36C10B20R0026-003.docx

National Local Exchange Carrier Services for the Enterprise Next Generation

TAC-20-53365

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

Office of Information & Technology Service Delivery & Engineering Enterprise Communications

National Local Exchange Carrier Services for the Enterprise Next Generation

Date: 1/30/2020

TAC-20-53365

PWS Version Number: 1.8.6

Contents

1.0 BACKGROUND

Part of the mission of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Office of Information & Technology (OIT) is to provide state-of-the-art telephone and data technologies. Part of that responsibility includes ensuring that VA Medical Centers (VAMCs) and all subordinate offices that are geographically dispersed throughout the United States (US) have continuous telecommunication and data service necessary to conduct their day-to-day operations. VA utilizes the Local Exchange Carrier (LEC) contract to acquire its requisite telephone services. Building upon the successes achieved through the LEC contract, VA seeks to establish the National LEC – Next Generation (NLEC-NG) vehicle to acquire commercial telecommunication and data services enterprise-wide. A Multiple Award, Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract, NLEC-NG will align with Federal Government priority goals—otherwise referred to as crosscutting goals—as well as management-improvement objectives across the Federal Government. Centralized administration of NLEC services at the enterprise level will ensure that OIT accomplishes its goal of reducing overall telecommunications and data expenses with minimal time of implementation as well as the improvement in support, reporting, auditing, and invoicing. OIT will consolidate telephone and data services to all facilities; centralize administration of telephone and data services; and reduce overall telecommunication and data expenses to service delivery points within the Enterprise.

2.0 APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS

In the performance of the tasks associated with this Performance Work Statement (PWS), the Contractor shall comply with the following:

1. 44 U.S.C. § 3541-3549, “Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) of 2002”

2. “Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014”

3. Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) Publication 140-2, “Security Requirements For Cryptographic Modules”

4. FIPS Pub 199. Standards for Security Categorization of Federal Information and Information Systems, February 2004

5. FIPS Pub 200, Minimum Security Requirements for Federal Information and Information Systems, March 2016

6. FIPS Pub 201-2, “Personal Identity Verification of Federal Employees and Contractors,” August 2013

7. 10 U.S.C. § 2224, "Defense Information Assurance Program"

8. Carnegie Mellon Software Engineering Institute, Capability Maturity Model® Integration for Development (CMMI-DEV), Version 1.3 November 2010; and Carnegie Mellon Software Engineering Institute, Capability Maturity Model® Integration for Acquisition (CMMI-ACQ), Version 1.3 November 2010

9. 5 U.S.C. § 552a, as amended, “The Privacy Act of 1974”

10. Public Law 109-461, Veterans Benefits, Health Care, and Information Technology Act of 2006, Title IX, Information Security Matters

11. 42 U.S.C. § 2000d “Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964”

12. VA Directive 0710, “Personnel Security and Suitability Program,” June 4, 2010, https://www.va.gov/vapubs/index.cfm

13. VA Handbook 0710, Personnel Security and Suitability Program, May 2, 2016, https://www.va.gov/vapubs/index.cfm

14. VA Directive and Handbook 6102, “Internet/Intranet Services,” August 5, 2019

15. 36 C.F.R. Part 1194 “Information and Communication Technology Standards and Guidelines,” January 18, 2017

16. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-130, “Managing Federal Information as a Strategic Resource,” July 28, 2016

17. 32 C.F.R. Part 199, “Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS)”

18. NIST SP 800-66 Rev. 1, An Introductory Resource Guide for Implementing the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Security Rule, October 2008

19. Sections 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. § 794d), as amended, January 18, 2017

20. Homeland Security Presidential Directive (12) (HSPD-12), August 27, 2004

21. VA Directive 6500, “VA Cybersecurity Program,” January 24, 2019

22. VA Handbook 6500, “Risk Management Framework for VA Information Systems – Tier 3: VA Information Security Program,” March 10, 2015

23. VA Handbook 6500.2, “Management of Breaches Involving Sensitive Personal Information (SPI)”, July 28, 2016

24. VA Handbook 6500.3, “Assessment, Authorization, And Continuous Monitoring Of VA Information Systems,” February 3, 2014

25. VA Handbook 6500.5, “Incorporating Security and Privacy into the System Development Lifecycle”, March 22, 2010

26. VA Handbook 6500.6, “Contract Security,” March 12, 2010

27. VA Handbook 6500.8, “Information System Contingency Planning”, April 6, 2011

28. VA Handbook 6500.11, “VA Firewall Configuration”, August 22, 2017

29. OI&T Process Asset Library (PAL), https://www.va.gov/process/. Reference Process Maps at https://www.va.gov/process/maps.asp and Artifact templates at https://www.va.gov/process/artifacts.asp

