36C10B18Q3117-000.docx

36C10B18Q3117 FedBizOpps Combined Synopsis/Solicitation Notice

CLASSIFICATION CODE

SUBJECT

CONTRACTING OFFICE'S

ZIP-CODE

SOLICITATION NUMBER

RESPONSE DATE (MM-DD-YYYY)

ARCHIVE

DAYS AFTER THE RESPONSE DATE

RECOVERY ACT FUNDS

SET-ASIDE

NAICS CODE

CONTRACTING OFFICE

ADDRESS

POINT OF CONTACT

(POC Information Automatically Filled from User Profile Unless Entered)

DESCRIPTION

See Attachment

AGENCY'S URL

URL DESCRIPTION

AGENCY CONTACT'S EMAIL

ADDRESS

EMAIL DESCRIPTION

ADDRESS

POSTAL CODE

COUNTRY

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

GENERAL INFORMATION

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

* = Required Field FedBizOpps Combined Synopsis/Solicitation Notice Rev. March 2010 D VA.GOV Modernization 07724 36C10B18Q3117 N 541519 Department of Veterans Affairs Technology Acquisition Center 23 Christopher Way Eatontown NJ 07724 Kelly Reale Contract Specialist 732-440-9712 kelly.reale@va.gov kelly.reale@va.gov 36C10B18Q3117 See attached combined synopsis/solicitation for VA.gov Modernization Page 1 of Page 1 of Page 1 of Page 1 of

1. REQUISITION NO.

2. CONTRACT NO.

3. AWARD/EFFECTIVE DATE

4. ORDER NO.

5. SOLICITATION NUMBER

6. SOLICITATION ISSUE DATE

a. NAME

b. TELEPHONE NO. (No Collect Calls)

8. OFFER DUE DATE/LOCAL

TIME

9. ISSUED BY

CODE

10. THIS ACQUISITION IS

UNRESTRICTED OR

SET ASIDE:

% FOR:

SMALL BUSINESS

HUBZONE SMALL

BUSINESS

SERVICE-DISABLED

VETERAN-OWNED

SMALL BUSINESS

WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS

(WOSB) ELIGIBLE UNDER THE WOMEN-OWNED

SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM

EDWOSB

8(A)

NAICS:

SIZE STANDARD:

11. DELIVERY FOR FOB DESTINA-

TION UNLESS BLOCK IS

MARKED

SEE SCHEDULE

12. DISCOUNT TERMS

13a. THIS CONTRACT IS A

RATED ORDER UNDER

DPAS (15 CFR 700)

13b. RATING

14. METHOD OF SOLICITATION

RFQ

IFB

RFP

15. DELIVER TO

CODE

16. ADMINISTERED BY

CODE

17a. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR

CODE

FACILITY CODE

18a. PAYMENT WILL BE MADE BY

CODE

TELEPHONE NO.

DUNS:

DUNS+4:

PHONE:

FAX:

17b. CHECK IF REMITTANCE IS DIFFERENT AND PUT SUCH ADDRESS IN OFFER 18b. SUBMIT INVOICES TO ADDRESS SHOWN IN BLOCK 18a UNLESS BLOCK BELOW IS CHECKED

SEE ADDENDUM

19.

20.

21.

22.

23.

24.

ITEM NO.

SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES

QUANTITY

UNIT

UNIT PRICE

AMOUNT

(Use Reverse and/or Attach Additional Sheets as Necessary)

25. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA

26. TOTAL AWARD AMOUNT (For Govt. Use Only) 27a. SOLICITATION INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-1, 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-3 AND 52.212-5 ARE ATTACHED. ADDENDA

ARE

ARE NOT ATTACHED.

27b. CONTRACT/PURCHASE ORDER INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-5 IS ATTACHED. ADDENDA

ARE

ARE NOT ATTACHED

28. CONTRACTOR IS REQUIRED TO SIGN THIS DOCUMENT AND RETURN _______________

29. AWARD OF CONTRACT: REF. ___________________________________ OFFER

COPIES TO ISSUING OFFICE. CONTRACTOR AGREES TO FURNISH AND

DATED ________________________________. YOUR OFFER ON SOLICITATION

DELIVER ALL ITEMS SET FORTH OR OTHERWISE IDENTIFIED ABOVE AND ON ANY

(BLOCK 5), INCLUDING ANY ADDITIONS OR CHANGES WHICH ARE

ADDITIONAL SHEETS SUBJECT TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SPECIFIED

SET FORTH HEREIN IS ACCEPTED AS TO ITEMS:

30a. SIGNATURE OF OFFEROR/CONTRACTOR 31a. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (SIGNATURE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER) 30b. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (TYPE OR PRINT) 30c. DATE SIGNED 31b. NAME OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (TYPE OR PRINT) 31c. DATE SIGNED

AUTHORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION

(REV. 2/2012)

PREVIOUS EDITION IS NOT USABLE

Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.212

7. FOR SOLICITATION

INFORMATION CALL:

STANDARD FORM 1449

OFFEROR TO COMPLETE BLOCKS 12, 17, 23, 24, & 30

SOLICITATION/CONTRACT/ORDER FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS

36C10B18Q3117 06-29-2018 Department of Veterans Affairs Technology Acquisition Center 23 Christopher Way Eatontown NJ 07724 X 541519 $27.5M N/A X See Delivery Schedule Eatontown NJ 07724 Department of Veterans Affairs Technology Acquisition Center 23 Christopher Way Eatontown NJ 07724

Department of Veterans Affairs Technology Acquisition Center Financial Services Center PO Box 149971 Austin TX 78714-8971 This RFQ is for VA.GOV Modernization The period of performance is a 6-month Base Period with two 6-month option periods Order Type: Firm Fixed Price Kelly Reale, kelly.reale@va.gov, 732-440-9712 Contract Specialist Alternate Point of Contact (POC):

Joshua Cohen, Phone: 732-440-9696, email:

Joshua.Cohen2@va.gov , Contracting Officer Joshua Cohen Page 1 of Page 1 of Table of Contents

A.1 COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested and an additional written solicitation will not be issued.

(ii) Request for Quotation: 36C10B18Q3117

(iii) The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-99.

(iv) This is a total Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business Set Aside under NAICS code 541519, the relevant size standard is $27.5M

(v) See Section B below for the Schedule of Deliverables

(vi) See Section C Statement of Objectives

(vii) Period of Performance is 6-months after date of award and FOB point is Destination.

(viii) The provisions at 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors—Commercial, and 52.212-2, Evaluation—Commercial Items, do not apply to this acquisition. Evaluation and Basis for award procedures can be found in Section E below.

(ix) A statement regarding the applicability of the provision at 52.212-2, Evaluation—Commercial Items, if used, and the specific evaluation criteria to be included in paragraph (a) of that provision. If this provision is not used, describe the evaluation procedures to be used.

(x) Offerors shall include a completed copy of the provision at 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications—Commercial Items, with its offer.

(xi) The clause at 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions—Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition and a statement and addenda can be found in Section C below.

(xii) The clause at 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required To Implement Statutes or Executive Orders—Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition details of which can be found in Section C below.

(xv) Quoters shall submit Relevant Case Studies and the Proposed CMS to Kelly Reale at Kelly.Reale@va.gov no later than 3PM EST 08/22/2018.

(xvi) Please contact Kelly Reale, (732) 440-9712, Kelly.Reale@va.gov for information regarding the solicitation.

A.2 GOVERNING LAW

Federal law and regulations, including the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), shall govern this Contract/Order. Commercial license agreements may be made a part of this Contract/Order but only if both parties expressly make them an addendum hereto. If the commercial license agreement is not made an addendum, it shall not apply, govern, be a part of or have any effect whatsoever on the Contract/Order; this includes, but is not limited to, any agreement embedded in the computer software (clickwrap), any agreement that is otherwise delivered with or provided to the Government with the commercial computer software or documentation (shrinkwrap), or any other license agreement otherwise referred to in any document. If a commercial license agreement is made an addendum, only those provisions addressing data rights regarding the Government’s use, duplication and disclosure of data (e.g., restricted computer software) are included and made a part of this Contract/Order, and only to the extent that those provisions are not duplicative or inconsistent with Federal law, Federal regulation, the incorporated FAR clauses and the provisions of this Contract/Order; those provisions in the commercial license agreement that do not address data rights regarding the Government’s use, duplication and disclosure of data shall not be included or made a part of the Contract/Order. Federal law and regulation including, without limitation, the Contract Disputes Act (41 U.S.C. § 7101 et seq.), the Anti-Deficiency Act (31 U.S.C. § 1341 et seq.), the Competition in Contracting Act (41 U.S.C. § 3301 et seq.), the Prompt Payment Act (31 U.S.C. §3901 et seq.), Contracts for Data Processing or Maintenance (38 USC § 5725), and FAR clauses 52.212-4, 52.227-14, 52.227-19 shall supersede, control, and render ineffective any inconsistent, conflicting, or duplicative provision in any commercial license agreement. In the event of conflict between this Clause and any provision in the Contract/Order or the commercial license agreement or elsewhere, the terms of this Clause shall prevail. Claims of patent or copyright infringement brought against the Government as a party shall be defended by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). 28 U.S.C. § 516. At the discretion of DOJ, the Contractor may be allowed reasonable participation in the defense of the litigation. Any additional changes to the Contract/Order must be made by contract/order modification (Standard Form 30) and shall only be effected by a warranted Contracting Officer. Nothing in this Contract/Order or any commercial license agreement shall be construed as a waiver of sovereign immunity.

A.3 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

1. Contract Administration: All contract administration matters will be handled by the following individuals:

Department of Veterans Affairs Technology Acquisition Center 23 Christopher Way Eatontown NJ 07724

2. CONTRACTOR REMITTANCE ADDRESS: All payments by the Government to the contractor will be made in accordance with:

3. INVOICES: Invoices shall be submitted in arrears:

4. GOVERNMENT INVOICE ADDRESS: All Invoices from the contractor shall be submitted electronically in accordance with VAAR Clause 852.232-72 Electronic Submission of Payment Requests.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF AMENDMENTS: The offeror acknowledges receipt of amendments to the Solicitation numbered and dated as follows:

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SECTION B.1 - SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICE/COSTS

Days used below refer to calendar days unless otherwise stated. Deliverables with due dates falling on a weekend or holiday shall be submitted the following Government work day after the weekend or holiday.

