Amend 01- Attachment 1- Performance Work Statement.pdf

February 26, 2023 Amend 01- Attachment 1- RFQ 12314424Q0041

Version 1.0

National Office – Braddock Place 1320 Braddock Place Alexandria, VA 22314

Summer EBT Development & Maintenance

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service Office of Information Technology

Summer EBT - Performance Work

DOCUMENT REVISION HISTORY

VERSION DATE AUTHOR CHANGE DESCRIPTION

1.0 2/26/2024 CN/OIT Final Draft for release

CONTACT INFORMATION

AREA OF CONCERN CONTACT PERSON EMAIL ADDRESS

OIT Program Manager Ambur Daley ambur.daley@usda.gov

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Table of Contents

DOCUMENT REVISION HISTORY

ACRONYM LIST

1 PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND

2 SCOPE

2.1.1 Common Tasks

2.1.2 Support for FNS Governance

2.2 Software Application Design and Development

2.2.1 Discovery and Design

2.2.2 Address the whole user experience, from start-to-finish

2.2.3 Make the Application Simple and Intuitive

2.3 Operations & Maintenance (O&M) – “Systems Team”

2.4 Transition Activities

2.4.1 Transition In/Ramp-Up/Discovery…………..…………………………………………………………………..11

2.4.2 Transition Out

3.0 Schedule/Deliverables

3.1 Schedule

3.2 Deliverables

4 PERIOD OF PERFORMACE

5 KEY PERSONNEL REQUIREMENTS

6 DELIVERABLES

7 BILLING

8 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

9 PERFORMANCE METRICS

ACRONYM LIST

REFERENCE DEFINITION

CEP Community Eligibility Provision DME Development, Modernization, Enhancement EBT Electronic Benefits Transfer FNS Food & Nutrition Service NSLP National School Lunch Program O&M Operations & Maintenance

PaaS Platform as a Service PII Personal Identifying Information PM Project Manager PWS Performance Work Statement SFA School Food Authority SNAP Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program UCD User-centered design USDA United States Department of Agriculture USDR United States Digital Response

1 PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND

Section 502 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (PL 117-328) created a new, permanent Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (Summer EBT) program that will begin in summer 2024. The Act authorizes states, territories, and tribal entities (referred to as states for simplicity) to operate the program with responsibilities including program oversight, determining participant eligibility, maintaining eligibility lists, and processing and distributing EBT cards to eligible children.

Through this solicitation, USDA will hire a contractor to create and administer an online Summer EBT application on behalf of states, territories, and tribal entities. The application’s design and administration is expected to be analogous to that of the various National School Lunch Program applications that are commercially available today. Alternatively, the government invites vendors with no prior NSLP experience to provide a quote to administer and provide support for an application currently in development by United States Digital Response (USDR)

Eligibility for Summer EBT Benefits

Children are eligible for Summer EBT benefits if they attend NSLP-participating schools and are certified by application or direct certification for free or reduced price school meals. Other school-age children, whether or not they attend NSLP-participating schools, are eligible for Summer EBT benefits if they are “able to be directly certified” – that is, if they participate in one of the programs that confers categorical eligibility for school meal benefits. These criteria allow states and school districts to identify most Summer-EBT eligible children through existing datasets rather than through the collection of new applications. Nevertheless, there are some children for whom an application is necessary. This includes, but is not limited to, children who attend Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) schools who meet the eligibility criteria for free or reduced-price school meals but do not participate in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or any of the other programs that confer categorical eligibility for meal benefits.1

The government’s objective is to hire a contractor to develop an online Summer EBT application and make it available, on behalf of USDA, to all states, territories, and tribal entities at the states’ option.2 Households with potentially eligible children will have access to the Summer EBT application if their states elect to use it.3 The contractor will be responsible for all aspects of application development, administration, maintenance, and hosting. The contractor will be responsible for user support and for entering into written data sharing agreements with each state that wishes to use the application. The contractor will develop a secure process for accepting applicant input, storing the information entered by the applicant, storing the eligibility determinations made by the application, and making applicant data and eligibility determinations available to the applicants’ states of residence. Unlike an application for NSLP benefits, the contractor’s customer will be the state rather than the school district or school food authority (SFA). The contractor will establish a single relationship with each state that elects to use the application, rather than multiple relationships with the school districts or SFAs in those states.

