additional webcasts as described in Task 3. This task may be exercised 10 times per year.

VI. SCHEDULE OF DELIVERABLES

VII. PAYMENT SCHEDULE

The Contractor shall be paid upon receipt and approval of deliverables and invoice in accordance with the following schedule:

VIII. SPECIAL REQUIRMENTS

A. Communication Any HRSA communication products developed under this contract will require an additional separate clearance on an HHS-615 (for text and/or graphic publications and products that will be printed, posted on the Web, or disseminated through other electronic methods, such as by email) or an HHS-524A (for audiovisual products, including those that will be posted on the Web). Communication clearance for this contract itself does not satisfy the requirement to seek clearance of the specific HRSA communication products.

B. Printing and Duplicating

The printing of government documents must be accomplished through the Government Printing Office (GPO). Contractors and grantees shall not be used as sources of printing for the Department or OPDIVS. Therefore, the inclusion of printing in contracts and grants is prohibited unless authorized by the Joint Committee on Printing (JCP). All requests for waivers must go through the HHS Department Printing Officer. Contractors may prepare copy, illustrative material (forms etc.) and /or camera ready copy for the purpose of producing publications.

The Contractor shall not engage in, nor subcontract for, any printing (as the term is defined in Title 1 of the Government Printing and Binding Regulations in effect on the effective date of this contract) in connection with the performance of work under this contract; except that performance of a requirement under this contract involving less than 25,000 production units in the aggregate of multiple pages will not be deemed to be printing. A production unit is defined as one sheet, size 8.5 x 11 inches, one side only, and one color.

Regarding the use of private funds for printing, the regulations state that when appropriated funds are to be used to create information for publication, the printing of that information cannot be made available to a private publisher for publication without prior approval of the congressional Joint Committee on Printing by way of the office of HHS Department Printing Officer. For any questions, please contact the HHS Department Printing Officer at 301-594-3185.

C. Clearance/Production of Information Products/Services

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, requires clearance for any external communication products, which includes publications, audiovisual products, multimedia products, exhibits (including exhibit structures), conferences (including program/agenda books and other meeting materials), or public affairs services produced for or by HRSA through this contract as a deliverable. An external communication product is one that will be distributed outside of HRSA in any quantity. This clearance, which takes approximately 4 weeks, is obtained by the Contracting Officer Technical Representative through HRSA’s Office of Communications.

It is the policy of HHS that HHS must be prominently and dominantly identified as the primary publisher/producer, to include the name of HHS and placement of the HHS logo, on all communication materials, including those produced by contractors.

The name of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Health Resources and Services Administration must be spelled out on the front cover of publications and on the opening and closing frames of audiovisual products. The HHS and HRSA logos must be displayed in addition to spelling out the names of the Department and the Agency. Use of the HHS and HRSA logos that include the names of the Department and the Agency as part of the graphics in the logos does not satisfy the requirement to spell out the names of HHS and HRSA. All publications and audiovisual products must display the month and year of issuance. The HHS and HRSA logos must be displayed on the front cover of any publications and on the opening and closing frames of any audiovisual products. The requirement for placement of the logos may be satisfied by displaying the HHS logo on the bottom left corner and the HRSA logo on the bottom right corner. The HHS logo should be larger than the HRSA logo.

Communication products are any and all products intended for audiences outside the Agency, including but not limited to:

· reports, booklets, manuals, fact sheets, newsletters, brochures, flyers

· Internet publications

· press releases, advisories, other media materials (including press kits)

· exhibits, exhibit structures

· conferences, meeting materials (including program/agenda books)

· summaries, monographs, proceedings

· slides, overhead transparencies, posters

· audio and videotapes, films, CDs, DVDs, and other audiovisual products

· multimedia products, educational or information modules

· advertisements and/or scripts for radio, TV, Web, or other venue

Internal publications (no copies will be distributed outside of the Agency in print; electronically by any means, including by email or listserv; and will not be posted on the Internet) are exempted from this requirement. Where appropriate, the words Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau …, Office of, Division of …, shall be included above the HRSA logo.

Title 44 of the U.S. Code requires that the printing of any publication developed under this contract shall be done by the Government Printing Office. Printing shall be coordinated through the Contracting Officer Technical Representative.