BASE PERIOD (6-months)

This Firm Fixed Price (FFP) Contract Line Item Number (CLIN) includes all labor and deliverables required for the successful completion of the services detailed in PWS paragraph 5.1 and all of its subparagraphs for the base period and each option period and optional task, if exercised.

The cost of Project Management CLIN 0001 and subcontract Sub-Line Item Number (SLIN) 0001AA, 0001AB, and 0001AC shall be included in and allocated to the remaining FFP CLINs below including all option periods.

Period of Performance will be 6-months After Effective Date (AED).

Due 30 days AED and updated as necessary thereafter.

Electronic submission to: VA Program Manager (VA PM), Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), Contracting Officer (CO), and Contract Specialist (CS)

Inspection/Acceptance/F.O.B: Destination

Due Monthly throughout the PoP.

Electronic submission to: VA PM, COR, CO and CS

Inspection/Acceptance/F.O.B: Destination

Due 7 days AED and within 7 days of the onboard of each new employee.

Electronic submission to: VA PM, COR, CO and CS

Inspection/Acceptance/F.O.B: Destination

CLIN 00XX includes all program management, labor, and deliverables required for the successful completion of the tasks IAW the proposed PWS.

Number of Iterations:_______ Length of each Iteration:_____________

1 EA=1 Iteration

PoP will be 6-Months AED.

XX

Travel in accordance with SOO paragraph 4.3

Invoicing shall be in accordance with FAR 52.232-7, “Payment under Time-and-Material and Labor Hour Contracts.”

Government Not to Exceed Travel Ceiling:

$10,000.00 + Fixed Handling Rate % = Travel NTE Ceiling $___________ (Inclusive of Government NTE travel ceiling + Fixed Handling Rate)

Materials shall be purchased only upon receipt of approval of the COR.

Invoicing shall be in accordance with FAR 52.232-7, “Payment under Time-and-Material and Labor Hour Contracts.”

Government Not to Exceed Travel Ceiling:

$30,000.00 + Fixed Handling Rate % = Materials NTE Ceiling $________ (Inclusive of Government NTE Material ceiling + Fixed Handling Rate)

OPTION PERIOD 1 (6-months)

This option period may be exercised IAW FAR 52.217-9 Option to Extend the Term of the Contract (MAR 2000). Work shall not commence until, and unless, a formal modification is issued by the Contracting Officer. If exercised, this option shall commence immediately after expiration of the Base Period.

CLIN 00XX includes all program management, labor, and deliverables required for the successful completion of the tasks IAW the proposed PWS.

Number of Iterations:_______ Length of each Iteration:_____________

1 EA=1 Iteration

XX

Travel in accordance with SOO paragraph 4.3

Invoicing shall be in accordance with FAR 52.232-7, “Payment under Time-and-Material and Labor Hour Contracts.”

Government Not to Exceed Travel Ceiling:

$10,000.00 + Fixed Handling Rate % = Travel NTE Ceiling $___________ (Inclusive of Government NTE travel ceiling + Fixed Handling Rate)

Materials shall be purchased only upon receipt of approval of the COR.

Invoicing shall be in accordance with FAR 52.232-7, “Payment under Time-and-Material and Labor Hour Contracts.”

Government Not to Exceed Travel Ceiling:

$30,000.00 + Fixed Handling Rate % = Materials NTE Ceiling $________ (Inclusive of Government NTE Material ceiling + Fixed Handling Rate)

OPTION PERIOD 2 (6-months)

This option period may be exercised IAW FAR 52.217-9 Option to Extend the Term of the Contract (MAR 2000). Work shall not commence until, and unless, a formal modification is issued by the Contracting Officer. If exercised, this option shall commence immediately after expiration of Option Period 1.

CLIN 00XX includes all program management, labor, and deliverables required for the successful completion of the tasks IAW the proposed PWS.

Number of Iterations:_______ Length of each Iteration:_____________

1 EA=1 Iteration

XX

Travel in accordance with SOO paragraph 4.3

Invoicing shall be in accordance with FAR 52.232-7, “Payment under Time-and-Material and Labor Hour Contracts.”

Government Not to Exceed Travel Ceiling:

$10,000.00 + Fixed Handling Rate % = Travel NTE Ceiling $___________ (Inclusive of Government NTE travel ceiling + Fixed Handling Rate)

Materials shall be purchased only upon receipt of approval of the COR.

Invoicing shall be in accordance with FAR 52.232-7, “Payment under Time-and-Material and Labor Hour Contracts.”

