36C10B20Q0399.docx

36C10B20Q0486

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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

36C10B20Q0399 09-11-20200 Rene Brown

09-14-2020

4:00 PM

Department of Veterans Affairs Technology Acquisition Center

23 Christopher Way Eatontown NJ 07724

X

511210 $30 Million

N/A

See Delivery Schedule

Department of Veterans Affairs Technology Acquisition Center

23 Christopher Way

Department of Veterans Affairs Technology Acquisition Center Financial Services Center PO Box 149971 Austin TX 78714-8971

Project Title – Audio Care

Points of Contact

Contract Specialist - Rene Brown, rene.brown1@va.gov

Contracting Officer - Debra Clayton, debra.clayton2@va.gov

Type of contract - Firm Fixed Price

Debra Clayton

Table of Contents

SECTION B - CONTINUATION OF SF 1449 BLOCKS

B.1 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

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

a. CONTRACTOR: TBD

b. GOVERNMENT: Contracting Officer 36C10B

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.

Department of Veterans Affairs Technology Acquisition Center Financial Services Center PO Box 149971 Austin TX 78714-8971

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

B.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.

B.3 SOFTWARE LICENSE, MAINTENANCE AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT

(1) Definitions.

(a) Licensee. The term “licensee” shall mean the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (“VA”) and is synonymous with “Government.”

(b) Licensor. The term “licensor” shall mean the contractor having the necessary license or ownership rights to deliver license, software maintenance and support of the computer software being acquired. The term “contractor” is the party identified in Block 17a on the SF1449. If the contractor is a reseller and not the Licensor, the contractor remains responsible for performance under this order.

(c) Software. The term “software” shall mean the licensed computer software product(s) cited in the Schedule of Supplies/Services.

(d) Maintenance. The term “maintenance” is the process of enhancing and optimizing software, as well as remedying defects. It shall include all new fixes, patches, releases, updates, versions and upgrades, as further defined below.

(e) Technical Support. The term “technical support” refers to the range of services providing assistance for the software via the telephone, email, a website or otherwise.

(f) Release or Update. The term “release” or “update” are terms that refer to a revision of software that contains defect corrections, minor enhancements or improvements of the software’s functionality. This is usually designated by a change in the number to the right of the decimal point (e.g., from Version 5.3 to 5.4). An example of an update is the addition of new hardware.

(g) Version or Upgrade. The term “version” or “upgrade” are terms that refer to a revision of software that contains new or improved functionality. This is usually designated by a change in the number to the left of the decimal point (e.g., from Version 5.4 to 6).

(2) Software License

(a) Unless otherwise stated in the Schedule of Supplies/Services, the Performance Work Statement or Product Description, the software license provided to the Government is a perpetual, nonexclusive license to use the software

(b) The Government may use the software in a networked environment.

(c) Any dispute regarding the license grant or usage limitations shall be resolved in accordance with the Disputes Clause incorporated in FAR 52.212-4(d).

(d) All limitations of software usage are expressly stated in the Schedule of Supplies/Services and the Performance Work Statement/Product Description.

(3) Software Maintenance and Technical Support

(a) If the Government desires to continue software maintenance and support beyond the period of performance identified in this contract or order, the Government will issue a separate contract or order for maintenance and support. Conversely, if a contract or order for continuing software maintenance and technical support is not received the contractor is neither authorized nor permitted to renew any of the previously furnished services.

(b) The contractor shall provide software support services, which includes periodic updates, enhancements and corrections to the software, and reasonable technical support, all of which are customarily provided by the contractor to its commercial customers so as to cause the software to perform according to its specifications, documentation or demonstrated claims.

(c) Any telephone support provided by contractor shall be at no additional cost.

(d) The contractor shall provide all maintenance services in a timely manner in accordance with the contractor’s customary practice or as defined in the Performance Work Statement/Product Description. However, prolonged delay (exceeding 2 business days) in resolving software problems will be noted in the Government’s various past performance records on the contractor (e.g., www.ppirs.gov).

(e) If the Government allows the maintenance and support to lapse and subsequently wishes to reinstate it, any reinstatement fee charged shall not exceed the amounts that would have been charged if the Government had not allowed the subscription to lapse.

