Attachment_No._1_-_Statement_of_Work_(SOW).pdf

CDC LIBRARY SUBSCRIPTIONS

STATEMENT OF WORK

I. BACKGROUND

As part of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention (CDC) helps protect the health of all Americans. The CDC serves to promote health and safety and protect the public from health, safety, and security threats. CDC conducts critical science and provides health information to best protect and serve the nation’s communities.

The CDC’s Office of Public Health Scientific Services (OPHSS), Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology and Laboratory Services (CSELS), Division of Public Health Information Dissemination (DPHID), Library

Science Branch also known as the Stephen B. Thacker CDC Library (CDC Library) is well respected as an invaluable aid to delivering credible, timely information from scientific and health literature to CDC scientists by making available knowledge resources, publications, and reference and research services. To fulfill the mission as the nation’s principal disease prevention and health promotion agency, the Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) must collect, manage, and interpret data. This is accomplished by providing Library Support Services and electronic access to all CDC staff though a secure access network managed by IP authentication.

The CDC Library is seeking proposals for a five year contract for services from January 1, 2018 – December

31, 2022 from qualified vendors to act on its behalf by renewing about 900 journal, book, and database subscriptions in online and/or print formats and paying publisher invoices for orders on the CDC Library’s behalf. Less than 5% of the journals are in print format. The total number of subscription orders may change from 0-5% each year. Occasionally, when publishers require signatures on license agreements, the vendor will work with CDC’s contracting office to append the license to the contract. The CDC Library supports the information needs, including access to journal literature and other electronic resources, of all

CDC staff including employees, contractors, fellows, and other staff. The CDC Library consists of four (4) major sites including a network of five (5) libraries with three (3) print receiving locations: the Main Library at the Roybal Campus, and library branches located at Pittsburgh, PA and Morgantown, WV (see

Attachment 2). Two Cincinnati libraries, Hamilton and Taft, currently do not receive print subscriptions.

II. PROJECT OBJECTIVE

This contract will provide for the ordering and renewal of library resources for the Stephen B. Thacker

CDC Library. The CDC Library supports the information needs, including access to journal literature and other electronic resources, of all CDC staff including employees, on-site contractors, fellows, and other staff. Staff with access to the CDC Intranet can access resources via IP authentication. The objective of this contract is to consolidate orders whether for print or for electronic content from various publishers, previously purchased through other procurement methods to one all-encompassing contract.

III. SCOPE OF WORK

The contractor shall provide any and all labor, equipment, supplies and services, permits, and licenses necessary for the renewal of approximately 900 journal, book, and database subscriptions in online and/or print format and for the payment of publisher invoices for orders placed on behalf of the CDC Library. This service shall be provided during the period January 1, 2018 – December 31, 2022. Title subscriptions will be ordered by individual delivery orders to be placed within a fixed-price contract.

IV. CONTRACTOR FURNISHED CRITICAL ITEMS /SERVICES

The contractor shall provide the following intellectual and technical capabilities:

1. Subscription Management System

a. This web-based system shall contain metadata records for all biomedical journals and databases common to a large biomedical research organization.

b. The web-based system shall be available to customers 24/7 with at least a 99% average reliability.

c. The offeror should have title records for at least 85% of all titles listed in the RFP title list.

d. A user-friendly dashboard with multiple account levels (and unlimited local accounts) should be available to support subscription management and collection development needs.

e. This system shall include complete metadata on all journals considered for acquisition (if a title is not in the agent’s database, it must be added within two (2) days of order or request for quote).

Complete data includes:

▪ title

▪ publisher

▪ ISSN

▪ EISSN

▪ country of publication

▪ publication frequency

▪ subscription period

▪ subscription package name

▪ available formats

▪ volume

▪ price

▪ % increase in price from past year

▪ invoice-item number/date

▪ bill-to address

▪ ship-to address for print

▪ account number charged

▪ customer subscriber number (assigned by publisher)

▪ Restrictions or terms for institutional subscriptions clearly stated – e.g. online available only if purchased with print.

▪ subscription status – e.g. (irregular, discontinued, slow publication)

f. Ability for customer to generate sortable, machine readable reports (Excel spreadsheets) using any of the above fields in any combination as needed.

g. Ability to generate sortable reports of titles contained within subscription packages, including all of the information listed in 1e above.

h. Ability to capture, store and display all bibliographic and financial transactions in the customer’s account for the previous five years.

i. Ability to export and/or synchronize this information (all fields on all titles within all orders) using standard protocols into a commercial or open source electronic resources management system.

j. Title information clearly and accurately indicates customer’s order history.

k. Ability to capture and report (as an Excel spreadsheet) all titles ordered by the customer in the previous year; this report also must identify which purchase mechanism (credit card, purchase order, check) agent used to acquire the title on behalf of the customer.

l. Ability to interface with the customer’s integrated library system using standard EDI transfer, or a future standard that may be developed and adopted.

m. Ability to support transmission of purchase orders and invoices electronically.

n. Provide web-based access to all customer and payment related data

o. Provide ability for customer to generate claims online via EDI

p. Provide ability for customer to export reports in Excel format

q. Provide address fields with maximum flexibility, with at least 5 lines and 30 characters per line.