Government Not to Exceed Travel Ceiling:

$30,000.00 + Fixed Handling Rate % = Materials NTE Ceiling $________ (Inclusive of Government NTE Material ceiling + Fixed Handling Rate)

36C10B18Q3117

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SECTION B.2 - DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/STATEMENT OF WORK

STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES (SOO)

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

Office of Information & Technology Enterprise Program Management Office

VA.gov Modernization

Date: June 30, 2018

TAC-18-TBD

SOO Version Number: 1.0

1.0 BACKGROUND

The mission of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Office of Information & Technology (OI&T), Enterprise Program Management Office (EPMO) is to provide benefits and services to Veterans of the United States. In meeting these goals, OI&T strives to provide high quality, effective, and efficient Information Technology (IT) services to those responsible for providing care to the Veterans at the point-of-care as well as throughout all the points of the Veterans’ health care in an effective, timely and compassionate manner. VA depends on Information Management/Information Technology (IM/IT) systems to meet mission goals.

This action shall support VA Digital Modernization and updates to VA’s primary Veteran-facing property, VA.gov, through the implementation of a content management system. VA.gov receives approximately 5 million visits per month.

The effort to modernize VA.gov is part of the larger VA-wide effort known as the VA Digital Modernization Strategy. VA is committed to dramatically upgrading its user-facing digital tools, becoming the first federal agency to deliver a digital experience on par with the private sector. To align our digital experience with our users’ expectations, VA will follow a core set of digital modernization principles:

1. Every VA service will have a single, high quality digital version, designed with direct input from users. All VA digital services will have a consistent look and feel.

2. Top services will be accessible from a single customer-focused homepage on VA.gov. This homepage will be organized around the primary actions people are trying to take when they visit VA. The homepage will be optimized for quickly connecting users with the tool or information they are seeking. VA’s internal org chart will be invisible to customers.

3. Whenever possible, services will be personalized for the individual using the tool

4. All existing VA account holders, regardless of which account they have, will be able to use that account to access all of VA’s digital tools

5. VA’s customer support channels will be equipped to assist Veterans with digital tools, and Veterans will be provided the same information about their situation regardless of whether the use a digital tool or a different customer support channel.

6. Every service will be equally available in desktop and mobile environments

7. Customer information will be protected with best-in-class security

The Web Brand Consolidation Working Group (a subcommittee of VA’s Web Governance Board) was created to take action on this strategy on VA's primary Veteran-facing web properties: va.gov, vets.gov, myhealth.va.gov, ebenefits.va.gov, and explore.va.gov. This group has identified four key problems with the current Veteran experience across these web properties, which are partially addressed in this SOO.

· Veterans can not find the tools and services they need online

· Users are confused by the disjointed navigation between sites

· VA web sites are designed for the Administrations, not users

· Cross-administration governance of VA.gov is complicated

Addressing these problems will help to make progress toward the Digital Modernization Vision. To address these problems, the Working Group decided to design and build a new Veteran-first experience for VA.gov. This experience will include a new homepage for VA.gov; updated global header, footer, and navigation; new benefit hub pages; and new landing pages for many of the top VA services. All of these new pages will be served from the AWS GovCloud (VA Enterprise Cloud) infrastructure currently supporting vets.gov. In addition to the new pages, the content and tools that currently exist on vets.gov will be rolled under the va.gov url structure and the vets.gov brand will be retired. This work is currently in progress under an existing contract and is expected to launch by Veteran’s Day 2018. This work is not the subject of this SOO.

The subject of this SOO is to support the Post-Veteran’s Day experience on VA.gov. The Contractor will be expected to implement a Content Management System in the VA Enterprise Cloud to allow VA stakeholders to manage VA.gov content. The initial MVP of this Content Management System must be delivered within the 6 month base period.

2.0 APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS

In the performance of the tasks associated with this SOO, the Contractor shall comply with the Applicable Documents that are included in Section 7.0 below.

3.0 SCOPE OF WORK

The Contractor will implement a Content Management System and provide additional support for the VA Digital Modernization Strategy through improvements to VA.gov.

3.1 ORDER TYPE

The effort shall be proposed on a Firm Fixed Price (FFP) and Time & Materials.

4.0 PERFORMANCE DETAILS

4.1 PERFORMANCE PERIOD

The period of performance shall be 6-months from date of award, with two 6-month options.

Any work at the Government site shall not take place on Federal holidays or weekends unless directed by the Contracting Officer (CO).

There are ten (10) Federal holidays set by law (USC Title 5 Section 6103) that VA follows:

Under current definitions, four are set by date:

If any of the above falls on a Saturday, then Friday shall be observed as a holiday. Similarly, if one falls on a Sunday, then Monday shall be observed as a holiday.

The other six are set by a day of the week and month:

4.2 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

Efforts under this TO may be performed in VA facilities located at 811 Vermont Ave NW, Washington, DC and/or at the Contractor’s -site. The Government will provide up to 6 hoteling spaces for Contractor staff to use throughout the life of the project. The Government strongly recommends that the Contractor maintain regular physical presence on the Government site.