OMB clearance must be obtained if you intend to survey or interview more than 9 people outside of HRSA and/or the Department, including grantees.

NOTE: Failure on the part of the Contractor to comply with the printing and duplicating, and publication clearance requirements stated above will be deemed unauthorized services and reimbursement will be denied.

D. Disclaimer

The views expressed in written conference materials, publications, audiovisual products, and by speakers and moderators at HHS-sponsored conferences, do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services nor does mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

E. Rights in Data

The Contractor will be prohibited from copyrighting, publishing or disseminating information resulting from work performed under this contract, and/or, using data produced or obtained under this contract, and/or any other information or products provided by the Government, or which the Contractor develops, for any purpose other than performance under this contract without prior written approval from the Contracting Officer.

Ownership of Documents, Materials and Records: All documents, materials (including any computer code) or records provided to the Contractor, developed or maintained by the Contractor in the performance of this contract are deemed to be property of the Government.

F. Security Requirements

All Contractors and Subcontractors shall comply with existing legislation, regulations, and department requirements from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-130, Management of Federal Information Resources, Appendix III, Security of Federal Automated Information Resources, and Public Law 100-235, Computer Security Act of 1987. The Contractors/Subcontractors shall consider information security as one of the system’s integral functional requirements in a manner similar to other user and business requirements, and shall comply with HHS and HRSA IT security policies and practices throughout the development and operation lifecycle phases of the system.

Specifically, the Contractor/Subcontractor shall:

· Ensure that all persons requiring access to HRSA information systems receive and clear a background investigation, commensurate with their level of job responsibilities as required by the Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12).

· Ensure that during planning and requirements definition activities for the Maternal and Child Health Bureau E-Learning and Web-based Conference, the system security objectives and needs, such as system criticality and data sensitivity, are met and the appropriate level of effort for the system risk management activities is determined in accordance with FIPS Publication 199, NIST SP 800-30.

· Collaborate with the HRSA IT Security Staff (provide point of contact, phone number, & e-mail address) to facilitate initial and periodic Maternal and Child Health Bureau E-Learning and Web-based Conference Certification and Accreditation (C&A) as well as continuous monitoring activities. The process runs from October to June in accordance to FISMA reporting schedule. Based on the required level of effort, the following documents may be required:

· Risk Assessment (RA) in accordance with NIST SP 800-30

· System Security Plan (SSP) in accordance with NIST SP 800-18

· Security Control Assessment in accordance with NIST SP 800-53 and 800-53A

· Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) in accordance with E-Gov Act of 2002

· Security Testing & Evaluation (ST&E) Plan/Report

· Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&M) in accordance with HRSA POA&M Guidance/Template

· System Rules of Behavior

· Memorandums of Agreement/Understanding and/or System Interconnection Agreement

· Contingency Plan in accordance with NIST SP 800-34

· Incident Response Plan in accordance with NIST SP 800-61

· Contingency Plan and Tests/Exercises

· Minimum Security Configuration Checklists

· Ensure that the security controls needed to adequately protect the Maternal and Child Health Bureau E-Learning and Web-based Conference meet the security requirements of the system and are selected in accordance with NIST SP 800-53, Federal regulations, HHS policy, and HRSA IT Security Policy.

· Collaborate with the HRSA ITSS to facilitate the development of E-Authentication risk assessment documentation if electronic system/transactions require user authentication in accordance to Presidential Memorandum M-04-04 using NIST SP 800-63 guidance and delivered to HRSA Information Systems Security Staff.

· Appoint a designated Information Systems Security Officer (ISSO) to ensure the Maternal and Child Health Bureau E-Learning and Web-based Conference security posture complies with HRSA IT Security Policy and procedures during the course of operation, and to be the system “point of contact” for all HRSA IT security matters.

G. Encryption

· The Contractor (including all its Subcontractors) shall ensure all of its employees encrypt all laptop computers, desktop computers, and other mobile devices and portable media, which store or process sensitive HHS data, using Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2 compliant encryption. For the purposes of this solicitation or contract, information is considered sensitive if the loss of confidentiality or integrity could be expected to have a serious, severe, or catastrophic adverse effect on organizational operations, organizational assets, or individuals. Further, the loss of sensitive information, confidentiality, or integrity might: (i) cause a significant or severe degradation in mission capability to an extent and duration that the organization is unable to perform its primary functions, or the effectiveness of the functions is significantly reduced; (ii) result in significant or major damage to organizational assets; (iii) result in significant or major financial loss, or; (iv) result in significant, severe, or catastrophic harm to individuals. Identifying sensitive information appears subjective by this language.