The contractor will provide these services to the state at no cost to the states or to applicants. The contractor will build the application to USDA’s design and performance specifications and make it available to all states under

1 Using the terminology in CEP regulations and guidance, these are non-“identified” children.

2 USDA expects that contractors that already market online school meal applications to states and/or school districts will make modifications to those products to satisfy this solicitation’s Summer EBT specific standards (outlined later in the solicitation). In order to encourage additional firms to bid on this solicitation, USDA will also consider bids from contractors to administer and maintain an application that USDA is developing with another vendor 3 The contractor will make the application available to states, territories, and tribal entities that elect to administer the Summer EBT program and choose to take advantage of the application. While we refer to “states” throughout this document, this should be read to include tribal organizations that elect to administer P-EBT and choose to take advantage of USDA’s application. At this time, USDA expects that the contractor will be working almost entirely with states.

https://fns-prod.azureedge.us/sites/default/files/resource-files/pl-117-328.pdf the terms outlined in this solicitation. However, USDA is not purchasing the application and will not take possession of the application. The program code will remain the property of the contractor. The contractor will be free to market the application to states under its own name, without USDA co-branding or endorsement, after the end of the period of performance.

As an alternative to developing their own application, the contractor can utilize the Summer EBT application developed, in partnership with USDA, by USDR and manage it in the same way described above. The government will also make available a downloadable version of the USDR application to provide open-source software as a model Summer EBT application that states or other interested parties may adopt and customize for their own use at a location to be determined at a later date. This model application is intended to assist states that wish to develop and administer their own Summer EBT applications. For this reason, it will not compete for the same state customers that the application developed under this solicitation is intended to serve.

After USDA approves the contractors’ work, and extending through the period of performance, USDA will endorse the application as a joint effort of USDA and the contractor. Similarly, the contractors may market the application to states as a joint effort with USDA through the period of performance. While other firms may market Summer EBT applications to states during this same period, USDA will not endorse those products or provide any compensation to those firms for making their applications available to states. In addition, those firms may not refer to their applications as joint efforts of their firms and USDA.

2 SCOPE

In the first objective, the contractor is expected to perform tasks for application development with a focus on the following:

• Support to Federal Program and Project Management

• User Centered Design (UCD)

• Functional testing and remediation

The contractor will develop a Summer EBT household application, that incorporates required data points and make it available, on behalf of USDA, to all states, territories, and tribal organizations at the entities’ option.

The contractor will require the following work:

Developing the application

• The contractor will build a fully functional online household application for Summer EBT benefits.

• The contractor will develop the application’s user interface according to USDA’s specifications. With only minor necessary exceptions, the contractor shall replicate the interface of USDA’s model web-based application for school meal benefits. The contractor shall replicate all of the major design elements and functionality described in the USDA model web-based application’s User’s Guide.

Elements and functionality of particular importance include:

o The application’s “income interview.” This includes the questions on income sources, the sequence of those questions, and the skip pattern. It also includes requiring positive confirmation from applicants for each income category and/or sub-category; no default responses and no drop-down lists to select income sources. (See pages 13-17 of the User’s Guide).

o Adherence to the UX standards contained in the U.S. Web Design System to the extent that they are discussed in USDA’s web-based application User’s Guide. See, in particular, pages 25-28 of USDA’s User’s Guide.

o Pop-up and slide-out help (pages 12-13 of the USDA User’s Guide).

https://www.fns.usda.gov/cn/web-based-prototype-application https://www.fns.usda.gov/cn/web-based-prototype-application https://fns-prod.azureedge.us/sites/default/files/cn/webbasedprototype-guide.pdf https://designsystem.digital.gov/about/ o True mobile-friendly design that reconfigures pages for the appropriate screen size (just like USDA’s web-based model application). See the Digital.gov mobile design principles.

• Compliant with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

• Support for multiple languages. USDA will provide all content for the application in English and

Spanish at the time of contract award. The application will support those two languages through the end of school year 2024-2025 (June 30, 2025). The application must be designed to accept additional language files (also provided by USDA) for school years beginning on or after July 1, 2025 if USDA exercises the contract options for summer 2026 and summer 2027.

Utilizing the USDR code (if selected option) The application, currently in development by USDR, meets the following specifications:

• The application utilizes the React framework, Next.js, to implement appropriate data validation, perform eligibility determination, and provide a standard output of applicant data.

• The front-end components utilize the U.S. Web Design System and adhere to its code, performance, and accessibility guidelines.

• Support for language localization to provide flexibility during implementation.

Administering the application: These are minimum requirements; the contractor may propose additional features or state-specific features.

• The contractor will establish data sharing agreements with each state that elects to use the application.