30. One-VA Technical Reference Model (TRM) (reference at https://www.va.gov/trm/TRMHomePage.aspx)

31. VA Directive 6508, “Implementation of Privacy Threshold Analysis and Privacy Impact Assessment,” October 15, 2014

32. VA Handbook 6508.1, “Procedures for Privacy Threshold Analysis and Privacy Impact Assessment,” July 30, 2015

33. VA Handbook 6510, “VA Identity and Access Management”, January 15, 2016

34. VA Directive and Handbook 6513, “Secure External Connections”, October 12, 2017

35. VA Directive 6300, Records and Information Management, September 21, 2018

36. VA Handbook, 6300.1, Records Management Procedures, March 24, 2010

37. NIST SP 800-37 Rev 1, Risk Management Framework for Information Systems and Organizations: A System Life Cycle Approach for Security and Privacy, December 2018

38. NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 4, Security and Privacy Controls for Federal Information Systems and Organizations, January 22, 2015

39. OMB Memorandum, “Transition to IPv6”, September 28, 2010

40. VA Directive 0735, Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) Program, October 26, 2015

41. VA Handbook 0735, Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) Program, March 24, 2014

42. OMB Memorandum M-06-18, Acquisition of Products and Services for Implementation of HSPD-12, June 30, 2006

43. OMB Memorandum 04-04, E-Authentication Guidance for Federal Agencies, December 16, 2003

44. OMB Memorandum 05-24, Implementation of Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD) 12 – Policy for a Common Identification Standard for Federal Employees and Contractors, August 5, 2005

45. OMB memorandum M-11-11, “Continued Implementation of Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD) 12 – Policy for a Common Identification Standard for Federal Employees and Contractors, February 3, 2011

46. OMB Memorandum, Guidance for Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD) 12 Implementation, May 23, 2008

47. Federal Identity, Credential, and Access Management (FICAM) Roadmap and Implementation Guidance, December 2, 2011

48. NIST SP 800-116 Rev 1, Guidelines for the Use of Personal Identity Verification (PIV) Credentials in Facility Access, June 2018

49. OMB Memorandum M-07-16, Safeguarding Against and Responding to the Breach of Personally Identifiable Information, May 22, 2007

50. NIST SP 800-63-3, 800-63A, 800-63B, 800-63C, Digital Identity Guidelines, December 2017

51. NIST SP 800-157, Guidelines for Derived PIV Credentials, December 2014

52. NIST SP 800-164, Guidelines on Hardware-Rooted Security in Mobile Devices (Draft), October 2012

53. Draft National Institute of Standards and Technology Interagency Report (NISTIR) 7981 Mobile, PIV, and Authentication, March 2014

54. VA Memorandum, VAIQ #7100147, Continued Implementation of Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12), April 29, 2011 (reference https://www.voa.va.gov/documentlistpublic.aspx?NodeID=514)

55. IAM Identity Management Business Requirements Guidance document, May 2013, (reference Enterprise Architecture Section, PIV/IAM (reference https://www.voa.va.gov/documentlistpublic.aspx?NodeID=514)

56. VA Memorandum “Personal Identity Verification (PIV) Logical Access Policy Clarification,” July 17, 2019, https://www.voa.va.gov/DocumentView.aspx?DocumentID=4896

57. Trusted Internet Connections (TIC) Reference Architecture Document, Version 2.2, Federal Interagency Technical Reference Architectures, Department of Homeland Security, June 19, 2017, https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/TIC_Ref_Arch_v2.2_2017.pdf

58. OMB Memorandum M-08-05, “Implementation of Trusted Internet Connections (TIC), November 20, 2007

59. OMB Memorandum M-08-23, Securing the Federal Government’s Domain Name System Infrastructure, August 22, 2008

60. VA Memorandum, VAIQ #7497987, Compliance – Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) – IT Electronic Equipment, August 11, 2014 (reference Document Libraries, EPEAT/Green Purchasing Section, https://www.voa.va.gov/documentlistpublic.aspx?NodeID=552)

61. Sections 524 and 525 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, (Public Law 110–140), December 19, 2007

62. Section 104 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, (Public Law 109–58), August 8, 2005

63. Executive Order 13834, “Efficient Federal Operations”, dated May 17, 2018

64. Executive Order 13221, “Energy-Efficient Standby Power Devices,” August 2, 2001

65. VA Directive 0058, “VA Green Purchasing Program”, July 19, 2013

66. VA Handbook 0058, “VA Green Purchasing Program”, July 19, 2013

67. Office of Information Security (OIS) VAIQ #7424808 Memorandum, “Remote Access”, January 15, 2014, https://www.voa.va.gov/DocumentListPublic.aspx?NodeId=28

68. Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996, 40 U.S.C. §11101 and §11103

69. “Veteran Focused Integration Process (VIP) Guide 3.2”, December 2018, https://www.voa.va.gov/DocumentView.aspx?DocumentID=4371

70. VA Memorandum “Proper Use of Email and Other Messaging Services”, January 2, 2018, https://www.voa.va.gov/DocumentListPublic.aspx?NodeId=28

71. VA Memorandum “Updated VA Information Security Rules of Behavior (VAIQ #7823189)”, September, 15, 2017, https://www.voa.va.gov/DocumentListPublic.aspx?NodeId=28

72. GAO-12-620R GAO's Work Related to the Interim Crosscutting Priority Goals under the GPRA Modernization Act, dated May 31, 2012.

73. 28. 47 C.F.R. Part 64, Appendix A and B. Wireline telecommunications service priority system for national security and emergency preparedness

74. Attachment A – Service Delivery Point (SDP) List

Please be advised that any hyperlinks contained within this document are for convenience purposes, only. Due to the dynamic nature of hyperlinks and the information accessed through or imbedded therein, it is incumbent upon the Contractor to ensure that all information required to successfully complete the requirements established herein is independently located, verified for accuracy, and confirmed to be the most up-to-date version available, prior to use.

3.0 SCOPE OF WORK

The requirements established herein are for telecommunication, data, long distance and toll free services known as LEC services. The Contractor shall provide all labor, management, tools, materials, and equipment necessary to successfully perform all requirements of any awarded base contract and any individual Task Orders (TO) issued therefrom.

The tasks described in this PWS are general requirements that may be required in subsequent TOs. Unless otherwise stated herein, specific requirements will be defined in the individual TOs awarded under any multiple-award IDIQ contract supported by this PWS. Not all requirements described in Section 5.0 will apply to each TO, but those that do apply will be cited and expanded upon in the PWS of each TO.

Changes and/or updates will be incorporated into NLEC-NG through Technology Refresh and/or Technology Insertion, which are discussed in Section 5.9, herein.

4.0 PERFORMANCE DETAILS

4.1 CONTRACT TYPE

This PWS is in furtherance of anticipated multiple award IDIQ contracts. Individual TOs shall be issued on a performance-based Firm-Fixed Price (FFP) basis.

4.2 PERFORMANCE PERIOD

The ordering period of any resulting contract will be 15 years.

Installation, maintenance, and disconnection of services shall take place between 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM (Local Time), Monday through Friday, excluding Federal holidays. Work may be required outside of normal business hours due to system failures and other issues.

There are 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:

4.3 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

The place of performance will be identified in individual TOs. Locations shall be VA Medical Centers (VAMCs), Veteran Outreach Centers, Community Based Outreach Clinics (CBOCs), VA Business Offices, and other VA facilities throughout the continental US and the District of Columbia as identified in Attachment A – Service Delivery Point (SDP) List.

4.4 TRAVEL

Travel, if applicable, shall be in accordance with individual TO requirements.

5.0 SPECIFIC TASKS AND DELIVERABLES

5.1 REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

5.1.1 QUARTERLY TASK ORDER STATUS REPORT (BASE CONTRACT LEVEL)

The Contractor shall prepare and submit a Quarterly Status Report in Microsoft (MS) Word or Excel format. This report shall convey the status of each TO from award until completion. All relevant billing information shall be delivered electronically. The Contractor, for the life of the contract, shall provide VA a list of services currently provided for each Service Delivery Point (SDP) listed in Attachment A. This list shall be due five (5) business days after task order award and updated quarterly and provided as part of the quarterly report.

A. For each TO Status Report, indicate/discuss:

B. General and Cumulative Performance. Indicate the following:

Deliverable:

A. Quarterly Task Order Status Report

5.1.2 SERVICE ORDER IMPLEMENTATION REPORT (BASE CONTRACT LEVEL)

This Contractor shall prepare and submit a weekly Status Report in MS Excel format. This report shall convey the status of all open orders not completed as of contract inception. The content requirements are the same as in section 5.1.1 A and B.

Deliverable:

A. Weekly Order Status Report

5.2 MEETING REQUIREMENTS

For successful management and contract surveillance, the following meetings and reviews are required.