4.3 TRAVEL

The Government anticipates travel under this effort to perform the tasks associated with the effort, as well as to attend program-related meetings or conferences throughout the PoP. Contractors may be required to perform additional site-visits (CONUS only) to government and non-government facilities to conduct user research or stakeholder engagement

Travel shall be reimbursed on a Time & Materials basis in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulations (FTR) and requires advanced concurrence by the COR. Contractor travel within the local commuting area will not be reimbursed.

5.0 SPECIFIC TASKS AND DELIVERABLES

The Contractor shall perform the following:

5.1 PROJECT MANAGEMENT

5.1.1 CONTRACTOR PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN

The Contractor shall deliver a Contractor Project Management Plan (CPMP) that lays out the Contractor’s approach, timeline and tools to be used in execution of the contract. The CPMP should take the form of both a narrative and graphic format that displays the schedule, milestones, risks and resource support. The CPMP shall also include how the Contractor shall coordinate and execute planned, routine, and ad hoc data collection reporting requests as identified within the SOO. The initial baseline CPMP shall be concurred upon and updated in accordance with Section B of the contract. The Contractor shall update and maintain the VA PM approved CPMP throughout the PoP.

Deliverable:

A. Contractor Project Management Plan

5.1.2 REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

5.1.2.1 EPMO MANAGEMENT

The Contractor shall use the DSVA’s Github environment to track execution details. The Github Repository will be used to provide a single authoritative product data source and artifact repository. The Contractor shall utilize Github tools, at a minimum, to:

1. Input and manage scheduled product sprints and backlog

2. Input and manage product risks and issues

3. Input and manage product configurations and changes

4. Input and manage product test plans and execution

5. Input and manage product planning and engineering documentation

6. Input and manage linkages between requirements, code, tests and defects to correlate requirements to change orders to configurable items to risks, impediments, and issues to test cases and test results to show full traceability.

Deliverable: The Contractor shall use GitHub, GitHub Extensions, and other approved tools to provide full technical and end-user documentation, during and at the end of the project, for all software development efforts and product releases with all information necessary to document processes, procedures, code artifacts, test scripts, and/or policies that were implemented over the course of this contract.

Monthly Status Report

Contractor shall deliver monthly Review Report detailing the status of all work efforts. The Monthly Status Report shall include the following data elements:

1. Project Name and TO;

2. All work in-progress and completed during the reporting period;

3. Identification of any TO related issues uncovered during the reporting period and especially highlight those areas with a high probability of impacting schedule, cost or performance goals and their likely impact on schedule, cost, or performance goals;

4. Explanations for any unresolved issues, including possible solutions and any actions required of the Government and/or Contractor to resolve or mitigate any identified issue, including a plan and timeframe for resolution;

5. Status on previously identified issues, actions taken to mitigate the situation and/or progress made in rectifying the situation;

6. Work planned for the subsequent two reporting periods, when applicable;

7. Workforce staffing data showing all Contractor personnel performing on the effort during the current reporting period. After the initial labor baseline is provided, each Monthly Status Report shall identify any changes in staffing identifying each person who was added to the contract or removed from the contract

These reports shall not be the only means of communication between the Contractor COR and the VA Program/Project Manager to advise of performance/schedule issues and to develop strategies for addressing the issues. The Contractor shall continuously monitor performance and report any deviation from the CPMP or previous Bi-Weekly EPMO Status Report to the COR and VA Program/Project Manager during routine, regular communications.

Deliverable:

A. Monthly Status Report

5.1.3 PRIVACY & HIPAA TRAINING

The Contractor shall submit Training Management Systems (TMS) Training Certificates of completion for VA Privacy and Information Security Awareness, Rules of Behavior and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) training. The Contractor shall provide signed copies of the Contractor Rules of Behavior in accordance with Section 9, Training, from Appendix C of the VA Handbook 6500.6, “Contract Security”.

The Contractor shall submit status of VA Privacy and Information Security Awareness training for all individuals engaged on the task.

Deliverables:

A. TMS Training Certificates B. Signed Contractor Rules of Behavior

5.1.4 TECHNICAL KICKOFF MEETING

The Contractor shall hold a technical kickoff meeting within 10 days after TO award. The Contractor shall present, for review and approval by the Government, the details of the intended approach, work plan, and project schedule for each effort. The Contractor shall specify dates, locations (in-person preferred but can be virtual), agenda (shall be provided to all attendees at least five calendar days prior to the meeting), and meeting minutes (shall be provided to all attendees within three calendar days after the meeting). The Contractor shall invite the Contracting Officer (CO), Contract Specialist (CS), COR, and the VA PgM / PMs.

The Contractor shall deliver the kick-off meeting package three days after the kickoff meeting. The package shall include a work planning and delivery approach, milestone schedule, and constraints.

5.2 PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES (BASE AND OPTION PERIODs)

The Contractor(s) shall provide VA with agile delivery teams during the base and option periods (if exercised).

These teams shall deliver viable, digital solutions (specific activities are listed below) in support of VA's Digital Modernization effort and ship complete code to users every two to three weeks.