• Although the contractor will maintain applicant records, the records belong to the states; USDA will not have access to any applicant data.

• The contractor will administer the application for all states that elect to use it for a period of three years

(through the summer of 2027).

• Unlike an application for NSLP benefits, the customer is the state rather than the school district or school food authority (SFA). The contractor will establish a single relationship with each state that elects to use the application, rather than multiple relationships with the school districts or SFAs in those states.

• The following are minimum requirements. USDA encourages contractors to improve upon these minimum requirements and to propose additional features, not mentioned below, that will enhance state administration of the application process, management of applicant records, etc.:

o The contractor will create and maintain a record for each submitted application. The applicant record will contain all the information submitted by the applicant as well as the conditional eligibility determination calculated by the application.

o The contractor will propose a default data format or formats that will be easily accessible to states with different database management systems.

o The contractor will create state-specific datasets of applicant-submitted information and eligibility determinations for states that elect to use the application.

o The contractor will propose a method for securing applicant data and making it available only to state officials with the appropriate passwords or other keys. The contractor will work with individual states, accommodating their needs as necessary, to ensure that they are able to access their files of applicant records.

o The contractor will add code to the application to that displays a message to applicants that their application has been successfully submitted. At a minimum, the contractor will provide the applicant with a confirmation number and a message that the state will send a confirmation email to the applicant once the application has been accepted. The application will not submit emails to applicants.

Note that the application’s eligibility determination is conditional on state review and confirmation. For this reason, the application must not indicate to the applicant whether https://digital.gov/guides/mobile-principles/ the applicant is eligible for benefits.

Operation, Maintenance, and Support

• The contractor will be responsible for maintaining the application code during the period of performance. This includes routine operations and maintenance (O&M) and all development, modernization, and enhancements (DME) necessary to maintain the security of applicant data.

o DME includes continued design, development, testing, deployment, and enhancements whereas O&M includes production support, bug fixes, support patches, code refactoring, data maintenance, systems support as well as testing and deployment support. The contractor must have experience developing and maintaining web-based programs and secure database systems to store applicant data. The contractor should also have experience supporting states and state agencies.

• The contractor will provide user-support to Summer EBT applicants in the event of application software or system errors. The contractor will not be expected to respond to applicant questions on Summer EBT program rules or eligibility criteria; those questions will be addressed by the states or by FNS.

Documentation

• The contractor will document the application’s technical features for review by USDA prior to completion of the product.

• The contractor will provide a comprehensive user’s guide or equivalent documentation for use by states.

2.1.1 Common Tasks

The approach to each workstream will require completion of common tasks per table 1.

Workstream Task Activities

Transition In • Provide a smooth transition of project activities for reduced implementation risks and timely delivery of products.

Planning • Conduct project planning at the start of initial engagement.

Design • Conduct workshops with internal stakeholders to review requirements, ensure all use cases are documented, and validate features and user stories.

• Define and prioritize release increments for initial / core requirements.

• Conduct usability testing to validate that product meets needs of user base.

• Plan for technical architecture, including data model, security, environment, and integrations.

Develop • Iterate through development Sprints and hold user feedback and validation sessions per Program Increment.

• Conduct additional development workshops with internal stakeholders, as needed

• Support Product Owner demos to key USDA FNS stakeholders.

• Support testing activities.

Testing • Review acceptance criteria.

• Conduct Unit (Scrum) testing to validate a specific piece of code or configuration functions as expected.

• Support Story Level testing to validate that product functionality interacts well with each other.

• Conduct Regression testing to validate new functionality does not impact existing functionality.

• Support End-to-end and User Acceptance Testing.

Deploy (DevSecOps) • Deploy product to production.

• Go-live.

• Provide post-production support.

• Support change management and communications approach.

• Integrate security into CI/CD pipeline in both pre-production

(dev) and production (ops) environments.

Operations and Maintenance (O&M)

• O&M of functionality in production is managed by the vendor.

• The Program acts as the Product Owner for functionality that is deployed into production and that is unlikely to be enhanced. By contrast, if the product is going to be enhanced, the Product Owner will be from one of the FNS programs and work with the development teams.

Project Management and Reporting

• Use of the USDA’s reporting application, Jira.

• Quality process and performance tracking and reporting.

Product Management • Support Product Managers, Product Owners, Agency leadership and Information Technology organizations with Product Management skills and resources in the design, build, implementation, and management of software across the lifecycle.

• Support the FNS product managers through the backlog and grooming process in support of prioritization and Program Increment Planning.