5.2.1 TASK ORDER KICKOFF MEETINGS (TASK ORDER LEVEL)

The Contractor shall hold a kickoff meeting within 10 business days after TO award unless otherwise specified in the TO. At a minimum, 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. Dates, locations (can be virtual), and agenda shall be specified at least five calendar days prior to the meeting. The Contracting Officer (CO), Contract Specialist (CS), Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), and VA Program Manager (PM) shall be invited, at a minimum. The Contractor shall produce and distribute the TO kickoff meeting minutes identifying the key discussion points and action items. The Contractor shall deliver the TO kickoff meeting minutes to the COR within five business days after the TO kickoff meeting. The content requirements are the same as in section 5.1.1 A and B.

Deliverable:

A. Task Order Kickoff meeting minutes

5.2.2 PROGRAM PROGRESS REVIEWS (BASE CONTRACT LEVEL)

The Contractor shall conduct Program Progress Reviews (PPR) for Government personnel at a mutually agreeable facility (meeting can be virtual). The CO/CS or the COR will schedule the initial PPR. It is anticipated the first PPR will occur no later than 90 calendar days after date of contract award. Thereafter, PPRs shall occur quarterly, for the life of the contract. During each PPR, the Contractor shall present material that addresses:

5. How issues are to be resolved by VA or Contractor.

6. Innovative technologies that would benefit VA.

The Contractor shall produce and distribute the PPR meeting minutes identifying the key discussion points and action items. The Contractor shall deliver the PPR meeting review to the COR within five business days after the PPR.

Deliverable:

A. Program Progress Reviews

5.3 SITE INVENTORY

If a site inventory is required by a TO, the Contractor shall perform a site visit for LEC inventory and site readiness. The Contractor shall advise the VA COR of the results of the site inventory and site readiness. All data must be in in MS Word or MS Excel. The report shall be delivered to the COR or designee by email five business days after site visit. Site access shall be coordinated with the VA COR and local site contact prior to any work being accomplished at the location specified in the TO.

Deliverable:

A. Task Order Site Inventory Report

5.4 RECURRING VOICE AND DATA SERVICES

5.4.1 SERVICE TYPES AND FEATURES

The Government requires telephone service portability and that established telephone numbers be retained. All voice circuits shall be capable of providing location information to the local Public Service Answering Point (PSAP) where the PSAP is available. The Government requires data circuits and Session Initiation Protocol Trunk Service (SIP) to be fully integrated with Internet Protocol version 4 and 6 (IPv4 and IPv6). The Contractor shall ensure that the Department of Veterans Affairs is the customer of record.

The Government requires long distance (LD) calling capability and will issue task order requirements under any resulting contract, accordingly. The Primary Interexchange Carrier / Local Primary Interexchange Carrier (PIC/LPIC) will be identified by the Government. Initially the LD carrier for all voice services shall be Networx Primary inter-Local Access and Transport Area (LATA) Carrier (PIC/LPIC 0432). The Government may acquire LD Services under this or any other resulting contract and may be competed amongst any and all NLEC-NG awardees. LD services will be transitioned to the new contracted PIC/LPIC once established. The LD shall include any access and terminating fee and charge per six second increment. Furthermore, the Contractor shall not charge LD for services that are due to incorrect PIC/LPIC caused by the Contractor, to include any and all subcontractors.

International LD shall be limited to the 29 North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Member Countries, including the US Territories of American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands, as well as The Republic of the Philippines. No other country code for LD will be allowed unless specifically identified by any future task order.

The Government intends to acquire Domestic Toll-Free Service (TFS) under any resulting contract. The Government requires TFS ported to any of the SDP locations identified in Attachment A that are within the 50 United States and will issue task order requirements accordingly. The Contractor shall provide TFS and shall be the Responsible Organization (RESPORG) for the TFS. Service shall be delivered to the SDP identified in any resulting TO and shall only function in and extend to areas of the 50 United States and the US Territories of American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. The inbound TFS shall include any access and terminating fee and charge per six second increment. Additional TFS features and functioning areas will specifically be identified by task order.

The Contractor shall not charge for installation of services or features listed in section 5.4 except for 5.4.1.19 (PIC/LPIC provisioning), 5.4.1.20 (Telecommunications Service Priority), or 5.4.1.21 PS/ALI service.

Special Construction charges, infrastructure build-out charges, or other one-time charges for the establishment or increase of outside plant to an SDP demarcation point by the Contractor shall not be included in any resulting contract. If needed, the Contractor shall furnish a separate quote for related build-out charges to the VA COR for evaluation and elevation to the responsible Agency or to the VA CO. Charges for any of the above listed additional build-out requirements shall not be billable on any resulting contract and shall remain the sole responsibility of the facility requiring the changes.

A Letter of Authorization (LOA) will be furnished by the VA COR to any Contractor, if necessary, to complete the TO.