· The Contractor shall verify that the selected encryption product has been validated under the Cryptographic Module Validation Program (http://csrc.nist.gov/cryptval/) to confirm compliance with FIPS 140-2. The Contractor shall provide a written copy of the validation documentation to the COTR.

· The Contractor shall use the Key Management Key on the HHS personal identification verification (PIV) card; or alternatively, the Contractor shall establish and use a key recovery mechanism to ensure the ability for authorized personnel to decrypt and recover all encrypted information.

· The Contractor shall generate and manage encryption keys securely to prevent unauthorized decryption of information. This must be approved by the COTR to ensure compliance

These technical standards are required by the HHS Department Information Security Policy/Standard. No deviation is allowable.

H. FDCC Settings

· The Contractor (including all of its Subcontractors) shall ensure hardware and software installation, operation, maintenance, update, and/or patching shall not alter the configuration settings specified within the Federal Desktop Core Configuration (FDCC).

· The Contractor shall ensure applications are fully functional and operate correctly on systems configured in accordance with the FDCC. For Windows XP™ settings see http://csrc.nist.gov/itsec/guidance_WinXP.html, and for Windows Vista™ settings see http://csrc.nist.gov/itsec/guidance_vista.html.

· The Contractor shall ensure applications designed for end users run in the standard user context without requiring elevated privileges for routine tasks.

· Federal Information Processing Standard 201 (FIPS-201) compliant, Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) card readers shall be included with the purchase of servers, desktops, and laptops. For physical security and logical access purposes, FIPS-201/HSPD-12 compliant card readers must comply with requirements outlined in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR).

I. Privacy Requirements

In accordance with OMB M-06-16, Contractors are responsible under Federal law and policy to appropriately safeguard sensitive and Personal Identification Information (PII) information and train employees on their responsibilities for handling sensitive data. In particular, the Contractor shall:

· Not release, publish, or disclose Departmental information to unauthorized personnel, and protect such information in accordance with provisions of the following laws and any other pertinent laws and regulations governing the confidentiality of sensitive information:

- 18 U.S.C. 641 (Criminal Code: Public Money, Property or Records)

- 18 U.S.C. 1905 (Criminal Code: Disclosure of Confidential Information)

- Public Law 96-511 (Paperwork Reduction Act)

· Assist the COTR in developing a System of Record Notice (SORN), and obtain a SORN number for the Maternal and Child Health Bureau E-Learning and Web-based Conference. The SORN will be published in the Federal Register when a new System of Records is to be created, and an updated SORN will be necessary following a “major change” as defined by OMB 03-22 or subsequent replacement guidance.” Once published in the Federal Register, the COTR will provide the SORN numbers to the appropriate agency Contracting Office, the agency Privacy Act Officer/Coordinator, and included in the associated system’s Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA).

· Ensure that the PIA is developed and reviewed for the \Maternal and Child Health Bureau E-Learning and Web-based Conference on an annual basis. Upon completion, the PIA shall be submitted by the Contractor to IT Security Staff and the HRSA Senior Agency Official for Privacy or designee. In the event that a major change, as defined in OMB M-03-22, occurs to a Contractor system, Contractors are responsible for updating the system PIA to reflect the change.

· Each Contractor/Subcontractor employee who may have access to sensitive HRSA information under this Contract shall complete a Contractor employee non-disclosure agreement (NDA). A copy of each signed and witnessed NDA shall be submitted to the COTR prior to performing any work under the Contract.

· When a Contractor employee terminates work under this Contract, the Contracting firm is required to notify the Government COTR within 24 hours upon the termination of the Contractor employee. All documentation remains the property of the Federal Government and must be returned to the Prime Contractor upon the individual’s termination, and will also be made available to the COTR and/or Contracting Officer upon request.