Architecture Technical Design Documentation

• USDA’s system documentation application, Confluence.

Document new/altered features and integrations with each deployment as well as deprecated features and integrations.

Transition Out • Provide a smooth transition at the end of the period of performance.

Table 1 – Common Tasks

Project activities will be defined through an iterative process of sprint cycles and development workshops, customer feedback, and FNS prioritization, including items currently in the USDA FNS Program Backlog. FNS Business Prioritization will drive additional releases and stretch goals for development cycles.

2.1.2 Support for FNS Governance

Information and briefings may be required to support leadership briefings to comply with FNS’s governance process.

Executive Meeting

Description Recurrence

Governance Website review with executive leadership and the stakeholder body covering the full scope of the application

Prior to deployment for state use.

If no issues, only one briefing will be required.

Table 2 – Leadership Briefings

2.2 Software Application Design and Development

2.2.1 Discovery and Design

The USDA’s FNS mission area and contractor will collaborate through UCD techniques to further develop the Summer EBT Application. Successful products, at a minimum, will include the following best practice(s):

2.2.2 Address the whole user experience, from start-to-finish The contractor will ensure they explore and understand the different ways users will interact with the application, including the actions they take online, through a mobile application, on a phone, or in person. Every encounter

— whether it's online or offline — should move the user closer towards their goal. In delivery of this effort the contractor shall:

• Understand the different points at which producers will interact with the service – both online and in person.

• Identify pain points in the current way users interact with the service and prioritize these according to user needs.

• Respond to metrics that measure how well the service is meeting user needs.

2.2.3 Make the Application Simple and Intuitive

Successful delivery of this performance work statement and contract requires that the services and products delivered will not be stressful, confusing, or daunting for our customers. Therefore, the contractor shall build and release features that are simple and intuitive, following UCD best practices.

In delivery of this effort the contractor shall:

• Leverage the approved FNS website style guide and the future design system, with usability standards at the forefront.

• Follow accessibility best practices to ensure all producers can use the services.

• Use language that is familiar to our users and easy to understand.

• Use language and design consistently throughout the service, including online and offline touch points.

2.3 Operations & Maintenance (O&M) – “Systems Team”

The contractor will ensure Summer EBT applications remain secure and operable. As users interact with the application, the contractor will provide support to address issues and defects and provide user support.

Contractors will provide support to states for the Summer EBT applications similar to the level of service provided to school districts for the National School Lunch Program support. Contractors will not establish support agreements with school districts for the Summer EBT application.

2.4 Transition Activities

2.4.1 Transition In / Ramp-up / Discovery

The contractor will have approximately 30 days for knowledge transfer and discovery to ensure a smooth transition into the project. These initial knowledge transfer activities, expected to be covered in a matter of hours (not days), are necessary to ensure Summer EBT Applications deployed for stakeholders’ use meet government expectations.

The contractor should work with the PM, COR, and other members of the Government team to ensure requirements and priorities are met.

2.4.2 Transition Out

During the transition out period, the Contractors shall perform all contract close-out activities which may include, but are not limited to:

• Final invoicing

• Close-out of any outstanding technical and related performance elements for this task

Should the contract be terminated prior to the end of a performance period, the COR and PM will work with the contractor to ensure completion of applicable activities.

3.0 Schedule/Deliverables

3.1 Schedule

The vendor pursuing either Option #1 or Option #2 will deliver a Summer EBT application for use by the states and be prepared to administer, maintain, and provide user support no later than July 1, 2024.

3.2 Deliverables

Deliverable Description Frequency/Due Date Completed Development Demonstration of completed development to product owners Per sprint

Recorded Application Demos

Demonstration of completed development to product owners and Government stakeholders

Prior to deployment of application to hosted production environment.

4 PERIOD OF PERFORMACE

The period of performance for the Summer EBT application is the date of award through September 30, 2027. This September 2027 date allows the entities to get support from the vendor, at FNS expense, beyond Summer EBT 2027 cycle in case there are challenges to eligibility and the vendor needs to confer with their records.

Expected Period of Performance is as follows:

Base Year: April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025 Option Year 1: April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026 Option Year 2: April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027 Option Year 3: April 1, 2027 to September 30, 2027 (6-month)

5 KEY PERSONNEL REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor shall staff the project with personnel capable of successfully planning and executing the requirements and tasks outlined in this PWS. Below is a list of the minimum key personnel; however, the contractor may propose additional personnel as they see fit to meet the requirements in the PWS. Potential candidates for the positions listed below must possess:

All Key personnel changes are subject to review and approval by the government:

Project Manager

• Project management experience which includes demonstrated success overseeing a development of a web-interface, operations & maintenance, hosting, and/or resolving issues.