The Contractor shall consolidate existing LEC services in a like for like transition. The Contractor may be required to expand the quantity of services to meet the requirements of the VA. The Contractor is not required to provide services commercially unavailable at the SDP, however, their unavailability must be noted in any TO response. The Contractor shall block Premium Rate Telephone number calls also known as 900 or 976 numbers and 411 calls.

The Contractor shall provide Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) (5.4.1.1), to a minimum of thirty percent (35%) of the SDP locations identified in Attachment A. The requirements relative to POTS services are identified and/or described in greater detail below. The designation of the SDPs that comprise the minimum thirty percent (35%) service level required herein is left to the sole discretion of the Contractor. Although the Contractor may offer in excess of the required minimum thirty percent (35%) service level, and/or additional service types identified in the Table below, please be advised that the provision of POTS services to a minimum of thirty percent (35%) of the SDPs identified on Attachment A is a mandatory and material requirement that must be continuously maintained by the Contractor over the life of any resulting contract. Failure to do so may result in breach of any resulting contract with the Government reserving any and all remedies available to it in law and equity. Each Contractor’s eligibility to compete for task orders and receive task orders shall be limited to the states and services for which it has provided prices in its pricing proposal for the National Local Exchange Carrier Services for the Enterprise Next Generation. Those prices will be incorporated into the contract and will serve as the Offeror’s total NTE ceiling price for each proposed service type, in each proposed state, under any future task orders.

The service type required under any resulting TOs are as follows:

50Mbps; 60Mbps; 70Mbps; 80Mbps; 90Mbps; 100Mbps; 200Mbps; 300Mbps; 400Mbps; 500Mbps; 600Mbps; 700Mbps; 800Mbps; 900Mbps; 1Gbps

2) PRI Circuit (23B+D)

3) SIP Trunk

2) provisioning; and

3) restoral

2) 3-7Mbps (standalone); and

3) 12-40Mbps (standalone)

2) 3-7Mbps; and

3) 12-40 Mbps;

2) Extended calling area; and

3) Additional paths

The Government intends to solicit LD Services under this contract. The contractor that is awarded an Enterprise Long Distance task order shall provide the Government and other telecommunication contractors with a Primary Interexchange Carrier (PIC/LPIC) code for switched access for inter-LATA, intra-LATA, and International calling. The unit of measurement shall be in 6 second increments.

Switched access or dedicated access trunks as defined by task order.

Switched access or dedicated access trunks as defined by task order.

5.4.2 LOCAL TELECOMMUNICATION FEATURES

The Contractor shall provide local voice telecommunication features as identified in each TO. Features that are not commercially available need not be provided but their unavailability must be noted in the TO response.

5.4.3 TELECOMMUNICATION FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor shall utilize the VA Tungsten OB-10 EDI billing system, or a VA approved Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) software system to electronically submit invoices for processing. All invoices shall contain the following elements: The Vendor’s account number, current purchase order number, period of performance, service delivery point(s), CLIN Items (to include applicable universal service order code(s) {USOC}), quantities, unit cost, total cost, and unique invoice number. This shall be reflected on each invoice submitted. Detailed billing is required, summary billing or billing without all the elements described are not acceptable. The Government is Tax Exempt from most Federal/State/Local taxes and as such invoices shall not contain any exempted taxes. Invoices must be submitted monthly in arrears and not more than 90 calendar days after the completion of the billing cycle. Upon completion of the period of performance and payment of the final invoices, the Contractor shall notify the COR and the Contracting Officer for purchase order close out.

The Contractor shall stop service charges on any disconnect, or discontinuations of service requests within 30 days of the VA original requested date. VA will not pay for services beyond 30 calendar days after request for discontinuation.

All VA accounts shall be identified in the Contractor network as a Federal Government account and shall not be subject to disconnection for any reason other than the Government COR requests that it be disconnected.

5.4.4 TELEPHONE SERVICE PORTABILITY

The Government requires telephone service portability and that established telephone numbers be retained. Moves made under portability provisions are subject to facility availability and requirements in Section 5.5, Establishment of Services. The Government may choose to move either a portion or the entire existing service.

5.4.5 TELECOMMUNICATION AVAILABILITY

The Contractor shall adhere to all Public Utilities Commission (PUC) Agreements that regulate the area of service. The PUC shall be the primary ombudsman for regulated services. Government LEC services requirements and conditions may be more stringent than PUC regulations and both may apply. All Contractors and their subcontractors must be recognized and regulated by the PUC in the area that the Contractor offers service; prior to being able to provide service to an area under a TO, proof of certification must be furnished to the VA COR. Rate and service schedules must comply with both Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and PUC rules. LEC service providers must have their own facilities in the network fully or in part. Best effort service shall not be accepted. The Government requires telephone service portability and that established telephone numbers be retained.