(4) Disabling Software Code. The Government requires delivery of computer software that does not contain any code that will, upon the occurrence or the nonoccurrence of any event, disable the software. Such code includes but is not limited to a computer virus, restrictive key, node lock, time-out or other function, whether implemented by electronic, mechanical, or other means, which limits or hinders the use or access to any computer software based on residency on a specific hardware configuration, frequency of duration of use, or other limiting criteria. If any such disabling code is present, the contractor agrees to indemnify the Government for all damages suffered as a result of a disabling caused by such code, and the contractor agrees to remove such code upon the Government’s request at no extra cost to the Government. Inability of the contractor to remove the disabling software code will be considered an inexcusable delay and a material breach of contract, and the Government may exercise its right to terminate for cause. In addition, the Government is permitted to remove the code as it deems appropriate and charge the Contractor for consideration for the time and effort expended in removing the code.

(5) Manuals and Publications. Upon Government request, the contractor shall furnish the most current version of the user manual and publications for all products/services provided under this contract or order at no cost.

B.4 PRICE/COST SCHEDULE

Non-TAA compliant items may be quoted for this procurement as FAR 25.401 (applicable exemptions) applies.

Base Year

Period of Performance shall be 12 months from date of award

Option Year One

This option may be exercised in accordance with FAR 52.217-9. 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. The period of performance will be definitized at date of award.

Option Year Two

This option may be exercised in accordance with FAR 52.217-9. 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 One. The period of performance will be definitized at date of award.

Option Year Three

This option may be exercised in accordance with FAR 52.217-9. 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 Two. The period of performance will be definitized at date of award.

Option Year Four

This option may be exercised in accordance with FAR 52.217-9. 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 Three (3). The period of performance will be definitized at date of award.

B.5 PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION (PD) TEMPLATE

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

VA Sunshine Healthcare Network 8 (VISN 8) VISN 8 Pharmacy Program

Prescription Text Messaging and Refill Reminders

Date: June 17, 2020

TAC- VA-20-00070422

1.0 PRODUCT REQUIREMENTS

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Sunshine Healthcare Network 8, Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 8, Pharmacy Program, VISN 8 Medical Centers have an existing AudioCARE System and now require brand name AudioCARE software applications to enhance the current system enable Pharmacy Service to promote social distancing and decompress the pharmacy waiting rooms through automated telephone and text messaging functionality. The applications will be used to send notifications to patients regarding the readiness of the prescriptions to be picked up and reminder notices regarding patient’s prescriptions that need to be refilled or renewed. The text function will allow Veterans to remotely wait for their prescriptions and then show up only when they are ready.

The contractor shall remotely install the software to the existing system and configure to meet VA’s needs. The contractor shall provide the following software applications: RxREADY, Audio PREFILL, TM-PREFILL and Audio Renewal. For text messaging applications the contractor shall provide ACS-TM-BASE license to transmit text messaging.

The contractor shall provide all program management, labor, materials, equipment, software necessary to provide remote installation, remote training, remote technical support and ongoing maintenance for the new applications.

7 (ea) Option Year 1-4

Prescription Refill Reminders via Telephone with refill processing during the call.

7 (ea) Option Year 1-4

Prescription Refill reminders via text messaging- requires AudioREFILL.

7 (ea) Option Year 1-4

Patient Initiated Prescription Renewal Requests via Telephone (Miami)

1 (ea) Option Year 1-4

AudioCARE Base SMS software platform. Includes SMS license for up to 120,000 texts/year. This includes software and text messaging delivery fees. This is a pre-requisite to add one or several text messaging products.

7 (ea) Option Year 1-4

1.1 SALIENT CHARACTERISTIC(S)

AudioCARE RxREADY, AudioPREFILL, TM-PREFILL and AudioRenewal Services

1. Essential/significant physical, functional, or performance characteristics. The required software shall meet the following salient characteristics:

a. integrate with VA informatics infrastructure

2. The system shall notify patients via text messaging when one or multiple prescriptions are ready for pick up at the pharmacy.

3. The system shall constantly check VistA for prescriptions being released and send text messages to the patients based on their cell phone number on record in VistA.

4. Prior to sending the text messages, the system shall filter any patients that should not be notified due to specific pharmacy business rules, bad data, pharmacy exclusion, as well as if patients previously opted out of receiving text messaging through the system.

5. The text messaging shall send notifications during site specific designated hours to work in conjunction with the pharmacy open hours.