J. Disclosure of Information

Information made available to the Contractor by the Government for the performance or administration of this effort shall be used only for those purposes and shall not be used in any other way without the written agreement of the Contracting Officer.

The Contractor agrees to assume responsibility for protecting the confidentiality of Government records, which are not public information. Each Contractor or employee of the Contractor to whom information may be made available or disclosed shall be notified in writing by the Contractor that such information may be disclosed only for a purpose and to the extent authorized herein.

K. Limited Use of Data

Performance of this effort may require the Contractor to access and use data and information proprietary to a Government agency or Government Contractor which is of such a nature that its dissemination or use, other than in performance of this effort, would be adverse to the interests of the Government and/or others.

Contractor and/or Contractor personnel shall not divulge or release data or information developed or obtained in performance of this effort, until made public by the Government, except to authorize Government personnel or upon written approval of the Contracting Officer (CO). The Contractor shall not use, disclose, or reproduce proprietary data that bears a restrictive legend, other than as required in the performance of this effort. Nothing herein shall preclude the use of any data independently acquired by the Contractor without such limitations or prohibit an agreement at no cost to the Government between the Contractor and the data owner which provides for greater rights to the Contractor.

L. Section 508 Compliance

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794d) requires Federal agencies to purchase electronic and information technologies (EIT) that meet specific accessibility standards. This law helps to ensure that federal employees with disabilities have access to, and use of, the information and data they need to do their jobs. Furthermore, this law ensures that members of the public with disabilities have the ability to access government information and services.

There are three regulations addressing the requirements detailed in Section 508. The Section 508 technical and functional standards are codified at 36 CFR Part 1194 and may be accessed through the Access Board’s Web site at http://www.access-board.gov. The second regulation issued to implement Section 508 is the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). FAR Part 39.2 requires that agency acquisitions of Electronic and Information Technology (EIT) comply with the Access Board’s standards. The entire FAR is found at Chapter 1 of the Code of Federal Register (CFR) Title 48, located at http://www.acquisition.gov. The FAR rule implementing Section 508 can be found at http://www.section508.gov. The third applicable regulation is the HHS Acquisition Regulation (HHSAR).

Regardless of format, all Web content or communications materials produced for publication on or delivery via HHS Web sites - including text, audio or video - must conform to applicable Section 508 standards to allow federal employees and members of the public with disabilities to access information that is comparable to information provided to persons without disabilities. All contractors (including subcontractors1) or consultants responsible for preparing or posting content intended for use on an HHS-funded or HHS-managed Web site must comply with applicable Section 508 accessibility standards, and where applicable, those set forth in the referenced policy or standards documents below. Remediation of any materials that do not comply with the applicable provisions of 36 CFR Part 1194 as set forth in the SOW or PWS, shall be the responsibility of the contractor or consultant retained to produce the Web-suitable content or communications material. Please complete Government Product Accessibility Temlate in Appendix G.

The following Section 508 provisions apply to the content or communications material identified in this SOW:

36 CFR 1194.22(a)-(p)

36 CFR 1194.24(a)-(e)

36 CFR 1194.31(a)-(f)

36 CFR 1194.41(a)-(c)

In addition, all deliverables produced through this contract that are (1) content in any format that could be placed on a Department-owned or Department-funded Web site; and/or (2) communications materials intended for public or internal use; to include reports, documents, charts, posters, presentations (such as Microsoft PowerPoint) or video material that could be placed on a Department-owned or Department-funded Web site, must comply with U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Web Policies and Standards listed at http://www.hhs.gov/web/policies/ and applicable at the time Deliverables are transmitted to the Health Resources and Services Administration.

Prime contractors may enter into subcontracts in the performance of a Federal contract, but the prime remains obligated to deliver what is called for under the contract.

M. Homeland Security Presidential Directive-12 To perform the work specified herein the Contractor personnel may require access to sensitive data, regular access to HHS-controlled facilities and/or access to HHS information systems, the Government may require that this effort entail a background investigation.

1. The contractor shall meet with the COTR to determine if a background investigation and/or clearance is required.

2. The Contractor shall submit a roster, by name, position and responsibility, of all staff working under the contract. The roster shall be submitted to the Contracting Officer Technical Representative (COTR), with a copy to the HRSA Division of Workforce Management and Contracting Officer, within 14 days of the effective date of the contract. Any revisions to the roster as a result of staffing changes shall be submitted within fifteen (15) calendar days of the change.

