36C10B19R0014-023.docx

36C10B19R0014 VDIF Solicitation- Q&A Round 2

Accordingly, Solicitation Section, 2. PROPOSAL FILES, (c) Content Requirements Table for Volume V has been revised

Accordingly, Solicitation Section, 2. PROPOSAL FILES, (c) Content Requirements Table for Volume II has been revised

The Government intends upon exercise of the optional scrum team to amortize the scrum team price across a 12-month period which will allows monthly invoicing.

· Base Period: five agile scrum teams

· Option Period 1: four agile scrum teams

· Option Period 2: two agile scrum teams

· Option Period 3: one agile scrum team

· Option Period 4: one agile scrum team”

In Attachment F, the description for CLIN 0003 reads: “1 Scrum Team for Sustainment Tasks IAW PWS Paragraph 5.3 - VDIF EP Integration….”

Please confirm that Offerors should include only the cost of one scrum team in the pricing for CLIN 0003, as opposed to the five scrum teams that are anticipated per the PWS.

If it is the government’s intent that only one scrum team is to be priced in CLIN X003, please confirm that the government will fund the anticipated additional scrum teams (4 additional in the base) by exercising CLIN X003 multiple times, as opposed to utilizing CLIN 5001.

Yes, only the cost of one scrum team in the pricing for CLIN 0003.

The Government will not be exercising CLIN 0003 multiple times for additional scrum teams.

For additional scrum teams, the Government intends to exercise CLIN 5001 Also see response to Q4.

Question: Section B identifies this CLIN at 12 months. Is the government asking us to only bid 1 scrum team for sustainment work? If no, please update Section B for all Base and Optional CLINS related to 0002.

Yes, the Government is requiring a bid price for 1 scrum team for sustainment work in CLIN 0002 and subsequent Option CLINS.

Also see response to Q4.

Question: Section B identifies this CLIN at 12 months yet on page 71 "VA anticipates VDIF EP Integration Support level to be as follows: Base Period: Five agile scrum teams...." Please update Section B for Base and Optional CLINS related to 0003.

See response to Q7.

Question: Is the Government providing the 4-5 FTE as recommended size of a Scrum Team?" If no, please update Section B.

Yes

Question: Please verify whether the prime contractor or a team member must be a member of the “InterSystems Certified HealthShare implementation partner program”. If the prime contractor must be a member of the “InterSystems Certified HealthShare implementation partner program”, please explain the rationale for that requirement, particularly since this is a new Solicitation requirement that was not specified in any of the previously issued Solicitation-related documentation and is also a brand new (less than 45-days) certification program.

A. The Prime must be a partner;

B. The InterSystems Certified HealthShare implementation partner is a requirement;

C. This is a requirement based on the importance of HealthShare as the Health Information Exchange.

The HealthShare Certification is key to performance as the sustainment and application integration requirements are dependent on the use of the HealthShare platform.

Question: The PWS, however, does not provide sufficient technical information to enable prospective offerors to accurately respond to the Solicitation (e.g., ticket volumes, nature of tickets, peak load volumes, etc.). Please provide the technical information that supports successful VDIF-EP operation and as a DR/failover environment in AITC.

The PWS has provided technical requirements; however, the requirement is for scrum teams that will perform the sustainment and application integration tasks as prioritized by the VA.

Question: Please clarify how a non T4NG Prime would have VA specific tier 2 and 3/4 sustainment of VDIF EP Core Components hosted on Health Share/HealthConnect? This was released on FBO under a small business set aside yet the relevancy of past performance is specific to a contract vehicle that has awarded most task orders for VDIF core components (table 1 page 53-54).

The VDIF EP Core Components is not VA specific; therefore, not T4NG specific.

Volume II, Past Performance includes commercial instances.

Question: Since the government released this as a Small Business set aside, and the scope is complex, please explain why the government is only requesting Prime contractor past performance when evaluating risk and capability knowing that no one Small Business will be able to complete the scope of work successfully without a team?

To clarify, the solicitation is not restricting teaming (subcontracts) but merely not defining a “major” subcontractor.

A major subcontractor has not been defined as the solicitation requires the Offeror (Prime) to provide an InterSystems Certified HealthShare implementation partner certification number and verification the certification is current.

This is a Prime requirement based on the importance of HealthShare as the Health Information Exchange; and the Prime bears the obligation to perform the work whereby a subcontractor has no contractual obligation to the Government.

Further, the HealthShare Certification is key to performance as the sustainment and application integration requirements are dependent on the use of the HealthShare platform.

Any delays in the award of this effort will increase the risk of meeting the target Enterprise Health Record Modernization Initial Operating Capability date of March 2020.

Additionally,the Government released a draft solicitation

It is incumbent upon potential Offerors to further research information for obtaining the certification.