The specific nature of the capabilities required for each team are articulated below. However, it is expected that the agile delivery teams will include members with expertise in one or more of the following areas: product and delivery management, systems architecture, software development, CMS configuration, CMS user management, user research, user experience (UX) strategy, user interface (UI) and visual design, static and dynamic content management, content writing, and development and operations (DevOps). Skillsets of team members on each agile team should be aligned to support delivery of the digital products detailed below and individuals may be shared across agile teams.

The Contractor’s support and solutions shall follow the practices described in the Digital Services Playbook (https://playbook.cio.gov). The Contractor shall be familiar with the concepts in each play and implement them in its approaches and support. The Contractor shall incorporate modern user research and usability testing best practices into all solutions. The Contractor shall design, develop, configure, customize, deploy, and operate solutions. Once deployed, the Contractor shall provide production support of the solution as required, including limited user support. The Contractor shall deliver modern digital services that use DevOps techniques that embrace continuous integration and continuous deployment. The Contractor shall deliver secure and tested modern web application designs using automated testing frameworks.

VA.gov Content Management System

The Contractor shall implement a CMS in the VA Enterprise Cloud to support the modernized VA.gov. The Contractor shall complete the following activities within the base period of performance (first 6 months) and continue to improve on the resulting MVP should option periods be executed.

This contract does not include research or comparative analysis of CMS technologies. The Contractor must be prepared to begin work on their proposed CMS solution at contract initiation. The Contractor’s proposed CMS technology must meet the requirements detailed below and in the Operating Constraints Section 5.2.1.

1. Create an MVP CMS for VA.gov in the VA Enterprise Cloud (VAEC). Contractor will implement the MVP of an open-source Content Management System for VA.gov. The MVP will be complete before the end of the base period of performance. The CMS must provide a streamlined interface, maintain the benefits of the current vets.gov technology stack and release process, provide user-friendly administrative views, allow for dynamic content, and allow for re-usable structured content and content APIs. This implementation includes CMS DevOps for the code base and content, front-end integration with the current vets.gov repo, and integration with the current identity solution. See Operating Constraints 5.2.1 for additional requirements.

2. Design a new content model for VA.gov. Following industry best practices, design and implement an effective, re-usable content model for VA.gov. The content model must address all static content currently on vets.gov and all pages built as part of the Veteran’s Day 2018 launch. This model must be capable of scaling to integrate static content from the legacy va.gov website, myhealth.va.gov, and ebenefits.va.gov. This will require working with VA stakeholders to audit and define which content to recreate in the new content model. This will include creating new templates consistent with Formation, which serves as the VA design standards, and identifying solutions for integrating prioritized VA.gov pages including VA medical facilities, VA administration pages, and other existing VA.gov pages.

3. Implement content governance. Implement a consistent and sustainable governance process for VA.gov content. Includes CMS user permissions, roles, controls, and workflows. Incorporates human content workflows (i.e., staff editing and reviewing website copy) with agile development and continuous deployment. Includes coaching Government staff on use of CMS and adoption of new workflows. The VA Web Brand Consolidation Working Group is currently working to define structures and processes for VA review of content.

4. Write and edit new content pages. Support VA stakeholders with plain language and writing-for-web best practices in the creation, modification, and publishing of public facing content. Conduct content audits, inventories, and reviews as needed to research and design new content across VA.gov, with a focus on customer-facing content that gets users to tools and transactions. The contractor will work with the VA Web Governance Board to define and prioritize content for migration into the CMS.

5. Migrate content from vets.gov into the CMS. Map and migrate vets.gov content into the new content model for the CMS, allowing for implementation of the content governance strategy and management by VA stakeholders. VA’s priority is to migrate static content and dynamic content not directly tied to digital applications and tools. This migration also includes all pages and content built on VA.gov in the VAEC as part of the Veteran’s Day 2018 Launch.

6. Follow search engine optimization (SEO) best practices. Follow best practices in modern web development to optimize VA.gov pages for search. Integrate content SEO with CMS SEO (e.g. tagging, metadata). All new pages created or migrated by the Contractor will be optimized for SEO.

7. Provide improved internal search. Replace existing VA.gov site search with a modem tool that optimizes internal search of structured content pages. Conduct research and work with VA stakeholders to determine the best kind of search technology to meet users’ needs. Additional details in Operating Constraints Section 5.2.1.

8. Use advanced analytics and measurement. Monitor and analyze website performance, web analytics, customer experience, and CMS use for VA.gov. Follow industry standards for front end performance of the final product for the end user.

Deliverables:

A. Deliverables under this section are defined as the completion and acceptance of products delivered according to the contractor’s “Definition of Done” for iterations completed, which are based on the contractor’s proposed agile software development methodology. The “Definition of Done”, at a minimum, shall provide production-ready products as a result of the agile iterations.

5.2.1 OPERATING CONSTRAINTS

1. Multi-vendor Environment: The Contractor shall operate in multi-vendor environments where the Contractor may not own the entire system design and may not be able to modify certain aspects of the system architecture. These environments include the current VA.gov infrastructure and the current vets.gov infrastructure. Coordination between Contractors and government representatives will be required to maintain efficient operations and delivery.