5.4.6 TELECOMUNICATIONS SERVICE PRIORITY

The Contractor shall comply with the assignment of a Telecommunications Service Priority (TSP) to all circuits ordered. TSP is a program that authorizes National Security and Emergency Preparedness (NS/EP) organizations to receive priority treatment for vital voice and data circuits or other telecommunications services because of hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, and other natural or man-made disasters (see https://www.dhs.gov/telecommunications-service-priority-tsp). The TSP Program requires service vendors to prioritize requests by identifying those services critical to NS/EP based on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) mandate (REF: 88-341). A TSP assignment ensures that it shall receive priority attention by the service vendor before all non-TSP service. The Contractor shall ensure that the Department of Veterans Affairs is the customer of record.

5.4.7 E-911 PS/ALI AVAILABILITY

The Contractor shall comply with all applicable local and FCC regulatory requirements including Local Number Portability (LNP), directory assistance, and emergency services (911 or E911) requirements to identify the location of an originating station and route them to the appropriate Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP).

5.5 ESTABLISHMENT OF SERVICES

Requirements for access to VA facilities shall include the following:

Usual working hours at VA facilities are 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM (Local Time). Access after normal administrative hours shall be coordinated and approved with each site.

The Contractor shall provide telecommunication services that are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year for the locations specified in Attachment A (SDP List). Services include all non-recurring charges specific to each facility. Service that is provided under a fixed period service pricing plan may be changed in speed or capacity or may be converted to another service under PWS paragraph 5.4.1, without incurring a discontinuance charge.

The Contractor shall seek permission and schedule via local Point of Contact (POC) and/or Alternate POC and/or Area Manager, who will be identified in the individual TO, to enter the Government facility for installing, inspecting or repairing of the facilities, or upon termination of the service, for removing Contractor facilities. The Contractor shall notify the COR within one business day if access is not obtained.

5.6 SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENT (SLA)

The Contractor services shall conform to SLA parameters as defined in the following subtasks. This SLA shall apply from the Government Acceptance Date for the Service to the duration of the Service Term. Satellite, cellular, or other radio services shall not be an acceptable solution.

5.6.1 CONTRACTOR CUSTOMER SUPPORT

The Contractor shall use an escalation process to resolve customer service issues and provide a single POC for each issue or dispute. The Contractor shall provide the COR an Escalation Process Plan within 14 calendar days after base contract award outlining the specific steps taken to resolve customer service issues. The Escalation Process Plan shall be updated within 30 calendar days after any change of contractor key personnel.

The Contractor shall provide the COR a Customer Support Organization Chart containing employee names, email addresses, and direct phone numbers.

The Contractor shall provide technical Help Desk support. Technical Help Desk support is required 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days year. A manned toll-free number shall be designated as the primary help number for VA to call to report a problem and have a Trouble Ticket assigned. Automated answering or ticket automation service shall not be an acceptable solution. The Contractor’s customer service representative shall be in the Continental United States (CONUS) and be fluent in spoken and written English. A Trouble Ticket is the method used by the Government to advise the Help Desk of a perceived fault, including a service outage or a failure to meet an SLA. A unique Trouble Ticket reference number shall be given to the Government representative and used each time the Government calls in to the Help Desk for any fault update or, if appropriate, to inform the Contractor of restoration of the service.

The Contractor shall provide the COR a Monthly Help Desk Report at the completion of each billing cycle. The Help Desk Report shall contain all tickets opened during the billing cycle and shall include a list of trouble ticket numbers and the circuits effected, reporting location, time of trouble ticket report, time of service restoration, and description of fault and resolution of fault.

Deliverable:

A. Escalation Process Plan B. Customer Support Organization Chart C. Monthly Help Desk Report

5.6.2 MEAN TIME TO REPAIR (MTTR)

MTTR is the average time for the Contractor to restore the service during a service outage in a billing month. The SLA for MTTR shall be four (4) hours for outage and 72 hours for service degraded. The Contractor shall provide technical support/resolution during established business hours to assist VA with issues pertaining to the LEC Services in Section 5.4.1. MTTR times begin when the Contractor receives a support request from VA. The Contractor shall respond to VA’s support requests according to the following fault classifications.

5.6.2.1 PRIORITY 1– SERVICE OUTAGE

A service outage is defined as an unscheduled period in which the service is interrupted and unavailable for use by Customer for 60 or more Unavailable Seconds within a 15-minute period. This includes a business impacting function or service is not available such as loss of dial tone, inability to dial 911, or inability to receive a call on the circuit due to service outages. This shall include total loss of service or the service is degraded to the extent where the Government is unable to use it. This shall include the inability to receive or transmit data or access critical medical systems due to circuit impairment. The Contractor shall respond to all service outages within four hours. Notifications shall be provided to VA local POC as identified by TO, every business day via telephone until restored. The fault shall not return for seven calendar days or it shall be considered a continuation of the original service impact.