6. The system shall provide real-time notification when prescriptions are released.

7. The system shall produce messages to indicate the number of prescriptions ready for pick up as well as the phone number of the pharmacy.

8. The system shall include an option so patients can reply “STOP” to opt-out, system will stop texting them.

9. The system shall be able to include/exclude by pharmacy location.

10. The system shall produce transaction reports for detail on each text sent and the delivery success or failure.

11. The PREFILL product shall notify patients that their prescription is about to run out via automated call or text message.

12. The PREFILL product shall give the patient the option to request a refill/renewal of the RX in the case of telephone reminders.

13. The system shall integrate with the Host system (VistA) Pharmacy package to obtain the necessary data about the RX’s that need to be to refilled or renewed and the associated patients to be contacted with the RX reminders.

14. The software shall allow restriction that include notifications for only refills, only renewals or for both, as well as the number of days of medication remaining for the trigger of the reminders.

The software shall include a feature that allows pharmacies to select medications to be included based on their classification.

15. The system shall make a single call per patient with multiple RX’s.

16. The system shall provide daily notifications based on site specific parameters to determine the start and end times, as well as whether to make notifications on Saturday, Sundays or Holidays.

17. Busy and unanswered calls shall be retried during the calling window.

18. The system shall only provide prescription information and prompt to request a refill/renewal after the patient identification has been successful.

19. The system shall prompt patients to confirm their request after the selection to ensure their concurrence with the request. The refill/renewal requests shall then post to VistA for processing.

20. The system shall provide reports that will, at a minimum, include detailed transactions for each call made about each Rx on the queue, the result of the call as well as patient response to refill/renew; and statistical reports summarizing the daily notifications, such as calls made, RX that qualified for the reminders, results, refills, renewals, etc.

21. The system shall have at a minimum the following filters that can be used to refine the calling queue:

a. Deceased Patients

b. Inpatients

c. Excluded Pharmacies

d. Excluded Providers

e. Excluded Drugs (by NDC or Drug Class)

f. Excluded RX’s

g. Clinics excluded from the renewal process

h. Excluded Phone Numbers, Bad Phone Numbers or Null Phone Numbers

i. Excluded Patients, etc.

1.2 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE:

The Period of Performance shall be one base year and four option years.

1.3 VA SITES:

The required AudioCARE software applications shall be provided to the following VISN 8 VA facilities:

1. Bay Pines VA Healthcare System 10000 Bay Pines Boulevard Bay Pines, FL 33744

2. Miami VA Healthcare System 1201 N.W. 16th Street Miami, FL 33125

3. James A Haley Veterans Hospital/Tampa VA Medical Center (VAMC) 13000 Bruce B. Downs Boulevard Tampa, FL 33612

4. North Florida/ South Georgia VA Healthcare System 1601 SW Archer Road Gainesville, FL 32608

5. Orlando VAMC 13800 Veterans Way Orlando, FL 32827 Note: Orlando requires software applications under this contract for Option Years only as the there is currently a contract in place to obtain the software in Orlando.

6. West Palm Beach VAMC 7305 N. Military Triangle Riviera Beach, FL 33410

7. VA Caribbean Healthcare System 10 Casia St.

San Juan, PR 00921

1.4 SCOPE OF WORK:

The contractor shall provide the fully configured licensed applications, parameter settings and perform testing prior to going live with the new functionality. Contractor shall coordinate with VAMC POCs to schedule of the remote installation, configurations and training. AudioCARE shall provide remote training (if necessary) to all identified appropriate employees who shall have access to the AudioCARE system via remote access training. These training sessions should allow the employees responsible for the application to understand their function and capabilities within the AudioCARE system to include Maintenance and Support Services to provide comprehensive software maintenance, technical support for the AudioCARE Server, and customer service for all installed and licensed AudioCARE Systems applications.

1.5 SOFTWARE SUPPORT SERVICES

THE CONTRACTOR SHALL PROVIDE TELEPHONE SUPPORT DURING STANDARD BUSINESS 8:00 AM TO 5:00 PM EST.

The contractor shall provide a support hotline to VA, telecom for all questions and issues related to this upgrade and existing software. AudioCARE shall provide support Monday-Friday 8am-5pm EST by trained Client Support Representatives, diagnostics including patches, software downloads, preventative maintenance and unlimited support requests.