2. Content Management System Selection: The Contractor shall implement a CMS that is open source, has an active community of users, and is of commercial quality (Drupal, WordPress, or similar). This CMS must be capable of meeting VA.gov’s content management needs for scope and scale. The CMS shall be designed to allow content sharing between VA.gov and VA mobile applications, VA call center staff portals, and authorized third party websites (e.g. VSO’s) via APIs or another recommended solution.

3. Transition: The Contractor shall implement a CMS in a manner that allows for the transition of development and maintenance to VA or another Contractor at the conclusion of this contract.

4. Search: The Contractor shall select and implement a search solution that is modern, open source, and commercial quality capable of meeting VA.gov’s search needs for scope and scale. This search solution may be search.gov, a Government-owned search currently implemented on another Government website, the native-built CMS search, or another open source solution.

6.0 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

6.1 ENTERPRISE AND IT FRAMEWORK

6.1.1 ONE-VA TECHNICAL REFERENCE MODEL

The Contractor shall support the VA enterprise management framework. In association with the framework, the Contractor shall comply with OI&T Technical Reference Model (One-VA TRM). One-VA TRM is one component within the overall Enterprise Architecture (EA) that establishes a common vocabulary and structure for describing the information technology used to develop, operate, and maintain enterprise applications. One-VA TRM includes the Standards Profile and Product List that collectively serves as a VA technology roadmap. Architecture, Strategy, and Design (ASD) has overall responsibility for the One-VA TRM.

6.1.2 FEDERAL IDENTITY, CREDENTIAL, AND ACCESS MANAGEMENT (FICAM)

The Contractor shall ensure Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) product(s), software configuration and customization, and/or new software are Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card-enabled by accepting HSPD-12 PIV credentials using VA Enterprise Technical Architecture (ETA), http://www.ea.oit.va.gov/VA_EA/VAEA_TechnicalArchitecture.asp, and VA Identity and Access Management (IAM) in use by DSVA (currently ID.me but is subject to change).

The Contractor shall ensure all Contractor delivered applications and systems conform to the specific Identity and Access Management PIV requirements set forth in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Memoranda M-04-04, M-05-24, M-11-11, and NIST Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 201-2. OMB Memoranda M-04-04, M-05-24, and M-11-11 can be found at: https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/omb/assets/omb/memoranda/fy04/m04-04.pdf, https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/omb/assets/omb/memoranda/fy2005/m05-24.pdf, and https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/omb/memoranda/2011/m11-11.pdf respectively.

The required Assurance Levels for this specific effort are Identity Assurance Level 3, Authenticator Assurance Level 3, and Federation Assurance Level 3.

6.1.3 INTERNET PROTOCOL VERSION 6 (IPV6)

The Contractor solution shall support the latest Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) based upon the directives issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on August 2, 2005 (https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/omb/assets/omb/memoranda/fy2005/m05-22.pdf) and September 28, 2010 (https://cio.gov/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2012/09/Transition-to-IPv6.pdf). IPv6 technology, in accordance with the USGv6 Profile, NIST Special Publication (SP) 500-267 (https://www.nist.gov/programs-projects/usgv6-technical-basis-next-generation-internet), the Technical Infrastructure for USGv6 Adoption (http://www-x.antd.nist.gov/usgv6/index.html), and the NIST SP 800 series applicable compliance (http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/PubsSPs.html) shall be included in all IT infrastructures, application designs, application development, operational systems and sub-systems, and their integration. In addition to the above requirements, all devices shall support native IPv6 and/or dual stack (IPv6 / IPv4) connectivity without additional memory or other resources being provided by the Government, so that they can function in a mixed environment. All public/external facing servers and services (e.g. web, email, DNS, ISP services, etc.) shall support native IPv6 and/or dual stack (IPv6/ IPv4) users and all internal infrastructure and applications shall communicate using native IPv6 and/or dual stack (IPv6/ IPv4) operations. Guidance and support of improved methodologies which ensure interoperability with legacy protocol and services in dual stack solutions, in addition to OMB/VA memoranda, can be found at: https://www.voa.va.gov/documentlistpublic.aspx?NodeID=282.

6.1.4 TRUSTED INTERNET CONNECTION (TIC)

The Contractor solution shall meet the requirements outlined in Office of Management and Budget Memorandum M08-05 mandating Trusted Internet Connections (TIC) (https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/omb/assets/omb/memoranda/fy2008/m08-05.pdf), M08-23 mandating Domain Name System Security (NSSEC) (https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/omb/assets/omb/memoranda/fy2008/m08-23.pdf), and shall comply with the Trusted Internet Connections (TIC) Reference Architecture Document, Version 2.0 https://s3.amazonaws.com/sitesusa/wp-content/uploads/sites/482/2015/04/TIC_Ref_Arch_v2-0_2013.pdf.

6.2 SECURITY AND PRIVACY REQUIREMENTS

It has been determined that protected health information may be disclosed or accessed and a signed Business Associate Agreement (BAA) shall be required. The Contractor shall adhere to the requirements set forth within the BAA, referenced in Section D of the contract, and shall comply with VA Directive 6066.