2. Subscription Services

a. Ability to accept and pay any information provider invoices within two weeks of receipt on behalf of customer, whether or not the resource is subscribed through the agent; and invoice customer within one week of payment to publisher.

b. Traditional subscription agent services including working with publishers to obtain current prices for a list of publications, obtaining the CDC Library’s proper invoices and paying those invoices after customer approval.

c. Ability to verify payment of invoices with information provider/publisher to the correct CDC account within 48 hours of subscription agent payment.

d. Ability to handle separate ship to addresses, sending print issues to the respective library location.

e. Maintain records and provide reporting to show the amount spent, amount projected, and balance/deficit for each subscription account in the system.

f. Variety of alerts and email reports to notify customer of changes to subscription mix including, but not limited to, changes in format, publisher, price increases above a pre-defined threshold, or discontinued titles.

g. Ability to send customized messages to publishers meeting a specific selection criteria (identified by CDC Library) or to all publishers on an as needed basis.

h. Maintain a current database of publisher point of contact information that can be used for alerting and renewal correspondence.

i. Customer service agent who has the authority to resolve problems arising in the CDC Library’s account. The representative or an alternate must be available Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm EST/EDT. S/he must be available by telephone or e-mail to resolve problems and provide updates. Same day acknowledgments are expected and a resolution within 24 hours.

j. Technical support for access issues and questions related to electronic resources. This should include a same-business-day acknowledgment and resolution to most problems within 24 hours.

k. Ability to accept orders for new subscriptions at any time during the year. Publisher permitting, renewed subscriptions should be active on a calendar year (January through December) basis.

l. Use of standard currency conversion rates when processing invoices in foreign currency. If rate used on invoice to customer differs markedly from rate found using a standard online converter, a clear explanation must be provided.

3. Professional Services

a. Professional quality and technical accuracy with reports, orders, and support coordination of all facets of work covering subscription ordering, listings, computer processing and invoicing.

b. Without additional compensation, correct or revise any errors or deficiencies in workmanship or other services.

c. Notify the publisher within 5 working days when customer change of address occurs.

d. At no additional cost, place rush orders within 24 hours of receipt. If the publisher will not accept the order without prior payment, the Contractor shall send out such payment within that same 24 hour period.

e. Provide the following standard reports digitally by e-mail or via download through the online system:

Subscription Comparison Price Index Report. In October of each year, in addition to on demand, the Contractor shall provide a price comparison index report (covering a three year period) in an Excel spreadsheet for all subscriptions, down to the individual title level

(including packages). This report shall be sortable by any field listed in 1e above– e.g. Title, publisher, etc.

Renewal Report. On a monthly basis, provide a renewal report of all subscriptions based upon actual or estimated pricing for the following year. Clearly distinguish between an actual price and an estimated price and provide rationale for calculating the estimated price. Reports should be able to be segmented or customized to show renewals for each subscription account.

Regular Title Updates. The Contractor shall provide updates at least monthly on serial titles including data such as delayed issues, title changes, publisher changes, publication mergers, cessations, online availability status, and direct order requirements.

SPECIFIC TASKS TO BE PERFORMED

Work Breakdown Structure

Task 1 – Purchase New and Renewal Library Resources

Subtask 1.1: Process new and renewal orders on CDC’s behalf for selected library resources in any of these formats: print, print plus online, or online only formats. To facilitate renewals, all licenses will be forwarded to CDC as soon as possible. Print formats will be ordered when that is the only format available, or when the publisher requires subscriptions be bundled – print and online. In addition, contractor must be able to handle delivery of print journals to multiple ship-to addresses (see Attachment 2). Most subscriptions to journals regardless of format run on the calendar year, from January to December. The majority of purchases (95%) occur in the first quarter of the fiscal year. Journal orders must be placed with publishers within 30 days after award of contract. CDC must have the ability to generate claims for missing issues online through EDI (Electronic Data Interface). All electronic subscriptions must be ordered and priced for institutional-wide access. Licenses are based on 4,500 relevant FTEs. Authorized users shall consist of (i) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and its subsidiaries worldwide, (ii) scientific and support staff currently employed including fellows and researchers currently engaged in research activities, and (iii) contractors currently at CDC. All users will receive access through CDC’s secure network.

Library Resources

Purchase New and Renewal Library

Resources Pay Publisher Invoices

Provide Access to Resources

Subtask 1.2: Provide a customer representative who has the authority to resolve problems arising in the

CDC account. The customer representative must be available Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to

5:00 p.m. EST/EDT. He/she must be available by telephone or e-mail to resolve problems and provide updates.