NOTICE OF THE FEDERAL ACCESSIBILITY LAW AFFECTING ALL INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) PROCUREMENTS (SECTION 508)

On January 18, 2017, the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) revised and updated, in a single rulemaking, standards for electronic and information technology developed, procured, maintained, or used by Federal agencies covered by Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as well as our guidelines for telecommunications equipment and customer premises equipment covered by Section 255 of the Communications Act of 1934. The revisions and updates to the Section 508-based standards and Section 255-based guidelines are intended to ensure that information and communication technology (ICT) covered by the respective statutes is accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities.

1.6 SECTION 508 – INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) STANDARDS

The Section 508 standards established by the Access Board are incorporated into, and made part of all VA orders, solicitations and purchase orders developed to procure ICT. These standards are found in their entirety at: https://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/communications-and-it/about-the-ict-refresh/final-rule/text-of-the-standards-and-guidelines. A printed copy of the standards will be supplied upon request.

Federal agencies must comply with the updated Section 508 Standards beginning on January 18, 2018. The Final Rule as published in the Federal Register is available from the Access Board: https://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/communications-and-it/about-the-ict-refresh/final-rule.

The Contractor shall comply with “508 Chapter 2: Scoping Requirements” for all electronic ICT and content delivered under this contract. Specifically, as appropriate for the technology and its functionality, the Contractor shall comply with the technical standards marked here:

1.7 COMPATABILITY WITH ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY

The standards do not require installation of specific accessibility-related software or attachment of an assistive technology device. Section 508 requires that ICT be compatible with such software and devices so that ICT can be accessible to and usable by individuals using assistive technology, including but not limited to screen readers, screen magnifiers, and speech recognition software.

1.8 ACCEPTANCE AND ACCEPTANCE TESTING

Deliverables resulting from this solicitation will be accepted based in part on satisfaction of the Section 508 Chapter 2: Scoping Requirements standards identified above.

The Government reserves the right to test for Section 508 Compliance before delivery. The Contractor shall be able to demonstrate Section 508 Compliance upon Deliverables resulting from this solicitation will be accepted based in part on satisfaction of the Section 508 Chapter 2: Scoping Requirements standards identified above.

The Government reserves the right to test for Section 508 Compliance before delivery. The Contractor shall be able to demonstrate Section 508 Compliance upon delivery.

2.0 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

2.1 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 (VA TRM). The 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. Moreover, the VA TRM, which includes the Standards Profile and Product List, serves as a technology roadmap and tool for supporting OI&T. Architecture & Engineering Services (AES) has overall responsibility for the VA TRM.

POINTS OF CONTACT

VA Program Manager:

Name: Ivan Itebejac Address: Orlando VAMC – Lakemont

Contracting Officer’s Representative:

Name: Carol Russell Address: WPB VAMC 7305 N. Military Trail West Palm Beach, FL 33410

Contracting Officer:

Name: Debra Clayton Address:23 Christopher Way Eatontown, NJ 07724

Contract Specialist:

Name: Rene Brown Address:23 Christopher Way

INFORMATION SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS:

All VA sensitive information shall be protected at all times in accordance with local security field office System Security Plans (SSP’s) and Authority to Operate (ATO)’s for all systems/LAN’s accessed while performing the tasks detailed in this Product Description.

ADDENDUM B – VA INFORMATION AND INFORMATION SYSTEM SECURITY/PRIVACY LANGUAGE

APPLICABLE PARAGRAPHS TAILORED FROM: THE VA INFORMATION AND INFORMATION SYSTEM SECURITY/PRIVACY LANGUAGE, VA HANDBOOK 6500.6, APPENDIX C, MARCH 12, 2010

B1. GENERAL

Contractors, Contractor personnel, Subcontractors, and Subcontractor personnel shall be subject to the same Federal laws, regulations, standards, and VA Directives and Handbooks as VA and VA personnel regarding information and information system security.