5.6.2.2 PRIORITY 2– SERVICE DEGRADED

Service Degraded means VA’s workflow is not seriously affected or limited. The Contractor repair technician shall respond to all Service Degraded reports within four hours. Status notifications shall be provided to VA local POC as identified by TO, every business day via telephone until restored. The fault shall not return for 30 calendar days or it shall be considered a continuation of the original fault.

5.6.2.3 EXCLUSIONS

During scheduled maintenance of the LEC Service, the Contractor shall notify VA COR/PM within three business days of the maintenance window and describe in detail how long and to what level degraded service is to be expected. The Contractor shall obtain approval in advance from the appropriate VA POC as identified by TO before scheduled maintenance occurs. The voice service shall not be unavailable for any outage that results from any maintenance performed by the Contractor as defined by the following three exceptions:

1. VA is notified at least three business days in advance of outage or service degradation;

2. During the installation period; or

3. Trouble beyond the demarcation point or Network Interface (NI) not caused by the Contractor.

5.7 MAINTENANCE PERFORMANCE

The Contractor shall obtain the approval of the VA Facility Telecommunications Manager (TM) [shall be identified at the TO level] prior to starting any work that will cause a service outage (refer to PWS Section 5.6.2.1). The Contractor shall notify the COR and VA Facility TM, if work needs to be performed outside of normal business hours, a minimum of three business days before the work is to begin (except in the case of Trouble Ticket repair). The Contractor shall receive approval from the VA Facility TM prior to commencement of either intrusive testing or contractor actions which may affect service quality.

The Contractor shall clean up all work areas immediately after completing work in VA facilities, including removal and disposal of defective equipment. The Contractor shall notify VA when any service request, repair, or maintenance is completed. Notification shall be by telephone call or email to the VA local technical contact. The service request, repair, or maintenance is not considered complete until a VA OIT Area Manager or designee confirms that the completion of service is acceptable.

5.8 ACCOUNT RECORDS AND REPORTING

Account records shall be aggregated by delivery service point with an itemized list of service types provided. Customer Service Records (CSR), the price associated with each service, shall be organized by VA parent facility. All data must be in MS Word or MS Excel. The Account Records and CSR shall be delivered to the COR or designee by email on or about the same time every month.

Deliverable:

A. Account Records and Customer Service Records

5.8.1 CONTINUITY OF OPERATIONS PLAN (COOP)

The Contractor shall provide a continuity of operations plan within 30 calendar days after basic contract award and shall update the plan as required to satisfy the needs of the Government. This shall include:

1. Identification of hazards pertaining to services offered;

2. A vulnerability assessment to determine the effects of hazards;

3. Sufficient levels of physical security required to protect against identified threats; and

4. Sufficient levels of information security required to protect against identified threats.

Deliverable:

A. Continuity of Operations Plan

5.9 ENGINNEERING CHANGE PROPOSALS (ECPs) FOR TECHNOLOGY REFRESH, TECHNOLOGY INSERTION

Technological changes and obsolescence over time in LEC service delivery and products may result in the need to update the VA’s LEC infrastructure for these services. To ensure that these changes are properly documented and managed, the Contractor shall submit a Configuration Management Plan for Government approval in accordance with PWS paragraph 5.9. As part of this Plan, the Contractor may be required, or elect, to submit Engineering Change Proposals (ECPs) for Technology Refresh with respect to replacement or updating of existing IT LEC hardware for delivery of services or for Technology Insertion with respect to new service types or infrastructure changes of the Contract by the Contracting Officer (CO) which are further described below. ECPs, whether for Technology Refreshment or Technology Insertion, shall be submitted to the CO and COR.

Approved ECPs that incorporate new or replacement LEC hardware or service delivery types through Technology Refresh or Technology Insertion shall apply with respect to TOs subsequently issued under any resulting contract. That is, the Contractor shall not be required to retrofit existing infrastructure for delivery of services unless the proposed change corrects a problem or hazard with the existing installed hardware. When requested or offered, the Contractor shall provide, within thirty (30) calendar days of receipt of request, an ECP for the applicable new or enhanced LEC Infrastructure for Technology Refresh or Technology Insertion. The Government reserves the ultimate authority to approve, or disapprove, ECPs whether they are submitted to support Technology Refresh or Technology Insertion. This approval and/or disapproval is at the sole discretion of the CO and constitutes the Government’s final determination. Any and all costs associated with drafting and/or submitting ECPs, regardless of Government approval or disapproval, shall be borne solely by the Contractor.