6.2.1 POSITION/TASK RISK DESIGNATION LEVEL(S)

In accordance with VA Handbook 0710, Personnel Security and Suitability Program, the position sensitivity and the level of background investigation commensurate with the required level of access for the following tasks within the SOO are:

Position Sensitivity and Background Investigation Requirements by Task

The Tasks identified above and the resulting Position Sensitivity and Background Investigation requirements identify, in effect, the Background Investigation requirements for Contractor individuals, based upon the tasks the particular Contractor individual will be working. The submitted Contractor Staff Roster must indicate the required Background Investigation Level for each Contractor individual based upon the tasks the Contractor individual will be working, in accordance with their submitted proposal.

6.2.2 CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL SECURITY REQUIREMENTS

Contractor Responsibilities:

1. The Contractor shall prescreen all personnel requiring access to the computer systems to ensure they maintain the appropriate Background Investigation, and are able to read, write, speak and understand the English language.

a. Within 3 business days after award, the Contractor shall provide a roster of Contractor and SubContractor employees to the COR to begin their background investigations in accordance with the PAL templateshttps://www.va.gov/process/artifacts.asp. The Contractor Staff Roster shall contain the Contractor’s Full Name, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, individual background investigation level requirement (based upon Section 6.2 Tasks), etc. The Contractor shall submit full Social Security Numbers either within the Contractor Staff Roster or under separate cover to the COR. The Contractor Staff Roster shall be updated and provided to VA within 1 day of any changes in employee status, training certification completion status, Background Investigation level status, additions/removal of employees, etc. throughout the Period of Performance. The Contractor Staff Roster shall remain a historical document indicating all past information and the Contractor shall indicate in the Comment field, employees no longer supporting this contract. The preferred method to send the Contractor Staff Roster or Social Security Number is by encrypted e-mail. If unable to send encrypted e-mail, other methods which comply with FIPS 140-2 are to encrypt the file, use a secure fax, or use a traceable mail service.

1. The Contractor should coordinate with the location of the nearest VA fingerprinting office through the COR. Only electronic fingerprints are authorized. The Contractor shall bring their completed Security and Investigations Center (SIC) Fingerprint request form with them (see paragraph d.4. below) when getting fingerprints taken.

c. The Contractor shall ensure the following required forms are submitted to the COR within 5 days after contract award:

1) Optional Form 306

2) Self-Certification of Continuous Service

3) VA Form 0710

4) Completed SIC Fingerprint Request Form

d. The Contractor personnel shall submit all required information related to their background investigations (completion of the investigation documents (SF85, SF85P, or SF 86) utilizing the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) Electronic Questionnaire for Investigations Processing (e-QIP) after receiving an email notification from the Security and Investigation Center (SIC).

e. The Contractor employee shall certify and release the e-QIP document, print and sign the signature pages, and send them encrypted to the COR for electronic submission to the SIC. These documents shall be submitted to the COR within 3 business days of receipt of the e-QIP notification email. (Note: OPM is moving towards a “click to sign” process. If click to sign is used, the Contractor employee should notify the COR within 3 business days that documents were signed via e-QIP).

1. The Contractor shall be responsible for the actions of all personnel provided to work for VA under this contract. In the event that damages arise from work performed by Contractor provided personnel, under the auspices of this contract, the Contractor shall be responsible for all resources necessary to remedy the incident.

1. A Contractor may be granted unescorted access to VA facilities and/or access to VA Information Technology resources (network and/or protected data) with a favorably adjudicated Special Agreement Check (SAC), completed training delineated in VA Handbook 6500.6 (Appendix C, Section 9), signed “Contractor Rules of Behavior”, and with a valid, operational PIV credential for PIV-only logical access to VA’s network. A PIV card credential can be issued once your SAC has been favorably adjudicated and your background investigation has been scheduled by OPM. However, the Contractor will be responsible for the actions of the Contractor personnel they provide to perform work for VA. The investigative history for Contractor personnel working under this contract must be maintained in the database of OPM.

1. The Contractor, when notified of an unfavorably adjudicated background investigation on a Contractor employee as determined by the Government, shall withdraw the employee from consideration in working under the contract.

i. Failure to comply with the Contractor personnel security investigative requirements may result in loss of physical and/or logical access to VA facilities and systems by Contractor and Sub Contractor employees and/or termination of the contract for default.

j. Identity Credential Holders must follow all HSPD-12 policies and procedures as well as use and protect their assigned identity credentials in accordance with VA policies and procedures, displaying their badges at all times, and returning the identity credentials upon termination of their relationship with VA.

Deliverable:

A. Contractor Staff Roster

6.3 METHOD AND DISTRIBUTION OF DELIVERABLES

The Contractor shall deliver documentation in electronic format, unless otherwise directed in Section B of the solicitation/contract.

6.4 PERFORMANCE METRICS

The table below defines the general Performance Standards and Acceptable Levels of Performance associated with this effort. A Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan will be developed based on contractor’s Performance Work Statement.

2. Efficient and effective in meeting requirements

3. Meets technical needs and mission requirements

4. Provides quality services/products Satisfactory or higher

2. Products completed, reviewed, delivered in accordance with the…