B2. ACCESS TO VA INFORMATION AND VA INFORMATION SYSTEMS

a. A Contractor/Subcontractor shall request logical (technical) or physical access to VA information and VA information systems for their employees, Subcontractors, and affiliates only to the extent necessary to perform the services specified in the contract, agreement, or task order.

b. All Contractors, Subcontractors, and third-party servicers and associates working with VA information are subject to the same investigative requirements as those of VA appointees or employees who have access to the same types of information. The level and process of background security investigations for Contractors must be in accordance with VA Directive and Handbook 0710, Personnel Suitability and Security Program. The Office for Operations, Security, and Preparedness is responsible for these policies and procedures.

c. Contract personnel who require access to national security programs must have a valid security clearance. National Industrial Security Program (NISP) was established by Executive Order 12829 to ensure that cleared U.S. defense industry contract personnel safeguard the classified information in their possession while performing work on contracts, programs, bids, or research and development efforts. The Department of Veterans Affairs does not have a Memorandum of Agreement with Defense Security Service (DSS). Verification of a Security Clearance must be processed through the Special Security Officer located in the Planning and National Security Service within the Office of Operations, Security, and Preparedness.

d. Custom software development and outsourced operations must be located in the U.S. to the maximum extent practical. If such services are proposed to be performed abroad and are not disallowed by other VA policy or mandates (e.g. Business Associate Agreement, Section 3G), the Contractor/Subcontractor must state where all non-U.S. services are provided and detail a security plan, deemed to be acceptable by VA, specifically to address mitigation of the resulting problems of communication, control, data protection, and so forth. Location within the U.S. may be an evaluation factor.

e. The Contractor or Subcontractor must notify the CO immediately when an employee working on a VA system or with access to VA information is reassigned or leaves the Contractor or Subcontractor’s employ. The CO must also be notified immediately by the Contractor or Subcontractor prior to an unfriendly termination.

B3. VA INFORMATION CUSTODIAL LANGUAGE

1. Information made available to the Contractor or Subcontractor by VA for the performance or administration of this contract or information developed by the Contractor/Subcontractor in performance or administration of the contract shall be used only for those purposes and shall not be used in any other way without the prior written agreement of VA. This clause expressly limits the Contractor/Subcontractor's rights to use data as described in Rights in Data - General, FAR 52.227-14(d) (1).

2. VA information should not be co-mingled, if possible, with any other data on the Contractors/Subcontractor’s information systems or media storage systems in order to ensure VA requirements related to data protection and media sanitization can be met. If co-mingling must be allowed to meet the requirements of the business need, the Contractor must ensure that VA information is returned to VA or destroyed in accordance with VA’s sanitization requirements. VA reserves the right to conduct on site inspections of Contractor and Subcontractor IT resources to ensure data security controls, separation of data and job duties, and destruction/media sanitization procedures are in compliance with VA directive requirements.

3. Prior to termination or completion of this contract, Contractor/Subcontractor must not destroy information received from VA, or gathered/created by the Contractor in the course of performing this contract without prior written approval by VA. Any data destruction done on behalf of VA by a Contractor/Subcontractor must be done in accordance with National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) requirements as outlined in VA Directive 6300, Records and Information Management and its Handbook 6300.1 Records Management Procedures, applicable VA Records Control Schedules, and VA Handbook 6500.1, Electronic Media Sanitization. Self-certification by the Contractor that the data destruction requirements above have been met must be sent to the VA CO within 30 days of termination of the contract.

4. The Contractor/Subcontractor must receive, gather, store, back up, maintain, use, disclose and dispose of VA information only in compliance with the terms of the contract and applicable Federal and VA information confidentiality and security laws, regulations and policies. If Federal or VA information confidentiality and security laws, regulations and policies become applicable to VA information or information systems after execution of the contract, or if NIST issues or updates applicable FIPS or Special Publications (SP) after execution of this contract, the parties agree to negotiate in good faith to implement the information confidentiality and security laws, regulations and policies in this contract.

5. The Contractor/Subcontractor shall not make copies of VA information except as authorized and necessary to perform the terms of the agreement or to preserve electronic information stored on Contractor/Subcontractor electronic storage media for restoration in case any electronic equipment or data used by the Contractor/Subcontractor needs to be restored to an operating state. If copies are made for restoration purposes, after the restoration is complete, the copies must be appropriately destroyed.

6. If VA determines that the Contractor has violated any of the information confidentiality, privacy, and security provisions of the contract, it shall be sufficient grounds for VA to withhold payment to the Contractor or third party or terminate the contract for default or terminate for cause under Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) part 12.

7. If a VHA contract is terminated for cause, the associated Business Associate Agreement (BAA) must also be terminated and appropriate actions taken in accordance with VHA Handbook 1600.05, Business Associate Agreements. Absent an agreement to use or disclose protected health information, there is no business associate relationship.