• Working experience coordinating with a team to resolve technical issues.

6 DELIVERABLES

The contractor will provide a monthly status report that summarizes the contractor’s previous month’s activities including any management issues, status, recommendations, and suggested resolutions. This report shall be delivered monthly by the fifth (5) business day of each month (by email transmission).

7 BILLING

Payments to contacting party will be based off the tiered pricing structure as laid out is section #3 of the RFQ. The government must accept the work that has been completed prior to contractor receiving payment. Invoices must be submitted electronically, monthly, using the Invoice Processing Platform (IPP).

Submission of Invoices:

Invoices shall be submitted in accordance with the “Authorized Payment Schedule” for each contract/task/order. To constitute a proper invoice, the invoice must include the following information and/or attached documentation:

1. Name and address of the business concern;

2. Invoice number and invoice date;

3. Contract number, Delivery Order number, Purchase Order number, Task Order number, or other authorization for delivery of property or services actually delivered or rendered;

4. Description, unit price, extended price, and quantity of property and services actually delivered or rendered with supporting documentation (i.e. travel receipts, etc.).

5. Shipping and payment terms;

6. Name, title, phone number, and complete mailing address of responsible official to whom payment is to be sent;

7. A certification statement saying that the funds have only been used for work for this contract;

8. Name, title, phone number, and mailing address of person to notify in the event of a defective invoice;

9. Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) or DUNS+4; and

10. Contractors MUST note FINAL INVOICE on the final invoice when submitted upon final delivery of all supplies/equipment or completion of the contract. USDA and the Invoice Processing Platform (IPP) – http://www.ipp.gov/Contractors/index.htm

The IPP is a government-wide secure web-based payment information service offered free of charge to government agencies and their suppliers by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Financial Management Service (FMS).

One-time enrollment in IPP means that you will receive a series of e-mails from Treasury services. The first email will have the IPP Logon ID and link to the IPP application. A second e-mail, containing the password will be sent within 24 hours. Once you receive these emails, please login to the IPP application and complete the registration process.

Benefits of registering with IPP include the ability for your company to create invoices directly from a contract award and submit them electronically.

The IPP Customer Support Desk is available to assist users Monday through Friday (excluding bank holidays) from 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM ET, including answering any questions related to accessing IPP or completing the registration process. Their toll-free number is 866-973-3131 or IPP Customer Support email address. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Controller Operations Division Help Desk at: 1-877-243-3072 or via e-mail at:

cod.help@usda.gov.

8 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

Work shall be performed offsite at the Contractor’s facility.

FNS will not pay any travel costs for contractors to commute to and from FNS’s National Office.

http://www.ipp.gov/Contractors/index.htm mailto:IPPCustomerSupport@fms.treas.gov mailto:cod.help@usda.gov

9 PERFORMANCE METRICS

9.1. Performance Requirements Summary

FNS will conduct performance reviews to analyze and evaluate the Contractor’s performance in accordance with the following performance requirements summary (PRS). In addition to the Performance Metrics identified below, the Contractor is encouraged (optionally) as part of their proposal submission to identify additional performance requirements (task or deliverable, performance standard, acceptable quality level, surveillance method, and performance rating) and describe how such additional measures will affect performance. Invoices will be held by COR, with approval from CO, for failure to submit deliverables that meet all requirements and delivered within the time frames established within the PWS (unless government at fault for delay).

Requirement

Performance Standard

Acceptable Quality Level

Remedy

1 Delivery of Features

Summer EBT application includes all the required elements identified by the program.

100% of program requirements incorporated into the Summer EBT application.

Contractor rework will not impact contractor delivery commitments and will not reduce development capacity committed to the Government.

2 Delivered according to schedule.

Vendor will deliver application for use by states according to the program requirements.

The application must be developed and/or ready for administration no later than July 1, 2024.

Contractor will not impact contractor delivery commitments.

3 Availability of hosted solution.

High-availability of hosted application.

Contractor will host Summer EBT application that meets the standard of 99% availability.

Contractor will conduct root cause analysis when fails to maintain 99% Summer EBT application availability.

4 Protection from data loss

Contractor for Objective #1 is expected to develop a solution that retains customer submitted data.

Standard is 100%.

Contractor is expected to perform root cause analysis upon any loss of data from submitted applications.

Table 6 – Performance Requirements Summary