An ECP is a proposed engineering change and the documentation by which the change is described, justified, and submitted to VA for approval or disapproval. There are two classifications of ECPs as defined below:

5.9.1 Major ECP

Major ECPs apply to:

A. New service types or infrastructure changes introduced by VA or Contractor that result from the requirement for Technology Insertion or replacement of obsolete infrastructure equipment.

B. Hardware/software infrastructure provided by the Contractor that requires major component, configuration, and/or system changes.

C. Any introduced product or service change that may impact the ability to meet service delivery requirements and connectivity and/or interoperability with current VA systems and/or infrastructure

D. Any service and/or infrastructure change that will result in a significant reduction in price and/or significantly improved performance.

The CO may ask the Contractor to prepare a Major ECP for new service or infrastructure items within the scope of this Contract. Upon receipt of a written request from the CO, the Contractor shall prepare and submit an ECP in accordance with the information provided below.

The Contractor may also initiate a Major ECP. Any Major ECP submitted to the CO shall include technical, price, and delivery terms that need to be negotiated prior to issuing a modification for incorporation of the change.

After submission of a Contractor-initiated Major ECP, the CO may require the Contractor to submit the following information:

A. Cost or pricing data in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 15.403-5 if the proposed change meets the criteria for its submission under FAR 15.403-4 or current commercial or other published price list.

B. Information other than cost or pricing data adequate for the CO to make a determination of price reasonableness. The CO reserves the right to request additional information if that provided by the Contractor is considered inadequate for that purpose. If the Contractor claims applicability of one of the exceptions to submission of cost or pricing data, it shall cite the exception and provide rationale for its applicability.

A Major ECP submitted to the VA for approval shall contain, at a minimum, the following information:

1. Title

2. Company Name, Name of individual submitting ECP, title and contact information.

3. Technical Functional Area Hardware Identification and applicable Contract Line Item Number (CLIN)

4. Description of Problem/Deficiency, if any

5. Justification for Change

6. Description of Proposed Solution / Alternative (to include compliance with required delivery of service requirements for affected service types.).

7. Supporting Information (to include evidence that proposed price equates to or is better than the price discount for services currently under contract).

8. Implementation Plan IAW PWS that provides as a minimum: Required support VA must provide, Contractor required efforts, anticipated timelines to accomplish and plan to ensure current service delivery is not impacted.

8. Prepared By

9. POC Information

5.9.2 Minor ECP

Minor ECPs apply to:

A. Any minor component, configuration, and/or system change that does not impact the ability to meet performance specifications, connectivity and/or interoperability with current VA systems.

B. Model Number Changes.

The Contractor may initiate a Minor ECP. All Minor ECPs shall be submitted to the CO as a notice that a minor change has taken effect.

A Minor ECP provided to the VA shall contain, at a minimum, the following information:

1. Title

2. Company Name, Name of individual submitting ECP, title and contact information.

3. Technical Functional Area Hardware Identification

4. Description of Problem/Deficiency, if any

5. Justification for Change

6. Description of Proposed Solution / Alternative

7. Supporting Information

8. Prepared By

9. POC Information

Upon review of any Major or Minor ECP submission, the Government shall have the right to approve any or all the proposed changes for incorporation into the contract, including new or substitution CLINs and to unilaterally modify the contract to provide for order of new or replacement technology hardware. Likewise, the Government reserves the right to reject any proposed ECP, at no cost to the Government.

6.0 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

6.1 POSITION/TASK RISK DESIGNATION LEVEL(S) AND CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL SECURITY REQUIREMENTS The Contractor(s) shall comply with all personnel security requirements included in this contract and local level organization security requirements described in each individual task order.

The position sensitivity of contractor work performed under any contract or task order resulting from these requirements is designated as low risk and the level of background investigation will be commensurate with the required level of access.

A. All Contractor personnel shall always be escorted by facility OIT staff while on station. Contractor staff will not require PIV badges due to being escorted, however will be badged by the facility as a visitor. Contractor staff must check in with facility OIT Area Manager or LCON as identified in TO prior to performing any work or installations.

B. 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.

6.2 METHOD AND DISTRIBUTION OF DELIVERABLES

The Contractor shall deliver documentation in electronic format, unless otherwise directed in Section B of the solicitation/contract. Acceptable electronic media include: Microsoft (MS) Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, and Adobe Postscript Data Format (PDF).

6.3 PERFORMANCE METRICS

The table below defines the Performance Standards and Acceptable Performance Levels for Objectives associated with this effort. All Performance levels are for calendar month and are not cumulative.