8. The Contractor/Subcontractor must store, transport, or transmit VA sensitive information in an encrypted form, using VA-approved encryption tools that are, at a minimum, FIPS 140-2 validated.

9. The Contractor/Subcontractor’s firewall and Web services security controls, if applicable, shall meet or exceed VA minimum requirements. VA Configuration Guidelines are available upon request.

10. Except for uses and disclosures of VA information authorized by this contract for performance of the contract, the Contractor/Subcontractor may use and disclose VA information only in two other situations: (i) in response to a qualifying order of a court of competent jurisdiction, or (ii) with VA prior written approval. The Contractor/Subcontractor must refer all requests for, demands for production of, or inquiries about, VA information and information systems to the VA CO for response.

11. Notwithstanding the provision above, the Contractor/Subcontractor shall not release VA records protected by Title 38 U.S.C. 5705, confidentiality of medical quality assurance records and/or Title 38 U.S.C. 7332, confidentiality of certain health records pertaining to drug addiction, sickle cell anemia, alcoholism or alcohol abuse, or infection with human immunodeficiency virus. If the Contractor/Subcontractor is in receipt of a court order or other requests for the above mentioned information, that Contractor/Subcontractor shall immediately refer such court orders or other requests to the VA CO for response.

12. For service that involves the storage, generating, transmitting, or exchanging of VA sensitive information but does not require Assessment and Authorization (A&A) or a Memorandum of Understanding-Interconnection Security Agreement (MOU-ISA) for system interconnection, the Contractor/Subcontractor must complete a Contractor Security Control Assessment (CSCA) on a yearly basis and provide it to the COR.

B4. INFORMATION SYSTEM DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT

1. Information systems that are designed or developed for or on behalf of VA at non-VA facilities shall comply with all VA directives developed in accordance with FISMA, HIPAA, NIST, and related VA security and privacy control requirements for Federal information systems. This includes standards for the protection of electronic PHI, outlined in 45 C.F.R. Part 164, Subpart C, information and system security categorization level designations in accordance with FIPS 199 and FIPS 200 with implementation of all baseline security controls commensurate with the FIPS 199 system security categorization (reference VA Handbook 6500, Risk Management Framework for VA Information Systems – Tier 3: VA Information Security Program, and the TIC Reference Architecture). During the development cycle a Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) must be completed, provided to the COR, and approved by the VA Privacy Service in accordance with Directive 6508, Implementation of Privacy Threshold Analysis and Privacy Impact Assessment.

2. The Contractor/Subcontractor shall certify to the COR that applications are fully functional and operate correctly as intended on systems using the VA Federal Desktop Core Configuration (FDCC), and the common security configuration guidelines provided by NIST or VA. This includes Internet Explorer 11 configured to operate on Windows 7 and future versions, as required.

3. The standard installation, operation, maintenance, updating, and patching of software shall not alter the configuration settings from the VA approved and FDCC configuration. Information technology staff must also use the Windows Installer Service for installation to the default “program files” directory and silently install and uninstall.

4. Applications designed for normal end users shall run in the standard user context without elevated system administration privileges.

5. The security controls must be designed, developed, approved by VA, and implemented in accordance with the provisions of VA security system development life cycle as outlined in NIST Special Publication 800-37, Guide for Applying the Risk Management Framework to Federal Information Systems, VA Handbook 6500, Risk Management Framework for VA Information Systems – Tier 3: VA Information Security Program and VA Handbook 6500.5, Incorporating Security and Privacy in System Development Lifecycle.

6. The Contractor/Subcontractor is required to design, develop, or operate a System of Records Notice (SOR) on individuals to accomplish an agency function subject to the Privacy Act of 1974, (as amended), Public Law 93-579, December 31, 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a) and applicable agency regulations. Violation of the Privacy Act may involve the imposition of criminal and civil penalties.

7. The Contractor/Subcontractor agrees to:

a. Comply with the Privacy Act of 1974 (the Act) and the agency rules and regulations issued under the Act in the design, development, or operation of any system of records on individuals to accomplish an agency function when the contract specifically identifies:

i. The Systems of Records (SOR); and

ii. The design, development, or operation work that the Contractor/Subcontractor is to perform;

b. Include the Privacy Act notification contained in this contract in every solicitation and resulting subcontract and in every subcontract awarded without a solicitation, when the work statement in the proposed subcontract requires the redesign, development, or operation of a SOR on individuals that is subject to the Privacy Act; and

c. Include this Privacy Act clause, including this subparagraph (c), in all subcontracts awarded under this contract which requires the design, development, or operation of such a SOR.