Task 2 - Pay Publisher Invoices

The contractor shall accept and pay any publisher invoices at any time during the year within two weeks of receipt whether the resource is quoted through the publisher or the agent, and invoice CDC within one week of payment to publisher. Rush orders shall be placed within 24 hours of receipt. If the publisher will not accept the order without prior payment, the Contractor shall send out such payment within that same 24 hour period. If orders become a rush due to the contractor’s delay, the contractor shall pay for the order and shall absorb any additional fee as a result of its delay in timely and accurately processing the order. Under no circumstances shall the CDC be responsible for the extra cost of orders that become rush due to the contractor’s failure to place the order(s) timely.

Task 3 - Provide Access to Resources

Resources must be accessible through a web-based interface and integrate with current CDC systems and comply with security regulations. Accessibility should not require any client-installed software.

Electronic access to journals, books, and databases should be activated upon payment of orders. The contractor will provide proof of payment to the publisher for subscriptions that are inaccessible.

The contractor shall provide access to a web-based serials management system with accurate, up-to-date, and complete information available 24/7. This system must be capable of providing sortable reports (as an

Excel spreadsheet) to several access points such as: title, publisher, ISSN, country of publication, publication frequency, subscription period, available formats, price, bill-to address, ship-to address (see attachments) for print, account number charged, customer subscriber number (assigned by publisher), subscription status (irregular, discontinued, slow), and restrictions for institutional subscribers clearly stated.

V. REPORTING SCHEDULE/DELIVERABLES:

The Contractor shall email monthly invoices to the Contracting Officer Representative and the

Financial Management Office. Monthly invoices shall be submitted for each subscription order and for each title at the agreed upon price with evidence of prior payment to the publisher.

Furthermore, the following reports are due as follows:

Deliverable Frequency Due Date

Renewal Report Quarterly Last day of month

Regular Title Updates Monthly or as updates occur

Last day of month

Publisher payment history by titles and publishers Monthly Last day of month

Publisher license agreements Monthly By the 15th each month

VI. SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

A. Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility (Section 508)

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794d), as amended by the Workforce

Investment Act of 1998, and the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board Electronic and Information (EIT) Accessibility Provisions (36 CFR part 1194), require that, unless an exception applies, all EIT products and services developed, acquired, maintained, or used by any Federal department or agency permit:

(1) Federal employees with disabilities to have access to and use information and data that is comparable to the access and use of information and data by Federal employees who are not individuals with disabilities; and

(2) Members of the public with disabilities seeking information or services from a Federal agency to have access to and use of information and data that is comparable to the access and use of information and data by members of the public who are not individuals with disabilities.

Accordingly, any contractor submitting a proposal/quotation/bid in response to this solicitation must demonstrate compliance with the established EIT accessibility provisions. Information about Section 508 provisions is available at http://www.section508.gov/. The complete text of Section 508 Final Provisions can be accessed at http://www.access- board.gov/sec508/provisions.htm.

The Section 508 standards applicable to this solicitation are

36CFR 1194.21

36 CFR 1194.22

36 CFR 1194.31

36 CFR 1194. 41

In order to facilitate the Government’s evaluation to determine whether EIT products and services proposed meet applicable Section 508 accessibility standards, offerors must prepare an HHS Section 508

Product Assessment Template, in accordance with its completion instructions, and provide a binding statement of conformance. The purpose of the template is to assist HHS acquisition and program officials in determining that EIT products and services proposed support applicable Section 508 accessibility standards. The template allows contractors or developers to self-evaluate their products or services and document in detail how they do or do not conform to a specific Section 508 standard. Instructions for preparing the HHS Section 508 Product Assessment Template may be found at http://508.hhs.gov.

Respondents to this solicitation must also provide any additional detailed information necessary for determining applicable Section 508 standards conformance, as well as for documenting EIT products and/or services that are incidental to the project, which would constitute an exception to Section 508 requirements.

If a contractor claims its products and/or services, including EIT deliverables such as electronic documents and reports, meet applicable Section 508 standards in its completed HHS Section 508 Product Assessment

Template, and it is later determined by the Government – i.e., after award of a contract/order, that products and/or services delivered do not conform to the described accessibility in the Product Assessment Template, remediation of the products and/or services to the level of conformance specified in the contractor’s Product

Assessment Template will be the responsibility of the Contractor at its expense.

B. Other requirements

The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA): Offerors should be advised that any activities involving information collection (i.e., posing similar questions or requirements via surveys, questionnaires, telephonic requests, focus groups, etc.) from 10 or more non-Federal entities/persons, including States, are subject to

PRA requirements and may require CDC to coordinate an Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

Information Collection Request clearance prior to the start of information collection activities. This would also include information sent to or obtained by CDC via forms, applications, reports, information systems, and any other means for requesting information from 10 or more persons; asking or requiring 10 or more entities/persons to keep or retain records; or asking or requiring 10 or more entities/persons to disclose information to a third-party or the general public.