3. The COTR will submit the list to the HRSA Personnel Security Officer for determination of the appropriate level of suitability investigations to be performed.

4. Contractors should ensure that the employees whose names they submit have a reasonable chance for approval. While delays in performance caused by successful investigations will be the Government's responsibility, delays associated with rejections will be the Contractor's responsibility. Typically, the Government conducts investigations and checks at no cost to the Contractor. Multiple investigations for the same position, whether- resulting from rejections or resulting from an employee's move to another position(s) or company, may at the Contracting Officer's discretion, justify reductions(s) in the contract price of no more than the cost of the extra investigation.

5. Upon receipt of the Government’s notification of applicable Suitability Background Investigation required, the Contractor shall complete and submit required forms within 30 days of the notification. Additional submission instructions can be found at the NCI Information Technology Security Policies, Background Investigation Process: (http://ais.nci.nih.gov/).

Contractors whose personnel occupy office space at a HRSA facility will be required to complete all required entry screening and paperwork before being granted access to the facility. The entry and exit requirements for contractors occupying HRSA facilities are detailed in paragraph N, “Government Furnished Property and Access to Government Facilities”, of the Special Requirements clauses.

N. Acceptance All reports, processes, and product deliverables are subject to approval by the Contracting Officer Technical Representative. If any of the services performed do not conform to contract requirements, the Government may require the Contractor to perform the services again in conformity with contract requirements, for no additional fee. When the defects in services cannot be corrected by performance, the Government may (1) require the Contractor to take necessary action to ensure that future performance conforms to contract requirements and (2) reduce any fee payable under the contract to reflect the reduced value of the services performed.

O. Food Federal attendees– in accordance with HHS policy you may not use appropriated funds to purchase food for federal attendees, unless the purpose of the contract is for (1) training in accordance with the Government Employee Training Act; or (2) employee awards ceremony in accordance with Government Employees Incentive Awards Act; or (3) statutory exceptions to operating division of Health Resources and Services (HHS), and (4) extreme emergencies.

Federal employees attending meetings that are at least 50 miles from the work site and from the employee's home are considered on travel status and must use the per diem allocation to purchase meals and/or snacks. If group meals are provided, the Federal employees must reduce the per diem vouchers according to Federal Travel Regulations.

Federal employees attending meetings and who are not on travel status may accept light refreshments if at least 51% of the Federal employees attending are in travel status. (Light refreshments include coffee, tea, milk, juice, soft drinks, donuts, muffins, bagels, fruit, cookies, chips or similar items of nominal value. It does not include meals or hot food. Continental breakfasts or receptions are not breaks and may not be provided).

Private parties–It is HHS policy not to use appropriated funds to purchase food for private parties. HRSA does not have the congressional authority to collect registration fees to pay for meals or to offset the cost of the meeting.

If a hotel's charge for its conference room includes meals/refreshments, which are not separately priced, the HHS OPDIV may use appropriated funds to pay for the room. The hotel's fees would be paid under a competitive contract which meets all of the procurement requirements. Consequently, if a bid in response to a request for conference room, dais, etc. does not include food as a separate cost, and the cost is the lowest of the bids that meet the requirements, then the agency may use appropriated funds even if it results in food being served under the contract. However, if it is not the lowest of the bids that meets the requirements, then appropriated funds may not be used.

In addition, it should be the practice of the hotel to include meals/refreshments as part of an all-inclusive price; it should not be the consequence of an official and/or contractor requesting that the hotel include refreshments as part of an all-inclusive price or package.

If the food is separately priced, but the hotel's policy is that it must be included in the contract, the HHS OPDIV may not use appropriated funds to pay for it. The procurement rules require that offers respond to the needs for the meeting/conference/event. If a request is seeking bids for room rental and one of the offers made is for room rental and food (which are separately priced) and the offeror refuses to remove the food from the cost, then the offer cannot be accepted by the Government.

Additionally, the agency cannot require a contractor or its subcontractor to do something which it cannot do directly. Requiring a hotel to collect the fees from the participants to cover the cost of the food for a government conference would be an augmentation of appropriations and, without specific statutory authority to do so, could result in a violation of the Anti-deficiency Act.