8. In the event of violations of the Act, a civil action may be brought against the agency involved when the violation concerns the design, development, or operation of a SOR on individuals to accomplish an agency function, and criminal penalties may be imposed upon the officers or employees of the agency when the violation concerns the operation of a SOR on individuals to accomplish an agency function. For purposes of the Act, when the contract is for the operation of a SOR on individuals to accomplish an agency function, the Contractor/Subcontractor is considered to be an employee of the agency.

a. “Operation of a System of Records” means performance of any of the activities associated with maintaining the SOR, including the collection, use, maintenance, and dissemination of records.

b. “Record” means any item, collection, or grouping of information about an individual that is maintained by an agency, including, but not limited to, education, financial transactions, medical history, and criminal or employment history and contains the person’s name, or identifying number, symbol, or any other identifying particular assigned to the individual, such as a fingerprint or voiceprint, or a photograph.

c. “System of Records” means a group of any records under the control of any agency from which information is retrieved by the name of the individual or by some identifying number, symbol, or other identifying particular assigned to the individual.

9. The vendor shall ensure the security of all procured or developed systems and technologies, including their subcomponents (hereinafter referred to as “Systems”), throughout the life of this contract and any extension, warranty, or maintenance periods. This includes, but is not limited to workarounds, patches, hot fixes, upgrades, and any physical components (hereafter referred to as Security Fixes) which may be necessary to fix all security vulnerabilities published or known to the vendor anywhere in the Systems, including Operating Systems and firmware. The vendor shall ensure that Security Fixes shall not negatively impact the Systems.

10. The vendor shall notify VA within 24 hours of the discovery or disclosure of successful exploits of the vulnerability which can compromise the security of the Systems (including the confidentiality or integrity of its data and operations, or the availability of the system). Such issues shall be remediated as quickly as is practical, based upon the severity of the incident.

11. When the Security Fixes involve installing third party patches (such as Microsoft OS patches or Adobe Acrobat), the vendor will provide written notice to VA that the patch has been validated as not affecting the Systems within 10 working days. When the vendor is responsible for operations or maintenance of the Systems, they shall apply the Security Fixes based upon the severity of the incident.

12. All other vulnerabilities shall be remediated as specified in this paragraph in a timely manner based on risk, but within 60 days of discovery or disclosure. Exceptions to this paragraph (e.g. for the convenience of VA) shall only be granted with approval of the CO and the VA Assistant Secretary for Office of Information and Technology.

B5. INFORMATION SYSTEM HOSTING, OPERATION, MAINTENANCE, OR USE

a. For information systems that are hosted, operated, maintained, or used on behalf of VA at non-VA facilities, Contractors/Subcontractors are fully responsible and accountable for ensuring compliance with all HIPAA, Privacy Act, FISMA, NIST, FIPS, and VA security and privacy directives and handbooks. This includes conducting compliant risk assessments, routine vulnerability scanning, system patching and change management procedures, and the completion of an acceptable contingency plan for each system. The Contractor’s security control procedures must be equivalent, to those procedures used to secure VA systems. A Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) must also be provided to the COR and approved by VA Privacy Service prior to operational approval. All external Internet connections to VA network involving VA information must be in accordance with the TIC Reference Architecture and reviewed and approved by VA prior to implementation. For Cloud Services hosting, the Contractor shall also ensure compliance with the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP).

b. Adequate security controls for collecting, processing, transmitting, and storing of Personally Identifiable Information (PII), as determined by the VA Privacy Service, must be in place, tested, and approved by VA prior to hosting, operation, maintenance, or use of the information system, or systems by or on behalf of VA. These security controls are to be assessed and stated within the PIA and if these controls are determined not to be in place, or inadequate, a Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&M) must be submitted and approved prior to the collection of PII.

c. Outsourcing (Contractor facility, Contractor equipment or Contractor staff) of systems or network operations, telecommunications services, or other managed services requires A&A of the Contractor’s systems in accordance with VA Handbook 6500.3, Assessment, Authorization and Continuous…