P. Travel Reimbursement

Contractors shall process travel vouchers of sponsored speakers/participants. The Contracting Officer Technical Representative will provide the names of sponsored participants after award. Any travel reimbursement required by this contract shall be performed in accordance with Federal Travel Regulations.

Q. Government Furnished Property (GFP) and Access to Government Facilities Contractors are expected to perform work at their own facility. If a contractor cannot perform the contracted work at its facility and requires staff to be at a HRSA facility, the contractor must coordinate with the COTR.

Any requests for government furnished property by the contractor that are above and beyond what is expressly stated within the contract shall be made in writing to the Contracting Officer Technical Representative (COTR) for the contract.

The COTR must inform and receive express written approval from the appropriate Contracting Officer within HRSA’s Office of Acquisition Management and Policy prior to making any request to obtain government furnished property from the HRSA OIT.

The contractor’s responsible party and COTR shall conduct a site walk through of spaces occupied by the contractor’s staff in HRSA facilities with the HRSA Property Management Officer (PMO) or his/her designee in order to record all property for which the contractor shall be responsible and liable. The contractor’s responsible party shall act as custodian for all government furnished property assigned under a contract and will take all reasonable measures and precautions to safeguard such property.

The contractor’s responsible party shall notify the HRSA PMO via the COTR assigned for the contract’s administration in a timely manner upon the discovery of any loss, damage, destruction, theft, or any maintenance requirements of government provided property.

The contractor’s responsible party shall also notify the assigned Contracting Officer Technical Representative/COTR when there are changes made to the contractor’s staff working in HRSA facilities. This includes the addition of new contractor staff as well as the departure of staff from projects housed at HRSA facilities. For contracts where performance is conducted on-site at HRSA facilities, the contractor shall ensure that departing staff members follow the necessary check-out procedures and return all government issued equipment, including identification badges and remote access tokens, as required by HRSA property and security administration.

HRSA shall withhold final payment under contracts where the contractor has access to or use of government furnished property either via an established staff presence in a government owned or operated facility or constructive control of government furnished property at the job site or any other facility utilized by the contractor until HRSA check out procedures have been satisfied by the contractor. Government furnished property includes computers, printers, monitors, furniture, remote access tokens, or any other equipment or property for which the contractor has assumed responsibility.

Final payment shall be released following the satisfactory completion of all exit requirements and return of all government furnished property by the contractor’s responsible party. The exit requirements for most contracts where government property has been provided and/or the contractor’s staff occupies HRSA facilities include:

1. An exit interview and walk through of spaces occupied with HRSA’s PMO or his/her designee and COTR for the contract.

2. An audit by HRSA’s PMO to determine the disposition of government furnished property assigned under the contract.

3. Restitution to HRSA for any lost, damaged, destroyed, or stolen government property.

4. Completion of all exit paperwork required by HRSA’s PMO, HRSA Division of Workforce Management, and COTR for the contract. The contactor’s final invoice shall include the completed exit documentation for the contractor’s on site staff.

R. Equipment

HRSA does not intend to authorize or provide funds for the purchase or maintenance of any equipment.

S. Central Contractor Registration

The Contractor must be registered in the Central Contractor Registration database. "Registered in the CCR database" means that (1) the Contractor has entered all mandatory information, including the DUNS number or the DUNS+4 number, into the CCR database; and (2) The Government has validated all mandatory data fields and has marked the record "Active".

By submission of an offer, the Offeror acknowledges the requirement that a prospective awardee shall be registered in the CCR database prior to award, during performance, and through final payment of any contract, basic agreement, basic ordering agreement, or blanket purchasing agreement resulting from this solicitation. If not registered in the CCR database within the time prescribed by the Contracting Officer, the Contracting Officer will proceed to award to the next otherwise successful registered Offeror.

T. Confidentiality Agreements Requirement

The Contractor shall implement a confidentiality agreement related to all data provided by the Government. All Contractor staff that work with the Federal Government and are provided information and access to databases shall sign such an agreement and a copy of the signed agreement for each relevant staff member shall be submitted to the GPO prior to receipt of relevant documents.

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